AI news stories
Google is using AI to organize and customize your Chrome browser
Google is enhancing its Chrome browser with AI-driven features, including an automatic Tab Organizer for grouping similar tabs, and an AI-upgraded Chrome theme store for personalized browser themes. Future updates promise broader AI integration, like the 'Help me write' feature for assisting with text generation across websites, positioning Chrome as a central platform for Google's AI tools, amidst growing competition from other browsers integrating AI functionalities.
Alphabet cuts ties with Australian AI firm that helped train Bard and Google Search
Alphabet has terminated its contract with Appen, an Australian AI data firm, abruptly ending a significant business relationship that contributed to a third of Appen's revenue and involved training AI products like Google's Bard and Search. The decision is a substantial blow to Appen, which has previously served major tech giants but is currently grappling with declining revenues, internal restructuring, and a significant stock price drop. This move by Alphabet, amid historical wage disputes and evolving industry needs, prompts Appen to pivot its strategy and focus on cost management and improving the quality of its AI data services.
SAP to restructure 8,000 roles in push towards AI
German software company SAP SE announced a major restructuring plan, involving 8,000 roles and a €2 billion investment, aimed at adapting to the AI-driven market and focusing on growth areas like business AI. The restructuring, mainly through voluntary departures and internal re-skilling, aims to maintain the current workforce level while absorbing the expenses mostly in the first half of 2024. Alongside this, SAP provided its financial outlook, revealing a cloud revenue projection for 2024 and an updated 2025 forecast, despite falling short in its 2023 cloud revenue target.
RagaAI Raises $4.7 Million To Show AI The Error Of Its Ways
RagaAI, founded by Gaurav Agarwal after a near-fatal incident involving a semi-autonomous vehicle, has secured $4.7 million in seed funding to enhance AI safety and reliability through its comprehensive testing platform. The platform is designed for AI developers to identify and correct errors in various domains like natural language processing and computer vision, addressing the often-neglected aspect of thorough AI testing. Despite minimal competition in the AI testing market, RagaAI aims to grow rapidly, supported by the increasing demand for reliable and unbiased AI systems, and is backed by investors recognizing the importance of such platforms in the burgeoning AI industry.
New York City Passed an AI Hiring Law. So Far, Few Companies Are Following It
New York City implemented the first U.S. law mandating companies to reveal how algorithms impact their hiring processes, aiming to reduce embedded biases in technology. Despite being in effect for six months, compliance with the law, which necessitates annual audits for race and gender bias in hiring tools and public disclosure of the findings, has been minimal. The law targets automated hiring aids, including chatbot interviewers and resume scanning software, to promote fairer employment practices.
AI Repos
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to AK’s Substack to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.