AI Weekly Rundown (May 11 to May 17)
Major AI announcements from OpenAI, Apple, TikTok, Meta, Google and more.
Hello Engineering Leaders and AI Enthusiasts!
Another eventful week in the AI realm. Lots of big news from huge enterprises.
In today’s edition:
🚫 Sam Altman quashes search engine launch rumors
📱 iOS 18 iPhones may soon have ChatGPT💻 SoftBank’s Arm Holdings to come up with AI chips in 2025
🚀 GPT-4o: 2x faster, 50% cheaper, 5x rate limits than GPT-4 Turbo
🔍 TikTok tests ChatGPT-powered search results
🎧 Meta explores AI-assisted earphones with built-in cameras
✨ Google announced a wide array of updates across its AI ecosystem
🧠 Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's co-founder and chief scientist, has left the company
🍎 Apple unveils AI-enhanced eye tracking, music haptics, voice shortcuts🤖 Humane’s AI Pin upgraded with GPT-4o💸 Stability AI seeks buyer amid financial woes
🔄 OpenAI will bring Reddit content to ChatGPT and new products
📈 OpenAI introduces improvements to data analysis in ChatGPT
👩💻 GenZ and millennials optimistic about GenAI use at work: Deloitte Survey
Let’s go!
Sam Altman quashes search engine launch rumors
OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, denied rumors of launching a search engine ahead of Google I/O, stating that the upcoming announcement is neither related to GPT-5 nor a search engine. He described the forthcoming revelation as something that "feels like magic."
However, there are reports that OpenAI is developing an AI voice assistant.
iOS 18 iPhones may soon have ChatGPT
OpenAI will bring ChatGPT to iPhones. The integration is expected to happen with the upcoming iOS 18. This could significantly enhance the user experience and expand the capabilities of Apple's virtual assistant, Siri.
Parallel to negotiations with OpenAI, the tech giant is also engaging with Google's parent company, Alphabet, to integrate the Gemini chatbot into Apple's devices. These ongoing talks, however, haven't led to an agreement yet.
SoftBank’s Arm Holdings all set to come up with AI chips in 2025
SoftBank's subsidiary, Arm, plans to develop AI chips and launch them in 2025. Arm is establishing a dedicated AI chip division and targeting a prototype by spring 2025 and mass production by autumn. SoftBank will contribute to the initial cost of 10 trillion yen ($64 billion).
The AI chip business could be spun off to SoftBank. Negotiations with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC) and others for production capacity are underway. The move reflects rising demand for AI chips, which has boosted Arm's share price since its IPO in September.
GPT-4o: 2x faster, 50% cheaper, 5x rate limits than GPT-4 Turbo
OpenAI unveiled its new flagship model, GPT-4o (“o” stands for “omni”). It provides GPT-4-level intelligence but is 2x faster, 50% cheaper, has 5x higher rate limits, and enhanced text, voice, and vision capabilities than GPT-4 Turbo. It also matches GPT-4 Turbo performance on text in English and code, with significant improvements for text in non-English languages.
GPT-4o can respond to audio inputs in as little as 232 ms, with an average of 320 ms, which is similar to human response time in a conversation. It is available in the ChatGPT free tier and to Plus users.
TikTok tests ChatGPT-powered search results
TikTok is testing a new search feature that uses AI to generate results for some queries. For certain search terms, like recipes or product recommendations, TikTok will display AI-generated answers at the top of the results. These answers are powered by ChatGPT, and when you click on one of these AI results, it takes you to a page with a full response.
TikTok is also testing "search highlights," which appear at the top of some searches. However, it's unclear whether these highlights are AI-generated.
Meta explores AI-assisted earphones with built-in cameras
Meta is currently exploring AI-powered earphones with built-in cameras. The project is known internally as “Camerabuds;” however, it’s uncertain if the final product will be in-ear earbuds or over-ear headphones. The cameras let the AI take in surrounding information visually, allowing it to translate foreign languages, identify objects, and more.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly seen several possible designs but has not been satisfied with them. Outside of design, the major hurdle is fitting a camera and batteries in a tiny device like an earbud.
Google announced a wide array of updates across its AI ecosystem
Major headlines were Project Astra, an AI agent that can see and hear users in real time, and AI teammates that can answer questions and organize data within Workspace.
Google also introduced Veo, a high-quality video generation model, and significant updates to Google Search, including expanded AI Overviews, advanced planning capabilities, and AI-organized search results.
