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Regulators continued to expand their footprint but on a light-touch basis, while the private sector improved its drive, with collaborations and competition moving side-by-side.
Here are the headlines:
Amazon will go head-to-head with NVIDIA thanks to new chips;
Microsoft now has a multi-sector focus with niche models;
OpenAI was in the news for all the right reasons;
The EU started the consultation process for its new AI law;
Also, the Catholic Church introduced an AI-powered virtual tour of St. Peter's Basilica;
And much more!
Of course, it's your Daily AI™!
The DWN AI Index™ Update
On 11/13/24, the index changed -4.62 points, or -0.13%, to close at 3530.21.
DWN/AI Index™ Individual Stock Closing Prices:
Amazon (AMZN) at $214.10,
Arista Networks (ANET) at $395.16,
C3.ai (AI) at $27.25,
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) at $347.88,
Duolingo (DUOL) at $323.43,
iRhythm Technologies (IRTC) at $87.13,
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) at $425.20,
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) at $146.27,
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) at $60.70,
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) at $186.66,
Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) closed at $180.49, while Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) closed at $580.00.
Under the AI Hood
Amazon/NVIDIA
The Jeff Bezos-chaired Amazon expanded its AI-focused efforts with increased investments in made-to-order chips. According to a Financial Times report, Amazon is investing in several product lines of chips made by Annapurna Labs, a startup it acquired in 2015.
Annapurna's incoming Trainium 2 product line will (reportedly) rival NVIDIA's chips. Several firms are already using the Trainium 2 chips for training activities. They include Anthropic, Databricks, Deutsche Telekom Ricoh, and Stockmark.
Microsoft
Software giant Microsoft shifted its focus from general-purpose AI to specific industries by launching adapted AI models. In a November 12 post, Microsoft introduced industry-specific adaptive AI models.
Several firms partnered with Microsoft to develop new pre-trained models with niche data within the Microsoft Cloud environment.
They include Siemens Digital Industries, Sight Machine, Rockwell Automation, Saifr, Bayer, and others.
OpenAI
The Sam Altman-led OpenAI kept the heat up with several innovative moves. The first was the over $10 million purchase of the chat.com URL for its ChatGPT models.
A Twitter/X post revealed that OpenAI was the secret buyer of the domain with $15.5 million. Former owner Dharmesh Shah revealed that
OpenAI bought the domain in late 2023. According to a Bloomberg report, OpenAI plans to launch "Operator," an AI agent that can perform autonomous tasks, in January 2025.
Industry Dive
Shengshu Technology/OpenAI
On the other side of the planet, in China, an AI startup revealed capabilities that can challenge OpenAI's Sora for its top spot. On November 13, Beijing-based Shengshu Technology revealed video creation capabilities for its text-to-video platform Vidu.
Vidu can now combine images to create realistic-looking videos.
The Treasury Department/Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
Criminals and other bad actors have escalated their activities using GenAI tools to alarming levels. According to a November 13 FinCEN alert, criminals now use GenAI tools to create deepfakes for various purposes, including identity verification.
The criminals also combine scanned identity images containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to create new fake photos that could easily pass compliance checks.
The European Union (EU)
The EU seeks public input as part of the legislation process for its new AI law. The two critical areas include industry definitions and banned AI uses.
Additionally, the process ends on December 11. The EU will publish the framework outlining definitions and banned uses early next year.
Everything Else
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)/Atomic Canyon
San Luis Obispo, California-based startup, revealed a partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to install Neutron Enterprise, an AI-powered offering that will enable smooth operations. The platform will scan over 9 million documents to facilitate compliance for the Golden State's only nuclear plant.
Additionally, the upgrade process for Diablo Canyon will require creating documents from older ones which could keep the facility running for another twenty years.
Amnesty International/Udbetaling Danmark (UDK)
According to a November 12 Amnesty International report, the Danish welfare authority's deployment of new AI tools poses the risks of discrimination against (special) population segments. The AI tools could discriminate against special groups, including migrants, low-income earners, and others.
In addition, the report iterated that the new tools aid in creating a mass surveillance system in which privacy rights are (allegedly) ignored.
The Vatican
We move to the Vatican, where the Catholic Church launched AI-powered access to St. Peter's Basilica. The move enables virtual access to the iconic Renaissance-era building, giving visitors enhanced tours.
Consequently, the new tour coincides with the Catholic Church's quarter-century Holy Year (Jubilee celebrations).
Following the Money
Writer
Enterprise-focused Writer secured $200 million in a Series C funding round. Premji Invest, Radical Ventures, and ICONIQ Growth led the round and included other investors, including Salesforce Ventures, Citi Ventures and Adobe Ventures.
Writer has a $1.9 billion valuation.
11x
Sales automation ecosystem 11x raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Other participating investors include Quiet Capital, Benchmark, Lux Capital, and SV Angel.
mediaire
Across the pond in the EU, German radiology-focused startup mediaire secured €12 million in a financing round led by LBO France. Other participants include Wille Finance, IBB Ventures, and others.
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