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- Robot's Painting Sold for 1 Million USD, Musk Challenges California's Deepfake Bill & AI Pioneer Leaves Google
Robot's Painting Sold for 1 Million USD, Musk Challenges California's Deepfake Bill & AI Pioneer Leaves Google
Stefan
November 16, 2024
Hi there,
From Elon Musk's legal disputes over deepfake laws and anticompetitive practices to groundbreaking AI-driven art sales and major shifts in industry leadership, we cover it all. Plus, find out about the latest in video editing tools, enterprise AI investments, and environmental analysis technologies.
Elon Musk's social media platform, X, has initiated a legal battle against a new California law aimed at curbing AI-generated deceptive content related to elections on social media. The law mandates large platforms to eliminate 'materially deceptive' content, which X argues infringes upon free speech rights. The lawsuit contests AB 2655, known as the 'Defending Democracy From Deepfake Deception Act of 2024,' and highlights First Amendment concerns regarding false speech in political discourse. This legal move comes after a federal judge temporarily blocked a similar law targeting deceptive campaign advertisements, both enacted under Governor Gavin Newsom's administration. Read more
In a groundbreaking moment for the art world, a digital painting created by Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist, has sold for $1 million at auction. The artwork, titled 'AI God', exceeded its initial valuation by a significant margin, marking the first instance of a machine-produced piece sold in such a setting. This sale not only highlights the intersection of AI technology and art but also prompts discussions on the impact of emerging technologies on society. The portrait, depicting the renowned mathematician and World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, stands as a testament to the evolving role of AI in creative fields. Read more
François Chollet, renowned for creating the influential Keras API, is leaving Google after nearly a decade. Announcing his departure on X, Chollet revealed plans to start a new company, though specific details remain undisclosed. During his time at Google, he contributed significantly to the growth of deep learning, with Keras playing a vital role in products like Waymo's self-driving cars and recommendation systems for platforms such as YouTube and Netflix. Aside from his development work, Chollet has been a critical voice in the AI field, advocating for AI systems that mimic human-like reasoning. Jeff Carpenter is set to take over as the Keras team lead, with Chollet continuing his involvement in a different capacity. Read more
Eddie AI has introduced an innovative automatic multi-cam editing feature, likened to 'ChatGPT for video editing.' Demonstrated at the Final Cut Pro Summit, this tool enables video editors to efficiently manage multi-camera projects by selecting optimal camera angles, particularly useful for interviews. It analyzes audio and video to streamline the editing process and offers export options for various Non-Linear Editing (NLE) software. This feature is designed to enhance productivity for small teams and content creators handling complex video setups. Read more
Elon Musk has intensified his legal confrontation with OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of anticompetitive behavior aimed at dominating the AI sector. In his new lawsuit, Musk alleges that OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has engaged in self-dealing and formed a de facto merger with Microsoft. This comes after Musk's previous claims that OpenAI has strayed from its founding principles by focusing on profit, misleading donors and regulators, and discouraging investment in competitors like his AI company, xAI. OpenAI has dismissed these accusations as unfounded, suggesting Musk's motives may stem from his past involvement with the company. Read more
TikTok has introduced Symphony Creative Studio, an innovative AI-driven tool designed to help advertisers swiftly produce video ads. Integrated within TikTok's 'Symphony' suite, this tool is accessible to TikTok for Business users. Symphony Creative Studio aims to simplify ad content creation, potentially lowering brand costs while raising concerns about traditional marketing roles. Key features include transforming product details into videos, utilizing licensed assets, and crafting AI-generated avatars. The platform also provides translation capabilities, a built-in video editor, and the ability to generate daily videos based on a brand's previous activity. Future enhancements will feature script-generation and video-refresh tools. Read more
Stripe has launched a new toolkit designed to seamlessly incorporate payment capabilities into agentic workflows powered by large language models (LLMs). These workflows, which automate tasks like booking flights, can now facilitate payments and other financial operations through Stripe's integration. The toolkit is compatible with frameworks such as Vercel’s AI SDK, LangChain, and CrewAI, and supports any LLM provider that enables function calling. This innovation allows businesses to automate financial tasks, including invoicing and payment processing, while Stripe’s Issuing API offers virtual card creation for business purchases. Initially, Stripe suggests using the toolkit in test mode to assess application performance, with future plans for expanding its API capabilities. Read more
