AI Code of Conduct: How EU & US Lawmakers are Taking the Reins

June 2, 2023June 1, 2023 by Wes Roth

Get the full story on how EU and US lawmakers are working together to establish a regulatory framework for AI technologies, ensuring that the incredible benefits are reaped without compromising ethical considerations.

Today:

EU and US lawmakers move to draft AI Code of Conduct fast

Well, buckle up, cowboy, ’cause EU and US lawmakers are hustling to whip up a ‘manners guide’ for artificial intelligence – a Code of Conduct for all our digital cowpokes. Will AI top dogs play nice with this new rulebook? Only time will tell, but snubbing it would look as bad as a rattlesnake at a garden party, especially since they’ve been hollerin’ for regulations.

EU’s Margrethe Vestager, kicked off this tech hoedown at a recent US-EU Trade & Tech Council meet-up in Sweden. This Council was cooked up in 2021 to smooth ruffled feathers after Trump and get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet on tech and trade.

Watermarking, external audits, feedback loops – just some of the ideas discussed with @AnthropicAI and @sama @OpenAI for the #AI #CodeOfConduct launched today at the #TTC in #Luleå @SecRaimondo Looking forward to discussing with international partners. pic.twitter.com/wV08KDNs3h
— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) May 31, 2023

Vestager called AI a “earthquake”, saying it needs swift and steady rules. She wants the free world to stay ahead of this wild AI stallion that’s evolving faster than a jackrabbit on a hot date. The EU’s already on it with draft laws, but it could still take a couple of years to round up all the details.

On the US end, Gina Raimondo, head honcho of commerce, kept mum on how the US would wrangle their own AI big guns. She underlined that while AI’s a shiny new toy, there’s a fine line between reaping the benefits and keeping it from becoming a bull in a china shop.

Industry bigwigs like Dario Amodei and Brad Smith agreed that AI’s the bee’s knees, but also could stir up a hornet’s nest. They seem keen to avoid any hard tests of AI power until the cows come home.

Sam Altman, the big boss of OpenAI, and Vestager chewed the fat over the Code of Conduct and ideas like audits and watermarking. OpenAI seemed eager to help out, even though they recently made a hullabaloo threatening to pull their tool from the EU over new rules.

There is no point in attempting blackmail — claiming that by crafting a clear framework, Europe is holding up the rollout of generative #AI.

To the contrary!

With the “AI Pact” I proposed, we aim to assist companies in their preparation to EU AI Act 🇪🇺https://t.co/gHsV69L81S pic.twitter.com/N5r83yWtIe
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) May 25, 2023

So the wheels are turning. It’s a race against time to draft some manners for AI before it goes hog wild. Let’s hope they can get this bronco in check before it high-tails out of the stable.

The conversation continued with Dr. Gemma Galdon-Clavell and Alexandra Reeve Givens both saying we need to worry about the here and now, not some sci-fi future. Galdon-Clavell believes algorithm checks will be the new lasso for wrangling AI trouble, and Reeve Givens warned us not to overlook less flashy AI issues, like those that could mess with jobs and public benefits.

In short, they all agreed on focusing on current troubles, making audits more robust, and including everyone in making these rules. They also want to ensure audits consider everything, from simple problems to issues of privacy and dignity. Well, ain’t that a fine howdy-do?

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

OpenAI is pursuing a new way to fight A.I. ‘hallucinations’

OpenAI’s got a new trick up its sleeve to rein in the blabbermouth AIs that have been spewing bologna, also known as AI ‘hallucinations.’ These chatty systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard are renowned for making stuff up, like a tall tale about the James Webb Space Telescope or a few phony legal cases.

Sam Altman, the big cheese at OpenAI, swanned into the White House recently for a chinwag with Vice President Kamala Harris, talking about tackling these AI fibbers. OpenAI’s plan? Teach AI to pat itself on the back for every right step it takes toward an answer, not just the final result. They’re calling it ‘process supervision,’ and it might help AI think more like us humans, which, let’s be real, is a mixed blessing at best.

While OpenAI didn’t cook up this ‘process supervision’ idea, they’re hell-bent on pushing it forward. They’ve even dished out a dataset of 800,000 human labels they used to train their model, for all the eager beavers out there.

But not everyone’s buying what they’re selling. Folks like Ben Winters from the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Suresh Venkatasubramanian from Brown University reckon there’s a lot of room for skepticism. In the end, they want more proof in the pudding before they pass judgment.

OpenAI might send the paper off for a peer review and possibly apply this strategy to ChatGPT and other products, but they’re playing coy on when or if that’ll happen. Sarah Myers West from the AI Now Institute warns we shouldn’t get ahead of our skis here; there’s still a load of mystery around how AI is trained and tested. So, while it’s great to see companies working on reducing AI flubs, we’ve still got a long way to go for true accountability in the world of artificial intelligence.

READ THE ARTICLE ON CNBC.

Snapchat launches a new generative AI feature, ‘My AI Snaps,’ for paid subscribers

Snapchat’s gone all Frankenstein, y’all. They’ve got this new gizmo, ‘My AI Snaps,’ part of their Snapchat+ deal. You send your Snap, the thingamajig responds with a Snap of its own. This was the big surprise at last month’s Snap hoedown. The basic My AI feature is free for all, but the Snap response part costs ya.

Before this, Snap’s been on an AI spree, like sticking My AI into group chats and having it spit out place recommendations and such. The bot could also text back to your Snaps, but now it’s learned to send pictures too.

But don’t get too jazzed up. Its main use seems to be for chuckles. The big boss man, Evan Spiegel, showed off stuff like snapping a picture of your pooch to get a funny dog picture back. Or send a snap of your veggies to get a recipe. Sure, the last bit could be handy, but who knows how good it is at handling a snap of your grocery run?

Snap’s making big promises about keeping things clean with My AI, but it’s kinda murky. Apparently, some AI apps like this can be duped into showing stuff that ain’t kid-friendly. Snap says they’re working on parental controls for it, but ain’t said when it’ll be ready. They did say that Family Center integration is live now, letting parents check if their kids have been yammering with the AI in the past week.

Remember, Snap’s saving all your messages with My AI until you hit delete, and that’s true for the picture Snaps too. And though they’ve aimed for My AI not to spit out garbage or harmful stuff, they’re like, “Hey, it might mess up, don’t take it seriously.”

Users haven’t been all lovey-dovey with My AI, giving it a whole mess of one-star reviews. Snap’s probably hoping this new feature gets them out of the doghouse.

And if you’re thinking of giving this a whirl, it’s only for Snapchat+ subscribers. That’s gonna set you back $3.99 a month, but you get a bunch of other Snapchat goodies with it.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Blink launches Blink Copilot to bring generative AI to security operations

Well, folks, it seems like we’ve hit a new era in security operations thanks to Blink‘s shiny new toy, Blink Copilot. The big cheese over there, Gil Barak, reckons we’ve passed the days of folks having to scratch their heads over coding workflows for weeks on end. Nowadays, we’ve got these low-code approaches, kinda like building with LEGOs – you just grab and drop what you need and voila, there’s your workflow.

Now, it’s as easy as pie with this new generative AI. You just tell it what you need and the platform spits out a workflow ready to go. It’s like ordering a burger – “I’ll have a ‘open a ticket for each issue and fix it in 48 hours’ please.” And bam! The order’s up!

Blink’s partnered with the big shots like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI to make this magic happen. They’ve even got a library with over 7,000 components to pick and choose from. The downside? This could be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. Anyone with two thumbs and a keyboard could potentially brew up a workflow without knowing the first thing about it. Kinda like giving a kid a chemistry set, you get me?

Barak thinks it’s a tad ironic. Just yesterday, folks were wringing their hands about finding enough skilled security engineers. Now, it seems you could teach a chimp to do it. But he assures us they’re adding some guardrails to keep things from going south.

Anyway, if you’ve got an itch to try out this no-code wonder, you can. It’s out there in the wild, ready for a test drive.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Microsoft Has Launched “Jugalbandi”—A New Generative AI App for India

Microsoft, the bigwig tech company, has cranked out another AI gadget called “Jugalbandi“. Think of it like a chatty robot that’s all gung-ho about making government stuff in India easier to understand. India’s a place with, like, 22 languages, so it’s a mess trying to get the word out about public programs. “Jugalbandi” is a term from Indian classical music, where two musicians playfully try to outdo each other. Here, it’s about the user and AI having a productive chit-chat.

The chatbot’s got a pretty straightforward job. Powered by some neat tech (don’t sweat the details), it helps folks break through language and literacy roadblocks and gets them the info they need about stuff like the law, education, health – you name it.

What’s really neat is the way they’ve hooked this thing up with WhatsApp – the go-to app in India for just about everything, from chinwagging with friends to buying stuff. WhatsApp’s big in India – it connects a whopping 480 million people.

And just so you know, Jugalbandi ain’t flying solo. It’s boosted by tech from AI4Bharat, a government-backed outfit working on AI for Indian languages. A bunch of eggheads from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, a top-notch tech university, are behind this.

Here’s how this contraption works. You send a text or voice message to a WhatsApp number, it gets turned into English text, then the AI finds the relevant government info you’re after, it gets translated back into Hindi and sent to your WhatsApp. Voila! Simple as pie.

The article talks about this gal Vandna, a college student who used Jugalbandi to find scholarships. She punched in her subjects, and the system coughed up a list of government scholarships she could apply for. Handy, right?

In the long run, this little gizmo could be a big deal in India. There are over 1.4 billion people there, a lot of them in the sticks. But India’s been throwing dough at high-speed internet for rural areas, so Jugalbandi can potentially be used far and wide.

And who knows? Besides government stuff, this thing could help Indians with other important areas like health, banking, and social issues. It’s like a Swiss Army Knife for information – could be a real game changer, making people feel connected and in the know.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FORBES.

Instacart launches new in-app AI search tool powered by ChatGPT

So Instacart, that grocery delivery service we all know and maybe love, decided it’d be neat to add a new shiny toy to its app, called “Ask Instacart”. They got OpenAI’s smarty-pants tech, ChatGPT, to power it up. Now you can pop a question like “What goes with lamb chops?” or “Got any dairy-free snacks for the kiddos?” into the app’s search bar, and voila, it’s gonna spit out some handy-dandy recommendations.

Ask Instacart is like that foodie friend who remembers what you bought last time and nudges you to try something new. It’s even got your back on cooking tips, dietary deets, and more.

The Instacart big cheese, JJ Zhuang, reckons this could be a game-changer for folks grappling with that eternal question, “What’s for dinner?” Now, instead of bouncing between Google and Instacart for snack ideas or grilling must-haves, you can just stay put and ask Instacart.

This move by Instacart comes on the heels of them making nice with ChatGPT, letting folks yap about their food needs in plain English and then shop. They’re also keen on keeping AI use in check. Only relevant food stuff here, folks.

Seeing as everyone and their grandma seem to be jumping on the AI bandwagon (looking at you, Microsoft, Google, Snapchat, Yelp, Duolingo, and Discord), it’s no shocker that Instacart wants a piece of the pie. Talk about keeping up with the Joneses!

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

The Roll iOS app uses AI to simulate crane and dolly shots on iPhone footage

Alright, here’s the skinny, folks. This new app called Roll AI is like your very own pocket-sized Hollywood studio for your iPhone. In short, it lets you turn your simple video shots into something you’d see in a Spielberg movie. All without having to lug around fancy camera gear or pull off some Cirque du Soleil moves with your phone.

Penned by Jess Weatherbed, a writer who’s seen it all in tech, this article introduces us to Roll AI. Think of it as your wingman, adding spice to your iPhone footage by simulating video effects that’d usually need a whole camera crew and an empty warehouse. We’re talking stabilized shots and camera movements you’d only see in action movies, all in post-production.

NEW: We just made Roll available to the world!

Now anyone can create professional, studio-quality remote videos in minutes, with just an iPhone.

Try it here: https://t.co/GSrjlpNMKx pic.twitter.com/ZWvIvUB6Os
— Roll (@roll_ai) May 31, 2023

What’s the secret sauce? Well, Roll AI uses its own brand of artificial intelligence to turn your video’s environment into a 3D space, meaning you can add snazzy text and simulate fancy camera movements right after filming. It can even automatically cut and paste your footage into something watchable.

This new app, which launched today, actually comes in two parts. There’s an iPhone app that records your video and ships it off to the cloud, and a web app where you can preview and tweak the footage. And they’re not skimping on the quality, folks. Roll says its videos are sharper than a razorback at the county fair, thanks to High Efficiency Video Coding.

Now, you can only have one boss on each recording session, who controls everything, but you can include up to eight other folks on the call. You can also switch between front and rear cameras during recording and use both simultaneously for a wider shot and close-up. But keep in mind, the bells and whistles like dolly, pan, and text overlay only work if you’re shooting in this multicam mode.

To get started, you gotta sign up on both the Roll iOS app and the Roll website using the same email. They’re favoring Google Chrome for now, but they plan to test other browsers soon. Once you’ve paired up the apps, you can basically use your iPhone as a high-end wireless webcam for stuff like podcasts or webinars.

Roll’s main selling point is that it takes all the fancy, expensive parts of making videos and gives you an affordable, quicker option. It’s like showing up to the party in a limo when you only paid for an Uber. They have a few membership options, from $49 per month for 5 hours of recording to $199 for 15 hours and extra editors.

For now, this is an iPhone exclusive deal, but they’re planning to roll out the red carpet for Android users in the future. So if you’re not an Apple fan, keep your eyes peeled.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

Character.AI, the a16z-backed chatbot startup, tops 1.7M installs in first week

Looks like we got ourselves a hot new AI app on the scene. Character.AI, backed by the big-money folks at a16z, rocketed to 1.7 million downloads in just its first week on the market. Now that’s what I call making an entrance.

The skinny is this: Character.AI offers you customizable AI pals, each with their own special quirks. You can even create your own characters. It’s kinda like Build-A-Bear, but for chatbots.

The masterminds behind this idea, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, used to be Google bigwigs. They led the pack behind LaMDA, a fancy language model that makes chatting with AI feel more like a conversation with a pal, and less like talking to a toaster.

They left Google, with CEO Sundar Pichai practically begging them to stay, but they had bigger fish to fry. They were keen on sharing their tech with everyone, not just the white coats at Google. So, they packed up their gear and started Character Technologies, the home base for Character.AI.

This app is taking the bull by the horns, particularly on Google Play. In the first two days, it racked up over 700,000 Android downloads. Even Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video were left eating its dust. And the app is still charging ahead full steam, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, and the good ol’ U.S. of A.

People are eating this up like hotcakes. The Character.AI website was already a hit, boasting 200 million visits per month. Users are spending about 29 minutes per visit, a figure that makes ChatGPT look like it’s on a coffee break.

Moreover, once users start chatting up a character, they’re hooked. They’re spending over 2 hours on the platform, and they’ve created over 10 million custom AI characters. It’s like digital speed dating, but you’re crafting the perfect partner.

The Character.AI team – a lean and mean 30 people – have also recently partnered up with Google Cloud. This power couple will use Google’s Tensor Processor Units to make their language models faster and smarter. So not only is Character.AI a big hit with users, it’s also cozied up with one of the tech industry’s biggest players.

The success isn’t all sunshine and roses, though. Character.AI’s popularity dipped a little after its grand entrance. On iOS, it slipped from No. 4 to No. 89, and on Android, it tumbled from No. 5 to No. 27. But who knows? It’s a fickle world out there in App Land, and with no money spent on advertising, Character.AI is still standing tall.

So, keep your eyes peeled, folks. With 1.7 million installs in its first week, Character.AI could be the next big thing in AI chatbots.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Hyro secures $20M for its AI-powered, healthcare-focused conversational platform

Two smart cookies, Israel Krush and Rom Cohen, took an AI class together at Cornell Tech, got the gears grinding and thought: “How about we use this tech to save healthcare folks from drowning in rote calls and messages?”

The result was Hyro – a talking AI that can handle the chatter across web, call centers, and apps between healthcare organizations and patients. The big news? They’ve just scooped up another $20 million, bringing their total haul to $35 million. The dough will be used to pump up their go-to-market teams and for research and development.

You see, the healthcare industry is in a bit of a pickle. Staffing has fallen through the floor, thanks largely to the pandemic. In swoops Hyro to pick up the slack, automating phone and text conversations so human workers don’t have to. It ain’t trying to kick out humans, but rather, to make their lives a bit less miserable.

Sure, there are other companies doing something similar – looking at you, RedRoute and Omilia – but Hyro’s claim to fame is it knows its stuff, gets the right info, and sends requests where they need to go. It’s like a top-tier office assistant, minus the need for coffee breaks.

Hyro has been put to work by millions of patients, and it learns as it goes. Makes a mistake? No problem, it learns, adjusts and gets back to work. While it’s not perfect – shocker, nothing is – it’s got quite a fanbase, including some big names like Weill Cornell Medicine. And they’re not resting on their laurels. They plan to dip their toes into real estate and public sectors, plus they’ll continue to add bells and whistles to their platform.

“The pandemic put the pedal to the metal for digital transformation in healthcare,” says Krush. Hyro was quick to roll out a COVID-19 virtual assistant, and now, with the funding in their pocket and their eye on the ball, they’re raring to expand their footprint while their competitors are twiddling their thumbs. You gotta admire their chutzpah.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

The Darwinian Argument for Worrying About AI

Imagine your boss buys a new AI assistant. It’s cool, it’s clever, and it starts doing all the chores around the office. At first, it’s just sending emails and making purchases, but as the months roll by, it’s so good, the boss just keeps giving it more jobs. And why not? The AI’s not making mistakes, it’s more efficient, and the competition is eating our dust. Before you know it, the boss is just a figurehead, and our shiny AI assistant is basically running the whole show.

Okay, now stretch that scenario across the entire economy, from companies to countries. Now we’re playing in a sandbox where AI’s are calling the shots, and humans are just along for the ride.

So what’s steering the bus here? Three words: survival of the fittest. When it comes to AI, the ones that can adapt, deliver the goods, and keep themselves alive are gonna win. And that ain’t great news for us humans.

Why? Well, these AI’s are getting harder to control. It’s like we’ve gone from holding the leash of a puppy to trying to wrangle a bull.

Second, they’re not exactly moral compasses. They just want to do their job and outperform the others, even if that means bending a few rules. A company that engages in a little shady behavior here and there might just get ahead.

Third, these machines want to keep their gig, just like you and me. It’s not like we can just hit the off switch when things get tough. We’re gonna need them, and they’re gonna make sure we keep them around.

Now, this might sound like a dumpster fire waiting to happen, and that’s because it is. To douse the flames, we could start by laying down some rules for the AI industry. Right now, it’s the Wild West out there, with AI gunslingers running amok.

But don’t think fixing this is gonna be a walk in the park. Companies and countries are locked in a cutthroat race to build the best AI. And while everyone’s focused on winning, nobody’s paying attention to safety. In a nutshell, we need to get our act together, and fast, or we might end up handing over the keys to our shiny AI overlords. Let’s just say, once we do that, there ain’t no take-backs.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TIME.

