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Microsoft has over 1M customers for Copilot. Zhibu AI raises $340M to be the Chinese competitor to OpenAI.

Big Tech makes big moves in AI this week. Can startups keep up?

Author

Tara Tan
October 26, 2023

Big Tech makes big moves in AI this week.

Microsoft now has over one million paying customers for their AI code companion, Copilot. Amazon rolls out an AI-generated ads platform, and rumor says that Google might be launching a no-code tool for AI apps. Youtube is in talks with major record labels to harness artists’ IP for an AI music platform.

Some major funding rounds were announced. Chinese AI startup Zhibu raises $340M to be the Chinese competitor to OpenAI, and is backed by Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi. Search seems to be the next big thing, with IVP leading the round to bring Perplexity to $150M valuation, and Objective announces a $13M round to bring AI-native search to any website.

With all the major moves in Big Tech, is there still room for new entrants? On one hand, big tech has decades of data to train on. On the flip side, I am seeing signs of a growing class of modern, resource-efficient, and nimble startups that are building entirely new experiences and infrastructure.

They just might flip the script.

🔥 Latest news

  • Microsoft crossed one million paying customers for AI coding companion, Copilot. CEO Satya Nadella says it’s a 40% increase from last quarter. https://tinyurl.com/cf4ektfs

  • Amazon rolls out AI-generated ad images and copy for advertisers. Now products can be automatically placed in a lifestyle background (like a kitchen), which could lead to 40% more clickthroughs. https://tinyurl.com/5dj2bfuv

  • OpenAI is in talks for a deal that would value the company at $80B. OpenAI is in talks to strike a deal involving employee shares that would boost its value to $80B— which would make it the third most valuable private company in the world, behind Tiktok and SpaceX. https://tinyurl.com/4ya4akh5 

  • Google may launch a secret AI tool. According to a leak on Medium, Google is set to reveal a new AI tool called 'Stubbs' on Google Makersuite. Stubbs can generate, deploy, and even publish AI apps with no-code. https://tinyurl.com/mshddcac 

  • Meta unveils Habitat 3.0, an advanced AI simulation environment for training robots in real-world interactions. The platform is a cornerstone in the quest to educate robots on how to navigate and interact with the physical world effectively. It offers a comprehensive catalog of virtual environments, encompassing office spaces, homes, and warehouses. https://tinyurl.com/54s8fauz

  • Google challenges Duolingo with an English learning tool. Google is launching a new language learning feature within Google Search to improve English-speaking skills. Initially available on Android devices in select countries, it offers personalized speaking practice sessions with feedback. https://tinyurl.com/59enka7w

  • New NVIDIA AI agent, powered by GPT-4, can train robots. NVIDIA Research has developed a new AI agent, called Eureka, that can autonomously teach robots complex skills. The company said Eureka has, for the first time, trained a robotic hand to perform rapid pen-spinning tricks as well as a human can. Eureka has also taught robots to open drawers and cabinets, toss and catch balls, and manipulate scissors, among nearly 30 tasks. https://tinyurl.com/4fj638e3 

  • TikTok maker’s new AI SALMONN understands all audio, not just music and voices. Researchers from Tsinghua University and ByteDance have developed a new AI system called SALMONN that allows machines to understand and reason about audio inputs like speech, sounds, and music. https://tinyurl.com/28wk5dkd 

  • IBM debuts a brain-inspired chip for speedy, efficient AI. A brain-inspired computer chip that could supercharge AI by working faster with much less power has been developed by researchers at IBM in San Jose, California. Their massive NorthPole processor chip eliminates the need to frequently access external memory, and so performs tasks such as image recognition faster than existing architectures do — while consuming vastly less power. https://tinyurl.com/yzbfcku3 

  • YouTube is developing an AI tool to use famous musicians’ voices. According to reports from Billboard, YouTube is currently engaged in discussions with major record labels, seeking their permission to harness artists’ intellectual property. https://tinyurl.com/yc3v6yd8

  • Nightshade, the new tool allowing artists to ‘poison’ AI models with corrupted training data. A new tool created by a team at the University of Chicago can add undetectable pixels to images to help creatives protect their work from AI image generators by effectively poisoning (corrupting) the AI’s training data. https://tinyurl.com/bd9ay8bn 

🔧 Cool Tools and Experiments

  • Canva launches AI ‘Classroom Magic’ tools for educators that assists them with lesson planning, content editing, document reformatting, image and text editing, multilingual lesson support, and accessibility checking https://tinyurl.com/s2k92nc2 

  • Tynker introduces Tynker Copilot, an AI-driven coding tool for students aged 6-12 https://tinyurl.com/5n8m3c6a 

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