🔗 The Great AI Convergence

Get in Front of 50k Tech Leaders: Grow With Us

In partnership with BlueDot: AI-Powered Chrome Extension for Google Meet.

This is what we got today:

• The Great AI Convergence

• A look into the $40B push into AI

• Safeguarding Reality

• Bluedot the AI-powered Chrome extension for Google Meet you need.

• 📰 News and Trends

• 🔍 Conversations and Resources in Tech

• 🧰 AI Tools (Image Services Pt. 3)

📰 AI News and Trends

• Fake AI content creators use cartoons for kids’ videos to bypass AI disclosure rules. (Wired)

• NVIDIA partners with Ubisoft to further develop its AI-driven NPCs for gamers (Engadget)

• An AI-driven “factory of drugs” claims to have hit a big milestone (MIT)

• Perplexity is challenging Google, with its own data (TheInformation)

• Fitbit Using Google Gemini for New AI That Could Become Your Fitness Coach (PC)

• Apple’s MM1 AI Model Shows a Sleeping Giant Is Waking Up (Wired)

🌐 Other Tech news

• A look into the future of Smart Cities (Forbes)

• BlackRock begins asset tokenization with the launch of a digital liquidity fund on the Ethereum blockchain (CT)

• Uber-style pricing is coming for everything (Vox)

• Biden administration releases strategy for electrifying heavy trucks (FHA)

🔗 The Great AI Convergence

The artificial intelligence industry is witnessing an unprecedented convergence as tech titans engage in a high-stakes battle for dominance. Major players are leaving no stone unturned, employing strategies ranging from talent acquisition to strategic partnerships and groundbreaking innovations in hardware and software.

At the epicenter of this whirlwind is the recent move of British AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman from Google's ecosystem to Microsoft, where he will lead the newly formed Microsoft AI division. Suleyman's deep understanding of Google's AI operations, gained from his tenure as a co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind (acquired by Google in 2014), could provide Microsoft with a significant strategic edge. His inside knowledge and insights into Google's AI systems, strategies, and trade secrets, while bound by legal and ethical boundaries, could potentially accelerate Microsoft's AI development efforts and help them better position their products and services to their rival.

Microsoft's coup is further amplified by its partnership with Nvidia, the company powering most cutting-edge AI models with its high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs). Nvidia's recently announced next-generation AI chips, codenamed Blackwell, boast a staggering 20 petaflops of AI performance, promising to unlock new possibilities in training larger and more intricate AI models. Additionally, Nvidia's Inference Microservice (NIM) software aims to democratize AI inference, allowing companies to efficiently utilize their existing Nvidia GPU infrastructure, thereby creating a more accessible and inclusive AI ecosystem.

While Microsoft appears to be gaining ground, Google is not sitting idle. Amidst reports of struggles with its AI tool Gemini, Google is rumored to be exploring a collaboration with its arch-rival Apple. This potential partnership could breathe new life into Gemini, leveraging Apple's vast user base and ecosystem to propel the AI tool's adoption and development.

The consolidation trend, driven by acquisitions, talent poaching, and strategic alliances, has far-reaching implications for the industry, end-users, and the future of AI:

1. Industry landscape: As AI capabilities concentrate in the hands of a few dominant players, concerns about reduced competition and innovation arise. However, this convergence also creates powerhouses capable of driving rapid advancements and breakthroughs.

2. End-user impact: The intense competition could spur accelerated advancements in AI-powered products and services, such as virtual assistants, chatbots, intelligent search engines, and other transformative applications.

3. Future of AI: The movement of key AI players, partnerships between tech giants and hardware leaders, and the introduction of groundbreaking hardware and software solutions will shape the future direction and development of AI technologies, potentially reshaping industries and redefining the boundaries of what is achievable.