Elastic has introduced a new AI ecosystem aimed at assisting enterprise developers in the creation and deployment of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) applications. By integrating advanced AI technologies with the Elasticsearch vector database, the ecosystem promises to enhance time-to-market and improve return on investment. With pre-built integrations from leading AI companies such as Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, Cohere, and Microsoft, developers are equipped with essential tools for GenAI applications, cloud infrastructure, and MLOps frameworks. This initiative is designed to streamline the process of testing, iterating, and delivering RAG applications, ultimately boosting the efficiency of generative AI solutions. Read more
In a strategic move to strengthen its presence in the AI industry, Microsoft Corporation has invested in the San Francisco-based startup Fastino. The company, which recently raised $7 million in a pre-seed funding round, is focused on developing enterprise AI models that operate efficiently on standard CPUs, eliminating the need for specialized hardware. This investment underscores Microsoft's commitment to advancing AI technologies. Read more
NVIDIA has announced a partnership with SoftBank to create Japan's most powerful AI supercomputer, utilizing the NVIDIA Blackwell platform. This collaboration aims to advance Japan's AI capabilities and strengthen its global technology leadership. The supercomputer, named DGX SuperPOD, will be equipped with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software and Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking, and is set to transform sectors such as telecommunications, transportation, and healthcare. Furthermore, SoftBank's pioneering efforts in AI and 5G telecom networks highlight new revenue opportunities for telecom operators. With plans for additional supercomputers using NVIDIA's advanced technologies, this project underscores Japan's commitment to becoming a global AI leader. Read more
Juniper Networks has invested in AI chip startup Recogni as part of a Series C funding round that raised $102 million. Recogni's AI chip stands out for its efficiency, requiring less power and space compared to its competitors by utilizing additions instead of matrix multiplications for AI inference. This innovation removes the necessity for lookup tables and simplifies chip adoption. Juniper and Recogni plan to collaborate on developing AI inference systems suitable for server rack deployment, with Recogni targeting hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprises. The startup also aims to release a next-generation chip by 2026. Read more
Writer, a generative AI platform, has successfully raised $200 million in a Series C funding round, achieving a valuation of $1.9 billion. This funding, led by prominent investors including Premji Invest and ICONIQ Growth, aims to enhance product development and expand Writer's capabilities in the enterprise AI sector. Founded in 2020, Writer is known for its customizable AI solutions and recent innovations like the Palmyra model series. The company serves major clients such as Mars and Uber, amid growing venture capital interest in the generative AI market projected to surpass $1 trillion in the coming decade. Read more
Richard Ngo has stepped down from the OpenAI governance team, citing concerns about the company's shift from its original mission of ensuring beneficial Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This follows the departure of Miles Brundage, highlighting a trend of high-profile exits at OpenAI. Ngo expressed doubts about the impact of his work, particularly in addressing existential risks and AGI's potential to amplify biases. Despite these challenges, OpenAI continues to grow, supported by a recent for-profit reorientation led by CEO Sam Altman and backed by Microsoft. Read more
Razer has launched Gaiadex, a groundbreaking AI tool designed to swiftly analyze the environmental impact of products. Capable of dissecting product components down to the mineral level, Gaiadex offers a rapid alternative to traditional life cycle assessments. Currently available to Razer's partner companies, the tool aims to enhance transparency and encourage sustainable practices in the tech industry. Developed over several years, Gaiadex aligns with International Standardisation Organisation standards, providing detailed reports suitable for third-party verification and eco-labeling. Razer plans to showcase Gaiadex at the United Nations' COP 29 conference, with aspirations for broader accessibility by mid-2025. Read more
The Arc Institute and Stanford University have unveiled Evo, an advanced AI model with 7 billion parameters designed to decode and create genetic sequences. Trained on 2.7 million microbial genomes, Evo learns the evolution of DNA, offering rapid predictions of protein mutations. This breakthrough has the potential to transform synthetic biology and medical research by accelerating disease treatment strategies. Read more
A recent study by researchers Brian Porter and Edouard Machery reveals that AI-generated poetry is often rated more favorably than its human counterparts. Participants found it challenging to distinguish between the two, with a slight preference for AI versions. Despite these findings, the study does not suggest AI can replace human poets, emphasizing that a deep appreciation for poetry requires familiarity and engagement with the art. The research opens up discussions on AI's potential emotional depth in poetry, but further exploration is needed. Read more