🤖 ChatGPT Gets a Humanoid Shape

Hello AI Enthusiast,

Last week we talked about how some folks are using AI to make fake pictures involving politics in a way that might trick voters. Most of you, 67%, think the best move to avoid the spreading of fake news and images is to educate people to see this as just a new twist on an old political tactic. Always scrutinize images and their sources before believing or sharing.

Adding to the buzz, there's a video from Figure and OpenAI showing a robot that acts a lot like a human, and it's really getting people talking. Some think it's awesome, while others find it a bit spooky. We're diving into this story and more AI news this week.

News Bytes 🗞️

• Figure, in partnership with OpenAI, showcases a humanoid robot¹ interacting naturally with a human in a demo video, marking a significant advancement in general-purpose robotics. Their ultimate goal is “to develop general purpose humanoids². (…) These robots can eliminate the need for unsafe and undesirable jobs — ultimately allowing us to live happier, more purposeful lives.”

  • 💡 Our take: While some may see this as a futuristic demo, it is just that, a demo. These robots will not be commercialized anytime soon. Practical industry applications and real-world deployment will ultimately determine the shape, impact and necessity of such advanced robots.

• He said it and delivered it. Elon Musk's startup xAI has open-sourced its large language model Grok-1, clearly challenging other LLM providers like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Grok's innovative neural network design aims to provide an uncensored and efficient alternative to existing models.

  • 💡 Our take: Elon Musk's strategic decision to open-source Grok not only impacts the ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI but also positions xAI as an innovator in the AI field. However, Grok being open source means anyone can use and change Grok's model, but it doesn't offer everything (like training code and data) that some other projects do, making it somewhat less open in comparison. More about this in the Educational Pill section.

• Cognition introduces Devin, the world's first AI software engineer capable of complex engineering tasks using machine learning algorithms to constantly improve and adapt. Devin has demonstrated impressive performance on benchmarks, streamlining software development processes and ensuring precision in coding practices. We’ve shared their demo here.

  • 💡 Our take: You might be wondering if software developers are going away. We believe that, similar to many other professions, AI technologies like Devin are simplifying processes. This means that opportunities for workers are likely to shift rather than disappear. We anticipate that SMEs and startups will likely experience enhanced productivity, but big companies might be slow to use it because of security and privacy concerns. Human oversight remains essential, just as with ChatGPT and copywriting, AI serves to complement but not replace the strategic vision that only humans can provide.

• Apparently, Apple is in talks with OpenAI to potentially use its model and is negotiating with Google to license its generative AI models to enhance new iPhone features. The details of the agreement, including terms and branding, are yet to be finalized, with a potential announcement expected around Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

• Apple has quietly acquired AI startup DarwinAI, known for manufacturing efficiency and AI model optimization. The team members joined Apple's machine learning teams in January, hinting at potential enhancements for future iOS features.

  • 💡 Our take: Apple's moves sound like a way to accelerate its AI capabilities to meet market demand swiftly. By integrating external expertise, Apple secures technological advancements before deploying in-house solutions. The shared emphasis with DarwinAI on data privacy aligns with Apple's closed ecosystem philosophy, safeguarding user data within their devices.

• OpenAI has signed deals with Le Monde and Prisa Media to feature French and Spanish news in ChatGPT. The company is estimated to pay between $4 million and $20 million yearly for news licensing, sparking discussions about fair compensation and access to training data in the AI industry.

• At Nvidia's recent conference, they announced a new chip called Blackwell that will make AI faster, they also introduced ready-to-use AI tools (NIMs), and a system (GR00T) to make robots move and see better. The Blackwell chip is faster and stronger, NIMs help developers build AI more easily, and GR00T is set to make robots more realistic.

• Amazon brings AI to the rescue for sellers by introducing an intelligent tool that automatically creates enhanced product listings. Sellers simply need to paste a link from their own brand's website to generate well-written descriptions - a smart move by Amazon that streamlines e-commerce and enhances the discoverability of products on its platform, though its effectiveness is yet to be proven.

This week’s glossary 📖

1. Humanoid Robot: A robot designed to resemble the human body in shape and movements, often used to interact with human tools and environments.

2. General purpose humanoids: Robotics technology designed to perform a wide range of tasks, not limited to specific functions.

Educational Pill 💊

Grok's Approach to AI Sharing

In the world of AI, sharing how a model or program is built can be done in different ways. One way is called "open source," where everyone can see and change all the parts of the program. Another way is what Grok is doing, called "open-weight."

This means they're sharing enough so people can use it and build on it, but not showing everything about how it's made. It's like giving someone a partially completed puzzle; they can see the picture and add more pieces, but they don't know exactly how every piece was made.

Grok's approach lets developers start with something solid and customize it for their needs, but it doesn't allow as much freedom or understanding as full open source does, where you get to see and change everything.

LOLgorithms 😂

Hint: this has to do with people promising a truckload of money to ChatGPT hoping it would do a better job at providing outputs.

From our community 🤝

In our community, we host a channel where every member can post AI news, and it's here that we first discovered the news about Figure's robot. 😃

That's a wrap on our newsletter! Here’s a quick recap before you go:

• Free Webinar on March 22nd at 6 pm CET: Discover how we at AI Academy use AI.

• Empower Your Team: If you're a startup or SME, reach out for a personalized AI course offer.

• Customized Corporate Training: We offer tailored sessions for companies diving into AI.

Catch you next week! 👋