Facebook claims it’s becoming better at detecting — and removing — objectionable content from its platform, despite the fact that misleading, untrue, and otherwise harmful posts continue to make their way into millions of users’ feeds. During a briefing with reporters ahead of Facebook’s latest Community Standards Enforcement Report, which outlines the actions Facebook took between June…
As the pandemic reaches new heights, with nearly 12 million cases and 260,000 deaths recorded in the U.S. to date, a glimmer of hope is on the horizon. Moderna and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which are developing vaccines to fight the virus, have released preliminary data…
Loadsmart raises $90 million for AI that matches shippers with truck transportation
November 26, 2020
Loadsmart, a New York-based startup that leverages AI and hundreds of data sources to automate truckload booking, today announced a $90 million round at a valuation “north of $400 million.” The funding comes after the 300-person startup experienced 250% revenue growth…
ClosedLoop.ai raises $11 million for off-the-shelf AI solutions tailored for health care scenarios
November 26, 2020
ClosedLoop.ai (formerly Deep Health Technologies), a health care data science startup specializing in AI and automation, today raised $11 million in series A funding led by Greycroft and .406 Ventures with participation from Silicon Valley Bank and Meridian Street Capital. The company plans to put the fresh capital toward marketing and product R&D efforts as it looks to expand its growing…
BeyondMinds raises $15 million to drive enterprise AI adoption
November 26, 2020
BeyondMinds today announced a $15 million funding round led by Check Point cofounder Marius Nacht. The company, which is based in Tel Aviv and New York, says it will devote the bulk of these funds to sales and product R&D as it expands its customer base.
The benefits of…
AI-powered grocery management platform Afresh today raised $13 million in funding, which a source tells VentureBeat values the company at over $100 million. Afresh says the capital will enable it to expand its product across supply chain, store operations, and merchandising…
Google’s Project Guideline uses AI to help low-vision users navigate running courses
November 26, 2020
In collaboration with nonprofit organization Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Google today piloted an AI system called Project Guideline, designed to help blind and low-vision people run races independently with just a smartphone. Using an app that tracked the virtual race via GPS and a Google-designed harness that delivered audio prompts to indicate the location of a prepainted line, Guiding Eyes for…
Though humans historically provided concierge services for commercial buildings, guiding visitors to their destinations and answering questions, artificial intelligence and computer vision have advanced to the stage where fully digital alternatives can offer the same or…
Canvas emerges from stealth with AI for drywall installation
November 26, 2020
Canvas, a company that uses machine learning to install drywall at construction sites, emerged from stealth today. Canvas was founded in 2017 and uses a modified JLG lift, robotic arm, and sensors to automate drywall installation.
Once that task is perfected, Canvas plans to…
Fable Studio won an Emmy Award for its Wolves in the Walls virtual reality project. Now it’s relaunching Lucy, a next-generation AI character, to have conversations in the wider world.
Lucy will soon be available on social platforms such as Zoom, Facebook, and Google Hangouts, and people can have conversations with her that will seem realistic because she can draw upon sophisticated memory and…