The Daily AI™ | Weekly Free Edition
Your Trusted Resource for AI/ML News
RECEIVE THE DAILY AI 3 TIMES PER WEEK TO YOUR INBOX. SUBSCRIBE NOW
Partnerships and collaborations continued to rule the industry, with tech firms finding ways to work together despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. AI increasingly finds novel uses across several sectors, including entertainment and defense.
Here are the headlines:
Google now has an AI weather forecaster;
OpenAI deepened its national security foray;
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found new ways of using old maps to find abandoned oil wells;
Apple and Baidu are having issues with AI integrations for iPhones for the Chinese market;
Plus, there's a new Netflix series featuring an AI version of Winston Churchill;
And much more!
Of course, it's your Daily AI™!
The DWN AI Index™ Update
On 12/4/24, the index changed +87.20 points, or +2.45%, to close at 3652.44.
DWN/AI Index™ Individual Stock Closing Prices:
Amazon (AMZN) at $218.16,
Arista Networks (ANET) at $105.43,
C3.ai (AI) at $37.59,
CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) at $364.16,
Duolingo (DUOL) at $364.65,
iRhythm Technologies (IRTC) at $86.80,
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) at $437.42,
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) at $145.14,
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) at $69.85,
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) at $200.69,
Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) closed at $176.09, while Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) closed at $613.78.
Under the AI Hood
Google/DeepMind
In a December 4 announcement, DeepMind unveiled GenCast, an AI model that accurately provides 15-day weather forecasts. GenCast adapts to the earth's curved surface and provides complex predictions of weather patterns.
DeepMind deployed historical data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF ) to make predictions.
Anduril/OpenAI
The Sam Altman-led OpenAI teamed up with defense tech firm Anduril to deploy AI solutions in national security operations. The collaboration focuses on the development and rollout of defense-related AI solutions.
In addition, the cooperation will help improve the real-time capabilities of unmanned drones.
Amazon
At its annual AWS conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, e-commerce giant Amazon introduced its new foundation AI model series. Apps powered by the Amazon Nova line of AI models have video and image prompt processing capabilities, alongside multimedia comprehension features.
Furthermore, the Nova portfolio has low-cost, multimodal functionalities and is available in 200 languages.
Industry Dive
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
America's energy search took on a new dimension with an AI-powered solution allowing the discovery of old and abandoned oil and gas wells. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed an AI solution that leverages old maps to discover the so-called undocumented orphaned wells (UOWs).
Moreover, the AI solution parses through several maps to discover accurate locations of the UOWs.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM)/NVIDIA/xAI
According to a December 5 Reuters report, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and NVIDIA are (allegedly) in talks to produce its Blackwell at TSM's Arizona plant. Sources indicate that the rollout will occur in early 2025.
The contract arrangement will enhance TSM's capabilities at the Arizona facility.
In related news, the Elon Musk-owned xAI unveiled plans to expand its Memphis, Tennessee facility. xAI wants to increase its supercomputer's capacity to include at least one million graphics processing units (GPUs).
Apple/Baidu
A working partnership between Apple and Baidu has hit a few snags. According to a December 4 The Information report, the collaboration has multiple issues, including Apple's adaptation of Baidu's AI models for iPhone users in China.
Furthermore, privacy policy and data collection issues also affect the process.
Everything Else
Netflix/Imagine Entertainment/Winston Churchill
An AI adaptation of British statesman Winston Churchill has come to life in a Netflix documentary. The four-part 'Churchill at War' series features an AI version of the early 20th century British Prime Minister, brought to life from archived media by Beverly Hills, California-based Imagine Entertainment.
Consequently, the series debuted on December 4.
Spotify/Google
Thanks to Spotify Wrapped AI podcasts, personalized AI-powered playlists are now possible. Listeners can access audio overviews by two hosts, who provide summaries based on personal interests.
Additionally, the 'Your Spotify Wrapped AI podcast' offering is available for free on a limited basis to residents of Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, and Sweden.
Spotify built the offering using Google's NotebookLM.
Still, on content, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made an interesting prediction. At the New York Times DealBook event in New York, Pichai predicted that content creators will get paid in the future for contributing to training AI models.
How soon? No one (really) knows, but Pichai revealed plans for payments.
The Alphabet-owned firm is already licensing content from several platforms, including the Associated Press, the New York Times, and Reddit.
Following the Money
Meta
Social media behemoth Meta got included in the AI race. In a December 4 announcement, Meta revealed plans to build a $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana.
The Pelican State is a group of several peers offering incentives to tech firms to boost local economies.
GROWL
Interestingly, AI fitness startup GROWL raised $4.75 million in a seed funding round led by Skip Capital, with several participants including UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane, Kima Ventures, and Teampact Ventures. The fundraising coincided with the launch of its AI-powered boxing coach.
Nebius
Cloud-centric AI ecosystem Nebius secured $700 million in equity financing from several heavyweights, including NVIDIA, Accel, and Orbis Investments' managed accounts.
The funds will improve Nebius's operational footprint and further its global expansion efforts.
RECEIVE THE DAILY AI 3 TIMES PER WEEK TO YOUR INBOX. SUBSCRIBE NOW
ABOUT The Daily AI™:
The Daily AI™ is a new paid newsletter published every M/W/F from the team at Digital Wealth News™ and AI & Finance™ covering the artificial intelligence ecosystem worldwide. Subscribe today to stay abreast of all the latest news and players in the AI/ML sector.
**Disclaimer**: The information on the Daily AI™ is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as investment advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified professionals familiar with your financial needs. The Daily AI™ does not endorse specific investments, strategies, or financial service firms. The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Daily AI™ or its affiliated brands or entities. Please conduct your (own) research and due diligence, and consult your financial advisor before making investment decisions.