| |
| Here's a look at today's AI briefing: - Microsoft taps AI to uncover new battery material.
- EU looking into Microsoft's OpenAI investment.
- New AI device autonomously manages user's apps.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Microsoft and a U.S. national laboratory leveraged AI to uncover a new material that could curb lithium usage in batteries. Researchers said it's a positive step in the search for alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which face challenges including overheating, scarcity, and cost. More: - Using AI and supercomputers, researchers were able to pinpoint new battery materials in two weeks rather than months or years, according to Microsoft.
- Microsoft's AI tools narrowed down the candidates from 32 million to just 23, including 18 previously undiscovered materials.
- Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) then synthesized and tested one of them — a novel lithium-sodium material with an innovative molecular structure.
- Their proof-of-concept battery, which uses the new lithium-sodium combination, is the size of a coin but has enough energy to power a light bulb.
- Researchers noted that chemistry remains unproven and may not scale up effectively.
Zoom out: - The research is part of a three-year partnership between Microsoft and PNNL to use AI and cloud computing to find new clean energy solutions.
- Brian Abrahamson, PNNL's chief digital officer, said the process could be extended to chemistry and materials science challenges.
- According to MarketResearch.biz, the generative AI in the material science market is projected to reach $8.5B in 2032, up from $866M in 2023.
|     | |
| 2 | | The European Union is looking into Microsoft's $13B investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it is checking on whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI should undergo EU merger rule scrutiny. More: - The commission will decide whether the investment warrants a full-blown investigation by the EU.
- Microsoft has poured billions into OpenAI, incorporating its technology into Office, Bing, and Windows, while also providing Azure cloud tools to the ChatGPT maker.
- Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, stressed a need for competitiveness and innovation in the market to support businesses and consumers.
Zoom out: - The probe into Microsoft and OpenAI's partnership is part of a larger assessment of the markets for virtual worlds and generative AI.
- The European Commission also said it is "looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players."
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, Raisin. |  | | Discover why Forbes calls Raisin “one of the best places to stash your cash Is your money working hard enough for you? If it’s hidden under your mattress or in a checking account at the big bank down the street, the answer is probably not. Don’t stress. Raisin can help. There’s a reason Forbes called Raisin “one of the best places to stash your cash.” In fact, there are quite a few of them: - No fees — seriously
- Top savings rates in the nation
- Access to an exclusive network of 55+ banks and credit unions
- FDIC or NCUA insurance up to per-institution limits
- No withdrawal limits on savings or money market accounts
- $1 minimum deposit
- Advanced cybersecurity protection
- 24/7 online access to funds
Opening a no-fee Rarisin account takes just a few minutes, making it easy to start earning up to 5.60% APY on CDs and 5.32% APY on high-yield savings accounts through our network of banks and credit unions — without the “best-rates” wild goose chase. Over the last decade, Raisin has helped over a million customers in 30 countries earn over 1 billion dollars in interest. Join these savers, start earning multiple times the national average interest rate, and chart your course to achieve the highest returns on your savings. Put Your Savings To Work | |
|
| 3 | | AI startup Rabbit is launching a mobile consumer device that uses AI to autonomously operate a user's apps. The "r1" device, about the size of a Post-it note, uses a proprietary AI model known as the "Large Action Model" (LAM) for its natural-language operating system (OS). More: - Like handing an unlocked phone to a friend for help with ordering takeout, the Rabbit OS performs tasks on behalf of users (with their permission).
- The OS is powered by LAM, an AI foundation that can learn how a user interacts with their apps and reproduce it via a customized cloud platform.
- This eliminates the need for users to download multiple apps. The OS provides access to services through a private web portal, where users can sign in, grant permissions, and more.
- The r1 device allows users to make complex requests involving multiple apps, like ordering an Uber while texting.
- LAM then interfaces with the relevant apps, providing a "post-smartphone experience."
- "We've come to a point where we have hundreds of apps on our smartphones with complicated UX designs that don't talk to each other," says Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu.
| | | |
| 4 | | OpenAI expressed "surprise and disappointment" regarding The New York Times' copyright lawsuit, which the company deemed "without merit." In a blog post yesterday, OpenAI said it was taken aback by the lawsuit as it had been in talks about a potential partnership with The Times as recently as Dec. 19. More: - The Times sued Microsoft and OpenAI in late December, seeking billions of dollars in damages due to alleged "unlawful copying" of its news stories to train GPT models.
