Bain & Company announced it is expanding its partnership with OpenAI to offer AI tools like ChatGPT to its clients. The firms previously formed a global alliance to introduce OpenAI technology to Bain’s clients, and the consultancy has now made OpenAI platforms, including ChatGPT Enterprise, available to its employees worldwide.
Bain is also setting up an OpenAI Centre of Excellence, managed by its own team, to further integrate AI solutions. The partnership will initially focus on developing custom solutions for the retail and healthcare life sciences industries, with plans for expansion into other sectors.
While Bain did not disclose financial details, around 50 employees will be dedicated to this collaboration, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Sam Altman’s cryptocurrency project, Worldcoin, has rebranded as World Network and is intensifying its efforts to scan irises worldwide using its “orb” devices. The project’s core feature, World ID, acts as a digital passport to verify individuals as real humans, helping to distinguish them from AI bots online. At an event in San Francisco, World Network revealed an updated version of its orb device, boasting 5G connectivity and enhanced privacy features, alongside new initiatives to improve access to the technology.
Despite signing up over 6.9 million people since its launch in July 2023, the project has faced criticism from privacy advocates regarding the collection and storage of personal data. Several countries, including Spain and Portugal, have temporarily banned the use of the orb devices, while Argentina and Britain are currently reviewing the project.
Two independent candidates participated in an online debate on Thursday, engaging with an AI-generated version of incumbent congressman Don Beyer. The digital avatar, dubbed ‘DonBot’, was created using Beyer’s website and public materials to simulate his responses in the event, streamed on YouTube and Rumble.
Beyer, a Democrat seeking re-election, opted not to join the debate in person. His AI representation featured a robotic voice reading answers without imitating his tone. Independent challengers Bentley Hensel and David Kennedy appeared on camera, while the Republican candidate Jerry Torres did not participate. Viewership remained low, peaking at fewer than 20 viewers, and parts of DonBot’s responses were inaudible.
Hensel explained that the AI was programmed to provide unbiased answers using available public information. The debate tackled policy areas such as healthcare, gun control, and aid to Israel. When asked why voters should re-elect Beyer, the AI stated, ‘I believe that I can make a real difference in the lives of the people of Virginia’s 8th district.’
Although the event saw minimal impact, observers suggest the use of AI in politics could become more prevalent. The reliance on such technology raises concerns about transparency, especially if no regulations are introduced to guide its use in future elections.
Microsoft has announced that starting in November, customers can build autonomous AI agents through its Copilot Studio, marking a significant step in the company’s AI-driven strategy. Unlike traditional chatbots, these autonomous agents require minimal human intervention and can perform tasks like handling customer inquiries, identifying sales leads, and managing inventory. Microsoft sees these agents as crucial tools for an AI-driven world where businesses can automate routine processes more efficiently.
The move follows a growing trend among tech giants, including Salesforce, to monetise AI investments by offering companies practical, user-friendly tools. Copilot Studio will allow Microsoft customers to create these autonomous agents without needing advanced coding skills. Using a combination of Microsoft’s in-house AI models and technology from OpenAI, the software giant is poised to expand its AI offerings to a broader audience.
In addition to enabling custom-built agents, Microsoft will provide ten pre-made agents designed to handle everyday business tasks, such as managing supply chains, tracking expenses, and communicating with clients. McKinsey and Co., which had early access to these tools, successfully created an agent to streamline client inquiries, showing the potential for real-world application.
Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president at Microsoft, emphasised that Copilot would be the user interface for interacting with these AI agents, envisioning a future where every employee has a personalised AI assistant. These agents could become essential in how businesses interact with AI technology daily.
Why does it matter?
Despite Microsoft’s ambitious AI plans, there have been concerns about the pace of Copilot’s adoption. Recent surveys from Gartner indicated that many organisations have not moved beyond the pilot phase with these AI tools. While Microsoft’s stock has seen ups and downs, investor pressure continues to mount for the company to demonstrate concrete returns on its AI investments. Nonetheless, with the release of Copilot Studio, Microsoft aims to accelerate AI adoption and solidify its role in the evolving AI landscape.
These artificial avatars would operate on social media and online platforms, featuring realistic expressions and high-quality images akin to government IDs. JSOC also seeks technologies to produce convincing facial and background videos, including ‘selfie videos’, to avoid detection by social media algorithms.
US state agencies have previously announced frameworks to combat foreign information manipulation, citing national security threats from these technologies. Despite recognising the global dangers posed by deepfakes, SOCOM’s initiative underscores a willingness to engage with the technology for potential military advantage.
Experts expressed concern over the ethical implications and potential for increased misinformation, warning of the entirely deceptive nature of deepfakes, with no legitimate applications beyond deceit, possibly encouraging further global misuse. Furthermore, such practices pose the risk of diminished public trust in government communications, exacerbated by perceived hypocrisy in deploying such technology.
Why does it matter?
This plan reflects an ongoing interest in leveraging digital manipulation for military purposes, despite previous incidents where platforms like Meta dismantled similar US-linked networks. It further shows a contradiction in the US’s stance on deepfake use, as it simultaneously condemns similar actions by countries like Russia and China.
