European scientists have developed an AI algorithm that can interpret pig sounds to help farmers monitor their animals’ emotions, potentially improving pig welfare. The tool, created by researchers from universities across several European countries, analyses grunts, oinks, and squeals to identify whether pigs are experiencing positive or negative emotions. This could give farmers new insights beyond just monitoring physical health, as emotions are key to animal welfare but are often overlooked on farms.
The study found that pigs on free-range or organic farms produce fewer stress-related calls compared to conventionally raised pigs, suggesting a link between environment and emotional well-being. The AI algorithm could eventually be used in an app to alert farmers when pigs are stressed or uncomfortable, allowing for better management. Short grunts are associated with positive feelings, while longer grunts and high-pitched squeals often indicate stress or discomfort.
Researchers believe that once fully developed, this technology could not only benefit animal welfare but also help consumers make more informed choices about the farms they support.
Presight and Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation have forged a significant partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abu Dhabi. The collaboration primarily focuses on advancing research and development in AI, data analytics, and innovation, particularly within emerging smart cities, energy transition, and climate action technologies.
To foster interaction among institutions in both regions, the partnership plans to organise seminars and conferences and establish mechanisms for technology transfer, thereby accelerating the adoption of AI and big data in Colombia. Consequently, this strategic alliance aligns with Colombia’s ambitions to enhance operational efficiency in smart cities while advancing its bioeconomy goals.
Furthermore, it represents a key step in Presight’s international expansion, reflecting Colombia’s desire to become a significant player in Latin America’s tech landscape. Leaders from both organisations have expressed their enthusiasm for this partnership.
It has been described as a milestone for advancing research and innovation in Colombia and the broader Latin American region. Additionally, the importance of the MoU in strengthening ties with the UAE has been emphasised, along with a commitment to ethical and sustainable AI initiatives. Together, Presight and Colombia aim to harness the potential of AI and big data to address pressing global challenges, thereby positioning themselves as leaders in innovation and technology in their respective regions.
Google has released SynthID Text, a watermarking tool designed to help developers identify AI-generated content. Available for free on platforms like Hugging Face and Google’s Responsible GenAI Toolkit, this open-source technology aims to improve transparency around AI-written text. It works by embedding subtle patterns into the token distribution of text generated by AI models without affecting the quality or speed of the output.
SynthID Text has been integrated with Google’s Gemini models since earlier this year. While it can detect text that has been paraphrased or modified, the tool does have limitations, particularly with shorter text, factual responses, and content translated from other languages. Google acknowledges that its watermarking technique may struggle with these formats but emphasises the tool’s overall benefits.
As the demand for AI-generated content grows, so does the need for reliable detection methods. Countries like China are already mandating watermarking of AI-produced material, and similar regulations are being considered in US, California. The urgency is clear, with predictions that AI-generated content could dominate 90% of online text by 2026, creating new challenges in combating misinformation and fraud.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has notified the US government about a potential breach of export controls involving Huawei. TSMC suspects that the Chinese tech company may be attempting to work around US restrictions that ban the chipmaker from producing advanced AI chips for Huawei, a target of American trade curbs since 2020.
The US imposed these controls to limit China’s access to high-end semiconductors, crucial for developing military technologies. While TSMC claims it hasn’t supplied Huawei since mid-2020, a recent customer order for a chip similar to Huawei’s Ascend 910B has raised concerns. The AI chip in question is designed for training large language models, a key area of competition in the tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
TSMC promptly reported the situation to the US Commerce Department, although no investigation has been launched against the company. The US and Huawei have yet to comment on the matter.
Portuguese startup Sensei, specialising in contactless store technology, has secured €15 million in a Series A funding round led by BlueCrow Capital. The investment also saw participation from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, Kamay Ventures, and existing backers like Metro AG and Techstars Ventures. This follows Sensei’s 2021 seed round of €5.4 million.
Sensei aims to establish 1,000 fully autonomous retail points by 2026, with current operations in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil. The company uses AI-powered sensors and computer vision to automate checkout, offering customers a seamless shopping experience and real-time store management for retailers.
As competition heats up in the contactless retail space, Sensei is up against major players like Standard Cognition, Trigo, and AiFi, which have raised substantial funds to develop similar technology.
AI tools were introduced at Everest PR to streamline tasks, but the results were not as expected. Founder Anurag Garg noticed that instead of boosting efficiency, the technology created additional stress. His team reported that using AI tools like ChatGPT was time-consuming and added new complexities, leading to frustration and burnout.