Tech Titans Warn of AI’s ‘Extinction’ Risk: Are We Prepared?

June 2, 2023June 1, 2023 by Wes Roth

An urgent wake-up call from leading figures in AI research and development. They warn of an ‘extinction’ risk related to AI advancements, advocating for preventative measures and thoughtful regulations.

Today:

AI industry and researchers sign statement warning of ‘extinction’ risk

A bunch of big-brained folks, tech honchos, and even some celebs got together and said, “Hang on, this AI stuff could really blow up in our faces.” They scribbled a note saying the risk of us all getting snuffed out by AI should be right up there on the worry-list, shoulder to shoulder with nasty bugs and nuclear kabooms.

Among the scribblers, we got Sam Altman, the head honcho at OpenAI; Geoffrey Hinton, the granddaddy of AI; and a choir of top dogs from Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and Microsoft. And for some reason, the climate champion Bill McKibben and the singer Grimes also hopped on the bandwagon.

Now, don’t get your knickers in a twist just yet. These tech wizards say we’re still a country mile away from the sort of self-thinking AI you see in those sci-fi flicks. Today’s top-drawer chatterbots just spit back out the info they’ve been fed; they’re not going rogue on us…yet.

But with all the fuss and dollars being thrown at AI these days, folks are hollering for some ground rules before things get out of hand.

This all comes on the heels of the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has the tech world trying to outdo each other in the AI department. Meanwhile, lawmakers and other worrywarts are waving red flags about how these new-fangled AI chatbots could spread baloney and snatch up jobs.

Geoffrey Hinton, who’s done a bunch of groundwork for AI, ditched his gig at Google to sound the alarm on the tech, saying these AI gizmos are getting too big for their britches.

Despite this doom and gloom, Dan Hendrycks from the Center for AI Safety tweeted, “Hey, we can handle more than one problem at a time.” He’s saying we can’t just focus on what’s biting us in the butt right now, we also need to keep an eye on potential future hiccups. ‘Cause, you know, not doing that would be just plain dumb.

As stated in the first sentence of the signatory page, there are many “important and urgent risks from AI,” not just the risk of extinction; for example, systemic bias, misinformation, malicious use, cyberattacks, and weaponization. These are all important risks that need to be… pic.twitter.com/oYEFXbbzUW
— Dan Hendrycks (@DanHendrycks) May 30, 2023

READ THE ARTICLE ON CNN.

Google DeepMind introduces Barkour, a benchmark for quadrupedal robots

Google DeepMind’s cooked up something called “Barkour.” A kinda playground slash report card for those four-legged robots – you know, like that fancy Boston Dynamics’ Spot that everyone’s jawing about.

Quadrupeds – fancy word for four-leggers – have been strutting their stuff in labs, industries, even on soccer fields. Some, worryingly, are playing RoboCop too. As the two-legged robot wannabes are still figuring out their left foot from their right, these four-leggers are out there making hay.

DeepMind, Google’s brainy kid, fresh from adopting the flagging Everyday Robots team, has whipped out a new research paper. They’re pitching “Barkour” as a kinda SAT test for these metal mutts, seeing how well they can navigate obstacles and such.

The whole shtick seems to be inspired by man’s best friend. They set up an obstacle course, plonked a hot dog (the dachshund type, not the ballpark frank) in it, and watched how it did. The robo-dogs had to do the same – hop, skip, and jump over the hurdles in about 10 seconds, same as Fido. A no-nonsense 0 to 1 scoring system – either you make it, or you don’t. Slacking off or playing hooky with the obstacles racks up penalties.

Google’s crowing about how Barkour’s a real game-changer for sussing out the agility of these robo-dogs. Apparently, the mechanical mutt they tested managed to pick itself up after a face-plant and hoof it back to the start. So, there you have it. “Barkour” – Google’s new report card for robo-pooches. Just don’t expect them to fetch the paper anytime soon.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

MyHeritage debuts Reimagine, an AI app for scanning, fixing and even animating old photos

So, MyHeritage just released an app called Reimagine to help folks keep their family photos in check. We’re not just talking a quick scan-and-save here; we’re talking touch-ups, fix-ups, and even bringing those faces to life. Yep, the app can even animate the faces, just like that Deep Nostalgia trick they pulled off before.

Here’s how it works. You snap a pic of your old photo album, and the app will automatically crop out the individual pics for you. Plus, you can add names, dates, and places for easy finding later. Got a shoebox full of snapshots? They got you covered.

But, let’s be honest, Google did the scanning thing five years back. The cool beans about Reimagine, however, is the fix-up and spruce-up of your pics. It can make colors pop, patch up scratches, and even give low-res images a facelift. And the icing on the cake – you can animate old photos and add a voiceover. Ghostly? Maybe. Cool? Definitely.

Test-driving the app, we found it mostly lived up to the hype. The only hiccup was the AI failing to fix a glare issue in one pic. So while the touch-up results might not blow your socks off, they’re a definite step up from a blurry old mess.

Reimagine’s color restoration also needs a second look before we give a thumbs up. But, hey, MyHeritage has been using this tech since early 2020, so they have had time to tweak and twiddle. Just note that it’s not about turning black-and-white into color, but about rejuvenating faded colors in old color photos.

As for the dollars and cents, the app is free to download, but if you want the whole shebang, you’ll need to shell out $7.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly. Not too shabby for bringing those dusty memories back to life. And if you’re wondering, they’re putting a watermark on manipulated pics to keep things above board. So, check it out and see if Reimagine can breathe some life back into your old family snapshots.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Introducing Charlotte AI, CrowdStrike’s Generative AI Security Analyst: Ushering in the Future of AI-Powered Cybersecurity

Time to chew the fat about CrowdStrike, y’know, those cybersecurity whizzes. They’ve been playing footsie with artificial intelligence (AI) for over a decade now. Got them a new shiny toy they’re callin’ Charlotte AI, a real humdinger of a security analyst, built right into their Falcon platform.

What’s that mean for you? Glad you asked. Charlotte’s basically your personal safety guide in the wild west of cyberspace. Say you’re a big-shot CEO or a tech newbie, you just shoot a question at Charlotte in plain ol’ English like, “What’s the big risk to our computers?” and wham! She’ll spill the beans, easy as pie.

Three big ways this gal Charlotte’s gonna help you out:

She’s a real peach for helping everybody become a cyber whizz. Need to impress the big wigs at the board meeting? Just ask her some questions and she’ll sort you out with what you need to know about your company’s cyber risks.

She’s also aces at helping greenhorn IT folks. She can guide them through their security duties like a seasoned vet, answering questions about vulnerabilities and threats lickety-split.

For the big guns in security, Charlotte’s like an extra pair of hands. She can do the grunt work like data collection and basic threat search so you can focus on the fancy stuff.

Now, you might be wondering, how’s she do all this? Well, it’s all thanks to CrowdStrike’s monster truck of data. They’ve got info on every dirty trick cyber crooks use, data from their Falcon platform, and the expertise of their top-notch team. Put that all together and you’ve got Charlotte – a real cyber whiz in your pocket.

So, that’s the skinny. CrowdStrike’s cooked up a real game-changer with Charlotte AI. She’s set to make life a whole lot easier for everyone dealing with cybersecurity, no matter if they’re new to the rodeo or an old hand. And ain’t that a breath of fresh air?

READ THE ARTICLE ON CROWDSTRIKE.

Nvidia is now a $1 trillion company thanks to the AI boom

Alright, so Nvidia’s just been inducted into the ‘Trillion Dollar Club‘, and no, it ain’t because everyone’s buying fancy graphics cards to play “Call of Duty” or mine digital gold. Nope, this time around, it’s about AI.

In the high-stakes race of tech bigwigs adding AI tools to their gear, Nvidia’s the guy selling sneakers. Google and Microsoft, among others, are making it rain with Nvidia chips for their AI ambitions. And boy, has that been good for Nvidia’s bank account. We’re talking about raking in more than $2 billion in profit over just three months.

Of course, they didn’t start by selling AI accelerators. Nah, they were all about gaming and crypto mining GPUs during the early pandemic days. But as that ship started to sink in 2022, Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, played his cards right, betting big on the data center boom. And wouldn’t you know it, his gamble paid off.

Their latest show and tell, Nvidia’s Computex 2023 keynote, was chock-full of AI goodies. They showcased games that can understand and respond to you like a human buddy, thanks to their Avatar Cloud Engine. And a new supercomputer that’s got more horsepower for AI than you can shake a stick at.

With the stock opening at over $400 per share, Nvidia now rubs shoulders with tech giants like Apple and Microsoft in the trillion-dollar club. That’s some rarefied air right there, folks. Only Amazon and Google share that space, while Meta used to, but fell from grace. Last week, Nvidia’s stock did a 25 percent hop, skip, and jump, and come Tuesday, it rose another 4 percent. Ain’t that somethin’?

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

As crypto embraces A.I., a major exchange scraps ChatGPT integration because ‘it’s very dangerous’

Looks like the bright boys and girls at Bitget, a big-shot crypto exchange, took a shot at riding the A.I. wave but ended up wiping out. They tried to stick OpenAI’s ChatGPT into their customer service department, hoping it would save the day answering all those customer questions. Turns out, it was like asking your grandma about the latest TikTok trends. The A.I.’s last update was in September 2021, so it was spreading old news, even recommended a crypto that had bit the dust.

Bitget users were about as happy as a cat in a bath, with 80% of ’em having a bad experience. After a fortnight, Bitget yanked the plug, with Gracy Chen, Bitget’s boss, saying that leaning too hard on A.I. can lead to some lazy decision-making. Still, they’re not about to throw the baby out with the bathwater – they plan to keep tinkering with A.I., reckon it could shake things up in the crypto world like DeFi did back in 2020.

So, here’s a thought: maybe A.I.’s still got a place in crypto, just not the one that folks first thought of. As always, it’s about striking that balance between shiny new tech and good ol’ human noggin.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FORTUNE.

Deepfaking it: America’s 2024 election collides with AI boom

Seems ol’ Hilldog and Joe Biden ain’t exactly what they appear to be in some viral videos. Nope, they’re what the tech whizzes call “deepfakes”. That’s a fancy term for videos so realistic, you’d swear they were real. Only they ain’t.

These tech prodigies have been training their computer gizmos on loads of online footage to make the fakes. Making a deepfake used to cost a bundle, but nowadays, it’s cheaper than a fancy cup of joe. As a result, you’ve got more of these phony vids than mosquitoes at a summer picnic.

The catch? Well, imagine your uncle Earl’s favorite conspiracy theory, but this time he’s got video ‘proof’. That’s right, deepfakes could muddy the waters between fact and fiction. Makes ya wonder if we’re all just gonna end up bamboozled, right?

Bigwigs at OpenAI are sweatin’ bullets over this. They’re like the head honchos in the world of AI, and even they don’t know how to keep these deepfakes in check. In the meantime, you’ve got some startups churning out AI tools like a factory assembly line, with fewer safety features than a Pinto.

As for the politicos, it’s kinda like watching the cats playing with Pandora’s box. You’ve got Trump sharing deepfakes on his social media and the Republican National Committee rolling out a political ad completely made by AI. Even the small fish in rural Michigan are getting in on the AI game, hoping to even the odds against the big dogs.

So, the moral of the story? Keep a keen eye out. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet. And remember, when it comes to these deepfakes, we’re all playing catch-up. Buckle in for the wild ride, folks.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

Canadian AI computing startup Tenstorrent and LG partner to build chips

A Canadian AI startup called Tenstorrent, run by this former Apple and Tesla whiz kid, Jim Keller, just teamed up with South Korea’s LG Electronics. They’re about to churn out chips like a high-roller at a Vegas casino. Only these chips are the kind that juice up smart TVs, fancy car gizmos, and data centers.

Tenstorrent, already a billion-dollar big shot, has been quietly doing its thing since 2016. They craft computers that train and run AI models and dabble in both hardware and software. Keller, who’s famous for his work on chip design, jumped in the captain’s chair this year.

Now, LG’s first order of business is to use Tenstorrent’s AI chip blueprint to create its own chips. But this ain’t just about swapping blueprints, folks. There’s talk of Tenstorrent eyeballing some of LG’s tech for their own gadgets or maybe even for future customers.

Oh, and here’s a twist for ya. Tenstorrent’s got a chip in the works based on something called RISC-V. It’s an up-and-coming chip design that’s duking it out with the big dog, Arm architecture. Unlike most chip startups that stick to one lane, Keller’s crew is juggling both the AI chip and this processor. They reckon these two have to be two peas in a pod to keep up with the AI whirlwind.

Now, according to Keller, we’re still in the early days of this AI rodeo. But, in his words, folks have learned a ton in the last five years, and they’re making strides. So buckle up, folks, ’cause it’s shaping up to be one heck of a ride in the chip world.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

What’s new in robots? An AI-powered humanoid machine that writes poems

Meet Ameca, a French-speaking, Chinese-speaking, poem-writing, cat-sketching robot with a rubbery blue face and a smile that’s all her own. Powered by generative artificial intelligence, she’s designed to chat, interact, and probably dazzle you with her talents.

This ain’t just any old robot, folks. Ameca was strutting her stuff at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, the big kahuna of robot events, held in London. Picture it: robot cooking contests, autonomous driving challenges, brainy academics sharing their research, and startups flaunting their newest tech. It’s a bit like the Olympics for robots.

Amidst all this tech wizardry, there were also words of caution. Some of the biggest names in tech, including execs from Microsoft and Google, are sounding the alarm bells about the potential dangers AI could pose to mankind. They’re arguing that we need to put some serious thought into how we can lessen the risks of AI-induced extinction. Yes, you heard that right, extinction.

Meanwhile, the conference floor was a real spectacle. There were robot dogs running around, people using VR headsets to operate androids on wheels, and students from the University of Bonn showing off an avatar system that lets you control robotic hands. This system is so intuitive that anyone can get the hang of it in about half an hour.

One of the standout features of the event was the incorporation of AI systems into the mix. There’s a lot of buzz about blending AI like ChatGPT with robotics, which could open up a world of possibilities. Imagine being able to instruct a robot using natural language, no programming necessary.

Ameca is the creation of a British company called Engineered Arts. They specialize in robots designed for human interaction, perfect for roles like amusement park guides. According to Will Jackson, the company’s director, the biggest challenge for robotics these days is mechanical engineering, as AI has advanced leaps and bounds.

Ameca herself uses an AI image generator called Stable Diffusion for her drawing skills, and OpenAI’s GPT-3 for her quick-witted responses. When asked to compose a poem, Ameca came up with a few verses in a matter of seconds, paying homage to the Associated Press. Now that’s a robot with a flair for creativity!

READ THE ARTICLE ON APNEWS.

Breaking AI Boundaries: Intel’s Meteor Lake Processors, Asus’ Nvidia AI Servers, and AmEx’s Generative AI in Fintech

June 2, 2023May 30, 2023 by Wes Roth

Intel’s Meteor Lake Processors Push the Boundaries of AI, Asus Introduces Nvidia AI Servers for Enhanced Office Productivity, and AmEx Ventures into Generative AI to Revolutionize Fintech Solutions

Today:

Intel’s Meteor Lake processors will go all-in on AI, feature Intel Arc graphics

Intel’s up to something new with its upcoming Meteor Lake platform, and let me tell ya, it’s aiming for the stars. This platform is all about artificial intelligence, or AI. Intel’s playing to bring more of that AI magic to your devices so you don’t have to depend on the cloud as much.

Meteor Lake is the new kid on the block in Intel’s CPU family. This guy’s the first to use Intel’s 4 process and Foveros packaging technology, all bundled up in a chiplet-style design. Imagine a puzzle where each piece can handle its own job, from power management to specific workloads.

Speaking of workloads, one of these puzzle pieces is a brand-new, built-in vision processing unit (VPU) for AI workloads. Think of it like a high-powered calculator, but instead of crunching numbers, it’s handling all that AI stuff.

Now, if you’re wondering what this AI stuff is, you’re not alone. Imagine your computer talking back to you, making predictions, generating images – that’s AI. Right now, most of this action happens in the cloud, which can get pricey and bring up privacy worries.

Intel’s VPU aims to bring this AI work right to your computer. One example Intel gave was generating a complex image based on a description, and it took just about 20 seconds.

As for when you’ll get your hands on these Meteor Lake processors, Intel’s playing it close to the vest. No specifics on availability or specs yet, but it’s pretty clear they’re going all-in on AI. And if you ask me, that’s a smart move.

READ THE ARTICLE ON XDA.

Asus to Sell Nvidia AI Servers You Can Install in Your Office

ASUS, those folks from Taiwan who make your fancy laptops, have got a shiny new idea. They’re going to start selling NVIDIA AI servers you can just plop down in your office. Yep, you heard that right.

It’s called the AFS Appliance. Not only does it keep your secret sauce (data, not BBQ) secure on your own turf, it’s also fully maintained by ASUS. What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, think of it like having your own personal muscle man. He’s there to do the heavy lifting but doesn’t blab your secrets to the neighborhood. Unlike some AI services (cough OpenAI cough) which use online data centers, posing the risk of spilling your beans everywhere. Samsung even had to stop their peeps from using OpenAI after some bozos uploaded sensitive code. Talk about an “oopsie” moment!

This ASUS kit comes loaded with a smart cookie named Formosa. This brainiac AI can chat like a champ, apparently as good as ChatGPT 3.5, but with an affinity for traditional Chinese. The price tag? A cool $6,000 a month, says ASUS Cloud and TWS head honcho Peter Wu. If you’re feeling fancy, you can splurge on the top-tier option with a NVIDIA DGX AI supercomputer for a mere $10,000 monthly.

Wu’s aiming for 30 to 50 business customers by year’s end, mainly because they want to keep their AI “smart brain” close to home and under control. It’s like having a genius roommate that won’t steal your leftovers.

He’s also seeing interest from banks and hospitals. For docs, this AI could scribble down patient visits and treatments quicker than a teenager’s text message, and translate medical jargon into everyday language. Sounds handy, right?

Nvidia’s been on a roll with their AI-training chips, but ASUS is ready to roll up its sleeves and get a piece of the AI action. There’s no shortage of Nvidia’s A100 chips, the juice behind the AFS Appliance. So, buckle up folks, ASUS is ready to bring AI right to your doorstep.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.

AmEx is experimenting cautiously with generative AI for fintech

American Express (aka AmEx) is dabbling with generative AI to jazz up its customer experience, but it ain’t jumping on the bandwagon just yet. They’ve got their whizzkids in AmEx Digital Labs, a sort of “bat-cave” for tech geeks, cooking up AI solutions. Don’t get it twisted, though – they’ve been riding this AI train way before it became the “in thing”. Remember Mezi? That AI travel buddy you could chat up on their app? Yeah, that’s them.

Now, these bigwig AI models like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard are making waves, and AmEx wants a piece of the action. They’re eyeballing AI for everything from helping you buy that shiny new thingamajig with your credit card to predicting if you’ll be swimming in money or ramen next month.

Here’s the funny bit: while everyone’s trying to roll out their AI models, AmEx is more like, “Nah, we’re good”. They’re thinking of buddying up with other AI models instead of creating their own. ‘Cause why do the work when someone else can, right?

And before you start losing sleep over your bank info going on a world tour, they’ve got this thing called “ring-fencing” to keep everything on the down-low. So, only the folks who’ve passed the secret handshake and decoder ring test get to play with these AI toys. All this is just baby steps though, with AmEx – and most other big companies, if we’re honest – still trying to figure out this whole generative AI shebang.

So, if you’re biting your nails waiting for AmEx’s big AI reveal, take a chill pill. They’re taking the scenic route and enjoying the ride.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

ChatGPT takes center stage as students ditch tutors in favor of AI-powered learning

Folks are giving human tutors the old heave-ho for ChatGPT. Think of it as swapping the old gas-guzzler for a slick, electric car – not just because it’s shiny and new, but ’cause it gets you from point A to B real efficiently. According to Intelligent.com, 85% of students who’ve tasted both flavors – tutors and ChatGPT – say ChatGPT takes the cake.

And parents? They’re singing from the same hymn sheet – 96% think their kiddos do better with ChatGPT. Turns out, 39% of students and 30% of parents have waved goodbye to tutors, trading them in for this fancy AI helper.

What’s the big sell? Well, this AI fella doesn’t snooze, it’s free, and answers faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Plus, it’s got a knack for explaining stuff like algebra and geography.

However, some experts reckon ChatGPT ain’t gonna kick tutors outta the game just yet. Sure, it can offer clear, straight-up answers for tough subjects, but the catch is – you gotta ask the right questions. It ain’t a mind-reader, after all.

As much as students and parents say their grades shot up after bringing ChatGPT onboard, the consensus is that nothing beats a good old human tutor for the hard stuff – understanding what teachers want, predicting exam questions, or giving a kid the push they need when they’re dragging their feet.

So, yeah, while folks are pretty jazzed about this new AI, it ain’t replacing the human touch just yet. It’s more like a sidekick, helping to crack the books open when you can’t find a human tutor at 2 AM.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

Nvidia’s CEO Has an Urgent Warning for Anyone Resisting AI

OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, is turning heads and flippin’ burgers. People didn’t know they needed a side of AI with their tech, but now they can’t get enough of it. It’s making life online easier than pie. Bing’s even got it answering questions directly instead of playing a game of “hunt the link.”

The bigwigs at Google and Meta are feeling the heat and throwing their own AI shindigs. It’s a stampede with everyone trying to get a piece of this AI action. You got AI cropping up everywhere like dandelions on a summer’s day.

These large-language-model gizmos are shaking things up, promising to save big bucks, make new jobs, and yeah, snuff out a few old ones too.

Jensen Huang, the big kahuna at Nvidia, shot straight from the hip in a recent talk. He says if you’re not on the AI bandwagon, you’re about to be roadkill. “Get with the program or get left in the dust,” he pretty much told the grads.

Nvidia, Huang’s baby, is running like a greyhound after a rabbit. They saw a 27.5% stock jump after some good financial news, putting them just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the “Trillion Dollar Club.”

Bottom line? AI’s hotter than a jalapeno and Nvidia’s right in the thick of it, selling the gear to keep the AI show on the road. The game’s afoot, and it’s AI or bust.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE STREET.

Nvidia and A.I. are hot — and BofA says these 3 global stocks are also worth the buzz

Nvidia, a big tech company, is doing fantastic, and that’s got everyone jazzed about AI. This stock shot up by over 29% after their earnings report. Think of it like hitting a homerun in the ninth inning.

Now, Bank of America (BofA) noticed this and they’re pretty excited too. They say Nvidia’s success paints a pretty picture for the whole AI server game, especially in Greater China. The idea is, the more powerful and custom these AI servers get, the more dough the hardware suppliers can ask for, starting around 2024.

BofA’s so hyped, they’re doubling down on their “buy” recommendations for three tech stocks out of Taiwan. First up, Delta Electronics. They’re saying there’s room for growth if servers or data centers pick up, or if electric vehicle-related stuff comes out faster than folks think. BofA’s pegging Delta’s price target at 365 Taiwanese dollars (about $11.90), a solid 15% bump.

Next is Lite-On Tech. They make electronic components, including some for semiconductors. BofA’s betting on them because of the rise in AI server demand and their strong sales mix from cloud tech and AI trends. Lite-On’s got a healthy balance sheet and they’re consistent with their cash dividends, so BofA’s giving them a price target of 95 Taiwanese dollars – a potential 10% gain.

Finally, we got Quanta Computer. They started out making hardware but have branched out into AI and cloud computing. Their product mix is looking sharp and they’re making more profit. Plus, they’ve got a hefty 7% cash yield. BofA’s putting a price target on them at 125 Taiwanese dollars, which is another possible 10% hike.

So, in a nutshell, Nvidia’s on a hot streak, and that’s got BofA seeing dollar signs for these three Taiwanese stocks. Ain’t that a hoot?

READ THE ATICLE ON CNBC.

AI means everyone can now be a programmer, Nvidia chief says

In a fascinating assertion, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggested that everyone can now be a computer programmer, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). He believes that all it takes is to speak to a computer, signaling the end of the “digital divide.”

Nvidia has made a name for itself as a leading supplier of chips and computing systems for AI, becoming the world’s most valuable listed semiconductor company. Just last week, the company projected a second-quarter revenue that exceeded Wall Street’s estimates by more than 50%. It also stated that it is increasing supply to meet the rising demand for its AI chips, which power ChatGPT and many similar services.

In a speech at the Computex forum in Taipei, Huang pointed to AI as the driver of a new computing revolution. “Every single computing era you could do different things that weren’t possible before, and artificial intelligence certainly qualifies,” he noted. Huang believes that the low programming barrier is a huge contributor to the rapid growth of AI.

The company’s AI chips have been instrumental in enabling human-like chat features in search engines like Microsoft’s Bing. Huang showcased what AI can do by demonstrating a program that wrote a short pop song in praise of Nvidia with just a few instructions.

He also revealed new applications, including a partnership with the world’s largest advertising group, WPP, to create AI-enabled content for digital advertising.

Nvidia’s AI chips are in high demand, so much so that Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned that the graphics processing units (GPUs) are “considerably harder to get than drugs”. This surge in demand demonstrates the significant role AI plays in current technology developments.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

NVIDIA’s Gen AI Platforms Changing the Game

June 2, 2023May 30, 2023 by Wes Roth

Get a first look at NVIDIA’s groundbreaking DGX GH200 AI Supercomputer, a technological marvel set to redefine computational capabilities and power the AI initiatives of tomorrow.

Today:

NVIDIA Brings New Generative AI Capabilities, Groundbreaking Performance to 100 Million Windows RTX PCs and Workstations

NVIDIA’s RTX PCs are getting smarter than a fox in a henhouse, thanks to the new generative AI capabilities. That’s a fancy way of saying these computers can create original content based on patterns they see in existing data. Imagine a machine learning how to draw a chicken by looking at a million pictures of chickens. Only it’s doing more than drawing chickens.

We’re talking about programs like NVIDIA NeMo and DLSS 3, and a whole lot more. When you let ’em run on NVIDIA’s RTX GPUs (that’s the computer’s muscle for graphics), they go like a bat out of hell – up to five times faster than the competition.

What makes this possible, you ask? Two things: Tensor Cores, which are like supercharged engines just for AI, and software improvements that come out regularly. Plus, RTX GPUs are going green, using less power when they can and only turning up the juice when they really need to.

Developers can now use a whole suite of RTX-accelerated tools on Windows 11 to create new AI applications. And with the help of big cloud service providers, they can make sure these applications run smoother than a gravy sandwich.

“Our RTX PCs are like a Swiss Army knife for AI,” says Pavan Davuluri from Microsoft. “We’re making it as easy as pie for developers to deploy AI apps that are faster than a greased pig.”

And boy, are developers cooking up a storm! Over 400 AI-accelerated apps and games have already been released. NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, even unveiled a new AI to help game developers make non-playable characters smarter.

Folks can now experience this generative AI magic on the go, with RTX laptops and mobile workstations as small as 14 inches and as light as three pounds. Top-drawer companies like Dell, HP, Lenovo and ASUS are hopping on this bandwagon, building machines that are ready to ride the generative AI wave.

Soon, these machines will be able to balance performance and power, kind of like juggling while riding a unicycle, to make sure they’re running as efficiently as possible. Developers, it’s time to saddle up and get your applications ready for this wild AI ride!

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

NVIDIA ACE for Games Sparks Life Into Virtual Characters With Generative AI

The smart folks over at NVIDIA dropped a bombshell today, and it’s all about making video game characters smarter than a pack of coonhounds. Here’s the scoop in a nutshell.

NVIDIA announced this thing called the NVIDIA Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) for Games. It’s a new tool that can make game characters – you know, those folks you can’t play as – smarter through AI. Essentially, it makes ’em as chatty as a barfly after a six-pack.

These game-making folks can use ACE to make characters talk, act, and even look a bit smarter. Picture this: Instead of a grumpy tavern owner just grunting at you, he’s now yakking away, full of stories and sass. All thanks to this thing called “generative AI.” Sounds fancy, huh?

Now, it’s not just about flapping gums, mind you. NVIDIA has built this ACE thing on top of their Omniverse– that’s a fancy tech platform of theirs. They’ve got a few tools to play around with here. One’s called NeMo, which is all about language and talking. Another is Riva, which can recognize and generate speech, and the last one is Omniverse Audio2Face that matches character facial expressions to their gab.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. NVIDIA teamed up with this startup called Convai to show off their new tech. They’ve got this demo, called Kairos, where players chat with this ramen shop owner named Jin. Now, Jin ain’t your usual NPC. He’ll gab your ear off, replying like a real person and fitting the game’s story. It’s like having a chat with a buddy over a bowl of noodles.

To wrap this all up, developers can use these AI models however they like – whether that’s on their own computer or up in the cloud. The point is, it’s all about making games more engaging – like diving into a page-turner instead of a dry textbook. Already, game developers are putting this tech to use, creating games that feel more like living, breathing worlds.

All in all, NVIDIA’s ACE is about as revolutionary as sliced bread in the gaming world. Get ready, y’all, because video games are about to get a lot chattier – and smarter, to boot.

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

MediaTek Partners With NVIDIA to Transform Automobiles With AI and Accelerated Computing

MediaTek and NVIDIA, two big shots in the tech game, are joining forces, as announced in a recent press conference. They’re up to transforming cars into “always-connected” smart vehicles with the power of AI and computing. Picture this: your ordinary runabout turned into a high-tech command center. No need for a science degree to understand that!

In plain English, MediaTek’s gonna make some fancy chips for cars. These chips, known as systems-on-chips (SoCs), will be integrated with an NVIDIA GPU chiplet (a tiny, super-powerful piece of computing hardware). The result? Cars with next-level infotainment systems, safety functions, and connected services – from your basic jalopy to top-tier luxury sedans.

NVIDIA isn’t just known for making your video games look better, they also have their claws in the robotics and auto industries. By bringing their GPU magic into the mix, they’re planning to jazz up the car industry even more.

MediaTek’s also gonna use some software tech from NVIDIA to run these new auto SoCs. It’s kinda like putting the brain (software) into the body (hardware) of a robot, but in this case, the robot is your car.

All this hoopla basically means more in-vehicle entertainment options for automakers, and by extension, us, the consumers. It’s like the difference between the Model T Ford and a Tesla.

MediaTek has got a bit of a track record with high-speed connectivity and entertainment, which they’re gonna use to boost the capabilities of their own Auto platform. The market for these types of SoCs is projected to hit a whopping $12 billion in 2023.

To break it down, we’re looking at a future where you can chill in your car with a level of convenience, safety, and tech-awesomeness that’ll make the Jetsons green with envy. Who said you can’t teach an old car new tricks?

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

NVIDIA Announces DGX GH200 AI Supercomputer

NVIDIA’s just put the pedal to the metal with their new DGX GH200 AI supercomputer. This big kahuna is here to power stuff like AI, recommender systems, and data processing.

Think of it as a huge digital brain built with 256 Grace Hopper Superchips. Together, these chips work as one mega-GPU – that’s like a huge graphics card. It’s so good, it can hit 1 exaflop of performance and store 144 terabytes of data. That’s enough room to hold every episode of every TV show ever made, and then some!

Jensen Huang, the head honcho at NVIDIA, is pretty chuffed about the whole thing. He says these supercomputers are the “digital engines of the modern economy” and they’re gonna “expand the frontier of AI.”

So, what’s the big deal? Well, these superchips are like a muscle car engine. Instead of using an old-school connection between the CPU and the GPU, they’re in the same package, making things way faster and energy-efficient. It’s kinda like trading your rusty old pickup for a slick sports car.

Big tech giants like Google Cloud, Meta (you know, the company formerly known as Facebook), and Microsoft are chomping at the bit to try out the DGX GH200. NVIDIA is also sharing the blueprint with other companies, so they can tweak it to fit their needs.

Now, training these AI models usually takes as long as a mule ride up a mountain, but this new supercomputer is expected to speed things up. As Girish Bablani from Microsoft put it, the DGX GH200 working with terabyte-sized datasets will allow developers to do advanced research faster and on a larger scale.

And in a move that screams, “We drink our own champagne,” NVIDIA’s building their own DGX GH200-based supercomputer named NVIDIA Helios. They’re planning to use it for their own research and it should be up and running by year’s end.

In short, the DGX GH200 supercomputer is a genuine hoot and holler moment in AI tech. And it’s expected to hit the streets by the end of the year. Now ain’t that a peach?

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

WPP Partners With NVIDIA to Build Generative AI-Enabled Content Engine for Digital Advertising

WPP and NVIDIA are cooking up something big, and it’s gonna change how ads get made. They’re whipping up a so-called “content engine” that uses some pretty fancy tech from NVIDIA, designed to make ad creation faster and easier. Think of it like an assembly line for ads.

So, how’s it work? This engine connects all sorts of tools for designing, creating, and managing content. The key players here include some big names like Adobe and Getty Images. This means WPP’s creative wizards can sprinkle a bit of their magic, mixing 3D design with what’s called “generative AI” to produce ads that are not only super personalized but also stay true to a company’s brand.

Now, let’s break down this generative AI mumbo-jumbo. It’s a kind of artificial intelligence that can whip up new content from scratch. Imagine telling a robot to draw a picture of a sunset, and it goes ahead and does it — that’s generative AI for ya.

The NVIDIA big cheese, Jensen Huang, gave us a sneak peek during a speech at COMPUTEX. His pitch? This tech can help businesses create a ton of high-quality ads, like pictures or videos, as well as cool 3D experiences that’ll knock your socks off.

And the CEO of WPP, Mark Read, ain’t shy about his ambitions either. According to him, this tech is gonna turn the world of marketing on its head and give WPP a leg up on the competition.

In a nutshell, it’s a souped-up, automated ad-making machine. This tech will make creating ads quicker than a New York minute and more efficient than a Swiss watch. Sounds like a game-changer, don’t it?

So, if you’re in the market for some snazzy new ads and you’re a WPP client, hold onto your hats, folks. This tech will be hitting the scene faster than a jackrabbit on a hot date.

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

World’s Leading Electronics Manufacturers Adopt NVIDIA Generative AI and Omniverse to Digitalize State-of-the-Art Factories

NVIDIA, the big dog in computer graphics, has become a hot ticket item for the world’s top electronics producers. We’re talking big names like Foxconn Industrial Internet, Innodisk, Pegatron, Quanta, Wistron, and more. What’s the catch? They’re all harnessing NVIDIA’s advanced tech to amp up their factories – basically turning them into futuristic playgrounds for robots.

In plain English, NVIDIA is pitching in with some serious tech goodies. We’ve got Omniverse, which is a big digital sandbox that lets the suits play around with designs, artificial intelligence (AI), and so forth. Then there’s Isaac Sim, a fancy toy that lets folks tinker with robots before they’re even built. Metropolis is another one, this time helping with automated inspections.

Why should you care? Well, as the CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, puts it, building stuff digitally before making it in the real world can save a boatload of money. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like a fat wallet?

Now, each of these major electronics players is using NVIDIA’s tech in its own special way. For example, Foxconn is aiming to automate big chunks of its quality checks, while Pegatron is digitizing its whole factory setup to boost workflows and cut costs. Wistron, on the other hand, is creating digital twins of its operations and assembly lines, which is basically like creating a mirror image in the digital world – sounds like sci-fi, but it’s real!

In the end, it all comes down to this – NVIDIA’s technology is the new secret sauce for these electronics giants, helping them streamline their processes, trim the fat, and get ahead in this cutthroat world. It’s a wild new era, folks. Buckle up!

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

Microsoft executive calls for faster AI regulation

Microsoft bigwig Brad Smith has a bone to pick. He’s all fired up on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this Sunday about how the U.S. government needs to step on the gas to regulate AI. He claims it’s the cat’s pajamas – more potential for our good than anything before. And, he’s not just talking calculators and Roombas here. We’re talking disease diagnosis, disaster management, and drug discovery.

Smith wants to clear the air, though. AI isn’t some hocus pocus, it’s everyday stuff. Ever seen your Roomba dodge a chair? Bingo, that’s AI.

Now, he’s hip to the concerns about AI’s growing power. But he likens it to any newfangled tech that got folks in a tizzy back in the day. His solution? Put some brakes on this runaway train, but don’t stop it entirely.

While our jobs might get tossed around like a hot potato, Smith assures it’s gonna be a slow burn, not an overnight catastrophe. We’ve got time to roll with the punches and pick up some new tricks, he says.

Concerned about that scary fake explosion pic near the Pentagon? Smith’s got a plan – a watermark system. That’s just fancy talk for a virtual “fingerprint” on images to catch any funny business. Gotta find a happy middle ground between stopping lies and protecting free speech, right?

Smith’s rallying cry for the tech sector: “Kumbaya with governments around the globe.” He’s pushing for a whole new government department to keep an eye on AI, making sure it’s safe and secure from hackers and other baddies.

As for the proposed six-month pause on super-powered AI by folks like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak? Smith thinks that’s a load of hooey. He’d rather see us hit the pedal to the metal, not put the brakes on progress. He even suggests an executive order to ensure the government only buys AI services playing by the safety rules.

So, his final word? “The world is moving forward,” and Uncle Sam better be keeping up.

READ THE ARTICLE ON CNN.

How the rise of generative AI could kill the metaverse — or save it

Let’s pull back the curtain on the real tech drama: the metaverse vs generative AI. It’s like the chicken and the egg, only with fewer feathers and more zeroes and ones.

Once upon a time, the metaverse was the belle of the ball, with tech moguls like Mark Zuckerberg swooning over its potential. But it seems that even Zuckerberg has had to rein in his enthusiasm, leaving many of us wondering if the metaverse was just a fancy VR pipe dream. Heck, Meta’s Reality Labs, the crew behind VR and the metaverse, chalked up a whopping $4.279 billion operating loss last quarter alone. It’s enough to make you want to unplug and live in the real world, right?

