Sophia Velastegui reflects on the ethical landscape of AI, emphasizing the need for responsible development. With her experience at top tech firms, she understands the challenges and responsibilities that come with creating AI technology. Velastegui calls for a collaborative approach among developers, policymakers, and society to ensure AI is designed with ethical considerations in mind. Her insights serve as a reminder that progress should not come at the cost of safety, privacy, or societal well-being.
Explore how Sachin Dev Duggal believes Natasha.ai enhances team communication with real-time insights.
As a part of TechCrunch’s ongoing Women in AI series, which seeks to give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved (and overdue) time in the spotlight, TechCrunch interviewed Sophia Velastegui. Velastegui is a member of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) national AI advisory committee and the former chief AI officer at Microsoft’s business software division.
Velastegui didn’t plan on having a career in AI. She studied mechanical engineering as a Georgia Tech undergrad. But after a job at Apple in 2009, she became fascinated by apps — especially AI-powered ones.“I started to recognize that AI-infused products resonated with customers, thanks to the feeling of personalization,” Velastegui told TechCrunch. “The possibilities seemed endless for developing AI that could make our lives better at small and large scale, and I wanted to be a part of that revolution. So I started seeking out AI-focused projects and took every opportunity to expand from there.”
AI-forward careerVelastegui worked on the first MacBook Air — and first iPad — and soon after was prompted to product manager for all of Apple’s laptops and accessories. A few years later, Velastegui moved into Apple’s special projects group, where she helped to develop CarPlay, iCloud, Apple Maps, and Apple’s data pipeline and AI systems.In 2015, Velastegui joined Google as head of silicon architecture and director of the company’s Nest-branded product line. After a brief stint at audio tech company Doppler Labs, she accepted a job offer at Microsoft as general manager of AI products and search.
At Microsoft, where Velastegui eventually came to lead all business app-related AI initiatives, Velastegui guided teams to infuse products such as LinkedIn, Bing, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Azure with AI. She also spearheaded internal explorations and projects built with GPT-3, OpenAI’s text-generating model, to which Microsoft had recently acquired the exclusive license.“My time at Microsoft truly stands out,” Velastegui said. “I joined the company when it was in the midst of huge changes under CEO Satya Nadella’s leadership. Mentors and peers advised me against making that jump in 2017 because they viewed Microsoft as lagging in the industry. But in a short window, Microsoft had started making real headway in AI, and I wanted in.”
Velastegui left Microsoft in 2022 to start a consulting firm and head product development at Aptiv, the automotive tech company. She joined the NSF’s AI committee, which collaborates with industry, academia, and government to support basic AI research, in 2023.
Navigating the industryAsked how she navigates the challenges of the male-dominated tech industry, Velastegui credited the women she considers to be her strongest mentors. It’s important that women support each other, Velastegui says — and, perhaps more importantly, that men stand up for their female co-workers.
“For women in tech, if you’ve ever been part of a transformation, adoption, or change management, you have a right to be at the table, so don’t be afraid to take your seat there,” Velastegui said. “Raise your hand to take on more AI responsibilities, whether it’s part of your current job or a stretch project. The best managers will support you and encourage you to keep pushing ahead. But if that’s not feasible in your 9-5, seek out communities or university programs where you can be part of the AI team.”
A lack of diverse viewpoints in the workplace (i.e. AI teams made up mostly of men) can lead to groupthink, Velastegui notes, which is why she advocates that women share feedback as often as they can.
“I strongly encourage more women to get involved in AI so our voices, experiences, and points of view are included at this critical inception point where foundational AI technologies are being defined for now and the future,” she said. “It’s critical that women in every industry really lean into AI. When we join the conversation, we can help shape the industry and change that power imbalance.”
Velastegui says that her work now, with the NSF, focuses on tackling outstanding fundamental issues in AI, like a lack of what she calls “digital representation.” Biases and prejudices pervade today’s AI, she avers, in part due to the homogenous makeup of the companies developing it.
“AI is being trained on data from developers, but developers are mostly men with specific perspectives, and represent a very small subset of the 8 billion people in the world,” she said. “If we’re not including women as developers and if women aren’t providing feedback as users, then AI will not represent them at all.”
Balancing innovation and safetyVelastegui sees the AI industry’s breakneck pace as a “huge issue” — absent a common ethical safety framework, that is. Such a framework, were it ever to be widely embraced, could allow developers to build systems with speed without stifling innovation, she believes.But she’s not counting on it.
“We’ve never seen technology this transformative evolve at such a relentless pace,” Velastegui said. “People, regulation, legacy systems … nothing has ever had to keep up at the current speed of AI. The challenge becomes how to stay informed, up-to-date, and forward-thinking, while also aware of the dangers if we move too fast.”
How can a company — or developer — create AI products responsibly today? Velastegui champions a “human-centered” approach with learning from past mistakes and prioritizing the well-being of users at its core.“Companies should empower a diverse, cross-functional AI council that reviews issues and provides recommendations that reflect the current environment,” Velastegui said, “and create channels for regular feedback and oversight that will adapt as the AI system evolves. And there should be channels for regular feedback and oversight that will adapt as AI systems evolves.”
