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Stanford says AI beats humans on some tasks
Spotlight: Drake's AI diss track
Jack Shields
April 23, 2024
Welcome back!
Today’s menu is all over the place. We’ll take a look at a concerning development overseas, how AI compares to humans in 2024 and a major landmark for AI in the rap industry. Let’s go.
In today’s Daily Update:
🗞️ Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in Emirati firm G42
🤖 Stanford report says AI beats humans on some tasks
📸 Drake posts diss track featuring AI vocals
🚨 AI Roundup: Four quick hits
Read time: 2 minutes
TOP STORY
🗞️ Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in Emirati firm G42
DALL-E 3
Microsoft has agreed to invest $1.5 billion in Emirati AI company G42 to strengthen the United Arab Emirates’ position as a global AI hub.
What you should know:
Based in Abu Dhabi, G42 is led by Chinese businessman Peng Xiao. The CIA previously warned that the company may be pipelining Americans’ genetic data to China.
G42 will now run its AI applications and services on Microsoft Azure.
The partnership aims to bring advanced AI infrastructure to the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
Bloomberg reports that G42 agreed to withdraw from China after negotiations with the U.S. government. In return, the company will have continued access to U.S. technology.
Why it matters: This partnership is facing intense scrutiny for good reason. As tech companies continue to push the boundaries of AI innovation, it’s important to know who really has control over the cutting-edge technology. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that G42 could be channeling advanced American tech to Chinese companies. The nature of this partnership seems to mitigate this risk, but only time will tell.
RESEARCH INSIGHT
🤖 Stanford report says AI beats humans on some tasks
Source: Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
Stanford University’s AI research department just released its 2024 AI Index Report, and claims that AI has already surpassed human performance on some basic tasks.
Key takeaways:
AI has surpassed human performance on simple benchmarks like image classification and visual reasoning.
It still trails behind on more complex tasks like high-level mathematics, reasoning and planning.
Data suggests that AI makes workers more productive and leads to higher quality work.
AI is accelerating scientific progress thanks to the launch of science-related applications in 2023.
The bottom line: Generative AI is evolving rapidly as funding continues to surge. Check out the full report linked above for more insights.
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
📸 Drake posts diss track featuring AI vocals
DALL-E 3
Globally renowned rapper Drake posted an AI-assisted Kendrick Lamar diss on X over the weekend.
The details:
“Taylor Made Freestyle” uses AI vocals of Tupac Shakur (deceased rapper) and Snoop Dogg to taunt Kendrick.
Although the verses aren’t perfect replicas of the rappers’ voices, they seem to be unnoticeable to the average listener.
Drake’s label previously condemned an AI-generated song called “Heart on My Sleeve” for using the rapper’s voice.
Why it matters: AI-generated music is already close to being indistinguishable from human-created songs. With a global superstar like Drake utilizing AI on a public stage, there are bound to be serious questions about the future of music in the coming months.
MORE TRENDING NEWS
🚨 AI Roundup: Four quick hits
DALL-E 3
Apple reportedly plans to debut on-device LLM in iOS 18 after quietly acquiring another French AI startup.
British government announces a new law that will criminalize the creation of sexual deepfakes without consent. (👍 long overdue)
Finnish coffee roaster launches an AI-generated coffee blend and receives positive feedback.
Washington D.C. rises as a hotspot for AI jobs in government and the private sector.
THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY