Need to Know News - October 3rd, 2024
In this week's Need to Know News edition...Google’s AI search summaries officially have ads...the energy company that used AI to slash execution time by 98%, from over 11 hours to just 7 minutes...Meta shakes up the wearable world with their new AI-Powered glasses...plus, a whole lot more!
AI In Action
Meta’s New AI-Powered Smart Glasses Look like the Future
The Verge's Alex Heath got an exclusive hands-on experience with Meta's groundbreaking AR glasses, codenamed Orion. While not yet available to the public, these smart glasses represent Meta's bold vision for the future of augmented reality.
During his two-hour demo, Heath played Pong with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and performed various tasks, showcasing the immense potential of AR technology. Meta Connect also unveiled new VR headsets, AI-powered voice modes, and AI-generated images for Facebook and Instagram feeds. As Zuckerberg explains in a Decoder interview, he believes AR glasses will eventually replace smartphones.
Google's AI Podcast Tool Transforms Your Text into Stunningly Lifelike Audio - For Free
Google's NotebookLM service can now transform any text into an astonishingly lifelike audio discussion, complete with natural banter and human-like voices, in just minutes - and it's currently free to use.
Technology expert David Gewirtz tested NotebookLM by feeding it two of his own articles, and the results left him and his editor stunned. While the AI-generated podcasts showcase the immense potential of this technology, Gewirtz also grapples with the profound implications it raises, from the democratization of content creation to ethical concerns around deepfakes.
🚀 Discover the 27 ‘Plug-and-Play’ AI Prompts Every Marketer Needs
Access All 27 Prompts Here ==>
OpenAI Just Announced 4 New AI Features, and They’re Available Now
The headline features include model distillation, which allows smaller models to be fine-tuned using outputs from larger ones; prompt caching, offering significant cost savings for repetitive prompts; vision fine-tuning, enabling GPT-4 to better understand and recognize images; and Realtime, a new API service that supports real-time speech-to-speech interactions. OpenAI is offering generous free token allocations to help developers get started with these new capabilities.
Can AI Do Performance Reviews? Rippling Says Yes
HR tech company Rippling has introduced Talent Signal, an AI-powered tool that analyzes employee performance data from various enterprise systems. This innovative product evaluates performance, identifies high-performer behaviors, and aligns with company values to provide ratings, rankings, and developmental feedback.
While the implications of AI-driven performance assessments may raise concerns, experts argue that such systems are less biased than human managers and can offer valuable insights. Talent Signal aims to measure not only job output but also soft skills and cultural fit, which are crucial factors in employee success.
Microsoft Revamps AI Copilot With New Voice, Reasoning Capabilities
The new Copilot boasts an amiable voice crafted by a team of creative directors, including psychologists, novelists, and comedians. Paying subscribers can access cutting-edge features like "Think Deeper," which reasons through complex choices, and "Copilot Vision," enabling users to interact with AI about the content they view in their browser. Microsoft CEO Mustafa Suleyman envisions Copilot as an ever-present, personalized AI confidant that will eventually learn from users' documents, desktops, and even gaming consoles.
Suncor Energy Derives Business Value Through Business AI and Automation
Suncor Energy has transformed its outdated intercompany tax process through the power of AI and automation. By leveraging SAP's Business Technology Platform and collaborating with SAP's MaxAttention team, Suncor developed the cutting-edge Intercompany Tax Automation (ITC) solution.
The results speak for themselves: execution time has been slashed by 98%, from over 11 hours to just 7 minutes, while costs have been reduced by a staggering $1.8 million. The ITC solution not only ensures compliance with legal obligations but also frees employees from tedious manual tasks.
Google’s AI Search Summaries Officially Have Ads
Users will now see sponsored products appearing in response to queries with a "commercial angle," providing them with relevant purchasing options at the exact moment they need them.
Alongside the ad rollout, Google is making notable changes to the formatting of AI Overviews. Cited webpages will be more prominently displayed on the right side of the summary, a move that has already driven increased traffic to supporting websites during testing. Additionally, Google is introducing AI-organized search pages for mobile users in the US, initially focusing on recipes and meal ideas.
At the Frontier of AI
MIT Startup Takes On Big AI Names Using Radically New Tech
In a groundbreaking development, Boston-based startup Liquid AI, founded by MIT researchers, is set to challenge big names in the AI industry with its innovative "Liquid Foundation Models" or LFMs. These highly efficient and versatile algorithms outperform leading models like Meta's Llama AI and Microsoft's Phi - while requiring significantly less computing power.
What sets Liquid AI's technology apart is its ability to handle various data types, such as text, audio, imagery, and video, thanks to its unique "liquid neural network" approach. This efficiency enables LFMs to run on smaller memory chips, making them suitable for embedded devices and edge processing. As Liquid AI approaches its public product launch, the company promises transparency through technical progress reports and "red-teaming."
Read Microsoft’s Optimistic Memo About the Future of AI Companions
Microsoft's new AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, has shared an optimistic vision for the future of AI companions in a memo celebrating the launch of a redesigned Copilot. Suleyman believes this marks a "technological paradigm shift" towards AI models that can understand what humans see and hear.
According to Suleyman, Copilot will serve as a personalized AI companion, adapting to users' mannerisms and needs over time. He emphasizes that the goal is to create a "calmer, more helpful and supportive era of technology" that enriches people's lives and strengthens human connections.
Meta, Outshift, Intuit and Asana Dig into the Agentic AI Future
Tech leaders from Meta, Outshift, Intuit, and Asana are betting big on the future of agentic AI. These autonomous, intelligent systems are poised to make near-human-like decisions across various domains, from coding to sales.
To realize this potential, Vijoy Pandey of Outshift by Cisco emphasizes the need for "an open, interoperable internet of agents" to foster innovation. Meta's Mano Paluri urges companies to start now, despite the technology not being fully mature. Real-world use cases are already emerging, such as Asana's AI-assisted workflows, Intuit's automated financial guidance, and Outshift's predictive IT diagnostics.
Got 15 Seconds?
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!
The AI Marketers
