Apple's AI: More than Just 'Core' Features, It's a Game Changer!

Today:

Apple’s practical approach to A.I.: No bragging, just features

Apple's latest show and tell at their annual developers' bash, WWDC. They've been busy bees in the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning world, and they're finally letting us in on some of the action.

While the likes of Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI have been all talk and hoopla with their fancy AI tech, Apple's been playing it cool, content to just hang back and watch. But they've got a few tricks up their sleeve, as it turns out.

They've spruced up iPhone's autocorrect using a transformer language model (that's a fancy way of saying it can understand and learn how we type to make it better). Our pal Craig Federighi, the head software honcho at Apple, even cracked a joke about how the keyboard's finally going to get the hang of our "ducking" frustrations.

They also showed off their swanky new augmented reality headset, Vision Pro, but they're quick to remind us that they're not neglecting their AI and machine learning roots. Sure, OpenAI's ChatGPT got 100 million users in its first couple months last year, but Apple's gonna take that tech and soup up a feature a billion iPhone users fiddle with daily.

Unlike its show-off rivals, Apple's focusing on keeping AI models on its devices. The kicker is, this new autocorrect feature doesn't need some pricey server farm to run - it just needs your iPhone. Neat, huh? And a lot less worrisome for folks fretting about data privacy.

Apple's also all over its hardware, packing AI circuits and GPUs into their own silicon chips. The benefit of that? It lets them roll with the punches as new tech comes around.

Now, you won't catch Apple bragging about "artificial intelligence" - they're more the "machine learning" types. While other tech giants are parading their AI accomplishments, Apple likes to keep the spotlight on the product itself, preferring to stay hush-hush about what's cooking behind the scenes.

They've come up with a few other goodies, too - AirPods Pro that know when you're chatting and turn off noise cancelling, a Digital Persona feature that creates a 3D virtual clone of you for video calls with their Vision Pro headset, and a nifty tool that can pick out your pet from other animals and group their photos together. The crowd at Cupertino loved that last one, by the way.

So, there you have it. Apple's been quietly revolutionizing AI and machine learning, and they're finally letting us peek behind the curtain. Can't wait to see what they cook up next!

READ THE ARTICLE ON CNBC.

Zoom can now give you AI summaries of the meetings you’ve missed

Zoom has just whipped up a new tool that's pretty slick. They're calling it Zoom IQ, and it's like your own personal assistant for catching up on those pesky meetings you might've missed. It'll jot down the highlights, then send 'em over to you by email or through Zoom Team Chat.

Now, you might be asking, "how's this thing doing all that?" Well, the answer's simple – it's all thanks to this artificial intelligence stuff. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. It's basically a program that can learn and adapt, kinda like us humans, just without the need for coffee breaks.

So, you didn't catch the meeting? No problem. Instead of sitting through a recorded rerun, you can check out this neat summary and be in the loop quicker than a hiccup. And while we're at it, it’s also bringing in a new option that’ll write out your messages using AI. Pretty cool, huh?

And there's more. Zoom plans on rolling out some more fancy AI features. These include writing emails based on past chats, summarizing chat threads, and even helping you sneak in late to a meeting with a quick catch-up summary.

But hey, nothing comes for free, right? Zoom is going to start keeping tabs on how you use these new tools, which might rub some folks the wrong way. On the bright side, they say it's to make their system smarter, not to hand off info to third parties.

As of now, these fancy-dancy features are only available as a free trial for a select group of users, and we're still in the dark about what it'll cost after that. We’ll have to stay tuned for that juicy bit of info. And that's the skinny on Zoom's latest moves!

Note to self: Looks like the race is on among these tech bigwigs. Zoom's not the only one in the AI game. Slack and Microsoft 365 are also pulling out the AI stops. It's one wild ride, folks!

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE VERGE.

Elon Musk says China will initiate AI regulations

So, our billionaire tech maestro, Elon Musk, just tipped his hat to a pretty big deal: China's gearing up to wrangle some rules for artificial intelligence. Now, he didn't spill all the beans, mind you, just dropped the hint during a chit-chat with Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Seems like Elon's latest jaunt to China got him rubbing elbows with some heavy hitters, talking up the ins and outs of AI, the potential sticky wickets, and why we might need to keep an eye on it. According to our man Musk, China is all set to start playing the AI referee.

As luck would have it, no one could get a peep out of the Chinese officials about this, since, well, it was outside of their office hours. Timing, ain't it a pain?

