Anthropic, a startup known for its GenAI chatbot Claude, was valued at around $18 billion after a fundraise led by Menlo Ventures in 2024. The company, co-founded by Dario and Daniela Amodei, had previously received investments from Amazon.com, which doubled its stake to $8 billion, and Alphabet, which invested $500 million with plans for an additional $1.5 billion. This investment comes as the tech industry is racing to capitalize on generative artificial intelligence technology, following the launch of Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/anthropic-raise-2-billion-deal-valuing-ai-startup-60-billion-wsj-says-4843691Indonesian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Meutia Hafid, officiated the opening of an AI center at Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java. The facility is equipped with tools to enhance the use of AI technology in sectors such as food, health, agribusiness, logistics, and manufacturing. The minister highlighted the importance of developing digital talents to achieve Indonesia's goal of becoming self-sufficient in food production, citing a projected need for nine million digital talents by 2030. Brawijaya University's rector, Professor Widodo, expressed hope that the AI center would intensify research on cutting-edge technology and develop digital talents in Indonesia through collaborations with companies such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google. The facility offers training and certification programs in areas like machine learning and natural language processing, available to students, lecturers, and professionals.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/340222/minister-seeks-ai-contributions-to-indonesias-food-security-goal?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=popular_rightThe use of AI in negotiations has the potential to provide tailored support by assisting human negotiators with tasks such as gathering market information, providing advice on best practices, and acting as a sparring partner in role-playing scenarios. Generic Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can be used during the preparation stage or as negotiation assistants, significantly lowering the costs of obtaining relevant information and learning essential advice. However, these tools currently have limitations such as generic advice, incorrect information, and glitchy role-plays. In a semi-automated capacity, AI can drastically reduce decision costs and help negotiators evaluate variables and rules to reach an ideal outcome. The adoption of AI-supported negotiation systems by corporations can result in competitive advantage, short-term gains, and an early learning curve. However, this requires investing time and money to change existing processes and systems. AI has the potential to compensate for human shortcomings, provide machine-efficiency advantages, and reinvent how we negotiate. It can help negotiators evaluate variables and rules to reach an ideal outcome, increase transparency and accountability, and handle complex negotiations with ease. However, there are challenges and pitfalls in the emerging AI and negotiation partnership, including limitations in automated negotiations, potential exploitation of virtual agents' rules, and the need for human oversight. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are investing heavily in AI-powered negotiation tools, such as Google's LaMDA and Microsoft's Bot Framework. These tools have the potential to revolutionize the way we negotiate, making it more efficient, effective, and transparent. However, they also raise concerns about the potential for bias and exploitation. Overall, the use of AI in negotiations has the potential to provide significant benefits, but it also requires careful consideration of the challenges and pitfalls involved.
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/insead/the-power-of-ai-to-shape-negotiations/94937/1Amazon's new AI-powered visual search feature is being tested in a pilot program with several major retailers. The technology uses computer vision and machine learning to allow customers to search for products by image, rather than text. For example, users can upload a photo of a product they like, and the system will return similar items from various brands such as Target and Walmart. This feature is expected to be rolled out more widely in the coming months, with Amazon aiming to make it available on its mobile app and website.
https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2024/how-ai-reshaped-retail-in-2024-10-key-developments/The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued the company behind an AI content generator called Rytr, accusing it of producing fake reviews for various businesses. The FTC claims some users used the tool to generate hundreds or thousands of reviews on platforms like Amazon and Yelp. AI detection companies like Pangram Labs have found that some AI-generated reviews appear at the top of search results due to their detailed and well-thought-out content. However, determining what is fake or not can be challenging as external parties may not have access to data signals indicating patterns of abuse. Tech companies like Amazon and Yelp are developing policies for handling AI-generated content, with some allowing customers to post AI-assisted reviews while others take a more cautious approach. The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, which includes prominent tech companies, aims to push back against fake reviews by sharing best practices and developing advanced AI detection systems.
https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/the-internet-is-rife-with-fake-reviews-will-ai-make-it-worse/article_edc30c17-ed25-50dd-b528-3fb73eb0187d.htmlYelp has implemented measures to detect AI-generated reviews, citing the rise in consumer adoption of AI tools. The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, a group including Amazon, Trustpilot, and TripAdvisor, views AI as an opportunity to combat fake reviews. However, experts say tech companies like Yelp, Amazon, and Google are not doing enough to eliminate review fraud, despite blocking or removing suspect reviews and accounts. Consumers can spot fake AI-generated reviews by looking out for overly enthusiastic or negative language, jargon that repeats a product's name, and generic phrases. Research has shown that people cannot reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-written reviews, but some AI detectors may be fooled by shorter texts.
https://apnews.com/article/fake-online-reviews-generative-ai-40f5000346b1894a778434ba295a0496New York lawmakers plan to introduce a bill next year that would require companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta to eliminate fossil fuel use in their data centers. The measure aims to curb the soaring energy consumption of artificial intelligence advancements. This would make New York the first state to impose renewable energy requirements on data centers, which must also publicly disclose their pollution and water consumption handling practices.