While consolidation raises monopoly concerns, it also underscores the strategic importance of securing top AI talents, cutting-edge hardware, and robust AI ecosystems. As the battle for AI dominance intensifies, end-users may be the ultimate beneficiaries, experiencing increasingly powerful and intelligent AI-powered products and services that could transform various aspects of their lives.

The great AI convergence is a testament to the industry's significance and the relentless pursuit of innovation by tech titans. As these giants collide, the reverberations will be felt across industries, reshaping the technological landscape and ushering in a new era of AI-driven disruption and opportunity.

A look into the $40B push into AI

Saudi Arabia is launching a massive $40 billion fund to invest in artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to become the world's leading AI investor. This move is part of Saudi Arabia's broader strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil, leveraging its substantial sovereign wealth. The fund will focus on various sectors within AI, including technology startups, chip manufacturing, and data centers. Despite previous setbacks in tech investments, this initiative represents a significant push by the kingdom to assert its presence in the global tech landscape and enhance its geopolitical influence through technological innovation.

Bluedot is an AI-powered Chrome extension for Google Meet.

How to record Google Meet meetings using the Bluedot extension:

1. Install Bluedot Extension: Add it from the Chrome Web Store.

2. Create/Log in to Bluedot Account: Sign up or log in for free.

3. Start Meeting: Open Google Meet and begin your meeting.

4. Record: Click the Bluedot icon in your browser to start recording.

5. End Recording: Click the Bluedot icon again when you're done.

6. View Recordings: Find your recordings and transcripts in the Bluedot app.

7. Share: Use the 'Share' button in Bluedot to distribute your meeting materials.

This method allows you to bypass the need for a paid Google Workspace account, making it easier to record, transcribe, and share your meetings.

Install Free Chrome Extension

📰 Publications I am currently reading and recommending:

• 1-Minute Question - Based on Neuroscience Science Practices to rewire your brain for success.

• How Brands Win - Distills the strategies behind great brands. And gives you actionable insights for your business.

• The Business Academy - Learn to be a better investor in 6 minutes per week.

Safeguarding Reality

Just a short while ago, we might have chuckled at AI-generated images for their odd fingers and numerous, easily spotted flaws. It seemed that truly realistic AI-generated visuals were a distant future concern. However, we've been proven wrong.

Today, hyper-realistic computer-generated images are a reality, and those who believe they can effortlessly distinguish fake from real are likely already deceived. The advancement in AI technology now allows for the creation of visuals, texts, and narratives so lifelike that they blur the lines between fiction and reality. While these achievements are technically remarkable, they significantly heighten the risks associated with deepfakes and disinformation, particularly in an election year. As these technologies become more widespread, remaining vigilant against AI-powered deception has never been more critical.

To avoid being misled by AI-generated content, we must:

• Improve AI literacy

• develop robust detection tools

• mandate clear labeling and watermarking

• regulate malicious deep fakes

• limit unchecked model releases

• promote critical thinking, and

• prioritize human-authored truth over AI fiction.

🔍 Conversations and Resources in Tech

• This is a very interesting conversation I had with Cybersecurity Analyst Mr. Patrick Jordan about AI, Tech trends, Apps, and where this digital world is heading.

• Sam Altman's conversation with Lex Friedman about GPT-5, AI, OpenAI board, and the future. (Spotify)

• Elon Musk on The Don Lemon Show (Full Interview)

🧰 AI Tools

Image Services Pt. 3

• Pixelz AI Art Generator - Pixelz AI Art Generator enables you to create incredible art from text. Stable Diffusion, CLIP Guided Diffusion & PXL·E realistic algorithms available.

• modyfi - The image editor you've always wanted. AI-powered creative tools in your browser. Real-time collaboration.

• Ponzu - Ponzu is your free AI logo generator. Build your brand with creatively designed logos in seconds, using only your imagination.

• PhotoRoom - Create product and portrait pictures using only your phone. Remove background, change background, and showcase products.

• Avatar AI - Create your AI-generated avatars.

• ClipDrop - Create professional visuals without a photo studio.