Apple’s AI chatbot Ajax

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🤖 Apple joins AI race with Ajax

😵‍💫 Excitement and uncertainty over the metaverse in new study

🤩 Google co-founder Sergey Brin is back - and out to boost AI efforts

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Apple joins AI race with Ajax [Link]

While no stranger to building AI into its products, Apple has been less intent on being a first mover in the generative AI space ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT exploded into the scene early this year.

That has changed with Ajax, its generative AI that Bloomberg said last week is already in the works. According to the report, Ajax is the product of an “experiment” at the end of 2022 “by a tiny engineering team,” intended to “unify machine learning development at Apple.”

Ajax is expected to lay the groundwork for the tech giant’s internal ChatGPT-style tool, built on top of Google Jax or a Google-developed framework for machine learning.

Apple, however, appears to have no plans just yet to release Ajax to its customers, and instead plans to hire more gen-AI experts riding on large language models (LLMs) and their “great promise,” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Excitement and uncertainty over the metaverse in new study [Link]

A survey of 767 business executives offers a sobering view of companies’ understanding, readiness, and plans for the metaverse: a picture of an industry anticipating change yet not fully understanding the virtual worlds just yet.

A few findings from the KPMG report:

• 60% of the respondents believe the metaverse will significantly impact consumers and businesses, yet only ⅓ feel sufficiently prepared with platforms for experiences and related processes.

• 84% say they plan to increase or maintain metaverse investments in 5-10 years from now, while 92% said they plan to increase or maintain investments in 2-4 years from now.

• Many still play wait-and-see; few are investing more than 5% of their total tech budget on the metaverse and only ⅓ see building a business case as an essential next step for enabling their metaverse roadmap.

• Nearly ⅔ anticipate conducting business meetings in the metaverse within the next decade.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin is back - and out to boost AI efforts [Link]

The Wall Street Journal reports sightings of Sergey Brin at the Google HQ supposedly to help its AI ambitions via the development of the AI model Gemini, aimed to rival OpenAI’s GPT-4.

An inside look:

• Some of the work involved includes measuring the AI’s performance, hiring researchers, and convening weekly to discuss new AI research.

• Gemini’s development is led by Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis.

• While current and former Google employees say Brin’s newfound involvement reflects such passion for AI, the news also highlights Google’s challenges in competing in the heated AI race among tech giants, alongside an increasing global push for regulating the tech.

Brin stepped down from his role at Google parent firm Alphabet in 2019, and today serves only as a board member and co-founder at Google.

Samsung, Lenovo metaverse quest continues

While tech frontrunners like Meta and Apple have been more vocal about their metaverse plans, Lenovo appears to work more covertly on its own metaverse empire, particularly for enterprise.

Lenovo’s ThinkReality VRX - targeted toward industry and practical uses like workplace changes and employee training - is priced at $1299 and provides a sleek, professional design and experience based on specs such as 3DoF, 6DoF tracking, and full-color passthrough. Also in the works are its AR glasses dubbed the Glasses T1, which focuses on user privacy, security, and support in the industrial metaverse.

Samsung Foundry is reportedly embarking on an AI chip adventure with a new R&D project with US-based AI semiconductor expert firms Groq and Tenstorrent, a partnership believed by industry insiders to be for AI semiconductor development.

While the exact nature of the project remains undisclosed, sources say the success of the partnership will likely lead to the manufacturing of chips through sub-5nm EUV processes using Samsung’s 2.5D packaging facilities - something the electronics giant is poised to use for its advanced IT solutions.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Dota 2 and Rocket League pros “want to explore” web3 and blockchain gaming. (Link)

• Xbox is getting a bunch of PS1 games. (Link)

• Wooing sci-fi fans, Epic Games Store offers Homeworld: Remastered Collection and Severed Steel as free games on July 27. (Link)

• PUBG Mobile players can now drive Aston Martin luxury cars in a new collab. (Link)

• Fans of World of Warcraft troll a naive AI bot named Glorbo. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Puma and Jay-Z-owned entertainment firm Roc Nation launch the RS-XL Mixtape sneaker series, a tribute to the progression of the mixtape and an NFT opportunity. (Link)

• Global firms publish sustainability law guides for the apparel sector. (Link)

• Meanwhile, Loewe tops Lyst hottest brands ranking for the first time. (Link)

• Artist and Draup founder Dani Loftus on leading a cultural metamorphosis around digital fashion. (Link)

• The CEO of web3-savvy Gucci is set to exit amid a leadership shake-up at parent company Kering. (Link)

• Metaverse lab USM and MetaWear jointly launch the MetaWear Fashion Dome, where the latter will help USM display and sell its digital clothing to users. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Fifa launches a web3-based digital experience in the Upland metaverse for the 2023 Women’s World Cup - what’s in store for fans? (Link)

• NBA shooting coach Chris "Lethal Shooter" Matthews shoots off versus AI basketball robot CUE6. (Link)

• Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes of the NFL has a golf-obsessed shopping cart in Walmart, which is bringing digital-1st shopping to users. (Link)

• AI in sports psychology: Is it the ultimate performance enhancer? (Link)

• A notable innovation at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is the AI-powered limb-tracking, which aids in decision-making for the referees. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• India’s AI newsreaders are multilingual, cost-saving and “never tired.” Can they replace humans? (Link)

• Why will the Grammys allow songs created with AI help - at least for now? (Link)

• Succession star Brian Cox leads British actors' strike against AI domination. (Link)

• Pakistan introduces its first AI TV talk show. (Link)

• Actors advocate for protections against AI at San Diego Comic-Con. (Link)

• VIRTUAL REMIX JAPAN is a distinct metaverse space of Japanese landscapes and VR persuasions running from July 21 to Sept 18. (Link)

🖼 Art

• AI-enabled con artists target the elderly in India. (Link)

• Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones on AI: Art should come from people. (Link)

• NFT collection Dimension X is set to launch on August 8. (Link)

• Moonbirds Mythics NFT collection begins to take flight. (Link)

• NFTs pave the way for the $16 trillion tokenization trend. (Link)

• OpenSea-backed Americana makes its phygital vault service available to the public. (Link)

🤖 AI

• ChatGPT's Android app arrives in the last week of July. (Link)

• The AI boom generates optimism in the tech sector as stocks soar. (Link)

• Why OpenAI’s head of trust and safety Dave Willner stepped down. (Link)

• Grammarly’s new AI tool is available in beta now. (Link)

• Joe Biden’s science adviser Arti Prabhakar urges AI partnership with India. (Link)

• Astrology app Co-Star thinks it’s in the stars, utilizing AI for answering questions based on your birth chart. (Link)

• AI and Nvidia join forces to monitor the world's oceans and weather. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Neura Robotics secures $55M funding for cognitive cobots. (Link)

• An HK health tech project secures funding for AI-based mental health diagnosis and treatment. (Link)

• KT invests $11.65M (15 billion won) in AI software company Moreh for a holistic AI development cooperation system. (Link)

• Google partners with Black Tech Founders in Philadelphia to expose 200 students to careers in STEM. (Link)

• Fabwelt Studios joins forces with Immutable for pioneering web3 games. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

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