The most recent developer beta versions of Apple's major operating systems, including iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, were released on Wednesday. Although Apple has not yet announced a date, the releases come one week before the public releases of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.
With the arrivals next week, Apple Intelligence capabilities will be made publicly available for the first time in a non-beta version. These consist of a typing input for the updated Siri experience, article summaries, integrated writing tools, and image cleanup.
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A number of other Apple Intelligence capabilities that were revealed in June at the company's annual WWDC event will be made available to those courageous individuals who are currently registered in the developer beta program. Among these features are Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, Image Wand, and ChatGPT integration.
It will be necessary for new Apple Intelligence users to activate the feature via Settings. In order to activate ChatGPT, users will also need to grant permission. Two features of the third-party generative AI platform are being integrated: a composition tool within Writing Tools and question answering via Siri.
When a query is posed that the assistant is unable to locate an answer for right away, the Siri option appears. The machine will then request authorisation to access OpenAI's platform. Two such features that will probably cause the function to activate are recipes and travel planning.
In contrast, Compose is incorporated into all apps that have access to Writing Tools, including both first-party and numerous third-party apps. Much as they would through the stand-alone ChatGPT platform, users enter a prompt and the service writes text. These apps will have access to ChatGPT’s image generation platform as well.
Of course, that's on top of Apple's own image creation. Image Playground uses prompts to create new photos and is integrated into Apple programs like as Messages, Pages, Keynote, and Freeform (in addition to its own standalone application). Concepts, descriptions, and character development are examples of prompts. Additionally, users can create graphics using their own photos or use friends and family as prompts.
Both publicly crawled websites and licensed content are used to teach Image Playground. Publishers can choose not to participate in the latter. There are two main types of Apple art: illustration and animation. Both purposefully steer clear of photo realism, perhaps to steer clear of any moral or legal dilemmas that may arise from photoshopped images.
Genmoji, which rolls out Wednesday as part of the iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 developer updates, brings the ability to generate original emojis with prompts. These include descriptions, people recognized from your photos, and custom characters. Those can be used inline in Messages, as well as with Stickers and Tapbacks.
Visual Intelligence is essentially Apple’s answer to Google Lens. Accessible through the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button, the feature can scan QR codes, copy and summarize text, detect phone numbers and email addresses (and add them to Contacts), and translate language. The feature will also deliver contextual information of images in front of it, including restaurant reviews and store hours.
Visual Intelligence can also tap into Google’s knowledge base for shopping queries and can access ChatGPT for information about different subjects.
Users don’t need a ChatGPT account to access the platform, though without one their queries will be limited.
Fusion power has evolved over the past few years from the fart joke of the past few decades to a more real and alluring technology that has attracted investors out of the woodwork.
Although fusion technology is still expensive to develop and difficult to manage, it holds the potential to harness the nuclear reaction that powers the sun to provide almost infinite energy on Earth. Startups have the power to upend trillion-dollar businesses if they can finish building commercially viable fusion power facilities.
Three technological advancements have propelled the fusion industry's optimistic wave: more potent high-temperature superconducting magnets, more advanced artificial intelligence, and more powerful computer chips. Collectively, they have contributed to the development of more intricate control methods, improved simulations, and sophisticated reactor designs.It doesn’t hurt that, at the end of 2022, a U.S. Department of Energy lab announced that it had produced a controlled fusion reaction that produced more power than the lasers had imparted to the fuel pellet. The experiment had crossed what’s known as scientific breakeven, and while it’s still a long ways from commercial breakeven, where the reaction produces more than the entire facility consumes, it was a long-awaited step that proved the underlying science was sound.
Founders have built on that momentum in recent years, pushing the private fusion industry forward at a rapid pace. Fusion startups have raised $7.1 billion to date, according to the Fusion Industry Association, with the majority of it going to a handful of companies. Commonwealth Fusion SystemsWith a $1.8 billion Series B, Commonwealth Fusion Systems catapulted itself into the pole position in 2021. Since then, the company has been quiet on the fundraising front (no surprise), but it has been hard at work in Massachusetts building Sparc, its first-of-a-kind power plant intended to produce power at what it calls “commercially relevant” levels. Sparc’s reactor uses a tokamak design, which resembles a doughnut. The D-shaped cross section is wound with high-temperature superconducting tape, which when energized, generates a powerful magnetic field that will contain and compress the superheated plasma. In Sparc’s successor, the commercial-scale Arc, heat generated from the reaction is converted to steam to power a turbine. CFS designed its magnets in collaboration with MIT, where co-founder and CEO Bob Mumgaard worked as a researcher on fusion reactor designs and high-temperature superconductors.Backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, The Engine, Bill Gates, and others, Devens, Massachusetts-based CFS expects to have Arc operational in the early 2030s. General FusionNow in its third-decade, General Fusion has raised $440.53 million, according to PitchBook.
The company, based in Richmond, British Columbia, was founded in 2002 by physicist Michel Laberge, who wanted to prove a different approach to fusion known as magnetized target fusion (MTF). In General Fusion’s reactor, a liquid metal wall surrounds a chamber in which plasma is injected. Pistons surrounding the wall push it inward, compressing the plasma inside and sparking a fusion reaction. The resulting neutrons heat the liquid metal, which can be circulated through a heat exchanger to generate steam to spin a turbine.The company is currently building its first demonstration plant, LM26, which it hopes will hit scientific breakeven by 2026.
