Apple’s Ali Farhadi Appointed CEO of Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence

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June 21, 2023

Apple's Ali Farhadi appointed CEO Allen Institute Artificial Intelligence — Image Credits: LinkedIn

Ali Farhadi, a computer vision expert and startup founder who most recently oversaw Apple’s machine learning programmes, will rejoin the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) in Seattle. He will be the second CEO in the history of the non-profit research organization.

Farhadi developed and served as CEO of AI2 spinout Xnor.ai before selling the AI firm to Apple in 2020 for an estimated $200 million. It is one of the institute’s largest commercial successes to date.

His resignation from Apple and return to AI2 on July 31 coincides with a turning point in the development of artificial intelligence, as the world’s attention is focused on generative AI technologies driven by massive language models.

Farhadi replaces Oren Etzioni, who was chosen by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to lead the launch of AI2 over ten years ago. Last year, Etzioni made the decision to leave his position as CEO, but he promised to stay on as a board member, counselor, and technical director of the AI2 Incubator. Peter Clark, a longtime leader in AI2 research, has been acting as interim CEO.

With the help of AI2’s distinctive status as an independent charity, Farhadi will be entrusted with solidifying and improving AI2’s position. In addition to leading AI2, Farhadi is anticipated to continue teaching at the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering.

Along with his competence in AI, the board members of AI2 claim that Farhadi’s prior positions as the CEO of a startup and a leader within a big business have given him a distinctive viewpoint and range of knowledge for to equip him for this position.

High Court Directs to Halt Payment for Safe Kerala AI Traffic Camera Project Due to Alleged Corruption

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Sahil Pawar

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June 21, 2023

High Court halt payment Safe Kerala AI traffic camera project corruption — Image Credits: Stock Images

On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court ordered the State government to stop paying installments for the Safe Kerala Project, which oversaw installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras throughout the State in an effort to lower traffic accidents. The State was instructed by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice SV Bhatti and Justice Basant Balaji not to make any additional payments until further directions are issued by the Court.

The request for a court-monitored investigation into the Safe Kerala Project was made in a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Ramesh Chennithala, a fellow Congress leader and member of the Legislative Assembly, and VD Satheesan, a Congress member and the opposition leader in the Kerala assembly.

Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, speaking on behalf of the petitioners during the hearing, informed the Court that the petitioners are only against the alleged corruption in the State government’s decision-making process and not the project as a whole.

The PIL petition claimed that nepotism, favoritism, and corruption, including violation of privacy, arose from the awarding of tenders for the installation of AI cameras. It was argued that the State government had violated both the right to privacy and the terms of the Motor Vehicle Act by entrusting private companies with public information.

Additionally, it was alleged that the project had been corrupted in a pyramidal fashion from the very beginning when a State government company by the name of KELTRON was given the job despite the finance department’s strong concerns about their ability to carry it out.

Jamia Millia Islamia Introduces 3-week Training Programme in AI and Machine Learning

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Sahil Pawar

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June 21, 2023

Jamia Millia Islamia introduces 3-week training programme in AI and machine learning — Image Credits: NDTV

A short-term training programme in machine learning and artificial intelligence has been announced by Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). Registration for the course is already underway.

According to the university’s brochure, the programme, which is being run by the department of computer engineering, will go on for three weeks, from July 4 to July 22. The programme runs from 10 am to 1 pm, Monday through Saturday. Both online and offline classes would be offered, according to the institute.

According to the university, the course consists of both lectures and practical work done under the supervision of qualified experts. There are 80 seats available for the course, with 30 reserved for those taking it in person and 50 for those taking it online. Seats will be assigned according to first come, first served basis. The course is open to all undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as faculty members with a background in mathematics.

Applied Data Science with Python, Machine Learning Algorithms, Deep Learning for Computer Vision using Keras and Tensorflow, and Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing using Keras and Tensorflow will make up the majority of the course’s five sections.

The course will be instructed by JMI academics with experience in the industry, as well as by lecturers from the IITs, NITs, and IIITs as well as foreign universities, according to the course brochure. Throughout the course, students would be graded on a variety of quizzes and assignments. After finishing their course, the pupils will also get a certificate from the university.

According to the brochure, the registration fee is ₹4,000 for Jamia students and professors, and ₹6,000 for those from other universities. All students would receive the reference materials and session slides from the lectures.

German Tabloid Bild to Replace Various Editorial Jobs with AI

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Sahil Pawar

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June 21, 2023

German tabloid Bild replace editorial jobs AI — Image Credits: BILD

The biggest-selling newspaper in Europe, the German tabloid Bild, has informed staff via email that it aims to use artificial intelligence to replace a number of editorial positions as part of a €100 million cost-cutting programme.

