During a Reddit AMA on Wednesday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he believes generative AI programs will "have a huge impact" on the world. When asked if there is any mammoth technology that's at a similar shift as the internet was years ago, Gates said that "AI is the big one." More: - Gates said he doesn't believe Web3 or metaverse technologies alone have been revolutionary. However, "AI is quite revolutionary," he said.
- The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said he is "quite impressed" with the improvement rate of generative AI, which includes recently unveiled systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E 2.
- ChatGPT "gives a glimpse of what is to come," Gates said.
- In the context of his non-profit foundation, Gates said AI could help tutors students in math and provide medical help to people in Africa who lack access to health care, for example.
GEEKWIRE 
| |
Alphabet's Intrinsic robotics subsidiary has initiated layoffs affecting nearly 20% of its workforce. The cuts will allow Intrinsic to designate more resources to its highest priority initiatives, including building out its AI platform and software, a spokesperson said. More: - Intrinsic focuses on industrial robotics and software, such as those used at manufacturing factories. It uses deep learning, automated perception, and other technologies to train the robots to do different tasks.
- About 40 employees in the company have been let go. Intrinsic said it will be able to better allocate resources toward its recent acquisitions of AI and robotics intelligence firm Vicarious and Open Robotics' for-profit arm, the Open Source Robotics Corporation.
- In 2021, Intrinsic was spun out of Alphabet's X "moonshots" division, which is also taking steps to reduce its spending.
- Also this week, Alphabet made staff cuts at its life-sciences subsidiary Verily, affecting about 1,700 employees.
THE INFORMATION
| |
| A message from MASTERWORKS Investment Platform Goes 9 for 9 with Profitable Exits in 2022 Last year was a bloodbath for the average retail investor. Adjusting for inflation, the S&P 500 plummeted 25%, while a Total Bond index declined 20.3% – the worst results in nearly 100 years. Despite this dismal backdrop, one investment platform saw its best year ever. All 11 of their exits have been profitable, 9 of those in 2022, with the last 3 realizing +13.9%, +35.0%, and +10.4% net returns each. The formula to their successful track record lies in the strength of the art market through downturns. Even through the dotcom bubble, and Great Financial Crisis, the art market was resilient. By qualifying every offering with the SEC, Masterworks makes it easy for retail investors to stake their claim in the high-end art market. Inside readers can skip the waitlist to join here. Skip The Waitlist See important Regulation A disclosures.
| |
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated its enforcement playbook to include AI hiring systems used by employers. The agency's new draft strategic enforcement plan now covers AI bias and "employers' increasing use of automated systems, including artificial intelligence or machine learning." More: - The enforcement plan will require approval from the EEOC's five-member commission, which is hosting a public hearing on Jan. 31 covering how AI tools are utilized in hiring decisions.
- Once approved, the plan will dictate what issues the EEOC's attorneys focus on for several years.
- In 2021, the EEOC launched an initiative to make sure AI-based hiring tools comply with civil rights laws.
- In May 2022, the agency said AI tools used by employers to hire and monitor workers have the potential to discriminate against people with disabilities, potentially violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- AI software can be used to screen resumes and applicants in video interviews, monitor workers' performance, and determine pay and promotions. But such algorithmic decision-making has the potential to violate EEOC laws that protect people with disabilities, according to the EEOC.
BLOOMBERG LAW
| |
U.K.-based Oxbotica, a provider of software for self-driving cars, raised $140M in a Series C round. According to TechCrunch, the large size of the round is another sign of how well AI startups are faring right now. More: - Oxbotica provides autonomous vehicle software called "Universal Autonomy" to various enterprise customers.
- The software can be customized to a client's needs, such as providing navigation or perception capabilities, and works alongside other software and hardware.
- Autonomous vehicles equipped with Oxbotica's software will enter service this year in truck yards and the energy and agriculture sectors.
- Investors in the Series C round include Japanese insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, ENEOS Innovation Partners, Tencent, BP's VC arm, and Kiko Ventures, with more expected to join.
- Oxbotica has raised $225M to date.
TECHCRUNCH
| |
For the first time since 2011, Apple and Meta were excluded from Glassdoor's 100 Best Places to Work list. Newcomer Gainsight, a tech and software company based in San Francisco, came in at No. 1. Other tech firms in this year's top 20 included Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and LinkedIn. By the numbers: - Apple has made the list every year since Glassdoor first created it in 2009.
- Apple came in at No. 56 in the 2022 list and No. 31 in 2021.
- Meta, formerly Facebook, had been on the list since 2011, when it debuted at No. 1.
- The company also took the top spot in 2013 and 2018. It was No. 47 in 2022 and No. 11 in 2021.
- To create the 2023 annual ranking, Glassdoor analyzed anonymous feedback from employees working at larger U.S. companies from October 2021 to October 2022.
- This year's list focuses on themes like flexibility, transparency, and communication, as well as how employees feel about their employers' economic outlook and financial health, according to Glassdoor lead economist Daniel Zhao.
| |
M&A Roundup: - DataStax, a database and real-time streaming provider, announced its acquisition of AI vendor Kaskada Inc. to improve the former's machine learning capabilities.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has purchased Pachyderm for an undisclosed sum. Pachyderm offer tools to help enterprises create and manage machine learning and AI projects.
- Data warehouse company Snowflake announced plans to acquire Myst AI, a platform for energy companies to develop AI models for forecasting. Myst helps data scientists build neural networks that process time-series data or a sequence of data points collected over a specific time period.
- German vaccine maker BioNTech SE said it's acquiring British enterprise AI specialist InstaDeep for £562M ($682M). BioNTech said it plans to use InstaDeep's machine learning to develop personalized cancer treatments and improve upon its drug discovery process. It is the German company's largest acquisition to date.
- Integrated health tech solutions business Amplify Health acquired AiDA Technologies, a provider of AI-powered data analytics for companies.
| |
QUICK HITS - Delight your family, guests, or team like never before with Vestaboard, the award-winning messaging display. Learn more.*
- Ahura AI, a California-based provider of an AI-based skill learning platform, raised a $5.6M seed funding round led by undisclosed investors.
- At CES 2023, the beauty brand L'Oréal debuted Brow Magic, an AR- and AI-based technology that prints brows onto its user's face.
- The New York Times' Kevin Roose makes the argument that schools should not ban but embrace OpenAI's ChatGPT technology as a teaching aid. ChatGPT could help personalize tutoring, unlock student creativity, and prepare students for working alongside AI, he concludes.
- There's a new email automation strategy that's helping mailers double, even triple, their email open rates.*
*This is a sponsored post.
| |
Upcoming Events: - January 12 - AMA with Gun.io - Building and managing software development teams w/ Deividi Silva (Watch On Demand)
- January 13 - AMA with LinearB - Improving workflow for developers w/ Ori Keren (Watch On Demand)
- January 16 - Inside Marketing Coffee Break (Register Here)
- January 18 - Inside Interview with Lacework - 4 Common Attack Paths in Cloud Security (Register Here)
- January 25 - Amanda Natividad speaks on zero-click content, how to measure it, and other trends to keep tabs on in 2023. (Register Here) *
- January 26 - Growth Experimentation Workshop: From Strategy to Process by GrowthHackers.com (Register Here)
- February 23 - Startups Book Club, February 2023 (Join The Club)
| |
 |  | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. |   | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 and 1972 Fords. | |
Discover how to invest in the recession-resistant art market with 10-30% historical returns with Masterworks.
| |
Comments
Post a Comment