AI & Startups July 22nd - July 28th

Gen AI Product News

OpenAI Reveals Its AI Search Engine

OpenAI has just announced SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine prototype that combines powerful AI models with information from the Internet to provide users with timely answers from relevant sources—directly challenging Google’s search dominance.

?? Features:

?? Dynamic Summaries: SearchGPT organizes search results into summaries with attribution links, offering a more intuitive search experience.

?? Interactive Queries: Allows for follow-up questions, similar to AI startup Perplexity, enhancing user interaction.

?? GPT-4 Powered: The prototype uses GPT-4, ensuring high-quality, context-aware answers. ?? Limited Access: Initially available to 10,000 test users, emphasizing an exclusive trial phase.

?? Impact:

?? Search Revolution: Represents a significant shift in search technologies, potentially reshaping user interactions with online information.

?? Market Challenge: Poses a direct challenge to Google Search's dominance, signaling a major shift in the search engine landscape.

Join the Waitlist: To access SearchGPT, log into your ChatGPT account and join the waitlist here.

This move by OpenAI could dramatically alter the search engine market, introducing new standards for privacy, efficiency, and user interaction.

???? Mistral AI 's Large 2 Takes on AI Giants

Mistral just released Large 2, a new AI model claiming to match or exceed the performance of recent offerings from OpenAI and Meta, despite having significantly fewer parameters.

?? Features:

?? Efficient Power: Large 2 boasts 123 billion parameters, less than a third of Meta's Llama 3.1 405B, yet outperforms it in code generation and math.

?? Extended Context Window: Features a 128,000 token context window and improved multilingual support for 12 languages and 80 coding languages.

?? Enhanced Accuracy: Mistral claims Large 2 minimizes hallucinations and produces more concise responses than leading AI models.

?? Accessibility: Available to try on Le Chat, and for use on major cloud platforms but requires a paid license for commercial use.

?? Impact:

?? Impressive Efficiency: At just one-third the size of Llama 3.1 405B with benchmarks comparable to GPT-4, Mistral Large 2 sets a new standard for AI efficiency.

?? Market Disruption: With two GPT-4 level open models now released in just two days, the pressure just dialed up a few notches for closed-AI leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

This new release from Mistral underscores a significant shift in the competitive landscape of AI technologies, challenging the status quo with advanced yet efficient alternatives.

?? KLING - AI Videos 's Video Generation Goes Global

Kling AI, developed by Chinese tech giant Kuaishou Technology, has released its impressive AI video model globally, offering high-quality AI generations that rival OpenAI’s (unreleased) Sora.

?? Features:

?? Extended Capabilities: Kling can generate videos up to two minutes long, surpassing OpenAI's Sora's one-minute limit, however, the global version is limited to five-second generations.

?? Free Credits: The global version offers 66 free credits daily, with each generation costing 10 credits.

?? Advanced Technology: Utilizes advanced 3D reconstruction technology for more natural movements.

?? Detailed Prompts: The platform accepts prompts of up to 2,000 characters, allowing for detailed video descriptions.

?? Impact:

?? Global Accessibility: When Kling launched a little over a month ago, it was only accessible if you had a Chinese phone number. While global users are still limited to 5-second generations, anyone can now generate their own high-quality videos.

?? Market Pressure: This global availability puts even more pressure on OpenAI to release its beloved Sora.

Kling’s global rollout highlights the expanding reach of AI video generation technology, challenging established players and broadening the creative possibilities for users worldwide.

微软 Bing Unveils New AI-Powered Search

Microsoft's Bing is testing a new generative search experience that combines traditional search results with AI-generated content — aiming to reshape how users interact with search engines.

?? Features:

?? Innovative Layouts: The new experience uses LLMs to generate dynamic, AI-powered search result layouts, including answer summaries and related sections.

?? Efficient Content Matching: Bing claims the system reviews millions of sources to dynamically match content and fulfill user intent more effectively.

?? Feedback Mechanism: The feature is currently being tested with a small percentage of user queries, with Microsoft seeking user feedback via thumbs up/down icons.

