WAID #18: A roundup of Top News & Developments in AI

The AI race is heating up! Tech giants and startups are investing heavily in research and development, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From AI-driven drug discovery and personalized medicine to autonomous vehicles and advanced AI models, this week's news highlights the rapid pace of progress in the AI industry. Simultaneously, concerns about data privacy, AI ethics, and the potential impact on jobs are gaining traction.

Industry Pulse

Meta is reportedly offering millions to celebrities like Awkwafina, Judi Dench, and Keegan-Michael Key to use their voices in upcoming AI projects.

Tesla just filed a patent for an AI-powered vision system that could transform how autonomous robots perceive and navigate their environment using only camera inputs.

Adobe Illustrator introduced new AI-powered generative vector features, allowing users to create complex vector art and patterns from text prompts.

UC Berkeley unveiled the 'Berkeley Humanoid', a 2 ft. 9 in. humanoid research platform designed for learning-based control and robust locomotion over various terrains.

Britain canceled $1.7 billion worth of computing infrastructure projects, including plans for an exascale computer, dealing a setback to the country's AI ambitions.

China's Cixin Technology unveiled the Cixin P1, a new 6nm Arm-based 12-core AI chip for PCs, capable of 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second) and compatible with multiple operating systems.

Microsoft modified its AI partnership with UAE-based G42, opting to lease AI products instead of transferring sensitive technology amid concerns over G42's ties to China.

An autonomous robot dentist performed the world's first human dental procedure, preparing a tooth for a crown in about 15 minutes — significantly faster than human dentists.

John Schulman, co-founder and a key leader at OpenAI, has left to join rival AI startup Anthropic — one of OpenAI’s biggest competitors.

New AI technology developed by Caristo Diagnostics can detect hidden heart attack risk by analyzing CT scans for coronary inflammation.

Secretaries of state from five U.S. states urged Elon Musk to address misinformation spread by X's AI chatbot Grok regarding the upcoming November election.

OpenAI introduced a Structured Outputs feature for its API, allowing developers to ensure AI-generated outputs match specific JSON schemas.

Colorado released an AI roadmap for schools, providing guidelines on integrating AI into education policy and curricula.

Cleveland Clinic launched a Quantum-AI Biomedical Frontiers Fellowship Program integrating quantum computing and AI into healthcare research.

Japanese scientists developed a simplified EUV lithography tool for cheaper chip production, potentially revolutionizing AI hardware manufacturing.

Sonova introduced Sphere Infinio, the first hearing aid utilizing real-time AI to improve speech clarity from background noise.

Reddit announced plans to test AI-generated summaries at the top of search result pages, using a combination of first-party and third-party technology to enhance content discovery.

Leaked documents obtained by 404 media report Nvidia has been scraping millions of videos daily from YouTube, Netflix, and other sources to train its unreleased foundational AI model.

Google announced a new Gemini AI-powered TV streamer, replacing Chromecast with advanced smart home and entertainment features.

Audible began testing the AI-powered search feature "Maven" to provide personalized audiobook recommendations based on user queries.

Wendy's introduced Spanish AI ordering in Florida drive-thrus, enhancing accessibility for Spanish-speaking customers.

Intel reportedly declined an opportunity to invest in OpenAI in 2017, missing early entry into the AI market due to doubts about AI's near-term potential.

Verizon deployed AI and machine learning to predict and prevent fiber cuts, enhancing network protection efforts.

Google DeepMind just developed a robotic table tennis AI agent that achieved “human-level speed and performance“ winning 45% of matches against opponents of varying skill levels.

Apple is rumored to charge between $10-20 for its upcoming advanced Intelligence features that will likely come out early next year.

Google revealed its newest Nest Learning Thermostat — using AI to make adjustments based on user patterns and the weather conditions outside.

Nvidia partners indirectly confirmed AI chip delay with the company offering H200 GPUs as an interim solution for customers.

Parler released new open-source Text-to-Speech models with improved speed and customization for AI voice generation applications.

South Korea will introduce AI-powered digital textbooks to 5M students next year.

