Join me at watsonx Day!

Hey Readers, Happy Sunday! 👋

In today's edition, I'll cover the following:

1. Event: Join me on Wednesday at watsonx Day!

2. Case Study of the Week: AI for Optimal Airbnb Listings

3. News of the Week:

• ChatGPT in Mercedes-Benz 🚗

• Synthesia raises $90M and becomes a Unicorn 🦄

• EU Approves Landmark Artificial Intelligence Regulation

• OpenAI Updates API with Improved Function Calling Support

• Salesforce Doubles Generative AI Venture Fund to $200 Million

• Accenture Invests $3 Billion in AI

Let's dive in! 🤿

📆 FREE EVENT! I’m talking at IBM watsonx Day!

Join me on June 21st together with 60 experts that are coming together to offer insights on the latest cutting-edge AI technology.

Talks will cover:

• Tech Specs for Tech Experts: Top experts share insights and expertise to scale and accelerate the impact of AI with trusted data. Talks are designed to provide an in-depth exploration of watsonx, covering features and capabilities, enabling you to maximize your business value from AI.

• Real-World Examples for Innovators: Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing by exploring the practical applications of watsonx in functional scenarios. You will have the opportunity to engage in interactive discussions and learn from fellow IBM users who have successfully implemented watsonx.

Check out my session “Exploring Practical Use Cases with Generative AI” on Wednesday at 10:00 AM!

📚 My AI Use Case this Week: AI for Optimal Airbnb Listings

As the real estate landscape becomes increasingly competitive, creating an effective Airbnb listing can be a challenging task. However, the fusion of AI and Machine Learning (ML) techniques is transforming the way hosts optimize their listings, offering an edge in this crowded marketplace. This article covers how AI and ML provide strategic solutions, the challenges involved, the significant benefits, specific ML techniques to be utilized, and the quantifiable impact on Airbnb listings. We'll also explore the role of Generative AI in crafting appealing listing copies to captivate potential guests.

🗞️Top News of the Week

1. ChatGPT in Mercedes-Benz 🚗🤖

Mercedes-Benz has launched a beta of ChatGPT in its MBUX-equipped vehicles for U.S. customers. ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, offers AI-generated responses to improve understanding of natural language patterns, thus enhancing the in-car experience with more conversational communication.

Mercedes-Benz has integrated ChatGPT through the Azure OpenAI Service to ensure enterprise-grade security and reliability. All data and processing are anonymized and analyzed in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, ensuring data privacy.

The beta programme offers Mercedes-Benz customers the opportunity to become early adopters of this technology. Feedback from this beta programme will be used to prioritize and improve voice control features across different markets and languages. Interested customers can join the beta for free via the Mercedes me connect app or by using the in-car voice command.

2. Synthesia raises $90M and becomes a Unicorn 🦄

Synthesia, a generative AI company, has announced raising $90 million in a Series C funding round, led by Accel with participation from Nvidia as a strategic investor, valuing the company at $1 billion. The company, founded in 2017, has grown from a 4-person team to a sustainable and rapidly growing business, now officially a 'unicorn', with over 50,000 businesses using Synthesia and a staff of over 200. The fresh funding will be used to accelerate their vision of making video creation easy for everyone, with plans to release the next generation of Synthesia technology.

3. EU Approves Landmark Artificial Intelligence Regulation

The European Union has approved the first comprehensive set of regulations for the artificial intelligence industry. The law, known as the EU AI Act, is designed to limit the risks posed by AI to society, while also promoting the development of the technology. The law takes a risk-based approach, with more stringent requirements for AI systems that pose higher risks. For example, generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, will need to be reviewed before commercial release. The law also seeks to ban real-time facial recognition in certain public spaces. The EU AI Act is the first formal regulation of AI in the West, and it is expected to have a significant impact on the global tech industry.

4. OpenAI Updates API with Improved Function Calling Support

• OpenAI has updated its API with improved function calling support, a 16K context window for gpt-3.5-turbo, and changes to token costs.

• These updates make the API more powerful, flexible, and affordable.

• Developers who are using March-versioned models will need to upgrade to newer models.

5. Salesforce Doubles Generative AI Venture Fund to $200 Million

Salesforce is going all in with AI:

• Salesforce has doubled its generative AI venture fund to $200 million, as the software giant seeks to expand its reach in the artificial intelligence market.

• The fund, called Salesforce Ventures AI Fund, will invest in early-stage generative AI companies that are developing new applications for the technology.

• Salesforce believes that generative AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries, including healthcare, marketing, and customer service.

• The company has already made a number of investments in generative AI companies, including Hugging Face, which develops natural language processing tools, and InVision, which develops design software.

• Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that the company is "doubling down" on AI because it believes that the technology is "the future of work."

6. Accenture Invests $3 Billion in AI

• Accenture is investing $3 billion in AI over the next three years.

• The investment will be used to expand Accenture's AI capabilities, help clients adopt AI-powered solutions, and build a responsible AI ecosystem.

• Accenture is one of the largest providers of AI services in the world.

• The investment is a sign of the growing importance of AI in the business world.

See you next week!

Armand 😎