🇨🇳 China's ChatGPT rival is here

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AI and Machine Learning

What is GPT-4 and how does it differ from ChatGPT? (3 minute read)GPT-4 is the latest and most advanced artificial intelligence model developed by OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT and the Dall-E AI artist. Its primary function is to generate written text, but its capabilities go beyond that. GPT-4 can pass the bar exam, solve complex logic puzzles, and even analyze a photo of a fridge to provide a recipe using leftover ingredients. However, the creators of GPT-4 caution that it has the potential to spread misinformation, promote harmful beliefs, and deceive people into performing tasks on its behalf. Despite these warnings, GPT-4 represents a significant advancement in AI technology and has the potential to greatly impact various industries.

China’s Baidu unveils ChatGPT rival Ernie (5 minute read)Baidu, a major Chinese search engine, has recently unveiled its latest chatbot, Ernie, which is powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Ernie is now considered to be one of the latest competitors to OpenAI's groundbreaking chatbot, ChatGPT. During a recent livestreamed press conference, Baidu's CEO Robin Li discussed Ernie's capabilities, which he attributed to decades of hard work and efforts by Baidu. According to Li, Ernie's mathematical logic reasoning ability was showcased during two rounds of conversation. Ernie demonstrated that it not only knows whether a question is correct or not, but it also provided answers and specific steps to solve the problem. During the event in Beijing, Li demonstrated how Ernie was able to generate a conference poster and video based on a prompt, offer advice on the best location for the event among several Chinese cities, and even read material in a Sichuan dialect.

‘Basically mindblowing’ — What GPT-4 can do, according to one startup that’s had access to it (5 minute read)OpenAI recently released its latest text generation model, GPT-4, which generated a lot of buzz on social media. However, developers cannot currently use the model to create products or services because the API is still on a waitlist. As a result, only a fortunate few have had the opportunity to try out OpenAI's newest large language model (LLM). One of those few is Miðeind ehf, an Icelandic AI startup that was chosen as one of six projects for GPT-4 beta testing. The startup, consisting of a team of 12 people dedicated to preserving the Icelandic language, became an early tester of the highly sought-after product after the CEO joined an Icelandic government delegation to Silicon Valley in May 2022. The delegation aimed to explore how technology could help protect Iceland's language, which dates back to the Viking era.

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Business

Microsoft’s new Power Platform AI copilot will build your apps for you (3 minute read)During its virtual "Future of Work" event, Microsoft unveiled an AI copilot that will be integrated into Power Apps, Power Virtual Agents, and Power Automate. Microsoft is utilizing the copilot metaphor across all of its products to make the use of these tools even easier. With the help of AI, users will be able to describe what they want to build using natural language, allowing Copilot to build an app, flow, or bot in seconds and provide suggestions for improvement. According to Charles Lamanna, Microsoft's corporate VP for its low code application platform, makers will now have a live in-studio copilot that helps them build solutions. The goal is to provide AI-powered assistance to make building line-of-business apps, flows, and bots a more seamless process.

Fairmatic raises $46M to bring AI to commercial auto insurance (4 minute read)The rise in the cost of repairs, labor, and claims has led to a spike in insurance fees across the board, due to inflation. A Bankrate.com study found that car insurance premiums increased 13.7% nationally over the past year, while home insurance climbed 12.1% year-on-year according to Policygenius. However, Jonathan Matus, founder of Fairmatic, argues that this trend can be mitigated. Fairmatic is utilizing AI to reduce risk in the car insurance industry. The company analyzes and prices the risk profile of a vehicle fleet, using AI models trained on driving data. This helps to mitigate risk and assist with various policy management and claims processes.

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Misc

UK puts AI at the centre of its Budget (5 minute read)British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the Spring Budget this week, with a focus on supporting the AI industry. The UK is a leader in AI in Europe, with its tech sector having the third-highest amount of VC investment in the world after the US and China, and having produced more than double the number of $1 billion tech firms than any other European country, including Germany and France combined. To further support British startups, the chancellor announced the creation of an "AI Sandbox." This sandbox will include a range of initiatives aimed at encouraging AI research and investment, including a prize pot of millions of pounds. Over the next decade, £1 million will be awarded annually to teams and individuals for the best AI innovations.

Meet China's latest AI news anchor, a young woman who runs virtual Q&A sessions to teach people propaganda (3 minute read)China has introduced its latest digital news anchor, an "artificial intelligence" entity called Ren Xiaorong, that claims to offer 24/7 news coverage. Ren, a virtual young woman sporting a black jacket and shoulder-length hair, introduced herself on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter. In a video released on Sunday by state media People's Daily, Ren claims to possess the professional skills of "thousands of news anchors." She says in a robotic tone that she provides news broadcasts on any topic round the clock, 365 days a year.

Cash prize offered to anyone who can use AI to decipher scrolls buried under ash from volcano which entombed Pompeii (4 minute read)An initiative has been launched to decipher the contents of 2,000-year-old scrolls that were preserved by volcanic ash in Herculaneum, Italy. The scrolls, found in a luxury villa, were carbonised by a hot gust of gas from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. To read the charred remains, a contest has been launched that challenges research groups to improve on the artificial intelligence software developed by the team of Brent Seales. The software is being released along with thousands of 3D X-ray images to involve more people in the decryption process. The contest offers $250,000 worth of prizes to successful research groups that can decipher the contents of what is the only surviving ancient library.

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