32-Hour Workweek: AI's New Promise
Plus: Google's AI making talking avatars from photos, xAI open-sources Grok AI
Hello Engineering Leaders and AI Enthusiasts!
Welcome to the 233rd edition of The AI Edge newsletter. This edition brings you Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act and how AI is helps to improve work-life balance.
And a huge shoutout to our amazing readers. We appreciate you😊
In today’s edition:
🕰️ Bernie’s 4 day workweek: less work, same pay
🗣️ Google's AI brings photos to life as talking avatars
🤖Elon Musk’s xAI open-sources Grok AI
📚 Knowledge Nugget: Five Differences Between Human and AI Tutors by
Let’s go!
Bernie’s 4 day workweek: less work, same pay
Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, which aims to establish a four-day workweek in the United States without reducing pay or benefits. To be phased in over four years, the bill would lower the overtime pay threshold from 40 to 32 hours, ensuring that workers receive 1.5 times their regular salary for work days longer than 8 hours and double their regular wage for work days longer than 12 hours.
Sanders, along with Sen. Laphonza Butler and Rep. Mark Takano, believes that this bill is crucial in ensuring that workers benefit from the massive increase in productivity driven by AI, automation, and new technology. The legislation aims to reduce stress levels and improve Americans' quality of life while also protecting their wages and benefits.
Why does this matter?
This bill could alter the workforce dynamics. Businesses may need to assess staffing and invest in AI to maintain productivity. While AI may raise concerns over job displacements, it also offers opportunities for better work-life balance through efficiency gains by augmenting human capabilities.
Google's AI brings photos to life as talking avatars
Google's latest AI research project VLOGGER, automatically generates realistic videos of talking and moving people from just a single image and an audio or text input. It is the first model that aims to create more natural interactions with virtual agents by including facial expressions, body movements, and gestures, going beyond simple lip-syncing.
It uses a two-step process: first, a diffusion-based network predicts body motion and facial expressions based on the audio, and then a novel architecture based on image diffusion models generates the final video while maintaining temporal consistency. VLOGGER outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods in terms of image quality, diversity, and the range of scenarios it can handle.
Why does this matter?
VLOGGER's flexibility and applications could benefit remote work, education, and social interaction, making them more inclusive and accessible. Also, as AR/VR technologies advance, VLOGGER's avatars could create emotionally resonant experiences in gaming, entertainment, and professional training scenarios.
Elon Musk’s xAI open-sources Grok AI
Elon Musk's xAI has open-sourced the base model weights and architecture of its AI chatbot, Grok. This allows researchers and developers to freely use and build upon the 314 billion parameter Mixture-of-Experts model. Released under the Apache 2.0 license, the open-source version is not fine-tuned for any particular task.
Why does this matter?
This move aligns with Musk's criticism of companies that don't open-source their AI models, including OpenAI, which he is currently suing for allegedly breaching an agreement to remain open-source. While several fully open-source AI models are available, the most used ones are closed-source or offer limited open licenses.
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Knowledge Nugget: Five Differences Between Human and AI Tutors
In this article,
, a mathematics educator, shares his experience tutoring a fifth-grader and being tutored himself using an AI chatbot. He highlights the differences between human and AI chatbot tutors. While many, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have expressed hopes for AI to function as world-class tutors, Dan argues that these expectations are unrealistic and neglect the complex needs of students.Human tutors, according to Meyer, excel at seeking context, using multimedia, creating relationships, being appropriately pushy, and knowing their limits. AI chatbots, on the other hand, rely solely on text-based interactions, and present information with the same confidence, regardless of accuracy. Even though chatbots are neat tools, they are far from meeting students' vast and varied needs.
Why does this matter?
As the education sector increasingly looks to AI for personalized learning, we must understand that while AI chatbots may offer some benefits, they cannot replace the nuanced approach of human tutors. The key is to use AI in a way that improves the valuable efforts of human teachers.
What Else Is Happening❗
🧠 Maisa KPU may be the next leap in AI reasoning
Maisa has released the beta version of its Knowledge Processing Unit (KPU), an AI system that uses LLMs’ advanced reasoning and data processing abilities. In an impressive demo, the KPU assisted a customer with an order-related issue, even when the customer provided an incorrect order ID, showing the system's understanding abilities. (Link)
🍿 PepsiCo increases market domination using GenAI
PepsiCo uses GenAI in product development and marketing for faster launches and better profitability. It has increased market penetration by 15% by using GenAI to improve the taste and shape of products like Cheetos based on customer feedback. The company is also doubling down on its presence in India, with plans to open a third capability center to develop local talent. (Link)
💻 Deci launches Nano LLM & GenAI dev platform
Israeli AI startup Deci has launched two major offerings: Deci-Nano, a small closed-source language model, and a complete Generative AI Development Platform for enterprises. Compared to rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic, Deci-Nano offers impressive performance at low cost, and the new platform offers a suite of tools to help businesses deploy and manage AI solutions. (Link)
🎮 Invoke AI simplifies game dev workflows
Invoke has launched Workflows, a set of AI tools designed for game developers and large studios. These tools make it easier for teams to adopt AI, regardless of their technical expertise levels. Workflows allow artists to use AI features while maintaining control over their training assets, brand-specific styles, and image security. (Link)
🚗 Mercedes teams up with Apptronik for robot workers
Mercedes-Benz is collaborating with robotics company Apptronik to automate repetitive and physically demanding tasks in its manufacturing process. The automaker is currently testing Apptronik's Apollo robot, a 160-pound bipedal machine capable of lifting objects up to 55 pounds. The robot inspects and delivers components to human workers on the production line, reducing the physical strain on employees and increasing efficiency. (Link)
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