Mihup.ai: the Pioneering Conversation Intelligence Startup that is Democratizing AI

By

-

September 21, 2023

Conversation Intelligence Systems, a vital component of the modern tech landscape, play a pivotal role in deciphering and enhancing human-machine interactions. These systems employ advanced AI and natural language processing to comprehend the nuances of conversations, whether they occur between humans or involve machines. With the rising importance of personalized user experiences, startups are increasingly investing in Conversation Intelligence to refine customer support, automate tasks, and bridge the communication gap between users and technology. One such pioneering startup is Mihup.ai.

Mihup.ai

Mihup.ai is a pioneering startup at the forefront of natural language processing and artificial intelligence, poised to revolutionize the way we interact with technology. It is a Conversation Intelligence platform that helps businesses boost their contact center performance. It is built on proprietary ASR technology that offers the best blend of accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness. Founded on the principle that human-machine communication should be intuitive and seamless, Mihup.ai has harnessed cutting-edge AI technologies to create a dynamic platform that understands and responds to natural language with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. The company’s products and services are used by businesses of all sizes, across a variety of industries, including telecommunications, financial services, healthcare, and retail.

Vision to Democratize AI

Mihup.ai was founded in 2016 by Tapan Barman and Biplab Chakraborty. Currently, Barman and Chakraborty are the CEO and COO of the company, respectively.

The initial idea and foundation of Mihup.ai centered around building the most accurate voice interface for the next billion users, particularly in regions where technology adoption was on the rise but faced barriers due to the complexity of the man-machine interface. In 2016, amidst a less prevalent AI landscape, the founders recognized the untapped potential of reaching users in these regions. They identified a significant challenge: despite the growth in technology, user experience had not evolved in line with it.

Priyanka Kamdar, Head of Growth at Mihup.ai said “People, especially in India, had reservations about interacting with machines due to language proficiency concerns and a fear of judgment. Mihup’s vision was to address these barriers by offering a display-less interaction mode for various types of communication, whether between humans and machines, machines and machines, or humans and humans. The company aimed to establish a protocol for adaptive conversations, bridging language and dialect gaps to cater to diverse user preferences.”

In nutshell, Mihup sought to create a platform where developers could leverage their technological prowess to build products tailored to the specific requirements of internet users worldwide, transcending language and cultural differences.

AI-powered Products and Services

Priyanka Kamdar, a representative of Mihup.ai, explained the company’s three main products and services as follows:

Mihup Interaction Analytics

According to Kamdar, this product is designed for the contact center industry. It offers post-call analytics, addressing the challenges of manual quality assurance processes in call centers. While traditional methods could only sample a small percentage of calls, Mihup Interaction Analytics enables the analysis of 100% of interactions between customers and agents. It captures the voice of the customer, monitors agent performance, and generates reports for actionable insights. This ensures that valuable business insights are derived from all interactions, improving customer service and decision-making.

Mihup Agent Assist

Also serving the contact center industry, Mihup Agent Assist is a real-time assistant for call center agents. It operates during live customer-agent interactions, providing agents with guidance based on customer cues. For example, it can help agents adjust their tone when a customer is angry or suggest appropriate solutions. “This intelligent assistant enhances the agent’s performance and ensures a successful call outcome by bridging the gap between human-to-human and human-to-machine conversations,” said Kamdar.

Mihup AVA

Mihup’s third product is Mihup Automated Voice Assistant (AVA), a voice bot tailored for the automotive industry. It resides within a vehicle’s infotainment system and operates offline as well as online, making it suitable for use with and without an internet connection. This voice bot enhances the driving experience by performing in-vehicle functions and providing assistance to users. It is designed to work in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Haryanvi, and Malwari, making it versatile and user-friendly for a wide range of scenarios and users.

