Black Friday 2024 & AI 🛍️, Elon Musk Vs. OpenAI ⚔️ , Perplexity Hardware 📟

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💬 OpenAI Developments

Elon Musk asks court to block OpenAI from converting to a for-profit

Elon Musk's legal team has filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit entity, alleging that such a move violates U.S. antitrust laws and the company's original nonprofit mission. The motion also claims that OpenAI, under CEO Sam Altman, may lack sufficient funds to pay potential damages if Musk's lawsuit succeeds.

Major Canadian news outlets sue OpenAI

Elon Musk has intensified his legal battle against OpenAI by filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt its transition to a for-profit entity, alleging violations of U.S. antitrust laws and a departure from its original nonprofit mission. The motion also claims that OpenAI, under CEO Sam Altman, may lack sufficient funds to pay potential damages if Musk's lawsuit succeeds.

🌐 AI in Various Sectors

Healthcare: Siemens Healthineers has integrated MONAI Deploy into its Syngo Carbon and syngo.via enterprise imaging platforms, streamlining the incorporation of AI applications into clinical workflows. This collaboration enables rapid deployment of AI models, allowing healthcare institutions to swiftly adopt AI-driven advancements in medical imaging.

Robotics: The global laboratory robotics market is projected to grow from approximately $309.5 million in 2023 to over $564.2 million by 2032, driven by increasing demand for precision and efficiency in scientific research and healthcare. Advancements in artificial intelligence, modular designs, and collaborative robots are enhancing drug discovery, diagnostics, and personalized medicine, further propelling market expansion.

Social Media and Interaction: Black Friday 2024 saw record-breaking U.S. online sales of $10.8 billion, driven by generative AI enhancing shopping experiences and mobile purchases accounting for 55% of sales. Traditional retail struggled with declining foot traffic, signaling a shift toward AI-driven, mobile-first digital innovation as the future of retail.

🚀 Tech Industry Moves

Microsoft announced a $1.7 billion investment over the next four years to enhance cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia, marking its largest investment in the country in nearly three decades. The company also committed to training 840,000 Indonesians in AI and supporting the nation's growing developer community as part of Indonesia's Vision 2045.

At Microsoft Ignite 2024, the company introduced significant AI advancements aimed at enhancing business operations and employee productivity. Notable features include Copilot Actions, which automates routine tasks, and AI agent creation within Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling the development of autonomous agents capable of managing complex functions such as customer service and financial operations.

Amazon is developing a generative AI model, codenamed "Olympus," designed to process and analyze images and videos, enabling users to search for specific scenes using simple text prompts. This initiative aims to reduce Amazon's reliance on external AI partners, such as Anthropic, in which Amazon recently increased its investment to $8 billion.

Jeff Bezos, through his firm Explore Investments LLC, has committed $100 million to Figure AI, a robotics startup developing humanoid robots, as part of a $675 million funding round that includes investments from Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI. This substantial investment aims to accelerate the commercial deployment of Figure AI's robots, which are designed to perform tasks in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics.

CES 2025, held in Las Vegas from January 7-10, will focus on AI's integration into robotics, mobility, and augmented reality, with innovative products like Kubota's award-winning KATR robotic tractor and Myant Corp.'s sweat-managing electric jacket taking center stage. Keynotes by leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi will highlight advancements in AI infrastructure and diversified tech, while global brands compete to showcase cutting-edge solutions in areas like XR, home appliances, and autonomous systems.

💡 Emerging AI Technologies and Companies

Zhipu AI Launches $211 Million Fund to Boost Early-Stage Generative AI Startups

Zhipu AI, a prominent Chinese generative AI startup, has established the Zhipu Ecosystem Fund (Z Fund) with an initial close of 1.5 billion yuan (approximately $211 million) to invest in early-stage startups developing large language models, aiming to strengthen its AI ecosystem. The fund's limited partners include state-backed entities such as the Beijing municipal government's Shijingshan District Modern Innovation Industry Development Fund and private firms like Yanbei Capital, with initial investments in over ten startups, including Infrawaves and Inifinigence AI.

London-based 9fin raises €47.5 million to advance AI-powered debt capital markets platform

London-based fintech 9fin has raised €47.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Highland Europe, with participation from existing investors Spark Capital, Redalpine, Seedcamp, 500 Startups, and Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital. This investment aims to enhance 9fin's AI-driven debt capital markets platform, support its expansion into the U.S. market, and bolster its analytics team, following a 400% increase in annual recurring revenue and significant growth since its Series A+ round in 2022.

🎨 AI in Creative Industries

Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine, is exploring hardware with plans for an affordable, voice-interactive device under $50, following a viral post by its CEO, Aravind Srinivas. This move aligns with a broader trend among AI startups, including initiatives by OpenAI and Midjourney, to create new AI-centric hardware for enhanced user experiences. However, history shows that success in this space is challenging, with notable failures like Humane’s Ai Pin and limited successes such as Rabbit’s R1. While Perplexity is financially well-positioned with substantial funding, it must navigate significant obstacles to succeed in the competitive and demanding hardware market.

🌍 Global AI Race

Alibaba used goods trading platform ramps up AI efforts

Xianyu, Alibaba Group's online platform for secondhand goods, is enhancing its use of artificial intelligence to improve the recycling and circulation of idle items, thereby promoting sustainable consumption. The platform has introduced an AI agent integrated with Alibaba's large language model, Tongyi Qianwen, to assist in various aspects of transactions, including pre-sale credit ratings, product listings, and after-sales services, aiming to boost transaction efficiency.

Biden is escalating America's AI chip war with China on his way out

The Biden administration has intensified efforts to curb China's access to advanced semiconductor technologies by implementing stringent export controls. These measures restrict China's acquisition of high-bandwidth memory chips and critical chipmaking equipment, aiming to impede its development of artificial intelligence and military capabilities. Additionally, 140 Chinese entities, including major firms like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Huawei, have been added to the U.S. Entity List, further limiting their ability to procure essential technologies. China has condemned these actions, asserting that they disrupt global trade and supply chains.

Rebellions, Sapeon merge to create Korea's first AI chip unicorn

Rebellions, an AI startup, has merged with Sapeon Korea, SK Telecom’s AI chip subsidiary, forming Korea's first AI chip unicorn valued at 1.3 trillion won ($929 million). Under the leadership of CEO Park Sung-hyun, the merged entity aims to expand internationally, develop advanced AI chips like Rebel, and strengthen its role in AI ecosystems such as PyTorch, driving Korea's position in the global AI market.

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