Friday Focus: This Week in AI - 27 Sep 2024

Friday Focus: This Week in AI - 27 Sep 2024

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Friday Focus: This week in AI,” where we dive into the most compelling and buzz-worthy topics in the world of artificial intelligence.

AI Investment and Funding

Several major developments in AI investment and funding have occurred recently:

  • OpenAI is aiming to raise at least $5 billion at a $150 billion valuation from investors including Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft and Thrive Capital.
  • Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a new AI safety startup co-founded by OpenAI’s former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has raised $1 billion.
  • Big tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google are increasingly investing in AI startups, with a 57% year-over-year increase in funding.

Advancements in AI Capabilities

There have been notable advancements in AI capabilities across various domains:

  • Multimodal AI, which can process multiple types of data like text, images and sound, is emerging as a major trend.
  • Agentic AI, which exhibits autonomy and proactivity, is gaining traction for applications like environmental monitoring and financial management.
  • Researchers have developed new AI methods for material “fingerprinting” and enhancing individual creativity.

AI in Consumer Technology

AI is being integrated into more consumer-facing applications:

  • Amazon has started testing ads in its Rufus chatbot.
  • Apple is expected to introduce “Apple Intelligence” features in future iOS updates.
  • There’s growing interest in AI-powered search engines like Perplexity AI as alternatives to traditional search.

Ethical and Regulatory Considerations

As AI adoption grows, so do concerns about ethics and regulation:

  • Employees from major AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have come out in support of a California AI bill requiring safety testing.
  • There’s increasing focus on addressing AI bias and developing ethical AI practices, especially in fields like HR.
  • The rise of “shadow AI” - unauthorized AI use within organizations - is becoming a concern for IT departments.