The American cloud-based software company has announced plans to acquire Tenyx, a startup specialising in AI-powered voice agents. The acquisition, set to close in the third quarter, will bring Tenyx’s co-founders and team into Salesforce as the company expands its AI-driven solutions. Founded in 2022, Tenyx provides services to various industries, including e-commerce, healthcare, and travel.
This acquisition comes after Salesforce, facing pressure from activist investors, previously shifted its focus away from large-scale mergers and acquisitions. Now, with an eye on reigniting revenue growth, the company is resuming acquisitions to boost its capabilities in AI. Salesforce’s move aligns with broader industry trends, as tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon have also been acquiring AI startups this year.
Salesforce’s focus on AI began with the launch of the first AI centre in London, and is part of a competitive race in the tech industry. Microsoft has paid $650 million in March to acquire talent from AI startup Inflection, and Amazon hired key talent from another AI startup, Adept, in June. Salesforce, meanwhile, reported better-than-expected results in its second-quarter earnings, driven by increased demand for its enterprise cloud products.
As AI becomes increasingly vital to the technology landscape, companies like Salesforce are investing heavily in innovation to stay ahead. The Tenyx acquisition marks another step in its strategy to remain a leader in the cloud and AI sectors, even as competition intensifies.
BoomGrow Productions and CelcomDigi Berhad have formed a strategic partnership to revolutionise Malaysia’s agricultural industry by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, AI, and extended reality (XR) into precision farming practices. That collaboration represents a significant step towards enhancing sustainable farming and boosting food production in the country. The overarching goal of the partnership is to transform traditional agricultural methods by leveraging the power of advanced technologies and setting new standards for efficient and sustainable farming practices in Malaysia.
One of the key innovations at the heart of this partnership is the implementation of 5G-Enhanced Precision Farming in BoomGrow’s Machine Farms. By utilising CelcomDigi’s reliable 5G network, supported by ZTE, BoomGrow will be able to connect sensors and monitoring systems throughout its farms.
The integration of 5G technology enables real-time data feedback, facilitating precise control over indoor farming environments and ensuring optimal conditions for crop growth. The seamless connectivity provided by CelcomDigi’s extensive network coverage in Malaysia will allow for the consolidation of data from all BoomGrow Machine Farms into a central dashboard, enabling seamless oversight and management of the farming operations.
In addition, the partnership also focuses on leveraging AI-driven analytics to optimise productivity and decision-making processes within the Machine Farms. Advanced AI algorithms will provide in-depth analysis and insights by processing complex datasets and plant visualisations from multiple farms.
Elon Musk’s xAI has launched Colossus, now the world’s most powerful AI training system, setting a new benchmark in the rapidly advancing field of AI. Colossus, which boasts a 100k H100 training cluster, is set to double in size in the coming months, solidifying its position as a leading force in AI development. This achievement places xAI ahead of competitors, with Colossus surpassing the capabilities of even the most advanced models to date, including those from OpenAI.
This weekend, the @xAI team brought our Colossus 100k H100 training cluster online. From start to finish, it was done in 122 days.
Colossus is the most powerful AI training system in the world. Moreover, it will double in size to 200k (50k H200s) in a few months.
The development of Colossus was accomplished in collaboration with Nvidia, a leader in semiconductor technology. The system’s power is driven by many GPUs, making it the most potent AI training system currently available. Industry reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, with many experts praising the accomplishment as a significant milestone in AI technology. Nvidia, which provided the cutting-edge H200 semiconductors for Colossus, highlighted the model’s exceptional gains in energy efficiency.
Musk’s ambitions in AI extend beyond Colossus. He has plans for a supercomputer that could be operational by 2025 and has expressed support for regulatory measures to ensure the safe development of AI. Despite the controversies surrounding these regulations, Musk remains a vocal advocate for responsible AI innovation, aiming to balance progress with public safety.
Exciting to see Colossus, the world’s largest GPU #supercomputer, come online in record time. Colossus is powered by @nvidia's #acceleratedcomputing platform, delivering breakthrough performance with exceptional gains in #energyefficiency.
The rise of automated kitchens, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a global reality, with robots already preparing everything from burgers to sushi, says Patrick Lin, professor of philosophy at California State Polytechnic University. As AI-driven technology advances, its integration into kitchens – first in commercial settings and eventually in homes – could profoundly reshape how food is prepared and consumed. This transformation may echo the impact of the microwave oven, which revolutionised mealtime convenience but also brought social and cultural disruptions.
While AI kitchens promise benefits like enhanced creativity for chefs and personalised meal preparation, they also pose risks to human well-being and cultural traditions. Cooking, a therapeutic and educational experience, could become obsolete, weakening family bonds and diminishing the transfer of knowledge and skills. Moreover, AI’s tendency to simplify or stereotype cultural nuances could lead to a loss of culinary diversity and changes in community dynamics if robots replace human chefs.
AI kitchens’ potential safety and ethical challenges are significant, from food safety concerns to the loss of jobs in the food service industry. As these technologies continue to develop, it is crucial to consider their broader societal implications, ensuring that the benefits of automation do not come at the expense of our deeply rooted food traditions and the human experience they enrich.
