On Wednesday night, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta dealt Elon Musk a blow as the much anticipated Threads platform, an Instagram clone of Twitter, finally launched, setting the stage for the tech billionaires’ fight. “Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads,” Zuckerberg posted on the app.
Although Threads was first released as a standalone app, users could log in with their Instagram credentials and follow the same profiles, potentially making it simple for Instagram’s more than 2 billion monthly active users to incorporate it into their routines.
The app, which is marketed as a text-based Instagram alternative for “real-time updates and public conversations,” will at first be accessible in more than 100 nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan.
Due to ongoing discussions between Meta and regulators about how to control data sharing between the app and Instagram, Threads won’t be initially available in the European Union. Among the first famous people to sign up for the website were actor Jack Black, pop diva Shakira, and British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
Launching the network that some tech analysts have termed a “Twitter killer” is seen as a direct challenge to Musk, whose management of Twitter has drawn harsh criticism from some users and is sure to exacerbate the competition between the two billionaire tech titans.
The newly launched Threads app, which users can access using their current Instagram accounts, might profit from Instagram’s user base and connections to advertising.
Google I/O Connect event covered several AI-powered tools and technologies for developers in India to build scalable and high-quality solutions in the most creative way. This event was conducted in Bengaluru, India, on June 28, 2023.
LLM Model
At the I/O Connect event, Google announced the availability and access to its new Large Language Models (LLM) PalM 2 for Indian developers. Through this LLM model, Google will help developers build custom enterprise-ready generative AI applications. Following the same, Google tweeted, “Developers in India will now have access to both PaLM API and Makersuite”.
At #GoogleIOConnect Bengaluru, Rahul Sukthankar talks about how we’re making it easier for developers to boost their productivity with Generative AI.
At the event, they also discussed Project Vaani, which was launched last year by Google in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to digitalize Indian languages using AI. The project aims to collect anonymous speech data from people across 773 districts in India. Further, Google also mentioned IISc is now open-sourcing the datasets that have been collected over a year. Developers can now access over 4,000 hours of speech data across 38 languages, collected from 10K+ speakers from 80 districts. With the help of these datasets, developers can create their own applications that reflect how local languages are spoken and cater to customer needs.
We’re opening access to Google’s research models and datasets to help developers build meaningful solutions with India-focused speech data and location information.
Google also launched an accelerator program for ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce). It is an initiative to help startups and businesses with the necessary resources to accelerate their digital commerce operations. To support the growth of India’s digital sellers, Google Cloud open-sourced a ready implementation of ONDC infrastructure and core APIs. Businesses and startups can now use Google Retail AI technology to enhance their search experiences on the network. Additionally, access to PaLM API will also help increase the quality of catalogs using generative AI.
Google also announced a startup credits program for eligible businesses under which businesses will get a $25,000-grant if they are ONDC enabled.
.@GoogleCloud_IN is launching an Accelerator Program for @ONDC_Official and making it easier to onboard the network by bringing in technology to enable better consumer experiences when it comes to buying and selling online.
Google members also talked about their Project Bindi, which was launched last year to evaluate biases in Natural Language Processing (NLP) present in the Indian socio-cultural context. Since then, Google has built a SeeGull Database, which is now open-sourced, a global stereotype benchmark with broad geo-cultural coverage. They soon plan to share this database with the developers.
Build generative AI applications with PaLM API, MakerSuite, and Vertex AI
Google announced several tools which will be available for Indian developers, including Vertex AI, PaLM API, MakerSuite, and features within Google Maps like Address Descriptors. Apart from this, to help developers build custom and enterprise-ready generative AI applications, Google has made Generative AI support available on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
Further, they introduced three new models in Vertex AI, including Codey, Chirp, and Imagen. Codey is a powerful code completion and generation tool to enhance a developer’s coding speed. Developers can train this model on their own code to quickly build applications. Chirp is a universal speed model that brings speech-to-text accuracy for over 300 languages. Last from Vertex AI was the Imagen tool, used to create and edit images from text inputs.
Improved Maps
Google also unveiled Address Descriptor, designed for Indian developers to build geospatial experiences for Indian cities. It is an Indian-first experiment that is now available in more than 25 Indian metro cities. Using this feature, developers can help their users efficiently find addresses by sharing the most relevant and nearest landmarks and area names.
In partnership with Samsung, Google’s next launch was the Watch Face Format feature, a new declarative XML format. It will help developers to effortlessly build and launch an app on Wear OS. In addition, they also introduced Compose for TV, which is currently in the alpha development stage. This technology will help developers seamlessly build native TV apps with the support of an optimized library of components provided by Google.
Conclusion
These were the number of tools and technologies announced by Google to help Indian developers harness the power of AI. Not only will these tools help developers build powerful applications for a variety of platforms, but they will also give them an opportunity to unlock the power of AI.