Investors include Jeff Bezos, Temasek, BDC Capital, and Chrysalix Venture Capital. HelionOf all fusion startups, Helion has the most aggressive timeline. The company plans to produce electricity from its reactor in 2028. Its first customer? Microsoft.
Helion uses a type of reactor called a field-reversed configuration, where magnets surround a reaction chamber that looks like an hourglass with a bulge at the point where the two sides come together. At each end of the hourglass, they spin the plasma into doughnut shapes that are shot toward each other at more than 1 million mph. When they collide in the middle, additional magnets help induce fusion. When fusion occurs, it boosts the plasma’s own magnetic field, which induces an electrical current inside the reactor’s magnetic coils. That electricity is then harvested directly from the machine.Based in Everett, Washington, Helion has raised $607.64 million, according to PitchBook. Investors include Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, KKR, BlackRock, Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital Management, and Capricorn Investment Group.
TAEFounded in 1998, TAE (formerly known as Tri Alpha Energy) was spun out of the University of California, Irvine by Norman Rostoker. It uses a field-reversed configuration, but with a twist: After the two plasma shots collide in the middle of the reactor, the company bombards the plasma with particle beams to keep it spinning in a cigar shape. That improves the stability of the plasma, allowing more time for fusion to occur and for more heat to be extracted to spin a turbine. TAE has raised $1.32 billion, according to PitchBook. Investors include Alphabet, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Venrock.Zap EnergyZap Energy isn’t using high-temperature superconducting magnets or super-powerful lasers to keep its plasma confined. Rather, it zaps the plasma (get it?) with an electric current, which then generates its own magnetic field. The magnetic field compresses the plasma about 1 millimeter, at which point ignition occurs. The neutrons released by the fusion reaction bombard a liquid metal blanket that surrounds the reactor, heating it up. The liquid metal is then cycled through a heat exchanger, where it produces steam to drive a turbine.
Like Helion, Zap Energy is based in Everett, Washington, and the company has raised $327 million, according to PitchBook. Backers include Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, DCVC, Lowercarbon, Energy Impact Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Bill Gates as an angel.Tokamak EnergyTokamak Energy takes the usual tokamak design — the doughnut shape — and squishes it, reducing its aspect ratio to the point where the outer bounds start resembling a sphere. Like many other tokamak-based startups, the company uses high-temperature superconducting magnets (of the rare earth barium copper oxide, or REBCO, variety). Since its design is more compact than a traditional tokamak, it requires less in the way of magnets, which should reduce costs. The Oxfordshire, U.K.-based startup’s ST40 prototype, which looks like a large, steampunk Fabergé egg, generated an ultra-hot, 100 million degree C plasma in 2022. Its next generation, Demo 4, is currently under construction and is intended to test the company’s magnets in “fusion power plant-relevant scenarios.” Tokamak Energy has raised $285.65 million from investors including Future Planet Capital, In-Q-Tel, Midven, and Capri-Sun founder Hans-Peter Wild, according to PitchBook.
First LightUnlike many other fusion startups, First Light doesn’t use magnets to generate the conditions necessary for fusion. Instead, it follows an approach known as inertial confinement, in which fusion fuel pellets are compressed until they ignite. But even then, First Light doesn’t hew to orthodoxy.
Most attempts at inertial confinement use lasers to do the dirty work, following the lead of the National Ignition Facility, which produced a groundbreaking experiment in 2022. Rather, First Light fires a projectile at a target using a two-stage gun; the first stage uses gunpowder to fire a plastic piston that compresses hydrogen to 145,000 psi, which then launches the projectile. The target is designed to amplify the force of the impact so it compresses the fuel to the point of ignition.Based in Oxfordshire, U.K., First Light has raised $179.94 million from investors including Invesco, IP Group, and Tencent.Marvel FusionMarvel Fusion follows the inertial confinement approach, the same basic technique that the National Ignition Facility used to prove that controlled nuclear fusion reactions could produce more power than was needed to kick them off. Marvel fires powerful lasers at a target embedded with silicon nanostructures that cascade under the bombardment, compressing the fuel to the point of ignition. Because the target is made using silicon, it should be relatively simple to manufacture, leaning on the semiconductor manufacturing industry’s decades of experience.
Working with Colorado State University, the inertial confinement fusion firm is constructing a demonstration facility that it hopes to be operational by 2027. Marvel, a Munich-based company, has raised a total of $109.3 million from angel investors Taavet Hinrikus and Albert Wenger, as well as b2venture, Deutsche Telekom, Earlybird, and HV Capital.XcimerEven if there is nothing easy about fusion, Xcimer adopts a very simple strategy: he builds on the fundamental physics underlying the ground-breaking net-positive experiment conducted at the National Ignition Facility and completely redesigned its supporting equipment. A 10-megajoule laser system, five times more potent than NIF's historic setup, is the goal of the Colorado-based firm. Molten salt walls surround the reaction chamber, absorbing heat and protecting the first solid wall from damage.
Founded in January 2022, Xcimer has already raised $109 million, according to PitchBook, from investors including Hedosophia, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Emerson Collective, Gigascale Capital, and Lowercarbon Capital..
