The week's developments in AI, quantum, and biotech, explained | 13.03.24

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In this week's deep dive into AI & DeepTech, Elon Musk stirred the pot by announcing xAI's move to open-source its LLM Grok, boldly challenging ChatGPT amid OpenAI dispute. Meanwhile, whispers from the Netherlands reveal the government's covert "Operation Beethoven" task force, aimed at anchoring the tech titan ASML domestically as a testament to its role in EU innovation and semiconductors.

In an intriguing twist, recent findings suggest ChatGPT may outdo humans in empathy, and the world of minimally invasive surgery may be changed forever with the advent of a tiny wireless light bulb. 

Keep reading for the latest updates on AI scientists, robot waiters, and laser missiles — plus the coolest AI tools to chat, streamline, and 3Dify…

— Charlie and the Research & Intelligence Team 

P.S. You can now register your interest for CogX Festival LA 7 May, where we’ll be talking all things AI, Impact, and Transformational Tech!

Innovation and Releases

🤖 Elon Musk to open-source xAI's Grok, taking on ChatGPT amidst dispute with OpenAI for abandoning its open-source principles. The decision aligns xAI with firms bidding for AI transparency, but it intensifies debate around the ethical development and accessibility of AI. 

🕵️‍♂️ To retain ASML, the Dutch government launched a secret task force, dubbed “Operation Beethoven,” amid relocation fears. This strategy shows ASML's pivotal role in the Netherlands as Europe's leading tech firm, and sole producer of advanced EUV lithography machines. 

🔬UK Ministry of Defence release footage of the DragonFire laser weapon, demonstrating its precision and cost-efficiency as an alternative to missiles. Despite challenges like weather dependency, investments in laser R&D suggest a secure future in military arsenals.

🍽️ LG invests $60M in AI robot waiter startup Bear Robotics. The startup, founded by an ex-Google engineer, leverages autonomous robots to enhance efficiency in restaurants, aligning with LG's vision for innovation in robotics and embodied AI.

AI Tools of the Week

💬 Chat - PDF.MD enables conversation with PDFs for quick information extraction and summarisation, providing quick insights without manual searching.

📷 3Dify - Depthify.ai transforms images and videos into 3D formats by estimating pixel depth and creating stereo images, enhancing visual experiences in VR and AR. 

💼 Streamline - PipeLime uses AI to automate the sales funnel process, generating verified leads and guiding them through personalised outreach.

Latest Research

🧠 Is ChatGPT more empathetic than humans? This study shows that yes, ChatGPT surpasses human empathy by about 10% — particularly when instructed to exhibit empathy — and aligns more closely with highly empathetic individuals' expectations. 

💡 Tiny wireless light bulbs to illuminate patients from within during minimally invasive surgery. This wirelessly powered and controlled tech allows for targeted optical tissue stimulation, opening new avenues for treating diseases without large implants. 

🤖 This robot mimics care-workers to dress patients, allowing care-workers to concentrate on the well-being of their charges. This innovation could significantly impact social care by improving task efficiency and focusing on the mental health of individuals in care.

🧪How to make AI’s act more like scientists. Researchers have developed a framework termed "informed machine learning," that assesses and balances the influence of data and knowledge in AI training to act more ‘human’ in decisions, improving predictive accuracy.

In case you missed it

Sir Roger Penrose discusses quantum mechanics, and its potential connection to human consciousness in the following thought-provoking interview:

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