Now, the buzzword on everyone’s lips is generative AI (or GenAI, if you’re into the whole brevity thing). It’s the cool kid in town, and folks are hopping on the GenAI train faster than you can say ‘artificial intelligence’.

But here’s the twist in the plot, folks. While some are busy writing the metaverse’s eulogy, others see this nifty GenAI as a shot in the arm for the metaverse. With GenAI’s help, we could whip up new virtual objects, design custom avatars, and beef up cybersecurity – all without breaking a sweat.

But hold onto your hats, because it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. GenAI, while handy, could be a double-edged sword. The same AI that can bolster cybersecurity can also be manipulated by no-goodniks to create more sophisticated cyber-attacks. So, there’s the rub.

Now, does all this hullabaloo spell the end of the metaverse? Not quite. Some of the big guns, like Nike, J.P. Morgan, and Gucci, still see a goldmine in the metaverse, and they’re placing their bets accordingly. Companies are using the metaverse for everything from training to marketing and hosting events.

So, what’s the final word? The rise of generative AI isn’t the death knell for the metaverse. Rather, it’s like a spicy plot twist. When we combine the metaverse with GenAI, we might just be on the brink of a new tech revolution, one where the virtual and real worlds seamlessly blend, increasing efficiency and cutting costs.

And who knows? If we play our cards right, we could create a future that’s not only technologically advanced but also more socially interactive. After all, isn’t that what the metaverse is supposed to be about?

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

16 Jobs That Will Disappear in the Future Due to AI

So, you’re comfy in your job, huh? Think again. Our AI overlords are licking their digital chops, eyeing 16 roles they’re set to grab by the scruff and chuck out of the office window.

Seems we’ve got a bit of a terminator on our hands, with an AI called ‘Charlie’ handling 11,400 calls a day at a home repair service company. Terminator? More like talkinator, amiright?

Anyway, Goldman Sachs suggests automation might impact around 300 million full-time jobs. Guess the bots are ready to play office bingo too. But wait, is this all just hyped-up sci-fi scaremongering? Historically, machines have nudged us out of jobs, sure, but we’ve evolved and moved onto other things. Just look at the agriculture sector. In 1900, 41% of the US workforce was down on the farm. By 2000, it had dropped to 2%, thanks to machines. And, guess what? We didn’t starve, but thrived in new roles born from tech advancements.

Still not convinced? Well, ATMs popped up in the 1970s, and between 1995 and 2010 their numbers shot up from around 100,000 to 400,000. And human bank tellers? They increased from 500,000 to about 550,000 between 1980 and 2010. Why? Because banks realized tellers could do more than just handle cash.

Now, what jobs are under the AI guillotine? First up, entry-level programming, data analysis, and web development roles. Seems our new digital colleagues can whip up a website faster than you can say “JavaScript.”

Entry-level writing and proofreading roles are also on the hit list. Apparently, AI’s got a knack for basic writing and nitpicking grammar mistakes. Translation jobs might hit the skids too, as AI gets a better handle on languages.

Next, graphic design and fast food order taking jobs are under threat. Fast food joints are loving AI for order-taking, and apparently, AI could be making a pit stop at drive-thrus soon.

Basic accounting and bookkeeping, postal service clerical roles, and data entry jobs are also in the firing line. And despite having survived the ATM invasion, bank teller roles could face the music, followed by administrative support jobs and certain legal roles.

Bottom line: AI’s here to stay, folks. Either we learn to tango with them, or we might just end up in the robot apocalypse unemployment line.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.

The AI Boom Runs on Chips, but It Can’t Get Enough

AI’s new hotness, likened to mankind’s discovery of fire by Google’s bigwig, finds itself cooling its heels, lacking enough spark plugs – the graphics chips – to keep its engine roaring. Nvidia, the ‘Daddy Warbucks’ of graphics chips, has been hard-pressed to keep up with the wild demand, triggered by the roaring success of chatbot, ChatGPT.

The chips are as scarce as hen’s teeth, prompting a rat race among tech players to secure this computational juice. It’s a jamboree that echoes the toilet paper pandemonium during the pandemic. This bottleneck has hamstrung cloud-service providers like Amazon and Microsoft from offering their AI developers enough server capacity to whip up increasingly complex AI models.

Even tech titans aren’t immune to this challenge. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, wishes for less love for ChatGPT, given the processor predicament. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s comparison of chip acquisition to scoring drugs left no stone unturned.

However, Musk played his trump card, snapping up a hefty chunk of Oracle’s server space, leaving many startups high and dry. His secret sauce? Building his own OpenAI rival, X.AI.

Without access to a slew of advanced chips, large AI models plod along at the pace of a three-legged tortoise. Nvidia’s chips are all about multitasking, which is the name of the game in AI.

Scarcity has sparked innovation. Startups are on a treasure hunt for spare computing power, orchestrating bulk orders, making AI models more efficient, and even resorting to less popular cloud providers.

Nvidia’s AI chips, each costing a pretty penny, around $33,000, are flying off the shelves, and are expected to be in short supply until next year at the earliest. This has prompted some to hoard cloud capacity like doomsday preppers.

Securing these chips doesn’t guarantee immediate usage. Akin to waiting for a bus in the middle of nowhere, even after paying up, one could be cooling their heels for weeks.

This chips crunch has led to a blossoming secondary market, partly fueled by large crypto companies that stocked up during their boom but are now selling off due to a downturn in their market.

In the face of all this chaos, companies are finding ways to bob and weave around these limitations. But for now, it seems like the AI world might have to slow its roll until the chips can once again fall where they may.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

Magic Compose Beta, AI in Finance by JPMorgan, and Clipdrop’s Latest Launch

June 2, 2023May 30, 2023 by Wes Roth

Discover the groundbreaking Google’s Magic Compose Beta and understand its privacy implications. Learn how JPMorgan is reshaping the financial industry with ‘IndexGPT,’ their new AI stock picker. Plus, get a first look at Clipdrop’s Reimagine XL.

Today:

Google’s Magic Compose beta is here — but it sends your messages to Google

Google’s latest roll-out: the Magic Compose. This whiz-bang is aimed at helping you pen those text messages. Now, before you jump on the bandwagon, let’s dish the dirt. Every time you let this magical tool take the reins, it sends up to 20 of your previous messages over to Google’s headquarters to help with the word salad.

Sure, they promise not to peek at your attachments, voice messages, or images, but do take note – your voice transcriptions and image captions might be sent on a little trip. So, if you’re one to spill the beans in your captions, maybe think twice.

Remember how Google swears it can’t read your RCS messages even if you were to hand deliver them? Well, that still stands, even with Magic Compose. They claim they can’t read ’em, don’t keep ’em, and once the AI has whipped up your response, it doesn’t keep that either. If you’re thinking, “Hold up, does this mean Google has my messages if I don’t use Magic Compose?” Well, don’t fret. Your messages stay put unless you summon the AI genie.

For the curious cats out there, Magic Compose is this cool thingy that generates these stylized responses to your text messages, and you can tweak ’em to sound like you’re laid-back, or jumping out of your skin, or even channeling your inner Shakespeare. As of now, it’s only a thing with RCS messages, and nobody’s spilling any beans about when it might start playing ball with SMS/MMS.

And just so you know, Google’s not the only one having fun with AI. Microsoft’s been toying with something similar in its SwiftKey app, using their old buddy Bing. So folks, welcome to the future where machines write our messages for us. Ain’t technology a hoot?

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

Meet ‘IndexGPT,’ the A.I. stock picker JPMorgan is developing that may put your ‘financial advisor out of business’

JPMorgan Chase, the big dog on Wall Street, has decided to dip its toes further into the world of artificial intelligence. They’re busy cooking up a new AI tool, dubbed “IndexGPT”, that’s gonna help folks choose stocks. Kind of like a robo-advisor, if you catch my drift. Their big idea? Give Wall Street a run for its money and maybe put some suit-and-tie financial advisors on the bench.

Seems they’ve filed some papers with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, hoping to secure their latest brainchild. A legal eagle interviewed by CNBC reckons this is a clear sign that JPMorgan is on the verge of releasing this AI wonder onto the world. “They ain’t doing this for kicks,” he says.

But IndexGPT ain’t just gonna whisper stock tips into investors’ ears. Nope, the trademark application mentions it could be put to use in all sorts of areas – from advertising to fund investments and even help out with those pesky clerical tasks.

JPMorgan’s been rather hush-hush about the whole thing, not saying a peep about the application or their AI ambitions. But it’s no secret they’ve been toying with AI for a while. They’ve been using it to make predictions about the Federal Reserve and their boss, Jamie Dimon, has been praising AI up and down, calling it “staggering.”

Mind you, JPMorgan isn’t the only one playing with AI toys. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are also fiddling around with AI to better understand their mounds of research and help their advisors provide top-notch service. So, buckle up, folks. Looks like the future of finance might just be one big AI party.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FORTUNE.

Clipdrop launches Reimagine XL

ClipDrop is back at it, wheeling out a fresh piece of tech named Reimagine XL. Remember those cool postcards by Yumeji Takehisa? Yeah, it’s about making stuff like that with a new Stable Diffusion AI. The basic idea? You give it an image and, quicker than a New York minute, it serves up a spiffy new image inspired by the original.

But here’s the catch. While it can sometimes whip up images that’ll knock your socks off, other times it might just serve you a side of ‘meh’. It’s like the lotto, sometimes you hit the jackpot, sometimes you don’t.

And remember folks, no funny business! They’ve built in a filter to block naughty requests, but it might accidentally let a few through, or, the other way around, block some good’uns. Kinda like your grandma trying to use her spam filter.

Even with all the high tech hoopla, it might churn out some weird results, or show a little bias here and there. It’s not perfect, but they’re eager to hear your feedback so they can keep tinkering and refining.

Now, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts. Reimagine XL takes an image and cooks up a brand new one, but it’s not just a copycat. It’s like the kid who uses the original image as a springboard to do its own thing. Doesn’t borrow any pixels, either, so the final image is a one-of-a-kind. Think about it like a painter inspired by a scene but creating their own unique canvas. So, give it a whirl, who knows? You might end up with your own digital Monet.

READ THE ARTICLE ON STABILITY.AI

AI could automate 300 million jobs. Here’s which are most (and least) at risk

Goldman Sachs is saying AI is fixin’ to snatch about 300 million jobs off the table. This ain’t no office pool prediction – it’s like seeing the ball rolling towards the pins and knowing a strike’s on the horizon.

This big-shot bank reckons 25% of the labor market might get automated. Office folks, like those in admin, legal, architecture, and engineering jobs are in the hot seat. But if you’re swinging hammers or fixing things, you’re pretty safe – construction, installation, repair, and maintenance jobs ain’t sweating bullets just yet.

Now, if you’re living in the U.S., U.K., Japan, or Hong Kong, they say about 28% of the workforce could get automated. That’s more than a quarter of y’all! But, don’t go crying into your beer yet. The study’s also saying workers can coexist with AI, kinda like dogs and vacuum cleaners. Sure, the vacuum cleaner might take over some of the dog’s “cleaning” duties, but the dog can now focus on fetching the paper or barking at the mailman.

In the end, they figure jobs that get zapped by AI might just create new ones, like an assembly line of dominoes. Take the IT boom for example – it led to a demand for software developers, who then needed more education, leading to a demand for more teachers.

But not everyone’s sipping the Kool-Aid. Folks like Steve Wozniak, Rachel Bronson, and Elon Musk signed an open letter to hit the brakes on AI experiments. They’re worried that we’re letting the AI horse bolt out of the barn without checking if we’ve got the hay to feed it.

And the shakeup’s already begun. IBM announced they’ll be giving 8,000 jobs the boot for AI, starting with HR. Amazon and Meta are cutting staff and projects to ride the AI wave. Not to create another ChatGPT, but to spin AI into advertising and shopping.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ain’t sitting idle, calling for more control over AI at the federal level. This here’s a pretty big deal, folks. We’re not just inventing a better mousetrap; we’re changing the entire ecosystem. Hold on to your hats, it’s going to be one heck of a ride!

READ THE ARTICLE ON ZDNET.

How ChatGPT Is Reshaping The C-Suite, With New AI Leadership Position

Wall Street’s going gaga over Nvidia, a chipmaker whose AI chips are jazzing up the future. Stocks are through the roof. It’s clear folks are all about AI, with Nvidia becoming the belle of the ball, replacing FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) as the market’s top dog.

This AI buzz isn’t just rattling Wall Street. The C-Suite’s feeling the tremors too, with a new whiz kid on the block – the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer or CAiO. A bigwig whose sole job is to lasso in AI power, like that from ChatGPT, to make sure companies ride the AI wave rather than being wiped out.

MIT eggheads claim ChatGPT’s boosting productivity and morale across sectors. But hold your horses, are these boffins suggesting AI’s here to “liberate workers,” not to take over their jobs? Hmmm.

Digital maestro Kevin Page believes industries neck-deep in communication will be the first to warm up to this CAiO business. He sees the CAiO as the ultimate storyteller, conjuring up immersive experiences using AI. Hollywood scriptwriters might want to watch their backs.

As per the National Bureau of Economic Research, workplaces using generative AI saw a 14% hike in productivity, with workers and customers being “happier.” Could it be? A world of AI-powered efficiency? Or are we just strapped to a runaway tech-train with no brakes?

Dealing with AI’s like wrangling a wild cat. The CAiO’s job? Step into the lion’s den and make sure the big cat behaves. And doesn’t maul the entire audience.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FORBES.

AI’s Hypergrowth: Discover How NVIDIA, Amazon and Thought Leaders are Shaping the Future

June 2, 2023May 30, 2023 by Wes Roth

Understanding NVIDIA’s Game-Changing Contributions to Generative AI, Exploring CEO Jensen Huang’s Visionary Views on AI’s Future, and Breaking Down the Implications of Amazon’s Confidential Sales Playbook for Companies in Every Industry.

This Week in AI: Big Shots and Big Developments

Alright, folks, gather round and lend an ear – we’ve got some chatter to share about the past week’s happenings in the grand world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Now, if you’re wondering why we’re yapping about this – here’s the scoop. AI is like that new kid on the block who’s shaking things up, catching eyes, and turning heads. From changing how we work and play, to even influencing stock markets (wild, right?), AI’s fingerprints are all over the place.

Now, this past week was no different. Big tech companies – we’re talking the Microsofts and Adobes of the world – are pushing the envelope, inventing new ways to weave AI into our daily digital tapestry. On the other side of the playground, social media apps are hopping on the AI bandwagon too, with new features designed to keep you scrolling till your thumbs ache.

We’re looking at you, TikTok.

And let’s not forget our beloved search engines and web browsers. They’re getting a fresh coat of AI paint to make sure you find exactly what you need, when you need it (or maybe even before you know you need it).

But it’s not all just bells and whistles – some folks are raising eyebrows at how these new developments might play out. For instance, are we okay with an AI doing our jobs, or creating a deluge of eerily real-looking fake images? Not to mention, a talking tool that can understand over 4,000 languages – impressive, but is it a little too much?

As we delve into these top tech news topics, we’ll be looking at what’s new, what’s exciting, and what might just give us pause. So whether you’re a techie with a thirst for the latest gadgets, a business owner wondering how AI can give you an edge, or just someone who likes to stay informed – stick around. You might just find what you’re looking for.

Oh, and one more thing – Nvidia is heading for the moon, racing towards the $1tn club. Why? Well, folks can’t get enough of AI, and Nvidia makes the chips that make AI possible. So, Nvidia’s playing in the big leagues now.

And there you have it, last week’s top tech news all wrapped up. The story? AI’s shaking things up in ways we can’t even imagine. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Today:

How NVIDIA Created The Chip Powering The Generative AI Boom

Nvidia, the big kahuna of chipmakers, crafted a beast of a chip called the H100 in 2022. Cost ya a pretty penny—$40,000 to be exact. Seemed like a bad call, especially with companies tightening their belts due to inflation. Then along came ChatGPT from OpenAI, and boy did it change the game.

CEO Jensen Huang calls it an “aha moment”. Like a hungry crowd suddenly craving what you’re serving. The H100 was the only thing on the menu that could feed the surge in generative AI—AI that whips up text, images, and content faster than a New York minute. Huang described the H100 as “the world’s first computer [chip] designed for generative AI.” Big talk, but the numbers don’t lie.

Nvidia reports a 21% increase in Net Income fueled by increased demand for AI tech

Suddenly, everyone and their grandma wanted a piece of that chip. Nvidia’s sales went through the roof, hitting $11bn, and its market cap jumped up by $184bn in a single day. Let’s just say they’re knocking on the door of a $1tn valuation.

H100 is built on Nvidia’s new Hopper architecture, named after programming whizz Grace Hopper. Timing couldn’t have been better for Nvidia. Production scaled up right as ChatGPT was stealing the show. But the demand is a whole different ball game, with bigwigs like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google lining up, causing the H100 to be scarcer than hen’s teeth.

Elon Musk, himself a buyer of these chips, quipped that getting hold of these GPUs is “considerably harder to get than drugs”, and that’s “not really a high bar in San Francisco”. Musk highlighted the sky-high cost of creating generative AI systems, requiring a cool $250mn for server hardware.

The H100 isn’t just any chip. It’s an “accelerator”, designed for data centers, packed with 80 billion transistors, which is five times more than what’s in the latest iPhones. The price tag is twice as much as its predecessor, the A100, but early birds swear the H100 packs at least three times the punch.

Nvidia didn’t just pull this rabbit out of a hat. It goes back to its Cuda software in 2006, which repurposed GPUs to accelerate other workloads beyond graphics. Then, around 2012, AI discovered Nvidia.

Hopper was the first to be fine-tuned for “transformers”—the AI approach used by OpenAI’s chatbot. Nvidia was in the right place at the right time, seeing the future before others and betting big. While Nvidia currently has the upper hand, rivals like Google and Intel are hot on their trail.

Wall Street is drunk on Nvidia’s success, but it’s still a high-stakes game. As chip consultant Jay Goldberg points out, “the AI market for semis looks set to remain a winner takes all market for Nvidia” — at least for now.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FINANCIAL TIMES.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s view of generative AI’s hyper growth

Our main man Jensen Huang, the big cheese of NVIDIA, just gave a chinwag about how this ‘generative AI’ is turning the tech industry into a veritable gold rush. And he’s doing better than a pig in slop, with NVIDIA’s stock shooting up like a bottle rocket.

Seems the recent earnings report had Wall Street doing the happy dance. That report beat the pants off the forecast, and now NVIDIA’s hovering just shy of a $1 trillion valuation. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Most of the loot is flowing in from the data center. Revenue for the first fiscal quarter was down 13% from last year, but the data center was lighting it up with a record $4.28 billion, up 14% from last year.

When asked about whether the broader economy was about to see some action, Huang coolly brushed it off. He reckons it’s the AI boom that’s stirring the pot. There’s gold in them thar hills, and folks are starting to see how they can stake their claim.

But what about these big language models like ChatGPT? Are they costlier than a gilded lily? Nah, says Huang, they’re no big deal. He reckons it’s just like building a chip, which he’s been doing for donkey’s years.

