Jul 11, 2024

MIT Technology Review’s AI Guide: Navigating the Complex World of Artificial Intelligence

The MIT Technology Review's comprehensive guide to AI highlights the field's complex history and wide-ranging applications, serving as an essential resource for understanding artificial intelligence. Key Takeaways: The guide provides a thorough overview of AI, covering its multifaceted nature and the challenges in defining it: AI encompasses a broad spectrum of technologies and approaches, from rule-based systems to machine learning and deep learning, making it difficult to arrive at a single, universally accepted definition. The field has evolved significantly over the years, with different eras marked by distinct approaches, breakthroughs, and setbacks, showcasing the dynamic nature of AI research and...

read Jul 11, 2024

Microsoft’s VALL-E 2 Achieves Human-Like Speech, Deemed Too Risky for Release

Microsoft's VALL-E 2 text-to-speech AI reaches claimed "human parity" in recreating convincing human voices, but is deemed too risky for public release due to potential misuse. Key advancements enable more natural speech generation: VALL-E 2 incorporates two key features to generate high-quality, human-like speech from just a few seconds of audio: "Repetition Aware Sampling" improves the AI's text-to-speech conversion by addressing repetitions of small language units called "tokens," preventing infinite loops and making the speech pattern more natural and fluid. "Grouped Code Modeling" enhances efficiency by reducing the sequence length of tokens the model processes in a single input, speeding...

read Jul 11, 2024

AI Tool Promises Hollywood-Grade Video Creation for All

Odyssey aims to bring Hollywood-grade AI video creation to the masses Key differences from other text-to-video tools: Odyssey promises to give users full, fine-tuned control over every element in the generated scenes, unlike current text-to-video tools that output a non-editable video file: If the scenery, characters, lighting, or motion is off in current tools, the user has to start the generation process again from scratch. Odyssey overcomes this by training four separate generative models that allow fine-tuning of geometry, materials, lighting, and motion, enabling users to rapidly create videos exactly as envisioned. Startup background and approach: Odyssey is a year-old...

read Jul 11, 2024

The FCC’s New Rule Requires Disclosures for AI in Political Ads

The FCC's proposed rule requiring AI disclosures in political ads could have wide-ranging implications for the election season and advertising industry, as concerns grow over AI-generated deepfakes and their potential to mislead voters and undermine institutional credibility. Key Takeaways: Moody's warns that AI deepfakes could be used to mislead voters, impact election outcomes, and ultimately influence policymaking, undermining the credibility of U.S. institutions. The FCC's proposed rule would require political TV, video, and radio ads to disclose AI-generated content, but does not cover social media, which the FEC is considering addressing with its own regulations. Industry Impact and Reactions: The...

read Jul 11, 2024

Amazon’s Alexa Team Shifts Focus to Develop Rival to GPT-4, PaLM

Amazon has efforts underway to develop a competitive large-language model and reinvigorate its Alexa voice assistant through its artificial general intelligence (AGI) division, led by ex-Alexa chief scientist Rohit Prasad. Key details about Amazon's AGI division: The majority of the division's staff comes from the former Alexa team, with several dozen recent hires from the startup Adept: Approximately 8,000 out of the 10,000 people who were under Prasad at Alexa were transferred to the new AGI division when it was formed last summer. Prasad, who previously served as the chief scientist and senior vice president for Alexa, now reports directly...

read Jul 11, 2024

Etsy Balances AI and Authenticity with New “Creativity Standards” for Sellers

Etsy introduces new "Creativity Standards" to address the rise of AI-generated products on its platform, aiming to maintain transparency and authenticity for buyers. Key changes in Etsy's seller policies: Etsy has revised its seller guidelines to require clear labeling of products based on the level of human involvement in their creation: The "Handmade" label applies to items physically made by the seller or with the help of tools like 3D printers. The new "Designed" label is for products created using AI or other digital tools, ensuring buyers know they may not be entirely handmade. Balancing AI and handmade products: While...

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AI Chip Startup Groq Nears $300M Funding, Faces Audit Amid Nvidia Dominance

Groq, an AI chip startup, is close to securing over $300 million in funding led by BlackRock, potentially doubling its valuation to $2.2 billion. However, the deal comes with the requirement of a financial audit, which is atypical in the competitive AI market. Key details of the funding round: The BlackRock-led investment is expected to finalize within the next two weeks and will significantly boost Groq's financial standing: The funding amount exceeds $300 million, which will more than double the startup's valuation from its previous $1.1 billion in 2021. BlackRock's requirement for a financial audit is unusual in the current...

read Jul 10, 2024

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring: Ecosystem Unifier or Iterative Innovator?

Samsung unveils a new ecosystem of devices at its Galaxy Unpacked event, with a focus on AI integration and iterative updates. The Galaxy Ring takes center stage: Samsung introduces the Galaxy Ring, a wearable device that aims to be the central controller for its ecosystem of products: The Ring features a small touchscreen display and built-in microphone and speaker, allowing users to interact with their devices using voice commands, gestures, and touch. It is designed to seamlessly connect with and control other Samsung devices, such as smartphones, earbuds, and smartwatches, creating a more cohesive user experience across the Galaxy ecosystem....

read Jul 10, 2024

Andreessen Horowitz’s AI Chip Play: Fueling Startups, Shaping the Industry’s Future

Andreessen Horowitz's Oxygen initiative aims to support AI startups by providing them with scarce AI chips in exchange for equity, highlighting the critical role these chips play in the AI industry. Key details of the Oxygen initiative: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has secured a large supply of AI chips, including over 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, to strategically support its AI portfolio companies: The chips will be provided to startups in exchange for equity, giving a16z a stake in these companies and their potential success. The initiative is named "Oxygen" to emphasize how essential these chips are for AI companies to survive...

read Jul 10, 2024

China Bets on Humanoid Robots as U.S. Chip Restrictions Bite

The World AI Conference in Shanghai showcased China's advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in the development of humanoid robots, as the country grapples with ongoing chip shortages due to U.S. export controls. Emphasis on humanoid robots over advanced chips: Huawei Cloud CEO Zhang Ping'an argued that China does not need the most advanced chips to lead in AI development, suggesting that the country should focus on other areas of innovation: Zhang stated that believing advanced AI chips are the only path to AI leadership is equivalent to embracing defeat, urging the industry to abandon this viewpoint. The conference featured 18...

read Jul 10, 2024

Ukraine Deploys AI to Expose Russian Disinformation, Safeguarding Democracy

The AI-powered War of Words tool, launched by Ukraine's former minister of culture Volodymyr Borodiansky, analyzes vast amounts of Russian media content to expose pro-Kremlin propaganda and fake news narratives that can influence public opinion and democratic processes. Key details of the AI tool: War of Words harnesses artificial intelligence to scrutinize thousands of hours of video content across Russian TV and Telegram channels dating back to 2012, providing users with a searchable archive updated daily: The tool tracks and analyzes all content aired on Russian media since 2012, generating hundreds of units of propaganda every second. It aims to...

read Jul 10, 2024

Sam Altman’s $2 Billion Fortune: OpenAI CEO’s Meteoric Rise in Tech

Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, has rapidly risen to prominence in the tech industry, amassing a substantial fortune along the way. Altman's net worth and billionaire status: As of 2024, Sam Altman's estimated net worth stands at $2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index Fund, solidifying his position as a billionaire in the tech industry. This figure does not include Altman's holding in OpenAI, suggesting that his actual net worth may be even higher. Much of Altman's wealth has been accumulated through successful ventures in technology, such as Loopt and Y Combinator, rather than solely from...

