Northwestern University's Security & AI Lab (NSAIL) is researching AI and counterterrorism. They recently held a conference on AI & National Security and are working on projects like a Drone Early Warning System and a Global Online Deep Fake Detection System. NSAIL collaborates with various departments and international partners to address security challenges using AI.
China aims to become a global AI leader, with goals to achieve major breakthroughs by 2025 and become the world's primary AI innovation centre by 2030. The strategy involves investing in AI education, talent development, and supporting Chinese AI enterprises. China leads in AI publications and patent filings, and plans to leverage international initiatives to expand its AI influence globally. The country also aims to actively participate in and influence global AI standards and governance.
Google's top security executive warns that AI is forcing companies to rethink digital security strategies. Traditional measures are becoming ineffective against AI-powered attacks. This is part of a technological arms race in eCommerce, with AI potentially reducing online fraud losses. AI security systems can analyse data in real-time to detect advanced attacks, using machine learning to understand context. Organisations are advised to implement new AI-specific security frameworks, including data sanitization and safeguards against harmful outputs. While costly, these measures are deemed essential for safe AI use and protection against threats.
Nvidia has become the world's most valuable company, surpassing Apple. The AI chipmaker's shares reached a record high, nearly tripling since the start of the year due to high demand for its AI chips. However, trading volumes have remained low, possibly due to uncertainties surrounding the US election and chip export restrictions.
Singapore startup ProfilePrint has developed AI technology to rapidly analyse food ingredient quality at a molecular level. The technology aims to streamline the food supply chain by reducing physical sample exchanges. Operating globally, ProfilePrint's platform allows companies to create AI models for specific product assessments, with potential applications beyond coffee and tea that could improve food security.
The Open Source Initiative has released the first Open Source AI Definition after two years of development. It requires developers to provide complete source code for AI systems, including specifications for data processing and training, but doesn't mandate the release of training data. The definition aims to make AI benefits accessible to all, though some experts believe the lack of open training data requirements may limit its practical value for commercial use. The OSI views this as a starting point, expecting the definition to evolve over time.
OpenAI accidentally released an improved ChatGPT model (o1) for a few hours. It showed better accuracy, problem-solving, coding, visual analysis, and image description capabilities compared to ChatGPT-4o. The o1 model uses slower, more thorough reasoning to improve task breakdown and contextual understanding. While no official release date is set, it may be available soon, possibly before year-end.
SambaNova and Hugging Face have launched a tool for one-click deployment of ChatGPT-style applications, including text-only and multimodal chatbots. This integration drastically reduces deployment time and simplifies the process for developers. The companies plan to host a hackathon to promote adoption.
Meta has cancelled plans to build an AI data centre powered by nuclear energy due to the discovery of rare bees on the proposed site. The project faced environmental and regulatory challenges. Meta continues to search for locations with carbon-free energy for its AI operations, highlighting the tension between technological advancement and environmental concerns.
Argonne National Laboratory researchers have developed MProt-DPO, an AI-driven computing framework for accelerating protein design. It combines various data sources and uses large language models and supercomputers to process billions of parameters, achieving over one exaflop of performance. The framework incorporates a Direct Preference Optimization algorithm to improve design reliability and is being tested on protein design challenges, with plans for laboratory validation.
Microsoft has launched Magentic-One, a multi-AI agent system for enterprises to automate complex tasks. Built on Microsoft's AutoGen framework, it uses an Orchestrator to direct specialised agents for web browsing, file navigation, coding, and program execution. Currently powered by GPT-4, it can work with other language models. Microsoft has also released an evaluation tool and advises on security precautions when using the system.
AI has rapidly advanced since 2017, surpassing expectations in tasks like defeating humans at Go. Bill Gates considers it the most significant technological progress since the 1980s GUI. Despite potential concerns, Gates believes AI is a promising field for new businesses, though competition and funding have intensified.
Researchers used GPT-4 to teach low-cost robot arms to clean up spills. The experiment used LangChain to translate the AI's input into robot movements. This showcases AI language models' potential for physical tasks and demonstrates how open-source technology can make robotics more accessible.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest up to $100 billion in 'Project Transcendence', an AI initiative to develop a technological hub in the kingdom. The project will focus on data centres, startups, and infrastructure to support AI development, as well as talent recruitment and encouraging tech investment. This effort aims to compete with the UAE as a regional technology centre.
ChatGPT has shown ability to write Excel VBA macros and complex formulas from plain-English instructions. This is significant as these functions are crucial yet challenging in many industries. While accurate for simple tasks, complex instructions may need verification. This capability could save time for users struggling with Excel functions.
Ahrefs has launched new AI-powered SEO and content marketing tools. These include features for keyword suggestions, intent analysis, content creation assistance, content evaluation, and keyword translation. They're developing 'Patches' to fix simple website issues using AI. The tools are available through Ahrefs' platform, with free and paid options.
The US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency appointed its first Chief AI Officer to refresh AI strategy, inventory AI initiatives, implement generative AI, provide secure access to top AI models, and establish governance. The new strategy is expected after 2024. This appointment aligns with recent federal directives.
AI agents may benefit retail crypto traders by monitoring markets continuously and avoiding human biases. However, trading remains zero-sum and AI can't change market fundamentals. Investors shouldn't increase budgets solely due to AI. A Web3 VC predicts significant growth in crypto gaming and AI markets, estimating 10% gaming penetration by end of 2026.
Lumen Technologies has secured over £3.5 billion in new AI-related business, focusing on data-centre connectivity. The company partnered with Google Cloud and aims to reduce debt with these deals. Despite a Q3 net loss, Lumen increased its full-year free cash flow forecast. The company's stock value has surged by over 450% in the past year due to its AI initiatives.
The UK government is testing an AI chatbot using GPT-4 to help businesses navigate Gov.UK. The system can quickly answer questions about regulations and policies, providing links for verification. While aiming to improve public services, the technology has limitations, including potential 'hallucinations'. The chatbot has safeguards against illegal or biased responses and cannot make predictions or share opinions on controversial topics. The government is working to refine its accuracy and safety before potential wider rollout next year.