The Future of Customer Service with AI

Mihup.ai utilizes artificial intelligence extensively in its products and services. The company’s AI technology encompasses a wide range of components that contribute to the functionality of their offerings. For instance, in their voice bot product, AI components such as speech recognition, speech-to-text conversion, dialogue management, advanced natural language processing (NLP), and text-to-speech conversion are crucial. Mihup’s Interaction Analytics and Agent Assist uses speech recognition technology to transcribe customer conversations. This allows businesses to analyze customer interactions and identify areas for improvement. Mihup.ai uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand the meaning of customer conversations. The platform also offers a chatbot platform that businesses can use to automate customer interactions.

“Importantly, Mihup.ai has developed each of these components in-house, without relying on third-party solutions. This approach allows them to have complete control over their AI models and technology stack, ensuring that their products are tailored to their specific needs and requirements,” said Kamdar.

Unique Approach to Conversational AI

Mihup.ai differentiates itself from other startups in the conversational AI space through several key aspects. Firstly, their proprietary tech stack is entirely developed in-house, granting them full control over their product direction, security, and scalability. “Unlike language-based models, Mihup.ai’s approach is vocabulary-based and even goes beyond words to consider phonetic imprints and modulation, allowing them to detect not just keywords but also the context of interactions,” explained Kamdar.

The company’s focus is on speech-to-intent and meaning, addressing the challenge where machines are getting smarter but users struggle to use them effectively. “Mihup.ai aims to provide a horizontal platform that spans various industries, including contact centers, automotive, and government services, enabling developers to create tailored solutions,” she said. Their unique approach and adaptability position them as pioneers in the field of conversational AI, according to her.

Mihup.ai’s Funding Journey

“Mihup.ai’s funding journey began in 2016 when the company was formally established. However, securing initial funding for a deep tech startup like Mihup was challenging, as the concept was ahead of its time in India. Despite facing multiple rejections, Mihup.ai found its early investors in Accel and IdeaSpring Capital,” said Kamdar.

Mihup.ai has raised a total of $5 million in funding over 6 rounds. The funding has been used to expand Mihup.ai’s product offerings, grow its team, and expand into new markets, according to Kamdar.

Vision for the Future

“Mihup.ai’s future plans revolve around their larger vision, which is to become the interpreter for all types of conversations in the man-machine world,” says Kamdar. While they have short-term tactical goals related to product advancement and upgradation, their ultimate objective is to develop an interface that can handle verbal, non-verbal, written, or visual interactions between humans and machines.They foresee Mihup.ai playing a significant role in the IoT world of tomorrow, potentially becoming a key player in chatty operating systems, aligning with their vision of bridging the gap between human and machine communication.

Researchers Introduce MathGLM, a Robust Mathematical Model for Complex Arithmetic Operations

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 20, 2023

Researchers at Tsinghua University, TAL AI Lab, and Zhipu.AI have introduced MathGLM, a robust mathematical model designed to handle a wide range of complex arithmetic operations. MathGLM’s performance rivals industry-leading models like GPT-4, excelling in tasks such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation.

What sets MathGLM apart is its versatility, as it effortlessly manages various number types, including decimals, fractions, percentages, and negative numbers. To train MathGLM, the team utilized the Ape210K dataset, a comprehensive collection of math word problems from across the internet.

The Ape210K dataset compiles math word problems sourced from the internet, serving as a rich repository of diverse mathematical challenges. It proves invaluable for training MathGLM due to its wide array of problem types and complexities.

Unlike traditional datasets, Ape210K contains explicitly calculated answers. However, to address potential limitations, the researchers employed a step-by-step approach to reconstruct the dataset, enhancing MathGLM’s ability to solve math word problems.

MathGLM’s unique strength lies in its ability to break down complex arithmetic calculations into sequential phases. This method significantly improved accuracy, with MathGLM outperforming GPT-4 by an impressive 42.29% when fine-tuned on the original dataset.

By dissecting arithmetic word problems into manageable steps, MathGLM demonstrates superior mathematical reasoning, learning underlying calculation principles, and delivering more dependable results. These discoveries profoundly challenge the traditional belief that LLMs are incapable of tackling complex arithmetic tasks, highlighting their remarkable capacity for advanced mathematical reasoning.

