In today’s newsletter:

• News - 🖥️ Google’s New AI Agent Can Now Use Websites for You!

• Culture - 🇷🇺 Putin & BRICS Unite for Global AI Alliance

🖥️ Google’s New AI Agent Can Now Use Websites for You!

Google unveiled Mariner, an experimental AI agent powered by its latest Gemini 2.0 technology, designed to navigate websites and perform tasks like filling shopping carts or using spreadsheets—all with a “human in the loop.” While Mariner can take actions on a user’s behalf, like clicking buttons or filling forms, it won’t complete transactions, ensuring users retain control. Integrated into Chrome, Mariner marks a big step toward Google’s vision of a universal assistant, but challenges like accuracy and potential legal hurdles with Chrome’s monopoly status remain.

In addition to Mariner, Google showcased Project Astra, an upgraded digital assistant that responds to images, text, and voice commands, aiming to rival tools like Siri. Though these tools are still in testing phases with select users, they signal Google’s ambitions to redefine how we interact with technology. By combining intuitive user interfaces with powerful AI capabilities, these innovations promise a future where AI handles complex web interactions—one click at a time.

🗞️ In Other News…

• Apple is reportedly collaborating with Broadcom to develop its first AI-focused server chip, code-named Baltra, to support cloud-based AI tasks like Siri and Maps, with plans to complete the design within a year.

• OpenAI has launched its AI video generator Sora for US users, allowing text-to-video creation while addressing safety concerns and criticism from artists, though it remains unavailable in the UK and EU due to regulatory compliance.

• Tri-County Career Center in Ohio is the first in the region to implement Zeroeyes AI-based gun detection software, which uses existing cameras to detect weapons and alert authorities within 15 seconds, providing an extra layer of security against gun violence.

• Palantir and Anduril Industries are partnering to create an AI-focused consortium that enhances U.S. national security by addressing data readiness and processing at scale, leveraging their combined technologies for next-generation military capabilities.

• Ooredoo is aggressively expanding its AI-focused data center capacity, leveraging acquisitions and Nvidia’s latest AI chips to meet surging demand in its Middle Eastern and North African markets, while diversifying beyond telecom services into high-performance computing infrastructure.

🇷🇺 Putin & BRICS Unite for Global AI Alliance

Russia is doubling down on artificial intelligence, with President Vladimir Putin announcing plans to create an AI Alliance Network alongside BRICS nations and other interested countries. Speaking at a Moscow AI conference, Putin emphasized the importance of keeping pace in the global AI race, inviting international scientists to collaborate. While sanctions have hampered access to critical technologies like GPUs, key players like Sberbank and Yandex are leading domestic AI development with models like GigaChat and YandexGPT. Despite ranking behind AI powerhouses like the U.S. and China, Russia sees AI as a crucial driver of its future economy, projecting a $109 billion contribution to GDP by 2030.

The AI Alliance Network, which includes countries like Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, aims to boost joint research and regulation while expanding market access for AI products. Russia’s ambitious strategy calls for 80% of its workforce to have AI skills by 2030, up from just 5% today, and aims to grow AI investment seven-fold. However, with limited resources and fierce competition, the road ahead is steep. Still, by forging alliances and focusing on generative AI, Russia hopes to carve out a bigger slice of the global AI pie while reducing its dependence on Western tech.

VC Fundraising Rounds

• RapidCanvas, a B2B platform leveraging artificial intelligence to automate tasks, has secured $16 million in funding. (12/11/24)

• Speak, a leading global platform for AI-driven language learning, has raised $78 million in Series C funding, reaching a $1 billion valuation. (12/10/24)

• Astrix Security, a trusted provider of enterprise solutions for securing non-human identities (NHIs), has raised $45 million in its Series B funding round. (12/10/24)

• WaveForms AI has secured $40 million in funding to advance its AI audio software, which enhances machine interactions by detecting emotional cues. (12/10/24)

• Aqemia, a French startup combining "quantum-inspired physics" with machine learning to accelerate drug discovery, has raised $38 million. (12/10/24)

Meme of the Day