AI & Us: a new documentary by Dataiku

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September 9, 2022

Dataiku has released a new documentary series, “AI & Us.” The series focuses on how artificial intelligence has become highly accessible nowadays and is revolutionizing many industries. The company believes it will build a connection between enterprises and AI while enlightening entrepreneurs to create and provide insightful services.

The series was screened on 7 September, with the first episode, “Dressed by Machines,” discussing AI in the fashion industry. It depicted how AI helps deliver customized recommendations in creating and forecasting trends. Dataiku claimed that the lifetime of an average trend or style is only five weeks, given the society’s interest in “fast fashion.”

The premier episode also presents a project with a “reactive reality rig”, a turntable connected to a camera to take 360-degree images of a fashion ensemble. These images are instantly processed into a 3D version that users can use to fit their scanned faces and body measurements. The idea is to create a 3D avatar that can virtually “try” on the outfit.

Nevertheless, the technology is not intended to replace the designers or models from showcasing fashion ensembles. Costas Kazantzi, a creative technologist at Fashion Innovation Agency, said, “AI cannot replace the fashion designer from a fashion perspective. However, I believe the very element of artificial intelligence is about randomness.” He added that AI would help in diversifying the creative process.

Shaun McGirr, a data scientist and VP of AI strategy at Dataiku, is hosting the series. McGirr will introduce more interesting use cases in the proceeding episodes and some ethical question-answers that show society’s perception of AI.

Microsoft and Meta among participating investors for SaaS startup UserStudy

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Sahil Pawar

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September 9, 2022

Microsoft and Meta among participating investors for SaaS startup UserStudy

UserStudy, a SaaS startup that simplifies user research for product teams, raised eight crores in a pre-seed funding round led by Better Capital. Other participating investors were Microsoft, Meta, Sparrow VC, Maninder Gulati, Good Capital, Gojek, FlexiLoans, Oyo, and Upgrad.

UserStudy is creating a video-first research solution that gathers insights from audio and video channels in an organization and consolidates all insights and feedback in one place. The company also helps product teams recruit the research participants with solid demographics and professional attributes segmentation. UserStudy is a full-stack research platform that encomapsses the whole value chain of user research.

“We use what is easy and discard complex things. We believe user research is too complex and laborious; products and experiences are suffering at scale due to this challenge. UserStudy helps with this by making user research ten times easier for product teams globally,” said Vaibhav Domkundwar of Better Capital.

UserStudy was founded earlier this year by Nitin Matiyali and Anshul Divakar, both batchmates from IIT Bombay. They have experience in organizations like Gojek, McKinsey, and Oyo. Nitin has a business background as a consultant with McKinsey and Head of Revenue for Oyo’s UK Homes business. Anshul has handled product leadership roles at Gojek & Flexiloans.

Co-Founder of UserStudy said that their vision is to build a one-stop SaaS for all research needs of product teams globally. While design leaders understand the significance of user research, most teams cannot perorm well enough because conducting research is time-consuming and challenging. With UserStudy, it becomes effortless to perform research. Insights are generated in a matter of not weeks, but hours.”

TRAI extends deadline to submit paper on ways to leverage AI and big data

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Sahil Pawar

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September 9, 2022

TRAI extends deadline to submit paper on ways to leverage AI and big data

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline for stakeholder counter-comments and comments for its recent discussion paper on leveraging opportunities around artificial intelligence (AI) and big data for the telecom industry.

In its discussion paper surfaced in early August, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) sought views on the opportunities and risks involved in leveraging AI and big data. It also covered the issues such as customer privacy and constraints in adopting these technologies. The regulator noted in the paper that the telecom sector could leverage AI and Bbig data in quality of service, spectrum management, and network security.

TRAI is now seeking comments and counter-comments by October 14 and 28, respectively, following requests from stakeholders for more time. It had initially demanded these submissions by September 16 and September 30.

The TRAI paper noted that investment in AI and machine learning (ML) companies had increased sharply. Indian AI and analytics start-ups received US $1,108 million in funding in 2021, the highest ever funding received in seven years, with a year-over-year growth rate of 32.5%.

