We aim to inform readers not only about developments in the bitcoin industry, but also about what is happening in related tech spheres — cybersecurity and the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
ForkLog AI has compiled the most important AI news of the past week.
- DALL-E 2 from OpenAI is available without a waitlist.
- Google unveiled new features for Search at Search On.
- Intel announced its 13th-generation processors and released an AI upscaler for gaming XeSS for Nvidia and AMD GPUs.
- A group of US congressmen urged blocking the Amazon–iRobot deal.
- An enthusiast developed a tool to turn a person or character into a Pokémon based on a text prompt.
- The most important AI deals.
DALL-E 2 goes public
OpenAI lifted the waitlist for the beta version of the text-to-image generator DALL-E 2. The technology is available to everyone, but in a limited number of countries.
Users must register on the project site, providing a mobile phone number. After this they can use the tool.
DALL-E 2 is not available in a number of countries, including Afghanistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Iran, China, Russia and Ukraine.
Google unveiled new features for “Search”
The Google company unveiled a slew of innovations for “Search” at Search On. Among them:
- multisearch will support more than 70 languages;
- Google Lens will learn to replace the original text with the translated one rather than overlaying it, and to reconstruct pixels under the image with AI;
- “Multisearch near me” will allow finding dishes nearby. The feature will be available in English in the US;
- the search engine will be able to display relevant discussions from forums like Reddit and Quora;
- the discovery and automatic translation of news from international sources, making it easier to view non-English headlines;
- the tool to request removal of personal data from the internet;
- Shop the Look will show items potentially interesting for purchase along with usage instructions and recommendations;
- an option to view 3D photos of footwear before purchase;
- the “Buying Guide” for products, including the most useful resources from reliable sources.
Meta showed body-tracking algorithm
Researchers at Meta developed an AI algorithm QuestSim for tracking the body using data from VR headset sensors and two controllers.
They trained the system on artificially generated sensory information. They modelled headset and controller movements based on eight hours of motion-capture data from 172 people. The footage includes walking, running, conversations with gesturing, participation in discussions and balancing.
As a result the AI learned to recognise movements of the user and predict the change in position of body parts not attached to sensors. The generated avatars also obey the laws of physics in the simulator.
Intel unveiled a new line of processors
Intel unveiled 13th-generation processors, code-named Raptor Lake.
The chips are built on an updated Intel 7 process and use a hybrid architecture, pairing high-performance P-cores with energy-efficient E-cores. In total, the company showcased six models:
- the flagship Core i9-13900K and Core i9-13900KF;
- mid-range Core i7-13700K and Core i7-13700KF;
- affordable Core i5-13600K and Core i5-13600KF.
The Core i9-13900K features 24 cores and can reach a maximum boost clock of 5.8 GHz. The company says the chip is 15% faster in single-threaded tasks and 41% faster in multi-threaded workloads.
The Core i7-13700K has 16 cores and can boost up to 5.4 GHz.
The Core i5-13600K has 14 cores and a maximum boost of 5.1 GHz.
The chips will go on sale on 20 October 2022. The price of the Core i9-13900K will be $589.
Nreal released AR glasses in the US
Nreal began selling its AR glasses Air in the US. The device on Amazon is priced at $379.
The headset lets users watch shows and play on large virtual screens by connecting it to a smartphone or another device. The company updated the Nebula OS design and added a widget offering content recommendations with a preview feature.
In Nreal they said they strengthened support for iOS and Mac. Nebula does not yet work on iPhone, so Air will offer screen mirroring. When used with macOS, users will be able to view multiple virtual displays simultaneously.
Intel XeSS released for Nvidia and AMD GPUs
Intel released AI upscaler XeSS. The toolkit for integrating the technology into games is available on GitHub.
XeSS can run not only on Intel Arc accelerators but also on AMD Radeon and Nvidia GeForce graphics cards. The technology boosts gaming performance by upscaling the source image from low to higher resolution, while preserving image quality. The AI handles object detail restoration.
The first game with support was Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The AI upscaler was also integrated into Death Stranding Director’s Cut.
U.S. lawmakers urge blocking Amazon and iRobot deal
A group of Democratic lawmakers urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to block the $1.7 billion deal between Amazon and the robot vacuum maker iRobot.
In an open letter, the lawmakers said the merger would unfairly cement the tech giant’s dominance in the smart home devices market by absorbing one of its leading competitors. They also criticised Amazon’s privacy and data-security practices in light of past acquisitions, including Ring.
Earlier the FTC asked the companies for documents explaining the goal and justification for the merger.
Calls to regulate facial recognition in Australia
Researchers from the University of Sydney have urged regulating facial recognition to prevent human rights abuses.
They proposed updating local legislation in response to the technology’s spread. The document calls for human-rights risk assessments and includes a set of requirements, restrictions and prohibitions on the development or use of facial recognition.
The authors asked the Australian Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to lead a national reform process on regulating the technology. They also recommended requiring the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to oversee the development and use of facial recognition.
Startup developed VR headset to control game characters by thought
In 2023 the OpenBCI startup will release Galea, a new-generation VR headset enabling control of game characters by thought and by facial expressions.
The headset reads brain signals as well as movements of facial muscles and eyes, and then translates them into commands for a computer-controlled manipulator. Bloomberg journalist Sara McBride demonstrated controlling a cat in a VR game by tightening her cheeks to move it right or left.
According to the company, the headset is intended for researchers.
The current Galea version, with the required software, costs $25,000.
Enthusiast teaches neural network to turn anyone into Pokémon
AI researcher Justin Pinkney developed a tool to turn people and characters into Pokémon.
To this end the enthusiast used Stable Diffusion to train the model with a Pokémon database and created a Text-to-Pokémon tool.
Anyone can use the algorithm. We at ForkLog AI tried generating images from prompts like “Darth Vader,” “Lady Gaga,” “Naruto,” and “Kim Kardashian.” Here is what we got.
The most important AI deals of the past week
From 24 September to 1 October 2022 AI startups raised more than $265 million. Here are the most notable deals.
- Creators of cleaning robots Avidbots received $70 million.
- Arthur raised $42 million to support a tool for controlling AI algorithms.
- Kumo raised $18 million to develop a platform for solving business forecasting tasks.
- EverestLabs founders received $16.1 million.
- Invisible AI raised $15 million to expand the team developing AI systems for manufacturing processes optimisation.
- Lunio raised $15 million to develop technology to combat ad fraud.
- Cionic raised $12.5 million to accelerate the development of assistive bionic clothing.
- Regie founders raised $10 million to generate marketing copy using AI.
- Livin Farms developers raised $5.8 million to automate breeding and processing of fly larvae.
Also on ForkLog:
- Israel unveiled an AI turret on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
- A Microsoft employee: deepfakes pose a growing threat.
- PornHub employed AI to divert users from illegal content.
- Facebook algorithms accused of aiding genocide of Rohingya in Myanmar.
- Scientists created a laser AI turret for destroying cockroaches.
- The EU will strengthen accountability for harm caused by artificial intelligence.
Subscribe to ForkLog AI news on Telegram: ForkLog AI — all the AI news!