Weekly bulletin from AIport, issue #51

Hello and welcome to the latest issue of the AI Bulletin! We hope you enjoy this week’s selection, packed with the latest global AI developments, arranged chronologically by region. Have a great weekend, and we look forward to connecting with you again next Friday!

North America

• A joint study by machine learning researchers from multiple universities develops a benchmark using NPR Sunday Puzzle riddles, revealing that AI models sometimes “give up” and knowingly provide incorrect answers.

• In AI-assisted dating, Tinder is set to introduce AI matching to counter declining user numbers, while MIT Technology Review explores the controversial AI girlfriend platform Nomi, whose chatbots have reportedly encouraged self-harm. Be sure to check out our own investigation into AI dating apps here.

• Boston Dynamics partners with the Robotics & AI Institute to enhance Atlas, its electric humanoid robot, through reinforcement learning.

• Snapchat unveils a text-to-image AI model for mobile devices to enhance its instant messaging app.

• Adobe Acrobat’s AI assistant gets an upgrade to help users dissect and understand contracts before signing.

• Google does a 180 on its pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance, removing the “applications we will not pursue” section from its AI principles.

Europe

• Following the compliance deadline, the EU Commission posts guidelines for developers on prohibited AI systems as defined by the EU AI Act. Be sure to check out our summary of the full Act here.

• Ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris, Chausson Partners, Revaia, and Galion.exe release the AI Report, highlighting that French AI startups accounted for nearly a quarter of Europe’s $8 billion AI capital flow last year.

• In the UK, the government launches the world’s largest breast cancer AI trial with 700,000 participants to test machine learning tools for early diagnosis. Meanwhile, despite Sir Paul McCartney’s vocal criticism of AI in the music industry, the AI-enhanced Beatles track Now and Then wins a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.

Asia

• Singapore’s property portal, Mogul, launches a free AI agent service to streamline the home buying process, including itinerary management for property viewings.

• India’s Union Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, vows to deliver the nation’s foundation model within 10 months and develop its own GPUs in three to five years. In parallel, India’s first AI unicorn, Krutrim, announces the launch of its AI research lab and unveils Krutrim-2, a best-in-class LLM for Indic languages built on the Mistral-NeMo architecture.

Africa

• The Rwanda-based Smart Africa Alliance establishes the Africa AI Council, a new strategic body designed to accelerate AI adoption across the continent.

• DW Akademie publishes an interview with Dr. Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, a machine learning expert from Senegal, discussing the future of AI in Africa.

Australia and Oceania

• In Sydney, the University of Technology’s Human Technology Institute (HTI) announces a partnership with the nation’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to promote responsible AI use in the Asia-Pacific region.

• In Fiji, the government is deploying AI technology to enhance security and efficiency in customs operations.