In its discussion paper, TRAI said that leveraging AI and big data would help telecom carriers to optimize network quality with more innovative detection and anomaly prediction, assisted capacity planning, and self-optimization to respond to changing conditions.

The paper also mentioned that with the rising adoption of smartphones along with the growth of mobile internet, telcos are required to access exceptional amounts of data sources. These sources include customer profiles, device data, call detail records, network data, customer usage patterns, location data, which combined, might become the Big data.

Virtual humanoid robot chosen as CEO of Chinese metaverse company

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Sahil Pawar

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September 9, 2022

Virtual humanoid robot chosen as CEO of Chinese metaverse company

A Chinese metaverse firm has chosen an AI-powered virtual humanoid robot as its chief executive officer (CEO). The official announcement was made last week.

The humanoid robot, Tang Yu, will be leading the operations at China’s NetDragon Websoft, making it the first robot to hold an executive role in a business. NetDragon Websoft develops and operates multiplayer online games in addition to producing mobile applications.

Tang Yu will handle the organizational and operational aspects of the company, which is worth nearly $10 billion. According to the company, the new CEO will boost the speed of execution, improve the quality of job activities and optimize process flow.

It also said that the robot would act as a real-time data hub and analytical tool, enabling logical decision-making in everyday operations. The company further said that Tang Yu would contribute to making the risk management system more efficient.

It is interesting to note that Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba Group, predicted in 2017 that a robot would probably be featured as Time Magazine’s best CEO in 30 years.

Though different-colored aliens and intergalactic travel are yet to be discovered, science fiction has always been a vehicle for futuristic creativity. As a result, several technologies that were once science-fictional have become a reality.

Australian Federal Police Unveils Dedicated Crypto Unit

By

Preetipadma K

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September 8, 2022

Australian Federal Police Forms Cryptocurrency Unit

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has established a new crypto unit to focus on keeping an eye on transactions involving cryptocurrencies. As part of its Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT), it has set up this team for tracking down and confiscating cryptocurrencies related to criminal activities.

Stefan Jerga, the national manager of the AFP’s criminal asset confiscation command, reported that the use of crypto in criminal activities has dramatically expanded since the AFP made its first crypto seizure in early 2018. In response, Jerga said that Australian Federal Police made the decision to form a separate crypto taskforce unit in August.

This decision comes at a time when the Australian Federal Police has reached its 5-year goal of seizing up to $600M in fraudulent assets in just three years, two years ahead of schedule. The benchmark was initially set by the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce and was scheduled to be reached by 2024. This achievement not only demonstrates the AFP’s proficiency but also the alarming surge in fraudsters. As a result, the emphasis placed on illegal crypto transactions coincides with the AFP collecting far more criminal assets than the authorities had anticipated.

Jerga made his comments after the Australian Federal Police said that since 2020, the CACT had seized $380 million in residential and commercial property, $200 million in cash and bank accounts, and $35 million in cars, boats, aircraft, artworks, luxury items and cryptocurrencies.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), a government financial intelligence organization, issued a warning about the increasing profitability of cryptocurrencies for criminals in April. According to the AUSTRAC deputy chief executive John Moss, crypto assets are appealing to groups like Neo-Nazis due to their anonymity and ease of cross-border transactions.

Australians reportedly lost almost $26 million in 2021 due to cryptocurrency-related fraud. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australians lost AU$205 million between January and May 1, 2022. However, the true amount is probably significantly higher. Nevertheless, the stated sum revealed a 166% rise in crypto fraud losses from the same time the previous year.

Last month, the Australian Treasury announced the establishment of a multi-step regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. The framework aims to be more detailed and informed, and it includes what the Treasury refers to as “token mapping,” which enables public servants to monitor changes in the Australian cryptocurrency market.

Binance and Nigeria Team Up for developing Economic Zone

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Preetipadma K

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September 8, 2022

Nigeria to build Digital City To Develop Blockchain

Binance Holdings Ltd. and the Nigerian government are in discussions to create a digital economic zone that would support blockchain technology adoption among businesses in the West African country.

A Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority will reportedly be created thanks to the agreement between Binance and Talent City in the West African country (NEPZA). According to a tweet from the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the alliance intends to establish a digital center “akin to the Dubai virtual free zone.” These regions are created to offer tax breaks, supportive legislation, and regulations for the cryptocurrency industry.

The preliminary plans were reviewed on Friday in Dubai at a meeting between the managing Director of NEPZA Adesoji Adesugba, Binance executive director Nadeem Ladki, Talent City CEO Luqman Edu, and NEPZA director Sikiru Lawal.

In order to further encourage the use of cryptocurrencies in the West African area, Adesugba noted that the action would be a component of Nigeria’s goal for economic growth.

He stated that in keeping with the mission of the Authority, the direction of the Honorable Minister, and the economic development goal of President Muhammadu Buhari, the partnership wants to break new ground to broaden economic prospects for the population.

The popularity of cryptocurrencies has risen steadily over the past several years in Africa, driven by a deficient financial system, unpredictable government policies, and inflation.

According to a new CoinGecko study, Nigerians are the most fascinated with cryptocurrencies, having searched for the phrases “cryptocurrency” and “purchase crypto” more frequently than the citizens of any of the other 14 nations surveyed.

Also, in a survey released by Chainalysis in September of last year, the crypto markets in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa collectively experienced growth of 1,200 percent, growing to a market worth of $105.6 billion in a year.

In 2021, according to research company Triple-A, more than 13 million people in Nigeria alone held cryptocurrency. This equates to 6.3% of Nigeria’s whole population.

Therefore, blockchain-focused economic zone in Nigeria might assist the region’s growing crypto community go further into the field by providing start-ups and employment.

Meanwhile, the government passed laws for the trading of digital assets this year, and the Nigerian Exchange expects to launch a blockchain-enabled platform the next year to expand trading in the market.

Binance has attempted to extend its activities by partnering with several national governments since its inception. For instance, in December of the previous year, Binance and the Dubai World Trade Center signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a new international virtual asset ecosystem and transform Dubai into a hub for bitcoin and cryptocurrency-related goods and services. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kazakhstani authorities in May 2022 to establish a virtual asset market there. Binance recently signed a similar major agreement with the Korean city of Busan. The exchange will presumably assist Busan in its blockchain development efforts with technology and infrastructure.

The latest Binance collaboration would support Nigeria’s effort to use digital technologies to diversify its oil-dependent economy. The nation, which has a lively young, tech-savvy populace, would profit from a varied economy.

Meta launches ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ showcase to highlight a range of digital artists

By

Sahil Pawar

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September 8, 2022

Meta launches ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ showcase to highlight a range of digital artists

Meta’s latest development on the art front is a new ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ showcase, through which the company will highlight a range of creators from across Europe, The Middle East, and Africa.

Meta said that the Creators of Tomorrow have exciting careers ahead of them. They have been selected because they are breaking out amongst their communities online and showcase a best-in-class approach to video formats, interactive entertainment, and technology – creative qualities that will be integral to the evolution of the metaverse.

Meta says it will work with the chosen creators over the next year to help them expand their audiences and turn their passions into professions across our technologies. Through the Creators of Tomorrow mini-site, you can check out all selected participants and examples of their work.

It is an exciting showcase of different approaches to the latest creative trends, which could help to get one thinking about how one approaches your social platform content.

It also provides exciting perspectives on regional content trends and what creators in different markets are doing online. But arguably, as noted, the primary, the broader focus is the metaverse and how these creators will eventually translate their work into next-level experiences.

Some creators are already working with elements like Meta’s Horizon Worlds VR environment, which enables them to build new, immersive experiences like this. Increasingly, that’s where Meta will be pushing creators to look. Facebook and Instagram are working to incorporate more AI-based content recommendations to showcase emerging talent better, placing it front and center in user feeds.

Apple’s privacy changes break the Facebook-Google advertising monopoly in the online search market

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Sahil Pawar

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September 8, 2022

Apple's privacy changes break the Facebook-Google advertising monopoly

App Tracking Transparency (ATT), Apple’s privacy changes in the App Store, have boosted its ad business, and thereby, the iPhone maker has managed to break the Facebook-Google advertising monopoly in the online search market.

