A Londoner who had his phone stolen while walking near the Science Museum believes Google’s new AI security update would have made a big difference. Tyler, whose phone was snatched by a thief on a bike, struggled to lock it remotely as he couldn’t remember his password. The update, which uses AI and sensors to detect when a phone is stolen, would automatically lock the screen to prevent thieves from accessing data.
Google’s new feature allows users to remotely lock a stolen device using just their phone number, a measure welcomed by Tyler as he believes it would have helped him secure his device in moments of panic. The initiative is part of a broader effort to combat phone theft, with mobile phones now accounting for 69% of all thefts in London. Last year, over 11,800 robberies involved phone thefts.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, also supports the update, having previously lobbied phone companies to make their devices less attractive to criminals. Tech experts say the update’s AI-driven security, combined with the Offline Device Lock feature, will make it harder for thieves to access stolen phones.
Tyler hopes the new technology will deter criminals from stealing phones altogether, as the devices would become worthless once locked. Without resale value, he believes phone thefts will be a waste of time for criminals.
Portuguese startup Sensei, specialising in contactless store technology, has secured €15 million in a Series A funding round led by BlueCrow Capital. The investment also saw participation from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, Kamay Ventures, and existing backers like Metro AG and Techstars Ventures. This follows Sensei’s 2021 seed round of €5.4 million.
Sensei aims to establish 1,000 fully autonomous retail points by 2026, with current operations in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil. The company uses AI-powered sensors and computer vision to automate checkout, offering customers a seamless shopping experience and real-time store management for retailers.
As competition heats up in the contactless retail space, Sensei is up against major players like Standard Cognition, Trigo, and AiFi, which have raised substantial funds to develop similar technology.
AI tools were introduced at Everest PR to streamline tasks, but the results were not as expected. Founder Anurag Garg noticed that instead of boosting efficiency, the technology created additional stress. His team reported that using AI tools like ChatGPT was time-consuming and added new complexities, leading to frustration and burnout.
Garg’s team struggled to keep up with frequent software updates and found that managing multiple AI platforms made their work harder. This sentiment is echoed in surveys showing many workers feel AI tools increase their workloads rather than reduce them. A study revealed that 61% believe AI will increase their chances of burnout, with the figure rising to 87% among younger workers.
Even legal professionals are feeling overwhelmed by AI’s impact on their workloads. Leah Steele, a coach for lawyers, explained that tech-driven environments often lead to reduced job satisfaction and fear of redundancy. The Law Society also highlights the challenges of implementing AI, emphasising that learning new tools requires time and effort, which can add pressure rather than alleviate it.
While some argue that AI can empower small firms by enhancing productivity, others stress the need for proper usage to prevent overwhelm. Garg has now reduced his team’s reliance on AI, finding that a more selective approach has improved employee well-being and reconnected them with their work.
Zoom has announced a partnership with Suki, a leading AI medical scribe provider, to offer doctors on its platform an AI-powered tool that automates note-taking during telehealth visits. With Zoom accounting for over a third of telehealth appointments in the US, this move aims to help clinicians reduce time spent on paperwork, improving efficiency during virtual consultations.
The partnership marks Zoom’s shift from solely being a video-conferencing company to integrating AI tools designed for workplace efficiency, a vision supported by its CEO, Eric Yuan. Suki was selected after Zoom evaluated other AI medical scribe startups, further boosting Suki’s presence after raising $70M in funding earlier this month.
This development highlights a broader trend in healthcare, with companies like Amazon’s One Medical and Microsoft’s Nuance also leveraging AI for medical note-taking, helping providers manage documentation more effectively. Despite growing competition, investors believe there is still room for specialised AI solutions in both large healthcare systems and smaller medical practices.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has launched two new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to provide investors with exposure to the rapidly growing market for AI. AI is predicted to have widespread applications across industries, and BlackRock sees it as a major force driving long-term investment opportunities.
The iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF will focus on global AI and technology stocks, while the iShares Technology Opportunities Active ETF will invest in tech companies across various sectors, including semiconductors, software, and hardware. Both funds are designed to help investors capitalise on the increasing integration of AI into different industries.
Despite mixed demand for thematic ETFs recently, BlackRock‘s move reflects its confidence in AI’s potential. The company continues to believe AI will shape the future of industries from technology to financial services, offering unique investment opportunities.
Earlier this month, BlackRock reported record-high assets under management, boosted by a strong US stock market rally, further highlighting its successful strategy in the investment market.
