YetAi to Launch SOLANA blockchain-based AI-Generated NFTs in 2022

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January 4, 2022

yetai solana blockchain nft — Image Credits: Analytics Drift Design Team

On December 27th, at the event in Paris, YetAi announced that the protocol is bringing artificial intelligence (AI) NFTs to the Solana ecosystem.

YetAi is an NFT collection of AI Yetis that claims to be the first NFT initiative to apply AI to blockchain and Web3 technology. The collection’s backstory narrates that the Yeti tribe reincarnated as YetAi’s after a member of the tribe encountered the Visai, an Artificial Intelligence that irrevocably altered the Ketra tundra metaverse.

YetAi intends to provide a variety of services to community members and holders through this great initiative. The YetAi collection will consist of 8,888 Yeti NFTs created totally by AI and will feature over 90 traits. Holders and community members will have access to a variety of utilities thanks to the protocol. Exclusive access to special events, seminars, and community conferences is one such benefit. The NFTS miners will also get 70% of royalties on future NFT sales.

In the coldest & most threatening region in Metaverse called Ketra tundra lived the Yetis for ages. YetAi, together with SOLANA Blockchain, gives you the first 100% AI-generated NFT's of more than 90 traits.

Be part of the tribe to know more!#Metaverse #NFT #AI #YetAi #Crypto pic.twitter.com/Lv86Ic4Glu
— YetAi (@yetai_nft) December 27, 2021

In addition, the protocol provides an AI trading bot that buys and sells bitcoins on behalf of its subscribers. This eliminates the need for consumers to learn and execute sophisticated trading methods, by relying on a bot to do it. The protocol’s token will be released in the first quarter of 2022. The token will be used in the Ketra Tundra metaverse as both a utility and a governance token.

For now, the pre-sales and whitelist dates are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, YetAi shares that 70% of NFT revenues should go to the creator royalties. There are other long-term plans in place, including the production of merchandise and goodies.

Besides, there will be private events in the future to which holders will be invited and will be provided with all expenses paid accommodations. Seven holders will be present at one event that will be hosted in Singapore. The holders will also receive their Metaverse territory. In addition, a private and exclusive YetAI App will be released.

NFTs are quickly becoming one of the hottest hits in the crypto world and the race into launching interesting NFTs into the marketplace is heating up. The NFTs in early 2021 generally concentrated on basic features like ownership as well as the development of the NFT marketplace, a foundation for the future of Blockchain.

However, as the industry matures, NFTs’ value proposition should shift from static photos to more dynamic and intelligent collectibles including iNFTs and NFTs with embedded AI. It is safe to predict that AI will play a major role in the future generation of NFTs. using artificial intelligence technologies like Natural language understanding (NLU), computer vision, NFT creators can also accelerate the Generative AI industry too.

Tectona, Israel’s premier public blockchain technology startup, has built a platform that allows anybody to use a powerful AI to create unique art for minting as NFTs. Last December, the company stated that it will debut a user-generated NFT collection in the Metaverse under the name ‘The Bored Company.’ Even Alethea AI, a startup backed by entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, is encasing avatars with AI that animates them and provides them with communication skillsets. Known as iNFTs, these avatars will be similar to chatbots we are already using in the 2D internet world!

IIT Madras launches Master’s Program in Electric Vehicles

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 4, 2022

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras launches its new Master’s program in Electric Vehicles. It is an Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) program that would help students gain required knowledge and experience in the electric vehicle segment, allowing them to enhance their research capabilities in the particular field.

The newly launched program will have a curriculum meticulously designed to let students learn the necessary skills that the market is currently demanding to kick start their careers in various fields related to electric vehicles, including EV Integration, Vehicle Aggregate Engineering, Communication and Calibration, Verification, and Validation, Product Planning, and many more.

Department of Engineering Design’s head at IIT Madras, Prof. T. Asokan, said, “The course will be the result of nearly eight departments collaborating to induct the skills required for a student to engineer Electric Vehicles. The content offered is carefully curated to build sufficient depth in each domain, starting from Vehicle Basics and going to very specific EV aggregates including Batteries and Motors.”

He further added that the new program would be delivered as a joint effort from various departments of the institution and the plan to launch more programs in the future related to the eMobility industry.

