Edition 26: How Many Days Until SuperIntelligence?
Welcome to the AviaryAI Newsletter!
Thanks for joining us as we explore the intersection of GenAI and finance with practical learnings and the latest relevant insights. Let’s get started.
This week you’ll learn:
- 🧠 Sam Altman's bold prediction on superintelligent AI
- ⚡ Microsoft's nuclear power deal for AI energy needs
- 👓 Meta's Orion: The future of wearable AI tech
- 🗣️ Text-to-speech: Turning words into lifelike voices
- 💳 Visa's AI acquisition to combat financial fraud
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GENERATIVE AI THIS WEEK
The coolest things we're watching and why you should care
Sam Altman: 'Superintelligence Could be Just a Few Thousand Days Away'
In his recent post, Altman describes an "Intelligence Age" where AI dramatically enhances human capabilities across all sectors, from personalized education to accelerated scientific discovery. He emphasizes the need for abundant computing power and energy to democratize AI access, ensuring its benefits reach everyone and usher in an era of shared prosperity.
So what?
As CEO of OpenAI, Altman is incentivized to make bold claims like the prediction above. While the timeline may be debated, the trajectory towards increasingly capable AI seems clear. The key for individuals and organizations is to start preparing now: developing AI literacy, exploring potential applications, and fostering a culture of adaptability.
Meta’s AI Wearable, Orion, Sets Sights on Replacing our Iphones
Meta has unveiled Orion, a prototype of smart glasses that combines augmented reality, eye and hand tracking, generative AI, and a gesture-detecting wristband. While still years from consumer availability, Orion represents a significant leap towards a wearable device that could potentially replace smartphones.
So what?
This isn't just about a new gadget; it's about reimagining the interface between humans and technology. If successful, such devices could fundamentally alter how we work, learn, and communicate. For businesses, this could mean entirely new channels for customer engagement and data collection. For individuals, it might offer more intuitive and seamless access to information and AI assistance.
Read the full story here
Microsoft's Nuclear Power Play
Microsoft has committed to purchasing all the electricity from the soon-to-be-reopened Three Mile Island nuclear plant for the next two decades. This deal not only resurrects a controversial nuclear site but also showcases the lengths tech companies are willing to go to secure reliable, carbon-free power for their operations.
So what?
As AI and data centers consume ever-increasing amounts of power, we may see more innovative energy partnerships emerge, potentially accelerating the development of next-generation nuclear technologies.
GENERATIVE AI WORD OF THE DAY
Text-to-speech (TTS)
Text-to-speech, or TTS, turns written words into spoken language. This process involves complex algorithms that analyze text structure, phonetics, and linguistic patterns to generate natural-sounding speech. Modern TTS systems employ advanced machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning models, to produce more human-like voices with appropriate intonation, stress, and rhythm. TTS is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from human speech, opening up new possibilities in human-computer interaction and digital communication.
GENERATIVE AI IN FINANCE
The latest news at the intersection of GenAI and Finance
Visa's AI Acquisition - The Financial Security Arms Race
Visa has made a strategic move by acquiring Featurespace, an AI-driven payments protection firm, for a reported £700 million. This acquisition not only bolsters Visa's financial crime and fraud detection capabilities but also represents a significant expansion of its value-added services (VAS) beyond traditional processing and merchant solutions. The move comes at a time when major payment processors are investing heavily in AI-powered security, with Visa having prevented 80 million fraudulent transactions worth $40 billion globally last year through its AI investments.
So what?
With major players pouring resources in, it’s clear AI is becoming essential in finance, not just a nice to have. It's likely to speed up innovation, leading to smarter, more personalized services that members will come to expect. Data will be crucial in this AI-driven landscape, and while not every credit union can buy an AI company, strategic partnerships could be key to accessing these capabilities.
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