Qualcomm has announced a partnership with Google to create advanced AI tools for the automotive industry. This collaboration will allow automakers to develop customised voice assistants without relying on a driver’s mobile phone. Qualcomm’s expertise in chips and Google’s Android Automotive OS will be merged to provide a seamless experience for vehicle computing systems.
The Android Automotive OS, distinct from Google’s Android Auto, powers internal vehicle systems instead of simply mirroring apps from smartphones. Automakers will be able to personalise their AI voice assistants using this technology, offering features independent of phone connectivity. Qualcomm highlighted that this shift in strategy with Google aims to eliminate confusion for automakers by streamlining their services.
Qualcomm also launched two new chips designed to enhance driving experiences. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite will focus on powering dashboards, while the Snapdragon Ride Elite will support autonomous driving systems. These innovations build on Qualcomm’s growing presence in the automotive sector, which includes partnerships with companies like General Motors.
Mercedes-Benz plans to integrate the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite chip into future models, though the exact timing and vehicle models remain undisclosed. Qualcomm continues to expand its influence in automotive technology, further positioning itself as a key player in the industry’s digital transformation.
Anthropic, the AI startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon, has launched updated AI models with a new feature designed to automate computer tasks, reducing the need for human interaction. The company’s latest innovation allows AI to perform actions like moving the mouse, clicking, and typing, simplifying complex tasks for software developers. This capability brings Anthropic closer to creating AI agents that can handle multi-step processes, a significant advancement beyond traditional chatbots.
The new feature, included in Anthropic’s mid-tier Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, is tailored to help developers with tasks like coding and even navigating programs like Google Search or Apple Maps. While it shows promise, the company has implemented safeguards to prevent misuse, such as spam or election interference. Anthropic continues to seek feedback from businesses to refine the tool and is exploring how to make it available to consumers in the future.
Anthropic’s Chief Science Officer, Jared Kaplan, demonstrated the potential of this AI to automate workflows, while Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, now Anthropic’s chief product officer, expressed excitement about further advancing the technology to fully automate tasks like booking flights.
Thousands of creatives, including Kevin Bacon, Thom Yorke, and Julianne Moore, have signed a petition opposing the unlicensed use of their work to train AI. The 11,500 signatories believe that such practices threaten their livelihoods and call for better protection of creative content.
The petition argues that using creative works without permission for AI development is an ‘unjust threat’ to the people behind those works. Signatories from various industries, including musicians, writers, and actors, are voicing concerns over how their work is being used by AI companies.
British composer Ed Newton-Rex, who organised the petition, has spoken out against AI companies, accusing them of ‘dehumanising’ art by treating it as mere ‘training data’. He highlighted the growing concerns among creatives about how AI may undermine their rights and income.
The United Kingdom government is currently exploring new regulations to address the issue, including a potential ‘opt out’ model for AI data scraping, as lawmakers look for ways to protect creative content in the digital age.
OpenAI has appointed Aaron Chatterji as its first chief economist. Chatterji, a professor at Duke University and former chief economist at the US Commerce Department, will lead research on the economic impact of AI technologies. His focus will include AI’s potential influence on economic growth and employment trends.
Chatterji played a key role in coordinating the Biden administration’s implementation of the 2022 CHIPS Act, which allocated $280 billion towards developing the country’s semiconductor industry. His expertise and political network could benefit OpenAI as it explores designing chips internally.
The announcement also included another significant hire, with Scott Schools joining as chief compliance officer. Schools, previously at Uber and a former associate deputy attorney general, will oversee legal compliance and ethical practices at OpenAI.
These strategic hires reflect OpenAI’s growing ambition to lead AI development responsibly while expanding into new areas, such as chip design, amidst increasing regulatory attention.
CrewAI, a startup founded by João Moura, is revolutionising back-office automation by leveraging third-party AI models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Instead of building its own AI, CrewAI enables businesses to create custom workflows that automate repetitive tasks such as report summarisation and onboarding processes. Through a simple dashboard, customers can deploy and manage their AI-driven automations, using the tools they already rely on.
Positioned as a more flexible alternative to traditional robotic process automation (RPA), CrewAI allows companies to integrate AI ‘agents’ that can handle complex tasks without rigid, pre-set rules. This adaptability, along with a focus on data privacy, is drawing the attention of investors, with the startup raising $18M in funding and attracting 150 customers within its first year of operation.
With competition from other AI-driven automation startups, CrewAI is looking to expand further, offering its new Enterprise Cloud subscription plan, which includes enhanced security features and templates for workflow creation. Based in San Francisco, US and Brazil, the company aims to grow its workforce and continue advancing its automation tools.