The initial intake will accept 24 students in the Master’s program in electric vehicles. Students studying in the third year of B.Tech programs can start applying for the Master’s program from January 2022.
A few months earlier, IIT madras also partnered with Monolith to offer a new advanced diploma program in virtual reality. The diploma course will be available in both online and offline mediums for students.

Intel Unnati Lab to come up at CIIC for AI Training

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 3, 2022

Crescent Innovation and Incubation Council and BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding with chip manufacturing giant Intel under the Intel Unnati program.

Dr. N. Raja Hussain and M Parvez Alam represented CIIC and BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology during the signing of the MoU with Intel Technology India Private Limited. Last year, Intel launched its Unnati program to set up 100 data-centric laboratories across the nation to improve research infrastructure and technology excellence among students.

Intel realized the increased demand for specialized workers in artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing, IoT, and many other related industries and launched this program to meet the current market demand. It will hugely benefit students and faculty to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to enter the artificial intelligence domain.

This new contact will help increase the deployment of AI, ML, IoT, and Smart Mobility to students and startups. A new state-of-the-art Unnati lab will also be built in the CIIT campus under the newly signed MoU. According to Intel officials, the company is excited about this new contract as they hope to fill the gap between the market demand for skilled professionals and the number of produced trained workers in the country.

The MoU will also help build better infrastructure in the country for high-end research in artificial intelligence. Intel officials mentioned that the center would allow strips to test their technologies and develop solutions for real-world challenges.

Deloitte launched AI institute in India to Accelerate the pace of Innovative Research

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 3, 2022

Deloitte launches a new AI institute in India to accelerate the pace of innovative research in the region. The launch makes India the fourth location in the Asia Pacific region to have a Deloitte AI institute. According to the company, India is one of the major artificial intelligence technologies developers in several industries, and various companies have availed the benefits of the early adoption of AI solutions.

The launch also marks Deloitte’s statement, “AI will be a part of everything we do as an organisation.” The newly established AI institute is located in the capital of India, New Delhi, and it is the eighth such institute that Deloitte has launched across the globe since last year.

President, Consulting at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, Romal Shetty, said, “AI is here and for India, it is an opportunity to leapfrog in a world where we connect the power of human intelligence with machine intelligence. We call it the Age of With™. There are inherent strengths that India can leverage.”

He also mentioned that the AI institute would help Indian companies and startups operating in multiple industries quickly adopt artificial intelligence solutions for digital transformation. The AI institute will integrate research and innovations for applications to establish a local artificial intelligence ecosystem in the country. Similar AI institutes have already been established in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China, Canada, and many more.
“We will have exclusive partnerships with some of the brightest minds in the AI ecosystem. A dedicated AI team at Deloitte, along with domain and industry experts, will drive stronger outcomes,” said Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, Saurabh Kumar. He further added that they intend to bring their own business lens to help recognize bias and risks involved with various artificial intelligence technologies.

Halio to unveil AI-powered Smart Glass at CES 2022.

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Dipayan Mitra

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January 3, 2022

One of the world’s leading dynamic glass developing companies Halio, is all set to unveil its new AI-powered smart glasses at CSE 2022 as a part of its commercial net-zero building component. The event is scheduled to be held on 5th January 2022 in Las Vegas, United States.

The new AI-enabled smart glasses will be showcased in the ‘Green Avenue’ section of the event. Halio partnered with famous architectural glass fabricator Viracon to develop the smart glass. Furthermore, the company has also partnered with Marvin to provide smart glass in the residential housing market.

The smart glass uses cloud-based artificial intelligence technology for autonomous operation. Halio has meticulously designed the smart glasses to provide the best possible experience in terms of clarity, color tint, responsiveness, and several other related factors.

The advanced technology used to develop the smart glass allows it to pass the maximum amount of sunlight to enter buildings that helps in saving considerable amounts of energy and reduces carbon emission by nearly 20%, making it a highly capable smart glass.

According to the company, its new smart glass can play a vital role in controlling global warming while taking care of the wellness of individuals inside buildings by glare management. The smart glass can also be integrated with various third-party windows with a wide range of coating, making it a highly reliable and flexible glass. Its performance has also been tested, and the results show that Halio’s smart glass is extremely durable, which can hold itself even if window seals fail.

