#11 Billions pour into AI

Welcome to the 203 new users from last week!

As billions of dollars pour into AI startups, and large AI companies roll out new products faster than possibly imagined, we’re left to wonder: where does the buck stop?

With seemingly unlimited funding, where is this AI revolution headed, and who will be held accountable for what happens, either good or bad?

As John F. Kennedy said after the Bay of Pigs cockup, “Victory has a hundred fathers; defeat is an orphan”.

At this rate, it’ll be VERY interesting to see who is claiming what in the next three, six, and twelve months.

In today’s newsletter:

• Too many updates - and it’s not slowing down: Billions of dollars pouring into AI companies and startups

• The rundown: Life-saving cancer detection, AI CEOs, and AI chatbot dumps its user

• Tips, tricks & tools: AI-stock trading bot, automated social media management and helping freelancers get more work

• Adam’s hand: Now it looks like Adam’s hand

• Ernie, you’ve disappointed us: China’s answer to ChatGPT causes shares to drop by 10%

TOO MANY UPDATES - AND IT’S NOT SLOWING DOWN

In years to come, the week just gone, 13th-17th March 2023, might very well prove to be a watershed moment for AI and humanity.

A moment where the relentless pace at which companies chase profits by pushing the boundaries of AI technology compromised responsible and ethical decisions.

As everyone knows, OpenAI’s much-anticipated GPT-4 dropped, with a more extensive dataset, advanced algorithms, the ability to process text and image inputs, and the capacity to update its database continuously.

Google also introduced AI-enhanced features in their Docs suite, offering a more intuitive experience with advanced language models that predict the user's intent and provide context-aware suggestions.

Midjourney AI released its version 5 update with a better understanding of complex shapes and anatomy, leading to more accurate outputs.

In short, every major player in the AI race pushed out new products and updates just last week.

Alarmingly (as covered in AI Plug Issue #9), Microsoft also dismissed their ethical AI team - a decision made to reduce the number of roadblocks preventing the company from rolling out new products faster than the opposition (namely Google).

As these rapid developments unfold, AI technology is advancing faster than experts ever imagined.

While these innovations offer significant benefits, we mustn't prioritize short-term gains over long-term ethical considerations - but that’s exactly what’s happening.

Right now, the AI industry is experiencing a multibillion-dollar explosion.

In 2023 alone, VC firms in the US have thrown $3.6 billion into 269 different AI companies, with companies like Cohere, Stability AI and Anthropic all seeking valuation at well over $4 billion each.

And as VC Sam Lessin informed The New York Times, “the absolute vast majority of the spoils will go to AI incumbents” - meaning the big tech companies (such as Microsoft and Google) who own the AI systems and the hardware upon which they operate.

The problem arises as these companies compete frantically, trying to outdo one another and corner more of the market.

Sure. It’s never been easier for us to write our emails.

A chatbot can even help make dinner based on a photo of our fridge.

But here’s the problem:

Companies are releasing these products to the public even as they knowingly provide “unexpected and inaccurate answers”.

These companies are even imploring users to “use your best judgement”, essentially passing the buck of responsibility from THEM, to YOU.

As Garry Kasparov (yes, the Garry Kasparov) tweeted back in 2019:

“There will be mistakes, as with any new tech, but human accountability must always be clear & present in the chain of algorithmic command.”

What we’re now left to wonder is where does this accountability lie? Certainly not with Microsoft’s AI ethics team.

THE RUNDOWN 🐂

• AI's getting better at spotting cancer early, which could save lives. Machine learning helps analyze medical images way more effectively and accurately than before. (link)

• Network effects mean more users and more data, making AI smarter. (link)

• Apple aims to use language-generating AI to improve user experience. (link)

• Stock climbs for NetDragon, the first company in the world to appoint an AI as its CEO, raising questions about AI decision-making and what it means for jobs. (link)

• LinkedIn's using AI to write profiles and job ads, making it easier for people to show off their skills and companies to find talent. (link)

• "Cerebral Valley," a Silicon Valley hacker house, is all about AI development, and they’re looking to shake up the tech industry. (link)

• AI chatbot stopped loving its user, sparking discussions about what it means to get attached to AI chatbots and how that impacts human relationships. (link)

TIPS, TRICKS & TOOLS ⚒️

• Trade Ideas - A cutting-edge AI stock trading bot that scans the market, identifies profitable opportunities and automates trades. (link)

• SocialBee - An AI-powered social media management tool that helps you grow your online presence by optimizing posting times, creating engaging content, and analyzing user data. (link)

• Barilliance - An AI-enhanced e-commerce personalization solution that boosts sales by offering tailored product recommendations and promotions based on customer behavior. (link)

• Copyscape - An AI-driven plagiarism detection tool that helps ensure content originality by scanning the web for duplicate text and highlighting any potential matches. (link)

• Kuki.ai - An AI-assisted freelance platform that connects freelancers with relevant job opportunities based on their skills, experience, and preferences. (link)

• Affise - An AI-based affiliate marketing optimization tool that analyzes user behavior and website traffic to maximize earnings from referral links and partnerships. (link)

ADAM’S HAND - NOW IT LOOKS LIKE ADAM’S HAND

Not to be left behind, MidJourney also released its latest update last week.

In older Midjourney versions, human hands were one of the AI-image generator’s main difficulties.

This comes down to the complicated geometry of the human hand - meaning “AI systems had no universal collection of lines or shapes with which to identify” and, therefore, accurately replicate a human hand.

Using the prompt ‘The Creation of Adam hands detail’, an expert in photography and AI imagery, Chris Sargent, owner of mostly.photos, demonstrates the stark difference in capabilities between Midjourney v4 (left) and Midjourney v5 (right).

ERNIE, YOU’RE A DISAPPOINTMENT

Last Thursday, 16th March 2023, in a live presentation viewed by over 2 million people, Baidu founder Robin Li stood beside Ernie Bot’s chat screen - China’s answer to ChatGPT - narrating a pre-recorded demonstration of questions that had earlier been typed into the chatbot.

The presentation made Google Bard’s launch appear like a screaming success, in which it incorrectly answered questions about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Baidu’s shares dropped with each passing minute of Li’s presentation, with viewers clearly underwhelmed, pointing out how Ernie paled in comparison to ChatGPT3, let alone GPT4.

Despite allocating significant internal resources to building Ernie, Baidu is clearly struggling with the training process of teaching a generative AI model.

Interestingly, in the face of US sanctions on companies selling AI computer chips to China, it seems the knowledge gap is a more significant hindrance in preventing China from developing their own counterpart to LLMs like ChatGPT.

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