We aim to inform readers not only about events in the bitcoin industry, but also about developments in adjacent technological fields — cybersecurity and the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
ForkLog AI has gathered the most important AI news from the past week.
- In 2026, the AI market in China is expected to reach $26.7 billion.
- Adobe introduced AI features for Photoshop and Lightroom.
- Waymo will launch a robotaxi in Los Angeles.
- IKEA will pilot autonomous freight delivery in Texas.
- An artist accused a neural network of stealing their work.
- Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots danced to BTS.
- The week’s most significant AI deals.
Research: In 2026 the AI market in China will reach $26.7 billion
In 2026 the AI market in China превысит $26.7 billion, which will amount to around 8.9% of expected global investments. This was according to IDC researchers.
Analysts forecast that over the next five years the hardware will be the largest segment of the AI industry, expanding at a compound annual growth rate 16.5%. It will account for more than half of all investments, reaching $15 billion by 2026. Around 80% of investments will go to server production.
According to IDC, the AI services segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 29.6% over the next five years. By 2026, revenue in this segment is projected to exceed $4 billion.
For the software market, analysts forecast a 30.4% CAGR. By 2026 it will account for about 25% of all AI spending in China. More than 70% of software expenditure will be driven by AI platforms.
Amazon faces potential antitrust penalties over anti-competitive algorithms
Amazon грозит a $1 billion class-action lawsuit alleging the use of a “secret algorithm” in the Buy Box to force British customers to pay more.
Consumer rights advocate Julie Hunter said the Buy Box often favours products from the tech giant and those who use the company’s logistics network. More price-competitive or higher-service-offerings tend to shift down the page or be hidden in a “dark corner” of the site, she added.
Lawyer Leslie Hanna stated that users largely rely on the Buy Box — through which up to 90% of purchases are made. As a result, “millions” of buyers overpay. The practice likely breaches competition rules, forcing sellers into more advantageous deals.
The suit covers all UK residents who have shopped since October 2016, and does not require their consent.
Amazon called the allegations “groundless.” Company representatives said the tech giant supports all marketplace users, and “more than half” of the country’s transactions go through independent sellers.
Adobe unveils AI features for Photoshop and Lightroom
Adobe at the MAX conference представила several AI-powered updates for photo-centric services.
Lightroom 2022 получил AI-based image editing enhancements. Among them is the Select Objects tool, capable of automatically refining object edges, and Content Aware Remove for removing unwanted content from photos.
Adobe also added in Lightroom a Select People feature, allowing editing of individuals and groups, or their specific body parts, including skin areas, eyes, teeth and hair.
Photoshop получил an update to the Object Selection tool, which can recognise complex objects such as the sky, water or buildings. Pressing Shift+Delete lets you quickly select the subject, remove it, and fill the area with content-aware fill.
The company also introduced a neural filter for restoring old photographs. AI algorithms can autonomously detect and repair scratches and other minor defects.
In addition, Adobe showcased a number of tools developed in its experimental lab.
Google reveals algorithm for creating slow-motion video from two photos
Researchers from Google and the University of Washington представили the FILM algorithm for frame interpolation.
The neural network synthesises a high-quality, smooth slow-motion video from a handful of almost identical photos. The system includes a scale-independent feature extractor, a bidirectional motion estimator, and a fusion module.
The team trained FILM on triplets of video frames, with the middle frame acting as the reference point for observation.
To optimise the algorithm, the researchers employed a Gram loss matrix. They say this improved sharpness and realism of images.
Waymo to launch robotaxi in Los Angeles
Waymo plans to launch a robotaxi in Los Angeles (USA).
Company representatives have begun mapping the city with drone sensors. They said Los Angeles is a busy metropolis, and Waymo’s experience will help manage the driving complexity on its roads most effectively.
The first to trial the autonomous transport program will be company staff. Later, the drones will be tested by “trusted testers” who have signed non-disclosure agreements.
Later, robotaxi without a safety driver at the wheel will be available to customers for a fee.
There is no timeline yet for the LA deployment.
Scientists develop AI buoy to protect whales
Authorities in Chile and the MERI Foundation have launched a smart buoy to prevent ships from colliding with whales.
The technology uses oceanographic sensors and AI software called LIDO to identify the type and location of the mammals. The buoy also checks the ocean’s “state” by analysing oxygen levels, temperature and other criteria.
The device sits in Corcovado Bay and warns ships about blue, humpback, southern right whales and sei whales passing nearby. Later researchers plan to deploy six or more buoys, and in the future expand their number enough to cover the entire migratory route of the animals between Antarctica and the equator.
The project is part of the Blue Boat initiative, aimed at whale protection and monitoring underwater ecosystems.
IKEA will pilot autonomous freight delivery in Texas
IKEA and Kodiak Robotics have begun trials of autonomous trucks delivering goods in Texas (USA).
The truck is equipped with Kodiak’s self-driving system. It operates autonomously, but with a safety driver on board.
Daily, the truck transports furniture from an IKEA distribution centre near Houston to a retail store near Dallas, covering about 480 km.
FedEx pulls the plug on robot couriers
FedEx discontinued the Roxo robots for last-mile delivery.
According to the company, the devices do not meet near-term practical deployment requirements. But FedEx added that the Roxo experience helped improve understanding and application of robotics.
The company tested the devices in the US, the UAE and Japan.
Artist accuses neural network of stealing their work
A Twitter user stole a near-finished fan art, completed it with the help of an AI tool, and asserted rights to the image.
Korean anime artist going by the handle AT was drawing a character from Genshin Impact live on his Twitch channel. A viewer, signed on Twitter as Musaishh, captured a screenshot of the illustration and completed it with the AI tool Novel AI. He published the work on social media, six hours ahead of the original author.
When AT finished his art and posted it on Twitter, Musaishh demanded attribution of the “original.”
Users of the platform and other artists criticised the miscreant’s conduct, after which he deleted his account.
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots dance to BTS
Boston Dynamics released a video featuring the robots as members of the popular South Korean boy band BTS. The clip was produced for the group’s Yet To Come concert in Busan.
In the video, the Spot robots sing and dance in place of the band’s musicians to the song “Permission to Dance.”
The week’s most significant AI deals
From 16 to 22 October 2022, AI startups raised more than $342 million. Here are the most notable deals.
- Jasper, the creators of the “ИИ-контента” platform, привлекли $125 млн.
- Stability AI, the developer of the text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion, получил $101 млн.
- Ambi Robotics собрала $32 млн to deploy robots for warehouse sorting.
- Sensat получила $20.5 млн to commercialise digital twins for public infrastructure projects.
- General Intelligent собрала $20 млн to create capable AI systems able to learn and tackle tasks in complex 3D worlds.
- Manufacturers Makersite, a platform aiding supply-chain management, привлекли $18 млн.
- Cyberdontics получила $15 млн на исследования и создание робота-стоматолога.
- Keebo собрала $10.5 млн на улучшение платформы автоматизированного “обучения” для оптимизации хранилищ данных.
Also on ForkLog:
- Основатель Nvidia пожертвовал университету $50 млн на искусственный интеллект.
- Робособак научили защищать футбольные ворота от мяча.
- Программисты подадут в суд на Microsoft за обучение ИИ с помощью их кода.
- В Нидерландах развернули первых автономных «роботов-убийц» НАТО.
- YouTube продвигал консервативные видео независимо от взглядов зрителей.
- Техас подал в суд на Google за сбор биометрических данных.
- На Таймс-сквер предложили развернуть дроны и камеры с ИИ.
What to read this weekend?
ForkLog explored which AI models are used for image processing and whether such systems could replace artists.
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