AI News

For years, organizations have searched for more effective ways to share information, yet the traditional file and folder structure has remained prevalent. While this setup works well for casual sharing among individuals or small groups, it can create confusion for larger teams trying to grasp the content within folders that lack context. Introducing Box Hubs, a groundbreaking tool designed to create centralized micro sites for specialized content sharing, launched today at the BoxWorks customer conference.

Research indicates that by 2026, over 80% of enterprises will adopt generative AI models, APIs, or applications, a dramatic increase from under 5% today. This swift integration prompts vital discussions around cybersecurity, ethics, privacy, and risk management. Currently, among organizations utilizing generative AI, only 38% actively address cybersecurity risks, while just 32% focus on correcting model inaccuracies.

This year, billions of individuals will participate in elections worldwide, witnessing high-stakes contests in over 50 countries, from Russia and Taiwan to India and El Salvador. These elections are facing intense challenges from demagogic candidates and geopolitical threats, putting even the strongest democracies to the test. However, unlike any previous year, we are confronted with a deluge of AI-generated disinformation and misinformation.

Reflecting on the journey since ChatGPT debuted a year ago, it’s evident that generative AI (GenAI) signifies more than a technological advancement; it's a transformative force in the business ecosystem. With nearly 20 years of experience in strategic and operational roles at McKinsey, eBay, Nike, and currently Prosus, I have dedicated my efforts to translating emerging technologies into actionable strategies that drive substantial business growth. At Prosus, this journey has involved steering startups through the evolving GenAI landscape, enabling them to not just adapt but excel in an ever-shifting market.

Hyperplane, a San Francisco-based startup focused on developing foundation models to enhance customer behavior predictions for banks, has emerged from stealth mode today with the announcement of a $6 million funding round. This round was led by Lachy Groom, a former executive at Stripe, along with notable participation from SV Angel, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Liquid2 Ventures, Soma Capital, Latitud, Atman Capital, Crestone VC, and Norte. Their primary mission is to empower banks to leverage their first-party data to create personalized banking experiences through predictive analytics.

Deepgram has emerged as a leading startup in the voice recognition landscape. Today, the company proudly announced the launch of Aura, its innovative real-time text-to-speech API. Aura merges highly realistic voice models with a low-latency API, enabling developers to create engaging, conversational AI agents. Enhanced by large language models (LLMs), these agents can effectively act as customer service representatives in call centers and various customer-facing roles.

During its MAX conference, Adobe showcases cutting-edge technology that might eventually enhance its Creative Cloud applications. This year, much of the focus is on generative AI, particularly following the integration of Firefly into Photoshop and Illustrator. The standout feature from Adobe this year is Project Fast Fill, which extends the concept of generative fill to video editing.

Microsoft is enhancing its policy to safeguard commercial clients from copyright infringement lawsuits linked to the use of generative AI — but with several important conditions.

As if still-image deepfakes weren’t alarming enough, we may soon have to confront a new threat: generated videos that allow anyone to be manipulated just by sharing a photo online. With Animate Anyone, malicious actors can control people’s images like never before.

With a significant investment of $2 billion from Google, Anthropic positions itself alongside OpenAI to capitalize on a leadership role in the artificial intelligence sector. As major tech players rush to invest, we see a trend emerge: those with the capacity to innovate are building, while others are opting to invest.

AI-driven photo-sorting app GoodOnes recently secured $3.6 million in seed funding and launched in the Apple App Store in April. Six months and 400 million photo sorts later, the app has rebranded to Ollie, marking a significant relaunch. We spoke with Ollie’s CEO and co-founder, Israel Shalom, to explore the reasons behind the name change and the insights gained since their initial launch.

The way people purchase food has largely transitioned online; restaurants now often forgo traditional menus for QR codes, enabling smartphone ordering, while grocery shopping has been transformed by delivery services like Instacart. However, until recently, the procurement process for small restaurants and local grocery stores heavily relied on outdated methods using pen and paper.

Apple has introduced 20 new Core ML models and 4 datasets on Hugging Face, enhancing on-device AI capabilities for developers while prioritizing user privacy. This move supports efficient processing for applications in image and text, fostering innovation in privacy-centric AI solutions.

In 2023, the discussion on AI's impact on creative industries focused on artists' rights. Nightshade, created by Ben Zhao, protects artists by disrupting AI training data with undetectable pixels. This tool aims to empower creators amid ongoing copyright lawsuits against major companies.

Zhu Songchun emphasizes that achieving general artificial intelligence (AGI) requires more than just data and computing power; it necessitates instilling a 'heart' in AI. He advocates for shifting focus from theoretical models to cognitive architectures, highlighting the importance of data labeling and the integration of core AI fields to enable machines to solve complex tasks autonomously.