AI News

While you may not have a dedicated Copilot key on your PC keyboard just yet, exciting updates are on the horizon for Windows 11 users. Starting today, Microsoft is enhancing Copilot's capabilities, allowing it to manage a broader range of everyday tasks directly on your desktop. These upgrades include new skills for adjusting Windows 11 settings and plugins for services like OpenTable, Shopify, and Kayak. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing advanced AI editing features in essential applications such as Clipchamp and Photos, alongside improvements to widgets and the Windows snap functionality, which helps you organize multiple application windows efficiently.

Engineers Adam Keating and Jeremy Andrews were frustrated with the limitations of spreadsheets and screenshots for team collaboration, so they launched CoLab, a startup designed to create a more efficient solution.

As various industries explore the potential of artificial intelligence, French startup Osium AI is carving out a unique niche by focusing on research and development in materials science.

As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily platforms, the discussions surrounding credit and compensation for AI-generated works are gaining momentum.

In today's rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI, startups are increasingly seeking to carve out their niche. While major players like OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon capture much of the spotlight, a multitude of smaller companies are innovating how generative AI can be utilized. One noteworthy startup in this field is Fireworks.ai, which, despite its relatively low brand recognition, claims to have the largest open-source model API, with more than 12,000 users to date. This impressive traction is attracting investor interest, leading to a successful $25 million fundraising round.

A European Union data protection taskforce, which has been reviewing how the EU’s data protection regulations apply to OpenAI’s widely-used chatbot, ChatGPT, shared preliminary findings on Friday. The main conclusion is that privacy enforcers remain uncertain about key legal issues, particularly regarding the legality and fairness of OpenAI’s data processing methods.

A European Union initiative aimed at bolstering local AI startups by granting them access to the bloc’s supercomputers for model training has gained momentum since its announcement last September and official launch last month. France's Mistral AI has already engaged in an initial pilot phase, as revealed by a recent EU update. A key takeaway from this early stage is the necessity for added support tailored specifically for AI startups to maximize their usage of the EU’s high-performance computing resources.

Likewise, the innovative company behind an app that suggests your next binge-worthy TV show, movie to watch, podcast to stream, or book to read, has launched an entertainment-focused AI companion called Pix. This cutting-edge tool is designed using a blend of Likewise’s customer insights and advanced technology from OpenAI. Pix offers personalized entertainment recommendations and answers queries via text message, email, or through the Pix mobile app. You can even interact with Pix using voice commands on its TV app.

Nvidia has a long history of advancing autonomous vehicle technologies, supplying the industry with powerful graphics processing units capable of executing millions of calculations at once. Now, the semiconductor leader is enhancing its autonomous vehicle (AV) strategy by expanding its talent pool in China.

Artifact, the popular AI-driven news app created by Instagram's co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, might not cease operations as previously announced. In January, the founders revealed plans to wind down the award-winning app, citing that the market opportunity wasn’t “big enough to justify continued investment.” Despite an expected shutdown date of February 2024, the app remains operational weeks later, surprising many users.

If you think autonomous driving is exclusive to cars, think again. The "autonomous navigation" sector—where AI-guided ships navigate independently to save time and fuel—is set to expand significantly, forecasting growth from $4.46 billion in 2023 to $5.33 billion by 2024.

Google is expanding access to Bard, its conversational AI tool, allowing teens in many countries to engage with the chatbot. Eligible teens who meet the age requirements for managing their own Google Account can now access Bard in English, with plans to introduce support for additional languages soon. This rollout includes robust "safety features and guardrails" designed to ensure a secure experience for young users.

AMD, a prominent chipmaker vying with Nvidia in the competitive AI landscape, has announced a significant acquisition aimed at enhancing its position as a leading “ecosystem” partner for businesses prioritizing AI development. The company is set to acquire ZT Systems, which specializes in compute design and infrastructure for AI, cloud, and general-purpose computing, for $4.9 billion. This deal comprises both cash and stock, with a contingent payment of up to $400 million contingent upon achieving specific performance targets.

Honeywell aims to generate over $100 million from generative AI, already providing tens of millions annually, as highlighted by Sheila Jordan, the Chief Digital Technology Officer. The company is advancing 24 AI projects across various areas, emphasizing value creation, governance, and job automation while addressing security concerns.

HiOperator's QAScout is a new AI-powered tool aimed at enhancing customer support quality assurance by providing real-time insights into agent interactions. It scores every conversation, allowing businesses to proactively identify issues, improve performance, and integrate seamlessly with existing systems, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.