AI Daily News March 05 2024: 🔍Google's New AI Mode: A Huge Leap Away from Traditional Search🚫Judge denies Musk’s request to block OpenAI’s for-profit plan 🏅AI pioneers win Turing Award for reinforcement learning advancements
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Welcome back to AI Unraveled, the podcast that tries to help you kind of keep up with the crazy world of AI. This show is created and produced by Etienne Newman, a senior software engineer and a passionate soccer dad. So, like, maybe like you. And if you're enjoying the show, be sure to hit that subscribe button and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It really does help other AI enthusiasts discover the show.

So today we're going on a deep dive into a really interesting day in AI history, March 5th, 2025.

We're going to be using the AI Daily Chronicle to guide our journey. It was a crazy day. We've got some major search engine updates, some ethical concerns about these AI voices, even a story about a student who may have used AI to cheat during a job interview at Amazon. So let's jump right in. You know, this state is really a turning point in the evolution of AI. It's where we really start to see it touching every part of our lives, like how we search for information or how we create music. Definitely. And speaking of searching for information, Google really shook things up by launching AI Mode.

This was a huge shift from their traditional search results. Instead of having to go through tons of links, users started getting these AI-generated overviews.

It's almost like Google is answering your questions directly, kind of like having a research assistant right in the search bar. Right. And I think it was a smart move by Google to respond to these AI chat bots like ChatGPT and Gemini that were becoming so popular because people wanted these quick and easy answers. You know, Google kind of realized that just giving people a bunch of links wasn't enough anymore. People want the information like synthesized and easy to understand. And that's what AI mode was trying to do.

So like a battle for how we'll get information online in the future. What do you think this means for like the average person using Google? Well, I think in some ways it can make finding information much faster and easier. You know, imagine you could just get like a quick AI summary of something complex without having to look through a ton of websites. But there's also the risk that the information you get might be biased, you know, depending on how the AI was trained and what data it used.

So I think it's going to be even more important to think critically about the information we get online as AI starts playing a bigger role in, like, organizing and presenting it. Right, right. We can't just believe everything an AI tells us. So let's switch gears for a second and talk about OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Do you remember when Elon Musk tried to stop them from becoming a for-profit company? Well, a judge changed.

judge just rejected his request. Yes, this was a big win for OpenAI. I mean, Must argued that becoming for profit could lead to problems in the AI market and hurt competition. But the judge didn't really buy those arguments. And while the judge approved the transition to for profit, it's important to remember that the judge is willing to fast track a trial if needed to look into any potential issues. This kind of shows how the legal system is paying attention to the

to the power of AI and it's ready to step in if things get out of hand. Yeah, it's definitely a situation we need to keep an eye on. And while we're talking about pioneers in AI, let's not forget the researchers who paved the way for all of this.

Andrew G. Bardo and Richard S. Sutton, the brains behind reinforcement learning, just won the Turing Award. Their work from way back in the 1980s is a big reason why AI is where it is today. It's amazing to see how their research, which probably felt very theoretical back then, has had such a big impact on the technology we have now.

Reinforcement learning is the idea that machines can learn by trying things out and making mistakes. It's the foundation for so many things, from Google's AlphaGo, the program that beat the best Go players, to those self-driving cars that can navigate through traffic.

It just shows how important basic research is and how ideas that might seem abstract can lead to these huge breakthroughs. It really makes you appreciate how far we've come. And, you know, we're seeing AI getting into areas that were once considered purely human, like being able to express emotions. Sesame Street just revealed a new AI voice model that's so real it's sparking these conversations about whether we can become emotionally attached to machines. Right. It's getting to the point where technology and human experience are really blurring together.

Sesame's conversational speech model is all about creating this feeling of voice presence to make interacting with AI feel way more natural and engaging. They're even adding things like breathing sounds and laughter to make it sound even more realistic. I heard a demo of it and it was really convincing, like almost too real. The benefits for fields like education and therapy are pretty clear.

But it does make you wonder about the ethics of it all. Like what happens when people start forming these strong bonds with machines that can't really feel those emotions back? It's a question we're all going to have to face as AI gets more and more advanced. It makes us rethink what it means to connect with another being and raises concerns about things like manipulation and exploitation.

It's definitely a whole new world. And it's not just Sesame Street that's exploring this. Amazon just announced a big push into what they call agentic AI.

Imagine AI assistants that can actually do tasks for you and interact with you in a way that feels more intuitive. Yeah, they're even making a whole new division for it and they want to put these agentic AI assistants everywhere within Amazon. It's a big move. It shows that they're serious about a future where AI is just a normal part of our lives, like having your own personal helper always ready to go. It's kind of like science fiction is becoming reality.