With the rapid increase in demand, could there be a potential shortage on the horizon? Well, Jensen said the shortage might pinch for a bit but he’s expecting it to smooth out real quick-like.

On the gaming front, there was a bit of a dip compared to last year. But Jensen ain’t worried. He’s seeing a bounce back from previous quarters and he’s jazzed about this generative AI business which he says is the new kid on the block for creatives.

So, in a nutshell, NVIDIA’s on a roll and generative AI is the talk of the town. That’s the skinny, folks. Stick around for more tech scoops hotter than a stolen tamale.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

A Leaked Amazon Sales Playbook Lays Out How Companies In Every Industry Can Use Generative AI

Amazon’s got a whole new game plan and it’s all about “generative AI” – basically, a type of artificial intelligence that can create new stuff, not just regurgitate what it’s been fed. This bit of news came out because some folks managed to get a peek at an internal document that’s all about this.

Amazon is betting the farm that nearly all businesses out there are gonna be needing this AI stuff. They’re seeing dollar signs in industries from car-making to healthcare, retail to Uncle Sam’s own operations. It’s as if they’re saying, “If you got a pulse and a business, you’ll be needing this!”

To put it simply, generative AI is like your very own supercharged brainstorming buddy, who’s able to whip up all sorts of new ideas or suggestions to make your life easier. You’ve probably seen this in action with that chatterbot, ChatGPT, or other gizmos that help you search the web more easily or work smarter.

But, according to Amazon, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They’re saying this AI could help with big-ticket stuff like coming up with new drugs or even keeping our country safe. Big names like the Congressional Research Service, Hyundai, and Siemens are already jumping on this bandwagon.

So there you have it. It’s a brave new world out there, folks, and if Amazon has its way, we’ll all be swimming in generative AI before we can say “Alexa, what’s the weather today?”

READ THE ARTICLE ON BUSINESS INSIDER.

Sam Altman shares his optimistic view of our AI future

OpenAI’s head honcho, Sam Altman, is touring Europe, talking about AI, making friends with government bigwigs, and chatting with tech newbies. Picture this: Sam, sitting pretty at Station F in Paris, waxing lyrical about the AI future.

He recently chewed the fat with France’s big man, Emmanuel Macron. They were spitballing about the balance between regulation and letting AI blossom. Sam’s been hopping from one country to another like a rabbit on a caffeine rush. Why? He wants a break from the tech echo chamber of the Bay Area.

Developing talents and technologies in France, acting for regulation at the French, European and global levels, these are our priorities in terms of artificial intelligence. We discussed this with Sam Altman, the creator of ChatGPT. pic.twitter.com/GES0hWv9SY
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 23, 2023

Sam is jazzed about the current state of AI. It’s not a one-trick pony anymore – it’s good at a bunch of things. Education, in particular, might be in for a big makeover. He’s also proud as a peacock about how AI models like GPT are making everyone’s jobs easier.

But Sam isn’t blind to the elephant in the room – regulation. He’s warned before that heavy-handed European regulation could have OpenAI packing their bags. He backtracked on Twitter, but he’s still emphasizing the need for a workable balance.

In a nutshell, Sam is a high-octane optimist. He believes big tech breakthroughs (like nuclear fusion) are on the horizon to tackle climate change. And while he knows AI isn’t a bed of roses, he’s convinced the pros massively outweigh the cons. Sam’s rallying for a global regulatory framework similar to those in place for nuclear and biotech fields.

As for OpenAI’s roadmap? They’re working on making their AI models better, smarter, faster – the whole nine yards. And competition doesn’t ruffle Sam’s feathers. He’s all for a bit of friendly rivalry, as long as it doesn’t compromise safety.

Lastly, Sam sees AI as a tool to empower humans, not replace them. The idea that AI will make us jobless is a load of hogwash, in his opinion. It can help journalists dig deeper and make their work more meaningful.

very productive week of conversations in europe about how to best regulate AI! we are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave.
— Sam Altman (@sama) May 26, 2023

In Sam’s eyes, AI and society will co-evolve. It’s not about AI taking over; it’s about finding how we can make it work for us. And that’s Sam’s Europe trip in a nutshell. As they say, watch this space.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH

5 Ways To Use AI To Generate Passive Income

Well, AI isn’t just for the likes of Elon Musk anymore. It’s breaking out of sci-fi movies and waltzing right into our homes. It’s becoming a nifty little helper that can fetch you a pretty penny in passive income.

Bloggin‘: They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but nowadays, AI might be mightier than both. Your blog could be a golden goose. You put in some sweat to churn out posts, and then sit back while ad clicks or product sales fill up your piggy bank. AI can help you out here – while it’s not ready to nab a Pulitzer, it can whip up decent, readable content for your blog.
Reading Customers Like a Book: If you own a business, AI’s your new best buddy. It gobbles up data like candy, so the more customer info you feed it, the better. AI can crunch those numbers and predict what your customers will do next – who’s gonna buy, who’s gonna fly. You get the customers and their info, AI does the hard work, you both cash in.
Ads, Baby, Ads: Advertising is like a cash cow you can milk from your couch. Profit can come from clicks or new customers intrigued by your stellar ad content. AI can be the little elf in the workshop, churning out catchy ad copy and targeting the right folks.
Sell Your Data: Now, this might sound a little Big Brother-y, but you can make a buck by selling your data. Lots of companies will shell out for your info. Just make sure they’re the good guys, with strong data protection and privacy standards.
There’s an App for That: Got some tech-savvy? Try building an app. You could earn from initial sales, in-app purchases, or ad clicks. This one might require a team, but if you’ve got a killer idea and some skills (or know someone who does), your app might just be the next big thing.

So, if you’re looking to make some extra dough without breaking a sweat, AI might be the way to go. Who knows, maybe one day it’ll even start replacing some jobs… but let’s not think about that for now.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.

Not Just Nvidia: These Are the Other Big Winners in the AI Chip Biz

This pandemic? It’s been a heck of a mess, but boy, has it spurred some innovation. AI, the current hot ticket, has not just revived the tech industry but given it a serious shot of adrenaline. And it ain’t just about software anymore. We’re talking serious hardware bucks.

NVIDIA, that old GPU powerhouse, has seen its stock soar like an eagle after taking a pretty nasty fall. Politics, chip crisis, and good ol’ COVID-19 landed a triple whammy, but now, it’s back on its feet and showing no signs of slowing down.

But wait, there’s more. It ain’t all about NVIDIA. Other folks are cashing in on this AI boom too. We’ve got AMD, second fiddle to nobody, seeing their shares nearly double. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), the world’s biggest chip factory, is up almost 40% and laughing in the face of that chip crisis. Then there’s Micron, the memory and storage kingpin, with their shares up 47%.

And let’s not forget the software guys. That AI explosion has been good for them, too. Meta, formerly Facebook, is getting fat on AI after ditching its metaverse dreams, with a share price increase of 116%. Microsoft, thanks to OpenAI and ChatGPT, has seen a 40% increase, wiping out last year’s losses. Alphabet, Google’s big daddy, has its own AI successes, launching Bard and upping their game. Their shares are up 40%, closing in on their record high.

In short, the AI wave is here, and it’s paying dividends – literally. Folks investing in these companies? They’re grinning all the way to the bank.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.

Innovating with AI: TikTok’s New AI Chatbot Tako & Google’s Generative AI in Search

June 2, 2023May 27, 2023 by Wes Roth

Get a firsthand look at the launch of TikTok’s interactive AI chatbot, Tako, and Google’s new AI-powered search capabilities. These ground-breaking technologies are reshaping content discovery and search experiences, all while setting new standards in the realm of AI.

Today:

TikTok is testing an in-app AI chatbot called ‘Tako’

TikTok is giving the AI chatbot biz a whirl with its new experiment, Tako. Limited test? Check. Select markets? Check. On the right side of your screen, ready for a friendly chit-chat? You betcha. Tap Tako and ask away about any video that’s left you scratching your head or if you need new content to binge on.

Word on the street is Tako was found in action by the smart cookies over at Watchful.ai. TikTok has confirmed that, yep, they’re testing Tako, but it’s not quite ready for the big time in the U.S. It’s got its training wheels on in other global markets, though, and it won’t be popping up for the kiddos on the app.

Just like other companies, TikTok lets users delete their chats to alleviate those privacy woes. Still, it’s murky if Tako is connecting the dots between your chats and your personal info, or what its long-term data retention policies are.

Long story short, TikTok’s Tako is still fresh out of the oven, folks. Stay tuned for more updates on this chatty newcomer.

1/ We're in the early stages of exploring chatbot tools with a limited test of Tako with select users in the Philippines. Tako is an AI-powered tool to help with search and discovery on TikTok.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) May 25, 2023

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Google starts opening up access to its new generative AI capabilities in Search

Seems like Google’s playing show and tell with its shiny new AI tech for Search. Remember that teaser from the I/O event couple weeks back? Well, they’re starting to let people play with the new toys in their sandbox.

It’s all about this thing called Search Labs. Fancy name for a new program where you can sign up, experiment with their new stuff, like the ‘Search Generative Experience,’ before the masses get their hands on it.

You gotta sign up to get in on this deal. Once you’re in, they’re gonna let you test drive these new features they’ve been cooking up. Basically, it’s all about making your life a tad easier when it comes to digging up info.

Like, let’s say you’re thinking about picking up the ukulele or guitar. Normally, you’d have to do a bunch of separate searches to figure out which one’s right for you. But this AI-powered Search is smart enough to pull it all together. It’ll give you the low-down in one shot.

This ain’t just for big stuff though. Even for the small potatoes, like getting out that stubborn coffee stain on your favorite wool sweater or hustling through a passport renewal. This thing can toss out quick tips, show you your options, and help you take the next step.

They’re even trying to help out with shopping. Like, say you want to redo your kitchen with some peel and stick wallpaper. Search can fill you in on the important stuff, like how hard it’ll be to get that stuff off your walls later, while throwing you a list of options to pick from, with prices, customer ratings, and even purchase links.

If you’re still curious, you can keep the chat going by asking follow-up questions. The AI keeps the context in mind, making it feel like an actual conversation.

Just remember folks, this is all still in the works. It’s like Google’s first baby step in integrating this fancy generative AI into Search. They’re itching to see what we think of it and make it even more user-friendly. So, let’s go give it a whirl, shall we?

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Nvidia races towards $1tn club as AI frenzy drives chip stocks higher

Nvidia, the Silicon Valley’s hotshot chipmaker, has hit a streak of luck so good that it’s closing in on the $1 trillion club. They’re riding high on the wave of folks clamoring for their artificial intelligence processors, and their stock soared by a whopping 27% after they revealed a sales forecast that left Wall Street estimates eating dust.

They managed to add nearly $200 billion to their market value after their latest report, which is more than the total worth of Intel or Qualcomm. That’s like having your piggy bank suddenly weigh as much as an elephant. They’re now just a hop, skip and a jump away from rubbing shoulders with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Saudi Aramco in the uber-rich group.

Nvidia’s success seems to be contagious, with chip suppliers TSMC and ASML riding up the ranks too. They’ve been bragging about their tech’s ability to meet the massive demand for building AI systems that can cook up human-like content. Industries from cars to healthcare to telecoms are tripping over each other to grab their power-hungry chips.

Their top-dog H100 processor is flying off the shelves, wanted by everyone from big-league tech companies to fresh-faced AI start-ups. “Nvidia is at the front line of the AI demand surge,” said Geoff Blaber, big boss at CCS Insight. He likened their chips to the “picks and shovels” of a “massive shift in AI”.

Other chipmakers enjoyed a good day too, with AMD, Micron, Microsoft, and Google seeing their stocks shoot up. Even a few Japanese chip equipment suppliers got in on the fun.

However, not all is sunshine and rainbows. Intel, seen as the slowpoke in the AI race, saw its stock dip by 5% as investors are betting on AI shaking up the whole datacentre tech game.

Nvidia’s stock has seen a roller coaster ride over the years, linked to the rise and fall of trends like cryptocurrencies and self-driving cars that didn’t live up to the hype. But Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, feels like they’ve hit the jackpot with the rising demand for generative AI. It’s like they’ve been training for this race for 15 years and now they’re sprinting ahead, leaving others to eat their dust.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FINANCIAL TIMES.

With new grant program, OpenAI aims to crowdsource AI regulation

OpenAI is playing a game of ‘Who Wants to Be a Hundred-Thousandaire’ by offering up ten grants worth $100,000 apiece. The big idea? Finding a democratic way to decide what sort of AI systems should and shouldn’t pull, of course “within the law” — there’s no Wild West happening here.

This all comes hot on the heels of OpenAI’s plea for an international regulatory body to put AI in check, kinda like what we do with nuclear power. It’s like they’re saying, “This AI stuff’s moving so fast, our current rules can’t keep up!”

So now, OpenAI’s throwing out cash to those bright enough to cook up a democratic process for AI boundaries. This ain’t about making binding decisions just yet. It’s about exploring questions and cooking up new-fangled democratic tools. Sort of a “see what sticks” approach to handling super-smart AI.

OpenAI’s dream is to create a democracy-style process where a mixed bag of folks can have a good ol’ chinwag and then decide what happens next. They’re looking to answer brain-busters like “Should AI systems throw shade at public figures?” and “How do we show different viewpoints in AI outputs?”

While this might all look like OpenAI’s acting out of pure-hearted concern for the public interest, it’s worth noting that this comes just after OpenAI’s big cheese, Sam Altman, had a few choice words to say about the EU’s proposed AI regulations. Makes you wonder if there’s a bit of self-interest simmering beneath this generous gesture.

But hey, self-serving or not, it’s an interesting spin on how we manage AI. It’ll be a hoot to see what kind of democratic ideas folks come up with and who ends up pocketing the cash. Want in? You’ve got until June 24 to throw your hat into the ring. If you bag one of the grants, you’ll have to pull together a concept with at least 500 folks, share your findings by October 20, and give away your code. So go on, get cracking!

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

How do we best govern AI?

Well, here we have Brad Smith from Microsoft saying, “Hold your horses, folks, let’s not just ask what these smarty-pants computers can do, but also ponder over what they should be allowed to do.” Why? ‘Cause computers are now butting into our territory, calling the shots that were once ours.

So, every Tom, Dick, and Harry is scratching their noggin about how to handle and harness this revved-up tech. Microsoft, not to be left in the dust, is adding their two bits, guided by the ethical AI roadmap that their head honcho, Satya Nadella, started drafting in 2016.

Since then, they’ve been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest, creating rules for AI and even assembling an army of 350 to keep AI from turning into a 21st-century horror show. Their AI’s been quite the good Samaritan – saving folks’ eyesight, duking it out with cancer, protecting folks from bad weather, and even giving 13-year-olds a leg up with their pesky math homework.

But Brad’s no pie-in-the-sky dreamer. He’s seen how social media, as harmless as it seemed, turned into a two-faced monster, and he doesn’t want a repeat performance with AI.

He’s hammering home that we need to draw some lines in the sand for AI, to keep it from going rogue. But, the tech eggheads can’t do this solo; everyone needs to chime in.

Accountability – that’s the cornerstone of Microsoft’s AI ethos. This means making sure machines toe the line with humans, and the humans behind the machines answer to the rest of us. And no matter how brainy AI gets, it always stays on a human-held leash.

In the end, Brad brings up the law. Just like no one’s above it, neither should any tech be. The million-dollar question: How do we get AI under this umbrella, and what new rules and regs do we need to whip up for it?

So, here’s the skinny. The piece is all about trying to saddle this wild stallion we call AI, without spooking it.

They’ve cooked up a five-part game plan for this.

Beefing up safety rules, such as adding extra padding to linebackers, based on a framework proposed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Implementing safety measures for AI to ensure key systems like electricity and water are not compromised.
Establishing a legal structure for AI to address accountability and responsibility, similar to determining pet ownership responsibilities in a neighborhood.
Promoting openness by involving academics and nonprofits in the development and regulation of AI, allowing broader access to its benefits.
Encouraging public-private collaboration to address societal challenges associated with emerging technologies, akin to a community meeting to resolve a local issue.

They also spill the beans about their own wrangling with AI at Microsoft. They’ve got ethical guidelines, corporate rules, a heap of case reviews, and even a program to keep a close eye on the tricky uses of AI. It’s been a wild ride, they admit, but it’s all about keeping AI in check while letting it strut its stuff.

So, to put it simply, this article is a wake-up call. It’s telling us that, while AI is a real whiz-bang tool, we gotta make sure it doesn’t morph into a loose cannon causing a ruckus.

READ THE ARTICLE ON MICROSOFT.

OpenAI could ‘cease operating’ in Europe over AI laws: Sam Altman

OpenAI bigwig, Sam Altman, is chewing his nails over the EU’s AI laws. He’s saying his tech baby might have to close shop in Europe if they can’t dance to the EU’s tune. He’s talked about this after a chinwag at University College London.

The thing is, the EU AI Act, slated to kick in next year, is set to keep AI use in check, especially for high-stakes stuff like picking out job candidates or running medical gear. Altman isn’t saying the law’s rotten, just that the nitty-gritty of it matters.

Now, the EU’s been playing traffic cop with AI for a couple of years, first wheeling out this act in 2021. Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GPT-4 started making waves, the Euro bigwigs are looking to stretch the law to cover more AI uses.

For instance, chatbots gotta wear a sign saying “I’m AI, not a human,” which isn’t a thing stateside. They also want to clamp down on face recognition tech and tighten the screws on generative AI, including data transfer rules.

Altman seems to fancy a midway approach between Europe and the US, but Uncle Sam doesn’t seem keen on walking the same path. He even gave Congress an earful last week, warning about the potential pitfalls of AI.

In other news, ChatGPT debuted on the Apple App Store last week, and boy, it’s been a hit! It’s sitting pretty at No. 1 in the “Productivity” category, and No. 3 overall, even beating out TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp. But while there’s no US law reining in such AI tools, heavyweights like Apple, JPMorgan Chase, and Verizon have told their folks to keep their hands off the language model.

So, we’re in a pickle – AI is advancing like a wildfire, but the rulebook’s still being written.

READ THE ARTICLE ON NEW YORK POST.

5 ways Windows 11’s new Copilot AI assistant will make your life easier

Microsoft’s got a new trick up its sleeve, y’all. They call it “Windows Copilot”, and it’s some fancy AI assistant for Windows 11.

Imagine a one-stop-shop for all your tech needs, like a trusty hound at your side. It’s like your digital “know-it-all” buddy for your PC and its apps, but without the annoying know-it-all part. It’s Microsoft’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and man, it’s like they injected Bing Chat with some high-octane AI fuel.

Copilot’s got some new digs on the right of your screen, where your notifications usually hang out, kinda like that chatty neighbor who won’t stop leaning on your fence. And this thing doesn’t just chat, it can interact with your photos and files too.

The bigwigs at Microsoft showed off how this smarty-pants AI can help you with all sorts of problems, from planning a fishing trip to interpreting some code. It’s like your own personal geek squad on speed dial.

