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| Welcome to the latest edition of Inside AI! Here are today's highlights: - Google's Assistant and new Pixel phones are getting AI upgrades.
- GenAI startup Anthropic in talks to raise another $2B.
- SoftBank's CEO predicts AGI surpassing human intelligence in a decade.
- Meta is rolling out AI tools for advertisers.
If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you! Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | Google's newly unveiled Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones include upgraded AI capabilities. The capabilities, including generative AI photo features, are powered by Google's new custom Tensor G3 chipset, though they won't be released immediately. More: - Both phones have a new Google Photos editing tool, Best Take, for altering facial expressions in group photos.
- The Pixel 8 Pro will have a new Photo Zoom Enhance feature for users to zoom in on an image in Photos.
- They can then "Enhance" the image using AI-powered pixel replacement technology.
- AI-powered Magic Eraser is also receiving an upgrade, allowing users to manipulate and remove objects within photos, with improved capability to fill in gaps from deleted subjects.
- Audio Magic Eraser can identify and reduce or remove background noise in videos.
Zoom out: - The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Smartphones launch on Oct. 12 starting at $699 and $999, with preorders starting today.
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| 2 | | Google is bringing generative AI capabilities from its Bard chatbot to its mobile virtual assistant. The product, called Assistant with Bard, will undergo a limited test before rolling out to Android and iOS devices in the next few months. Details: Google says Assistant with Bard can help with tasks like trip planning, social media captioning, email searches, grocery list creation, and messaging. With user permission, the assistant can access Google apps, like Gmail and Google Drive, and answer questions like "catch me up on my important emails." Extras: In addition to typing text, users can interact with the assistant through voice and images via a phone's microphone and camera. On Pixel and certain Samsung phones, a long-press on the power or home button summons a pop-up window for conversations, where Bard can respond to questions about the on-screen content. The bigger picture: Overall, adding the AI technology to Assistant makes it more "intuitive, intelligent and personalized," according to Google VP Sissie Hsiao. The new integration has the potential to increase user familiarity with Bard, which previously trailed behind ChatGPT, Microsoft's Bing AI, and Snap's My AI among those who have used or heard of it. 
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| 3 | | Days after disclosing a $4B investment from Amazon, generative AI startup Anthropic is in talks with Google and other investors to raise an additional $2B, per The Information. Anthropic is aiming for a valuation between $20B and $30B, including the new investment, significantly surpassing its $4B valuation from March. Anthropic has now secured over $5B in total funding. Funding: - Earlier this year, Anthropic announced a $450M Series C round led by Spark Capital, joined by Google, Salesforce Ventures, Sound Ventures, Zoom Ventures, and others.
- Google also invested $300M in Anthropic in late 2022, gaining a 10% stake in the startup. Anthropic later announced that Google Cloud would be its preferred cloud provider.
- Meanwhile, Amazon will also gain a minority stake in Anthropic. Amazon's initial investment will be $1.25B, with the chance for an additional $2.75B.
- Anthropic later named Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary cloud provider "for mission-critical workloads." Anthropic now plans to run most of its workloads on AWS.
Product: - In July, Anthropic launched its latest AI chatbot, Claude 2, to the public at claude.ai.
- Claude 2 offers upgrades like more "harmless responses," better performance on tasks like multiple-choice exams, and the ability to summarize up to 75,000 words.
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| 4 | | SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said he believes that artificial general intelligence (AGI), when AI surpasses human intelligence in most areas, will happen within a decade. During Wednesday's SoftBank World conference, Son said that AGI could be 10 times more intelligent than all human intelligence combined. More: - When it comes to AI, companies must "take advantage of it or be left behind," he said.
- Son also unveiled the concept of "Artificial Super Intelligence," when he believes AI could surpass human intelligence by a factor of 10,000 in 20 years.
- "AI is now self-learning, self-training, and self-inferencing, just like human beings," he said.
- The CEO, who is 66, also referred to AI skeptics as "hallucinators."
Zoom out: - FT reported last month that SoftBank was looking to invest "tens of billions in AI," including a possible investment in OpenAI.
- OpenAI is now said to be in talks with former Apple designer Jony Ive's firm to develop the "iPhone of AI," with over $1B in funding provided by Son.
Q: What do you think about Masayoshi Son's prediction that AGI could surpass human intelligence within a decade, and do you find it plausible? Join the conversation here. | | | |
| A message from our sponsor, Docker . |  | | Join the Docker AI/ML Hackathon to shape the new frontier of AI.
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Register for the Docker AI/ML Hackathon to be notified of webinars and chats designed to keep the ideas flowing and follow the #DockerHackathon hashtag on social media platforms to connect with other participants. Start Hacking Today | |
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| 5 | | Meta is introducing generative AI tools for advertisers. The new AI tools, tested successfully with companies like Publicis Groupe and Media Monks, can generate image backgrounds, create ad copy variations, and resize ads for platforms like Instagram and Facebook. More: - With background generation, advertisers can create multiple backgrounds for product images to cater to different audiences.
- An image expansion tool adjusts assets for different aspect ratios for posting on platforms like Facebook Feed or Reels.
- Advertisers can also use a text variation feature to create up to six ad text versions from their original copy.
Zoom out: - Meta says the early testing results show generative AI could save advertisers over five hours per week or a month per year.
- The tools will be accessible through Meta's Ads Manager, with global availability expected by next year.
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| 6 | | 🍋 FRESH FUNDING 🍋 - AI-enabled digital identity technology company Prins AI closed its Series B funding round at $100M. AAB VC led the funding.
- AI-driven therapeutics discovery platform maker Iambic Therapeutics, formerly known as Entos, closed its Series B funding round at $100M. Ascenta Capital and Abingworth co-led the funding, with additional backing from NVIDIA, Illumina Ventures, Gradiant Corporation, Nexus Ventures, Coatue, Sequoia Capital, and others.
- Evozyne, an AI-powered drug discovery and product development biotech, closed its Series B funding round at $81M. Fidelity Management & Research and OrbiMed co-led the funding round, supported by NVentures, Paragon Biosciences, and Valor Equity Partners.
- AI-powered accounts payable automation startup Stampli bagged $61M in Series D funding led by funds managed by Blackston. Existing backers Insight Partners, SignalFire, Bloomberg Beta, and NextWorld Capital participated in the round.
For the latest on AI startup funding and more in the VC community, subscribe to our Inside Venture Capital newsletter. | | | |
| 7 | | Quick Hits: - It's been 150 years since the last great leap in engine technology. Invest in LiquidPiston to be part of the next one.*
- An ad featuring a deepfaked version of YouTube star MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, has been removed from TikTok. Donaldson questioned whether social media platforms are prepared to handle the rise of AI-manipulated content, calling it a "serious problem."
- Epik, an AI photo editing app, is gaining popularity with its AI Yearbook feature, which allows users to create multiple yearbook-style photos from their selfies.
- Meta's new AI sticker generator, powered by its Emu algorithm, is facing backlash for an allegedly flawed content filtering system, which blocks controversial phrases but allows slightly tweaked ones to go through.
- Even the best engineers can run into challenges. Straight from the cloud experts at DoiT, here are 5 core strategies for cloud innovation.*
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INSIDE AI LEADERBOARD (7 DAYS) |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is an editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters, with a career spanning journalism since 2007. She has written for publications including The Arizona Republic and USA Today and authored a book on the solar industry in 2016. Reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Aaron Crutchfield | |
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