What do you think makes Amazon's approach different from what other tech giants like Microsoft and Google are doing with AI assistance? Well, it's interesting because even though Microsoft and Google are obviously really big players,

A lot of people are saying that Salesforce is actually the current leader in agentic AI. They've already done a lot to develop these AI-powered customer service agents that can handle really complex questions and tasks. So it'll be really interesting to see what happens when Amazon enters the scene. How will that affect the competition? Yeah, it's a race to see who can build the best and most user-friendly AI assistant.

But Amazon isn't putting all its eggs in one basket. They also unveiled a new hybrid AI model that combines the strengths of symbolic AI, which is all about logic and rules, with the learning abilities of neural networks. It's a really smart approach to trying to overcome some of the limitations of the AI systems we have now. The goal is to create an AI that can

Reason better, solve those really tough problems more like a human would, and maybe even understand the subtleties of language and context on a deeper level. And of course, Amazon wants to do all of this while being cost effective. They want a powerful AI that everyone can afford.

And they're also putting their money where their mouth is, right? By investing heavily in Antropic, which is another big player in the AI world. It really does seem like Amazon is going all in on AI, trying everything they can to become a leader in the field. Oh, yeah, absolutely. They're making smart moves everywhere from research to buying other companies to partnering with others. It's really clear that they see AI as like

the key to their future. And speaking of innovation, there's this company called Cohere that just released Eye of Vision. It's this really cutting edge multilingual vision model. Basically, it can understand images in different languages. Yeah, this could be a total game changer for how we deal with visual information. Eye of Vision can look at an image and describe it, answer questions about it, even translate what's in the image into different languages.

It's like having a universal translator but for pictures. It breaks down language barriers in a way we couldn't even imagine before. I hear it's even better than some of the bigger vision models out there, which is pretty impressive for a newer model. Yeah. What are some of the real-world applications you can think of for this kind of technology? Oh, the possibilities are huge. Imagine being able to search for images online in your own language, even if the descriptions are in a totally different language.

Or think about how helpful this could be for people who are visually impaired. Imagine technology that could describe what's around them in detail and in their preferred language. iVision could really make visual information accessible to everyone. That's amazing. And speaking of making AI accessible, OpenAI, the Chachi PT folks, just launched NextGen AI. It's a $50 million project dedicated to supporting research and education in AI all over the world. It's a big investment in the future of AI.

They're going to be giving grants, resources, and API access to researchers and institutions basically trying to encourage collaboration and innovation across all sorts of fields. They've already announced some of the challenges they're going to be tackling with their partners. Things like improving how we diagnose rare diseases and digitizing old texts.

It shows just how widely AI can be applied. Yeah, it looks like OpenAI is trying to be a leader in responsible AI development. They're not just focused on the technology itself, but also on how it affects society as a whole. Absolutely. They want to shape the conversation about AI, focusing on the good it can do and encouraging people to use it to solve real problems. This initiative is kind of like an extension of what they were already doing with education, like when they released ChatGPT-EDU, which is a cheaper version of ChatGPT specifically for education.

It's great to see companies trying to make AI more accessible and beneficial to more people. But of course, with any powerful technology, there's always the risk that it'll be misused. And there's a story making headlines right now that shows exactly that. It's about a student who got caught trying to use AI tools to, well, let's just say boost his performance during Amazon's really tough technical interview process.

It's a story that makes us think about the ethics of using AI for hiring and evaluation. While AI can be helpful for assessing candidates, it also creates opportunities for people to cheat the system. Yeah, this really forces us to think about how we can use AI's power responsibly while making sure the hiring process stays fair and honest. Definitely. As we use AI more and more in these processes, we need to create rules and ethical guidelines to prevent people from abusing it and to make sure everyone has an equal chance.

And before we move on to even more of these fascinating developments from March 5th, 2025, we just wanted to thank our listeners for all their support. Right. You know, producing a podcast like this takes a lot of time and effort. If you enjoy our deep dives into AI and want to help us keep the show going, consider making a donation. Every little bit helps us continue to bring you these insights and analyses from the forefront of AI innovation. You can find donation links in the show notes. Thanks for your support.

So let's get back to the AI news. You know, it seems like AI is everywhere these days, even in smartphones. The rumor mill is buzzing about Google's Pixel 10 saying it's going to have this thing called Pixel Sense. Pixel Sense? Sounds like they're trying to one up Siri.