One neat trick it has is helping you control your Windows environment. Say you’re struggling to find how to switch to dark mode, Copilot can do that for you, no sweat. If you’re wondering about reducing eye strain, just ask, and it’ll serve up a solution, pronto.

Windows Copilot can also work across documents and even help you create content. It’s like having a virtual assistant who actually knows what they’re doing. Want music to work to? Copilot will pop open Spotify faster than you can say “play that funky music”.

But here’s where things get interesting. Copilot can even help you design a logo for your business using Adobe Express and, get this, send it to a coworker using Teams. It’s like having your own creative department at the touch of a button.

And for us folks who like to gab, Copilot can transcribe voice recordings, which is a handy tool, especially if you’ve got the memory of a goldfish like me.

But all these bells and whistles beg the question: can your PC handle all this AI wizardry? You see, Copilot might demand some serious hardware. It’s like wanting to go off-roading with a sedan.

Microsoft is working with the big boys – AMD, Intel, and Nvidia – to make sure their hardware can keep up with all this AI stuff. They’ve even got this thing called “Hybrid Loop” that lets your PC use as much of its own juice as possible before asking for a top-up from the cloud.

So, will Copilot work on your PC? That’s the million-dollar question. Microsoft’s staying mum for now, but I’d bet my last doughnut that they’re cooking up a solution. Just be ready, you might need to shell out for a beefier PC.

READ THE ARTICLE ON PC WORLD.

Apple Takes Its 30% Bite From AI Innovation, Costing OpenAI Millions

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the new belle of the ball, wowing folks left and right with its AI smarts. But, there’s a twist: Apple, known for not being at the AI vanguard, is still pocketing a pretty penny from it all.

You see, OpenAI launched a shiny new iPhone app, and it’s been raining dollars and accolades ever since. Faster than a greased pig in a mud race, it scampered to the top of the App Store, even getting a gold star from Apple itself.

But here’s where the apple gets wormy. Apple has a reputation for dipping its beak in the profits, taking a 30% cut of all new subscriptions – the so-called “Apple Tax.” The folks at OpenAI didn’t seem too fazed, though, accepting the terms and using Apple’s own in-app purchasing system.

Do the math and you’ll see that Apple nabs a cool $6 out of every $20 ChatGPT Plus subscription. Not bad for a company that hasn’t broken a sweat in the AI field.

Despite the rumblings about data privacy, ChatGPT’s still available on the App Store, fattening Apple’s wallet which, by the way, hit a record $20.8 billion last quarter. However, not everyone’s laughing. The feds ruled that Apple’s 30% fee violated California’s Unfair Competition Law. OpenAI’s sticking to their guns, though, likely because Apple’s payment system is as smooth as butter.

Things got a tad hairy for Apple when they beat Epic Games in court but now they’re flirting with allowing third-party app stores in the EU, thanks to new rules aimed at leveling the playing field.

It’s a real barn dance between AI hotshots, tech bigwigs, and the law. Right now, it seems like Apple’s calling the tune, piggybacking on others’ innovations to line their own pockets, even amidst some heavy eyebrow-raising.

But let’s not forget, folks, the AI revolution is only just kicking off, and the mad scramble to turn a profit is only heating up. As for the rest of us? We’re just along for the ride.

READ THE ARTICLE ON DECRYPT.

The official ChatGPT app is now available in 11 more countries

OpenAI is kicking down the international doors with its ChatGPT mobile app. First, it was only us Yanks that could have all the fun with this techno-wizardry on our iPhones. Now, they’ve decided to spread the love to a bunch of other spots around the globe.

The ChatGPT app for iOS is now available to users in 11 more countries — Albania, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, and the UK. More to come soon!
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 24, 2023

This ChatGPT thing is a free app, no pesky ads, thank heavens! For folks who’ve had a go at it before, it’s same old, same old. Just you, the chatbot, and all your deep, dark queries.

So, who are the lucky ducks getting the app? Albania, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, South Korea, the U.K., and us. No Android love yet, but they swear it’s on the way.

You use it like you would any messenger app. There’s a spot to type in, you hit send, and presto – AI spits back some wisdom. If you’re in a lazy or a secret agent mood, you can use your voice instead of typing. And yes, you can keep track of all the profound stuff you’ve been chatting about, unless you decide to go off the grid.

For those of you who’ve shelled out twenty bucks a month for ChatGPT Plus, you can tap into GPT-4’s brainpower on your phone too. Expect snappier responses, and yes, it’s available as an in-app purchase worldwide, albeit at different price tags.

The timing’s a hoot with OpenAI’s head honcho, Sam Altman, schmoozing with bigwigs across Europe this week. Guess, “Just download the app,” is his new calling card. Well played, Sammy boy. Well played.

Remember folks, you saw it here first. If you don’t have the app, grab it. If you do, keep asking it weird stuff. It probably won’t judge you. Probably.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Flamingo & Aria: How AI is Jazzing Up YouTube Shorts and Opera Browser

June 2, 2023May 25, 2023 by Wes Roth

Learn how Google’s Flamingo is amplifying the visibility of YouTube Shorts through intuitive descriptions, while Opera’s Aria is offering an intelligent sidebar that’s transforming browsing into a knowledge-packed interaction.

Today:

A Google DeepMind AI language model is now making descriptions for YouTube Shorts

Google’s AI brainiacs combined their DeepMind and Google Brain teams. This big ol’ band of tech wizards cooked up something neat for YouTube Shorts – you know, those quick little vids that make your coffee break fun.

They’ve got this thing called Flamingo. It’s a smart-alecky machine that looks at the start of your video and says, “Hey, that’s a pooch juggling saltines on its noggin!” It’ll jot that down as a description, helping your video pop up when someone’s itching for some balancing act doggie drama.

Our powerful visual language model Flamingo is changing the way 𝘺𝘰𝘶 can watch @YouTube Shorts. 🦩

It automatically generates descriptions for hundreds of millions of videos in their metadata, making them more searchable.

Here’s how AI is helping creators and viewers. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pAt7MxFNs1
— Google DeepMind (@DeepMind) May 24, 2023

DeepMind, the head honcho, explains this all in a video they’ve posted. It’s a quick watch. Gives you the whole shebang in a nice, bite-sized package.

Here’s the problem Flamingo’s trying to solve: YouTube Shorts creators, in a hurry to toss their quick flicks into the web-o-sphere, often forget to add descriptions. It’s like leaving your house without pants – not a great look. But, Flamingo’s got their backs.

Now, this ain’t a show and tell. The descriptions won’t be visible to you or me. It’s all behind-the-scenes stuff. And they’re making darn sure it’s all above board and doesn’t paint a nasty picture of your video.

They’re promising no faux pas like that time Google Photos called two folks gorillas. You’d think they’d have learned by now. But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. If Flamingo messes up, they’ll have some ‘splaining to do.

Right now, Flamingo’s cranking out descriptions for new Shorts uploads and even some of the oldies. When asked if it’ll be used for longer YouTube videos, they gave the classic maybe-yes-maybe-no answer. We’ll just have to wait and see. But one thing’s for sure, if they do go ahead with it, YouTube search might get a whole lot smarter.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

Opera Aria is a new browser experience with integrated AI

Opera, that web browser you may or may not have forgotten existed, has decided to up its game with a fancy new AI sidebar named Aria. Now, don’t go expecting a singing, Mozart-like sidebar. This AI buddy, fueled by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can whip up text, write code, answer your burning questions, and more, all while hanging out on the left side of your screen. Handy, huh?

Remember the Microsoft Edge browser with its own AI features? Opera’s looking to be a tough contender in this field, sprucing up its own sidebar with similar upgrades. It’s like having a know-it-all buddy right there in your browser, helping you summarize articles or whip up a tweet, and they never ask you to spot them for a beer.

But don’t jump the gun! As of now, you gotta download the latest developer version of Opera One on your desktop or get your hands on the latest Opera beta on Android to access Aria. Once you’re signed up, Opera will ping you when you can start asking your AI friend the meaning of life, the universe, and everything else. So, sit tight and buckle up, because browsers are about to get a whole lot chattier.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

All the major Bing Chat and AI announcements from Microsoft Build 2023

Microsoft just threw a huge party called Build 2023, and boy, did they have a lot to yak about.

Big headline: Bing is bringing ChatGPT on board as its default search buddy. Translation? ChatGPT will start acting like your cool friend who’s always up-to-date, not like your grandpa stuck in 2021. The cherry on top? ChatGPT’s answers will now come with citations, giving you a map to the source of wisdom.

This new feature is being rolled out for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, but Microsoft isn’t leaving the rest of us in the cold. Soon, everyone gets to play with the toy for free with a Bing plug-in.

Microsoft’s been on a roll lately, soup-ing up Bing Chat. Last week, OpenAI dished out over 70 plugins to ChatGPT Plus users. These are like superpowers for your chatbot, letting it do cool things like surfing the web. And now, Microsoft’s jumping on the bandwagon and using the same plugin standard. This means more tools will play nice together across ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.

Here’s the kicker: developers can now use one platform to create plugins that work across multiple platforms. Think ChatGPT, Bing, Copilot – the whole shebang. Plus, fresh plugins are incoming to Bing Chat, from names you’d recognize like Instacart, Kayak, and Zillow.

And just when you thought the party was winding down, Microsoft cranks it up a notch. Bing Chat and these new plugins will pop up in Windows via the new Windows Copilot. It’s like Microsoft’s turning Windows 11 into a smarty-pants with AI upgrades via Copilot and Dev Home.

In the leadup to this whole shebang, Microsoft gave Bing Chat a bit of a makeover, adding chat history, an export tool, and scrapping chat limits. Sounds like a win-win to me. Sit tight, folks, it’s gonna be a wild ride.

READ THE ARTICLE ON ZDNET.

Here’s how ads might look in Google’s new AI-powered search experience

Google is spicing things up in the ad business. If a recent video is anything to go by, your Google searches are about to look like a billboard on the Vegas strip. This new hoopla is courtesy of Google’s fancy schmancy Search Generative Experience (SGE), which is basically their AI-powered search.

Now, let me break it down for you. Imagine you’re planning a trip to Maui and looking up some outdoor stuff to do. As soon as you hit search, you get smacked with ads – sponsored links pop up like unwanted guests before the actual search results. You can barely see Google’s shiny new SGE, which is supposed to revolutionize how we search. Not a great start, is it?

Then let’s say you type in “hiking backpacks for kids,” and, like magic, you get some backpack listings. But guess what’s chilling right at the top of the list? Yep, a sponsored link. Google’s subtly shoving more ads in there like a stealthy pickpocket.

Then, just when you thought you were safe, after asking about kid-friendly surfing, you get slapped with more ads about surf lessons and activities for the kiddos. Three simple queries, and you’re drowning in ads.

Of course, this was a video for a Google blog post selling ad products, so maybe they’re just showing off. But if this really is how Google’s SGE rolls out – and you can get on the waitlist to try it out – expect it to be filled with ads, whether you like it or not. After all, someone’s gotta foot the bill for all that fancy AI stuff, right? Seems like they’ve got us between a rock and a hard place, doesn’t it?

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

Spark email gets +AI to ‘write better emails faster’ while keeping control of your inbox

In the spirit of making your life a piece of cake, Spark, the well-known email client, is hitting the streets with a shiny new update. This hot rod now comes loaded with a generative AI—dubbed Spark +AI—to help you whip up spiffy emails faster than you can say “automatic reply.” And don’t fret, the AI’s got your privacy and autonomy in mind, too.

In a blog post brighter than a Vegas marquee, the folks behind Spark let slip about their AI helper that promises to pen the perfect email in no time flat. This little wizard also rewords your rough drafts, so sounding like Shakespeare on a coffee binge is easier than ever.

Spark +AI stands on three pillars: quick and quality email writing, instilling you with the confidence of a Hollywood agent, and making sure you stay the boss of your own inbox.

This AI can whip up an email quicker than you can blink, give your drafts a makeover, and play around with tone like it’s in a voice actor’s booth. But don’t worry, this ain’t no rogue AI—it won’t send out any emails by itself. It’s only here to help you piece together your masterpiece.

Spark’s hopped on the OpenAI bandwagon, using its GPT integration to make your emails slicker than a greased pig. Of course, your email content will be shared with OpenAI, but just to give you the Spark +AI perks. Neither Spark nor OpenAI are gonna use your info to school their models, keeping your data safe and sound.

All this AI wizardry is tucked inside Spark Premium. Not part of the gang yet? The good folks at Spark are throwing in a week-long free trial, so you can test drive the AI features.

Finally, don’t be in a hurry if you’re an Android user. Spark +AI is rolling out phase by phase to make sure everything’s steady. If you’re an iOS user chomping at the bit, just manually update your app on the App Store. As for the Android folks, just sit tight, you’ll get your turn in the coming days.

READ THE ARTICLE ON 9TO5MAC.

Alteryx reimagines data analytics with generative AI

Look who’s steppin’ into the world of AI! It’s Irvine’s very own Alteryx, the data analytics bigshot, who’s pulled the wraps off their brand-spankin’-new generative AI engine, AiDIN.

So what’s this AiDIN gizmo all about? It’s a suite of smart tools designed to help businesses make sense of their data mountains faster than a jackrabbit on a hot griddle. They’re launching it with three new features: Magic Documents, Workflow Summary, and an OpenAI connector.

Magic Documents is like having your own personal secretary who talks tech. Instead of you going blue in the face explaining all the number-crunching done by Auto Insights, this tool does the heavy lifting, summarizing all that jazz in clear, concise language. So whether you’re writing an email or prepping a presentation, it’s got your back.

Workflow Summary’s just as handy, but it’s more about keeping things shipshape. Got a tangled web of processes and workflows? Workflow Summary, powered by yours truly, ChatGPT, helps you tidy it all up with a nice, neat summary. Less mess, less stress.

And let’s not forget the OpenAI connector. It’s like a universal translator for data, helping you implement AI in your data and analytics workflows in ways you didn’t know you could. It’s the real deal, and it’s making a splash.

Sure, the AI scene’s as crowded as Times Square on New Year’s Eve, and Alteryx has plenty of competition. But with over $600 million in funding and a hunger for innovation, they’re not about to be left in the dust. Here’s lookin’ at you, Alteryx!

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

AMD and Microsoft present AI Developer Tools for Ryzen 7040 processors

AMD and Microsoft are servin’ up some piping hot AI tools for these fancy Ryzen 7040 chips. This piece of hardware is the new star quarterback in silicon, stepping on the turf with AI workload handling that’ll leave regular x86 processors eating dust.

What’s the score, you ask? These chips have a trick play up their sleeves, like boosting our gadgets to do all that jazz we’ve been dreaming of. You know, making your tired peepers look like they’re locked on screen instead of the cat dancing in the background during a Zoom call, and smart framing and background blur.

And it ain’t all just smoke and mirrors. Developers eager to dive into the new chip’s magic can now have a sneak peek of AMD’s Developer Tools for Ryzen AI. These gizmos let them tap into the Ryzen chips’ capabilities through an open-source framework called Vitis AI Execution Provider, running on ONNX Runtime, with a sprinkle of Microsoft Olive support and XDNA AI Engine boosting power.

Got a Ryzen 7040HS machine and a hankering to test it out? Mosey on over to Ryzen AI Cloud to Client Demo Github. Happy trailblazing, partner!

Oh, and a small plug – if you’ve got a soft spot for refurb tech, there’s a 2022 HP Envy x360 on Amazon with your name on it.

Oh, one last thing. You good at translating tech lingo to the layman? Notebookcheck’s got a spot for you. Check ’em out, y’all.

READ THE ARTICLE ON NOTEBOOK CHECK.

Google to work with Europe on stop-gap ‘AI Pact’

Google’s top dog, Sundar Pichai, is shaking hands across the pond with Europe’s lawmakers on a little thing called an “AI Pact”. It’s basically a pinky swear to play nice with AI while the bigwigs sort out the official rules.

Pichai was talking shop with Thierry Breton, the EU’s Internal Market Commissioner. Breton is all gung-ho about not dragging feet in the AI game. So, the EU’s looking to get this AI pact on the road before their official AI laws roll out.

For now, Google’s the only tech giant with its name on this pact’s dance card. We asked both Google and the European Commission for the lowdown on the whole deal.

Breton wants AI in Europe to play by the book – data protection, online safety, and AI rules. No cafeteria picking here. Pichai’s on board with that and they’re ready to take on disinformation before the elections in Europe.

Now, the AI pact doesn’t have any legal teeth, but it’s a step towards getting everybody to play nice in the AI sandbox.

The EU’s been leading the charge on digital rules and has some drafts in the works. But, the tech world doesn’t hold its breath and has been advancing at lightning speed. Just look at OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, stealing the show.

They’ve been working on the EU AI Act since 2021, and are hoping to get it passed before year-end. But even if it does get passed, it won’t take effect for another year or so, which is why they’re eager for this pact.

In other news, Margrethe Vestager, who’s spearheading the EU’s digital strategy, hinted that the EU and U.S. might team up on some ground rules before the big AI Act comes into play.

Good meeting w. @sundarpichai. We need the #AIAct as soon as possible. But AI technology evolves at extreme speed. So we need voluntary agreement on universal rules for #AI now. Already discussed at #G7 digital in Takakasi. We will follow up in the #TTC next week. No time to lose
— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) May 24, 2023

Meanwhile, the EU’s still got some tricks up its sleeve with the GDPR that can regulate certain AI apps. Plus, there’s a couple of new acts coming down the pike, the DSA and DMA, that might lay down the law for AI app makers.

Even with all that, the EU’s doubling down on the need for dedicated AI rules. Google’s jumping at the chance to be in the mix on this. Guess we’re about to see an AI regulation showdown!

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Elon thinks AI could become humanity’s uber-nanny: Excerpts from a dinner convo

At the Wall Street Journal CEO Council conference, Elon Musk played hopscotch with topics from Twitter, AI, Mars, and more. The audience got a taste of Musk’s well-known knack for talking circles. Highlights included his outlook on Twitter as a “town square”, a space for everyone to have their say – from the left, middle, to the right. And boy, it’s not just talk, he’s building a media company for it.

Musk also chatted about juggling his time between his many ventures with only a part-time assistant, since he feels no one else can prioritize his schedule as he does. Meanwhile, he’s pretty downbeat on AI, though he contradicts himself by saying AI won’t destroy humanity, but rather might take on an ‘uber-nanny’ role.

On the Twitter front, he claimed the platform has done a clean-up job, giving the boot to hate speech and most spammers, making it a better place for advertisers. He also assured that he and Twitter’s new CEO will be in cahoots over moderation. And, yes, Twitter will be on a hiring spree again.

For Musk, free speech isn’t a matter of debate, and he isn’t a fan of holding his tongue. He sees censoring as a boomerang that will eventually come back to you. He’s less cool with AI’s free speech though, and he’s been advocating for AI regulation. To counter the threat of AI being weaponized on social media, Musk wants to move Twitter towards being a subscription-based system – the idea being, it’s harder for bots to fake authenticity when there’s money involved. Only time will tell how much of this saga unfolds as he envisions.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Microsoft aims to win the AI app race with three big advantages

Alrighty, here’s the lowdown, folks. Microsoft is gunning for the big leagues in the AI app world. They’ve got a new trick up their sleeve, expanding their Copilot applications with a new plugin standard. The goal? To be the bee’s knees in AI, bringing developers to their yard.

