Artificial intelligence Archives | Page 482 of 695

MetaAI launches in Europe amid data concerns

Meta has resumed the roll-out of its MetaAI across Europe after halting the launch last year due to regulatory uncertainty.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) still has questions regarding Meta’s AI tool, particularly in relation to its use of personal data from Facebook and Instagram users to train large language models.

The company has been in discussions with the DPC, but instead of an agreement, it remains under review as the tool continues to roll out.

MetaAI was first introduced in the US in September 2023, followed by India in June 2024, and the UK in October. It enables users to interact with a chat function across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

However, its expansion in Europe faced delays last summer due to concerns raised by the Irish privacy watchdog.

The company has expressed confidence in its compliance with the EU’s data protection laws and has been transparent with the DPC about its launch. However, failure to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could lead to significant fines.

Additionally, certain aspects of MetaAI fall under the scope of Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires the company to meet specific standards on user safety and transparency.

The European Commission has indicated it is waiting for a risk assessment from Meta to ensure that the tool complies with DSA obligations. While initial elements may not be directly relevant to the DSA, the Commission will continue to monitor the deployment closely.

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Amazon unveils Nova Act to enhance AI capabilities

Amazon has launched Nova Act, a general-purpose AI agent capable of controlling web browsers to perform simple tasks. Along with the new agent, Amazon is releasing the Nova Act SDK, enabling developers to create agent prototypes.

The tool will also power key features of the upcoming Alexa+ upgrade, a generative AI-enhanced version of Amazon’s voice assistant.

Developed by Amazon’s AGI lab, Nova Act is designed to automate tasks such as ordering food or making reservations. Although the model is currently a research preview, Amazon claims Nova Act outperforms competitors like OpenAI’s Operator and Anthropic’s Computer Use in internal tests.

The toolkit, available on nova.amazon.com, allows developers to integrate AI agents into applications that can navigate websites, fill forms, and interact with digital content.

Despite its early stage, Nova Act is seen as a significant step in the development of superintelligent AI, with Amazon’s AGI lab aiming to make AI agents reliable and effective across various tasks.

Instead of AI agents from other companies that have faced challenges like slow response times and error-prone performance, Amazon hopes that Nova Act will address these issues, potentially providing a competitive edge in the AI market.

The success of Nova Act could also play a crucial role in the success of Alexa+ and Amazon’s broader AI strategy.

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Runway expands AI video capabilities with Gen-4

Runway has unveiled Gen-4, its most advanced AI-powered video generator yet, promising superior character consistency, realistic motion, and world understanding.

The model is now available to individual and enterprise users, allowing them to generate dynamic videos using visual references and text-based instructions.

Backed by investors such as Google and Nvidia, Runway faces fierce competition from OpenAI and Google in the AI video space. The company has differentiated itself by securing Hollywood partnerships and investing heavily in AI-generated filmmaking.

However, it remains tight-lipped about its training data, raising concerns over copyright issues.

Runway is currently embroiled in a lawsuit from artists accusing the company of training its models on copyrighted works instead of getting permission. The company claims fair use as a defence.

Meanwhile, it is reportedly seeking new funding at a $4 billion valuation, with hopes of reaching $300 million in annual revenue. As AI video tools advance, concerns grow over their impact on jobs in the entertainment industry, with thousands of positions at risk.

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Apple expands AI features with new update

Apple Intelligence is expanding with new features, including Priority Notifications, which highlight time-sensitive alerts for users. This update is part of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, rolling out globally.

The AI suite is now available in more languages and has launched in the EU for iPhone and iPad users.

Additional improvements include a new Sketch style in Image Playground and the ability to generate ‘memory movies’ on Mac using simple text descriptions. Vision Pro users in the US can now access Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Genmoji.

Apple’s AI rollout has been gradual since its introduction at WWDC last year, with features arriving in stages.

The update also brings fresh emojis, child safety enhancements, and the debut of Apple News+ Food, further expanding Apple’s digital ecosystem.

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OpenAI expands image generator access to all users

OpenAI has made its image generator, powered by the GPT-4o model, accessible to all users, CEO Sam Altman announced on X. Previously, this feature was available only to paying ChatGPT subscribers.

While there is no clear indication of how many images free-tier users can create, Altman previously mentioned a possible limit of three per day.

The tool has seen massive demand since its launch, with Altman joking that OpenAI’s GPUs were ‘melting’ under the pressure. However, it has also sparked controversy, particularly after users began generating images in the style of Studio Ghibli, raising copyright concerns.

Others have used the generator to create fake receipts, such as restaurant bills. OpenAI has responded by stating that all AI-generated images contain metadata identifying them and that the company takes action when violations occur.

In a major financial development, OpenAI has secured $40 billion in funding from SoftBank, valuing the company at $300 billion. The company also revealed that ChatGPT now boasts 500 million weekly active users and 700 million monthly active users, marking a significant milestone in its growth.

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US robotics firms seek federal support amid China’s rapid growth

Following the US’s first-ever Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Strategy in October 2024, leading robotics companies are urging the government to develop a national robotics strategy and establish a federal office to support the industry.

The push comes as China accelerates its robotics investments, raising concerns about US competitiveness in the global market.

Executives from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robotics showcased their latest innovations on Capitol Hill this week, advocating for policies that bolster domestic production and adoption of robots.

Jeff Cardenas, CEO of Apptronik, highlighted how the United States once led the field but lost ground to Japan and Europe. Tesla’s Jonathan Chen added that manufacturing at scale remains a key challenge.

The Association for Advanced Automation warned that without strong federal leadership, the US risks falling behind in both robotics and AI. Meanwhile, China continues expanding its robotics sector, with a state-backed fund aiming to attract $138 billion over two decades.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, China now leads in industrial robot usage, with 1.8 million in operation as of 2023.

