Meta’s new AI tool generates music and audio from a simple text prompt

? Today’s Highlights – Aug 3, '23

• ?? News: Meta’s news AI tool can make music and audio from just a simple text prompt!
• ?? Funding: Tenstorrent, LightForce Orthodontics, Inward AI, Local Logic, Niricson, and Lightup
• ?? Content: Get the most out of ChatGPT’s new custom instructions + see how the founder of Midjourney went from getting rejected by Apple to leading the AI image generation race

?? Today's Top Stories

Open sourcing AudioCraft: Generative AI for audio made simple and available to all

(10 min read) (Source: Meta)

TLDR: Meta announced AudioCraft, a framework utilizing generative AI to produce high-quality, realistic audio and music from short text prompts.

• AudioCraft includes three generative AI models: MusicGen, AudioGen, and EnCodec. MusicGen is an AI music generator that raises ethical concerns due to its ability to learn from existing music and create similar effects.
• AudioGen generates environmental sounds and sound effects and can also produce speech from prompts. It uses diffusion-based modeling to achieve realistic recording conditions.
• EnCodec is an improved neural network that requires less training to efficiently compress audio sequences and reconstruct the original audio with high fidelity.

The Big Picture: The advent of AI-generated audio and music raises both exciting possibilities for musicians and challenges regarding ethical use and potential legal issues related to copyright infringement and deepfakes. As AI models become more advanced, there is a need for transparency and improved controllability to empower users while mitigating biases and limitations in the technology.

3 new things you can do with generative AI in Google Search

(7 min read) (Source: Google)

TLDR: 谷歌 's AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) has introduced an enhancement that brings images and videos to its content summaries. The update aims to provide users with a more comprehensive, multimedia snapshot of the topics they search for by offering visual aids and demonstrations.

• Google has made significant improvements to the loading time of SGE, reducing the duration it takes to generate AI overviews by half. This enhancement ensures that users receive search results faster, catering to their desire for quick access to information.
• To enhance transparency and context, Google has introduced a new feature in SGE that displays publish dates next to the links included in the content summaries. By presenting the timeliness of the information sources, users can better assess the relevancy and reliability of the content, assisting them in making informed decisions based on up-to-date data.

The Big Picture: The integration of AI in search experiences, exemplified by Google's SGE, offers users more comprehensive and efficient access to information, enabling quick understanding through images and videos and faster loading times. However, this raises important considerations about the potential implications of AI intermediaries in shaping users' initial exposure to information, including concerns about market competitiveness, user choice, and the need for striking a balance between personalization and preserving a diverse information landscape.

Instagram is working on labels for AI-generated content

(3 min read) (Source: The Verge)

TLDR: Instagram is testing new notices that would indicate when content has been created or edited using AI on its platform.

• The notice will include information stating that the content was "generated by Meta AI," with a brief description of generative AI and instructions to identify AI-utilized posts.

?? More Reading:

• Should an AI bot making $1mn really be the next Turing test? (Financial Time)
• 4 Charts That Show Why AI Progress Is Unlikely to Slow Down (TIME)
• Where Will AI Have the Biggest Impact? Healthcare. ( Andreessen Horowitz )
• Yes, AI Models Can Get Worse over Time (Scientific American)
• The generative A.I. battle between companies and hackers is starting (CNBC)
• AI companies try to self-regulate (POLITICO)

?? Funding News

1. Tenstorrent , a company building next-gen AI computers, raised $100M in a strategic financing up-round.?

• Tenstorrent sells AI processors and licenses AI and RISC-V IP to customers who want to own and customize their silicon.
• Investment led by Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung Catalyst Fund , and joined by Fidelity Ventures, Eclipse Ventures, Epiq Capital , Maverick Capital , and more.
• Tenstorrent's high-performance AI semiconductors position it as a competitor to NVIDIA and the dominant position it holds as the leading provider of AI computer chips.??
• Funding is for accelerating product development, designing AI chiplets, and expanding their ML software roadmap

2.? LightForce Orthodontics, a company using AI and 3D printing to create fully personalized 3D printed braces for orthodontists, raised $80M in a Series D.

• Round led by Ally Bridge Group , Transformation Capital , and Care Capital, and joined by Omega Venture Partners , Matter Venture Partners, American Association of Orthodontics, Kleiner Perkins , Tyche Partners , Archived Page Partners, and others.
• LightForce's AI-driven 3D printing approach drastically reduces treatment times and improves patient outcomes.
• Funding is for scaling production with a new facility, advancing AI integration in workflows, investing in education for orthodontists, and continuing developing software and hardware to enhance patient experience and clinical outcomes.