So what's the deal with this? Well, the word on the street is it's going to be like this on-device AI assistant, but it's not your typical assistant. Think of it like an AI brain that's baked right into the phone's operating system. It can process data from like 15 different Google apps or something like that. So it's not just answering your questions or reminding you about appointments. It's more like it's

predicting what you need and connecting all the different parts of your digital life. Exactly. Like a super smart assistant who knows everything about you, your schedule, your preferences, even your habits. That does sound super convenient.

But also maybe a little creepy. It all comes down to how well they handle privacy, right? Sure. Privacy is a big deal anytime AI is involved, especially when it has access to so much personal data. And speaking of AI making waves over in China, Tencent's Yuanbao AI app just blew past DeepSeek to become the most downloaded iPhone app. That's huge. Yeah, it's a big deal. And it happened right around the same time they released their new fast reasoning AI model, Hanyuan Turbo. Seems like they're on a roll.

Can you remind me what you on bow was all about? It's this virtual world where people can create these A.I. avatars and interact with each other like a mix of social media gaming and A.I.

All in one. So you create a digital version of yourself and hang out with other AI powered avatars in this virtual space. That's kind of wild. Yeah, it's pushing the boundaries of how we connect with technology and each other. And it's really popular in China, obviously. It makes you wonder if it'll catch on in other parts of the world, too. Yeah, I feel like it's only a matter of time before we see similar apps popping up everywhere.

But getting back to music for a second, ASLP Labs just dropped a bombshell with DivRhythm. It's an open weights model that can generate a whole four minute song with vocals and everything in just 10 seconds. It's crazy. And it's not just throwing random notes together. You can give it lyrics and tell it what style you want, and it'll compose a completely original song based on what you give it. 10 seconds. That's faster than it takes to make instant coffee.

I'm curious, how does it even work? It uses this technique called diffusion modeling. Basically, it starts with just noise and then slowly shapes it into a structured piece of music based on the input you give it. So what does this mean for musicians? Is this the end of human composers? I wouldn't say that. Like any tool, it depends how people use it. Some musicians might see it as like a partner in the creative process, something to help them come up with ideas or try new sounds. Others might be worried about it replacing them.

Ultimately, it's about how humans decide to use and integrate AI into the music making process. It's definitely going to shake things up. They'll be interested to see where it all goes. Yeah. So remember, Amazon's big push into agentic AI we talked about earlier. It seems like they're really serious about it. Yeah, they went ahead and created a whole agentic AI group within AWS, their cloud computing division.

And get this, Amazon CEO Matt Garman hinted that it could become a multibillion dollar business. That tells you how much they believe in it. So they're basically betting that in the future, a lot of our daily tasks and interactions are going to be handled by these AI agents. It's a pretty bold vision. And it makes you wonder what humans will even be doing if AI can do all that. It's a question we should all be thinking about. You know, if AI can take care of our schedules, our money, even our chores...

What does that mean for our work, our free time, even our sense of purpose? It's a really complicated issue with no easy answers. It's something we need to be careful about as we develop and integrate these powerful AI systems into our lives. And it's not just about being convenient or efficient. It's about what kind of future we want to create. Do we want a future where AI is there to help humanity or one where humans are just dependent on AI? That's deep. For now, let's switch gears and talk about something that's truly mind-blowing.

Cortical Labs, a company that's into something called synthetic biological intelligence, just launched CL1. It's the first commercially available system that combines living human brain cells

with silicon hardware. This is where science fiction becomes reality. It's like merging biology and AI, creating these hybrid systems that blur the line between living things and machines. It's fascinating and a little scary at the same time. So they're basically growing tiny brains in a lab and connecting them to computer chips. They're saying this hybrid intelligence system can learn and adapt in ways that traditional AI can't. It's definitely a radical approach, and it raises a ton of ethical questions like, why

What rights do these mini brains have? What happens to animal testing if we can just grow and experiment on human brain tissue in a lab?

And even bigger, what does all this mean for how we understand consciousness and what it means to be human? It's a can of worms for sure. And it shows just how important it is to think about the ethics of all this as we move into this uncharted territory. No doubt. We need to be careful and have open and honest conversations about what this technology can do, both good and bad. Speaking of pushing boundaries, some researchers from Cornell and Tel Aviv University have

have developed an AI called Protosnap. People are saying it could be a game changer for understanding ancient texts. Yeah, Protosnap is designed to analyze and match cuneiform characters, one of the earliest forms of writing that we find on ancient tablets. This could change everything about how we study history and maybe even uncover secrets that have been hidden for thousands of years. Imagine being able to read the personal diaries of people who lived centuries ago, learning about their lives, their beliefs, their world.

