Weekly bulletin from AIport, issue #31

Darth Vader’s voice goes AI, Israeli ML model decodes monkey calls, Mexican startup uses AI to win over Adidas, and much more.

Hello everyone! We’re back with our special issue of the AI Bulletin, covering the most significant ML and data science developments from the past three weeks, listed from the newest to the oldest. Dive in, and don’t forget to give us a thumbs-up when you’re done. Have a pleasant weekend!

USA

• Google unveils Data Commons, a new tool designed to boost LLM accuracy by calibrating AI model responses using real-world data.

• OpenAI previews its newest model, o1, known as “strawberry” internally, offering step-by-step, thinking-out-loud type of logical reasoning.

• Prolific American actor James Earl Jones lends his iconic Darth Vader voice to AI before passing away at age 93 in Pawling, New York.

• Amazon’s Audible, the world’s largest audiobook service, invites narrators to participate in paid AI voice cloning to accelerate audiobook production.

• ESPN begins publishing AI-generated recaps of “underserved” games, including those from Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Asia

• In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the third Global AI Summit (GAIN) attracts 450 speakers from 100 countries across four stages. 

• China’s Zhipu AI introduces a novel video call integration feature, part of its latest model suite release, picking up more funding from a state-backed investor in the process.  

• Tokyo-based R&D startup, Sakana AI, known for its Evolutionary Model Merge methodology, secures $100 million in Series A funding, vowing to continue “more efficient foundation model development.”

• Researchers from Hebrew University in Israel put out a seminal paper proposing an ML model that identifies the sounds marmoset monkeys make to address each other “by name.”

Europe

• CardiaTec, a medtech startup based out of the University of Cambridge, receives $6.5 million in seed funding to lead AI-powered drug discovery in the field of cardiovascular treatment.

• In Vilnius, Lithuania, the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225) — reportedly the first legally binding treaty of its kind — is signed by EU member states, the US, the UK, and Israel.

Latin America 

• This year’s Google for Mexico event concludes in the nation’s capital, focusing on digital AI skills. Meanwhile, Someone Somewhere, an artisan clothes startup from Mexico, lands a major contract with Adidas after leveraging AI to showcase how traditionally inspired designs can enhance existing products.

Africa

• The Global Inclusivity and AI Africa (GIAA) Conference wraps up in Lagos, Nigeria, with 370 stakeholders from 30 African nations in attendance.

Australia

• Several Australians lose around 1.5 million AUD in total to AI-backed deep fake romance scams, with an elderly widow from Perth becoming the latest victim. Meanwhile, an experimental play opens in Melbourne, featuring dancers who improvise choreography and storyline on stage based on real-time directions from AI.