#1 - Google Bard, Musk's 'xAI' Startup & Apple GPT

Welcome to the first (proper) edition of Machine Learning, where we delve deep into the dynamic intersection of the latest AI and Web3 news and trends from the past few weeks, uncovering the latest advancements and real-world applications that are driving the revolution forward.

Here's what you'll find in this edition:

1. Google Bard Launch Expands into Europe & Brazil ??
2. Musk Launches 'xAI' Startup ??
3. 'Apple GPT' in the works ??

Google Bard Launch Expansion ??

Exciting developments are taking place in the world of AI, as Google's parent company, Alphabet, introduces its AI chatbot 'Bard' to Europe and Brazil. This expansion marks a significant milestone for Bard, following its successful launch in the US and the UK back in March, and intensifies the competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, both exemplifying generative AI capabilities in their ability to respond to questions in a human-like manner. The journey to Bard's EU launch wasn't without hurdles, as the Irish Data Protection Commission raised privacy concerns, causing a temporary hold-up. The main concern centred around Google's provision of sufficient information on how its generative AI tool safeguards the privacy of European users. However, Alphabet has since engaged with the watchdogs, addressing issues of transparency, choice, and control, resulting in the green light for the European debut.

In a recent briefing with journalists, Amar Subramanya, engineering vice president of Bard, emphasised the company's commitment to transparency and user agency. Users now have the option to opt out of data collection, further reinforcing Google's dedication to responsible AI practices. To make Bard even more versatile and user-friendly, Google has added new features applicable worldwide. Users can now interact with Bard in over 40 languages, spanning Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi, and Spanish.

Additionally, Bard gains the ability to speak its answers aloud, catering to those who find an auditory perspective beneficial for approaching ideas differently or exploring creative endeavours like poetry and scripts.

As Google continues to refine Bard's capabilities, users can now customise the tone and style of Bard's responses, tailoring interactions to suit their preferences, be it simple, long, short, professional, or casual. Furthermore, users can conveniently pin or rename conversations, export code to more platforms, and include images in their prompts, broadening the scope of creative possibilities.

With Bard being hailed as an experiment, Google remains committed to pushing the boundaries of AI while ensuring responsible development and usage. The expansion into Europe and Brazil, coupled with these feature enhancements, opens up an exciting array of opportunities for users across the globe...

Musk Launches 'xAI' Startup ??

Serial Entrepreneur & Investor Elon Musk has recently announced the formation of a new AI startup, imaginatively called 'xAI', comprising of a talented team of engineers with backgrounds from renowned companies, like OpenAI (also one of Musk's companies) and Google, with the aim of exploring the depths of reality through artificial intelligence.

As a vocal advocate for responsible AI development, Musk believes that advancements in AI require careful consideration and regulation. He envisions xAI as a platform to better comprehend the true nature of the universe, although specific objectives and the kind of AI focus remain undisclosed for now. The company's website reflects the ambitious goal of understanding the very essence of our world.

Elon Musk's involvement in AI is hardly a new venture - he was one of the original backers of OpenAI, known for creating ChatGPT. However, Musk's relationship with OpenAI became strained, citing concerns over liberal bias in ChatGPT's responses and the shift from non-profit to for-profit status, raising questions about the platform's integrity.

Calling for caution in the realm of "Giant AI Experiments," Musk signed an open letter in March, emphasising the need for responsible oversight to safeguard the public from potential dangers posed by AI technologies. He has been vocal about AI safety for over a decade, advocating for a regulatory body to oversee AI development and applications.

Musk's commitment to responsible AI also extends to chatbot training data. He believes that companies utilising vast amounts of data from sources, like his recent-acquisition Twitter, should fairly compensate those whose information fuels AI learning. His passion for ethical data practices led him to purchase Twitter, implementing significant changes that has sparked various debates and drove notable figures to leave the platform.

'Apple GPT' in the works ??

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is fully engaged in various AI projects, positioning itself to potentially rival OpenAI's ChatGPT. Over the past few months, Apple has elevated its focus on AI development, particularly as chatbot services and AI-powered functionalities within apps continue to gain momentum. As part of this pursuit, the Cupertino colossus has introduced an "Ajax" framework, designed to accommodate large language models like ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Microsoft's Bing (which also utilises ChatGPT).

Despite these advancements, Gurman notes that Apple has yet to solidify a clear strategy for launching a consumer-oriented AI product. The tech behemoth, aware of the surging popularity of AI chatbots and their potential to revolutionise interactions with their own selection of smart tech, is determined to avoid falling behind on innovative AI-based technologies. Access to Apple's chatbot app is currently limited to select employees, and its output is earmarked exclusively for product prototyping. Apple can then leverage the chatbot to address user inquiries, drawing insights from the data used to train it. Notably, Apple's Ajax platform relies on Google's Jax machine learning framework, powered by Google Cloud. While Apple briefly explored partnering with OpenAI and even tested its technology for corporate use, it eventually proceeded independently.

As Apple doubles down on AI, it grapples with challenges related to privacy concerns, a topic it has consistently prioritised throughout the evolution of Siri, its personal assistant. However, critics have already countlessly pointed out areas of improvement for Siri when compared to competitors' AI products.

During the May earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that AI presents various issues requiring careful resolution. Cook emphasised Apple's thoughtful approach to AI development and reiterated its significance, intending to seamlessly integrate AI into products. Although Apple has yet to confirm any release plans for a consumer-facing chatbot, the company continually refines its machine learning-based features through software updates. For instance, iOS 17 introduced enhanced predictive text functionality and new features for Visual Lookup and photo identification.

Anticipations are high as Apple is rumoured to make a "significant" AI announcement in 2024, but as with any emerging technology, internal debates over product development will need to be addressed. Leading the AI endeavours are John Giannandrea, Apple's AI head, and Craig Federighi, the software engineering chief.

As we eagerly await Apple's AI journey, our newsletter will continue to keep you informed about the latest developments and insights in the ever-evolving world of AI.

Stay tuned for more groundbreaking updates and innovations in the AI landscape!

- Jake

Founder & Creative Director at BlumeHive