?? Supporting Web Ecosystem: Microsoft states early data shows the experience maintains the number of clicks to websites, aiming to support a "healthy web ecosystem."

?? Impact:

?? User Experience Improvement: While most users will be happy to see Microsoft’s attempts to improve Bing, these changes could have significant implications for creators and businesses that rely on SEO.

?? SEO Implications: Although Microsoft suggests this will maintain clickable links in results, the actual effect may vary across different search types.

Bing's new AI-powered search represents a significant step forward in how search engines may evolve, blending AI capabilities with traditional methods to enhance user satisfaction and interaction.

The "World's Most Powerful" Supercomputer

Elon Musk and xAI just announced the Memphis Supercluster — “the most powerful AI training cluster in the world," also revealing that Grok 3.0 is planned to be released in December and should be the most powerful AI in the world.

?? Features:

?? Unprecedented Power: Musk tweeted that xAI just launched the "Memphis Supercluster," using 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, making it "the most powerful AI training cluster in the world."

?? Grok 2.0 Update: The xAI founder also revealed that Grok 2.0 is done training and will be released soon.

?? Future Vision: The supercluster aims to create the "world's most powerful AI by every metric," Grok 3.0, by December 2024.

?? Robotics Expansion: In a separate tweet yesterday, Musk also revealed that Tesla plans to have humanoid robots in "low production" for internal use next year.

?? Impact:

?? Rapid Development: Love him or hate him, the speed at which Elon and the team at xAI operate has been wild to witness.

?? Market Leadership: If estimates are accurate, xAI might be on track to create the most powerful AI systems in the world by year's end — solidifying its position as one of the top competitors in the space and not just another AI startup.

The Memphis Supercluster represents a major milestone in AI development, highlighting xAI's ambition and technological prowess in pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities.

AI on the Battlefield: Revolutionizing Modern Warfare

British Army Tests New 'Game-Changing' Artificial Intelligence App

British soldiers will soon be aided by a 'game-changing' artificial intelligence app that will sift through the huge volume of battlefield data and tell commanders how to defeat the enemy in record time. The state-of-the-art tech is currently in development, with military chiefs set to get their first taste of the kit during experimental trials later this year.

?? Features:

?? Data-Driven Decisions: The AI app aims to slash the time it takes officers to make decisions in a war zone by trawling through the vast amount of intelligence and alerting soldiers to potential enemy threats, like missile strikes, troop movements, and swarm drone attacks.

?? Predictive Analytics: Dubbed the 'Battlespace Management and Intelligence System' (BMIS), the app will also have the power to predict where enemies might launch an assault from and can provide an accelerated strike plan to military planners.

?? Speed and Efficiency: Created by experts at British defence giant BAE Systems, it's hoped the system could reduce the traditional time it takes to plan and approve a military strike from '20 to 30 minutes' to a matter of seconds.

?? Versatile Application: The AI will be installed in rugged field computers that will be based at a military HQ. However, soldiers in the field will also be able to use a slimmed-down version of the app downloaded onto a phone.

?? Impact:

?? Enhanced Operational Efficiency: This system is expected to change the game in terms of decision-making speed on the battlefield, giving British forces a significant tactical advantage. ?? Technological Advancement: The development of BMIS highlights a significant shift towards integrating artificial intelligence in military strategy, potentially setting a new standard in how modern warfare is conducted.

This new AI tool represents a pivotal development in military technology, blending cutting-edge artificial intelligence with traditional combat strategy to potentially transform the battlefield dynamics.

Capital Shifts: Tracing VC Investments in AI Startups

Not Every Startup is AI-Related: Here’s an Analysis of Where Venture Capital Funding is Actually Going

It might seem like venture capital is flooding into generative AI companies at the expense of everything else, but the reality is more nuanced. You’d be forgiven for assuming, based on business press coverage, that there is always a single, mega-disruptive technology that attracts all venture capital dollars.

?? Features:

?? Broad Investment Landscape: Over the past two months, AI companies accounted for only about 20% of all startup funding rounds of Series B and earlier.

