India Today Launches India’s First AI Anchor Sana

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April 24, 2023

India Today launches India’s first AI Anchor Sana — Image Credits: Take Mitra

On March 30, India Today debuted the country’s first-ever AI news anchor. Known as “Sana,” the anchor made her Aaj Tak debut on the programme Black & White with journalist Sudhir Chaudhary.

Chaudhary presented the anchor powered by artificial intelligence to the audience, saying, “Now, Sana is with me.” He subsequently added in a conversation with Sana, “And for the first time today, you’ll be presenting the news.” The AI then assumes control until the end of the show’s runtime.

Welcome to the future of news broadcasting! India's first AI virtual news anchor, Sana, just made her debut on Black&White and it's truly revolutionary. With advanced AI technology Sana is changing the game in journalism. Exciting times ahead! #SudhirWithSanaOnBlackAndWhite pic.twitter.com/PsYbkWjkg6
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) March 30, 2023

“Welcome to the future of news broadcasting! India’s first AI virtual news anchor, Sana, just made her debut on Black&White and it’s truly revolutionary. With advanced AI technology Sana is changing the game in journalism. Exciting times ahead!” Sudhir wrote on Twitter

Sana displayed her linguistic prowess by addressing the visitors in around three languages, including Gujarati, in the launch video. PM Modi and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.

The AI news anchor took on the role of a weather reporter in another on-screen presence video. She was pleading for the charm of journalists who make extra efforts to bring liveliness and feel to the news rather than simply spewing out statistical facts at this time. Sana spoke English that sounded too mechanical.

Berkeley Researcher Deploy Robots to Speed Up Research by 100 Times

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Sahil Pawar

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April 24, 2023

Berkeley researcher robots speed up research 100 times — Image Credits: Berkeley Lab

A new material research laboratory has been created by a team of researchers lead by Yan Zeng, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), where robots do the labour and artificial intelligence (AI) can make regular judgements. This makes it possible to work continuously and quickens the speed of research.

Although research facilities and equipment have advanced significantly over time, the fundamentals of research have not changed. Each experiment has a human at its core who does the measurements, interprets the results, and chooses the subsequent actions. By utilizing robotics and AI, the researchers under Zeng’s direction at Berkeley’s A-Lab want to speed up research.

Three robotic arms and eight furnaces are part of the 600 square foot A-Lab. With funding from the Department of Energy, construction got under way in 2022 and was finished in little over a year after concept work started in 2020.

The A-Lab’s function is to create novel materials that can be utilized to create a variety of new products, including thermoelectrics, fuel cells, solar cells, and other clean energy technologies that use temperature differences to produce energy.

For many years, scientists have used computational methods to anticipate new materials, but testing the materials has been a significant bottleneck because it is a time-consuming process. The process can be hastened up to 100 times faster at the A-Lab than it would be with a human.

German Editor Fired for AI-Generated Interview with Michael Schumacher

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Sahil Pawar

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April 24, 2023

German editor fired AI-Generated interview Michael Schumacher — Image Credits: NDTV

According to the BBC, the chief editor of a German magazine who published an artificial intelligence-generated ‘interview’ with Michael Schumacher has been fired. The tabloid Die Aktuelle has also apologized to the family of the legendary Formula One racer.

This offensive and false piece had no business being published, said Bianca Pohlmann, managing director of Funke magazines. She claimed, “It in no way corresponds to the standards of journalism that our readers expect from a publisher like Funke.”

The release of this piece will have immediate negative effects on personnel, she added. Editor-in-chief of Die Aktuelle Anne Hoffmann, who has been in charge of the publication’s journalism since 2009, will be relieved of their duties as of today.

On the front cover of Die Aktuelle, a smiling photo of the 54-year-old was published on April 15 with the heading, “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.” The subtitle next to the headline said, “It sounded deceptively real.”

The phony interview, which bears the headline “My life has changed completely,” appears on page eight of the publication. It contains made-up remarks that Mr. Schumacher is said to have spoken about his family life following the accident and his health. However, it becomes clear later in the piece that the interview was generated by AI.

The Schumacher family has made it known that they want to sue the German publication. Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since sustaining a brain injury in a skiing accident in December of 2013.

Kerala Government Installs 726 AI Cameras to Monitor Traffic

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Sahil Pawar

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April 23, 2023

Kerala Government Installs 726 AI Cameras Monitor Traffic — Image Credits: NDTV

Starting on April 20, the ‘Safe Kerala’ project will use artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to identify traffic infractions and impose fines. To track down traffic violations, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department has installed 726 AI cameras.