IBM Launches Ambitious Initiative to Train 2 Million Learners in AI by 2026

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 20, 2023

IBM has unveiled an ambitious initiative aimed at training a staggering two million learners in artificial intelligence (AI) by the end of 2026. This initiative is driven by the goal of addressing the global AI skills gap, with a specific focus on underrepresented communities.

As part of this initiative, IBM has introduced a new generative AI coursework accessible through IBM SkillsBuild, designed to provide AI education developed by IBM experts to learners worldwide. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including Prompt-Writing, Getting Started with Machine Learning, Improving Customer Service with AI, and Generative AI in Action. These courses are offered free of charge.

IBM is enhancing the learning experience with AI-enabled features, including improved chatbots to support learners and personalized learning paths tailored to individual preferences and experiences. Upon course completion, participants can earn IBM-branded digital credentials recognized by potential employers.

IBM is collaborating with universities worldwide to bolster AI capacity, providing faculty with access to IBM-led training, courseware, and immersive skill experiences. Additionally, students will benefit from flexible and adaptable resources, including free online courses on generative AI and Red Hat open-source technologies.

This initiative aligns with IBM’s broader commitment to upskill 30 million individuals by 2030 and addresses the pressing skills gap in the application of AI and digitalization across various industries. IBM’s endeavor is in line with similar initiatives by tech giants like MongoDB and Infosys, who are also offering complimentary courses to empower individuals through self-learning, opening doors to employment opportunities based on performance in tasks and certifications.

Google DeepMind’s AlphaMissense Predicts Harmful Genetic Mutations

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 20, 2023

Google DeepMind AlphaMissense Harmful Genetic Mutations — Image Credits: nextbignews

Google DeepMind has introduced an AI program, AlphaMissense, capable of discerning whether millions of genetic mutations pose harm or are benign, aiming to expedite research and diagnosis of rare disorders. AlphaMissense focuses on missense mutations, where a single letter in the DNA code is altered, potentially disrupting protein function and causing diseases like cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anemia, cancer, and brain developmental issues.

The researchers utilized AlphaMissense to evaluate 71 million single-letter mutations affecting human proteins. With a 90% precision setting, it identified 57% of missense mutations as likely harmless, 32% as probably harmful, leaving uncertainty regarding the rest. To benefit geneticists and clinicians, they’ve shared the predictions through a free online catalog.

While the human genome typically contains 9,000 missense mutations, less than 2% of over 4 million observed in humans are classified as benign or pathogenic. Existing computer programs for predicting disease-driving mutations lack precision.

AlphaMissense, inspired by DeepMind‘s AlphaFold, which predicts 3D protein structures, outperforms current “variant effect predictor” programs, aiding experts in swiftly identifying disease-driving mutations. It may also uncover novel links between mutations and specific disorders, offering guidance for improved treatments.

AlphaMissense was trained on human and primate DNA data to distinguish common, likely benign missense mutations from rare, potentially harmful ones. It also learned the protein “language” by analyzing millions of protein sequences to recognize a “healthy” protein structure.

Although AlphaMissense generates risk scores for mutations, it cannot elucidate the precise mechanisms of harm. Dr. Jun Cheng likened its operation to human language, where word substitutions can change sentence meaning. Professor Joe Marsh, a computational biologist at Edinburgh University, uninvolved in the project, recognizes AlphaMissense’s promising potential.

UK Government to Construct £900 Million Supercomputer for Advancing AI Research

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 18, 2023

The UK government has unveiled plans to build a cutting-edge supercomputer with a budget of about £900 million, which is equivalent to US$1.1 billion. This high-performance computing powerhouse, known as Isambard-3, pays homage to the renowned 19th-century British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The supercomputer is slated for installation at the National Composites Centre in Bristol later this year. Notably, the University of Bristol, which houses the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Interactive Artificial Intelligence and is a member of the GW4 university consortium alongside Bath, Cardiff, and Exeter, will play a pivotal role in this endeavor.

