This Week's Crazy AI News: June 19th, 2024

In today's episode of the Daily AI Show, Beth, Andy, Brian and Jyunmi share a variety of intriguing AI news stories and their potential implications across different industries.

Key Points Discussed:

• Google Gemini's Context Caching: Andy highlighted Google's introduction of Gemini Context Caching for API users. This new feature allows users to cache content, reducing API usage costs significantly.
• Open Source Coding Assistant - DeepSeq Coder V2: Andy also discussed DeepSeq's Coder V2, an open-source coding assistant that has achieved state-of-the-art results, surpassing proprietary platforms in coding capabilities with a 90.2% score on the human eval benchmark.
• GenSpark - AI-Powered Search Engine: Jyunmi introduced GenSpark, a new AI-powered search engine that creates personalized web pages from search queries. The startup received a substantial $60 million seed round, signaling strong investor confidence in its potential.
• Snapchat AR Experiences and XR Technology: Jyunmi mentioned Snapchat's new AR experiences, which are part of the broader XR (extended reality) technology trend, potentially bringing AR to a wider audience via mobile devices.
• Sewer AI for Infrastructure Inspection: Jyunmi explained Sewer AI, a company leveraging AI to improve the inspection and maintenance of aging sewer and piping infrastructure, aiming to prevent costly failures.
• TikTok's AI Suite - Symphony: Beth discussed TikTok's Symphony, an AI suite for content creation that includes digital avatars capable of dubbing content in multiple languages, enhancing global reach and user engagement.
• AI Steve - Digital Avatar Running for UK Parliament: Beth shared the unique story of AI Steve, a digital avatar running for the UK Parliament, highlighting the potential and ethical considerations of AI in political roles.
• Runway ML and Advancements in AI Video: Brian talked about the latest developments in AI video generation by Runway ML, emphasizing the rapid advancements in AI capabilities and their future implications for content creation and filmmaking.
• Cover - AI for School Shooting Prevention: Beth highlighted Brett Adcock's initiative, Cover, which aims to prevent school shootings using AI-powered concealed weapon detection technology.
• Jeff Hinton's Carbon Capture AI Startup: Beth also mentioned Jeff Hinton's new startup focused on using AI to develop materials for efficient carbon capture, addressing the critical issue of climate change.
• AI for Emotional State Recognition in Athletes: Jyunmi discussed a research project from the Karsu Institute of Technology and the University of Duisburg-Essen, which uses AI to recognize and assess emotional states in athletes.
• Robotics Training and LLMs: Jyunmi highlighted MIT's development of a new method using large language models (LLMs) to improve and expedite the training of robots, reducing the extensive data requirements traditionally needed.
• North Carolina State University's 3D Mapping with 2D Cameras: Jyunmi shared a technique developed by North Carolina State University researchers to enhance 3D mapping using 2D cameras, potentially improving spatial awareness and interaction in various applications.
• Roblox's 4D Technology: Beth wrapped up the news with Roblox's introduction of 4D technology, enabling more immersive and interactive spatial experiences within their platform.
• Factory's Agentic Code Development: Andy discussed Factory, a new startup funded by Sequoia Capital, developing droids to automate the entire software development lifecycle, outperforming current solutions like Devin from Cognition.
• Open Interpreter's Local 3 Release: Andy concluded with Open Interpreter's Local 3 release, offering offline, local control of computers with AI, representing a significant advancement in personal AI tools.