OpenAI has released the ChatGPT app for Windows, which is now available via the Microsoft Store. Like the Mac version launched earlier this year, it offers quick access to the AI-powered chatbot, allowing users to integrate AI into their daily activities.
The app is in an early release stage and limited to paid users, including Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu subscribers. A broader rollout to free-tier users is expected within the next few weeks or months. Some Mac and web version features are not yet included but are planned for future updates.
Key features missing from the Windows version include advanced voice modes, integration with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, and external authentication through GPT Builder. Users, however, can still upload files and photos using the newly introduced o1 model for analysis.
ChatGPT offers convenience features such as the ‘Alt + Space’ shortcut, which allows users to bring it into focus when multitasking. It also remembers its previous position on the screen, resetting to the centre upon reopening.
The authors make several points relevant to the global AI discussions. First, as AI becomes integral to the global economy, warning echo of the looming threat of concentrated corporate control, which risks stifling innovation, compromising consumer privacy, and undermining democratic values. To combat it, the authors advocate for a diverse AI market that includes public, private, and non-profit stakeholders to ensure the technology’s benefits are widely distributed.
In "Stopping Big Tech from Becoming Big AI" we lay out a series of detailed, practical measures to check rising market concentration and keep AI open for all 🧵 pic.twitter.com/gaHjwHwLYL
Second, the report mentions monopolistic risks, through tactics such as exclusive partnerships and control over computing power that allow dominant firms to consolidate power, restricting competition and innovation. Despite often being unseen by consumers, these practices could centralise AI development and inhibit market diversity. As an action point, the authors call on governments to act swiftly using existing regulatory tools, such as blocking mergers and enforcing ex-ante competition policies, to dismantle these barriers and impose fair access rules on essential AI resources.
Finally, international cooperation is one of the key points, particularly the importance of recognising the global nature of AI development. Authors warn against repeating past mistakes of digital market dominance, emphasising the need for a unified approach to AI regulation. Through fostering competition, the report asserts that AI can deliver broader societal benefits, prioritising innovation and privacy over profit maximisation and surveillance.
Why does it matter?
The global community sees the current moment as a pivotal chance to shape AI’s future for the collective good, urging immediate regulatory intervention. Echoing this approach, this report aims to ensure that AI remains a competitive field characterised by transparency and fairness, safeguarding a digital economy that benefits all stakeholders equally.
Meta has joined forces with Blumhouse, the Hollywood studio renowned for horror films, to test its new AI-driven video tool called Movie Gen that creates custom 1080p videos with sound using text-based inputs, offering filmmakers innovative ways to visualise their ideas.
The pilot project engaged prominent filmmakers, including Aneesh Chaganty, Casey Affleck, and The Spurlock Sisters, who integrated AI-generated clips into their films. Chaganty’s work is already featured on the Movie Gen website, with other contributions set to appear soon. The collaboration demonstrates how AI can become a creative partner, expanding artistic possibilities through responses to text prompts and advanced sound effects.
Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum praised the initiative, stating that these tools could empower artists to tell better stories and stressed the importance of involving creators early in the development phase. Meta aims to continue refining the tool by extending the pilot programme through 2025, encouraging user feedback to enhance its capabilities.
Alongside this initiative, Meta has expanded its AI chatbot, Meta AI, to 21 markets, including the UK and Brazil. Seen as a competitor to ChatGPT, Meta AI supports multiple languages, targeting 500 million monthly active users globally.
Funding for AI and cloud companies in the United States, Europe, and Israel is experiencing a resurgence, after three years of decline, and is expected to reach $79.2 billion by the end of 2024, according to venture capital firm Accel. This marks a 27% increase compared to the $62.5 billion invested in 2023. Generative AI is playing a major role, accounting for around 40% of this year’s investments.
Of the $56 billion invested in generative AI over the past two years, 80% went to US-based companies, with the remainder split between Europe and Israel. In the US, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI led funding rounds, while Europe saw significant investment in companies like Mistral, Aleph Alpha, and DeepL. AI foundation models attracted two-thirds of the total AI investment during this period.
Generative AI investment in Europe is growing quickly, rising from $2.4 billion in 2023 to $6.4 billion in 2024. By comparison, the US saw $25 billion in funding for private AI companies in 2024. Accel noted, however, that outside of AI, the focus in the tech industry has shifted towards profitability, signalling the end of an era of high growth in software.
Despite the shift, the booming AI sector is seen as transformative, with Accel partner Philippe Botteri comparing the current AI wave to other major technological shifts like the rise of broadband, mobile, and cloud computing.
Alphabet has transferred the Gemini app team to DeepMind, streamlining operations to accelerate progress in generative AI. The decision aims to foster quicker deployment and seamless collaboration across its AI platforms.
Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, highlighted that the change would enhance feedback cycles and improve the rollout of models within the Gemini app. Gemini represents Google’s most advanced AI technology, with the app offering direct access to the latest developments.
Sissie Hsiao, who previously led the Gemini app team, will now report to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind. This realignment reflects the company’s broader efforts to strengthen its generative AI capabilities.
Google also reshuffled senior leadership, appointing Prabhakar Raghavan as chief technologist. His former role in search and information management will be taken over by Nick Fox, aligning the company’s AI product strategy under new leadership.