The newspaper is also restructuring its regional newspaper operations, a move that is anticipated to result in hundreds of layoffs. The newspaper’s owner, Europe’s largest media publisher, Axel Springer SE, informed staff via email that it will “unfortunately be parting ways with colleagues who have tasks that in the digital world are performed by AI and/or automated processes.”

According to the email, which was obtained by the rival Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper (FAZ), editors, print production staff, subeditors, proofreaders, and photo editors will no longer exist as they do today.

The statement comes after the publisher’s chief executive, Mathias Döpfner, said that it would be a “purely digital media company” in February. According to him, ChatGPT and other AI tools might replace independent journalism or make it better than it has ever been.

He asserted that AI would eventually surpass human journalists in the aggregation of information and that only publishers who produced the best original content, such as investigative journalism and original commentary, would endure. The number of jobs that could potentially be lost to AI wasn’t disclosed by Bild.

Google Launches Google News Initiative to Empower Local News Publications in India

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Sahil Pawar

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June 21, 2023

Google News Initiative local news publications India — Image Credits: CNET

Google has unveiled a new programme Google News Initiative (GNI) to assist Indian local news publishers in enhancing their online presence and gaining more readers.

Small and medium-sized news organizations that produce original news in nine languages, including English, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, and Marathi, will be given training, technical support, and funding as part of the Google News Initiative Indian Languages Programme.

With a variety of tools and best practices, the programme strives to provide publishers with the power to improve user experience and revenue creation on the web. It will have scalable inspiration series and online seminars on subjects including YouTube, News Consumer Insights (NCI), Core Web Vitals, and website optimisation.

The performance of the basic web vitals, page speed, and other pertinent factors will be evaluated as part of the diagnosis process for the chosen publishers. In order to enhance their user experience, some publishers will also profit from specialized advice and technical assistance.

Applications for the GNI Indian Languages Programme are accepted through June 30, 2023. Small or medium-sized Indian language news organizations with a functioning website, at least 50 full-time staff, and at least 12 months of continuous operation are eligible to apply.

Vimeo Introduces AI-powered Script Generator and Text-based Video Editor

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Sahil Pawar

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June 20, 2023

Vimeo, a provider of online video content, today announced plans to assist creators with their video production needs by integrating new AI-powered tools and services, such as a script generator and a text-based video editor.

Vimeo’s AI-powered script generator frees users from having to write their own scripts before they begin to create a film. The new functionality was developed by Vimeo using a generative AI model from OpenAI, the provider of the well-known ChatGPT AI chatbot.

From a brief description and drop-down menu, it may generate a whole video screenplay with a preset duration of one, five, or ten minutes and tones including inspirational, formal, or humorous. The AI then generates a script that can be changed or regenerated after the user has finished.

Once the user is satisfied with the script, a video recording can be made, which will display the script in a teleprompter on the screen that remains at eye level directly below where the camera is positioned so the user need not look away.

Secondly, the video editor now includes a text-based feature that enables users to edit their video alongside the timeline-based editor and view a transcript of what they really said in the video. With a text-based editor, users may identify the exact moments when certain words were spoken and have them deleted, unlike timeline-based editing, which allows users to cut and clip portions of a video based on where it is in time.

Beginning on July 17, the new AI-powered feature set will be accessible and priced according to the company’s Standard Plan. On the official website, users can also sign up to get invitations to be among the first to sample the new services as part of early access.

Coca-Cola Appoints Pratik Thakar as Global Head of Generative AI

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Sahil Pawar

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June 20, 2023

Coca-Cola Pratik Thakar global head generative AI — Image Credits: Everything Exxperimental

Pratik Thakar has been promoted by The Coca-Cola Company to serve as the global head of generative AI. He announced his appointment to the position on his LinkedIn post. He wrote, “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Global Head of Generative AI // Marketing Transformation Office at The Coca-Cola Company.”

Thakar will be in charge of creating innovative platforms that make use of AI technology to enhance the consumer experience across the whole portfolio of brands and product categories owned by The Coca-Cola Company.

At organizations like the World Federation of Advertisers, McCann WorldGroup, Grey Group, and Saatchi & Saatchi Asia, he had held a number of executive positions. Before being given the position of head of generative AI at Coca-Cola, Thakar was the global head of creative strategy and integrated content for the Coca-Cola portfolio.

The Coca-Cola Company has forayed into the field of generative AI by using the technology to create its latest advertisement. Coca-Cola launched an AI-powered campaign, Masterpiece, that has taken the world by storm, showing some of history’s most renowned artworks while using breakthrough artificial intelligence.

The VFX team at Electric Theatre Collective and creative firm Blitzworks collaborated to produce a magnificent commercial that flawlessly transitions between several forms of artwork using a mix of live-action images, digital effects, and AI.

In a recent blog post, Coca-Cola introduced “Create Real Magic,” an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that combines OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL-E technologies.