- The newspaper alleges copyright infringement, saying the tech companies used its content without permission to develop AI products.
- In a blog post responding to the complaint, OpenAI argued that no single source, including The Times, significantly contributes to the training of its models.
- The AI company also disputed The Times' claim that ChatGPT has reproduced newspaper stories verbatim, saying it's likely the newspaper "cherry-picked their examples from many attempts."
- The company said it's still "hopeful for a constructive partnership" with The Times.
Zoom out: - In a similar argument made to the U.K. House of Lords, OpenAI said it is "impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials."
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, Placer.ai. |  | | 8 Retail Trends to Watch in 2024 2023 was another tumultuous year as inflation, high interest rates, and general economic headwinds continued to constrain consumer behavior. Still, this year also revealed many bright spots across various consumer-facing sectors, from retail to dining to advertisement to entertainment. Which of these developments are likely to shape the consumer landscape in 2024? Read the white paper to find out: - Why will events continue creating significant opportunities for their surrounding areas?
- How will placemaking impact everything from shopping center design to office space layout to retailer's product offerings?
- Where will dining and retail concepts focus their expansion efforts?
Read the white paper | |
|
| 5 | | The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) union has inked a deal with AI voice company Replica Studios, requiring payments and consent for digitally replicating actors' voices in video games. Members of SAG-AFTRA can collaborate with Replica to license their voices to game studios. More: - The agreement addresses the creation and usage of "digital voice replicas" by game studios and other companies.
- It establishes minimum rates, secure storage, transparency requirements, and limits on how long a company can use an actor's digital voice without paying them more or seeking consent again.
- The deal opens avenues for voiceover artists to pursue new jobs with their digital voice replicas, said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator.
Zoom out: - In November, the SAG-AFTRA union reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios that allows actors to consent and be paid for the use of AI replicating their likeness.
| | | |
| 6 | | Who's hiring in AI: - Research Engineer — Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Machine Learning
- BlueHalo | Rockville, Maryland
- Applied Research Scientist — Generative AI
- ServiceNow | Santa Clara, California
- Product Manager — Data and AI
- IBM | San Jose, California
- Autonomy Engineer, Task Group
- Shield AI | San Diego Metro Area / Washington, D.C. Metro Area
- Applied Scientist, GenAI
- Amazon Web Services | Santa Clara, California
- Developer Relations Manager — Generative AI
- Nvidia | Remote/Santa Clara, California
- AppD - Principal AI/ML Software Engineer
- AppDynamics (part of Cisco Systems) | Offsite/San Jose, California
| | | |
| 7 | | QUICK HITS - From AI Experimentation to AI-Driven Business. Join AI Lab as they discuss their 3-month journey to becoming pioneers with 1k+ customers. Register Now.*
- Former President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of using AI to falsely link him to Jeffrey Epstein. The claim comes after actor Mark Ruffalo posted an AI-generated photo of Trump on Epstein's plane, for which he later apologized.
- Google is defending itself in court against a computer scientist's claim that it owes his company $1.67B for infringing on patents related to AI processors.
- Gab, a far-right social media platform, is introducing "uncensored" AI chatbots, including one called "Uncle A" that impersonates Hitler and spreads Holocaust denial.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is in advanced talks to acquire networking firm Juniper Networks for $13B as it seeks to boost its position in the growing AI industry.
- Rodney Brooks, a former director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, has warned of a coming AI winter. In his latest scorecard, the AI expert predicts a period of stagnation in 2024 "following a well-worn hype cycle that we have seen again, and again, during the 60+ year history of AI."
- Smart investors are generating passive income by selling their shareholder voting rights. Register on Shareholder Vote Exchange to start earning.*
*This is a sponsored post. | | | |
| Upcoming Events | | JAN
30 | | Join TruEra for an expert discussion about the impact of the EU AI Act on US and Canadian firms | | | | | | * This is a sponsored event | | | |
 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for notable publications like USA Today and the Arizona Business Gazette. During her time as a public policy reporter at The Arizona Republic, she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for her collaborative reporting on pension cost increases. Beth also authored a book on the solar photovoltaic industry in 2016. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Aaron Crutchfield | |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Comments
Post a Comment