read Jul 10, 2024

Wall Street Bullish on Tempus AI’s AI-Driven Precision Medicine Potential

Tempus AI garners bullish sentiment from Wall Street post-IPO: On Tuesday, analysts across Wall Street initiated coverage of recently launched health-care technology stock Tempus AI, with most assigning it either a buy or overweight rating due to its strong financial profile and promising AI capabilities in the health-care sector. AI-enabled precision medicine driving optimism: Tempus AI combines patients' molecular, clinical, and imaging data with its AI platform to deliver personalized therapy decisions, which analysts believe positions the company well in the growing precision medicine market. Bank of America analyst Michael Ryskin praised Tempus AI's artificial intelligence capabilities in the health-care...

read Jul 10, 2024

AI-Powered Video Platform Captions Secures $60M, Fueling Generative AI Revolution

Captions, a startup founded by ex-Microsoft engineer Gaurav Misra, has secured $60 million in Series C funding to advance its AI-powered video creation platform, signaling the growing demand and investment in generative AI for video. Captions' evolution into an AI-driven video suite: Founded in 2021, Captions has transformed from a manual video recording app to a comprehensive AI-powered platform that enables users to create high-quality videos with ease: The company initially expanded its offerings with AI-assisted editing tools for correcting eye contact, dubbing, voiceovers, and producing short clips from longer videos. In early 2024, Captions introduced AI Creator and AI...

read Jul 10, 2024

Ex-Humane Execs Launch AI Fact-Checking Search Engine Amid Startup’s Struggles

Two former Humane execs have left the struggling AI hardware startup to found Infactory, an AI-powered fact-checking search engine focused exclusively on data. The move comes as Humane faces post-launch struggles with its much-hyped AI device. Founders' background: Brooke Hartley Moy, former Humane Strategic Partnerships Lead, and Ken Kocienda, former Head of Product Engineering, are now CEO and CTO of Infactory, respectively. Both founders have significant experience at major tech companies, with Hartley Moy previously at Humane and Kocienda spending 16 years at Apple before joining Humane. Their departure echoes Humane's own origin story, as its founders also left longtime...

read Jul 10, 2024

will.i.am on AI: Revolutionizing Music, Empowering Youth, Solving Global Challenges

The interview with will.i.am at the Imagination In Action conference provided fascinating insights into the evolution and potential of AI in music and beyond. Key takeaways: will.i.am's early exposure to AI and his investments in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have positioned him as a visionary in the field: He is now the CEO of FYI.AI, a company focused on creating AI personas that engage in authentic, relatable conversations. FYI's "secret sauce" involves using natural speaking voices and conversational training data to create AI that feels like a real "superstar" rather than a bland tool. Analyzing the impact of technology...

read Jul 10, 2024

Skild AI Raises $300M to Develop “General Purpose Brain” for Plug-and-Play Robot Intelligence

Skild AI, a Pittsburgh-based robotics startup, has raised $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation to develop a "general purpose brain" for robots that can be integrated across various applications. Skild AI's plug-and-play robotic intelligence: The company has created a foundational model that serves as a single off-the-shelf intelligence for robots, enabling them to perform basic functions: The AI model allows robots to navigate complex environments, such as climbing steep slopes, walking over obstructing objects, and identifying and picking up items. Skild AI's model has been trained on a massive database of text, images, and video, which the company claims...

read Jul 10, 2024

Spanish Teens Sentenced for AI-Generated Nude Images, Sparking Debate on Deepfake Abuse

A Spanish court has sentenced 15 teenagers to a year's probation for creating and sharing AI-generated naked images of their female classmates, sparking a debate on the harmful uses of deepfake technology and the need for proper education on gender equality and responsible technology use. Case details and court ruling: The investigation began after parents in the town of Almendralejo reported that fake nude pictures of their daughters were circulating on WhatsApp groups: The teenagers, aged between 13 and 15, used AI applications to superimpose the girls' faces from social media profiles onto naked female bodies. The manipulated photos were...

read Jul 10, 2024

Suspiciously Smooth-Skinned Politician Denies Being an AI Bot, Blames Pneumonia and Photoshop

