One of the largest AI research organizations has appointed Zico Kolter, a distinguished professor and director of the machine learning department at Carnegie Mellon University, to its board of directors. Renowned for his focus on AI safety, Kolter will also join the company’s safety and security committee, which is tasked with overseeing the safe deployment of OpenAI’s projects. The appointment comes as OpenAI’s board undergoes changes in response to growing concerns about the safety of generative AI, which has seen rapid adoption across various sectors.
Following the departure of co-founder John Schulman, Kolter’s addition to the OpenAI board underscores a commitment to addressing these safety concerns. He brings a wealth of experience from his roles as the chief expert at Bosch and chief technical adviser at Gray Swan, a startup dedicated to AI safety. Notably, Kolter has contributed to developing methods that automatically assess the safety of large language models, a crucial area as AI systems become increasingly sophisticated. His expertise will be invaluable in guiding OpenAI as it navigates the challenges posed by the widespread use of generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT.
The formation of the safety and security committee in May, preceded by Ilya Sutskever‘s leaving, which includes Kolter alongside CEO Sam Altman and other directors, underlines OpenAI’s proactive approach to ensuring AI is developed and deployed responsibly. The committee is responsible for making recommendations on safety decisions across all of OpenAI’s projects, reflecting the company’s recognition of the potential risks associated with AI advancements.
In a related move, Microsoft relinquished its board observer seat at OpenAI in July, aiming to address antitrust concerns from regulators in the United States and the United Kingdom. This decision was seen as a step towards maintaining a balance of power within OpenAI, as the company continues to play a leading role in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Palantir Technologies announced plans to offer its AI Platform on Microsoft Azure, catering to US government agencies such as the Department of Defense. The collaboration involves deploying Palantir’s ‘Gotham’ software, known for its battlefield applications, on Microsoft’s secure cloud platforms, including Azure Government and Azure Government Secret.
Palantir will also be the first to deploy Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service in classified environments. The service provides access to advanced language models like GPT-4, enhancing the capabilities of defence and intelligence operations. Palantir’s AIP, which is designed for testing, debugging, and evaluating AI scenarios, will be available across various defence and intelligence sectors.
The availability of these AI tools is contingent upon government authorisation and accreditation. Palantir’s significant revenue from government contracts, with over 40% coming from the US government, highlights the importance of this partnership. The company, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has strong ties to government agencies, with early backing from the CIA’s venture arm, In-Q-Tel.
In addition to their AI offerings, Palantir and Microsoft plan to run bootcamps aimed at promoting these new services within the defence and intelligence communities.
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has agreed to pause using data from European Union users to train its AI systems until further court decisions are made. The agreement comes after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) sought to suspend X’s processing of user data for AI development, arguing that the platform had started using this data without user consent.
X, formerly known as Twitter, introduced an option for users to opt out of data usage for AI training. However, this was only available from 16 July, despite data processing beginning on 7 May. This delay led the DPC to take legal action, with a court hearing revealing that X would refrain from using data collected between 7 May and 1 August until the issue is resolved.
X’s legal team is expected to file opposition papers against the DPC’s suspension order by 4 September. The platform defended its actions, calling the regulator’s order unwarranted and unjustified. This case follows similar scrutiny faced by other tech giants like Meta and Google, which have also faced regulatory challenges in the EU over their AI systems.
Google’s dominance in the search engine market faces growing challenges from AI advancements, particularly from OpenAI, while also dealing with ongoing antitrust scrutiny. A recent US ruling deemed Google’s search monopoly illegal, marking a significant victory for regulators. However, experts argue that the real threat to Google is the rapid adoption of AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, reshaping how people search the internet.
Despite Google’s long-standing control of around 90% of the global search market, the rise of AI-powered search alternatives is beginning to erode its position. Former Google engineers and industry analysts believe AI’s impact will be felt much sooner than the effects of antitrust rulings, which often take years.
Historically, Apple has partnered with Google for search services, but it is now exploring AI-driven alternatives. The tech giant has announced a non-exclusive partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its devices, signalling a shift from Google’s search dominance.
OpenAI’s move into the search market with its AI-powered SearchGPT further intensifies the competition. Some analysts predict that AI’s influence on search could outpace regulatory actions, potentially dismantling Google’s monopoly.
