We aim to inform readers not only about events in the bitcoin industry but also about developments in adjacent technology fields — cybersecurity and the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
ForkLog AI has gathered the most important AI news from the past week.
- Russian banks will be required to open private accounts after biometric identification of the client.
- In the coming years, Israel will invest $580 million in AI.
- Tesla will raise the price of Full Self-Driving.
- DALL-E from OpenAI has entered a public beta.
- Microsoft unveiled a simulator for training drones.
- A robotic dog learned to walk in 60 minutes.
- The week’s most significant AI deals.
Banks in Russia to require biometric registration of clients
Russian banks will be required to register new clients in applications with identification through a unified biometric system. Violators will be prohibited from issuing loans and opening deposits.
According to the Central Bank of Russia, comments on the document will be accepted until 28 July 2022. The decree will take effect ten days after publication.
Israel will invest more than $580 million in AI
In the coming years, Israel will allocate around $580 million for AI development.
The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology has unveiled a national AI program. The plan includes:
- deployment of technology to improve public-sector services;
- increase in research in data science and artificial intelligence;
- adoption of AI in industry;
- access to databases for AI research and development;
- addressing regulatory and ethical questions in the use of the technology;
- promotion of international cooperation in AI.
U.S. first to implant neural interface in a human brain
Synchron became the first in the U.S. to implant a neural interface in a human brain. The Stentrode system is designed to help paralyzed people.
Doctors implanted the device in the motor cortex of the patient’s brain using an endovascular surgical approach. According to the company, the operation went “very well,” and the patient returned home after 48 hours.
Synchron also reported on the “success” of an Australian study in which participants are “feeling well” a year after implantation.
Tesla to raise the price of Full Self-Driving
By the end of 2022, Tesla will raise the price of the beta version of Full Self-Driving. The system is currently priced at $12,000.
According to CEO Elon Musk, the value of FSD is extremely high and not fully appreciated by most people. He added that the current beta price is “laughably low” if one assumes the eventual realization of full autopilot.
DALL-E image generator enters public beta
OpenAI launched the beta version of DALL-E, a text-to-image generator. In the coming weeks the model will be available to 1 million people on the waitlist.
After registration, users will receive 50 free credits to create images in the first 30 days and another 15 each subsequent month. An additional 115 credits can be bought for $15.
The company also announced expanded rights to the use of DALL-E generations. Users can now print AI images on T-shirts and in children’s books or use them in other commercial applications.
Shopify demonstrates Apple RoomPlan API capabilities
Shopify developers demonstrated the AR tech of Apple RoomPlan API for creating 3D models of spaces. The system runs on iPhone and iPad devices with built-in LiDAR.
An engineer, using one of the RoomPlan API options, was able to remove all furniture from the room, including moving objects. He noted that the space-reset feature will be useful for ecommerce sites.
Microsoft launches a drone-training simulator
Microsoft launched the AirSim flight simulator for training drones.
The system allows companies to create and train AI systems responsible for autonomous aircraft control. Developers can conduct flight tests in diverse locations and weather conditions.
According to Microsoft, AirSim generates millions of simulations in seconds.
Nvidia’s Instant NeRF can create 3D objects from 2D photos
Enthusiasts demonstrated examples of Nvidia’s Instant NeRF neural network in action. Most of the inputs were taken with smartphones rather than drones.
Instant NeRF generates 3D versions of objects or spaces from multiple 2D photos. The algorithm matches colors and light intensities across images taken from different angles, then generates data to stitch the photos together and visualize the finished 3D scene.
Robot dog learned to walk in 60 minutes
Engineers developed a robot dog that learned to walk in 60 minutes without training in a computer simulation.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley employed a reinforcement learning method. They developed the Dreamer algorithm, which uses past experience to build a model of the surrounding world and predict outcomes of potential actions.
According to the scientists, a virtual training simulator will never be as accurate as reality. Dreamer will help robots master new skills and adapt to unexpected situations.
AI sommelier created
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology created an AI sommelier to determine the degree and variety of wine. The model’s accuracy is 95.3%.
The developers trained the algorithm on characteristics of 148 wines from three grape varieties. They considered 13 parameters for each beverage, including strength, color, alkalinity, and magnesium content.
Researchers tested the neural sommelier on a set of 178 wines, including those used in training and others previously unknown to it.
The week’s most significant AI deals
From 17 to 23 July 2022, AI startups attracted more than $750 million. Here are the most interesting deals.
- Contentsquare secured $600 million to grow its digital analytics platform for companies.
- ForSight Robotics raised $55 million to develop robotic cataract-surgery procedures.
- Crunchbase founders raised $50 million.
- AssemblyAI raised $30 million to develop speech-to-text technologies.
- Syrius Robotics secured $7 million to build autonomous warehouse robots.
- HiddenLayer raised $6 million to secure AI models.
- Strac raised $3.5 million to support software for automatically redacting sensitive data.
Also on ForkLog:
- The Supreme Court of China allowed AI to hand down judgments.
- OpenAI reduced bias and increased safety of DALL-E 2.
- Google will start testing AR glasses in August.
- Britain announced new AI regulation rules.
- Facebook partially rolled back its recommendation feed.
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