AI Weekly Summary
Jaume Boix
AI & Automation Solutions For SMEs | Content Creation and Repurposing Systems | AI Agents | Client Onboarding Systems
Welcome to a new edition of the AI Weekly Summary!
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I’m quite pumped today after coming from the Christchurch Innovation Expo, which is taking place today and tomorrow at the Te Pae Convention Centre.
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One of my favourite talks today was the first one delivered by Dr. Jonathan Reichental under the title “Becoming Superhuman With Artificial Intelligence”, where he explored the past, present, and future of AI. It was particularly enlightening and empowering and I’ll be sharing more about his talk in a future post, so stay tuned!
And carrying on with the AI topic, let’s see what happened in the space this week.
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China's tech powerhouse, Baidu, is making waves in the AI realm. Just days after the public release of its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot, Baidu unveiled over 10 new AI-centric applications.
One standout is the WPS AI, a generative AI-integrated word processing app developed by Kingsoft Office. This tool harnesses the power of the AI model that Ernie bot operates on, coupled with Baidu’s “Qianfan” cloud platform.
The company also highlighted that its cloud platform is actively utilized by nearly 10,000 businesses monthly. Furthermore, Baidu's AI assistant, embedded in its cloud product (similar to Google Drive), boasts capabilities like document search, text summarization, translation, and content creation. The tech giant also showcased AI products aimed at traffic management, financial research, and coal mine logistics. So watch this space!
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I shared this article earlier this week because I did find it fascinatingly scary. Amazon is revolutionizing the way we think about biometrics with its latest innovation, Amazon One.
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This state-of-the-art technology allows users to go about their daily activities, such as shopping or entering a venue, using just the palm of their hand. No need for wallets or phones! Developed by a team led by Gerard Medioni, Vice President and Distinguished Scientist at AWS Applications, Amazon One employs a combination of biometrics, optical engineering, generative AI, and machine learning. The system recognizes the unique patterns on your palm and even the network of veins beneath the skin.
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It’s apparently safer and more secure than scanning your retina, but the same question always comes to mind: how do you feel about Amazon storing your biometrics data?
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Zoom, the platform that became synonymous with virtual meetings during the pandemic, is taking another leap forward despite its slow start. This week they introduced the Zoom AI Companion, a feature designed to enhance your online meeting experience.
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This AI-driven tool offers real-time transcription, suggests responses, and even provides meeting summaries. Gone are the days of missing out on crucial points during a call. With this AI companion, you can stay engaged and ensure you capture every detail, even if you arrive late to the meeting.
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Must say though that, even though all these features are incredibly handy, they’re nothing new or revolutionary that we haven’t seen before. Let’s see if they up their AI game!
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Anthropic, the developers of one of ChatGPT’s fierce competition Claude, has unveiled Claude Pro. Claude has gained popularity for its longer context windows, faster outputs, and complex reasoning capabilities.
Claude Pro subscription costs $20 (US) or ￡18 (UK) per month and provides 5x more usage of Claude 2, the latest model. Subscribers get the benefit of sending more messages, priority access during high-traffic periods, and early access to new features.
Claude Pro can be useful for tasks like summarizing research papers, querying contracts, and coding projects. So, in essence, pretty much like ChatGPT but on steroids… watch out ChatGPT, Claude is coming for you…
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X (formerly known as Twitter), has recently updated its privacy policy, revealing plans to use public data to train its AI models. While this approach promises advancements in AI capabilities, it also raises concerns about privacy and data usage.
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As AI continues to evolve, the balance between innovation and privacy remains a hot topic, with companies like X at the forefront of this debate and surely with more to come.
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And as usual, a great piece of research. In a groundbreaking development, AI is set to revolutionize the world of hearing aids. Starkey, a technology company in Minnesota, is using artificial intelligence (AI) to remove the stigma associated with hearing aids and make them appealing to people of all ages.
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Starkey's Genesis AI hearing aids not only enhance sound quality but also serve as personal assistants, functioning as phones, music players, and even offering accidental fall detection. These AI hearing aids can translate foreign languages and adapt to their surroundings by recalibrating up to 80 million times an hour.
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Imagine the possibilities: attending a foreign film without subtitles, traveling abroad without language barriers, or even just conversing with someone from a different linguistic background effortlessly!
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I want to finish today’s edition with the links to a couple of articles that I’ve found really interesting.
From China to Israel to the European Union, countries worldwide are grappling with the challenge of regulating AI. This comprehensive article from The Washington Post delves into the various approaches nations are taking to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically. As AI's impact on society grows, so does the urgency for clear and effective regulations.
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TIME has released its annual TIME100 list, highlighting the most influential figures in the world of AI. From pioneers in the field to those pushing the boundaries of what's possible, this list celebrates the individuals shaping our AI-driven future.
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And that's all for this week!
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Always keen to hear your thoughts, so don’t be shy and share them in the comments.
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Have a great week ahead!