?? Technology Weekly News | Major AI Breakthroughs, Funding Announcements, and Industry Shifts

??? This week’s tech news highlights major advancements and investments in the AI and digital economy sectors. From Taiwan’s innovative typhoon forecasting to Adobe’s cutting-edge Firefly Video Model, and CardiaTec’s significant funding boost, these developments promise to shape the future of technology and healthcare.

?? ETDA to Advance Digital Economy and AI Governance in 2025

The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) of Thailand has showcased its plans for 2025, celebrating its 14th anniversary with notable achievements over the past four years. The agency, under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, highlighted its pivotal roles in regulating and promoting digital transactions, aiming to boost the country’s digital infrastructure and economy.

ETDA’s 2025 strategy emphasizes expanding its digital ecosystem through four main objectives. These include enhancing Digital ID systems, improving digital service governance, promoting digital adoption, and advancing digital workforce skills. The agency aims to increase digital transactions' impact on the economy and ensure a secure, efficient digital environment. Key initiatives involve developing digital infrastructure, enforcing AI governance, and fostering digital literacy among the workforce and vulnerable communities.

ETDA's forward-looking plan for 2025 underscores its commitment to advancing Thailand's digital landscape. By focusing on robust infrastructure, governance, and widespread digital adoption, ETDA seeks to enhance the country’s digital capabilities and ensure a secure and prosperous digital future for all.

Read more at www.etda.or.th

?? Taiwan Leverages AI for Enhanced Typhoon Forecasting as Bebinca Approaches

As tropical storm Bebinca advances towards northern Taiwan, forecasters are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to track its path more accurately. AI models, powered by technology from Nvidia and other tech giants, have demonstrated superior performance compared to conventional forecasting methods.

In July, AI-based weather models successfully predicted the trajectory of Typhoon Gaemi, the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in eight years, outperforming traditional forecasting techniques. AI's ability to anticipate Gaemi's direct hit eight days in advance impressed Taiwan’s meteorologists. The same AI tools are now being used to monitor Bebinca, providing forecasters with enhanced confidence in their predictions. AI has shown a nearly 20% improvement in accuracy over conventional methods for predicting storm tracks this year. However, experts acknowledge that while AI excels in tracking, it still needs more time to deliver precise impact forecasts.

AI’s advancements in weather forecasting are proving valuable, offering enhanced accuracy and early warnings. While AI models have shown promising results in predicting storm paths, further development is needed to refine their impact assessments. The ongoing improvements and collaborations, such as those with Nvidia, hold potential for even more precise future forecasts.

Read more at www.reuters.com

?? OpenAI Unveils o1: New AI Model with Enhanced Reasoning Capabilities

OpenAI has launched its latest AI product, o1, a family of models designed to advance generative AI technology. This new release, which includes the o1-preview and o1-mini, promises to improve tasks such as code generation and problem-solving.

The o1 model, available through ChatGPT and OpenAI’s API, is noted for its ability to "think" longer before responding, enhancing its problem-solving abilities. Compared to its predecessor GPT-4o, o1 is more effective at multi-faceted analysis and reasoning tasks, such as solving complex mathematical problems and optimizing code. However, o1 comes with significant costs—three to four times higher than GPT-4o—and has limitations, such as slower response times and occasional inaccuracies.

While OpenAI's o1 shows promising advancements in AI reasoning and multilingual skills, it faces challenges like high costs and imperfections. The model's future success will depend on its accessibility and the resolution of its current limitations.

Read more at www.openai.com

?? Adobe Unveils Firefly Video Model: Next-Level Generative AI for Video Editing

Adobe has previewed its latest advancement in generative AI with the Firefly Video Model, designed to enhance video editing capabilities. This new model is part of Adobe’s Firefly family, which already includes Image, Vector, and Design models.

The Firefly Video Model introduces innovative tools like Text to Video and Image to Video, available later this year on Firefly.Adobe.com and integrated into Premiere Pro. These features allow video professionals to generate video content from text prompts and transform still images into dynamic clips. The model aims to provide fine-grained control over video production, such as adjusting camera angles and motions, and seamlessly filling gaps in footage. Adobe's Firefly models are commercially safe, trained only on licensed content, ensuring users can create with confidence.

Adobe’s Firefly Video Model promises to revolutionize video editing by offering advanced generative AI tools for creative professionals. The new capabilities are set to streamline workflows and enhance creative control, while maintaining commercial safety.

Read more at www.news.adobe.com

?? Connectly.ai Lands $20M Series B Led by Alibaba for AI-Driven Messaging

Stefanos Loukakos and Yandong Liu founded Connectly.ai in 2020 to address online retailers' challenges with generic marketing campaigns. Their AI-driven platform aims to enhance customer engagement through personalized messaging and automated interactions.

Connectly.ai integrates with popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and SMS to automate marketing and customer service tasks. The platform uses AI to tailor messages, track customer interest, and build audience segments, boosting engagement and conversion rates. Despite skepticism about chatbot interactions, Connectly.ai has grown significantly, with over 300 paying customers and a projected 100% revenue increase in 2024. Recently, Alibaba led a $20 million Series B funding round, raising Connectly’s total to $37.2 million. The company plans to expand its platform and workforce, aiming to leverage Alibaba's support for future growth.

Connectly.ai's innovative approach to conversational commerce, backed by substantial funding and strategic support from Alibaba, positions it strongly for continued growth and impact in the AI-driven marketing sector.

Read more at www.techcrunch.com

?? CardiaTec Secures $6.5 Million Seed Funding to Revolutionize Cardiovascular Disease Treatment with AI

CardiaTec, a Cambridge University spinout, is set to transform cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment with its innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI). The company has recently raised $6.5 million in seed funding to advance its efforts.

Founded in 2021 by Raphael Peralta, Thelma Zablocki, and Namshik Han, CardiaTec focuses on tackling CVD, the leading cause of death globally. By leveraging AI and partnering with 65 hospitals, the company aims to build the largest dataset of human heart tissue, aiding in the discovery of targeted therapeutics. CardiaTec’s approach involves analyzing multi-omics data to better understand disease mechanisms, a method currently underutilized in cardiovascular research compared to other fields like oncology.

CardiaTec’s breakthrough in AI-driven drug discovery for cardiovascular diseases holds promise for addressing a major health challenge. With significant funding and an innovative approach, the company is poised to make substantial contributions to the field, despite the long road ahead for drug development.

Read more at www.techcrunch.com

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