It's like having a time machine powered by AI. It's a perfect example of how AI can be used not just to advance technology, but also to preserve history and understand different cultures. And in the business world, we've got some news in the AI development platform space. CoreWeave, this company that's about to go public, just acquired Weights & Biases.

another company in the same field. It's like a merger of AI titans. It shows just how competitive the AI development platform market is becoming. CoreWeave is definitely setting themselves up to go head to head with the big names like Google, Microsoft and Amazon. It's a clear sign that AI is more than just a tech trend.

It's a huge economic force driving investment, innovation and competition across all sorts of industries. Absolutely. And speaking of OpenAI, their CDO Sam Altman just announced that GPT 4.5 will be rolling out to plus users over the next few days. It'll be a phased rollout. That's big news for anyone who uses ChatGPT. So what's new in this upgraded version? What can we expect?

Well, Altman didn't give away too many details, but he did hint at some exciting new features, including this credit based system for accessing some of the more advanced capabilities like their text to video generation tool Sora. I've seen some demos of Sora and it's seriously impressive. Being able to create realistic videos just from text prompts could be a game changer for content creators, storytellers, educators,

You name it. It's like having a whole film studio at your fingertips. Yeah, it'll be really interesting to see how people use this technology and what kind of creative things they come up with. And last but not least, a quick update on that student who tried to use AI to cheat on his Amazon job interview. It looks like his plan totally backfired. Oh, yeah. What happened? Did he get the job? Nope.

Someone actually reported him to his university and now he's in big trouble. It's a good reminder that while AI can be powerful, it's not a tool for cheating. It's a lesson we should all remember as AI becomes more common in our lives. Honesty and ethics matter more than ever. Speaking of which, we want to take a moment to thank all of our listeners for their incredible support. You're right. Creating a podcast like this takes a lot of work and resources.

If you're enjoying our deep dives into the AI world and want to help us keep the show free for everyone, consider making a donation. You can find links in the show notes. Any amount helps us keep bringing you these insights from the cutting edge of AI. And if you're looking to reach a big audience of tech-savvy professionals, we're now offering advertising opportunities on AI Unraveled.

It's a great way to get the word out about your business or service and connect with tons of potential customers who are passionate about AI. Just get in touch with us if you want to know more about advertising on our show. It's incredible how fast AI is changing, you know, from something that felt like science fiction a few years ago to something that's shaping industries, economies, even society itself.

We've covered so much ground today, haven't we? From search engines that are like reading your mind to AI writing music in the blink of an eye. Yeah. And even that wild stuff with hybrid intelligence where we're merging human brain cells with computer chips. It's a lot to take in for sure. And it's clear that we're just getting started. This whole AI revolution is really picking up speed. It's going to be fascinating to watch it all unfold. Maybe a little scary too. I'm curious out of everything we talked about, what stood out to you the most?

Is there anything you found particularly intriguing or even a little worrisome? You know, for me, it's that blending of AI with biology that's really mind boggling. The fact that we can create these systems that combine living human brain cells with computer chips, it's just wild. It opens up some amazing possibilities for understanding how the brain works.

and maybe even coming up with new treatments for brain diseases. Right. But it brings up all sorts of ethical questions, too, like what rights do these mini brains have? Could we accidentally create artificial consciousness? It's a lot to consider. Absolutely. We've got to be really careful and thoughtful here. We need to have open and honest conversations about the potential benefits and risks of these technologies. It all comes back to that idea that AI is a tool and like any tool, it can be used for good or for bad.

It all depends on us, on our choices and our intentions. Couldn't agree more. We need to make sure that AI is developed and used in a way that benefits everyone, not just a select few, and that it's focused on solving real problems, not creating new ones. Well said. We've only scratched the surface of what's happening in AI, but hopefully this deep dive has given you a glimpse into the incredible innovations and the big challenges that lie ahead.

It's a really exciting time to be alive, especially if you're into technology and how it's shaping the future. So stay curious, everyone. Stay informed and stay engaged in the conversation about the future of AI. Because ultimately, the future of AI is in our hands. And that's a wrap on our deep dive into March 5th, 2025. Hope you found it interesting and thought-provoking.

And remember, the world of AI is always changing. So stay tuned for more deep dives into the latest developments. Until next time, keep exploring the amazing world of AI. Thanks for listening, everyone.