Apple’s upcoming AI features will be released later than initially expected, missing the launch of the new iPhone and iPad software updates. The AI features, called Apple Intelligence, are set to roll out by October, a few weeks after the scheduled release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 in September. These new features will first be available to developers for testing with the beta versions of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1.
In June, Apple highlighted its commitment to AI with new device enhancements, aiming to boost declining sales. Apple Intelligence is designed to generate text, images, and other content on demand. It will be compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and devices with the M1 chip and later. The MacOS Sequoia update will allow iPhone screens to be mirrored on Mac computers for interaction.
Why does it matter?
The delay follows Apple’s decision in June to postpone the launch of three AI features due to the EU regulations. The rules mandate that Apple ensures compatibility with rival products and services.
The tech giant continues to push its AI initiatives despite the challenges posed by international regulations as it seeks to remain competitive in the evolving AI field.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the Olympic AI Agenda, the third in a series of strategic documents under President Thomas Bach, focusing on the transformative impact of AI on sports. The agenda follows the Olympic Agenda 2020, launched in December 2014, and the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, introduced in March 2021, reflecting the accelerating digital revolution and the increasing potential of AI to reshape various aspects of life, including sports.
AI presents a groundbreaking opportunity to enhance global accessibility to sports, aligning with the IOC’s mission of promoting solidarity and inclusivity. The Olympic AI Agenda aims to establish a governance and oversight framework to identify and mitigate risks while leveraging insights from a diverse panel of experts, including AI pioneers, academics, athletes, and technology company representatives. This panel, convened by the IOC in 2023, has conducted a comprehensive review of AI’s applications in sports, focusing on high-impact areas where the IOC can lead and inspire AI integration.
Recognising that the future of AI in sports is a collaborative effort, the IOC invites stakeholders across the Olympic Movement, such as athletes, International Federations, National Olympic Committees, and the International Paralympic Committee, to join this transformative journey. By working together, they aim to unlock AI’s full potential to promote solidarity, enhance digitalisation, improve sustainability and resilience, and reinforce the role of sports in society, ultimately building a better world through sports.
Alphabet’s Google has revealed two innovative AI systems, AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2, which demonstrate significant advancements in solving complex mathematical problems. These systems tackled abstract math more effectively than previous AI models, showcasing enhanced reasoning capabilities.
DeepMind, Google’s AI unit, reported that these models managed to solve four out of six questions at the 2024 International Math Olympiad. AlphaProof, which integrates the Gemini language model with the AlphaZero system, solved three problems, including the most challenging one, while AlphaGeometry 2 solved another.
These achievements mark the best performance by an AI system in the competition to date, with some problems solved in minutes and others taking up to three days. Meanwhile, Microsoft-backed OpenAI is developing a similar project known as ‘Strawberry,’ raising concerns among its staff about its potential impact on humanity.
The introduction of SearchGPT by OpenAI, an AI-powered search engine with real-time internet access, challenges Google’s dominance in the search market. Announced on Thursday, the launch places OpenAI in competition not only with Google but also with its major backer, Microsoft, and emerging AI search tools like Perplexity. The announcement caused Alphabet’s shares to drop by 3%.
SearchGPT is currently in its prototype stage, with a limited number of users and publishers testing it. The tool aims to provide summarised search results with source links, allowing users to ask follow-up questions for more contextual responses. OpenAI plans to integrate SearchGPT’s best features into ChatGPT in the future. Publishers will have access to tools for managing their content’s appearance in search results.
Google, which holds a 91.1% market share in search engines, may feel the pressure to innovate as competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity enter the arena. Perplexity is already facing legal challenges from publishers, highlighting the difficulties newer AI-powered search providers might encounter.
SearchGPT marks a closer collaboration between OpenAI and publishers, with News Corp and The Atlantic as initial partners. This follows OpenAI’s content licensing agreements with major media organisations. Google did not comment on the potential impact of SearchGPT on its business.
US Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia made history by becoming the first lawmaker to use an AI-generated model of her voice to speak on the House floor. Due to her battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Wexton has lost the ability to use her full voice and move around as she once did. She announced in September that she would not seek reelection, citing her deteriorating health.
On Thursday, Wexton addressed the US House of Representatives using the AI model, explaining her reliance on a walker and anticipating the need for a wheelchair before her term ends. Hearing the AI rendition of her voice for the first time, Wexton described it as ‘the most beautiful thing I had ever heard,’ bringing her to tears.
Wexton’s diagnosis has renewed her determination to use her platform to help others. Her historic use of augmentative and alternative communication devices on the House floor highlights her commitment to continue serving despite her health challenges.