The company launched Gemini 1.5 Pro, boasting a massive 2M context window extension, and Imagen 3, the next version of its text-to-image model. Other notable announcements included:
Gemma 2 updates: New 27-billion-parameter model launching in June
Google Play: New app discovery feature and developer tools
Android feature to detect potential scams during calls using Gemini Nano
Ask Photos: AI-powered search in Google Photos using natural language queries
Gemini in Gmail for searching, summarizing, and drafting emails
Gemini 1.5 Pro: Increased input capacity to 2 million tokens
Gemini Live: In-depth voice chats with Gemini on smartphones
Gemini Nano: Smallest AI model built into Chrome desktop client
Gemini on Android: Deep integration with Android OS and Google apps
Gemini on Google Maps: Generative AI summaries for places and areas
Tensor Processing Units (TPU): Sixth-generation Trillium chips with 4.7x performance boost
Project IDX: AI-centric browser-based development environment in open beta
Circle to Search: AI-powered feature for instant answers using gestures on Android
Pixel 8a: New smartphone with Tensor G3 chip, starting at $499
Pixel Slate: Google's Pixel Tablet is now available with or without the base
Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's co-founder and chief scientist, has left the company
Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's co-founder and longtime chief scientist, has left the company. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the news on X, expressing his sadness and gratitude for Sutskever's contributions. Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI's research director, will step up as a chief scientist.
Sutskever's departure comes amidst reports of disagreements with Altman over OpenAI's direction, mainly concerns about rushing AI-powered product launches at the expense of safety. The situation escalated last November when Sutskever and OpenAI CTO Mira Murati approached the company's previous board to express their concerns, leading to a brief attempt to fire Altman. However, Altman was swiftly reinstated, and much of the old board resigned.
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Apple unveils AI-enhanced eye tracking, music haptics, voice shortcuts
Apple recently unveiled new accessibility features that will launch later this year. One of these features is Eye Tracking, which enables users with physical disabilities to navigate their iPhones and iPads using only their eyes.
By leveraging the front-facing camera and AI, Eye Tracking allows precise control through a “Dwell Control” feature, eliminating the need for additional hardware.
Another noteworthy addition is Music Haptics, designed for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. When enabled, the Taptic Engine in iPhones plays taps, textures, and refined vibrations synchronized with music audio.
Additionally, Apple has introduced Voice Shortcut, which allows users to create custom voice commands for specific actions on their devices. With Voice Shortcut, users can perform tasks hands-free by simply speaking their personalized commands.
Humane’s AI Pin upgraded with GPT-4o
Humane has upgraded its popular AI Pin product with the GPT-4o model. This upgrade aims to enhance the AI Pin’s performance. The new version runs faster, provides more accurate answers, and offers richer information.
Stability AI seeks buyer amid financial woes
Stability AI has been in discussions with at least one potential buyer recently regarding a possible sale. The company is facing a cash crunch, having generated less than $5 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2024 while incurring losses exceeding $30 million. Stability AI also owes nearly $100 million in outstanding bills to cloud computing providers and other entities.
The reported sales talks came after the company laid off some staff as part of a restructuring process following the resignation of founder Emad Mostaque as CEO.
OpenAI is bringing Reddit content to ChatGPT and new products
OpenAI and Reddit have formed a partnership to benefit both the Reddit and OpenAI user communities in a number of ways:
OpenAI will access Reddit’s Data API, which provides real-time, structured, and unique content from Reddit. This will enable OpenAI’s AI tools to better understand and showcase Reddit content, especially on recent topics.
The deal will also enable Reddit to bring new AI-powered features to redditors and mods. Reddit will be building on OpenAI’s platform of AI models to bring its powerful vision to life.
Lastly, OpenAI will become a Reddit advertising partner.
OpenAI introduces improvements to data analysis in ChatGPT
OpenAI is rolling out enhancements to data analysis:
Upload the latest file versions directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. This allows ChatGPT to understand your Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files more quickly
Interact with tables and charts in a new expandable view
Customize and interact with bar, line, pie, and scatter plot charts in the conversation.
Work on tables in real-time
These improvements will be available in OpenAI’s new flagship model, GPT-4o, for ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users over the coming weeks.
GenZ and millennials optimistic about GenAI use at work: Deloitte Survey
Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey connected with more than 22,800 respondents in 44 countries to explore their attitudes about work and the world around them. One of the key findings was that Gen Zs and millennials are feeling uncertain about GenAI and its potential impact on their careers.
However, respondents who frequently use GenAI at work are more likely to say they feel excitement about, and trust in the technology. Frequent users of GenAI are also more likely to believe it will free up their time, improve the way they work, and improve their work/life balance.
But, conversely, the more a respondent uses GenAI the more likely they are to have some concerns as well.
That's all for now!
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