In his quick whirl around China, Musk managed a chinwag with the likes of China's foreign, commerce, and industry ministers. Seems like the top brass was in on it too, including their highest-ranking vice premier.

Turns out, China's been dabbling in the AI rulebook since April. Their cyberspace watchdog wants companies to submit a sorta 'safety report card' before their AI services go live. Makes sense, considering AI's had quite a growth spurt recently, thanks to shiny new offerings like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

According to the big wigs at the Cyberspace Administration of China, they're all in for AI innovation and application, as long as it doesn't cross paths with the country's core socialist values. Plus, the folks churning out these AI products have got to make sure they're not using dodgy data or designing discriminatory algorithms. A fair shake for all, they say.

READ THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS.

Israel will have ‘huge role’ to play in AI revolution, OpenAI’s Sam Altman says

OpenAI’s head honcho, Sam Altman, was in Israel the other day, and boy was he singing its praises. He reckons Israel's got a big part to play in the AI rodeo, what with its pool of brainy folks and their gumption. Altman and his partner in crime, Ilya Sutskever, creators of this fancy talking robot called ChatGPT, stopped by at Tel Aviv University for a powwow.

They're all about sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI, and encouraging the local techies to take a leap of faith into AI. With folks like Elon Musk in their corner, OpenAI was founded in 2015 to make sure this AI business is a good deal for everyone.

But they ain't all starry-eyed about it. Altman and Sutskever are all about the checks and balances, calling for a kind of sheriff to keep an eye on AI, like they do with nuclear power. That's to make sure no one goes off half-cocked with this powerful tech.

On the same note, Prime Minister Netanyahu is looking to whip up a national AI policy for Israel. Both him and Altman are seeing eye-to-eye on Israel becoming a serious player in AI. Altman did have a chinwag with Netanyahu over the phone, but despite rumors, he didn't swing by for a personal meeting.

Altman and his team had a sit-down with President Isaac Herzog and dropped by Microsoft’s R&D center in Israel. They’re pretty chuffed with the rate at which Israel's getting into AI. And the big boss of Microsoft Israel? She’s over the moon with the progress OpenAI is making.

Now, there's been some talk about an OpenAI branch opening up in Israel. While Altman likes his team all in one place, they're not ruling out the idea. After all, Microsoft’s got a bunch of centers over there, and they’re getting stuck into everything from AI to healthcare.

Once he's done in Israel, Altman's off on a whirlwind tour, hitting up places like Jordan, Qatar, and India. So, it looks like he's got a whole heap of frequent flyer miles coming his way!

READ THE ARTICLE ON TIMES OF ISRAEL.

Google and Facebook urged by EU to label AI-generated content

The EU's telling Google and Facebook to start slapping labels on stuff made by their AI pals. They reckon it's high time we knew when we're yammering with a bot. Why's that, you ask? Well, they're sweating about Russia stirring the pot with fake news.

They're not just wagging their fingers either. Twitter, who got its feathers ruffled and flew the coop from the EU’s voluntary code of conduct, might just be in a spot of bother. If it doesn't play ball with the new digital rules from August 25, it could get hit with fines up to 6% of its earnings or even face a total EU ban. Just imagine, a world with no 'tweet' sounds!

Elon Musk’s company could end up forking over £145m if it doesn't work under the umbrella of the Digital Services Act. That's a pretty penny, huh?

The EU also wants Facebook and other tech bigwigs to pour more resources into fact-checking, especially in areas where Russian disinformation is causing a ruckus. The EU's not messing around here; they're taking this disinformation thing as seriously as a heart attack.

Věra Jourová, a bigwig at the European Commission, says it's not business as usual and what the Russians want is to shake people's faith in supporting Ukraine. Pretty heavy stuff, that.

EU's seen as the top dog in tech company regulation, and it's cooking up some new laws on AI. Twitter's decision to quit the voluntary code, though, was viewed as picking a fight. Jourová even called it a blunder. Not a good look, Twitter.

The EU wants companies to label AI content in a way that even folks mindlessly scrolling through their feeds can understand. They're talking stuff like "this is the robot talking" - clear as a bell, right?

So, Jourová met with Sundar Pichai, the head honcho at Google, and asked if they could sniff out fake news. He said 'Yes, but we're working on it.' Ain't that always the way?

In short, Big Tech's got a big job to do, and the EU's cracking the whip. Let's see how they step up.