In an interview with Peter H. Diamandis for the Moonshots and Mindsets Podcast, Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque said that there won’t be any human programmers in five years. Additionally, he stated that ChatGPT will be accessible on phones by the end of the year 2024 and will function without an internet connection.
Mostaque stated that 41% of all code on Github right now is AI generated when discussing the future of AI and how code is now being authored by AI. “In five years, there won’t be any programmers,” he said. According to Mostaque, the London-based business wants to democratize AI so that anyone can utilize it for their benefit.
“My goal is to give society OS building blocks,” he declared. “Our goal is to create a solid foundation that will unleash human potential, hence we are creating models for each and every modality. We do it for every industry, whether it is music, video, DNA, chemical reactions, or language.”
“Therefore, you now have a banker GPT and a board GPT to replace all of your unnecessary board members. We’re doing this so that everyone may have a program where they can put words in and anything that comes out will be acceptable for them and will enhance them,” he added.
Mostaque was asked in the same interview if he could forecast what will happen in terms of AI in the next ten years. He replied that he couldn’t see beyond five years and that by the end of the following year, people wouldn’t need an internet connection to access ChatGPT because it will be available on phones.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a leading US technology company, disclosed on Tuesday, July 4, that it has teamed up with VVDN Technologies, an Indian producer, to start producing some of its high-volume servers under recently announced Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0.
This action, which follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit to the US, intends to increase India’s domestic production capabilities. Within the first five years of production, HPE and the collaborators intend to produce high-runner servers in India valued about $1 billion.
According to a statement, “HPE has partnered with Indian manufacturer VVDN Technologies to manufacture HPE’s products from its plant in Manesar in Haryana because of India’s fast expanding electronic manufacturing environment.”
Officials from HPE and VVDN Technologies met with Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday to discuss the effort in detail prior to the announcement. Vaishnaw applauded the decision of the US tech giant to begin manufacturing in India.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 4, 2023
According to the announcement, Vaishnaw added, “We welcome HPE’s decision to start their manufacturing line in India as it will enhance domestic production capacities. We think that manufacturing huge amounts of IT gear will contribute to widening and deepening the manufacturing ecosystem.”
India is to become a hub for electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM), thanks to the recently unveiled Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0. This scheme for IT Hardware proposes a financial incentive to expedite domestic manufacturing and attract huge investments in the value chain.
The Bharat 6G Alliance was unveiled on Monday by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology. This ground-breaking effort aims to introduce the next-generation technology in India following the successful deployment of 5G.
With the aim of advancing telecommunications technology and promoting the growth of 6G in the nation, the Bharat 6G Alliance brings together important stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as other agencies.
Minister Vaishnaw emphasized India’s considerable advancements in the field of 6G technology during an occasion, noting that the country has already amassed over 200 patents. He emphasized how the next 6G technology will expand on the 5G base and enable a variety of improved capabilities, such as increased reliability, ultra-low latency, and cost-effective solutions.
The government intends to implement a fresh round of telecom reforms in the coming weeks in addition to the Bharat 6G Alliance. With speeds roughly 100 times faster than those of 5G, the next 6G is expected to revolutionize communication and create exciting new opportunities for the creation of cutting-edge communication applications.
The 6G vision document was originally published by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March of this year, underlining the initiative’s enormous potential to open up new prospects for entrepreneurs, sectors, and startups. India’s extensive intentions to create and introduce 6G telecom services over the next few years are laid out in the vision paper.
IIT Guwahati is opening up access to the entirely online degree programme through a number of enrollment paths in order to fulfill this demand and follow NEP 2020 recommendations. Anyone who has completed Class XII or an equivalent with mathematics as a required subject is eligible to apply.
Direct admission will be granted to those who are qualified and have registered for JEE Advanced (in any year), while those who do not may take an online course and be admitted based on their performance.
The degree offers several exit possibilities and rewards learning throughout. By converting their credits into a certificate, diploma, degree, and finally an honors degree, students can graduate from the programme. Online courses are mostly asynchronous to maximize flexibility and engagement. This allows students to learn at their own speed, while optional campus visits provide them the chance to interact with peers and teachers.
Before moving on to more specialized topics like generative AI, deep learning, computer vision, and data mining, students develop a foundation in coding. Through group projects, real-world case studies, and internships, students will improve their learning. Students can increase their understanding of job-relevant topics by earning industry micro-credentials, which are available in the programme and accepted as prior learning.
The BSc (Honors) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme will accept applications beginning on July 19, 2023, with the commencement of classes set for October 2023.
For future expansions of the e-commerce industry, Meesho, the emerging shopping platform, intends to promote advancements and breakthroughs in fields like generative artificial intelligence and multimodal large language models (LLMs).
As part of an industry-academia partnership, the e-commerce marketplace Meesho and the Vision & AI Lab (VAL) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for research that will last for one year.
In accordance with the MoU, Meesho’s data scientists will work with lab researchers from the institute to concentrate on generative AI skills and multimodal representation learning. By improving the online shopping experience for customers, the goal is to have a significant impact on the e-commerce sector.
