🗳️ Perplexity AI's Election Tracker: A Game-Changer for 2024 Voters

Disney's Tech Leap 🎥 Imagineering the Future with AI and Mixed Reality 🥽

Author

Ahmad Ak
07 Nov • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Tech Insights AI 0029, Thursday 07th November 2024

In today’s post we cover 

1.Perplexity AI's Election Tracker AI-powered tool offers real-time election data analysis and personalized insights for 2024 voters.

2.Disney's Tech Leap New Office of Technology Enablement to explore AI and mixed reality across Disney's operations.

3.Meta allows military use of AI models.

4.Google's 'Jarvis' AI agent accidentally leaked.

5.OpenAI hires Meta's AR expert for robotics push.

6. And we conclude with latest funding news and tools.

🗳️ Perplexity AI's Election Tracker: A Game-Changer for 2024 Voters

In the fast-paced world of tech and politics, Perplexity AI upped the ante with its innovative Election Tracker. As voters approached the crucial 2024 US presidential election, this tool became the secret weapon they needed to stay informed in real-time.

AI-Powered Political Insights

Perplexity's Election Tracker leverages cutting-edge AI to aggregate and analyze vast amounts of election data. Unlike traditional news sources, this tool offered:

  • Real-time updates on poll results

  • Comprehensive candidate profiles

  • Fact-checking of political statements

  • Trend analysis of voter sentiment

Breaking Through Information Overload

In an era of information saturation, Perplexity's tracker stood out by:

  1. Cutting through noise with precise, AI-curated content

  2. Offering personalized insights based on user interests

  3. Providing unbiased, data-driven analysis

Source : Wired.com

 Disney's Tech Leap 🎥 Imagineering the Future with AI  and Mixed Reality 🥽

Disney has unveiled a new business unit called the Office of Technology Enablement (OTE) to explore opportunities and risks related to AI and other emerging technologies across its entertainment operations.

Image generated using Grok

Key Insights

  1. The OTE will focus on establishing Disney as a leader in fast-moving areas of technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality (XR).

  2. Jamie Voris, currently the CTO of Disney's film studio, will lead the new group and report directly to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman.

  3. The unit is expected to grow to about 100 employees and will coordinate efforts across Disney's various divisions, including movies, TV, and theme parks.

  4. Bergman emphasized the profound impact AI and XR will have on consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and Disney's business in the coming years.

  5. The OTE aims to explore exciting opportunities while also navigating potential risks associated with these technologies.

  6. Disney CEO Bob Iger previously noted that AI presents interesting opportunities and potential benefits, but also poses challenges, particularly around intellectual property management.

  7. The formation of this group underscores Disney's commitment to being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices for emerging technologies.

  8. The OTE will partner with leaders across Disney to promote exploration and adoption of these technologies in alignment with the company's goals and values.

  9. Eddie Drake, previously head of technology at Marvel Studios, will take over as CTO of Walt Disney Studios.

This move comes as the entertainment industry grapples with the implications of AI, following recent labor negotiations that addressed AI concerns. Began’s memo can be viewed here

This initiative demonstrates Disney's proactive approach to integrating emerging technologies while considering both the creative and business implications across its diverse entertainment portfolio.

Source : The Verge

💻Tech Snapshots

🎖️ 🦙Meta's Military AI Pivot: Zuckerberg Opens Llama to Pentagon and Five Eyes

Meta Platforms has made a pivotal shift in its AI policy, now permitting U.S. government agencies and defense contractors to utilize its AI models for military purposes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg's company is extending this access to "Five Eyes" alliance nations - the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This strategic move, announced by Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs, marks a significant exception to Meta's previous restrictions on military applications of its Llama model, potentially reshaping the landscape of AI in national security.

💻Google's 'Jarvis' AI Agent Leaked: Web Assistant Rivals Claude

Google accidentally revealed "Jarvis," its AI agent designed to take over users' computers for task completion, on the Chrome Web Store. This leak confirms The Information's earlier report and showcases Google's push to compete with Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI in the AI agent market. The prototype, quickly removed and non-functional, hints at capabilities like online purchasing and travel booking. Google planned to launch Jarvis with its next flagship language model in December.

👓 OpenAI Snags Meta's AR Glasses Whiz to Spearhead Robotics Push 🤖

Kalinowski, who until July was steering Meta's AR glasses hardware ship, announced her new gig at OpenAI with a focus on "bringing AI into the physical world." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has long been interested in AI-powered devices for consumers, personally investing in the AI pin startup Humane and separately working withApple’s former design chief Jony Ive on an AI device.

💰Funding Rounds

🇺🇸 San Francisco-based Perplexity AI, led by CEO Aravind Srinivas, is set to close a mammoth $500 million funding round, skyrocketing its valuation to an eye-popping $9 billion. This latest investment, led by Silicon Valley heavyweight Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), marks Perplexity's fourth funding round in 2024 alone. The startup has seen its value surge from a modest $500 million at the start of the year to its current multi-billion-dollar status, reflecting intense investor appetite in the generative AI space. With over 230 million monthly queries and 2 million app downloads, Perplexity is rapidly emerging as a formidable challenger to tech giants in the AI search arena. 

🇲🇪 Montenegro-based Buddy.ai has secured €10.2 million in seed funding, led by BITKRAFT Ventures and Educapital, for its AI tutor aimed at children under 12. The startup, founded by CEO Ivan Crewkov, has now raised a total of €12 million. Other investors include One Way Ventures, J Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Goodwater Capital, and notable angel investors from the tech and entertainment industries. Buddy.ai focuses on addressing teacher shortages through AI-powered tutoring, primarily for English language learning

🇬🇧Ripjar, the UK-based risk and threat intelligence solutions provider, has secured a majority growth investment from existing investor Long Ridge Equity Partners. The funding amount remains undisclosed. This investment coincides with the appointment of industry veteran Tom Obermaier as the new CEO, succeeding co-founders Jeremy Annis and Tom Griffin. Obermaier, with over 30 years of experience in risk and compliance, joins Ripjar from his previous role as CEO at RDC. The deal positions Ripjar for international expansion and further development of its RiskGPT solutions. Jeremy Annis will continue to serve on Ripjar's Board of Directors, while Long Ridge Equity Partners, led by Partner Jason Melton, becomes the majority owner of the company.

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