The violations that the AI camera will pick up on include riding a two-wheeler without a helmet, doing so while moving, riding with more than two passengers, using a phone while driving, and jumping red lights.

Because roadside checking causes problems for the general public, the Motor Vehicle Department has chosen to adopt the “Fully Automated Traffic Enforcement System” as part of the “Safe Kerala” initiative to detect legal offenses through cameras.

The AI cameras are solar-powered, and data is sent through a 4G LTE SIM. Every vehicle will be examined by the visual processing unit in the camera box. Photos of the offending vehicles and their drivers will be sent to the control room of the motor vehicles department.

A mechanism is in place to collect video of infractions over the course of six months. The Motor Vehicles Department states that up to 30,000 penalty notices may be sent in a single day. Motor vehicle inspectors would meticulously inspect them for traffic violations before alerting offenders.

Recently, the Safe Kerala project, which aims to increase safety on the roads, received an approval from the state cabinet. The Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) and the department of motor vehicles (MVD) would be in charge of leading the project.

Microsoft Releases Copilot for Microsoft Viva

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Sahil Pawar

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April 23, 2023

Microsoft Releases Copilot for Microsoft Viva — Image Credits: Microsoft

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled Copilot for Microsoft Viva, an employee-experience platform based on Microsoft 365 that will go live in February 2021, one month after introducing Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a generative AI system built on GPT-4, a sizable language model developed by OpenAI, the AI lab behind the ChatGPT chatbot.

The Redmond business unveiled a Copilot in March to automate a range of activities across several Microsoft office programmes, such as summing important points of discussion in a Teams chat or including pertinent information in a PowerPoint presentation based on user-created documents.

In Viva Copilot, which is based on the Microsoft 365 Copilot System, data from the Viva apps Goals, Engage, Learning, Topics, and Answers are combined with the strength of big language models. According to Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, Kirk Koenigsbauer, it will “assist users in leveraging next-generation AI to boost productivity and drive enhanced business outcomes.”

“We believe this next generation of AI will enable a new wave of productivity growth,” Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, said in a live-streamed presentation.

By combining the tools and applications businesses need for communication and feedback, analytics, objectives, and learning, Microsoft Viva equips organizations with next-generation AI and insights, enabling them to continuously enhance employee engagement and business performance.

Srinivas Narayanan Appointed as VP Engineering at OpenAI

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Sahil Pawar

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April 22, 2023

Srinivas Narayanan appointed VP Engineering OpenAI — Image Credits: TechCircle

Srinivas Narayanan was most recently appointed vice president of engineering at OpenAI. At Meta (formerly known as Facebook), Narayanan held the position of vice president of engineering.

“Over the last year, I’ve gotten to know the fantastic staff at OpenAI and the amazing job they’re doing. I am beyond thrilled to be joining them,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Narayanan worked with Meta for more than 13 years, conducting in-depth research in a variety of fields—including computer vision, natural language processing, speech, and personalization—to improve the field of artificial intelligence and promote the company’s line of high-tech goods.

He also developed the interest graph, launched the location product, and oversaw the engineering for photographs, among other important projects. He was also instrumental in starting Meta’s forays into computer vision and deep learning during his time there.

He co-founded Viralizr, a firm that specialized in creating consumer products with a social collaboration focus, before joining Meta. Additionally, Narayanan spent almost three years as a software engineer at IBM.

It’s interesting to note that Narayanan is not the only top IT professional to join OpenAI. In the past, researchers from Google’s AI division like Hyung Won Chung, Jason Wei, Shane Gu, and others have joined OpenAI.

Disney Set for Another Round of Job Cuts After 7,000 Layoffs in October

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Sahil Pawar

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April 22, 2023

Disney another round of job cuts — Image Credits: Disney

Starting the following week, the Walt Disney Company is anticipated to fire thousands of employees. 15% of Disney’s employees who work for the company’s entertainment business will be affected by these job cutbacks.

The job losses would affect people employed by Disney’s TV and film divisions as well as those working at theme parks and corporate positions, according to persons familiar with the issue.

According to the Bloomberg story, the most recent employment losses would have an effect on every region where Disney operates. Notifications to affected staff will begin to be sent as early as April 24. Earlier in February, Disney announced 7,000 job losses as part of its cost-cutting measures to lower its yearly spending by $5.5 billion.

The number of workers at Disney Entertainment, which includes the company’s streaming, distribution, and film and television production activities, will significantly decline as a result of the layoffs.

