Elon Musk’s xAI sees the light of day

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✨ Today in the Metaproof Daily

🤖 Elon Musk-backed xAI launches to take on ChatGPT

💰 KPMG invests $2B in Microsoft AI, cloud services

⚔️ AI chatbot showdown: Anthropic's Claude 2 vs. OpenAI's GPT-4

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Elon Musk-backed xAI launches to take on ChatGPT [Link]

Tech billionaire Elon Musk launches the long-teased AI startup xAI, on track to challenge the dominance of OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT.

On Twitter Spaces Wednesday, Musk explains his plan for building a safer AI, pointing to the “maximally curious” AI that xAI will set to create.

He alludes to the AI as “pro-humanity” while also predicting that superintelligence - or the point where AI intelligence will surpass that of humans - will arrive in 5-6 years.

Musk’s colorful history and relationship with AI:

• The startup xAI will involve big names from Google and Microsoft, and will be separate from his X Corp while working closely with Twitter, Tesla, and its other companies.

• Musk has repeatedly warned of AI safety risks, co-signing a letter with other personalities and scientists calling for AI development to be paused for 6 months.

• In April, Musk said he would launch TruthGPT, a "maximum truth-seeking AI" to rival Google's Bard and Microsoft's Bing AI.

KPMG invests $2B in Microsoft AI, cloud services [Link]

Big 4 accounting firm KPMG expands its relationship with Microsoft via an investment of at least $2B over the next 5 years in the tech giant's AI and cloud services.

According to KPMG US Chair and CEO Paul Knopp, the investment will generate $12B in additional revenue over the next few years, mainly to come from sources like:

• Cybersecurity solutions, from the migration to the cloud

• Integration of generative AI into these cloud services, and

• New applications that haven’t arrived but the partnership is currently working on

Following the footsteps of other professional services giants such as Accenture, KPMG will also incorporate AI into its core audit, tax and advisory services for clients.

AI chatbot showdown: Anthropic's Claude 2 vs. OpenAI's GPT-4

Anthropic, founded two years ago by former OpenAI research executives, debuts its new AI chatbot called Claude 2, and invites the public to use it.

Both models have pros and cons, driving the demand for bigger language models. AI industry competition underscores the necessity of addressing bias and hallucinations, as well as ethical and responsible AI development.

Google Play now allows NFTs in apps and games [Link]

Google Play has announced a major policy shift, allowing developers to integrate NFTs into their apps and games, in a move to enhance user loyalty and offer unique NFT rewards.

The finer details:

• Partners will be required to disclose the presence of blockchain-based elements in their apps through the Play Console.

• Google collaborated with Reddit on these updated guidelines, focusing on creating a level playing field and promoting responsible usage of blockchain tech.

• The new policy emphasizes user trust and prohibits the promotion of potential earnings from playing or trading activities.

Apps that don't meet the eligibility requirements for gambling cannot incentivize the purchase of in-game items for a chance to win NFTs. Tests of the new experiences will begin in late summer, with a full rollout expected later this year.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Cool Cats Group, the web3 firm behind Cool Cats NFTs, launches a triad of games slated from late 2023 to early 2024. (Link)

• Roblox may be coming to VR on Meta Quest sooner than later. (Link)

• Sony intends to pour some $2.3B into gaming research and development. (Link)

• Blockchain gaming platform Spielworks creates a refundable NFT program, where the NFTs will provide mining power and material drops to players of the Dungeon Worlds game. (Link)

• Web3 game Kited rolls out an AI-powered 3D model generation system for its upcoming augmented reality game. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• At BlockDown Festival, an America’s Got Talent-style competition will harness the AI foundation model Style.AI to take fashion creative to a new level. (Link)

• URBN - a portfolio of brands including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People - embarks on digital transformation with an AI-powered merchandise planning solution. (Link)

• In light of a fresh new lawsuit, artists say the AI behind Shein enables it to stay on top of trends and entice buyers with a constantly rotating catalog of fast fashion. (Link)

• Gen Z shops “on their own terms,” notes Rajni Jacques of Snapchat. (Link)

• AI-designed fabric has arrived. (Link)

• UK womenswear brand Hush launches a new complimentary personal styling service and wardrobe master classes, with a virtual styling counterpart. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• In baseball, AI data could examine a player’s skills and assess the possibility of future injuries. (Link)

• TENNIS presenter Annabel Croft takes a swipe at Wimbledon’s new AI commentary, branding it “appalling.” (Link)

• Sports streamer DAZN integrates a ticketing marketplace into its app, which broadcasts Premier League, NFL and Formula 1. (Link)

• Ex-volleyball player Jessie Niles, a data analytics pro in sports business, creates a global community through the Ready in Five project. (Link)

• Rocky Marciano fought Muhammad Ali in the 1st-ever AI fight of its kind, taking place 53 years ago. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Meta establishes a new partnership to bring Roblox to Quest VR. (Link)

• Universal Music exec calls on Senate to regulate AI: “Ensure creators are respected and protected.” (Link)

• Naver and Kakao use AI tech to combat pirated webcomics. (Link)

• Web3 music platform Sound.xyz has an NFT-centric approach that allows its artists to accrue revenue equivalent to 1.6B streams - yet it seeks to go beyond monetizing music. (Link)

• TikTok content will be featured on 3K+ Redbox kiosks. (Link)

• Hollywood writers weigh the Actors Guild’s next moves amid the raging AI debate. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Google creates Viola the Bird, which uses AI to generate the sounds of a cello or violin based on mouse movements. (Link)

• NFT brands are embracing Comic Con in 2023. (Link)

• The Jackson Pollock Studio, the home and museum of the famed 20th-century painter, releases an NFT collection. (Link)

• A famous photo of Notorious B.I.G. gets auctioned off as an Ethereum NFT, with a physical photo thrown into the mix. (Link)

• OnChain Studios, the web3 collective behind NFT firm Cryptoys, integrates a kid-friendly AI chatbot into its character-based digital collectibles. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Kakao ups its game in generative AI with its AI image generator Karlo 2.0. (Link)

• Meet CancerGPT, AI that predicts the results of cancer treatment research. (Link)

• Ukraine is engineering and deploying its own unique AI platforms in its fight against Russia. (Link)

• Shopify launches Sidekick, an AI assistant for merchants. (Link)

• AI is making politics easier, cheaper, but more dangerous. (Link)

• Microsoft tests an AI hub for the Windows 11 app store. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Binance Labs invests $20M in web3 game publisher Xterio. (Link)

• EA Games partners with Tipalti to support music creators in gaming. (Link)

• Gamercraft raises $5M to expand AI-powered competitive gaming platform. (Link)

• Voice cloning platform Resemble AI lands $8M in series A funding. (Link)

• YouSUI announces a strategic partnership with Mirror World to drive web3 gaming in the Sui ecosystem. (Link)

• Get Protocol raises $4.5M to take on Ticketmaster with NFT tickets. (Link)

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