Tech Talk: AI Advancements, Black Friday Insights, and FTC Investigations

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. This week in AI, DeepMind introduced Cat4D, an AI model that adds a fourth dimension to video content, allowing for dynamic 3D scene reconstruction and independent control of viewpoint and temporal aspects. Former Google and Stripe executives raised $56 million to develop an operating system for AI agents through their company /dev/agents. Runway unveiled Frames, an image generation model focused on maintaining specific aesthetics across multiple generations. Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory created the largest simulation of the universe using the world's fastest supercomputer. ElevenLabs launched a feature within their ElevenReader app that allows users to create personalized podcasts from text in 32 languages. The article also discusses the implications of teaching AI systems to understand human morality and the potential uses of AI as a mirror to better understand our own ethical frameworks.Black Friday is a crucial time for startups, as it accounts for a significant portion of retailers' annual revenues and kicks off the holiday shopping season. Yiqi Wu, founder of e-commerce-focused startup Aimerce, notes that this year's Black Friday is especially competitive, with campaigns launching earlier than ever before. The high stakes of Black Friday mean that startups must have their websites and customer communication strategies in top shape to avoid potential loss of sales. Despite some ups and downs in VC backing for e-commerce enablement, Black Friday remains an opportunity for enterprising startups. Aimerce has experienced its fastest growth ever during this month, as they solve urgent problems for their customers. Overall, Black Friday is a critical time for startups to shine and capitalize on the holiday shopping frenzy.The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Microsoft's cloud computing and software licensing practices. Lina Khan, current FTC chair, is likely to be replaced by Donald Trump, but the investigation is ongoing. Softbank is increasing its investment in OpenAI, offering employees a chance to cash out their shares. Elon Musk's X has objected to The Onion's bid for Infowars due to ownership rights. Bluesky faced scrutiny for allowing developers to access user data without consent. Grok, an AI chatbot from Elon Musk's XAI, is getting its own consumer-facing app. Other news includes AI companies targeting military contracts, Microsoft addressing data privacy concerns, Israeli tech talent seeking refuge in Europe, and Pony.ai raising funds for driverless technology.Happy Black Friday! Americans are expected to spend record amounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, with online retailers surpassing brick-and-mortar stores as the preferred way to shop. Job-market optimism and talk of a trade war may be prompting people to make purchases they might have otherwise delayed. A record number of people are planning to shop from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. However, U.S. household debt has reached almost $18 trillion, with consumers' savings decreasing and credit card delinquencies rising. In other news, Russia's central bank is taking desperate measures to save the ruble, Trump and Zuckerberg recently had dinner together, and German layoffs have hit 60,000. Record spending is anticipated for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with online retailers expected to lead the way. Meanwhile, German companies have announced over 60,000 layoffs this year, with Volkswagen possibly facing further layoffs.Thank you for tuning in to OWITH.ai podcast for your weekly dose of AI and tech news!

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