Mark Matlock, a candidate for the far-right Reform UK party, has confirmed he is a real person despite suspicions that he might be an AI-generated bot. Background and speculation: Matlock's absence from key campaign events and his unusually smooth skin in a campaign image led to speculation on social media that he might not be a real person: A thread on X (formerly Twitter) questioned Matlock's existence, suggesting a potential scandal if he turned out to be an AI bot. While an AI-generated candidate ran for UK Parliament this election, the possibility of Matlock being AI-generated seemed plausible given the...

read Jul 10, 2024

A New Camera Is Bringing Generative AI to Movie Making

A groundbreaking AI-powered movie camera is transforming the world of filmmaking, offering new creative possibilities for directors and cinematographers. Introducing the CMR-M1: The CMR-M1, a prototype camera developed by SpecialGuestX and 1stAveMachine, utilizes generative AI to enhance and transform filmed footage in real-time: The camera sends digital film to the cloud, where a Stable Diffusion-based model transforms the footage based on pre-trained models and personalized prompts. A wheel on the side of the camera allows operators to smoothly transition between real footage and AI-generated overlays, while an NFC chip slot enables the use of personalized style cards. Embracing physical interfaces...

read Jul 10, 2024

CodiumAI Is Pioneering an AI-Powered Code Integrity Platform to Accelerate Enterprise Software Development

CodiumAI is pioneering an AI agent-driven approach to accelerate enterprise application development, recognizing that fully autonomous software development is not yet feasible for complex enterprise requirements. At VentureBeat Transform 2024, CodiumAI is unveiling its new Enterprise platform, which aims to enhance code integrity and developer productivity. Incremental AI agent approach: Rather than attempting to create a single end-to-end solution like Devin, CodiumAI is focusing on integrating many small AI agents into existing developer workflows to handle specific tasks: This approach tackles individual challenges within the complex world of enterprise software development, aiming to accelerate developer productivity and complete tasks more...

read Jul 10, 2024

AI Holds Promise and Pitfalls for Accessibility, NASCIO Paper Finds

A new paper from NASCIO explores the role of generative AI in improving accessibility for people with disabilities, finding both promising use cases and current limitations that require careful consideration. Key recommendations for state technology leaders: The paper offers four main suggestions to guide the effective use of generative AI for accessibility: Engage all stakeholders, including people with disabilities, when evaluating AI tools to ensure they meet the needs of diverse users. Cultivate inclusive data sets to combat potential bias that could perpetuate accessibility issues if AI models are trained on inaccurate or exclusionary data. Embrace transparency in AI development...

read Jul 10, 2024

Judge Dismisses Most Claims in GitHub Copilot Copyright Lawsuit, Narrows Case

The copyright lawsuit against GitHub, Microsoft, and OpenAI over the AI-powered GitHub Copilot tool has been significantly narrowed, with a judge dismissing most of the claims brought by a group of developers. Key developments in the case: Judge Jon Tigar's ruling dealt a major setback to the developers' lawsuit, which originally made 22 claims against the companies: Nearly all of the claims were dismissed, leaving only two standing: an accusation of open-source license violation and an allegation of breach of contract. The judge determined that the code allegedly copied by GitHub Copilot wasn't similar enough to the developers' original work...

read Jul 10, 2024

Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz Clash Over AI Chip Supplies Amid Gen AI Boom

The intense competition between Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz over AI chip supplies highlights the critical role of GPUs in the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape. While Andreessen Horowitz is amassing a stockpile of over 20,000 GPUs to support its portfolio companies, Sequoia believes the GPU shortage has peaked and that increased production will lead to excess capacity and wasted capital. Andreessen Horowitz's AI chip strategy: The venture capital firm is taking a proactive approach to secure access to GPUs, which are essential for training and running large AI models: Andreessen Horowitz has been aggressively pursuing AI startups, leading 19...

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