AI

As the world of search continues to evolve, companies like Yelp are adapting to meet the changing needs of users. This move reflects broader industry trends, with established players like Google also adding similar features to their search and Maps to aid the discovery of new places. Yelp’s latest update, which includes an improved AI assistant, is a significant step forward in this direction. At the heart of Yelp’s update is its enhanced AI assistant, which can now answer questions about a wide range of businesses, from restaurants and bars to local attractions and retailers. This assistant uses information from a business’s page, website, reviews, and photos to provide answers. For instance, users can ask about the types of animals they might see at a zoo, and the assistant will respond with relevant information. The assistant can also scan physical menus, using AI image recognition to overlay bubbles on screen, which users can tap to see photos and reviews of specific dishes. ...

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, enterprises are faced with a daunting challenge: how to harness the power of artificial intelligence without compromising security. This move reflects broader industry trends, where companies are struggling to balance the benefits of AI with the risks of data breaches and cyber threats. According to a recent MIT report, 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing, highlighting the need for a secure and reliable solution. ...

The quest for innovative cancer therapies has taken a significant leap forward with the introduction of Cell2Sentence-Scale 27B (C2S-Scale), a groundbreaking 27 billion parameter foundation model. Developed in collaboration with Yale University, this AI model has successfully identified a novel hypothesis about cancer cellular behavior, which has been confirmed through experimental validation. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize cancer immunotherapy by making “cold” tumors more visible to the immune system. ...

The world of video creation is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This move reflects broader industry trends, where companies are leveraging AI to empower creators and streamline content production. Google’s latest update to its Flow tool is a testament to this shift, introducing new features that give users more control over their video editing experience. At the heart of this update is Veo 3.1, the latest iteration of Google’s AI model that powers Flow. With Veo 3.1, users can now enjoy richer audio, more narrative control, and enhanced realism that captures true-to-life textures. This state-of-the-art model builds upon its predecessor, Veo 3, with stronger prompt adherence and improved audiovisual quality when turning images into videos. The introduction of Veo 3.1 marks a significant milestone in the development of AI-powered video editing tools, enabling creators to produce high-quality content with greater ease. ...

The development of large language models (LLMs) has been rapidly advancing, but the process of fine-tuning these models with effective prompts remains a challenging and often improvised craft. This move reflects broader industry trends towards more structured and measurable approaches to AI development. To address this challenge, Google has introduced LLM-Evalkit, an open-source framework built on Vertex AI SDKs. This lightweight tool is designed to replace the current scattered and guess-based iteration process with a unified, data-driven workflow. ...

Breakout, a leader in AI-driven go-to-market automation, today announced the launch of Breakout Blocks, a no-code solution designed to transform traditional static websites into interactive, AI-powered buyer journeys. The new platform enables B2B companies to deliver personalized, conversational web experiences that guide prospects through the sales funnel automatically. According to the company, Breakout Blocks lets marketing and sales teams convert their existing websites into dynamic conversion engines without needing developers or extensive AI expertise. Users can design and deploy “blocks” — modular, intelligent components powered by Breakout’s proprietary AI — that adapt in real time to visitor behavior, intent, and stage in the buying cycle. ...

Samsung and SK Join OpenAI’s Stargate Initiative to Power Global AI Infrastructure OpenAI has announced a significant expansion of its ambitious “Stargate” initiative, welcoming South Korean technology powerhouses Samsung Electronics and SK Group as key partners. This collaboration is set to bolster the development of global AI infrastructure by securing a stable supply of advanced memory chips and exploring the construction of new, AI-optimized data centers. The partnership, formalized through a series of agreements, underscores the critical role of hardware and international cooperation in the race to build next-generation artificial intelligence. With this move, OpenAI aims to create a more resilient and powerful foundation for its future AI models and services. ...

NVIDIA AI Day Tokyo: Japan’s AI Demand Set to Soar 320x by 2030 At NVIDIA AI Day Tokyo, over 900 attendees gathered to explore the future of artificial intelligence and Japan’s vision for sovereign AI. The highlight: a bold prediction that Japan’s demand for AI computing power will rise 320 times by 2030 compared to 2020. Sovereign AI and National Strategy Kuniyoshi Suzuki, senior director at SoftBank Corp., emphasized the need for domestic AI technologies. He called for Japan-made large language models (LLMs) and local computing infrastructure to ensure safe and transparent AI adoption. ...

The Next Big Leap for Windows 11: Unpacking the 2024 (24H2) Update Microsoft’s significant annual feature update, the Windows 11 2024 Update (version 24H2), is now rolling out. This release focuses on next-generation AI capabilities and core quality-of-life improvements. What are the key AI features? These features are primarily available on new Copilot+ PCs with dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPUs). Recall: Creates a searchable, visual timeline of your PC activity, allowing you to find anything you’ve seen with natural language. Windows Studio Effects: Delivers new AI-powered camera filters and improved lighting/audio adjustments for video calls. Cocreator: Allows users to generate and edit images using text prompts directly within apps like Paint and Photos. What are the upgrades for all users? File Explorer: Now includes native support for creating 7-Zip and TAR archives. Copilot: The AI assistant evolves from a sidebar into a pinnable app, offering more flexibility. Sudo for Windows: The popular sudo command is integrated, allowing for easy execution of elevated commands. Energy Saver: A new, more effective mode to extend the battery life of laptops. How & When to Get the Update The update is being deployed in phases to ensure stability. The general rollout for existing PCs began around October 1, 2024. You can manually check for the update by going to Settings > Windows Update and clicking “Check for updates.”