Here are some more brief news from today, with a few unfiltered comments and opinions that are often missing from news in this sector.
Got your popcorn ready? Today’s barrage of updates would have filled an entire quarter just two years ago. Big Tech is now playing for the future with daily moves in AI and open models, and the competition is getting tighter every day.
#OpenAI is launching new audio API-based models that can customize vocal styles and significantly improve voice recognition in various languages. Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to tell artificial voices from real ones. Was there really any room left for improvement?
Meanwhile, #Apple is shaking things up in its AI division. Mike Rockwell, the “father” of Vision Pro, is taking charge of Siri’s development to recover ground lost to competitors. Finally, Siri can at least understand questions properly. So, Mike, we’re waiting for the basics.
#Google isn’t standing still either, launching a new feature on NotebookLM—interactive mind maps that transform notes into visual representations. I love mind maps; I’ve been using them for years and couldn’t work without them.
#Meta, on the other hand, has made it: after a long regulatory battle, it’s finally releasing its AI assistant in 41 European countries on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Great—now millions of users will have an extra assistant, but beware, because when Meta enters the scene, privacy usually takes a nosedive.
Speaking of open versus closed models, #HuggingFace is responding to the White House’s AI plan by emphasizing the importance of open-source systems to spur innovation. They’re right: the AI race shouldn’t be dominated solely by the giants. Opening access means more transparency and perhaps fewer monopolies—which wouldn’t hurt, considering some companies already act like they own our future.
#Perplexity is about to raise nearly a billion dollars with an $18 billion valuation, doubling its value in no time.
#Anthropic has just given its assistant Claude the ability to search for up-to-date information on the web—a highly anticipated feature that finally puts it on par with rivals ChatGPT and Gemini.
Not least, #Perplexity is about to raise nearly a billion dollars with an $18 billion valuation, doubling its value in no time.
