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| Here are today's top AI stories: - OpenAI launches GPT marketplace for sharing custom chatbots.
- AI-generated misinformation chosen as a top global risk of 2024.
- AI Pin creator Humane lays off 4% of employees.
- Walmart debuts GenAI search in its iOS app.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | OpenAI launched its "GPT Store," an online marketplace for developers to share their custom chatbots publicly. The store, located within ChatGPT, allows OpenAI's paid subscribers to access special-purpose chatbots, such as a code tutor, a Canva design bot, and a hiking trail recommendation bot. More: - The GPT Store offers bots from OpenAI partners and the larger AI community.
- Users can find models by searching in categories like writing, lifestyle, and education, with a community leaderboard for popular downloads.
- Developers can't currently charge for their chatbots, known as "GPTs."
- However, OpenAI plans a revenue-sharing program with GPT creators in Q1 of this year.
- Creators would be paid based on user engagement with their bots, though details have not been shared yet.
Zoom out: - Since unveiling the GPT Builder program in November, OpenAI said its users have generated over 3 million bots.
- The store broadens ChatGPT's applications and OpenAI's ecosystem as the company works to stay ahead of competitors like Anthropic, Google, and Meta.
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| 2 | | Experts surveyed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) chose AI-generated misinformation as one of the top global risks of 2024. According to the report published today, AI-driven misinformation and disinformation pose a growing risk as billions of people prepare for elections this year and next. 
Details: The WEF's Global Risks Report 2024 drew insights from nearly 1,500 international experts across academia, business, and government, taking a closer look at global risks over the short- and long-term. The findings: Respondents ranked "misinformation and disinformation" as the most severe risk over the next two years, beating out extreme weather events and societal polarization. In the longer term, misinformation and "adverse outcomes of AI technologies" were among the top concerns for the next decade but ranked lower compared to issues like extreme weather events and critical changes to Earth's systems. What it means: According to the WEF, this risk is expected to intensify with upcoming elections across the world. The agency notes that easy-to-use AI models have triggered an "explosion" of false information and synthetic content, such as deepfakes and voice cloning. The technology "brings new threats to democratic processes, as the greater use of AI and social media could influence campaigns," the report said. The WEF recommends that global leaders prioritize international cooperation to tackle the most disruptive emerging threats, like AI use in conflict decision-making. This will involve both public and private sectors as well as digital literacy campaigns against misinformation and disinformation, it added. | | | |
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| 3 | | Humane, creator of the "AI Pin" wearable assistant, has let go of 10 employees, affecting 4% of its workforce. The layoffs are part of a wider trend of recent job cuts at larger tech firms, such as Unity Software and Amazon. The new year is reminiscent of January 2023, when tech experienced the most significant industry contraction in over a decade. 
The news: Humane, a hardware startup founded by former Apple executives, has reportedly told employees that budgets will be reduced in 2024. On LinkedIn, CEO and co-founder Bethany Bongiorno framed the cuts as part of a larger refresh of Humane's organizational structure as the company "evolves with purpose for this next phase of growth." This next stage demands fresh skills and perspectives, she said, including expertise in AI application development and collaborating with third-party developers. The changes will help Humane prioritize the development of its multi-modal AI platform, which it says will fundamentally change how people interact with computing. Still: Despite the job cuts, Bongiorno mentioned that the company is still hiring for several positions. Humane has also appointed new heads for hardware, software, and personnel as part of the reorganization. What else: Bongiorno also shared that Humane's founding CTO, Patrick Gates, will also transition to an adviser role so he can "spend more time with his family." Zoom out: The layoffs occurred before the company shipped its AI Pin, a $699 wearable device that lets users make calls, send texts, play music, and engage with its AI assistant via voice and gestures. The screen-less square device, which is integrated with GPT-4 and can be clipped onto clothing, is set to ship in March. Notably, it requires a $24 monthly data subscription to a Humane-branded version of T-Mobile's network, which includes access to OpenAI and Microsoft models. | | | |
| 4 | | Walmart unveiled new AI services during CES, including a generative AI search tool and an AI-powered service that automatically re-orders items for shoppers. The world's biggest retailer showed off the AI-powered shopping tools during this week's CES. More: - The new GenAI search tool for Walmart's iOS app fuses Microsoft's AI models with Walmart shopper data.
- It allows customers to search for products using specific use cases rather than brand names or descriptions.
- For example, shoppers can search for "football watch party" and get a tailored product list of chips, wings, and decorations.
- Meanwhile, the new "InHome Replenishment" tool leverages AI to learn shoppers' preferences and automatically fill online carts for subscribers to their InHome delivery service.
Zoom out: - Also, Sam's Club, Walmart's membership warehouse club, is using AI to remove the need for customers to display digital receipts when leaving, allowing them to walk through a digital archway with their purchases.
- The technology is currently active in Dallas and will expand nationwide by year-end, according to Walmart.
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| 5 | | 🍋 FRESH FUNDING 🍋 - IVP led a $73.6M funding round into AI-powered conversational search engine startup Perplexity AI at a valuation of $520M. NEA, NVIDIA, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos participated in the funding round.
- Impact Analytics, an AI-powered planning and merchandising solution for retail, grocery, CPG, and supply chain industries, raised $40M in fresh funding led by Sageview Capital, with additional support from Vistara Growth.
- Robotic process automation platform Rewst raised a Series A round of $31M led by Meritech Capital. Existing investors OpenView, TDF Ventures, and Florida Funders participated in the round.
- Former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has raised $30M in funding for his secretive AI startup, which is focused on creating software for developers of large language models. OpenAI investor Khosla Ventures led the undisclosed funding round, with participation from Index Ventures and First Round Capital.
For the latest on AI startup funding and more in the VC community, subscribe to our Inside Venture Capital newsletter. | | | |
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- OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Team, a scaled-down enterprise offering for businesses with under 150 users.
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 | 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 | |
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