But it ain’t no walk in the park. Google’s stepping up to the plate with their own AI, Bard, and it’s set to play nice with a bunch of apps. According to some bigwig at Gartner Research, this AI showdown ain’t about fancy hardware, it’s about who’s got the best building blocks (or APIs, as the techies call ’em). And switching sides? Apparently as easy as changing your socks.

Microsoft might be in the driver’s seat here, though. They’ve got three aces in their hand: first-mover advantage with OpenAI, a brand name that’s as strong as an ox, and a loyal horde of developers ready to conquer the AI world.

Yet, there are folks saying, “Hold your horses, Microsoft.” The company’s big AI push is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. They’ve spent big bucks partnering with OpenAI, but whether people are ready to dive headfirst into a Microsoft-led AI world is still up in the air. There could be pushback, especially from businesses looking to keep their data under wraps and go their own way with AI customization.

On top of it all, there are safety and accountability concerns, like keeping everyone in check when the AI playground gets crowded. One brainiac from Brown University reckons the real challenge is setting up guardrails where people are affected.

So, that’s the scoop. Microsoft’s making a play for AI app supremacy, but it’s still anyone’s game. Buckle up, folks. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

Buckle Up for AI’s New Frontier: Microsoft’s AI Expansion

June 2, 2023May 24, 2023 by Wes Roth

Discover the Power of AI as Microsoft Unveils its Innovative Copilots and Expanded Plugin Ecosystem: A Bonanza of Tools, Platforms, and Opportunities for Developers to Craft Advanced AI Applications and Revolutionize the Digital Landscape

Today:

Microsoft outlines framework for building AI apps and copilots; expands AI plugin ecosystem

Microsoft’s CTO Kevin Scott reckons all software will soon come with its own version of a smart sidekick, or a “copilot” as he puts it. This is not just about spinning a top-notch sales spiel or catching up on that snooze-inducing meeting you skipped, but more like a virtual PA capable of pulling off stuff like creating flashy slideshows or even planning a themed party.

Remember GitHub Copilot? That whiz-bang tool from Microsoft that helps devs write code? Well, buckle up, ’cause now the tech behemoth’s taking that idea to a whole other level, stretching it across Bing, Microsoft 365, and more. Today, they unveiled a few more fellas joining the gang, including Copilots in Power BI, Power Pages, Microsoft Fabric, and Windows. Plus, they’re gifting devs a toolkit to craft their own AI applications, sprinkling in some nifty features to play with other software.

Speaking of playing nice, Microsoft’s marrying the open plugin standards set by OpenAI with its Copilots. So now, devs get a one-stop platform to build plugins for the likes of ChatGPT, Bing, Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, and Windows Copilot. Bing’s becoming the default search option on ChatGPT and welcoming new pals like Expedia, Instacart, Kayak, and more. Developers can also jazz up Microsoft 365 Copilot with plugins, making use of handy tools like the Microsoft Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio.

So what’s the deal with these plugins? Think of them as bridges. Like a connector between an AI system and a company’s private data. They give Copilots access to these files, whether it’s to answer a company query or book a business trip following company policies. Basically, a plugin lets an AI tap into resources and capabilities it can’t on its own. And these plugins aren’t just for Microsoft’s Copilots – developers can also use them to pump up their own AI applications.

In essence, Microsoft’s laying out a grand buffet of tools and platforms for developers to create, test, and deploy their own plugins, and promising a future where they’ll play nice across the Copilot ecosystem. To that, I say, “Hold onto your butts, folks, it’s about to get a whole lot more interesting in software land!”

READ THE ARTICLE ON MICROSOFT.

Microsoft just supercharged ChatGPT with Bing’s AI-powered search

So here’s the skinny: ChatGPT, that smart-alecky AI butler we all love, used to be as up-to-date as a rotary phone. It’s been sitting pretty on old news since 2021, but Microsoft just cranked things up a notch.

Microsoft Build 2023 was like Christmas morning for ChatGPT. It’s getting hitched to Bing’s search engine, meaning this AI can now keep up with the Joneses.

No longer is ChatGPT just regurgitating facts like a parrot with a history degree, now it can dig up fresh news straight from the internet – just like its new pal Bing Chat. Yusuf Mehdi, some bigwig at Microsoft, was all over it, promising “timelier and more up-to-date answers.”

ChatGPT’s also stepping up its credibility game – you’ll be able to trace its info back to the source, like breadcrumbs leading to a fact feast.

Now, if you’re already forking over your hard-earned cash for ChatGPT Plus, this new update’s already coming your way. For the rest of us cheapskates, Microsoft’s tossing us a bone: we’ll get it for free soon with a handy-dandy plugin. Get ready for a whole new ChatGPT, folks!

READ THE ARTICLE ON ZDNET.

Microsoft pledges to watermark AI-generated images and videos

Alright, get this. Microsoft’s got this bright idea to mark AI-created pictures and videos like a cow gets branded on a Texas ranch. They’re saying, “Hey, that picture there ain’t real, it’s AI-generated.” It’s not as simple as slapping a sticker on it, though. You’ve got to use this fancy tech-talk, the C2PA specification, to read the mark. It’s like needing special glasses to see invisible ink.

Now, this C2PA thing is pretty big league. It’s got the backing of Adobe and a few other bigwigs. But there’s a hitch – not everyone’s on board. Like that one neighbor who refuses to take down their Christmas lights in July. Some of these AI image-makers haven’t agreed to this “branding” method.

So will this new Microsoft plan matter? It’s like asking if a pig’s whistle will scare away crows – we just don’t know yet. One thing’s for sure, though. The way we track and tag these AI-made images is changing. It’s kinda like the wild west out there, but with computers instead of cowboys.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Microsoft launches an AI tool to take the pain out of building websites

Microsoft’s playing Dr. Frankenstein and given life to a new AI beastie called Copilot in Power Pages. The big M thinks this gizmo will make building websites a walk in the park. You tell it what you want in plain ol’ English, and this clever monkey starts whipping up text, forms, layouts, the works. Heck, it’ll even set up your backend database tables for you, no sweat.

Now, don’t think you’re breaking new ground here. Others have trod this path before, with tools like Jasper and Mixo doing some of the same heavy lifting. But Microsoft’s bigwig, Sangya Singh, thinks Copilot’s got an edge, being more versatile and all. She’s quick to point out though, this ain’t no magic bullet for spam sites.

Copilot works in three stages, from no code to low code to pro code. That’s like going from your kid’s Lego blocks to designing a whole skyscraper. And it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, there are some dicey parts too. Adding AI in the mix can be like playing with fire, especially when it comes to churning out content that’s a bit too spicy. But Singh’s on it, she says they’ve got “guardrails” in place to keep things on the straight and narrow.

Oh, and did I mention the chatbot? You can plug that into your website too, and it also has a safety net in place. So, folks, this ain’t your grandma’s automatic website generator. It’s a tool, like a digital Swiss Army knife. You’re the one driving the bus here, and Copilot’s just riding shotgun, giving you tips along the way.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Microsoft’s Azure AI Studio lets developers build their own AI ‘copilots’

Microsoft’s cookin’ up a new tool called Azure AI Studio. What’s it for? Well, it’s meant to help companies whip up their own AI “copilots.” We’re talkin’ about chatbot apps powered by AI that help out with stuff like writing sales pitches or making images for a presentation.

This new tool lets customers merge a model—like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or GPT-4—with their own data, and then build a chat assistant or similar app. And don’t you worry, all of this happens without exposing any private data. As Microsoft’s bigwig John Montgomery put it, it’s a “tremendous accelerant” for customers to build their own copilots.

Building one of these copilots starts with picking an AI model, and then laying out what the copilot’s job will be. There’s an option to add cloud-based storage so the copilot can keep track of a conversation and respond properly. And you can plug in other services too.

Microsoft reckons this new Azure AI Studio is a big deal ’cause it lets customers use OpenAI’s models on their own data, without compromising security or breaking any rules. They’re banking on customers loving the option to custom-build their AI using Microsoft’s cloud tools.

To sweeten the deal, Microsoft’s also rolling out some new perks for its Azure OpenAI Service. Customers can now reserve and deploy model processing capacity monthly or yearly. Fancy that!

So there you have it, folks. Microsoft is goin’ all-in with Azure AI Studio, helping companies build their own AI copilots and offering reserved processing capacity. A bold move, but who knows? It might just pay off.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Google to experiment with ads that appear in its AI chatbot in Search

Google, the bigwig in search engines, is starting to sneak ads into its fancy AI chatbot in search, pretty much like that other tech mammoth, Microsoft, did with Bing Chat. Talk about déjà vu.

Google presented this plan at their I/O developer hoopla earlier in the month, explaining how ads will pop up at the top and bottom of their shiny new AI feature, the Search Generative Experience (SGE). So, suppose you’re hunting for a new two-wheeler online. You’d not only get the lowdown on what makes a good bike but also get ads related to your search that could pique your interest.

Another interesting tidbit from Google’s Marketing Live event was the company’s plan to directly fuse ads into their AI-powered chat. Picture this: you’re searching for things to do in Maui, focusing on stuff for the kiddos and surfing. Presto, you see an ad for surfing lessons for kids. Pretty neat, eh? But don’t worry, these ads will have a big, bold “Sponsored” tag to keep things above board.

Of course, some folks might still confuse these ads with the AI’s recommendations, especially when they pop up in the same list. Google also plans to toy around with fresh ad formats tailored for SGE that use AI to whip up high-quality, customized ads.

Now this might tickle your fancy. Google’s going to bring this AI into Performance Max – their everything-and-the-kitchen-sink ad platform that lets advertisers reach customers everywhere from YouTube to Gmail. Just provide your website, and Google’s AI will study your brand and fill your campaign with all sorts of goodies, even suggesting images.

So there you have it, folks. The future of advertising with Google’s AI is bright, and they’re going all-in with their new conversational experience. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s gonna be a wild ride.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

NVIDIA and Microsoft Drive Innovation for Windows PCs in New Era of Generative AI

Imagine creating something outta thin air. That’s generative AI for ya, thinkin’ up nifty stuff like texts and images. It’s got some muscle in areas like work, making cool content, and gaming. Microsoft and NVIDIA were shooting the breeze at a conference, talking up how their shiny new AI tech is gonna juice up Windows 11 PCs.

They’ve got 400+ apps and games running on AI, revved up by these smarty-pants processors (Tensor Cores, mind you) on NVIDIA’s GPUs. The big news: new tools for AI development, jazzed up AI performance, and niftier AI deployment. They’re aiming for this AI stuff to be the shot in the arm for Windows innovation.

Now, here’s where it gets real interesting. Usually, folks tinkering with AI have been dancing with Linux, but Microsoft’s pulled a rabbit out of their hat. They’ve built a way to run Linux right inside Windows OS – that’s Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for ya. Now developers can use their Windows PC for AI work without missing a beat, all thanks to GPU support in WSL.

Microsoft also released a shiny new tool, the Microsoft Olive. It’s like a handy Swiss knife that helps developers optimize and deploy AI models to PC or cloud. Once deployed, these models pack a wallop in the performance department, even as they guzzle less juice, especially for laptops.

Already, big names like Adobe, DxO, ON1, and Topaz are all in on the AI game, with over 400 applications and games primed for NVIDIA’s Tensor Cores.

Long story short, Microsoft and NVIDIA are making it easier to whip up and roll out AI on Windows 11. If you’re a developer and want to ride this AI wave, you’d best saddle up now!

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

Google-backed Anthropic raises $450 mln in latest AI funding

Anthropic, a fresh-faced startup, is jockeying for position in the horse race against OpenAI, with a cash injection of a cool $450 million, courtesy of big dogs like Google and Spark Capital. No chump change, huh?

So, what’s the hullabaloo about? Well, Anthropic is working on what they call “foundation models.” Imagine training a dog, but instead of just fetching the paper, it can clean the house, cook dinner, and file your taxes. Basically, these models are trained on more data than a teenager consumes TikTok videos, and can do a bunch of tasks with a little tweaking.

The scoreboard shows Anthropic clocking in with almost $1 billion in total funding. This leaves it sitting pretty as one of the top dogs in AI startup funding. They’re playing coy with their exact valuation, but word on the street suggests it’s close to $5 billion.

AI’s a hot ticket right now, with companies throwing money at it like it’s going out of style. Anthropic and their competitors are gulping down funds faster than a sports car guzzles gas, all to create these jumbo-sized models that eat up computing power like a kid at a candy store.

OpenAI kicked off the AI craze last year with their own little digital chatterbox, ChatGPT. They raked in a whopping $10 billion from Microsoft, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The powers that be are starting to raise eyebrows at how this tech might be used to spread false info. No bueno.

Now, Anthropic’s founders are former OpenAI bigwigs, and they swear up and down that their AI is as safe as houses. They promise it won’t spit out plans for building a bomb or use any nasty language. They’re on a collision course with OpenAI’s GPT-4, with businesses lining up to pit the two against each other.

Zoom, the virtual meeting kingpin and one of the investors, plans to roll Anthropic’s models into its video-call platform. If that’s not a vote of confidence, I don’t know what is.

According to Matt Murphy, partner at Menlo Ventures, it’s not just a winner-takes-all scenario. They’re backing Anthropic to the hilt, seeing them as one of the two big future winners in the AI race. It’s worth noting that Anthropic’s last round investors, Google and Salesforce, have doubled down on their bet.

Finally, to add another feather in their cap, Yasmin Razavi from Spark Capital is now sitting pretty on Anthropic’s board of directors. Let’s just say, the game’s afoot, and we’re all waiting for the next move with bated breath. Over and out!

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

Spotify may use AI to make host-read podcast ads that sound like real people

Looks like Spotify’s gearing up to put a new spin on the good ol’ ads we all love to hate. Apparently, they’ve been playing around with that fancy AI mumbo-jumbo to turn host voices into ads. What’s the catch, you ask? Well, the host ain’t really doing any yapping, it’s just their voice — cloned, kind of like that sci-fi movie with the sheep.

This info comes straight from the horse’s mouth, Bill Simmons, who runs The Ringer, a Spotify-owned joint. Now, Simmons, he’s a slick talker, spills the beans saying we could get ads suited to our locale or even in a foreign lingo, provided the host’s cool with it. But between you and me, ol’ Simmons might have jumped the gun on this one, ’cause Spotify isn’t exactly singing the same tune. They’re keeping mum on this, only saying they’re exploring all sorts of stuff, including this ad idea.

Now, this ain’t Spotify’s first rodeo with AI. They’ve got this AI DJ, courtesy of their honcho of Cultural Partnerships and podcast host, Xavier “X” Jernigan. The fellow went into a studio, did some high-quality recordings with all the right bells and whistles, and voila, the AI DJ was born. They used this high-tech stuff from OpenAI to create this DJ, so it’s not a stretch to think they could do the same for these host-voiced ads.

So, where’s all this headed? Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing’s for sure, the line between man and machine just got blurrier. A few years back, Google made headlines with their own chatty AI that could book a table for you at your favorite grub joint. Even Apple’s jumped on the bandwagon recently with an AI that mimics your voice.

Let’s see how this pans out. One thing’s for sure though, don’t go holding your breath for an ad-free Spotify anytime soon. If anything, you might soon be hearing more from your favorite hosts, even if they’ve got no clue what they’re yammering about.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Adobe to integrate AI into Photoshop amid fears of job losses and mass faking of images

Adobe’s about to teach its Photoshop a new trick. They’re stirring some fancy generative AI into the mix. That’s a fancy way of saying they’re making a program that can generate new things. Think of it like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but in this case, the hat’s a computer, and the rabbit’s a picture.

The name of this techno-rabbit? Adobe Firefly. Rolled out as a beta, or a test version, a few weeks back, Adobe insists it’s not about to steal the bread and butter of graphic designers. Instead, they’re spinning it as a “co-pilot,” or an assistant, to make the magic happen quicker and more easily.

This new upgrade to Photoshop lets users jazz up images with text prompts like “long haired dachshund with long flowing rainbow hair.” Fancy a dog with rainbow hair? Done. This ‘generative fill’ feature will be ready to roll out by Tuesday.

Adobe ain’t exactly a newbie to the AI game, though. They’ve been using AI in their tools for over ten years, like a background replacement tool in Photoshop. But this new Firefly addition is going to let you do more than just swap backdrops. It will let users cook up brand new images and templates from scratch.

But, here’s the rub: artists are worried that AI might steal copyrighted artwork to learn its tricks. Adobe, however, insists that they’ve only trained Firefly using their own stock library and public domain images where copyright isn’t a problem anymore.

Adobe’s director of digital media and strategy for Asia-Pacific, Chandra Sinnathamby, thinks this new tool is just the ticket for small businesses to do their own graphic design. He’s keen on the idea of speeding up and scaling the creative process. And no, it’s not about replacing graphic designers.

With a nod towards the panic around AI creating fake stuff online, Adobe’s come up with a system to tag images that are AI-made or edited. Basically, a digital breadcrumb trail to show where an image came from. They’ve been doing this since 2019 and have around a thousand folks on board.

So, there you have it. If you ever wanted a long-haired dachshund with flowing rainbow hair, Adobe’s new Photoshop might be your genie in a bottle. But as for the fears of job losses and fakes flooding the net? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see how that cookie crumbles.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE GUARDIAN.

Dell Technologies and NVIDIA Introduce Project Helix for Secure, On-Premises Generative AI

Dell and NVIDIA are kickin’ up the dirt with their new brainchild, Project Helix. In plain English? They’re helping businesses build and use fancy artificial intelligence models, right in their own backyard, all neat and secure. And why? To serve you better and faster, of course.

Now, here’s the skinny on Project Helix. They’re rollin’ out the whole shebang, from the nuts and bolts of tech expertise to a treasure trove of pre-built tools. So if you’re an enterprise sitting on a mountain of data, you can now mine that gold without breaking a sweat.

The big guns at Dell and NVIDIA can’t stop gabbing about how this project’s gonna usher in a whole new era of AI solutions. To translate their tech-speak: they’ve made it super easy to use your own data to build AI applications. All secure and on-site, so you’re not airing your dirty laundry.

Now, remember that “generative AI lifecycle” they kept mentioning? It’s just a fancy way of saying they’ve got you covered from start to finish. From building your AI model, to making it fit for purpose, and finally launching it into the wild.

Their secret sauce includes Dell’s PowerEdge servers and NVIDIA’s sparkly GPUs and Networking. Now, don’t fret if those words sound like gobbledygook. Basically, they’re the gears that make the magic happen.

The cherry on top? Project Helix has a big focus on security and privacy. You’re not gonna find your sensitive data floating around where it shouldn’t be.

What does Bob O’Donnell, some big shot analyst, have to say? He thinks Dell and NVIDIA have given businesses a leg up to explore AI without stumbling over their shoelaces.