Chinese Vendors Sell Nvidia AI Chips at Double the Regular Cost Due to High Demand

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Sahil Pawar

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June 20, 2023

Chinese vendors sell Nvidia AI chips double regular cost high demand — Image Credits: NVIDIA

Despite export limitations put in place by the United States, Chinese sellers are profiting from the soaring demand for high-end Nvidia chips, particularly the A100 artificial intelligence (AI) chips. People looking for the sought-after chips have started gathering in Shenzhen’s well-known Huaqiangbei electronics district, which is well-known for its extensive selection of electronic products, including drones and camera parts.

Although the chips are not advertised in public, they can be found with careful research. The A100 chips, created by US chip company Nvidia, are reportedly offered for a stunning $20,000 per unit, which is double the standard price.

High-end US chips can be purchased or sold in China legally, but because of US export restrictions, a black market has emerged. Vendors take care to avoid drawing the attention of Chinese or US authorities.

In an effort to halt Chinese advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing in the face of escalating political and trade tensions, President Joe Biden’s administration introduced export restrictions. Thought to be the best for machine learning tasks, Nvidia’s microprocessors are now in high demand because of the worldwide AI boom, which was spurred by the popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The precise number of A100 and H100 chips entering China is still unknown, but Reuters discovered that several dealers in Hong Kong and mainland China have easy access to small amounts of A100 chips. Buyers often include entrepreneurs, gamers, researchers, and app makers. Notably, a few municipal governments in China are also among the buyers.

In reaction to the circumstance, Nvidia declared that they do not allow the export of the A100 or H100 to China and instead provide lower-capability alternatives that adhere to US laws. The business also stated that it will punish consumers who were discovered to be breaking the terms of their agreement.

RadioGPT Introduces World’s First AI DJ

By

Sahil Pawar

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June 20, 2023

RadioGPT introduces World's first AI DJ — Image Credits: ANI

A radio station in the US made history by hiring the first full-time DJ powered by artificial intelligence in a ground-breaking move. For their midday broadcast, KBFF Live 95.5 FM, owned by Alpha Media, has used Futuri Media’s RadioGPT software to develop an AI version of their host Ashley Elzinga.

We made history as the world's first radio station with an AI DJ! Our midday host Ashley has become AI Ashley! We can’t wait for you to meet Ashley, the world's first artificially intelligent DJ. As to the intelligence of our other DJ’s…we’ll save that for another post 😉 pic.twitter.com/CtlMhYU0IO
— Live 95.5 (@live955) June 13, 2023

The creative project aims to improve the station’s capacity for content creation and provide audiences and clients with more timely and thorough information.

Phil Becker, EVP of Content at Alpha Media, expressed his excitement about the possibilities of AI in radio broadcasting and claimed that it allows the station to be more adaptable than ever. They are now able to feature their content creators more frequently and in more situations, thanks to the deployment of RadioGPT.

Elzinga may be seen making a joke about the AI host and hinting that she is off work in a recent video that the radio station posted on Twitter. To allay worries among regional DJs, Alpha Media emphasizes that the AI DJ will not take the place of the actual Ashley Elzinga. While working with her AI counterpart, Elzinga will continue to be paid as usual.

In the video, the AI presenter, who was inspired by Elzinga, manages to replicate her voice very well, sounding kind and relaxed when speaking with viewers. A lucky caller is told in the video they have won tickets to a Taylor Swift concert in one video by the AI Ashley.

8 Lakh Jobs in Hong Kong Would Be Lost to AI Technologies by 2028, Says Report

By

Sahil Pawar

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June 19, 2023

8 lakh jobs Hong Kong lost AI technologies 2028 — Image Credits: Stock Images

According to the 2023 Hong Kong Salary Guide published, artificial intelligence (AI) technology would eliminate almost 800,000 jobs by 2028, or 25% of the workforce in Hong Kong. The report names customer service agents, administrative workers, and data entry clerks as the most vulnerable job categories to AI impact.

Beyond these industries, the impact of AI is anticipated to affect careers including law, translation, illustration, and content creation. Concerns about significant employment losses have been raised by the rising popularity of AI models like ChatGPT. According to sources, several organizations in Hong Kong are now encouraging people in roles that previously did not require IT skills to become proficient in ChatGPT.

According to a study by the major investment bank Goldman Sachs, AI has the potential to automate 25% of all vocations, with administrative jobs being the most automatable at 46%, followed by legal jobs at 44%, and professionals in architecture and engineering at 37%.

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Damo Academy of Alibaba Group discovered that employing large language models (LLM) for data analysis, such as GPT-4 can be done for less than 1% of the price of hiring a human analyst, while providing equivalent results.

The report emphasizes the possible risk to employment security posed by the growing use of generative AI. Additionally, GPT-4 completes jobs substantially faster than people do, and in some circumstances, it outperforms human data analysts in terms of accuracy and analysis.