Garg’s team struggled to keep up with frequent software updates and found that managing multiple AI platforms made their work harder. This sentiment is echoed in surveys showing many workers feel AI tools increase their workloads rather than reduce them. A study revealed that 61% believe AI will increase their chances of burnout, with the figure rising to 87% among younger workers.
Even legal professionals are feeling overwhelmed by AI’s impact on their workloads. Leah Steele, a coach for lawyers, explained that tech-driven environments often lead to reduced job satisfaction and fear of redundancy. The Law Society also highlights the challenges of implementing AI, emphasising that learning new tools requires time and effort, which can add pressure rather than alleviate it.
While some argue that AI can empower small firms by enhancing productivity, others stress the need for proper usage to prevent overwhelm. Garg has now reduced his team’s reliance on AI, finding that a more selective approach has improved employee well-being and reconnected them with their work.
Zoom has announced a partnership with Suki, a leading AI medical scribe provider, to offer doctors on its platform an AI-powered tool that automates note-taking during telehealth visits. With Zoom accounting for over a third of telehealth appointments in the US, this move aims to help clinicians reduce time spent on paperwork, improving efficiency during virtual consultations.
The partnership marks Zoom’s shift from solely being a video-conferencing company to integrating AI tools designed for workplace efficiency, a vision supported by its CEO, Eric Yuan. Suki was selected after Zoom evaluated other AI medical scribe startups, further boosting Suki’s presence after raising $70M in funding earlier this month.
This development highlights a broader trend in healthcare, with companies like Amazon’s One Medical and Microsoft’s Nuance also leveraging AI for medical note-taking, helping providers manage documentation more effectively. Despite growing competition, investors believe there is still room for specialised AI solutions in both large healthcare systems and smaller medical practices.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has launched two new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to provide investors with exposure to the rapidly growing market for AI. AI is predicted to have widespread applications across industries, and BlackRock sees it as a major force driving long-term investment opportunities.
The iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech Active ETF will focus on global AI and technology stocks, while the iShares Technology Opportunities Active ETF will invest in tech companies across various sectors, including semiconductors, software, and hardware. Both funds are designed to help investors capitalise on the increasing integration of AI into different industries.
Despite mixed demand for thematic ETFs recently, BlackRock‘s move reflects its confidence in AI’s potential. The company continues to believe AI will shape the future of industries from technology to financial services, offering unique investment opportunities.
Earlier this month, BlackRock reported record-high assets under management, boosted by a strong US stock market rally, further highlighting its successful strategy in the investment market.
Anthropic, the AI startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon, has launched updated AI models with a new feature designed to automate computer tasks, reducing the need for human interaction. The company’s latest innovation allows AI to perform actions like moving the mouse, clicking, and typing, simplifying complex tasks for software developers. This capability brings Anthropic closer to creating AI agents that can handle multi-step processes, a significant advancement beyond traditional chatbots.
The new feature, included in Anthropic’s mid-tier Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, is tailored to help developers with tasks like coding and even navigating programs like Google Search or Apple Maps. While it shows promise, the company has implemented safeguards to prevent misuse, such as spam or election interference. Anthropic continues to seek feedback from businesses to refine the tool and is exploring how to make it available to consumers in the future.
Anthropic’s Chief Science Officer, Jared Kaplan, demonstrated the potential of this AI to automate workflows, while Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, now Anthropic’s chief product officer, expressed excitement about further advancing the technology to fully automate tasks like booking flights.
Thousands of creatives, including Kevin Bacon, Thom Yorke, and Julianne Moore, have signed a petition opposing the unlicensed use of their work to train AI. The 11,500 signatories believe that such practices threaten their livelihoods and call for better protection of creative content.
The petition argues that using creative works without permission for AI development is an ‘unjust threat’ to the people behind those works. Signatories from various industries, including musicians, writers, and actors, are voicing concerns over how their work is being used by AI companies.
British composer Ed Newton-Rex, who organised the petition, has spoken out against AI companies, accusing them of ‘dehumanising’ art by treating it as mere ‘training data’. He highlighted the growing concerns among creatives about how AI may undermine their rights and income.
The United Kingdom government is currently exploring new regulations to address the issue, including a potential ‘opt out’ model for AI data scraping, as lawmakers look for ways to protect creative content in the digital age.
