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South Korea leverages open government data for AI development

Also: Singapore’s SoundKeepers Project tackles depression in seniors with AI

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AI KATANA
October 28, 2024

Good morning, and welcome to today’s newsletter! As the world continues to innovate, we’re seeing dynamic applications of AI across industries, from enhancing national infrastructures to improving everyday human experiences. Today’s roundup includes South Korea’s impressive use of open data for AI, an AI system revolutionizing math tutoring, and new U.S. rules curbing AI investments in China. Plus, you’ll find updates on AI-driven healthcare initiatives, telecom advancements, and cutting-edge AI tools.

Sliced just for you:

  • 🇰🇷 South Korea leverages open government data for AI development

  • 🧮 This AI system makes human tutors better at teaching children math

  • 🇺🇸 US finalizes rules to curb AI investments in China, impose other restrictions

  • 🎤 Singapore’s SoundKeepers Project tackles depression in seniors with AI

  • 📡 Samsung, SKT will use AI to speed up 5G

South Korea is advancing its AI capabilities by leveraging open government data to stimulate private sector innovation. Initiatives like the AI Hub provide training data, APIs, and cloud resources, fostering developments such as TTCare, an AI-powered mobile app diagnosing pet ailments. The government aims to push the boundaries of open data usage, incorporating synthetic and unstructured data for enhanced value while safeguarding privacy. This strategy is supported by the National Information Society Agency (NIA), which oversees the National Open Data Portal with over 87,000 datasets. South Korea’s open data policies, guided by a robust legal framework, prioritize collaboration with the private sector and international partners. The country also uses synthetic data for policy research and AI development, ensuring both data accessibility and privacy protection. These efforts place South Korea at the forefront of global AI innovation, enabling new applications in fields like healthcare and autonomous vehicles.

Researchers at Stanford University have developed an AI-powered tool called Tutor CoPilot, designed to enhance the effectiveness of human tutors in teaching math to children, particularly in underserved communities. Integrated into the FEV Tutor platform, which connects students and tutors virtually, this system offers real-time suggestions for tutors on how to guide students toward understanding math concepts. The model, built on GPT-4 and trained on hundreds of real tutoring sessions, enables tutors to address students’ mistakes effectively and promotes deeper learning. In a study involving over 1,700 students aged 5 to 13, those whose tutors used Tutor CoPilot were 4% more likely to pass their assessments compared to those without it. The tool, which costs about $20 per tutor annually, aims to democratize access to high-quality education by bridging the gap between novice and experienced educators, while also exploring the potential of AI to improve learning outcomes in other subjects.

The U.S. government has finalized rules that will restrict American investments in China’s AI and technology sectors, effective January 2, 2025. These measures, guided by an executive order signed by President Biden in August 2023, are aimed at safeguarding national security by curbing U.S. financial involvement in industries critical to the development of military technologies, including semiconductors, quantum computing, and certain AI systems. Overseen by the U.S. Treasury’s newly formed Office of Global Transactions, the rules focus on preventing U.S. expertise and capital from aiding China in advancing its military and intelligence capabilities. Although investments in publicly traded securities are allowed, the new restrictions are part of a broader effort to limit China’s technological advancements in sensitive areas. The initiative reflects ongoing concerns in Washington about the role American investments might play in bolstering China’s military prowess.

Singapore’s SoundKeepers project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at identifying early signs of depression in seniors through AI-powered voice analysis. The program, developed by a collaboration of healthcare, academic, and philanthropic organizations, focuses on subsyndromal depression (SSD), a condition that often goes undiagnosed but can lead to more severe mental health issues like clinical depression and dementia. By analyzing voice biomarkers such as pitch, tone, and rhythm, the AI system detects subtle changes linked to mental health deterioration. The project involves over 600 seniors from Hougang and Woodlands, who provide voice samples that are analyzed for signs of SSD. Those identified as at risk will participate in a 24-week community intervention program, combining psychoeducation and social activities to strengthen emotional resilience. The initiative complements traditional mental health screenings by offering a more objective, stigma-free method of early detection, with the potential to be integrated into Singapore’s broader mental health ecosystem. Funded by the Lien Foundation, the project reflects a national commitment to improving mental health care for the elderly.

Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom are collaborating to enhance 5G connectivity using AI technology. The AI-based tool, called “AI-RAN Parameter Recommender,” uses data from past network operations to optimize base station parameters, improving network performance and user experience. SKT has incorporated deep learning to analyze wireless network data and fine-tune the system. This AI solution allows dynamic adjustments for regions with varying radio environments, such as subways, and aims to address signal quality issues by optimizing parameters like beamforming. SKT plans to expand the AI’s capabilities to enable automatic real-time adjustments, ultimately advancing towards an AI-native network that integrates telecommunications with AI for superior customer experiences.

🛠️ AI tools updates

Google DeepMind’s SynthID technology enables the watermarking and detection of AI-generated content, such as text, images, audio, and video. SynthID Text, a tool now open-sourced and integrated into platforms like Hugging Face Transformers, embeds imperceptible watermarks in AI-generated text, allowing developers to verify content authenticity without compromising quality. This tool helps address concerns around misinformation by offering a probabilistic detection model that can indicate whether content has been watermarked. However, its effectiveness is limited when AI-generated text is significantly altered or translated. SynthID’s detection capabilities are customizable, allowing users to decide how they expose and verify watermarked content, depending on their infrastructure and security needs.

💵 Venture Capital updates

Wa’ed Ventures, a state-backed venture capital fund of Aramco, has committed $100 million to AI startups as part of its broader $500 million fund, aiming to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in AI innovation. This initiative supports the Kingdom’s vision to drive technological advancements and economic growth, with AI expected to add $135 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030. The investment strategy, guided by an advisory board of experts from leading global institutions, focuses on fostering local entrepreneurship and attracting international talent. Recent investments include South Korea’s AI chipmaker Rebellions and California-based aiXplain. The fund’s efforts align with the growing global influence of AI, which McKinsey estimates could contribute $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia to capture a significant share of this growth.

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