Additionally, the partners believe that this will maintain Meesho at the forefront of the escalating competitiveness in the ecommerce industry and perhaps lead to the publication of research articles.
“Innovative thinking and technology are enabling a significant transformation in e-commerce. Online buying habits of consumers are evolving, and new trends are appearing. At Meesho, we welcome this profound transformation brought on by new technologies. The goal of developing solutions that ultimately benefit both customers and sellers equally will be strengthened by this collaboration,” Rajesh Kumar SA, director of data science at Meesho.
“By pooling our resources, we can create new opportunities and enhance technology that will provide beneficial business solutions for millions of customers,” said Venkatesh Babu, the head of the Vision & AI lab at IISc. Meesho announced its intention to increase its investment in AI and machine learning in June, citing the increasing integration of these technologies across industries.
On Tuesday, Google announced that it has chosen 20 Indian firms for the seventh round of its Google for Startups Accelerator, including the railway ticket booking tool Trainman. The company stated that these Seed to Series A startups, which were picked from more than 1050 applicants, will aim to harness the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The 20 India Startups include ActoFit, AlgoBio, Atsuya Technologies, AyuRythm, Blend, Cloudphysician, DentalDost, Expertia AI, Filo, KarmaLifeAI, Knorish, LimeChat, Mozark, Namaste Business, Neodocs, Qoruz, Rooter, Swasthya AI, Trainman, and Vitra.ai.
“These firms have now been included to the list of 137 startups in India that are part of the Google for Startups Accelerator. We kicked off the programme with a 1-week in-person bootcamp in Bengaluru on June 12 that was heavily focused on AI/ML and Generative AI, as well as training/workshops and office hours around product and design, tech, growth, and people, according to the company,” said Google.
In short, a three-month, equity-free accelerator programme for Seed to Series A software businesses in India is the Google for Startups Accelerator (GFSA) program. Over 130 firms in India have used it to speed up their growth thus far. Google began accepting applications for the seventh iteration of the accelerator programme in March of this year.
The business had then stated that Indian entrepreneurs operating in a variety of industries who were utilizing or planning to employ machine learning or artificial intelligence were eligible to apply and would receive mentoring and help in the areas of cloud, web, product strategy, UX, android, and growth.
The government of Uttar Pradesh has unveiled a strategy to transform important cities into centers for artificial intelligence and information technology.
The action comes in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement last month from the US that India and the US are at the forefront of developments in AI and that there have been ground-breaking advances. The cities scheduled for the AI and IT-based makeover are Varanasi, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Kanpur, and Lucknow.
As part of a larger plan to establish the five cities as future centers for IT and IT Enabled Services (ITeS), Lucknow has been designated as India’s first “AI City.” Nand Gopal Gupta, the industrial development minister for the state of Uttar Pradesh, was quoted as saying that technology and tech leadership would define the future of the world and that UP has made great strides to become a key center of AI, both nationally and internationally.
He said, “AI leadership means leadership of the world and our ‘double engine’ government is turbocharged to lead the tech revolution in the world. The goal of the anticipated AI and IT sector development in these five cities is to accelerate Uttar Pradesh’s transition to a trillion-dollar economy.”
A detailed road map was recently presented to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by officials. A high-level committee led by the chief secretary has been tasked by the CM with taking action to implement the idea right away. The Lucknow AI hub initiative would offer investors and businesses a whole value chain made up of AI start-ups, data centers, data analytics, AI-based training, and data forensics, among other things.
India’s healthcare sector is undergoing a dynamic change that is centered on digital transformation. According to a report from the IT industry group Nasscom unveiled at an event, data and AI in healthcare have the potential to boost India’s GDP by $25 to $30 billion by 2025.
Ktech Nasscom Centre of Excellence (CoE) organized the 11th edition of the Life Sciences and Healthcare Innovation Forum (LHIF) and the 4th edition of the Healthcare Innovation Challenge (HIC), reiterating its commitment to upending the healthcare ecosystem for accessible and affordable patient care.
The forum is a seven-year-old initiative that has the support of the Karnataka government. It highlighted the necessity of adopting technology-driven digital healthcare solutions to provide patients with better, faster, and more timely access to medical facilities and services, especially in remote locations.
The forum reemphasized the necessity of the industry’s innovation and swift adoption of cutting-edge technologies. Additionally, it emphasized the necessity of putting strategic emphasis on creating infrastructure that will fuel healthcare innovation in the nation. Some of the main drivers will include telemedicine, health technology, data-focused healthcare, accessibility to primary care, and mobility of skilled talent.
Hidentity, KareXpert, I Am By Your Side, Autoyos, Expand My Business, Healthvectors, Vyli, Ignoimagine, Leucine BioTech, AiVolved, Janitri, and Expand My Business were a few of the startups who attended the event. The startups showcased their digital health technologies that improved healthcare facilities and guaranteed accessible healthcare delivery by utilizing the power of AI and IoT.
