Shake-ups at the High Ranks

We are back with another issue of the AI News, your summary of the most interesting developments in the world of AI you can’t miss.

So much has happened since our last issue, so let’s get into it!

OpenAI’s Rollercoaster Ride

Whether you're in the AI world or not, you've probably heard of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and a big name in AI development.

On November 17, Altman was unexpectedly dismissed from OpenAI due to communication issues with the board. This surprising move shook Silicon Valley, as Altman played a vital role in OpenAI's AI breakthroughs.

• Board dismissed Altman: The unexpected dismissal of Sam Altman, a respected leader in the tech community, raised questions about OpenAI's stability and direction. Altman's vision was considered central to the company's success.
• Investors grew concerned: Investors, especially Microsoft, a major investor and partner, expressed alarm at the decision. The lack of prior consultation with Microsoft added to the concerns about the future of OpenAI.
• Greg Brockman resigned: Following Altman's firing, OpenAI's chair and president, Greg Brockman, resigned. The company faced a leadership vacuum, further intensifying the uncertainty.
• More employees threatened to resign: CTO Mira Murati briefly stepped in as interim CEO, but attempts to bring Altman back were unsuccessful. A majority of OpenAI's employees threatened to resign, criticizing the board's actions and demanding reinstatement.
• Microsoft made a move: Simultaneously, Microsoft, a key investor, announced the hiring of Altman and Brockman for a new AI research team. This move appeared as if Microsoft was on the verge of acquiring OpenAI for free.
• Altman is reinstated: On November 21, a pivotal moment occurred as Altman was reinstated. This decision was followed by changes in the board, bringing a sense of stability back to OpenAI.

Unclear reasons surround recent events. Internet rumors link them to a new AI model, Q*, capable of grade-school math, sparking speculation about its potential role in achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Meet Amazon Q: The newest revolution of the AWS chat

A few hours ago, at Amazon's re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, Amazon announced Amazon Q, an innovative AI-powered chatbot. This cutting-edge tool is designed for AWS (Amazon Web Services) customers, offering a unique blend of features to enhance user experience and productivity in cloud computing.

Priced at $20 per user per year and currently available in public preview, Amazon Q boasts its ability to:

• answer complex queries about AWS services,
• generate and summarize content,
• take actions on behalf of the user through configurable plugins.

Providing personalized solutions and explanations is making Amazon Q a valuable resource for building and managing web applications on AWS.

Newly updated AskYourData 2.0

AskYourData, Blindspot's AI assistant for internal knowledge bases, has recently been given a major update, bringing it to AskYourData 2.0.

Here is an overview of some of the new features AYD now offers:

• GPT4 increasing the context of the product and output quality
• Vector search enabling better answer retrieval and document querying
• Prompt improvement in the use and flow of the tool
• Bots ?- Users can now create different bots, that have an influence on the prompt

And here’s a sneak peek to see what’s in store for the next phase:

• Telemetry and analytics
• Big design update
• Answer ratings
• And much more…

Feel free to check the AskYourData at ayd.ai and ask for a demo if you’d like to find out even more.

Getty Images releases an AI generator

In a bold move, Getty Images, a global giant boasting over 135 million copyrighted images, is diving headfirst into Generative AI. Their unique AI generator not only sparks creativity but also comes with an unparalleled legal safeguard.

What sets Getty's model apart? A robust legal framework. Confident in its AI's copyright cleanliness, Getty promises to foot the bill for any potential intellectual property disputes its customers may encounter.

As AI transforms creativity, Getty Images' pioneering venture showcases the fusion of innovation and legal protection in the thrilling era of AI-generated content. It's not just about pushing boundaries; it's about doing so responsibly and legally.

Sony and Meta fight against Computer Vision Biases

ChatGPT just got a turbo boost with a new feature - enter computer vision, the secret sauce that lets it "see" things in a whole new light! Picture this: machines decoding visuals like wizards, courtesy of AI.

But, hang on - there's a twist of concern in this enchanting tech tale!

Biases in AI Vision Systems

One glaring issue is the presence of biases, particularly concerning individuals with darker skin tones and women.

Traditional methods for detecting these biases often rely on simplified categorizations, failing to capture the rich diversity among humans. To address this, two remarkable initiatives have surfaced, poised to revolutionize bias mitigation in computer vision.

And the Solution?

Researchers from Sony and Meta have introduced pioneering approaches to tackle these biases.

Sony's two-dimensional skin-tone scale delves deeper, acknowledging both skin color and hue, offering a more nuanced understanding of diversity.

“(This situation) offers an insight into a missing component that people have been overlooking.” Guha Balakrishnan, an assistant professor at Rice University

Simultaneously, Meta has unveiled FACET (Fairness in Computer Vision Evaluation), a comprehensive tool that leverages diverse datasets and global annotators to assess fairness in computer vision models.

These innovations mark substantial strides toward creating more equitable and inclusive AI systems that genuinely reflect the intricate tapestry of human diversity.

That’s all for this issue. See you next time!