3.? Inworld AI , a Character Engine for AI NPCs, raised over $50M in its latest round, now valuing the company at $500M.

• They use AI to create generative characters with personality, contextual awareness, and multimodal expression of emotions for immersive experiences like video games.
• Their tech has been utilized in popular games like Skyrim, Stardew Valley, and Grand Theft Auto V.
• Round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with contributions from 美国斯坦福大学 , Samsung Next , M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund , Eric Schmidt 's First Spark Ventures , and LG电子 Technology Ventures.
• Funding is for research, development, hiring top talent, and expanding infrastructure. They also plan to open-source parts of its platform.

4.? Local Logic , a company developing AI decision-making for location-based risks and opportunities in real estate, raised a $13M Series B.

• They currently have over 15M monthly users, and their location insights are featured on 6K+ real estate websites across the U.S. and Canada.?
• Round led by GroundBreak Ventures and Investissement Québec , and joined by Band Capital Partners , Cycle Capital , Mouvement Desjardins , Jones Boys Ventures, Second Century Ventures , and Shadow Ventures .
• Scott Kaplanis , Managing Partner at GroundBreak Ventures commented, “We believe in Local Logic’s mission to make cities more sustainable by bringing deep insight into location-based risk and opportunity to actors making high-consequence decisions in housing and the built environment.”
• Funding is for further development and expanding partnerships with broker sites and MLS organizations.?

5. Niricson , a company that digitizes critical infrastructure assets using AI, raised a $7.5M+ Series A.

• Built for asset owners of key structures such as hydro dams, bridges, runways, ports, and other civil assets. Their tech provides asset managers and civil engineers critical insights that can improve decision-making processes, optimize maintenance programs, and reduce costs.
• Round led by MUUS Climate Partners , and joined by Bentley Systems , Sustainable Development Technology Canada - Technologies du Développement Durable Canada , Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada , Invest Victoria , Forward Venture Capital , Techstars , and other investors.?
• Funding is for expanding its global footprint and accelerating R&D efforts to develop the world's first AI-driven predictive analytics SaaS platform for managing critical infrastructure assets

6. Lightup Data , a platform using AI to automatically monitor and detect data anomalies, raised a $9M Series A.?

• Round led by Andreessen Horowitz and Newlands , and joined by Spectrum 28 Capital, Shasta Ventures , Vela Partners , and Incubate Fund .
• Funding is for continuing to build their data quality solution and expand their team.

?? Fresh Content

1. OpenAI released a Custom Instruction feature a little over a week ago, which can significantly improve the quality of output you can get from ChatGPT. (Youtube: 13min)

This breakdown from The AI Advantage will go over how it works and the best use cases, as well as some examples of how to start using this feature to improve your workflow.

This is a must-watch for any ChatGPT user, both beginner and advanced, looking to get the most out of ChatGPT.

2. John Coogan , former CTO and Co-Founder of Soylent (and now a Youtuber!) made a wonderful video covering the story of Midjourney ’s founder, David Holz . (Youtube: 24min)

Hear how David went from studying Physics and Applied Math as a young student to founding his first startup Leap Motion which aimed to revolutionize the way humans interact with computers. After running that company for over 10+ years he started Midjourney, which is the leading AI image generation tool in the world.

This video is filled with great anecdotes and lessons that all entrepreneurs can learn from and is a peek behind the curtain of a company at the forefront of the AI revolution.

3. Peter H. Diamandis , founder of the XPRIZE and Singularity University , sat down with Mo Gawdat , former Chief Business Officer for Google X, the moonshot factory . (Youtube: 2hrs)

Mo spent a few years researching happiness in the modern age and wrote his first book on the topic: ‘Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy.’?

His latest book, released just a couple of years ago, is ‘Scary Smart: The Future of AI and How You Can Save World.”

In this conversation with Peter, they discuss the convergence of AI and our humanity and the role it’ll play in a potential future of abundance.??

4.? Ian Bremmer , an American political scientist and founder/president of the Eurasia Group , a political risk research and consulting firm, joined Tom Bilyeu on his podcast to discuss AI’s impact on geopolitics. (Youtube: 1.5hrs)

They look at both sides of AI proliferation and what the new cold war looks like including:?Impacts on national security; The threat of misuse by rogue states, terrorists, and everyday people; A new governance model to regulate AI and foster collaboration between Big Tech and governments; and How to maintain democratic values and ensure that AI tools do not worsen societal divisions.?