As the streaming industry focuses on managing online video platforms, major businesses including Paramount Global, NBC Universal, and Warner Bros, have also reduced employment. Bob Iger, the current CEO of Disney, took over after Bob Chapek was ousted in November as a result of the company’s $1.47 billion quarterly loss in its streaming sector

EU Approves World’s First Comprehensive Framework for Crypto Regulation MiCA

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Sahil Pawar

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April 21, 2023

The first thorough set of regulations for the cryptocurrency industry have been passed by legislators in the European Parliament. The Markets in Crypto Act, also known as MiCA, was approved by the EU Parliament on Thursday with 517 votes in favor and 38 votes against.

The regulation, which aims to lower risks for customers purchasing cryptocurrency assets, will make providers accountable if they misplace customers’ cryptocurrency assets.

The EU Parliament stated in a statement that the rules will put a variety of responsibilities on cryptocurrency platforms, token issuers, and dealers around transparency, disclosure, authorization, and supervision of transactions.

Additionally, sales of new tokens will be subject to regulation. Platforms will be compelled to advise users of the dangers involved with their operations.

It will be necessary for stablecoins like tether and Circle’s USDC to keep enough reserves on hand to fulfil redemption requests in the case of large-scale withdrawals. Stablecoins that grow too big risk having their daily transaction volume restricted to 200 million euros ($220 million).

If it is determined that cryptocurrency platforms do not adequately safeguard investors, endanger market integrity, or threaten financial stability, the European Securities and Markets Authority, or ESMA, will be given the authority to intervene and ban or restrict those platforms.

MiCA also addresses the environmental issues related to cryptocurrencies, requiring businesses to disclose their energy usage as well as the environmental effects of digital assets.

Alphabet to Merge its AI Research Units Google Brain and DeepMind

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Sahil Pawar

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April 21, 2023

Alphabet to merge Google Brain DeepMind — Image Credits: Deepmind

In an effort to regain lost ground in generative AI versus Microsoft and OpenAI, Alphabet is merging its DeepMind and Google Brain AI research divisions. This puts an end to a protracted internal battle between the Silicon Valley and London-based organizations

After the restructuring, Demis Hassabis, the British CEO of DeepMind, will be in command of a larger team. This team can lay claim to many of the research innovations that have made AI the most significant new technology to hit the market since the advent of the internet.

After spending nine years working in cutting-edge research fields that infrequently had any direct bearing on the operations of the internet corporation, he will also take on a more direct role in creating cutting-edge AI systems that are essential to Google’s future business.

Following the breakthrough success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has presented the biggest challenge to Google’s internet search business since Microsoft mounted an unsuccessful challenge two decades ago, Alphabet has decided to concentrate its most cutting-edge research more directly on AI models with a direct application to Google’s internet business.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, claimed the restructuring was intended to “ensure the bold and responsible development of general AI” and would leave Google with “a unit that will help us build more capable systems more safely and responsibly”.

After more than nine years and the $500 million purchase of the London-based research organization, DeepMind, Google has finally fully assimilated DeepMind into its operations with the AI reorganization. Early on, the founders of DeepMind pushed to maintain their independence from Google’s other research initiatives so they could focus on advancing artificial intelligence.

Russia Assesses International Crypto Settlement Experiment

By

Sahil Pawar

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April 21, 2023

Russia Assesses International Crypto Settlement Experiment — Image Credits: Daily Express

Despite its stricter general stance on such assets, the Central Bank of Russia is allegedly working on a means to use cryptocurrencies for cross-border payments.

According to Russian news agency TASS, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of Russia’s central bank, stated the country will establish unique organizations that would be able to mine cryptocurrency and use it to settle payments with international organizations.

According to Central Bank Deputy Chairman Alexei Guznov, organizations connected to the state would be able to use cryptocurrency for such transactions at first. In the future, he suggested, private corporations might be able to do this.

The proposition was part of a draft bill that was then brought to the country’s parliament, and the Russian finance ministry previously stated that cryptocurrency should not be given currency status. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a bill intended to strengthen the country’s current ban on using cryptocurrencies to pay for products and services.

Despite the prohibitions on cryptocurrencies, Russian government officials stated last year that the nation was in discussions about permitting the use of cryptocurrencies for foreign trade.

These negotiations came after Russia was subject to sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine. In a September interview with Russia-24, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev stated that it was essential to legalize cross-border cryptocurrency payments. According to a report from TACC on Monday, the Bank of Russia still opposes the legalization of cryptocurrency exchanges and payments within the country.