AI-powered Robots are taking over recycling centers in Finland

By

Srishty Bhardwaj

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January 3, 2022

AI-powered Robots are taking over recycling centers in Finland

A new recycling facility is being installed on the outskirts of Helsinki, Finland’s capital. A newly opened plant, owned by Finnish Company Remeo, can process construction waste with a volume of up to 120,000 tons, including wood, plastics, and metals. It has been entitled as one of the most advanced recycling facilities in Europe.

Approximately five tons of waste is generated by Europeans every year, but only 38 percent of it is recycled. Almost three-quarters of all EU garbage comes from construction. The limited information regarding the quality and content of the waste material makes it difficult to recycle. It is often impossible to recycle and reuse impure items as raw materials.

It is often a common practice in Europe, including Finland, to incinerate waste that can’t be recycled. Incineration plants generate power and heat but also add to the greenhouse effect.

The CEO of Remeo, John Mild, said that the entire recycling industry had been challenged because much waste goes into incineration. He believes that AI-powered robots can be helpful in this regard.

“These robots must identify waste objects on the belt itself,” says Harri Holopainen, Chief Technology Officer of Helsinki-based ZenRobotics, a company that operates around 35 robots across 20 countries.

Recycling is becoming more of a priority for various industries. Textile recycling will be promoted in Europe under an unnamed strategy scheduled to be adopted in early 2022.

Remeo’s Mild says that they have increased recycling rates from 50 percent to 90 percent using the new technology. These newly adopted robots are making a difference in the fight against global waste.

SenseTime relaunched its Hong Kong IPO after US ban

By

Srishty Bhardwaj

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January 3, 2022

SenseTime relaunched its Hong Kong IPO after US ban

The Chinese artificial intelligence start-up SenseTime Group relaunched its $767 million Hong Kong IPO on December 27, 2021. It had withdrawn its listing after getting placed on a U.S. investment blacklist.

The shares were priced at the bottom of the company’s range at HK$3.85 (US$0.49), which gave the company a valuation of $16.4bn. The shares of SenseTime closed at HK$4.10 on Thursday, giving the company a market capitalization of $17.5 billion.

China continues to churn out huge fortunes and massive gains for venture capitalists despite increased tensions with the U.S. and Beijing’s crackdown on tech giants. A blacklisting by the U.S. does not restrict SenseTime’s operations. Still, its inability to raise capital and reduce trading liquidity in the future may be affected by the lack of U.S. investors.

The U.S.Treasury Department designated SenseTime as one of the “Chinese military-industrial complex companies” on December 10 to develop a facial recognition program to identify ethnic Uyghurs. UN and human rights groups estimate a million people have been held in camps mainly for Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s far-west region of Xinjiang over the last few years.

According to foreign lawmakers and parliaments, Uyghurs have been subjected to genocide since forced sterilizations and killed inside camps. The Chinese government denies these claims and says that the Uyghur population growth rate is above the national average.

As a result of its inclusion on the U.S. blacklist, SenseTime has denied allegations that it provided Beijing with facial recognition software used to oppress Uyghur Muslims in Western China. A spokesperson for the company previously said it “strongly opposed” the blacklist designation, and the allegations against it were unfounded.

Company founder Tang Xiao’ou, who holds a 20.8 percent stake in the company, has benefited from the IPO.

SCOUT expands US Navy Artificial Intelligence capabilities

By

Srishty Bhardwaj

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January 2, 2022

The U.S. Navy is developing new programs and automating artificial intelligence operations into standard processes to manage the operational governance between warfighters better.

Following the celebration of Industry Day on November 22, Navy officials issued a special announcement to enlist vendors for conducting research campaigns. The program has been named “SCOUT,” and using this program, the researchers will analyze operational issues, improve tactical fighter capabilities, and develop decision facilitation technologies.

In addition to AI and automation, Navy researchers are looking forward to embedding machine learning algorithms dedicated to targeting recognition, natural language processing, sensor fusion, and decision support as potential technology solutions.

Daniel Cabel, ONR’s SCOUT lead, said that the SCOUT campaign will launch in the summer of 2022 and consist of two experimental tracks. While one will focus on technology scouting and finding new solutions to corporate problems, the other will collaborate with Navy personnel and industry partners to host sprint events. This will allow a faster decision process.

JIATF-South, the Navy’s Southern Command, will conduct the SCOUT’s first training exercise in the air and on the water to combat illegal drug trafficking.

According to Cabel, vendors have to develop creative and flexible technological solutions to meet SCOUT’s needs, and automation is the Navy’s new technology hallmark.