According to InMobi’s Appsumer, a performance insights platform, Apple Search Ads (ASA) joined the duopoly of Google and Meta at the top table of advertiser adoption as it grew adoption by nearly four percentage points (year-on-year) to 94.8%.

Meta’s ad adoption declined three percentage points in the same period to 82.8%. The trend also played out with share-of-wallet as Apple’s search ad business gained 5% points to reach a 15% share, while Meta declined four percentage points, still finishing significantly ahead with a 28% share.

Meta also recovered share-of-wallet while comparing Q4 21 to Q2 22, suggesting that they are starting to recover from initial ATT headwinds. Google remained reasonably steady on both metrics as most of its inventory sits on the Android platform.

The question now is how much Apple can increase its search ad business share-of-wallet, given the fact that inventory is constrained by the volume of searches on the App Store.

Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg have admitted that Apple iOS privacy changes will cost the company a whopping $10 billion in 2022. Meta has also accused Apple of favoring Google over app-based platforms like Facebook with its privacy policies. Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, released in April 2021, came with an ATT feature that has affected digital advertising for tech giants.

Tesla’s sales 105.8% more than last year in the US

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Sahil Pawar

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September 8, 2022

Tesla's sales 105.8% more than last year in the US

According to a report published by TrueCar, electric vehicle maker Tesla’s sales so far in 2022 are an impressive 105.8% above last year in the US.

TrueCar mentioned that in the US, Tesla sold 47,629 cars in August, around 11% more than in July, showing an upward trend month-over-month. Tesla has increased its United States market share year-over-year from 2.1% in 2021 to 4.1% this year. That is almost double, but it is still far behind overall sales leaders like General Motors with 16.4% or Toyota with 14.8% market share.

The report does not differentiate between EVs and other types of vehicles. It is essentially comparing Tesla to other automakers whose bulk of sales is still made up of gas-burning vehicles.

In Australia, Tesla outsold the ever-popular Toyota Camry to become the fourth best selling vehicle in the country in August. Tesla has been manufacturing and selling cars quicker than ever in China, with an awe-inspiring 77,000 Model Y and Model 3 sales combined last month alone.

In Europe, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 are still the two most popular electric vehicles, and it controls just under 7% of the Old Continent’s plug-in vehicle market share. Its share is set to grow as the Shanghai Gigafactory (which produces cars for Europe) has resumed production after several lockdown-related shutdowns. In contrast, production at Giga Berlin (most of which will be destined for Europe) is ramping up.

Tesla’s Model Y gets five star rating from Euro NCAP

By

Sahil Pawar

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September 8, 2022

Tesla's Model Y gets five star rating from Euro NCAP

Tesla has extended its five-star rating streak in Europe with the Model Y. The electric crossover SUV earned top marks during safety examinations conducted by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), receiving the highest overall score among any vehicle tested under the more stringent test protocol of the company.

The testing measures four areas: its ability to protect children, its ability to protect adults, the protection it provides vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, and its safety assistance features.

The Model Y, manufactured at Tesla’s new gigafactory in Berlin, scored a 97% in Adult Occupant Protection and a 98% in Safety Assist. It scored total points for its lane support and new cabin camera-based driver monitoring system.

The agency also commended Tesla for its camera-only vision system, which it said performs remarkably well in preventing collisions with other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

The location of the battery on the vehicle’s floor also gives the Model Y and other Tesla vehicles a lower center of gravity, which improves road stability and decreases the chances of a rollover. Tesla’s other three vehicles, the Model 3, Model S, and Model X, have also earned five-star ratings from Euro NCAP. All four of Tesla’s vehicles have earned five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most recent going to the Model Y in 2021.
NHTSA grades cars on various crash test metrics, including side crashes (for crashes into both a barrier and a pole), frontal crashes (with subcategories for both the driver and passenger seats), and rollover scenarios, but not pedestrian and cyclist safety and driver-assist technology.