G'day, and Good Friday!

Wishing you a Good Friday which I believe is acceptable for all no matter your beliefs:)

Still playing the 'which uni will my daughter choose game', and looking forward to making the decision (last one comes in tonight-to Stanford or not?!), and planning next steps for her new chapter-and ours!

Exciting new events coming up for Women in AI Spain and looking forward to sharing those details in the next edition.

AI Claire is designing more AI Workshops for companies within construction/manufacturing, automotive, and tech at the moment, with more clients coming in across Europe. Building AI strategies, team building, understanding workflows, increasing productivity and creativity, roles and departmental focus, and incorporating tools for experimental phases all wrapped up in an ethical blanket.

We are all on a learning journey, let's enjoy the ride!

Technology Innovations & Advances

A Leap for Mobility: Neuralink's Ambitious Future

Imagine going from a chess game to taking a leisurely stroll, all with a single thought – Neuralink is turning sci-fi dreams into tomorrow's reality, one thought at a time!

Elon Musk envisions Neuralink's brain implants enabling people paralysed from spinal injuries to walk and use their arms normally by bypassing damaged spine parts. This breakthrough, highlighted by Neuralink's first human trial with Noland Arbaugh, showcases the chip's potential to control games like chess and Civilization VI through thought, marking a significant stride toward enhancing life quality for the paralysed.

More from Musk.....

Neuralink's Visionary Leap: Restoring Sight

Seeing is believing, but for Neuralink, it's all about believing in the power of thought to restore the gift of sight!

Elon Musk's Neuralink is at the forefront of another groundbreaking venture, aiming to restore sight to those born blind. By leveraging sophisticated brain implants currently under testing in monkeys, this innovative project holds the potential to revolutionize treatments for visual impairments, showcasing Neuralink's commitment to pushing the boundaries of medical science.

Teaching AI to Pause: Quiet-STaR's Innovative Approach

What if AI had to think twice before speaking? Quiet-STaR is making AI ponder a bit more, ensuring it's not just fast but also thoughtful!

Researchers introduce Quiet-STaR, a model where language models teach themselves to pause and 'think' before responding, mimicking human contemplation for more nuanced communication. This advancement aims at enhancing AI's reasoning by inferring unstated rationales in text, significantly improving its predictive abilities and decision-making in complex scenarios.

For a deeper dive into this research, check out the full paper on arXiv

AI Futures: University of South Florida's Bold Step

Where can you learn to teach machines to think? At the University of South Florida, where AI education just got its own college!

The University of South Florida is pioneering AI education with the launch of a dedicated AI college in Tampa. This bold initiative aims to integrate AI into higher education, preparing students for the future by offering specialized courses and research opportunities in artificial intelligence, highlighting USF's commitment to innovation and technology leadership.

AI's New Frontline: Nvidia's Healthcare Revolution

Who needs scrubs when you've got chips? Nvidia's AI healthcare agents are diagnosing their way to cost-effective care, no coffee breaks needed!

Nvidia collaborates with Hippocratic AI to develop AI healthcare agents, surpassing human nurses in efficiency for just $9 an hour. These "empathetic health care agents" are designed for non-diagnostic tasks, showcasing a significant leap in AI's ability to connect with patients and tackle staffing shortages, with promising tests from over 1,000 nurses and 100 physicians.

AI in Entertainment & Media

AI Takes Hollywood: OpenAI's Star-Studded Alliance

When AI meets Hollywood, it's not just the special effects that are artificial. Get ready for blockbuster hits, directed by algorithms!

OpenAI is engaging with Hollywood to introduce its Sora video generation technology, aiming to demonstrate its potential without undermining the industry. Meetings with executives from Paramount, Universal, and Warner Bros showcased Sora's capabilities, sparking discussions on its impact on filmmaking and CGI costs. While the technology promises efficiency, its development continues, highlighting OpenAI's cautious approach amidst Hollywood's ongoing negotiations over AI's role in the creative process.

All the latest Sora videos, enjoy!

Tennessee's Tune: The ELVIS Act Shields Artists from AI

In Tennessee, Elvis has left the building, but his legacy is protected from AI impersonators—rock 'n' roll is safe at last!

Tennessee leads with the ELVIS Act, becoming the first state to legislate protections for musicians and artists against unauthorised AI reproductions. This groundbreaking move aims to preserve the integrity of artistic creations, ensuring that the essence of human creativity remains respected and uncompromised in the age of artificial intelligence.

Deciphering History: Machine Learning Meets the Indus Script

Turning ancient scribbles into digital dialogues, machine learning is on the brink of cracking a civilisation's coded chats!