An unusual pair of news anchors in Venezuela has emerged—El Pana and La Chama. These AI-generated figures, designed to look and sound realistic, are the creation of Connectas, a Colombia-based organisation. The ‘Operation Retweet’ initiative aims to disseminate news from several independent Venezuelan media outlets while protecting journalists from government repression. The project’s director, Carlos Huertas, explained that using AI allows them to bypass the escalating risks real reporters face in the country.
Why does it matter?
The Venezuelan government has been cracking down on journalists, protesters, and opposition figures amid a disputed election, with at least ten journalists arrested since mid-June, eight of whom remain imprisoned on severe charges. The crackdown is part of a broader effort to stifle dissent in response to the ongoing election dispute between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. While Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, claims victory with the backing of the Supreme Court and electoral authority, the opposition argues that their candidate won by a large margin.
Protests over the election have resulted in 27 deaths and over 2,400 arrests. The situation has drawn international concern, with many questioning the election’s fairness and calling for the release of full vote tallies. Despite the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, the AI news anchors symbolise creative resistance, delivering news without putting human reporters at further risk.
OpenAI recently unveiled the Model Spec, a comprehensive framework designed to guide the behaviour of its GPT models in the OpenAI API and ChatGPT. The document is a crucial resource for researchers and data labellers involved in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), ensuring that models align with user intent and adhere to ethical standards.
The Model Spec is organised into three main components: Objectives provide broad directional goals, Rules establish specific instructions to prevent harmful outcomes and maintain legality, and Defaults offer basic style guidance and allow user flexibility while ensuring consistency.
The initiative serves multiple important purposes. It provides a framework for businesses to implement ethical AI, improve customer service quality, navigate regulations, and gain a competitive advantage through reliable AI systems. The Spec also addresses common issues by preventing users from prompting the model to ignore instructions and providing guidance on how models should refuse tasks.
OpenAI’s Model Spec represents a significant advancement in AI models’ fine-tuning and ethical alignment. As a living document, it will evolve based on community feedback and practical applications, contributing to the broader discourse on responsible AI development and public engagement in determining model behaviour.
Japan’s defence ministry is ramping up investments in AI, automation, and troop welfare as it tackles a growing recruitment crisis. The ministry announced these measures alongside its latest budget request, aiming to maintain a strong military presence amid a shrinking birth rate and increasing security concerns surrounding China.
A 6.9% increase in defence spending has been proposed, totalling a record 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion). The strategy shift will fund AI surveillance systems for military bases, unmanned drones, and new automated warships with smaller crews. The move comes after Japan’s Self Defence Forces (SDF) experienced its worst recruitment year, enrolling less than half its target.
To address the shortfall, the defence ministry plans to offer financial incentives and improve living conditions, including more private sleeping quarters and better social media access. Special efforts are being made to increase female recruitment, with new accommodation and enhanced harassment prevention measures also included in the budget.
Japan is also exploring outsourcing training and support operations to civilian contractors and former SDF members, freeing up more troops for frontline duties.
As China’s military power grows, these steps form part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s broader strategy to strengthen Japan’s defence capabilities.
AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic have agreed with the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute to collaborate on research, testing, and evaluating their advanced AI models. The deals come as regulatory scrutiny over AI’s safe and ethical development increases across the tech industry.
The agreements allow the US AI Safety Institute early access to significant new AI models from both companies before and after their release. The partnership will evaluate their capabilities and potential risks and provide feedback on safety improvements. OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, supported the initiative, citing its importance in setting a global framework for AI safety.
Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Alphabet, did not immediately comment on the deal. The US AI Safety Institute is also working closely with its counterpart in the UK to ensure international collaboration on AI safety. The institute was established as part of an executive order by President Biden to address risks associated with emerging AI technologies.
Nations worldwide are boosting demand for Nvidia’s AI chips by developing AI models tailored to their languages and cultures. Countries increasingly adopt generative AI for national security and regional needs, contributing significantly to Nvidia’s revenues. The company’s forecast predicts low double-digit billions in revenue from these AI-driven initiatives by January 2025.
Nvidia’s hardware, such as the H200 graphics processors, plays a crucial role in building AI infrastructure, with Japan‘s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology being a notable example. These efforts highlight the importance of AI expertise and infrastructure as national priorities.
While Nvidia faces challenges due to US export controls on chip sales to China, other regions continue to drive the company’s growth. Countries aim to build AI models customised to their political, cultural, and scientific contexts, which are essential for maintaining sovereignty in an AI-driven world.
Businesses are also tapping into this trend, with firms like IBM assisting nations like Saudi Arabia in developing AI models in regional languages. Nvidia’s GPUs are expected to benefit significantly from these global efforts to build national AI platforms.
OpenAI is nearing a major funding round that would value the company more than $100 billion, with Thrive Capital expected to invest around $1 billion. Sources familiar with the matter have indicated that the fundraising is progressing but has yet to be made public.
Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s CFO, informed employees that the company seeks new capital to cover increasing operational costs and fuel the computing power needed for its AI models. The announcement did not specify exact figures but highlighted the growing need for resources as the company scales.
If the funding round is successful, OpenAI could become one of the world’s most valuable venture-backed startups, underscoring the global demand for generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The rise of OpenAI has also sparked increased competition among tech giants eager to integrate AI into their products.
Friar additionally hinted at plans for a tender event later this year, allowing employees to sell some of their shares. Details of this event are still in the early stages and yet to be confirmed.
