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Bill Gates Says Superhuman AI May Be Closer Than You Think

Also: Gen AI is passé. Enter the age of agentic AI

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AI KATANA
June 30, 2024

Morning!

In today's newsletter, Bill Gates predicts that superhuman AI may arrive sooner than expected, revolutionizing sectors like healthcare and education, while emphasizing the need for regulatory measures. Softbank introduces an AI tool to mitigate the emotional stress on call center workers. The shift from generative to agentic AI is highlighted, showcasing its potential in enterprise efficiency. Alibaba's large language model achieves top ranking on Hugging Face, and SK Hynix announces a $75 billion investment in AI and semiconductor capabilities. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman condemns unauthorized AI voice imitations, Figma launches a redesigned interface with AI tools, and Kleiner Perkins secures $2 billion in fresh capital for continued investment in AI-driven startups.

Sliced:

  • 🤓 Bill Gates Says Superhuman AI May Be Closer Than You Think

  • 🛡️ A Japanese Company Built an AI 'Mental Shield' to Protect Workers, and It's Pure Emotional Intelligence

  • 🤖 Gen AI is passé. Enter the age of agentic AI

  • 1️⃣ Alibaba’s large language model tops global ranking of AI developer platform Hugging Face

  • 💰 South Korea's SK Hynix to invest $75 billion by 2028 in AI, chips

  • ⚠️ Morgan Freeman Slams AI Voice Imitations of Himself, Thanks Fans for Calling Out the ‘Scam’

Bill Gates has shared that the advent of superhuman AI might be closer than many expect, forecasting transformative impacts across various sectors. Gates highlights AI’s potential to revolutionize healthcare, education, and productivity, citing its ability to provide medical advice and personal tutoring through mobile phones, particularly benefiting resource-limited areas. Despite AI’s advancements, Gates acknowledges the risks and emphasizes the need for regulation to prevent misuse. The discussion also explores AI’s capability to accelerate scientific discovery and its role in addressing global challenges like malnutrition and disease. Gates compares the AI revolution to past technological milestones, noting its unprecedented pace and potential to create a world of abundance, provided that ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks keep pace with the technology’s rapid development.

Softbank has developed an innovative AI tool called SoftVoice designed to protect call center workers from the emotional toll of dealing with angry customers. This AI "mental shield" monitors customer calls in real-time, detects hostile or abusive tones, and modulates the caller's voice to make it less stressful for the employee. While the words spoken by the customer remain unchanged, the AI can lower a high-pitched angry voice or raise a deep intimidating one, reducing the emotional impact. This initiative addresses the issue of "customer harassment," which has become a significant problem in Japan's highly service-oriented industry. Additionally, SoftVoice can automatically terminate calls if the abuse persists for too long. This development highlights the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence, aiming to create a more supportive work environment for frontline service workers.

Agentic AI is poised to succeed generative AI by focusing on enterprise applications where goals are well-defined, driving significant business value. Unlike consumer AI, which faces open-ended challenges, agentic AI can efficiently navigate enterprise tasks with clear objectives. This next level of AI uses generative AI foundations but advances by creating plans and performing work towards specific goals, often coordinating multiple agents under human supervision. This model enhances enterprise operations by leveraging digital assistants to automate complex workflows, making processes more efficient and scalable. For instance, Amazon’s supply chain management exemplifies agentic AI’s potential, coordinating various agents to optimize tasks like distribution and inventory management. Companies such as OpenAI, UiPath, and Microsoft are leading this transition by developing platforms and tools that integrate with existing systems to create a digital representation of business operations. This evolution aims to transform enterprise software, enabling real-time decision-making and continuous improvement of business processes.

Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen series of large language models (LLMs), developed by its cloud computing unit, has achieved global recognition by ranking among the top 10 open-source models on the AI developer platform Hugging Face. Notably, the Qwen-72B-Instruct model secured the top position, with an average score of 43.02 across six benchmarks, thanks to its performance in mathematics, long-range reasoning, and knowledge. This model, trained on 72 billion parameters, exemplifies Alibaba's leadership in AI innovation. The Tongyi Qianwen models are widely utilized across various industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, and online gaming, showcasing their versatility and impact in enhancing technological capabilities.

💰 South Korea's SK Hynix to invest $75 billion by 2028 in AI, chips

SK Hynix, the second-largest memory chip maker globally, has announced an ambitious investment plan of $75 billion by 2028 to enhance its AI and semiconductor capabilities. This strategy, part of a broader initiative by its parent company SK Group, aims to bolster the AI value chain, focusing on high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, AI data centers, and personalized AI services. The group plans to secure $58 billion by 2026 for AI, semiconductors, and shareholder returns while streamlining its extensive network of subsidiaries. This investment is seen as a crucial move to revitalize the group following significant losses in its chip and electric vehicle battery sectors, aiming to reach a profit before tax of around $32 billion by 2026.

Morgan Freeman has expressed gratitude to his fans for their vigilance in calling out unauthorized AI imitations of his iconic voice. The renowned actor, celebrated for his narration in films such as "March of the Penguins" and "The Shawshank Redemption," has been a frequent target of AI-generated voice imitations. Freeman thanked his supporters for helping maintain authenticity and integrity, labeling these AI-generated voices as a "scam." His comments come amid growing scrutiny of AI imitations in the entertainment industry, with other celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Drake also facing similar issues.

🛠️ AI tools updates

Figma has unveiled a significant redesign at its Config conference, introducing a new user interface aimed at modernizing the platform and enhancing usability for both new and experienced users. The redesign, known as UI3, includes a revamped toolbar, rounded corners, and over 200 new icons. Alongside the visual updates, Figma has integrated new generative AI tools designed to streamline the design process. These tools allow users to quickly generate design mockups and prototypes by inputting simple text prompts, which the AI then uses to create detailed app designs and other assets. Additionally, Figma has launched Figma Slides, a built-in presentation feature that lets users create and share presentations directly within the app. These updates are currently available in a limited beta, with the AI features being free during this period. Figma also clarified that its generative AI models were trained using third-party sources and public data, not private user files, and provided options for users to control data sharing for future model training.

💵 Venture Capital updates

Kleiner Perkins has successfully raised over $2 billion in fresh capital across two funds, marking a slight increase from its previous $1.8 billion raise in early 2022. Despite a challenging environment for venture capital fundraising, established firms like Kleiner Perkins continue to attract significant investment. The firm plans to continue its focus on enterprise software, consumer, healthcare, fintech, and hardtech startups, with an increased emphasis on integrating AI to enhance efficiency in these sectors. This new funding will also support Kleiner Perkins's investments in AI-driven startups such as Glean, a business application search tool, and Harvey, an AI assistant for lawyers. This fundraising success aligns Kleiner Perkins with other major firms like Andreessen Horowitz, which recently raised $7.2 billion across several funds.

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