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- AI Natives #16 - big money, web crawlers and long-awaited bill
AI Natives #16 - big money, web crawlers and long-awaited bill
The Online Safety Bill becomes law, and OpenAI is on the lookout for an enormous valuation. Reddit has enough of spying, while rumours on Apple's AI interest starts to pop up
Kornel Grunwald
October 27, 2023
Hey there, #TheAINatives! 🤖
Happy to have you here joining us with the sixteenth issue of The AI Natives.
This week saw a whirlwind of AI news and developments, from crazy valuations to new generative applications. Yet taking a view over the news, it is quite well balanced set of the ones that are positive with those potentially more dangerous.
OpenAI continues making headlines, now nearing an eye-popping $80 billion valuation on the back of ChatGPT mania. But with great funding comes great expectations. OpenAI will need to deliver substantial innovation and revenue growth to justify its decacorn status.
On the product front, Amazon launched an AI tool to transform brands' product images into lifestyle scenes just by typing a description. Democratizing high-quality synthetic media could help companies create customized, effective marketing. But also creates even more lock-in effect to stay on platforms like Amazon.
Publishers like Reddit are also pushing back on AI companies scraping content without compensation. Legal ambiguity persists, but public sentiment seems to favor creators' rights. This battle could get messy if equitable agreements aren't reached.
Hardware advances are unlocking new AI capabilities too. IBM's novel neuromorphic chip mimics efficient biological computing, promising to accelerate AI workloads. Combining hardware and software innovations will be key for the next AI performance leap.
In the policy realm, the UK's Online Safety Bill aims to rein in harmful content but risks impinging on privacy and free speech. Shielding children is critical, and as regulation requires a nuanced balance with potential unintended consequences, this new law passes with some question marks around it. Still, a lot, a lot of good stuff is inside, so make sure to read about this bill if living in UK.
Looking ahead, Apple reportedly plans new AI features for iOS by 2024. Taking a measured approach with robust guardrails in place aligns with Apple's ethos. And calls grow for global collaboration on AI safety, drawing parallels to climate change's existential stakes.
In all, it's an exhilarating time in AI, but hype must be tempered with practical grounding. As expanded funding and novel applications proliferate, we must continue asking tough questions around ethics, equitability and societal impacts amidst the breakneck pace of progress.
A note on 🚩, 💚or 🟠 being next to the news title in the sections below. This is expression of my take, whether I see the news as positive or dangerous. We will delve deeper into dangers of AI going onward, as there is not enough being discussed in that space.
Let The #16 AI Natives issue begin⏬
CONVO OVER COFFEE ☕
Big topics to discuss with friends and colleagues
OpenAI Nears $80 Billion Valuation Amid AI Investment Frenzy 🚩🚩
OpenAI is finalizing a new funding round led by Thrive Capital expected to value the AI research company at $80 billion, triple its valuation just 6 months ago. OpenAI's meteoric rise stems from ChatGPT's viral success, sparking intense investor interest in leading AI firms despite an overall startup funding slowdown.
My take: OpenAI’s stratospheric new valuation reflects the gold rush mentality around AI. But such an immense price tag means monumental growth is expected. OpenAI must now continue delivering technological breakthroughs and revenue at scale to justify its new decacorn status. The AI hype will only sustain its valuation so far.
Amazon Launches AI Creative Tool for Brands 🟠
Amazon has introduced an AI feature for advertisers to easily transform product images into lifestyle scenes. Brands can generate tailored visuals showcasing products realistically just by typing a description. This aims to help brands boost campaign performance without costly photoshoots.
My take: The launch signals a new push towards democratized AI creativity, but still on a centralized platform. Automating high-quality visuals saves brands time and money. And customized, relatable images resonate more with customers. But guardrails are still needed to prevent abuse, unfair IP usage, and deception through synthetic media.
Reddit May Block Search Engines if AI Scraping Goes Unchecked 💚
Reddit is reportedly threatening to block bots from search engines like Google unless agreements are reached to pay for Reddit's data usage. This comes as over 500 publishers have moved to curb AI companies scraping content without compensation. X recently implemented reading limits to counter such scraping.
My take: Publishers seem ready to play hardball with AI firms profiting from their content and data. The law is fuzzy here, but public opinion favors creators' rights. A messy battle may ensue if agreements aren't reached. But ethical AI will require fair data sourcing and compensation. The data exploited to train models isn't free.
IBM Unveils Brain-Inspired Chip to Boost AI Efficiency 💚
IBM researchers have developed a novel neuromorphic processor called NorthPole that slashes data movement, enhancing speed and efficiency for AI workloads. The chip’s brain-like design enables more on-device processing versus off-chip memory access.
My take: Neuromorphic chips aim to mimic the brain’s efficient biological computing. IBM's new architecture is promising, suggesting hardware innovations could unleash AI’s next level of performance. But robust software and infrastructure integration will be key to unlocking the potential of emerging AI accelerators.
In other mainstream news:
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