Bristol University will also serve as the host institution for the new AI Research Resource, also referred to as AIRR or Isambard-AI. AIRR is envisioned as a national facility dedicated to supporting AI research and ensuring the responsible and safe use of this transformative technology. Both the supercomputer and AIRR are funded through the government’s AI investment initiative, which was initially announced in March.

The supercomputer is expected to be a formidable computing entity, featuring thousands of cutting-edge graphics processing units (GPUs). This configuration is anticipated to position it as one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers. These developments were confirmed in a statement released by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT).

Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, expressed enthusiasm about this ambitious project, stating, “We are backing the future of British innovation, investing in a world-leading AI Research Resource in Bristol that will catalyze scientific discovery and keep the UK at the forefront of AI development.”

“The Isambard-AI cluster will be one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, and will help industry experts and researchers harness the game-changing potential of AI, including through the mission-critical work of our Frontier AI Taskforce,” she added.

Rumors of SoftBank’s Potential Investment in OpenAI Swirl After Arm’s IPO

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 18, 2023

SoftBank, in the wake of the successful listing of UK chip designer Arm, is actively pursuing investment opportunities in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of the Japanese conglomerate, is eyeing substantial investments in OpenAI, potentially in the tens of billions, dedicated to the field of AI following Arm’s recent IPO.

According to sources familiar with Son’s intentions, SoftBank is exploring various avenues, and one prominent option is an investment in OpenAI, a company backed by Microsoft. SoftBank is also considering the possibility of forging a comprehensive strategic partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

Furthermore, SoftBank is not limiting its AI aspirations to OpenAI alone. The company is contemplating significant investments in competitors of ChatGPT and has even approached Graphcore, a UK-based AI chipmaker, with preliminary acquisition interest, as disclosed by insiders.

In response to inquiries, SoftBank provided a standard statement, stating, “We do not comment on rumors.” OpenAI declined to offer any comment on the matter, while Graphcore unequivocally denied receiving an offer from SoftBank.

The recent Arm IPO, which generated nearly $5 billion in proceeds, has substantially augmented SoftBank’s financial resources, potentially increasing its war chest to a staggering $65 billion. This total encompasses both the company’s liquid assets and its 90 percent stake in Arm, which may be utilized as collateral for loans.

Of particular note is Masayoshi Son’s personal affinity for ChatGPT, as he has openly declared himself a “heavy user” of the technology. His close rapport with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is also well-documented, with Son describing Altman as “one of the key people on Earth” and noting frequent daily interactions between the two.

Another Group of Writers Sues OpenAI over Copyright Infringement

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 17, 2023

Group Writers Sues OpenAI Copyright Infringement — Image Credits: AD

Once again, a group of authors, including well-known names like Michael Chabon and David Henry Hwang, have sued the technology giant OpenAI over copyright infringement. Their main grievance is that OpenAI used their copyrighted works in an unauthorized manner to train its GPT large language models.

On the same grounds, Chabon and the group have also filed a similar case against Meta. The lawsuit, which demands for class-action status, emphasizes that it is obvious from ChatGPT’s ability to summarize and analyze content written by these writers that OpenAI used their works in training its GPT large language model.

According to the plaintiffs, ChatGPT’s outputs are fundamentally “derivative” works that violate their copyrights inadvertently. The legal document states that “OpenAI’s acts of copyright infringement have been intentional, willful, and in callous disregard of Plaintiffs’ and Class Members’ rights.”

It’s important to note that Michael Chabon, author of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” was one of the 10,000+ authors who previously signed an open letter requesting tech companies, such as OpenAI, Meta, and Google, to obtain permission and pay authors fairly when using their works for AI training.

This is not the first time that OpenAI has faced such accusations. Sarah Silverman, Christopher Golden, and Richard Kadrey charged OpenAI and Meta with violating their copyright earlier in the year. In July, two authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad sued OpenAI over copyright infringement.