With global investment in robotics projected to exceed $13 billion by 2025, US industry leaders stress that a national strategy is essential to maintaining a competitive edge.

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Studio Ghibli AI trend overwhelms OpenAI

A wave of Studio Ghibli-style image generation has taken social media by storm, thanks to OpenAI’s new tool that lets users create art in the beloved animation style. The viral craze began in late March and quickly flooded platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Initially amused, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even joined in by updating his profile picture to a Ghibli-inspired version of himself. However, the trend’s popularity soon spiralled out of control, straining the company’s servers and pushing staff to their limits.

Altman has now urged users to ease off, describing the demand as ‘biblical’ and joking that his team needs sleep.

OpenAI plans to introduce temporary usage limits while it works to make the system more efficient. Fans, however, continue to flood Altman’s replies with memes and even more Ghibli art.

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DeepSeek overtakes ChatGPT in new visits, report shows

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing AI tool, surpassing ChatGPT in new monthly website visits. In February alone, it recorded over 524 million fresh visits, edging past ChatGPT’s 500 million, according to analytics platform aitools.xyz.

Though still third overall behind ChatGPT and Canva in total traffic, DeepSeek’s market share rose sharply to 6.58%, with 792.6 million visits and 136.5 million unique users. India played a significant role, ranking fourth in traffic contribution with over 43 million monthly visits.

The report shows DeepSeek now holds over 12% of the global chatbot market. With the AI industry seeing more than 12 billion visits and 3 billion unique users last month, the rapid rise of DeepSeek signals intensifying competition in the AI space.

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OpenAI secures $40 billion in funding deal with SoftBank

OpenAI is preparing for one of the largest fundraising rounds in tech history, aiming to raise up to $40 billion at a staggering $300 billion valuation. The decision, confirmed on Monday, marks a major leap in the company’s ambition to lead the global AI race.

Japanese investment giant SoftBank will spearhead the funding effort, pledging an initial $10 billion in April, followed by another $30 billion by year’s end—on the condition that OpenAI transitions to a for-profit model.

SoftBank plans to offload a quarter of its contribution to other unnamed co-investors, while other backers in the round are expected to include tech heavyweights like Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital.

If OpenAI does not complete its restructuring as planned, SoftBank’s commitment could be halved to $20 billion, according to company statements and sources familiar with the deal.

Capital injection aims to advance AI research, scale OpenAI’s infrastructure, and develop more powerful tools for the company’s widely used products like ChatGPT, which currently serves over 500 million users weekly.

The momentum reflects the explosive growth and competition within the AI sector, with tech firms and investors chasing transformative breakthroughs and scalable business models.

Since raising $6.6 billion in October at a valuation of $157 billion, OpenAI has nearly doubled its worth in just six months. The new valuation puts the San Francisco-based startup in the same league as global tech titans such as SpaceX, ByteDance, and Stripe.

Analyst Gil Luria from D.A. Davidson and Co. noted that OpenAI’s ‘ambitious plans on many fronts’ require substantial capital and pointed out that the pool of investors with the appetite—and capacity—to back such an undertaking has shrunk significantly.

Part of the raised funds will support the colossal Stargate project, a $500 billion initiative led by OpenAI in partnership with SoftBank and Oracle to build a nationwide network of AI-focused data centres across the United States. These centres are envisioned to support the increasing computational demands of future AI systems.

OpenAI also announced an important structural change. The company will establish a public benefit corporation to attract funding better while ensuring its long-term mission balances profitability with social impact. The US law firm Morrison Foerster provided legal advice for SoftBank in this transaction.

The funding round positions OpenAI as a central player in the AI world and raises critical questions about the balance between innovation, ethics, and the consolidation of AI power among a few dominant entities. The outcome of this transition, especially its success in becoming a for-profit powerhouse, could redefine the landscape of AI for years to come.

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AI’s energy hunger drives nuclear energy resurgence

The rapid advancement of AI is placing immense pressure on global energy infrastructure, with data centres consuming more electricity than ever. As AI systems grow in complexity and scale, the energy required to support their operations is rising sharply, as stated in Bogdan Stojanovic’s blog on diplomacy.edu.

Training deep learning models, particularly those involving natural language processing and computer vision, demands substantial computational power, resulting in greater energy consumption and higher carbon emissions.

Estimates suggest that by 2030, AI-driven energy consumption could surpass that of entire nations like India.

The escalating power demands of AI have prompted technology giants to explore cleaner, more reliable energy sources. Unlike intermittent solar and wind power, nuclear energy provides a steady supply of low-carbon electricity.

Studies by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe indicate that nuclear energy’s carbon footprint is significantly smaller than that of coal or even wind power.

Big Tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are increasingly investing in nuclear energy projects to mitigate their growing carbon footprints and ensure reliable power for their AI infrastructure.

Microsoft has committed to becoming carbon-negative by 2030 despite its emissions surging by 30% from 2020 to 2023, largely due to AI-related data centre expansion. The company’s partnership with Constellation Energy aims to revitalise the defunct Three Mile Island nuclear plant.

Meanwhile, Google is collaborating with startup Kairos Power to develop advanced reactors, and Amazon is investing in small modular reactors through xEnergy.

As AI continues to grow in complexity and utility, nuclear power is emerging as a crucial component of Big Tech’s energy strategy.

Industry leaders like Bill Gates and Sam Altman are investing heavily in next-generation nuclear solutions, recognising that AI’s continued growth relies on consistent, low-carbon energy sources. The push for nuclear energy is no longer a distant possibility but a necessity for ensuring AI’s sustainability.

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