Researchers utilise machine learning to digitise and potentially decipher the ancient texts of the Indus civilisation, aiming to solve the long-standing mystery of whether these symbols represent a language or pictograms. This pioneering effort could unlock untold stories of one of the world's earliest civilisations, marking a significant leap in archaeological research.

AI & Society

Anguilla's AI Domain Boom: A Digital Windfall

Anguilla's '.ai' isn't just about AI—it's turning domain names into a game-changer for island life!

Anguilla, a small Caribbean island, has financially prospered from the AI boom through its ".ai" domain, correlating with artificial intelligence. Charging up to thousands for domain registrations, it earned $32 million in 2023, significantly impacting its GDP. This revenue funds public healthcare, education, airport improvements, and more, marking a serendipitous uplift for the island post-pandemic and hurricane setbacks.

San Jose's AI Eyes: Tackling Urban Homelessness

In San Jose, AI isn't just smart—it's compassionate, spotting homes where you'd least expect..

San Jose employs AI technology to identify homeless encampments, showcasing an innovative approach to urban management. This initiative aims to address homelessness more efficiently by detecting vehicles and tents, potentially improving support and resource allocation for those in need.

Common Sense Robotics: MIT's Groundbreaking Approach

MIT's robots are getting a common-sense upgrade, because who said spilling the marbles was the end of the game?

MIT engineers are revolutionising household robots by integrating common sense, enabling them to self-correct and continue tasks despite errors. This innovative method leverages large language models to understand and execute subtasks intelligently, marking a significant advancement in AI's cognitive abilities and practical application in daily chores.

AI Eyes on the Subway: NYPD's New Safety Tech

NYPD's new AI might just make 'see something, say something' into 'see something, detect something' in NYC subways

The NYPD is considering AI technology to detect firearms in subways, aiming to enhance public safety. This innovative AI can alert authorities when a gun is drawn, potentially before shots are fired, using existing camera infrastructure. Despite its promise, there's caution around its accuracy and the public's adaptation, with tests planned for better assessment.

AI in Healthcare & Science

AI Revolutionising Healthcare: IBM's Insightful Exploration

Transforming stethoscopes to keyboards, AI is scripting a healthier future in healthcare, one algorithm at a time.

IBM outlines AI's transformative role in healthcare, from streamlining operations to enhancing patient care. AI applications range from administrative automation and virtual nursing assistants to advanced diagnostic support and fraud prevention, showcasing potential to drastically improve efficiency, accuracy, and patient experiences. With AI, healthcare is on the brink of a major leap forward in both operational efficiency and the delivery of personalized care.

AI Brews Up Perfection in Belgian Beers

Belgian beers are getting an AI-assisted flavour boost, proving even centuries-old traditions can learn new tricks!

Belgian scientists, led by Prof Kevin Verstrepen at KU Leuven, are leveraging AI to refine beer flavour by understanding the intricate aroma compounds. Analysing 250 beers for their chemical makeup and using machine learning, they've developed models predicting beer taste and appreciation, significantly enhancing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. This novel approach respects brewing heritage while introducing a scientific method to optimize flavors.

Thirsty?

AI Revolution in Investment: FundGuard's Financial Frontier

With AI on its side, FundGuard is not just guarding funds but revolutionising how we think about investment operations.

FundGuard, a New York-based startup, has secured $100 million to expand its AI-powered investment accounting platform, aiming to modernise the financial services industry. This funding underscores the growing confidence in AI's role to streamline investment operations, marking a significant advancement in financial technology.

Regulatory and Ethical Considerations

EU Raises Alarm on Election Deepfakes

The European Union is spotlighting the rising threat of deepfakes in elections, underscoring the urgent need for vigilance and ethical guidelines in AI use. This move reflects growing worries about the impact of sophisticated digital forgeries on democratic processes, highlighting the balance between technological advancement and the preservation of integrity in public discourse.

Weekly podcast

Here is the Podcast if you missed it with Sheila Callaham , a dynamic leader whose work spans across continents and industries. Sheila, an executive director, Forbes contributor, and workplace age strategist, combines her extensive experience in people and project leadership with a profound commitment to inclusion.

Interview of the week

This week's Insights Unplugged interview is with Julianna Oláh a trailblazing co-founder and CTO of Psyrin at the forefront of AI and mental health innovation. Julianna's expertise in NLP and speech analysis, combined with her dedication to transforming care for severe mental illness, is reshaping clinical pathways and advancing the field.

AI Tool of the week is...

Meet Tailor - an innovative AI tool that's changing the game for how we consume news. Whether you're into audio updates or prefer your news in text, Tailor's is fab. Bite-sized news that's specifically tailored to your interests. It's like having a personal news curator; you get to stay updated without sifting through piles of information. So you can get daily news as well as my Weekly Newsletter!

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Bye for now:)