Deals & Finance

— OpenAI is reportedly leading a $60 million Series B funding round for Opal, a company known for high-end webcams, with plans to develop AI-powered consumer devices.

— Groq raised $640 million in Series D funding at a $2.8 billion valuation, aiming to scale its AI inference capacity and accelerate development of its next-generation LPU technology.

— Tencent joined a $300+ million funding round for Chinese AI startup Moonshot, valuing the company at $3.3 billion, as competition intensifies in China's AI sector.

— ProRata AI raised ?$25M and partners with major media companies to develop an AI chatbot with a revenue-sharing model based on content attribution.

— SoundHound acquired Amelia AI for $80 million to expand into financial services, insurance, healthcare, and retail arenas.

— Microsoft and Palantir just partnered to deliver advanced AI, including GPT-4, and analytics capabilities to U.S. Defense and Intelligence agencies through classified cloud environments.

— Meta announced the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants program, offering up to $2 million in funding for projects using Llama 3.1 to address social challenges.

Researches & Reports

? AI researchers just developed a new Listening-While-Speaking Language Model (LSLM) that can listen and speak simultaneously — advancing real-time, interactive speech-based AI conversations.

? Researchers have just developed an AI model that can predict major diseases like heart conditions, diabetes, and cancer — significantly outperforming existing methods.

? Researchers at Uppsala University recently used AI to accurately predict 3D structures of receptors linked to schizophrenia and depression treatments and speed up possible treatment strategies.

? Mapping the misuse of generative AI

? Gartner predicts 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned after proof of concept by end of 2025

Models Race

Meta just introduced Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM 2 ), an advanced AI model that can identify and track objects across video frames in real-time, marking a significant leap in video AI.

Runway just announced that Gen-3 Alpha, the startup’s popular AI text-to-video generation model, can now create high-quality videos from still images.

Mistral AI launched ?model customization, an early version of Agents, and a stable SDK to simplify generative AI application development.

Alibaba just released Qwen2-Math, a specialized AI model series that outperforms GPT-4 in mathematical problem-solving capabilities.

Regulation & Legal

? Elon Musk just filed a new lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging manipulation and deceit in the company's shift from non-profit to for-profit status.

? Elon Musk’s X agrees to pause EU data processing for training Grok.

? UK regulators launched a merger probe into Amazon's $4 billion investment in AI firm Anthropic for potential antitrust concerns.

Must-Try Tools

• Sensay - Simplify AI replica creation and fine-tuning
• Runway Gen-3 Image to Video - Generate videos using images as guidance
• Slater - Custom AI coding tool for Webflow website projects
• Neutone Morpho - Transform sounds into auditory experiences in real-time
• Llama coder - Generate full React apps with Claude Artifacts and Llama 3.1
• Felo Search - Multilingual AI search engine
• mgamate - Supportive 1-on-1 AI copilot for managers
• Clarity - Customer-focused sales with AI meeting recording and tracking
• Minduck - Simplify AI communication through visual thinking
• Ollama - Effortlessly run LLMs and customize your own
• Placer - Make smarter real estate decisions with location and foot traffic insights
• Me.bot - Transform ideas into your AI life coach
• Heeyo - Smart AI friends that help kids learn
• Morph Studio - All-in-one AI video workflow
• Tezi Max - Autonomous AI recruiting partner for end-to-end recruiting
• Flowith - AI-powered idea flow for deep work
• Brainybear - Train AI chatbots in 3 clicks
• Wordware - Powerful IDE for building complex AI agents and applications
• Bardeen - AI agent that turns complex workflows into one click
• Napkin - AI for visualizing business storytelling
• AlphaSense - Market intelligence and research platform

Good Reading

— What do people really ask chatbots ? It’s a lot of sex and homework.

— LLMs are not overhyped, here’s how a Deepmind researcher uses them.

— How chip giant Intel spurned OpenAI and fell behind the times.

— Humane’s daily returns are outpacing sales .

Stay Curious, Stay Informed!

The world of AI is constantly buzzing with innovation. This newsletter is your key to staying ahead of the curve. Let me know in the comments what AI topics pique your interest, and I'll be sure to cover them in future issues!