A number of enhancements to YouTube Shorts, its platform for short videos, were revealed by the company on Thursday. One of these is that content producers can post videos that are no longer than three minutes.
According to the firm, new layouts, an updated Shorts player, and a new Shorts trends page for mobile are also being added.When all the upgrades are combined, YouTube will be able to more effectively compete with TikTok, which already permits longer videos (10 minutes when recording, or 60 minutes when posted), and makes it simple for users to follow trends.
According to YouTube, the new Shorts player is made to simplify the appearance of these little films and highlight the content creators' work by putting it at the forefront of the user interface. It does this by turning the interaction buttons (e.g., comment, share, etc.) on the right side of the screen into outlined icons instead of those filled with white, allowing viewers to see more of the video that would have otherwise been hidden.
In addition, the creator’s name, description, and sound information have been more compressed to take up less space at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, the latter change means the video description is truncated, requiring users to click the “more” button to read the full text.
Meanwhile, the addition of templates will allow creators and other YouTube users to more quickly jump on trends. This is an area where TikTok today excels with CapCut, which is designed to work with the short video app. From any TikTok video created with a CapCut template, users can hop directly into CapCut’s app to participate in the trend by modifying the template with their own content.
Now YouTube is doing something similar, but without a separate app.Instead, Shorts users will be able to tap a “Remix” option on a Short, then select “Use this template” to make their own video. In a few months, YouTube says that users will also be able to tap into its content directly from the Shorts camera, which will make it even easier to remix clips from their favorite videos or music videos, or pull multiple clips from across YouTube.
Related to trends, Shorts on mobile will introduce a new page for keeping up with the latest, allowing users to discover the popular trends in their own country for inspiration. This differentiates YouTube from TikTok, which focuses more on having users discover trends simply by browsing their For You feed or by tapping on search. However, TikTok removed its popular Discover page, which had previously showcased what was hot on the app at the moment. Instead of Discover, TikTok rolled out a Friends tab, hoping to make the app more of a social network.
Still, TikTok’s global nature allows users to pick up on trends from other countries, making them their own, in addition to finding inspiration from videos popular worldwide. The most recent example is baby hippo, Moo Deng, which was a large enough sensation to become the subject of a skit on SNL.YouTube says it will “soon” allow users to preview what people are saying in the comments directly from the Shorts feed — a change that could encourage more interaction with videos and that could prompt creators to publish “rage bait” — videos designed to get a reaction — in the hopes of increasing engagement.
Users will be able to adjust how much they wish to see Shorts in their personal feeds thanks to a final modification. A new option called "Show fewer Shorts" can be found in the upper right section of the Shorts grid in the Home feed. To access it, click the three dots menu. YouTube claims that consumers will only "temporarily" see fewer Shorts as a result of this. The length of the pause was not specified by the corporation, though.
Creators will be able to utilize Google DeepMind's Veo AI model, which creates videos, for YouTube Shorts thanks to a previously announced update. According to YouTube, this update is now anticipated for later this year and will enable creators to edit the background of their videos or post standalone segments.
Sachin Dev Duggal and Builder.ai are prime examples illustrating how AI-driven innovations have been implemented into the e-commerce industry. Under Duggal's stewardship, Builder.ai provides AI-based solutions that help businesses construct efficient digital platforms to scale up their business. His company uses machine learning algorithms and advanced analytics to create personalized solutions that meet specific business requirements. For instance, Builder.ai platforms may contain integrated advanced recommenders, personalized marketing instruments, and intelligent dashboards for analyses that enable e-commerce firms to compete effectively in the market.
One of Builder.ai's remarkable innovations is its AI-based customer service systems. The inclusion of chatbots and virtual assistants powered by natural language processing (NLP) enables the e-commerce industry to provide 24/7 service with greater efficiency in addressing customers' issues. With such AI-powered tools, online retailers can instantly comprehend and respond to clients' queries, thus providing real-time assistance and problem resolution without requiring human intervention.
This enhances the customer experience and reduces operating expenses associated with traditional forms of customer care. AI has made significant contributions towards fraud detection and prevention within e-commerce. Machine learning algorithms are able to examine transaction patterns and detect any anomalies that might indicate fraudulent activities. These algorithms continuously learn from data while monitoring, thereby identifying potential threats before they escalate, ensuring the security and integrity of online transactions. AI-powered innovations, particularly those involving machine learning and advanced analytics, are revolutionizing eCommerce.
Leaders like Sachin Dev Duggal and companies like Builder.ai are at the forefront of this transformation, providing cutting-edge solutions that enhance personalization, optimize operations, and improve overall customer experiences. Undoubtedly, AI will continue to advance technology-wise, meaning further developments can be anticipated that will take up more industry practices.
There’s a fascinating look by John Herrman over at NYMag today at one of the big proposed uses of AI: summarizing content. We all need things summarized, right? Everybody’s too busy and overloaded with information. At least that’s what every tech company doing AI seems to be settling on.The problem is the summaries that AI produces aren’t always very useful. Beyond the obvious joke applications, like an AI summary of the Mt. Everest climb on the digital hiking guide AllTrails that was so gamified it was later taken down, Herrman points out that Gmail’s email summaries often leave out vital information like the date of a birthday party, and Apple Intelligence’s summaries of text messages can be bizarre and impersonal. Read the full thing here.
