AI and Tech Updates: OpenAI's $6.6 Billion Raise, Meta's Media Foundation Model, and the Environmental Impact of AI

OWITH.ai - Only What's Important to Hear around AI and Tech

Good morning from OWITH.ai: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in AI and tech world. Sam Altman's OpenAI has raised $6.6 billion in new funding at a $157 billion valuation to accelerate their mission of building AGI. They have launched new features such as a real-time API for speech-to-speech applications and fine-tuning GPT-4o with images and text. Meta released an advanced media foundation model allowing users to create custom videos and sounds from simple text prompts. Google has updated its search features using AI to allow for video understanding, voice questions, and shopping by taking photos. AI is changing the way we search across text, video, images, and voice. Daphne Koller and Brian Greene discussed how AI is shaping drug discovery and development in the health sector. OpenAI released a new feature called Canvas, which allows users to collaborate with ChatGPT within the chat interface seamlessly. Sam Altman's predictions for 2025 include net-gain nuclear fusion, AGI feeling within reach, and gene editing curing at least one major disease. It is now easier to start coding with the help of AI tools that allow users to build projects using natural language instead of complex programming languages.In a recent interview, Eric Schmidt expressed his belief that AI could potentially solve climate change issues rather than trying to constrain its energy demands. However, this argument is seen as problematic by some, as the benefits of AI have been mostly speculative and have not materialized yet. There are concerns that scaling up AI technologies could harm the environment even further due to increased power consumption. It is suggested that more focused efforts on special-purpose AI addressing climate change may be a better use of resources. Transparency and accountability are deemed necessary when making decisions about investing in AI technologies that could have significant environmental impacts. Ultimately, careful consideration is needed before making large investments in unproven technologies that could risk the planet's well-being.

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin