AIR#161 - August 13, 2024
Good morning, AI aficionados! As you sip your morning coffee, get ready to dive into today's edition of AIR: The AI Recon. Leading the buzz is the incredible AI-powered open-source video editor, Clapper, which promises to revolutionize video storytelling without the need for any filmmaking skills. Imagine creating stunning videos with just a few clicks—it's a game-changer for content creators and hobbyists alike. And speaking of innovation, the new in-browser Postgres with an AI interface, Postgres.new, is here to make database management a breeze. No servers, no hassle—just instant databases, charts, and more right at your fingertips.
But that's not all! AI is also making waves in the academic world, with breakthroughs in deciphering the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh. This fascinating story showcases how AI is enriching our understanding of history and literature, uncovering new fragments of one of humanity's oldest stories. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind's latest triumph in training a robot to beat humans at table tennis is pushing the boundaries of human-robot interaction and skill training. It's a thrilling glimpse into the future of AI in sports and beyond.
And for a touch of the uncanny, AI cameras are now outsmarting humans in early wildfire detection, enabling quicker responses and potentially saving countless lives and properties. On the societal front, the UK Treasury's adoption of AI to handle taxpayer complaints is boosting productivity but also sparking debates about job security and accuracy. Whether you're here for groundbreaking tech updates, ethical debates, or the latest industry buzz, today's edition is packed with stories that will both intrigue and challenge you. So, sit back, sip your coffee, and let's delve into the dynamic world of artificial intelligence together!
Business
AI Cameras Outsmart Humans in Early Wildfire Detection
AI cameras detect wildfires faster than humans, enabling quicker responses and reducing fire damage.
Britain to Use AI for Taxpayer Complaints
UK Treasury adopts AI to handle taxpayer complaints, boosting productivity by 30%, but union warns of potential misreads and job cuts.
Anycast+ – AI-Powered Podcast App with Multilingual Transcriptions and Bilingual Subtitles
Anycast+ brings AI-powered multilingual transcriptions and bilingual subtitles to podcasts, making global knowledge accessible to all.
Senate: Kroger's AI Pricing Scheme is 'Corporate Greed Out of Control'
Senators slam Kroger's AI pricing as 'corporate greed,' citing privacy risks and higher costs for consumers.
Elon Musk's X Faces Nine Privacy Complaints for EU Data Grab to Train Grok
Elon Musk's X faces nine privacy complaints for using EU user data without consent to train its Grok AI chatbot.
Inside Worldcoin's Orb Factory: Audacious Defender of Humanity
Worldcoin aims to verify every human on Earth using iris scans to combat AI threats, co-founded by Sam Altman.
OpenAI Worried ChatGPT-4o Users Are Developing Emotional Attachments
OpenAI warns that users forming emotional attachments to ChatGPT-4o could harm human relationships and lead to societal issues.
Elon Musk Diverts Tesla Talent to xAI's Grok Amid Shareholder Lawsuit
Elon Musk shifts over a dozen Tesla employees to his AI startup xAI's Grok, sparking a shareholder lawsuit over conflict of interest.
Twitter's AI Plans Slammed with 9 GDPR Complaints
Twitter faces 9 GDPR complaints for using 60M EU users' data to train AI without consent, prompting legal action by Irish DPC.
A nightly Waymo robotaxi honkfest is waking San Francisco neighbors
Waymo robotaxis' 4AM honking in a SF lot is disturbing neighbors. Waymo is working on a fix, while a livestream captures the chaos.
Mozilla to Host 2nd Annual Rise25 AI Awards in Dublin on Aug. 13
BAFTA winner Siobhán McSweeney to host Mozilla's 2nd Annual Rise25 AI Awards in Dublin on Aug. 13, celebrating AI innovators.
How to Inflate the AI Bubble
Cloud giants inflate AI bubble by investing in startups using their platforms, boosting cloud and GPU revenues. Can this cycle last?
Engineering
[GitHub] Clapper: AI-Powered Open-Source Video Editor
🎬 Clapper: Open-source AI video editor for intuitive, high-level storytelling. No filmmaking skills needed. Try it at Clapper.app!
🔥 Postgres.new: In-Browser Postgres with AI Interface
Introducing postgres.new: AI-powered in-browser Postgres for instant databases, CSV imports, charts, and more. No server needed! 🚀
New Apache Airflow Operators for Google Generative AI
Google introduces new Apache Airflow operators to integrate Vertex AI generative models, enhancing data pipelines with automated insights and content generation.
Google DeepMind Trains Robot to Beat Humans at Table Tennis
Google DeepMind's robot beats 55% of amateur table tennis players, marking a big step in human-robot interaction and skill training.
Genie: World's Best AI Software Engineer by Cosine's Human Reasoning Lab
Genie by Cosine's Human Reasoning Lab: World's top AI software engineer, scoring 30% on SWE-Bench. Solves bugs, builds features, and more!
[Technical Report] Genie: New SOTA AI Scores 30% on SWE-Bench
Genie, a new AI, achieves 30% on SWE-Bench, surpassing previous bests by 57%. Trained on proprietary data, it mimics human engineers.
[GitHub] LLMEasyTools: Streamlined Tools for LLM Agents in Python
LLMEasyTools on GitHub: Minimal Python tools for seamless LLM agent workflows, featuring schema generation, function dispatching, and robust data validation.
[Paper] Versatile Image Editing with Disentangled Control
New D-Edit framework enables precise, versatile image editing by combining item-prompt interactions with text and mask-based methods.
How AI Really Works: Intro to Open Source Large Language Models [YouTube]
Learn how open-source large language models work in this YouTube intro. Watch now!
[GitHub] AI-Powered Android App for Blind Navigation by knightafter
AI-powered Android app aids blind navigation using phone camera and internet for real-time guidance and safer mobility.
[GitHub] Command-Line AI Utility for Quick Searches
New Go utility 'llmq' lets you perform quick AI-powered searches directly from the command line using OpenAI models. 🚀
Coompare: Daily AI-Generated Image Contest
Join Coompare's AI image contest: submit, vote, and win! Top-rated photo gets featured. 🏆 New prizes coming soon!
Academic
Piecing Together the Epic of Gilgamesh with AI
AI accelerates deciphering the Epic of Gilgamesh, discovering new fragments and enriching our understanding of ancient Mesopotamian literature.