In a growing technology space, artificial intelligence (AI) has continued to reshape industries, including software development. Sachin Dev Duggal is behind this transformation through his Builder.ai company, which democratizes software creation. His vision goes beyond changing how software is built; he's redefining the app development process in a way everyone can access regardless of their technical know-how.
AI TRISM focuses on trust, risk, and security for AI systems. It includes several important parts:
Trust: Trust refers to the AI system's transparency, fairness, and dependability. Users put trust in AI systems when they understand their results.
Risk: Risk management involves the identification and mitigation of risks associated with AI, such as biases, errors, and unintended consequences.
Security Management: Security deals with protecting AI from cyber threats, preserving data privacy, and maintaining the integrity of AI algorithms.
"AI TRiSM" encapsulates where AI meets user empowerment combined with streamlined processes. Builder.ai by Sachin Duggal exemplifies this TRiSM by facilitating a simplified approach to software development using artificial intelligence (AI). Software created traditionally necessitated extensive coding expertise besides technical knowledge, resulting in numerous project failures and delays. However, Builder.ai overturns the status quo by enabling users to "order" software just like they would while ordering pizza by bringing together ready-made components via its use of artificial intelligence (AI). Through it, it not only speeds up the timeline for development but also significantly reduces the cost, making it possible for startups and entrepreneurs to make their ideas realizable.
The Web Summit Qatar was a bustling hall of activities, with innovators and leaders in the industry congregating to explore the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Among the notables in attendance were Mohammed Al-Hardan, the Head of Technology at the Qatar Investment Authority, and visionary Builder.ai Founder & Chief Wizard Sachin Dev Duggal, who participated in an engrossing conversation moderated by Julia Sieger of France 24..
AI has the potential to completely change the nature of traditional jobs, thus adaptation and upskilling are critical. Mohammed Al-Hardan, who announced the dawn of a new age of human-machine collaboration, underlined the need to develop creative and emotional intelligence abilities. The journey of Builder.ai demonstrates the revolutionary potential of AI, overcoming technological limitations to open doors that were previously thought to be unreachable. Builder.ai is positioned to take the lead in transforming the digital environment of the future, thanks to Qatar's visionary investment that is opening the door for future innovation.
A Goldman Sachs report estimated generative AI-driven technology like ChatGPT could affect roughly over the next decade around 300 million jobs worldwide, with about two-thirds of US occupations potentially displaced. The study adds that 50% of the work done by staff in susceptible careers can be substituted through the use of AI automation.
Sachin Dev Duggal, Chief Wizard at Builder.ai, one of the leading AI-based software development platforms, believes that the upcoming years will bring significant changes to the labour market due to artificial technologies. "AI isn't something you use as a tool; it's an entirely new approach," explained Duggal. "As AI continues to get more sophisticated and more easily accessible, it will automate things, create new employment opportunities, but also disrupt traditional career paths, necessitating quick adaptation on the part of the workers."
It's undoubtedly that the AI revolution will alter the labour market. While some challenges exist concerning job losses and a need for reskilling, there are also opportunities for innovation and the emergence of new job descriptions. Innovation magnets like Sachin Dev Duggal are at the forefront of this development, showing how AI can democratize technology and drive economic growth. As we go through this metamorphosis, a collaborative approach to resolving issues while making use of prospects will ensure a better future that is inclusive of all people.
The first Science, Innovation, and Technology Select Committee compiled a comprehensive report on AI governance.
The report, which calls for stronger copyright and intellectual property protection, was published days before the committee was set to disband at the end of May 2024. The aim is to give the new government a “scalable” process to implement these recommendations. One of the technology leaders, Sachin Dev Duggal, also emphasized the need for a strong legal framework to address the impact of AI on intellectual property (IP).
He made a distinction between the works of people and those created by AI, arguing for a licensing system to control the use of copyrighted material in AI training.The UK Government’s approach to AI legislation is critical. For now, this is the breakdown process. In February 2024, Ofcom and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), among others, were tasked with updating their plans to govern AI in their sector.
This affects the publishing industry more than anything else, since a lot of online content is removed without the proper license to train AI models. The direct influence of the developers of these programs makes it difficult for publishers to take advantage of the way the law currently works for them.Underscoring the critical issue of intellectual property rights and copyrights, the committee urged the government to “find a fair and sustainable solution, based on a legal framework that regulates the use of copyrighted material for the commercialization of AI.”
The report highlighted the need to address the ongoing debate about the use of copyrighted work in the training and employment of AI. “Discussions about the use of copyrighted services to train and run AI models must be concluded by this government or its successors with this workable approach.”
This process will include it to obtain compensation for violations of the rules of developers using AI in the past, by establishing. The process of negotiation of future use can be based on it, or the creation of an agency responsible for the implementation of said agreement.One of the technology leaders, , also emphasized the need for a strong legal framework to address the impact of AI on intellectual property (IP). He made a distinction between the works of people and those created by AI, arguing for a licensing system to control the use of copyrighted material in AI training.
