WAID#4: Last week top AI headlines, events and tools

AI is taking over the world... or at least Hollywood!

This week's AI Digest is packed with mind-blowing advancements. From gene-editing AI to AI clones of A-list celebrities, the future of artificial intelligence is rewriting the script. Dive in for the latest on funding, industry trends, and reports that will have you questioning everything.

This Week's Top Headlines

— Profluent just developed OpenCRISPR-1, the world's first open-source AI-developed gene editor capable of editing the human genome.

— Microsoft executive Mustafa Suleyman said that AI is a ‘new kind of digital species’ during a recent TED Talk, also predicting the next decade will be ‘the most productive’ in human history.

— Meta Rayban glasses are going multimodal, letting Meta AI see the world.

— Leading Hollywood talent agency CAA has reportedly been testing an initiative called CAA Vault, allowing A-list clients to create AI clones of themselves to open new creative opportunities.

— Elon Musk provided new updates on Tesla’s Optimus autonomous robots during the company’s 2024 Q1 earnings call — stating that Tesla should be thought of as an AI or robotics company, not an automaker.

— US Government creates an AI safety board with dozens of CEOs, researchers and politicians. Big players like Sam Altman (OpenAI) and the CEOs of Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia are in the mix.

Funding, M&A, Finance

• AI startup Cognition announced a new funding round valuing the company at over $2B, despite no revenue and mixed sentiment on its ‘Devin’ AI coding agent.
• Xaira Therapeutics launched with $1B in funding, aiming to revolutionize drug discovery with AI .
• Augment emerged from stealth with $252M in funding, led by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, launching an AI-powered coding platform to rival GitHub Copilot.
• Nvidia is acquiring Run:ai, an Israeli software company focused on software for AI computing resource management — with the deal valued at $700M.
• xAI is reportedly close to securing $6B in funding, which would boost the Elon Musk venture’s value to $18B.
• Meta saw significant profit and revenue increases in the company’s Q1 earnings report, attributed to significantly expanding AI investments.
• Microsoft reported a significant revenue increase in its 2024 Q1 earnings, led by strong growth in AI and cloud computing alongside major AI investments.
• The Canadian government is setting aside $50M to retrain workers potentially displaced by AI as part of a broader $2.3B initiative to enhance AI adoption.

Industry Pulse

— Apple is reportedly building an LLM and quietly released OpenELM, a family of small, open-source language models designed to run efficiently on devices like iPhones and Macs.

— TikTok is reportedly developing a new AI-based text-to-speech feature that allows users to record and clone their voices in just 10 seconds for use in videos.

— Microsoft announced the hiring of former Meta exec Jason Taylor, taking the role of deputy CTO to help advance development of next-gen AI systems.

— Walmart is deploying 19 autonomous FoxBot electric forklifts across four distribution centers, aiming to enhance operational efficiency after a successful 16-month pilot program.

— Sanctuary AI just released the seventh-gen of its Phoenix humanoid robot, featuring substantial new enhancements to both the physical design, AI systems, and training process.

— Throwframe unveiled the ‘Thermonator’, a $9,420 robotic flame-throwing dog capable of shooting 30-foot jets of fire.

— Amazon wants to host companies’ custom generative AI models.

— Adobe introduced VideoGigaGAN, a new feature coming to its platforms capable of upscaling videos 8x with new levels of sharpness and minimal quality loss.

— The UK's first No Code and AI conference is taking place on 21st May. FREE online.

Reports

• Accenture report on Gen AI - work, workforce and workers reinvented.
• AI index: State of AI in 13 charts.

Must-Try Tools

Web3 Summary -Simplify crypto projects or web3 research

Kaiden - Create lesson plans 10x faster

BeeDone - Get things done with gamified AI

Homestage - Upload a picture and instantly add virtual furniture.

Hubspot AI - AI for videos, blogs, and support, all in one place.

Anon - The toolkit for building AI integrations for sites without APIs.

Adobe Firefly Image 3 in Photoshop - AI-image generation features in Photoshop beta.

SecBrain - Record everything with your AI second brain.

IDM VTON - Most authentic virtual try-on.

Meta AI - Powered by Llama 3, get things done and create images for free.

Play AI - The voice interface for agents and characters.

Open Agent Studio - A powerful no-code agent editor

DuckDuckGO AI Chat - Private AI chat, no AI training on your conversations

Healax - Mental health solution for students

Pietra Product Design Studio - Design a best-selling product using AI

Articles Worth Reading

— To the future - Saudi Arabia spends big to become an AI superpower.

— AI could anticipate a new real estate crisis.

— Forget the AI doom and hype, let's make computers useful.

— Igor Jablokov, Pryon: Building a responsible AI future.

— Decoding profound opportunities in the golden age of AI.

— In race to build A.I., tech plans a big plumbing upgrade.

— Navigating AI development and governance.

Stay Curious, Stay Informed!

The world of AI is constantly buzzing with innovation. This newsletter is your key to staying ahead of the curve. Let me know in the comments what AI topics pique your interest, and I'll be sure to cover them in future issues!

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