We aim to inform readers not only about developments in the bitcoin industry, but also about what is happening in adjacent technology spaces — cybersecurity, and now the world of artificial intelligence (AI).
ForkLog has assembled the most important AI news of the past week.
- Deepfakes have reached online broadcasts and videoconferences.
- The European Commission paused the Nvidia-ARM deal over holidays.
- “Megafon” launched a voice assistant that can answer calls, record and transcribe conversations.
- A cargo drone in Ukraine flew 480 km for the first time in the world.
- A popular deepfake creator joined the Lucasfilm team.
- A Canadian, using AI, recreated the image of his late fiancée.
A face-replacement program released for online streams and videoconferences
A GitHub user with the nickname iperov published the DeepFaceLive program, which uses neural networks to substitute the user's face in a video.
The algorithm operates in real time. DeepFaceLive overlays the deepfake both during live broadcasts and during videoconferences, for example, Zoom.
Earlier iperov developed another algorithm — DeepFaceLab. Today it is one of the most popular tools for creating deepfakes.
DeepFaceLive and installation instructions are available on GitHub. The program is compatible only with Nvidia GPUs, starting from GeForce GTX 750 and above.
AI regulation will cost the EU €31 billion
AI regulation will cost the European economy €31 billion over five years and reduce investment in the sector by 20%, according to a report from the Center for Data Innovation.
European small and medium-sized businesses deploying high-risk AI systems will incur compliance costs of up to €400 000, which would reduce profits by 40%, analysts said.
They also say that if the EU law is enacted, the union will not meet the Digital Decade goals by 2030, which foresee that 75% of European enterprises will use AI.
The EU Commission pauses Nvidia-ARM deal
The European Commission paused the deal between Nvidia and ARM. On July 26 the regulator went on holiday.
According to media reports, Nvidia did not provide the European Commission with the necessary documents to close the deal, which prevented the regulator from concluding.
A decision by authorities could take six months or more. According to insiders, if the merger delay proves serious, ARM may consider an IPO.
US approves neural interface trials on humans
Synchron has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct neural interface testing on humans.
According to clinical trial results, patients were able to control a computer with their thoughts. They performed tasks, sent text messages, checked online banking, and made purchases.
Implanting the device takes about two hours, the company said. It is inserted through a blood vessel at the base of the neck and guided into the brain.
According to Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley, the device will hit the market within three to five years.
Megafon launches voice assistant Eva
The mobile operator Megafon launched the voice assistant Eva, which can answer calls, record and transcribe conversations.
The company said the bot can identify the caller's source and purpose, sustain a conversation, and send the transcript of the call to the user's Telegram.
The assistant is available to a limited number of Megafon subscribers in Moscow. In the autumn, Eva will be available to all users, Megafon said.
NOVA Poshta tests cargo drone flight between Kyiv and Kharkiv
The Ukrainian logistics company Nova Poshta tested cargo delivery using a drone. In five hours the drone covered 480 km from Kyiv to Kharkiv.
According to company representatives, the drone rose to 300 metres and followed a pre-programmed route. It can also autonomously recognize obstacles and avoid collisions.
«For the first time in the world, a delivery drone flew 480 km. No other logistics company has dared to do so besides Nova Poshta,” said the company's CEO Alexander Bulba.
He added that their plans include reducing flight time to three hours and making drone delivery accessible to most customers.
Nova Poshta plans to launch the service commercially in 2022.
Canadian startup unveils an app for reading cats' emotions
The Canadian company Sylvester.ai created the Tably app, which uses AI to read cats' emotions and determine when they are in pain.
To assess the animal's stress, the algorithms determine head and ear position, squinting eyes, muzzle tension, and whisker condition.
According to Dr. Liz Ruehl of the clinic where the program was trained and tested, the app could help young veterinarians gain experience.
YouTube deepfake creator invited to work at Lucasfilm
The Lucasfilm studio hired the popular YouTuber known as Shamook, who uses deepfake technology to “fix” actors' faces in Hollywood blockbusters.
In late 2020 the creator released several videos about Star Wars. He used neural networks to adjust episodes featuring Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin in the spin-off Rogue One, as well as a snippet with Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian.
Studio executives noticed Shamook's work and invited him to the role of Senior Facial Animation Artist.
Scientists employ AI to search for extraterrestrial technologies
A group of scientists are using artificial intelligence to search for traces of alien technologies on Earth.
The Galileo Project envisions using a global network of telescopes and astronomical research to search for evidence of extraterrestrial technological civilizations. The team plans to develop algorithms that scan telescope data for alien artifacts.
The project includes researchers from Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Caltech, and Stockholm University. It also recruited astronomer Avi Loeb, who in 2019 argued that the asteroid Oumuamua is an alien probe traveling via solar wind.
The project is funded by private individuals. To date they have donated $1.75 million.
Canadian using AI recreates image of his late fiancée
The Canadian artist Joshua Barbo recreated the image of his fiancée who died eight years ago with the help of artificial intelligence.
He used Project December, built on the GPT-3 language model, and constructed a special chatbot. Barbo uploaded several messages from Facebook and biographical details about his fiancée to the service.
According to the artist, the chatbot realistically imitated the girlfriend's behavior, allowing for minor errors. The technology helped him cope with the loss, Barbo says.
Also read on ForkLog:
- Russian human rights defenders urged to regulate facial recognition.
- Study: half of dating-app users trust AI in choosing a partner.
- DeepMind has created universal AI agents in an unconstrained game.
- OpenAI released a programming language for developing neural networks.
- IBM trained AI to predict progression of Parkinson's disease symptoms.
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