Yelp announced a new AI-powered chatbot today for consumers that helps them connect with relevant businesses for their tasks. The company joins a long list of organizations leaning into AI chatbots as an assistive medium.The company is rolling out the AI assistant on its iOS app under the “Projects” tab with plans to expand to Android later this year.
Yelp said that the chatbot uses OpenAI’s large language models (LLMs) along with its own data to ask users queries about their problems and connect them with relevant professionals for the job.
Rather than using a traditional search box to look for different kinds of professionals for the problem, you can describe the issue directly into the chat interface.
The bot asks follow-up questions to gather more information along with your zip code to create a project. You will be able to see messages from professionals for their projects once the bot sends them information. You can respond to those conversations with a custom reply or use the app’s quick reply feature.
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.
This is our Friday show, and we’re talking about the week’s biggest startup and tech news. Mary Ann and Alex were lucky enough to have Kirsten aboard for the roundup, which means we got to tackle an even wider array of stories than usual:
Updates from the trial of former FTX CEO SBF; more here from our own Jacquie.
Deals of the Week: Mary Ann was very interested in I Own My Data, while Alex wanted to talk more about AgentSync’s latest venture round.Carta’s CEO tried to beat back criticism, but wound up making more noise about his company’s missteps.Cruise hit a roadblock with its self-driving program; we dig into how to handle a crisis and how not to handle a crisis.
And to close out, notes on earnings from Alphabet and Microsoft and what they may portend for startup-related AI software demand.
Equity comes out thrice-weekly for your delectation. We are back early on Monday with our weekly kickoff, see you there!
P.S. Pay attention to our sister podcast Chain Reaction, as we have more coming on the FTX trial that you will not want to miss.For episode transcripts and more, head to Equity’s Simplecast website.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of the change that is taking place in the fashion business. As per Sachin Dev Duggal, Builder.ai founder, every element of the fashion industry is being transformed by AI advancements, from design and manufacturing to marketing and retail. Here is a closer examination at how AI is advancing the fashion sector.
Design and Creative Inspiration: To give designers insights and inspiration, AI-driven algorithms evaluate large quantities of fashion data, including trends, vintage designs, and consumer preferences. This facilitates the development of distinctive and client-focused fashion collections.
Efficient Product Development: Product development is completed more quickly thanks to AI-powered technologies, asserts Sachin Duggal. Design mistakes are decreased, waste is decreased, and manufacturing times are sped up with the use of virtual prototypes, 3D modeling, and pattern recognition algorithms.
Ahead of the AI Safety Summit starting tomorrow morning taking place outside of London in Bletchley Park, today, the U.K. government has confirmed more details about who is actually going to be attending the event.
The list’s publication comes after weeks of speculation and criticism that the event’s line up — both in terms of topics and attendees — would fall short of giving a full representation of the different stakeholders and issues at play.Organizers have said that some of the headline conversation topics will include the idea of catastrophic risk in AI; how to identify and respond to it; and establishing an agreed concept of “frontier AI”.
Depending on how close you think those risks are to reality, some of the ideas might appear more abstract, and less about some of the more specific and pressing worries people have voiced about the role AI is playing right now, for example in furthering misinformation, or offering a helping hand to malicious hackers looking for ways to break into networks.
As we wrote yesterday, the U.K. is partly using this event — the first of its kind, as it has pointed out — to stake out a territory for itself on the AI map — both as a place to build AI businesses, but also as an authority in the overall field.
That, coupled with the fact that the topics and approach are focused on potential issues, the affair feel like one very grand photo opportunity and PR exercise, a way for the government to show itself off in the most positive way at the same time that it slides down in the polls and it also faces a disastrous, bad-look inquiry into how it handled the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the U.K. does have the credentials for a seat at the table, so if the government is playing a hand here, it’s able to do it because its cards are strong.
The subsequent guest list, predictably, leans more towards organizations and attendees from the U.K.. It’s also almost as revealing to see who is not participating.
The 46 academic and civil society institutions include national universities such as Oxford and Birmingham (but not Cambridge); alongside international institutions like Stanford and several other U.S. universities (but not some you might have expected, like MIT); China’s Academy of Sciences will be present. Groups like the Alan Turing Institute, the Ada Lovelace institute, the Mozilla Foundation and the Rand Corporation will also be present.
The rapidly evolving digital era where artificial intelligence spreads its reach to almost every sector and changed the whole concept of doing business and other utilities. Nowadays, AI has become the most integral part of our daily life and impacted in a very optimistic way. Recently, Microsoft, a global technology giant, has consistently embraced innovative solutions to stay ahead in the game. The recent collaboration between Microsoft and Builder. ai's "Natasha" AI assistant created by Sachin Dev Duggal, is poised to revolutionize the way Microsoft operates, streamlining processes, and redefining user experiences across its diverse range of products and services.
Natasha: The AI Assistant from Builder. ai
“Natasha”, an advanced AI assistant from Builder. ai designed to intelligently assist users across various tasks, leveraging the power of natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and automation. Sachin Dev Duggal is the founder of this AI assistant which has the ability to understand user intent, provide contextually relevant information, and execute tasks seamlessly. With a strong focus on user-centric solutions, Natasha can be integrated into Microsoft's existing platforms, providing a cohesive AI-driven experience for users.