Punjab to Introduce Artificial Intelligence Courses in Government Schools

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 16, 2023

Punjab artificial intelligence courses in government schools — Image Credits: ANI

The chief minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, declared that artificial intelligence (AI) programmes will be introduced in all government schools in Punjab. He highlighted that 10,000 teachers will be trained to teach these courses and one lakh students would receive training in AI.

“Punjab is known for the White Revolution and the Green Revolution, but it will now be known for the education revolution,” Mann added.

A significant amount of money has been allocated by the Punjab chief minister, including ₹800 crore for building 10,000 new classroom infrastructure, ₹358 crore for building boundary walls in over 7,000 schools, and ₹25 crore for benches and other furniture.

The hiring of a “campus manager” for each school was announced by Mann, who also declared that Punjab will be the first state in the nation to offer WiFi connectivity at every school. He added that all of the state’s schools would have access to internet resources in six months.

Mann highlighted that improving educational opportunities for kids, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, was his government’s top priority.

States throughout India are taking unprecedented initiatives to jump on the AI bandwagon. Recently, Kerala has made a significant advancement in the integration of AI technology into education with the opening of its first Artificial Intelligence School in Thiruvananthapuram.

In April, R. D. Tiwari Government English School from Raipur announced artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics as a part of the Jigyasa project. Last year, the Madhya Pradesh government announced plans to introduce artificial intelligence as a subject in schools across the state.

Google Grants Access to Gemini to Select Companies Ahead of Launch

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 15, 2023

Gemini, Google‘s eagerly anticipated conversational artificial intelligence software, seems to have taken significant steps before its expected release. According to sources, the tech behemoth, which is owned by Alphabet, has granted access to the upcoming AI software to a select number of businesses.

Gemini will reportedly be prepared to compete against OpenAI’s GPT-4 soon. Given that Google has boosted its spending in generative AI this year, the debut of Gemini is extremely important to the corporation. This action is perceived as Google’s attempt to catch up, particularly in light of the fact that the IT industry was captivated by the launch of ChatGPT last year.

Gemini consists of a collection of extensive language models that power a range of applications, including chatbots and features like text summarization and content creation that is personalized for the user. Similar to ChatGPT, these tools can be used to create news articles, create music lyrics, send emails, etc. Gemini will be made available to businesses through the Google Cloud Vertex AI service, according to Google.

Gemini is also expected to help programmers with coding and assist users in generating original pictures in response to text prompts. According to sources, Google is currently giving developers access to a sizable version of Gemini, however this version is not the biggest one currently under development. It is anticipated that the larger version’s capabilities will be on par with GPT-4.

Google is investing heavily in generative AI recently. For customers in India and Japan, the company added generative AI tools to its Search tool this month. These features enable the display of text or visual outcomes in response to prompts.

Apple’s iPhone 15 Series Includes ISRO’s NavIC GPS

By

Sahil Pawar

-

September 15, 2023

The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max were formally launched by tech giant Apple on Tuesday. When looking at the features of the iPhone 15 series, one can observe that Apple has iBeacon micro-location, a digital compass, and precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, QZSS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, and NavIC). Notably, NavIC was created by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), a regional navigation satellite system, was built by ISRO to address the country’s positioning, navigation, and timing needs. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) was the original name for NavIC.

A network of ground stations and a constellation of seven satellites working around the clock constitute the NavIC concept. In geostationary orbit, the constellation’s three satellites are situated at 32.5°E, 83°E, and 129.5°E, respectively. With an inclination of 29 degrees and equatorial crossings at 55°E and 111.75°E, respectively, four satellites are launched into an inclined geosynchronous orbit—two in each plane. The ground network comprises a control centre, a facility for precise timing, stations for measuring range and integrity, two-way ranging stations, etc.

Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users and Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users are the two services that NavIC offers. Both the S band (2498.028 MHz) and L5 (1176.45 MHz) are used to deliver these two services. India and a territory stretching up to 1500 kilometres beyond the Indian border are covered by NavIC.

The user position precision of NavIC signals is better than 20m (2′) and the timing accuracy is better than 50ns (2′). The other global positioning system (GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and BeiDou) signals are interoperable with NavIC SPS signals.