Why does it matter?
Although Google has the resources to lead in AI development, its response could have been faster than that of competitors like OpenAI’s swift rise. Google’s initial missteps with AI-powered search features, which were criticised for inaccuracies and errors, have raised concerns about the company’s ability to maintain trust with users.
Analysts suggest that while antitrust actions may not immediately weaken Google’s position, they could pave the way for increased competition in the search market. However, breaking Google’s dominance will be challenging, and whether these developments will lead to significant changes in consumer choice remains to be seen.
Around seven years ago, Intel had the opportunity to invest in OpenAI, a nascent research organisation focused on generative artificial intelligence. Discussions between Intel and OpenAI spanned several months in 2017 and 2018, considering options like Intel acquiring a 15% stake for $1 billion. However, Intel decided against the deal, partly due to then-CEO Bob Swan’s scepticism about the commercial viability of generative AI models.
OpenAI, seeking to reduce its reliance on Nvidia’s chips, saw value in an investment from Intel. Yet, the deal fell through due to Intel’s reluctance to produce hardware at cost for the startup. The missed opportunity remained undisclosed until now, with OpenAI later becoming a major player in AI, launching the groundbreaking ChatGPT in 2022 and achieving a reported valuation of $80 billion.
Intel’s decision not to invest is part of a broader struggle to maintain relevance in the AI age. Once a leader in computer chips, Intel has been outpaced by competitors like Nvidia and AMD. Nvidia’s shift from gaming to AI chips has left Intel struggling to produce a competitive AI product, contributing to a sharp decline in its market value.
Despite its challenges, Intel continues to push forward with new AI chip developments, including the upcoming third-generation Gaudi AI chip and the next-generation Falcon Shores chip. CEO Pat Gelsinger remains optimistic about capturing a greater share of the AI market, but Intel’s journey serves as a cautionary tale of missed opportunities in a rapidly evolving industry.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a formal antitrust investigation nto Amazon’s $4 billion investment in AI startup Anthropic. This follows recent scrutiny of Google’s ties with the same company, as concerns grow over Big Tech’s strategic investments in AI firms. The CMA’s investigation will determine whether Amazon’s stake in Anthropic could harm competition within the United Kingdom, despite the e-commerce giant not holding a majority stake or board seat in the startup.
Anthropic, established in 2021 and known for developing large language models like its chatbot Claude, has raised $10 billion so far. Its public benefit corporation status is intended to distinguish it from rivals in the AI space. Despite Amazon’s significant investment, Anthropic maintains that its strategic partnerships do not compromise its independence or ability to collaborate with other companies. The CMA has 40 working days to decide whether to advance the investigation to a more in-depth phase.
The CMA’s move comes amid increasing concerns about Big Tech companies adopting a ‘quasi-merger’ approach to avoid full acquisitions, which would likely face greater regulatory scrutiny. The regulator has also been examining similar deals, including Microsoft’s investments in AI startups like OpenAI and Mistral AI. The outcome of the CMA’s probe into Amazon’s investment in Anthropic could have broader implications for how tech giants are regulated in their acquisition strategies.
Amazon’s investment is part of a wider trend in which leading tech companies are securing stakes in promising AI startups to ensure they stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI sector. With the CMA’s investigation underway, the regulatory landscape for these types of deals is expected to become more stringent, potentially reshaping future investment strategies in the AI industry.
A new AI assistant is addressing a common frustration for bilingual speakers by accurately transcribing ‘Spanglish,’ a blend of Spanish and English that often confounds other language processing tools. Developed by Mansidak Singh, a product engineer at reAI, Silvia allows users to fluidly switch between languages in a single sentence without losing any context. Singh was inspired to create the app after a conversation highlighted the limitations of existing language assistants, which typically ignore or misinterpret mixed-language input.
Silvia integrates with your keyboard and supports both Spanish and English, with plans to expand to other languages such as French, German, and Dutch soon. Singh utilised iOS 18’s new Translation API and OpenAI’s Whisper technology to create a solution that is not only effective but also fast and secure, with no data storage involved. The app is designed to be used seamlessly in everyday conversations, making it easier for bilingual users to communicate without constantly switching settings or keyboards.