?? Disproportionate Funding: The amount of venture capital attracted was disproportionately higher (about 37% of the total), but drops back to 24% after excluding xAI’s massive Series B round.

?? Diverse Sectors: The rest of the startup space is diverse, including biotech, manufacturing, and non-AI software companies, with none making up more than 10% of the total rounds.

?? Impact:

?? Perception vs. Reality: While generative AI might seem like the predominant focus, the diversity in funding shows a broader range of interests and opportunities in the venture capital landscape.

?? Strategic Diversification: Despite the allure of generative AI, the importance of diversification remains a fundamental principle of venture capital investment, safeguarding against overconcentration in a single technology or sector.

This analysis challenges the prevailing notion that AI is the only game in town for startups and VCs, highlighting the importance of a balanced approach to investment in innovation.

Capital Watch: This Week's Funding Highlights

?? 阿里巴巴集团 -backed Baichuan Catches Up in Generative AI

??Funding Amount: : 5 billion Chinese yuan (approximately $691 million)

?? Leading Investors: Alibaba and Tencent

??Source: PitchBook

??Highlights: Baichuan, a Chinese generative AI startup, secures significant backing from Alibaba to enhance its AI solutions, aiming to rival global leaders in the generative AI space.

?? OpenAI-backed LegalTech Startup Harvey Raises $100M

??Funding Amount: $100 million

??Source: TechCrunch

??Highlights: Harvey, leveraging OpenAI's technologies, aims to revolutionize the legal industry with AI-driven tools, simplifying complex legal processes.

?? GCore Raises $60M in Series A Funding

??Funding Amount: $60 million

??Source: Global Venturing

??Highlights: GCore's innovative cloud solutions powered by AI have attracted a massive Series A, propelling their growth in cloud computing sectors.

?? AI Startup Code Metal Secures $16.5M in Seed Funding to Accelerate Edge Development

??Funding Amount: $16.5 million

??Source: Business Wire

??Highlights: Code Metal aims to enhance AI capabilities at the edge, boosting processing speeds and reducing latency with its fresh capital infusion.

?? Polish AI Marketing Startup Digital First AI Secures Over USD 3 Million in Funding

??Funding Amount: $3 million

??Source: Marketing Tech News

??Highlights: With fresh funding, Digital First AI aims to transform marketing landscapes with advanced AI tools, improving campaign efficiencies.

?? Swiss AI Startup Lakera Secured $20M Investment to Secure Businesses from LLM Threats

??Funding Amount: $20 million

??Source: CIO Look

??Highlights: Lakera's innovative AI solutions focus on protecting enterprises from emerging LLM-related cybersecurity threats, reinforcing digital safety.

?? AI Startup Splight Raises $12 Million for Tech Allowing More Clean Energy on the Grid

??Funding Amount: $12 million

??Source: ESG Today

??Highlights: Splight's new funding will enhance its AI technologies to optimize the integration of clean energy sources into power grids, promoting sustainable energy use.

?? 10 Million Investment Secured, Hash AI Becomes the First AI Mining Company to Receive Venture Capitalist Funding

??Funding Amount: $10 million

??Source: GlobeNewswire

??Highlights: Hash AI pioneers a new niche in AI applications for mining, enhancing operational efficiencies and safety with its groundbreaking AI solutions.

?? Nigerian AI Startup Intron Health Raises $1.6M to Strengthen Its African Languages Speech Recognition Tool

??Funding Amount: $1.6 million

??Source: Tech Trends KE

??Highlights: Intron Health's funding will boost its AI-powered speech recognition tools, tailored to enhance healthcare delivery across African nations by overcoming language barriers.

?? Berlin-Based Fitness App TRAIT Snaps €1 Million for Empathetic AI Training Platform

??Funding Amount: Approximately $1.05 million

??Source: EU-Startups

??Highlights: Trait's innovative AI-driven fitness app personalizes training regimes by understanding user emotions and motivations, enhancing workout effectiveness.