Trending AI news stories + papers

Today's Top AI news stories and papers

AI news stories

1. AI-powered search engine Perplexity AI, now valued at $520M, raises $73.6M

   Perplexity AI, a startup specializing in AI-powered search technology, has recently raised $73.6 million in funding, bringing its valuation to $520 million. This funding round was led by IVP and included investments from notable figures and companies such as NEA, Databricks Ventures, ex-Twitter VP Elad Gil, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke, and others, including Jeff Bezos. Founded in August 2022 by a team with expertise in AI, search engines, and databases, Perplexity AI offers a chatbot-like interface for natural language queries, along with a variety of GenAI models. Despite the challenges of competing in a market dominated by giants like Google, Perplexity AI has distinguished itself with unique features and is expanding its services, including a Pro plan and an API for professional users. However, concerns around the costs of running AI models, potential misuse, and copyright issues remain significant challenges for the company.

2. Microsoft Adds AI Key in First Change to PC Keyboard in Decades

   Microsoft Corp. has added a new AI Copilot key to the Windows keyboard, the first major change since the Windows/Start key in 1994. Positioned to the right of the space bar, this key is part of Microsoft's strategy to integrate AI into its products, using OpenAI's GPT-4 technology. The key will assist users in tasks like creating images, writing emails, and summarizing text. This feature will be showcased on Windows 11 computers at the CES technology conference and will eventually become a standard component. Microsoft's investment in AI is part of a broader trend in technology, emphasizing the role of AI in enhancing user experience and system capabilities.

3. OpenAI Offers Publishers as Little as $1 Million a Year

   OpenAI is offering media companies between $1 million and $5 million annually to license their news articles for training its language models, a sum considered small by some publishers, making it challenging for OpenAI to form partnerships. In contrast, Apple, competing in the generative AI field, is also negotiating with publishers, offering more money and seeking broader usage rights for content in future AI products.

4. US regulator denies Apple, Disney bids to skip votes on AI

   The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ruled that Apple and Disney must include shareholder votes on their use of artificial intelligence in their upcoming annual meetings. This decision comes in response to proposals from the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the U.S., which raised concerns about the ethical implications of AI use in business operations. Both companies had sought to exclude these proposals from their meetings, arguing they pertained to ordinary business operations, but the SEC disagreed. This ruling highlights increasing regulatory attention on how corporations manage and report on their AI technologies.

5. Elvis show to debut in London featuring AI-generated life-size projection of iconic artist

   An upcoming live show in London will feature a life-size, AI-generated avatar of Elvis Presley. Developed by Layered Reality, this innovative concert experience combines artificial intelligence, augmented reality, theatre, and multi-sensory effects. It will showcase Presley's life and music, using rights to his personal photos and footage. Similar to the ABBA Voyage concert in London, this technology allows for lifelike performances of artists posthumously. The show, which will later move to Las Vegas, Tokyo, and Berlin, raises ethical questions about recreating artists after their death.

AI Repos

1. ali-vilab / dreamtalk

2. zju3dv / EasyVolcap

3. chatchat-space / Langchain-Chatchat