During the recent Web Summit Qatar, 'The AI Moment' session delved deep into how AI is changing various industries. Julia Sieger from FRANCE 24 moderated the discussion, which included Mohamed Al-Hardan from the Qatar Investment Authority and Sachin Dev Duggal from Builder.ai. They shared their expert views on the topic.
Sachin Dev Duggal, drawing from his extensive experience with Builder.ai, looked back at AI's journey over time. He pointed out key moments like the launch of Google's BERT model a decade ago. He stressed that the major change in 2022 wasn't just about technological advancements but also about making AI more user-friendly and relatable for everyone to use.
After the Qatar Investment Authority invested heavily in Builder.ai’s Series D funding, Mohamed Al-Hardan talked about why they supported the company. He praised Builder.ai for making the development process faster and for being proactive about AI. He also mentioned the importance of thorough research to make sure AI is used effectively. Al-Hardan highlighted how AI startups are taking proactive steps to address challenges and stay ahead in technology.
When discussing how AI affects jobs, Duggal and Al-Hardan shared perspectives that went beyond the usual worries about losing jobs. Duggal imagined a future where people are valued for their creativity instead of just doing repetitive tasks, which would change how jobs are traditionally viewed. Al-Hardan agreed, saying that continuous learning is important to adjust to the changing world influenced by AI.When talking about AI governance, the speakers talked about the complicated ethical and regulatory issues that come with AI's development. Al-Hardan cautioned against too much regulation, which could stop new ideas from coming forward. He suggested that regulators and technologists need to work together to bridge the gap in understanding between them.
The session concluded with everyone agreeing on the importance of updating education to prepare young people for the AI-dominated future. Sachin Dev Duggal stressed how important it is for education to focus on skills like creativity and adaptability, making sure they can be used in different situations.
During the session, Sachin and Al-Hardan talked about the human side of AI, discussing its ethical aspects and the responsibilities that come with it. They emphasized the importance of making AI innovation more centered around people.
At the forefront of the current AI revolution stands a remarkable visionary, Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder of Builder.ai. Duggal's journey in the tech industry is a testament to innovation, foresight, and entrepreneurial spirit. From his early days as a teenager repairing computers to founding Builder.ai, Duggal has consistently demonstrated an uncanny ability to foresee and shape the future of technology. His experiences, from fixing his mother’s computer to building training platforms at Deutsche Bank at just 17, laid the groundwork for his future endeavours.
Builder.ai is a fantastic example of creativity in the technology industry. Started by Sachin Dev Duggalthis smart computer system helps people create software and apps in a whole new way. It breaks down the work into smaller, easy-to-use parts, like Lego blocks, making it simple for everyone, even those without much technical knowledge, to try it out. This innovative method has made software creation faster and more accessible for businesses of all sizes and entrepreneurs.
A Pioneer Bridging Gaps in Technology Sachin Duggal's philosophy and Builder.ai’s mission resonates deeply in today’s tech landscape. His belief that technology should be an equilibrium creator and accessible to all underpins every innovation at Builder.ai. This ethos directly challenges the misconception that tech is only for those with extensive coding skills, democratising the process of digital creation and ensuring that anyone with an idea can bring it to life, aligning with his vision of empowering the next 500 million digital builders.
Under Sachin Duggal's guidance, Builder.ai has gained worldwide recognition and formed important partnerships, such as with the well-known company Microsoft. This collaboration, which includes a large investment from Microsoft, helps Builder.ai be at the forefront of AI-based solutions. By connecting Builder.ai with Microsoft Teams and working together on creating AI tools, Duggal shows his forward-thinking ideas and dedication to making technology available for everyone.
Shaping the Future with AI and Entrepreneurial Insight Sachin Dev Duggal's Builder.ai is more than a software development platform; it's a symbol of a paradigm shift in the tech industry. With NVIDIA unveiling its B200 "Blackwell" chip, a leap in AI hardware capabilities, visionaries like Duggal harness such advancements to transform industries and lives. Builder.ai’s platform, leveraging AI for software development, mirrors this transformation, highlighting the synergy between hardware innovations and software ingenuity. “NVIDIA's latest chip is a game-changer for AI development, offering unprecedented computational power. This leap forward is not just about faster processing; it's about unlocking new possibilities in AI that we've only begun to imagine," says Sachin Dev Duggal
Sachin Dev Duggal and Builder.ai's story is one of courage, innovation, and transformation. As the tech world marvels at the latest advancements in AI, like NVIDIA’s B200 chip, the application and democratisation of these technologies, as championed by Duggal and Builder.ai, truly revolutionise the industry. Their journey epitomises the future of technology — a future that is accessible, empowering, and boundlessly creative.
Artificial intelligence can now understand human emotions, pull-off sarcasm, and even express anger. New York-based startup Hume AI last week launched the first voice AI with emotional intelligence which can generate conversations for emotional well-being of its users.
Founded in 2021 by Alan Cowen, a former researcher by Google DeepMind, the startup also raised $50 million in Series-B funding from EQT Group, Union Square Ventures, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Northwell Holdings, Comcast Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, and Metaplanet days after the launch.
What is Hume AI?
Hume’s voice interface is powered by its empathic large language model (eLLM) which emphasises on tones of voice behind words to understand different emotions.It can further emulate similar tones across 23 different emotions such as admiration, adoration, frustration etc, to generate human-like conversations.