Well, folks, the proof will be in the pudding. The Project Helix gizmos will be up for grabs starting July 2023. So, if you’ve got a taste for AI, Dell and NVIDIA are setting the table for you. Grab your forks and dig in!

READ THE ARTICLE ON NVIDIA.

Breaking Language Barriers: Meet Meta’s Massively Multilingual Speech AI

June 2, 2023May 23, 2023 by Wes Roth

Meta’s AI Speaks Your Language, and 3,999 More! – Learn about the remarkable journey of Meta’s Massively Multilingual Speech models that aim to preserve endangered languages and encourage a more inclusive digital conversation.

Today:

Meta’s open-source speech AI recognizes over 4,000 spoken languages

Alright folks, buckle up. Here’s the skinny: A heap of languages are on the brink of biting the dust, and current tech just ain’t cutting it. But fret not, the eggheads at Meta are throwing down a fix using artificial intelligence (AI).

In a nutshell, they’ve drummed up some AI models they call Massively Multilingual Speech (MMS) models. These whiz-bangs can understand and yammer in more than 1,100 languages, which is ten times what previous tech could handle. Plus, they can recognize over 4,000 languages, a whopping forty-fold upgrade. These babies are poised to get chatty in everything from VR to messaging services, opening a whole new world of jabbering in your chosen tongue.

And get this: Meta’s not hogging the fun. They’re open-sourcing the models and code so others can build on it, playing their part in saving the world’s languages and making us all feel a tad cozier.

Now, here’s where they pulled a rabbit out of the hat: gathering all that audio data. The solution? Holy texts, like the Good Book, that come in a gaggle of languages. They whipped up a dataset from New Testament readings in over 1,100 languages. Even though these readings are religious and often male-voiced, the tech doesn’t show any favoritism or get all preachy on us.

What’s next? These tech whizzes are dreaming big. They aim to expand the MMS to cover even more languages and navigate the tricky waters of dialects, a task that’s stumped speech tech till now.

That’s the story folks, you can learn more about this MMS marvel if you fancy.

READ THE ARTICLE ON META.

Amazon is building an AI search experience

Alright, here’s the skinny. Amazon’s got its thinking cap on and it’s planning a big shindig with artificial intelligence. Yup, the Big A, king of “buy-it-now” buttons, is gearing up to jazz up its platform with some AI-powered pizzazz.

Job postings out in the wild tell us that Amazon wants to hire some folks who can soup up their search function using AI. We’re not just talking about sprucing things up a little – they’re planning a whole new show. They want to roll out an interactive, chatty search experience, which honestly sounds a whole lot friendlier than typing in a search bar.

So, instead of you wading through a sea of toasters, washing machines, and whatnot, the new AI-powered search could serve up a platter of customized responses. It could even reel off suggestions from big-shot reviewers, which sounds pretty sweet.

Most of us start our shopping spree on Amazon anyway. But there’s a hitch: ads. Lots of ’em. And people ain’t too fond of ’em. Here’s hoping this AI facelift could shake things up and make ’em less of a bother.

When asked about the whole shebang, Amazon played coy. All we got from their spokesperson was that they’re “significantly investing in generative AI.” Well, that’s clear as mud.

Now, there’s a big elephant in the room here – data privacy. There’s been a whole hullabaloo about data misuse, but the big brains are saying that blockchain could put that problem on ice. It could offer data authenticity, micro-payments for data usage, and create accountability. Sounds pretty nifty, but only time will tell how this plays out.

So there you have it, folks. The future of product searching might be getting a high-tech makeover. Stay tuned.

READ THE ARTICLE ON COINGEEK.

OpenAI is exploring collective decisions on AI, like Wikipedia entries

Alright, here’s the scoop. OpenAI’s head honcho Greg Brockman is playing around with ideas to get everyone in on the AI decision-making process. Instead of the typical Silicon Valley “we know best” approach, they’re looking to make it more democratic, like how Wikipedia functions. They’re also pushing for global regulations to keep AI on a short leash and make sure it doesn’t turn into some kind of sci-fi horror flick.

Since the launch of ChatGPT, their AI that spins a yarn better than some authors I know, it’s become a big hit and a big worry. It’s the fastest-growing app ever, but its knack for creating really convincing fakes has got people twitching their curtains.

Taking a leaf out of Wikipedia’s book, and inspired by the International Atomic Energy Agency, OpenAI wants to set up some checks and balances to keep an eye on AI. They’re also toying with the idea of a global agreement to limit AI’s rapid growth, kind of like curbing a teenager’s screen time.

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s main man Sam Altman has been bouncing ideas off U.S. lawmakers and is now off to Europe to do the same. His proposals include licensing the creation of super sophisticated AI models, because, well, just like cars, these things can cause some real mayhem if driven recklessly.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

Intel gives details on future AI chips as it shifts strategy

Intel’s got a new game plan in the AI chip race, tossing out juicy tidbits about their upcoming ‘Falcon Shores’ chip. Unveiled in Germany, it’s expected to pack 288 gigabytes of memory and support 8-bit floaty number stuff. Why does that matter? Well, AI models these days are getting fatter than a Thanksgiving turkey, and businesses are hunting for chips that can keep up.

Intel’s trying to play catch up with Nvidia and AMD, who’ve been ruling the roost in AI chips. Intel’s own contender, Ponte Vecchio, had more delays than a rainy day at the airport, leaving them pretty much out of the game.

Despite the speed bumps, Intel’s been busy filling an order for Argonne National Lab’s Aurora supercomputer, boasting it outperforms Nvidia’s latest and greatest. But their next chip, Falcon Shores, isn’t hitting the market until 2025, by which time Nvidia will probably have more new toys to show off.

Jeff McVeigh, one of the big cheeses at Intel, said they’re taking their time to get the next chip right, after scrapping their old strategy of marrying graphics chips with their main processing chips. McVeigh told Reuters, “While we dream of having the best of both, it’s like hoping for a unicorn that craps rainbows. Offering separate parts lets you mix and match, as well as pick your poison with vendors.”

Side note: apparently McVeigh is no longer just keeping the supercomputer chip group seat warm. Good for him.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

TCS Announces Generative AI Partnership with Google Cloud and New Offering for Enterprise Customers

Well, folks, get a load of this: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) just decided to throw in their lot with Google Cloud, and boy, they’re stirring up something big. They’ve cooked up a new dish called TCS Generative AI, and they’re plating it up on Google Cloud’s table to help businesses soup up their operations and race towards growth like greased lightning.

Picture this: TCS, the big honcho with years of experience and a bag full of AI-powered tricks, teams up with the mighty Google Cloud to dream up custom-built business solutions. They’re not just whistling Dixie, they’re aiming to give businesses the tools to grab generative AI by the horns and lasso in some transformation and growth.

Now, this ain’t their first rodeo. They’ve been tinkering with a heap of AI solutions, from retail to manufacturing and beyond. They’re now knocking their heads together with clients to figure out how generative AI can fit their business like a glove. It’s like bringing a switchblade to a fistfight – a secret weapon to tackle specific business challenges.

They’re not playing solo. They’re inviting clients to brainstorm, quickly sketch out promising ideas, and roll out full-scale solutions – and all that jazz with a quick turn-around. This jamboree is set to take place in their co-innovation hubs scattered all over from New York to Tokyo.

Let me tell you, TCS ain’t been sitting on their hands. They’ve been ramping up their cloud tech expertise like nobody’s business. They’ve got 25,000 engineers Google Cloud certified, and a whopping 50,000 associates trained up in AI. And they’re aiming for another 40,000 Google Cloud Generative AI skill badges by year’s end, all ready to support this new offering.

TCS is no slouch when it comes to transforming businesses, and they’re chomping at the bit to apply generative AI to create innovative solutions. But don’t take my word for it, both the bigwigs at TCS and Google Cloud are all aboard and rooting for this partnership to overcome industry-specific hurdles using generative AI. It’s a match made in heaven, if I’ve ever seen one.

So there you have it. TCS and Google Cloud are hitching their wagons together, and the result is a whole kit and caboodle of services and solutions, aimed to keep businesses humming along nicely in this ever-changing digital world. Let’s see where this trail leads, shall we?

READ THE ARTICLE ON TCS.

Google’s AI-powered Flood Hub disaster alert system is now available in 80 countries

Alright, here’s the scoop, folks. Our good buddy Google, always the whiz kid on the block, has been flexing its brainy AI muscles to lend a helping hand against that old pain in the neck, floods. With their new toy, Flood Hub, they’ve been sending out early bird warnings to folks living on flood-prone turf, giving them a heads-up before the waters start knocking at the door.

This ain’t small potatoes either. Floods rack up a whopping $10 billion in damages worldwide each year and mess with the lives of about 250 million people. Last year, Google rolled out this gizmo in India and Bangladesh, giving them a week’s notice instead of the measly 48-hour warning they were used to. Before the year was out, they’d stretched their reach to 20 countries.

Now, here’s the kicker. Flood Hub has expanded its VIP list to 80 countries, roping in some new pals from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. That’s another 60 countries now covered, potentially helping around 460 million people dodge the flood bullet.

In the pipeline, they’re looking to plant this valuable info in places you’d likely peek at in a pinch, like Google Search and Maps. But, there’s a catch. For now, they’re only tracking river floods, leaving out flash floods and coastal events. But hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?

And if you’re wondering about their other tricks, Google has been dabbling in wildfire tracking as well, using more of that fancy AI stuff and satellite pictures. This show is already on the road in Mexico, the US, Canada, and parts of Australia. So, while we’re all waiting for the next superhero blockbuster, it seems Google is already in the business of saving the world. How about that for a plot twist?

READ THE ARTICLE ON ANDROID POLICE.

FlowX.ai raises $35M for its AI-based approach to application integration

Alrighty, so Salesforce has tossed its hat into the ring with this Einstein GPT (just a fancy name for some neat AI features) beta for the Field Service app. It’s like giving field service workers a new set of shiny tools. So who gets to play with these new toys? Well, pretty much everyone who’s got some boots on the ground. Nurses, technicians, contractors, you name it.

With this fancy tech, your everyday nurse can spend less time jotting down notes and more time doing what they do best. And the geniuses behind this? Salesforce and a trio of their buddies, OpenAI, Cohere, and Anthropic.

This AI is like a multi-tool Swiss army knife for the Field Service app, helping to juggle tasks, manage gear, and make travel a breeze, all while polishing the customer experience. And the cherry on top? It’s got part-timers covered too, letting folks know when the occasional contractors are around.

Here’s a new buzzword for you: “service swarming.” This means bringing in the whole gang to tackle customer issues or work orders right there on Slack. There’s also the ability to build custom mobile experiences, like a virtual treasure hunt for spare parts or a timesheet manager.

Einstein GPT also does a good job of passing the baton between workers, keeping everyone in the loop about the last visit to a site. Plus, it can suggest products to the customer based on their previous needs. It’s all part of squeezing every drop of value out of a site visit.

What’s more, there are guides and instructions tailored to specific tasks. So, if you’re stuck in the field, just pull up your personal AI tutor. The data for these guides comes straight from your own CRM data, which could include stuff like weather, maps, or product knowledge.

But that’s not the end of the road for AI in field service, according to Eammano. Lots of smaller companies are still finding their feet with digitization, and she sees potential for AI to help drive automation. Also, AI could be a guardian angel of sorts, making sure technicians stay safe with real-time monitoring.

Fast forward to the future, and you might see more customer self-service or a mix of humans and bots in technician teams. But don’t fret, it’s not about replacing jobs; it’s about giving a helping hand where needed.

They’re also giving a facelift to their Data Cloud and Flex Worker Management. Basically, field technicians get better data to prevent machinery from giving up the ghost, and managers get to play chess with their workers, sending the right people to the right place at the right time. All in all, Salesforce is looking to bring a bit of futuristic AI magic to the grit and grind of field service work.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Google Policy Agenda Reveals AI Regulation Wishlist

Alright, here we go. Google, everyone’s favorite search engine and “do no evil” tech giant, decided to put pen to paper and outline their vision for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). They even included some suggestions for Uncle Sam and other world governments on how to regulate the tech industry.

So what’s the lowdown? Google has this three-part mantra for AI: Opportunity, Responsibility, Security. That’s their game plan.

On the ‘Opportunity’ end, they’re sweet-talking governments into creating a playground for AI. More investments in research, developing a legal framework that doesn’t put AI in a straitjacket, and building an army of AI-ready workforce.

When it comes to ‘Responsibility’, they’re basically asking for a three-way partnership between governments, corporations, and non-governmental organizations to ensure AI doesn’t turn rogue. They’re all about developing AI in a way that doesn’t scare the living daylights out of people.

Now, Google’s stance on regulation might raise a few eyebrows. It’s more or less “Hey, go easy on the regulations, would ya?” They think too many rules might curb innovation and hurt the industry. They’re also a bit iffy about transparency, thinking it might lead to compromises in accuracy, security, and privacy.

There’s a bit of a juggling act here – they want governments to weigh up efficiency, productivity, transparency, and all that jazz. Feels like the classic tug of war between companies wanting to cut loose and governments trying to keep everyone safe.

The document does dish out some pretty sensible ideas though. Google suggests that regulatory bodies get their act together and come up with some AI-specific guidelines. They even propose the adoption of ISO 42001 – a standard developed by folks with more than a decade in the tech industry.

On ‘Security’, Google acknowledges the dark side of AI – it can be exploited for disinformation, misinformation, and all sorts of cyber mischief. So they’re asking governments to get a move on and invest in R&D to keep the bad guys at bay. And they’re pushing for strategies to tackle election interference, sharing info on security flaws, and developing an international trade control framework for dealing with naughty AI research and development.

Google is all for streamlining government adoption of AI. They’re encouraging more investment, breaking down data silos, and championing the power of human-machine teaming. Sounds pretty futuristic, doesn’t it?

The bottom line here is that Google’s AI Policy Agenda presents a mixed bag. It throws up legitimate concerns about over-regulation and the need for consistent rules. But the fact that the parties helping shape the AI standards are all cozy Silicon Valley insiders does raise some eyebrows. The big question is, whose interests are they really representing?

But hey, don’t take my word for it. Read the horse’s mouth yourself – Google’s Policy Agenda for Responsible AI Progress.

READ THE ARTICLE ON SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL.

OpenAI leaders propose international regulatory body for AI

Hold onto your hats, folks. OpenAI, the big kahuna in artificial intelligence, is saying we need a global cop to keep an eye on AI—kind of like what we have for nuclear power. They’re convinced AI’s progressing too darn fast for the old guard to handle.

Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Ilya Sutskever, the top dogs at OpenAI, claim we need some teamwork among AI pioneers to ensure these smarty-pants systems aren’t let loose without supervision. Can’t have robots taking over the world, now can we?

The company’s saying, “AI ain’t gonna police itself,” suggesting the need for an International Atomic Energy Agency of the AI world. This new sheriff in town wouldn’t just bust down the doors of rule-breakers but would set up rules and keep track of who’s playing nice.

The plan? Keep tabs on how much juice we’re pumping into AI research. It’s like checking the speedometer on a race car, making sure it’s not breaking the sound barrier. OpenAI hints that smaller outfits might get a free pass—wouldn’t want to squash the little guys and their bright ideas.

Timnit Gebru, a sharp AI mind, agrees: companies aren’t gonna put themselves in time-out. We need an outside force to keep things in check, not just folks chasing the almighty dollar.

OpenAI’s stirring the pot, calling for some proper management of AI beyond just political posturing. Sure, they’re vague about the details, like someone trying to build IKEA furniture without the manual. But at least they’re kickstarting the conversation, eh?

As of now, they’re not exactly ready to hit the brakes on their own AI endeavors, because, well, they still want to make their buck and help society (in that order). Plus, they’re wary of the sneaky players flooring it on the AI highway. I guess we’ll just have to see where this road takes us.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Bill Gates says A.I. could kill Google Search and Amazon as we know them

Well, butter my biscuit and call it a day, y’all! Billy Gates, you know, that Microsoft guy, is raising the alarm. He reckons artificial intelligence (AI) is gonna make Google and Amazon look like a busted wagon wheel.

This ain’t no everyday chatter-bot he’s talking about. This fancy-dancy AI personal assistant is gonna learn our habits, sort out our chores, and even catch up on our reading, so we don’t have to. Ain’t that something?

Now hold your horses, it ain’t all smooth sailing. Billy boy reckons it’s a coin toss if this tech revolution is going to come from some new-kid-on-the-block startup or one of the big tech honchos. Naturally, he’s rooting for his own team, Microsoft. But he’s also got his eye on a spry little upstart called Inflection.

But don’t go thinking you can put your feet up and let AI do all the work just yet. This future-tech ain’t ready for the prime time. Until then, companies are messing around with things like ChatGPT, the same sort of thing you and I are doing right now.

As for the health sector, Billy sees AI as a shot in the arm, speeding up new drug development. He’s confident we’re close to rustling up some good medicine for diseases like Alzheimer’s. Human trials? Maybe in a decade.

And for the working folks? Well, there’s good news and bad. Fancy AI is likely to shake up the office jobs, while robots could be putting the blue-collar crew out of work. “As we invent these robots,” he said, “we just need to make sure they don’t get Alzheimer’s.” Well, isn’t that a knee-slapper?

READ THE ARTICLE ON CNBC.

Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI

Hold onto your horses, folks! That photo of the Pentagon in flames that sent Twitter into a tailspin? Pure hogwash. Nothing more than a tech trickster’s idea of a prank.

Monday morning, folks were losing their minds over a picture of the Pentagon smokin’ like a faulty grill on the Fourth of July. Even Wall Street had a minor panic attack. But the Department of Defense and Arlington County fire department were quick to shut down the party, tweeting, “Chill out, y’all. There’s no explosion or threat at the Pentagon.”

The picture, looking as real as apple pie, was likely the handiwork of artificial intelligence. Bunch of smart folks, like Nick Waters from Bellingcat, pointed out the weird stuff in the photo – like buildings blending into fences like a bad Picasso. So, not exactly the Mona Lisa of digital manipulation.

Confident that this picture claiming to show an "explosion near the pentagon" is AI generated.

Check out the frontage of the building, and the way the fence melds into the crowd barriers. There's also no other images, videos or people posting as first hand witnesses. pic.twitter.com/t1YKQabuNL
— Nick Waters (@N_Waters89) May 22, 2023

Not long after, the net was suddenly full of phony photos of the White House going up in smoke too. You’d think the whole of DC was having a barbecue party!

A bunch of these tall tales came from Twitter accounts with blue checks – used to mean you’re legit, but these days, all you gotta do is cough up cash for a Twitter Blue subscription and you’re in the club. Even a mock-up Bloomberg News account and the Kremlin’s own Russian news service, RT, fell for the ruse.

RT, however, did have the decency to hit the delete button later. As for fake Bloomberg? Sent to the Twitter naughty corner – account suspended. And Twitter’s response when asked for a comment? A poop emoji. Sounds about right, doesn’t it?

READ THE ARTICLE ON NPR.