As a part of their border mission, the Navy’s ongoing efforts to develop unmanned technologies and autonomous intelligence systems to facilitate strategic decisions.

In addition, he explained that the Navy is not looking for “Universal” programs and technologies but for scalable solutions that could adapt quickly to any environment. The Navy’s entire workforce would benefit from a technical solution developed for JIATF-South.

SCOUT’s mission is to develop step-by-step tests for identifying operational problems and not solicitation requirements.

Telangana to introduce AI-Based machine for Quality checking Crops

By

Ishwarya M

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January 2, 2022

The IT department of Telangana state is now all set to introduce and implement AI-based quality control for crops or grains stocked at the state’s procurement centers. In 2020, Telangana became the first state in India to launch an actionable policy framework for artificial intelligence.

Following that, the AI-based crop quality control initiative further makes the state a pioneer for implementing artificial intelligence for public welfare. The AI-based quality control project is planned to be initially deployed as a pilot project in three procurement centers across the state, including Narayanpet and Kamareddy.

A model will help in determining the quality, grade, moisture in grains like paddy, red gram, and Bengal gram. After analyzing such parameters, a model will generate a wholesome report in a minute, giving a clear insight into the grain parameters. In the future, the model will also be enhanced to help in determining the quality of fruits and vegetables.

With this method, farmers can analyze the quality of grains independently instead of waiting for the approval of selection officers at respective procurement centers to examine and finalize the grade and quality of grains. An AI-based quality control model works by placing a few grain samples from a respective grain type in a tray that belongs to a quality control machine. The machine captures the picture of the grains in a 360-degree view.

Further, the images are loaded into the algorithm of an AI-based machine that instantly identifies the type of the grain and analyses the parameters like moisture content, size, color, immatureness, and presence of any foreign matter.

Since the report generated by an AI-based machine has a detailed analysis of chemical content in the grain samples, farmers can use such information to alter and enhance their farming practices. For example, when a report shows the presence of foreign substances like harmful insecticides or pesticides in grain, a farmer can change or reduce the fertilizers to yield better grains. The TSTS-ITE&C department of the Telangana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with nebula innovations private limited for implementing a model for AI-based quality check of crops or grains at procurement centers across the state.

Peng Cheng Laboratory & Baidu Releases PCL-BAIDU Wenxin, a 100-billion-scale pre-trained language model

By

Srishty Bhardwaj

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January 1, 2022

Peng Cheng Laboratory & Baidu Release PCL-BAIDU Wenxin

A press conference was held on December 8 to announce PCL-BAIDU Wenxin (version Ernie 3.0 Titan), the world’s largest Chinese-language monolithic model and the world’s first knowledge-enhanced 100-billion-scale pre-trained language model. PCL-BAIDU Wenxin significantly improves more than 30 benchmarks in zero-shot and few-shot learning in natural language processing (NLP).

Using Peng Cheng’s Industry-Leading Cloud Brain II and Baidu’s PaddlePaddle deep learning platform, PCL-BAIDU Wenxin can have 260 billion different parameters than GPT-3. Besides addressing common model bottlenecks, PCL-BAIDU Wenxin also reduces artificial intelligence (AI) application development costs by eliminating the need for manual data labeling and reducing the weight of high-cost simulated data.

Wen Gao, PCL’s director and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at the press conference that the large AI model is vital for continuing technological advancement and innovation and will enable more sectors to take advantage of AI. The development team at PCL-BAIDU Wenxin has introduced online distillation technology to accelerate the industrialization process, which boosts the model’s parameter compression rate up to 99.98 percent.

During the press conference, Baidu’s Chief Technology Officer and Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Deep Learning Technology and Applications Wang Haifeng explained PCL-BAIDU Wenxin contains primary, general, and large models as a supportive toolkit and platform designed to support technological innovation and industrial development.

By combining Wenxin’s full-featured AI platform with Baidu’s artificial intelligence platform, a financial contract term analysis model can intelligently classify and handle hundreds of clauses in about one minute, which is hundreds of times more efficient than manual processing. China Unicom and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank have implemented Baidu AI Cloud’s intelligent customer service using Wenxin to enhance accuracy.

The creators of PCL-BAIDU Wenxin believe that it can solve significant language problems and lower real-world deployment thresholds, which will accelerate scientific and technological innovation and lead to the implementation of AI technologies on a large scale in many different industries.