READ THE ARTICLE ON THE GUARDIAN.

Sensi.AI and Flint Capital speak on developing and deploying AI solutions in healthcare

Sensi.AI, the brainchild of Romi Gubes, is knocking it outta the park with its AI software that keeps tabs on folks needing in-home care, without stepping on any privacy toes. Romi, who's had her fair share of corporate stints, dreamt up Sensi.AI after a nasty incident at her kiddo's daycare, pushing her to safeguard folks in vulnerable positions.

America's seeing a serious shortage of in-home carers, with old-timers increasing and not enough young 'uns to look after them. That's where Sensi.AI steps in, having grown like wildfire since 2018, now boasting 70 employees in the U.S. and Israel, and serving thousands of people in 37 states. They got a pretty penny from investors too – 25 million smackers!

Sensi.AI ain't just another face in the crowd. Their tech involves AI and audio monitoring to keep an ear out for any irregularities in patients' surroundings. Think of it as a sort of tech Sherlock Holmes, but for health. They've gathered 10 million caregiver interactions for their AI system, allowing them to spot issues before they blow up.

Concerned about privacy? Don't be. Sensi.AI doesn't use cameras and follows HIPAA rules, keeping the audio data disconnected from the person being monitored. When COVID hit and caregivers couldn't visit their patients, the need for Sensi.AI's services came into sharp focus.

But hold your horses, they ain't looking to replace care workers completely. They know that's a tall order technically, and want to instead aid clinicians and families in keeping an eye on their loved ones, making their work more efficient. And there you have it, the lowdown on Sensi.AI's mission in the healthcare world!

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH.

Chegg Embraced AI

The online education folks at Chegg got a bit of a shocker last month when their stocks plummeted, losing half their value. Why? The rise of ChatGPT, an AI powerhouse that's muscling in on Chegg's turf.

Chegg had been chewing the fat for years about how AI could cut costs, possibly even replacing some instructors. But it seems they thought it would take a little longer. After ChatGPT showed up, they kept a cool head, not seeing any major subscriber loss. But then, GPT-4 burst onto the scene in March, and students started opting for the shiny new free tool instead of Chegg's paid services.

Chegg's bigwigs finally woke up, realizing this wasn't a storm that would blow over. Chegg's CFO, Andy Brown, admitted that ChatGPT was an "existential change." Rosensweig, the CEO, shook hands with OpenAI's CEO, and they cooked up a new partnership to create an AI learning companion. But even this fancy new partnership couldn't stop the bleeding.

Chegg, once the textbook rental service that could, now had a big AI-shaped problem on its hands. But don't count them out just yet. They're throwing everything they've got into their own AI-powered tool, CheggMate. There are still some bumps in the road, though. Chegg has faced accusations of enabling cheating, and there are worries that CheggMate could add fuel to that fire.

Now, Chegg's gearing up for a showdown with ChatGPT and other AI rivals. Their game plan? Make their chatbot so tailored to education that students will see ChatGPT as an inferior homework helper. It's gonna be a tough ride, but with Chegg's history of bouncing back, they're not throwing in the towel just yet. As they say, it ain't over till the AI sings.

READ THE ARTICLE ON WIRED.

Generative AI can save 5 hours of marketing hustle every week: Salesforce report

A study from Salesforce and YouGov suggests AI is about to become the marketer's best buddy. Apparently, generative AI can shave off around five hours of work per week. That's like getting a free month off work each year if you clock the usual eight hours a day.

In this study, over a thousand marketers from the US, UK, and Australia shared their two cents. Most of them are jazzed about the tech, many already weaving it into their daily grind. About half of the folks surveyed are either using or dabbling with generative AI, while another 22% are lining up to jump on the bandwagon.

So, what are they using AI for? Well, mostly for the boring stuff. Things like content creation, sparking creativity, crunching market data, and whipping up images. And, surprise surprise, a good chunk of them are using big-brain apps like ChatGPT for creating content and writing copy.

But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Some marketers are raising their eyebrows about the quality of AI-generated content. And let's not even talk about the learning curve. About 43% admitted they're not exactly sure how to squeeze the juice out of this AI fruit. Plus, there's the worry about tech snafus like data leaks.

Yet, despite the hiccups, the general consensus is that generative AI could revolutionize marketing. To get there, though, marketers say they need a few things: human oversight to keep things on track, trusted customer data to feed the AI, and a bit of schooling on how to use the technology without stepping on any digital landmines.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.