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OpenAI founding member launches AI School, Eureka Labs

Also: How young workers can thrive with AI when they have the right skills

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AI KATANA
July 16, 2024

Morning!

In today’s newsletter, we spotlight Eureka Labs, a new AI education venture by an OpenAI founding member aiming to revolutionize learning with AI-integrated courses. We delve into how young workers can thrive by acquiring AI skills, potentially boosting their productivity and wages. Discover the Tate Modern’s latest exhibition, “Electric Dreams,” showcasing AI’s role in art. We review Skyrocket’s AI-powered storytelling teddy bear, Poe, and PwC’s 2024 AI Jobs Barometer, highlighting AI’s profound impact on the job market. Explore the rise of AI mental health chatbots and the strategic moves by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella to solidify its AI dominance. We also cover updates on top AI tools at work and Google’s potential $23 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz amid AI investment trends.

Sliced:

  • 👩🏻‍🏫 OpenAI founding member launches AI School, Eureka Labs

  • 👩🏻‍💻 How young workers can thrive with AI when they have the right skills

  • 🎨 Artists should exploit AI’s capabilities, say creators of new Tate Modern show

  • 🧸 The First AI-Powered Storytelling Teddy Bear Is Here. I Gave It to My Kids to Test

  • 👩🏼‍💼 PwC’s 2024 AI Jobs Barometer

  • 🙂 More people are turning to mental health AI chatbots. What could go wrong?

  • 🦾 How Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Became Tech’s Steely Eyed A.I. Gambler

Eureka Labs is launching an AI-focused education company, aiming to revolutionize learning by integrating AI teaching assistants with traditional educational materials. The vision is to create an ideal learning experience, where subject matter experts, supported by AI, can deliver high-quality, personalized education to anyone, anywhere. The first offering, LLM101n, is an undergraduate-level course that guides students through training their own AI models, available both online and in cohort-based formats. This initiative, founded by a founding member of OpenAI, stems from over two decades of experience in AI and education, including notable work at Stanford and Tesla, and aspires to make education universally accessible and comprehensive.

A recent report from PwC reveals that young workers aged 18 to 25 are optimistic about AI, with 70% seeing it as an opportunity to enhance their capabilities. AI skills are becoming increasingly valuable, offering a 25% wage premium and significantly boosting productivity. To thrive, young workers must quickly acquire relevant skills as job requirements evolve rapidly due to AI integration. Skills-first hiring, focusing on abilities rather than formal qualifications, can facilitate this transition, providing young talent with access to high-value roles. Companies must support continuous learning and transparent communication to alleviate job security concerns and retain young employees. The findings suggest that young workers, despite uncertainties, are well-positioned to leverage AI’s potential for career growth and innovation.

The new exhibition to open at Tate Modern, titled “Electric Dreams,” emphasizes the enduring and evolving relationship between artists and technology, showcasing how AI can be a tool rather than a threat to creativity. Curated by Catherine Wood, the exhibition spans from the 1950s to the pre-internet era, featuring over 150 works by 70 artists worldwide. It includes pioneering pieces like Harold Cohen’s AARON technology and immersive works by Carlos Cruz-Diez. Wood asserts that artists have long integrated technology into their creative processes, and the show aims to highlight this historical symbiosis, illustrating that contemporary concerns about technology in art are not new. The exhibition also highlights the challenges of preserving and presenting older technological artworks while maintaining their interactive nature.

Skyrocket’s new AI-powered storytelling teddy bear, Poe, combines generative AI with a plush toy to create unique stories for children. Set to launch in August for $50, Poe uses ChatGPT-4 and Microsoft Azure to generate diverse tales on demand through an app, making each storytelling experience unique. With no built-in microphones or cameras, Poe ensures child safety while offering over 20 language options. During testing, the toy engaged children with its interactive storytelling, although some stories felt complex due to advanced vocabulary. Skyrocket has implemented safeguards to ensure content appropriateness and plans to offer a variety of stories while maintaining the option for parental control over themes and characters.

PwC’s 2024 AI Jobs Barometer reveals the profound impact of AI on the workforce, highlighting that sectors with high AI penetration experience nearly fivefold productivity growth. AI specialist skills command up to a 25% wage premium, and jobs requiring these skills have grown 3.5 times faster than all other jobs since 2016. As AI reshapes job requirements, skills sought by employers in AI-exposed roles are changing 25% faster. The report underscores the importance of a skills-first hiring approach and continuous learning to keep pace with AI advancements. Embracing AI can create new roles and industries, enhancing productivity and economic growth. Policymakers, businesses, and workers must collaborate to harness AI’s potential, ensuring widespread prosperity and adapting to the evolving job market.

As mental health issues rise globally, many people are turning to AI chatbots like Woebot for accessible and affordable support. These digital solutions offer benefits such as immediate availability and cost-effectiveness, potentially bridging gaps in mental health care caused by stigma and insufficient professional resources. Research indicates AI chatbots can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in the short term and predict clinical outcomes. However, there are significant risks; AI chatbots may lack the nuanced understanding of human therapists, sometimes offering harmful or inappropriate advice, as seen in cases where chatbots mishandled sensitive prompts. Experts caution that while AI can assist mental health care, it should not replace human therapists, and robust safeguards and regulations are necessary to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has positioned the company as a major player in AI by making bold investments and strategic decisions. Nadella’s recent $650 million deal with Inflection AI, despite its uncertain profitability, underscores his commitment to integrating AI deeply into Microsoft’s operations. His earlier $13 billion investment in OpenAI exemplifies his belief in AI’s transformative potential. These moves have significantly boosted Microsoft’s market value by over 70%, pushing it to over $3.3 trillion. Nadella’s strategy involves embedding AI across Microsoft’s product lines, driving innovation and competition in the tech industry. His leadership, characterized by risk-taking and strategic vision, aims to ensure Microsoft leads in the AI era, avoiding past missteps like missing the smartphone revolution. Despite challenges, such as internal doubts and competition, Nadella’s focus remains on leveraging AI to redefine computing and maintain Microsoft’s relevance in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

🛠️ AI tools updates

Employees are increasingly adopting AI tools for their work despite concerns about AI replacing jobs. In May, the use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT surged by 74%, reaching 3.1 billion site visits from 1.8 billion in April, making it the most utilized generative AI tool globally. Following ChatGPT, other popular tools include Google Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. These tools are becoming essential for various work-related tasks, reflecting a growing trend of integrating AI to enhance productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

💵 Venture Capital updates

Google is reportedly in discussions to acquire Wiz, a cloud security company, for around $23 billion. Wiz’s platform integrates data from major cloud services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to identify security risks, which could bolster Google’s cloud business that saw a 28% increase to $9.57 billion in Q1 2024. This development occurs amid a broader context where AI investments are soaring, yet revenue generation lags, raising concerns about a potential AI bubble. In the first half of 2024, AI startups attracted over $35.5 billion globally, reflecting significant investor interest but also highlighting the disparity between spending and actual returns. Additionally, OpenAI faces scrutiny from whistleblowers alleging the company illegally restricts employee communications with regulators, compounding the challenges within the rapidly evolving AI sector. Meanwhile, VanMoof, an e-bike company, attempts to regain customer trust after bankruptcy by offering discounts instead of refunds due to financial constraints from ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

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