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, raises a critical question: ‘Who will control the future of AI?’. He frames it as a choice between a democratic vision, led by the US and its allies to disseminate AI benefits widely, and an authoritarian one, led by nations like Russia and China, aiming to consolidate power through AI. Altman underscores the urgency of this decision, given the rapid advancements in AI technology and the high stakes involved.
Altman warns that while the United States currently leads in AI development, this advantage is precarious due to substantial investments by authoritarian governments. He highlights the risks if these regimes take the lead, such as restricted AI benefits, enhanced surveillance, and advanced cyber weapons. To prevent this, Altman proposes a four-pronged strategy – robust security measures to protect intellectual property, significant investments in physical and human infrastructure, a coherent commercial diplomacy policy, and establishing international norms and safety protocols.
He emphasises proactive collaboration between the US government and the private sector to implement these measures swiftly. Altman believes that proactive efforts today in security, infrastructure, talent development, and global governance can secure a competitive advantage and broad societal benefits. Ultimately, Altman advocates for a democratic vision for AI, underpinned by strategic, timely, and globally inclusive actions to maximise the technology’s benefits while minimising risks.
IBM has reported stronger-than-expected revenue for the second quarter and raised its annual growth forecast for its software business. This growth is driven by increased client expenditure on AI technology, particularly through the expansion of its Watsonx platform. Watsonx supports both AI deployment and open-source AI models. Shares rose by about 3% in extended trading, adding to a 12% gain this year from the AI sector rally.
Software revenue for the quarter grew by 7% to £6.74 billion. The 113-year-old company now expects this segment to achieve high-single-digit growth in 2024, exceeding its previous forecast. The AI Book of Business, which includes bookings and sales across various products, has grown to £2 billion, with £1 billion added in the second quarter alone.
In contrast, IBM has lowered its annual consulting revenue expectations. They are now forecasting low-single-digit growth instead of the previously anticipated 6%-8% range. Consulting revenue fell by 1% to £5.18 billion due to reduced client expenditure on short-term projects amid higher interest rates and inflation.
Overall revenue for the second quarter reached $15.77 billion, surpassing analysts’ estimates of $15.62 billion. Adjusted profit was $2.43 per share, beating the expected $2.20, driven by strong sales in the high-margin software business.
Meta’s Oversight Board has criticised the company’s rules on sexually explicit AI-generated depictions of real people, stating they are ‘not sufficiently clear.’ That follows the board’s review of two pornographic deepfakes of famous women posted on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms. The board found that both images violated Meta’s policy against ‘derogatory sexualised photoshop,’ which is considered bullying and harassment and should have been promptly removed.
In one case involving an Indian public figure, Meta failed to act on a user report within 48 hours, leading to an automatic ticket closure. The image was only removed after the board intervened. In contrast, Meta’s systems automatically took down the image of an American celebrity. The board recommended that Meta clarify its rules to cover a broader range of editing techniques, including generative AI. It criticised the company for not adding the Indian woman’s image to a database for automatic removals.
Meta has stated it will review the board’s recommendations and update its policies accordingly. The board emphasised the importance of removing harmful content to protect those impacted, noting that many victims of deepfake intimate images are not public figures and struggle to manage the spread of non-consensual depictions.
The US Senate has unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act, allowing victims of nonconsensual intimate images created by AI, known as deepfakes, to sue their creators for damages. The bill enables victims to pursue civil remedies against those who produced or distributed sexually explicit deepfakes with malicious intent. Victims identifiable in these deepfakes can receive up to $150,000 in damages and up to $250,000 if linked to sexual assault, stalking, or harassment.
The legislative move follows high-profile incidents, such as AI-generated explicit images of Taylor Swift appearing on social media and similar cases affecting high school girls across the country. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasised the widespread impact of malicious deepfakes, highlighting the urgent need for protective measures.
Schumer described the DEFIANCE Act as part of broader efforts to implement AI safeguards to prevent significant harm. He called on the House to pass the bill, which has a companion bill awaiting consideration. Schumer assured victims that the government is committed to addressing the issue and protecting individuals from the abuses of AI technology.
Google Cloud announced Wednesday that their AI service (Vertex) will use Mistral AI’s Codestral AI model, as the Google Cloud team explained.
“Today, we’re announcing that Google Cloud is the first hyper scaler to introduce Codestral – Mistral AI’s first open-weight generative AI model explicitly designed for code generation tasks — as a fully managed service.”, the company emphasised.
Mistral AI is a Paris-based startup firm founded in 2023 by former Google Deep Mind and Meta AI scientists. The partnership shows the quick growth of Mistral AI, considered the European alternative to Microsoft-backed OpenAI by many analysts.