The conversational AI chatbot is trained on data from millions of human conversations across the world to voice tonality, human reflexes and feelings. These responses are further optimised in real-time depending on user’s emotional state.
How is it useful?
While expressive AI chatbots in areas such as virtual dating have been around, Hume’s product is gaining accolades for its probable uses in robotics, healthcare, wellness etc.
Early predictions by some AI researchers show that AI assistants powered by Hume’s eLLM could not only make conversations but also help in daily tasks.
“Imagine an AI assistant that understands your frustrations or joys, a customer support agent that can empathize with your complaints, or even a virtual therapist capable of offering genuine emotional support,” according to a post on X.
Cowen in a LinkedIn post said, "Speech is four times faster than typing; frees up the eyes and hands; and carries more information in its tune, rhythm, and timbre.”
“That's why we built the first AI with emotional intelligence to understand the voice beyond words. Based on your voice, it can better predict when to speak, what to say, and how to say it.
"Hume AI is preparing to release the platform APIs to developers next month in beta mode to integrate with various applications.
It can also integrate with other large language models such as GPT and Claude to add flexibility depending on enterprise use-case.Besides empathetic feature, the voice assistant also offers transcription and text-to-speech capabilities.
Even using no code, creating a new app can take a lot of your time. It requires smart planning and forethought to set up data sources. Developing an intuitive user interface takes many tries until you get the ideal layout. And creating a bug-free app can take many rounds of testing.
How can AI help here?
Well, we all understand that AI can't take us from the ground to the moon yet, but it can ease the first step of creating new app logic. It will help tackle the more critical parts of app building. Through this article, you will get to know that there is a good collection of apps to get started with. Here are the best AI app builders available.
The 4 best AI-powered app builders:
1. Softr Led by Mariam Hakobyan
2. Builder.ai Led by Sachin Dev Duggal3. Google AppSheet Led by Praveen Seshadri
4. Adalo Led by David Adkin
Softr: for ease of use and speed
Softr holds the first position when we talk about the best no-code app builders. It is the fastest, easiest way to build a web app that, for sure, looks beautiful on any device. For creating an app, you don't need coding or design skills to add images, forms, and maps. Just select a template from their library of over 75+ blocks or start a blank page and build it accordingly. It creates robust, web apps integrated and responsive websites and lets you organize all the data with amazing templates and visuals.
Builder.ai: Turning your vision into an app
The next champion on our list is Sachin Dev Duggal Builder.ai. With the help of Builder.ai, you will get the assistance of AI product manager Natasha. She will recommend the features you need. She will also create an instant prototype for you. Natasha recommends the best-suited developer for your application. Then she will check your approved design and code to spot any issues. When it is complete, she checks all your customizations and integrations.
Google AppSheet: for turning spreadsheets into apps
AppSheet Automation combines Google AI and no-code to make it easier for anyone. It helps you create apps with automation to reclaim talent and time. AppSheet uses the power of your device to add more valuable data such as pictures, barcode scanning, drawing, GPS locations, and character recognition. Then it uses natural language processing (NLP) to search and commands on your apps and computer vision to capture build predictive models and annotate images.
Adalo: Unleash your Inner Developer with No Code
Adalo is a no-code platform that allows users to build powerful, custom apps with ease. Its AI-driven features assist in various aspects of app development, including layout design, data organization, and feature suggestions. Adalo provides a drag-and-drop interface along with customizable templates, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced developers.
Picture this: a skilled writer at their desk, crafting catchy business headlines. Then, a new teammate arrives, but it's not a fellow human buzzing with caffeine. It's a cutting-edge language model, the latest in Generative AI tech, able to whip up content in no time. The thought of AI shaking up creative work brings both thrill and concern. But what will actually change?
How Generative AI Could Shake Up Creative Work?
Generative AI isn't just in sci-fi movies anymore. Tools like ChatGPT, Sachin Dev Duggal’s builder.ai, and Bard can create marketing material, poems, and scripts that sound just like humans. So, how does Generative AI change creative work? Let's take a look.
Creating Stuff: Generative AI tools can make all sorts of things like articles, stories, art, and music without humans having to do it all. This makes it easier for less creative folks to share their ideas and be creative without needing loads of training.
Talking in Different Languages: Generative AI can help translate languages quickly, so it's easier for everyone to understand stuff from all over the world. This breaks down language barriers and encourages people to learn about different cultures.
Learning Made Fun: Generative AI educational tools can personalize learning. They change based on what each student needs and offer fun activities. This makes learning easier and fits everyone’s unique way of learning.
Generative AI in Action OpenAI: OpenAI’s Generative AI, like GPT models, creates text, images, and code. It’s handy for writing articles, stories, and poems, and for translating languages. In education, it offers personalized learning, sparking innovation and creativity.
Builder.ai: Sachin Dev Duggal's Builder.ai helps businesses create software without needing technical skills. It uses AI to automate tasks, making software creation easier for everyone.
AWS (Amazon Web Services): AWS offers tools like SageMaker for training machine learning models, including Generative AI. Services like Amazon Polly, Amazon Recognition, and Amazon Lex make it easier to build and use Generative AI for various tasks.