When the new Mercedes EQS sedan hits the road next year, it will feature a new and improved version of the automaker’s MBUX infotainment called the MBUX Hyperscreen as an optional upgrade. The company says the ultrawide screen spans the entire front dashboard of the upcoming EV and adds AI to the mix to make using the system more intuitive.
The automaker will detail the infotainment at its…
RingCentral acquires conversational AI startup DeepAffects
December 21, 2020
RingCentral, a company that creates cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for the enterprise, has acquired conversational AI intelligence startup DeepAffects.
Founded in 2003, Belmont, California-based RingCentral develops a range of cloud products for…
How to create space for ethics in AI
December 19, 2020
In a year that has seen decades’ worth of global shocks, bad news, and scandals squeezed into 12 excruciatingly long months, the summer already feels like a distant memory. In August 2020, the world was in the throes of a major social and racial justice movement, and I…
Skype's latest update uses AI to make group calls less awkward
December 19, 2020
Back in July, Microsoft added a feature called Together Mode to its Teams workplace messaging app. The tool uses an AI-powered segmentation technology to put everyone in a video call in the same virtual space. Even if you don’t use Microsoft Teams, you’ve probably seen Together Mode in action. The NBA turned to the feature when it tried to recreate the atmosphere of a packed arena without any…
This week, BuzzFeed News, citing sources familiar with the matter, wrote that Facebook is developing an AI tool that summarizes news articles so that users don’t have to read them. The tool — codenamed “TLDR” in reference to the acronym “too long, didn’t read”…
Fable Studio unveils two AI-based virtual beings who can talk to you
December 19, 2020
Fable Studio has announced two new conversational AI virtual beings, or artificial people. Their names are Charlie and Beck, and they will be able to hold conversations as if they were real people.
The new characters are a blend of storytelling and artificial intelligence, a…
AI controlled a US military aircraft for the first time
December 19, 2020
As much as the US military relies on drones to bolster its aerial arsenal, it has still relied on human operators to guide its aircraft — until now. Air Force Assistant Secretary Dr. Will Roper has revealed to Popular Mechanics that AI controlled a US military aircraft (and really, military system) for the first time, serving as the “co-pilot” aboard a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane during a…
Nvidia’s Inception program is tracking more than 7,000 AI startups, up 25% in a year. That’s a lot of growth for AI companies in a very tough year.
Nvidia business development VP Jeff Herbst said in a blog post that crisis breeds opportunity and that AI startups are…
CoachHub nabs $30 million for talent development platform that meshes AI with analytics
December 18, 2020
CoachHub, a “talent development” platform that pairs employees with business coaches, has raised $30 million in a series B round of funding led by Draper Esprit.
Founded in 2018, Berlin-based CoachHub is a digital coaching platform that leverages an AI-based matching…
Google AI team demands changes after Dr. Timnit Gebru's departure
December 18, 2020
Two weeks after the departure of AI researcher Dr. Timnit Gebru, Google’s Ethical AI team has issued a list of demands to its management. In a letter obtained by NBC News and Bloomberg, the division calls for the removal of Megan Kacholia, vice president of engineering at Google, from the group’s reporting structure. “We have lost trust in her as a leader,” the team says of Kacholia…