While the current version of Silvia is limited to languages that use the Roman alphabet, Singh’s approach reflects a practical and thoughtful application of AI to solve real-world problems. The app, which has been approved by Apple, will be available for download at the end of the month, offering a more accurate and user-friendly experience for those who speak in a mix of languages.
In an era where AI is often associated with grand promises, Silvia stands out for its simplicity and focus on improving everyday communication. As multilingual AI tools like Silvia and Nigeria’s new multilingual large language model continue to emerge, the future of AI in language processing looks increasingly inclusive and adaptable to the needs of diverse users.
OpenAI is developing Project Strawberry to improve its AI models’ ability to handle long-horizon tasks, which involve planning and executing complex actions over extended periods. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief, hinted at this project in a cryptic social media post, sharing an image of strawberries with the caption, ‘I love summer in the garden.’ That led to speculation about the project’s potential impact on AI capabilities.
Project Strawberry, also known as Q*, aims to significantly enhance the reasoning abilities of OpenAI’s AI models. According to a recent Reuters report, some at OpenAI believe Q* could be a breakthrough in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The project involves innovative approaches that allow AI models to plan ahead and navigate the internet autonomously, addressing common sense issues and logical fallacies that often result in inaccurate outputs.
OpenAI has announced DevDay 2024, a global developer event series with stops in San Francisco, London, and Singapore. The focus will be on advancements in the API and developer tools, though there is speculation that OpenAI might preview its next frontier model. Recent developments in the LMsys chatbot arena, where a new model showed strong performance in math, suggest significant progress in AI capabilities.
Internal documents reveal that Project Strawberry includes a “deep-research” dataset for training and evaluating the models, although the contents remain undisclosed. The innovation is expected to enable AI to conduct research autonomously, using a computer-using agent to act based on its findings. OpenAI plans to test Strawberry’s capabilities in performing tasks typically done by software and machine learning engineers, highlighting its potential to revolutionise AI applications.
Intel is making a bold move into the AI-powered automotive industry with the launch of its first discrete GPU designed for autonomous and intelligent cars. The Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive dGPU was unveiled at an event in Shenzhen, China, and is set to be commercially deployed in early 2025. The new technology promises to revolutionise in-car AI experiences, providing drivers and manufacturers with enhanced personalisation and functionality.
The automotive market presents a new opportunity for Intel, which has struggled to keep pace with competitors like Nvidia in the AI sector. Nvidia dominates the market with its GPUs powering the majority of AI workloads, leaving Intel in need of a breakthrough. The new dGPU could be that opportunity, allowing Intel to establish a foothold in a growing industry keen on integrating AI capabilities.
Intel’s new dGPU is an open, scalable platform that builds on its existing SDV System-on-Chip. The platform supports premium AI features such as in-car assistants for navigation and entertainment. Demonstrations at the event showcased its ability to power multiple high-definition displays, voice and gesture recognition, and advanced infotainment systems. Intel’s partners, including Thunder Software Technology and Zhiphu Technologies, highlighted the potential for immersive mobile hubs and AI assistants.
The move into the automotive sector is a strategic one for Intel as it seeks to leverage the rapid technological adoption in China. The company aims to tap into an ecosystem of over 100 software companies to provide a wide range of AI-powered in-car experiences. Intel’s Vice President and General Manager of Automotive, Jack Weast, emphasised the potential of this market, citing China’s advanced development cycles and technological adoption as key factors.
YouTube is set to introduce a new feature, ‘Brainstorm with Gemini’, powered by generative AI. Aimed at enhancing the creative process, this tool will help content creators generate ideas for videos, suggest headlines, and offer thumbnail options based on trending topics.
The feature is currently in a testing phase and is only available to a select group of creators. By using data from Google Search activity, ‘Brainstorm with Gemini’ provides prompts and insights tailored to the creators’ needs. That could potentially revolutionise the way content is made, offering a more personalised experience for audiences.
Creators can access the feature within YouTube Studio, where they can choose between the inspiration tool and the new ‘Brainstorm with Gemini’ option. As they explore new content ideas, the AI-driven tool is designed to keep them ahead of trends and improve their reach.
YouTube has emphasised that the rollout of this feature to a broader audience will depend on feedback from the creators involved in the initial experiment. The move aligns with YouTube’s broader strategy of integrating AI to enhance the platform’s capabilities.
