As we embrace the Halloween season, this week has brought significant updates in the AI sector, spanning everything from OpenAI raising $6.6 billion to unexpected developments from Nvidia and privacy concerns involving Meta Smart Glasses. Here are five key highlights from the world of AI.
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in recent funding round
This week marked another milestone for Sam Altman and his team, as OpenAI announced it secured an impressive $6.6 billion in funding during its latest investment round. Existing contributors, including Microsoft and Khosla Ventures, were joined by new partners SoftBank and Nvidia. OpenAI’s valuation has skyrocketed to an estimated $157 billion, solidifying its status among the highest-valued private companies globally. If OpenAI’s proposed profit-focused restructuring gets the green light, Altman’s equity could exceed $150 billion, launching him into the ranks of the top ten richest individuals worldwide. Following this funding announcement, OpenAI unveiled Canvas, its innovative response to Anthropic’s Artifacts collaborative tool.
Nvidia introduces open-source LLM to compete with GPT-4
Nvidia has made a significant leap from AI hardware to software with the launch of LVNM 1.0, an open-source large language model that excels in multiple language and vision tasks. The leading model, LVNM-D-72B, features 72 billion parameters and is equipped to compete with GPT-4o. However, Nvidia frames LVNM more as a platform for developers to create their own applications rather than as a direct competitor to existing high-end LLMs.
Google’s Gemini Live now understands almost forty languages
Converse with your AI assistant in your language of choice is becoming essential. Google revealed that its Gemini Live now supports nearly forty languages, beginning with French, German, Portuguese, Hindi, and Spanish. Similarly, Microsoft announced a comparable capability for its Copilot, termed Copilot Voice, which it claims is the “most intuitive and natural way to brainstorm while on the go.” This development aligns with ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode and Meta’s Natural Voice Interactions, enhancing user interaction with their devices.
California governor blocks comprehensive AI safety legislation
In a surprising turn, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1047, California’s ambitious Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Models Act. In his correspondence to lawmakers, he pointed out the bill’s narrow focus on the largest language models, emphasizing that “smaller, specialized models might emerge as equally or even more hazardous than those targeted by SB 1047.”
Hackers convert Meta smart glasses into a doxing tool
In an alarming experiment, a duo of computer science students from Harvard successfully altered commercially available Meta smart glasses to automatically identify unfamiliar faces within their field of view. As reported by 404 Media, these glasses, developed for the I-XRAY project, utilize PimEyes image recognition to capture photos of passersby, match those images to identities, and then scrape commercial data broker sites for private information, including phone numbers and home addresses.
“You simply wear the glasses, and as you pass by individuals, they will detect a face in the frame,” the creators demonstrated in a video shared on X. “Within a few seconds, their personal information will appear on your device.” The privacy implications are frightening. Although the developers have no plans to make the source code accessible, the demonstration has opened the door for others to potentially replicate the method.