In this fast-paced digital age, staying up-to-date with the latest happenings in the tech world is crucial.
From groundbreaking innovations to industry trends and emerging technologies, it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the latest news and developments in the tech world.
As we embark into the third week of May, TFN decided to delve into the ever-evolving landscape of technology, where each passing day brings new possibilities and transformative developments, primarily in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Whether you’re an avid tech enthusiast, or simply curious about the impact of technology on our daily lives, this is an excellent go-to resource for the latest updates.
ChatGPT rival summarises the book in 22 seconds
Anthropic, a competitor of OpenAI, has introduced its chatbot named Claude to rival popular bots like ChatGPT and Google Bard.
What sets Claude apart is its significant memory boost, addressing a key limitation in most chatbots.
Memory determines the AI’s ability to retain information during conversations. While ChatGPT can handle around 3,000 words per interaction, Claude can process a staggering 75,000 words.
Anthropic claims that Claude can read and comprehend an entire novel, as demonstrated by their ability to identify a single edited sentence in The Great Gatsby within just 22 seconds.
This memory upgrade is a major advancement in AI development, enabling Claude to summarise books independently while ChatGPT relies on human-authored summaries.
It also tackles the issue of AI “hallucinations” that arise from limited memory, where chatbots may provide inaccurate responses or lose track of the conversation.
While Claude’s upgraded AI is currently available only to business partners through its API, it represents a step toward improving chatbot capabilities.
Anthropic emphasises safe and ethical AI development, acknowledging the challenges of training systems to consistently behave well.
While there are still many challenges ahead, Claude’s advancements in memory capacity offer hope for the future of AI and its potential to lead us toward improved chatbot experiences.
Revolut’s CFO departs due to personal reason
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of London fintech Revolut, Mikko Salovaara, is leaving the company after serving in the role for two years.
Revolut cited “personal reasons” for his departure.
Salovaara joined Revolut in January 2021 and played a crucial financial role during the startup’s $800 million Series E funding round, which valued the company at $33 billion.
Revolut, backed by investors like SoftBank and Tiger Global, offers a popular app that enables users to spend money in multiple currencies at real-time exchange rates without fees. The company has been striving to obtain a UK banking license since 2021 but has experienced delays.
In recent months, Revolut has faced challenges, including the departure of senior executives and compliance issues. Its valuation also declined to $17.7 billion according to the accounts of one investor, Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust, which marked down its position by 46% since its Series E investment.
Microsoft bringing AI to doctors
Microsoft has emerged as a major player in the AI field, thanks to its investments in OpenAI and specifically ChatGPT.
Now, the Redmond giant is leveraging OpenAI to power a new app — DAX Express (Dragon Ambient eXperience Express) that simplifies doctor visits.
By combining ambient AI with OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4, the app revolutionise the healthcare industry by reducing administrative tasks for doctors, allowing them to dedicate more time to patient care.
However, concerns have been raised regarding privacy issues since medical data is highly-sensitive.
Meta’s AI tool for optimised advertising
Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta (formerly Facebook) has been granted a patent for AI-generated and optimised advertising.
The patent describes the use of generative AI to create and alter ad content based on user interests. This advancement in generative AI aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s focus on turbocharging Meta’s AI work.
By utilising AI to target, measure, analyze, and optimize ad content, Meta aims to enhance its advertising business, which took a hit due to Apple’s privacy changes in 2021.
The patent covers the generation, delivery, customization, and performance analysis of digital content using artificial intelligence techniques.
While some experts remain skeptical about its potential revenue impact, Meta is investing significant effort into genAI projects, with a planned release of a genAI-powered ad offering later this year.
Elon appoints Twitter’s new CEO
Elon Musk has appointed Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s head of global advertising, as the new CEO of Twitter.
While Musk will retain a senior role at the social media platform, Yaccarino will assume the position of chief executive.
Musk stated that Yaccarino will primarily oversee business operations, while he will focus on product design and new technology.
Musk further expressed his intention to work with Yaccarino in transforming Twitter into a comprehensive platform similar to China’s WeChat, known as the “everything app.”
This move comes after Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022.
Meet da Vinci, a robot-assisted surgery system
NHS Ayrshire & Arran, one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland, has introduced the da Vinci robot-assisted surgery system.
This system allows surgeons to perform precise and minimally invasive procedures in certain cases.
Compared to traditional surgery, the da Vinci system offers several benefits for patients, including reduced blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, lower chances of readmission, and faster recovery.
The robot-assisted surgery system will be based at University Hospital Crosshouse, and the clinical teams in urology, gynecology, and colorectal surgery have already begun their training. The aim is to start treating pre-selected patients later this year.
AI-powered dating app
The team behind David Dobrik’s photo-sharing app, Dispo is developing a dating app called Teaser AI.
The app, listed under the same developer as Dispo, will incorporate AI into online dating with the tagline “less talk, more action.”
Teaser AI will allow users to match with others and engage in chat conversations with an AI version of their match. The app is scheduled to launch in May, as the trend of AI adoption continues to grow in Silicon Valley and the media industry.
While Dobrik is not involved in the launch and development of Teaser AI, it is confirmed that Daniel Liss, the CEO of Dispo, is the primary contact for the new app.
Teaser AI aims to address issues such as ghosting, catfishing, and unwelcome interactions by implementing AI technology and verifying user profiles. Dispo itself gained popularity as a photo-sharing app with unique features, securing $20 million in Series A funding and achieving a valuation of around $200 million. However, Dobrik stepped down from his role at Dispo in 2021 following an investigation into a former member of his Vlog Squad creator group.
The app intends to harness the power of AI technology to enhance the dating experience and combat issues commonly associated with online dating.
Amazon upgrading Astro
According to the report, Amazon is working on improving its home-monitoring machine, Astro, with technology similar to ChatGPT.
The internal project, called “Burnham,” aims to make Astro more intelligent, useful, and capable of engaging in conversations.
The upgraded Astro could provide alerts for situations like a stove left on or someone slipping, and it may even be capable of calling 911 during emergencies, adds the report.
By integrating advanced AI into a physical robot, Amazon is expanding AI’s presence beyond digital environments.
Google ads
In the latest development, users of Gmail have expressed frustration and dissatisfaction over ads appearing within their email inboxes.
Typically, Google displays ads at the top of the Promotions and Social tabs, but some users have reported seeing ads labeled with a green “Ad” in the middle of their emails under the Promotions tab.
A Twitter user named Rosemary H voiced their discontent, prompting a response from Gmail’s Twitter account.
Another unhappy user named said the ad placements “should be illegal,” and asked for the ads to be placed at the top again.
In their response, Gmail shared links to a Google article detailing how ads function and provided a feedback form for users to express their concerns.
“We are always experimenting with formats and working on ways to help people discover and connect with new businesses,” a Google spokesperson told Insider. “The Promotions tab shows promotional emails from businesses that people subscribe to, as well as offers and deals from companies people might like. We rolled out instream ads in the Promotions tab last year across mobile and in the past month expanded to desktop as well.”
ChatGPT user arrested
After the humongous success of ChatGPT, China made its first public arrest regarding the misuse of the AI chatbot.
A man named Hong was accused of using ChatGPT to generate fake news about a fatal train crash in Gansu province, resulting in the deaths of nine people.
The police in Kongtong district, China announced the arrest on their official WeChat account, sharing photos documenting the arrest.
Hong is currently detained under the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The investigation is ongoing, as stated by the Gansu police on WeChat.
Picture credits: BiancoBlue/DepositPhotos
