⚽️ AI's New Sport Scandal

Hey TEDchats Fam!

Happy Friday! Sports aren’t just about numbers—they’re about the moments that make you feel something. Turns out, ESPN’s AI isn’t leaving sports fans with that same sensation. Maybe some things are better left to human hands?

🧑‍💻 DAILY PROMPT

🍕 QUICK BITES

ESPN's AI Recaps Miss the Mark

ESPN has introduced AI-generated recaps for sports like women’s soccer and lacrosse, aiming to free up human writers for more in-depth coverage. However, the blandness of these AI-written pieces has sparked criticism, with one notable example being the omission of Alex Morgan's retirement and the emotional moments surrounding her final game. While ESPN argues that AI allows for broader coverage of underrepresented sports, concerns grow over the potential sidelining of human journalists and the loss of storytelling depth (see ESPN’s announcement).

iPhone 16: A Work in Progress for AI Fans

Apple's iPhone 16, now available for pre-order, is built to support the company’s new AI system, Apple Intelligence—though you won’t be able to use it right away. Despite its powerful A18 chips, optimized for handling large generative models, none of the Apple Intelligence features will be active at launch. Some functionalities, like enhanced Siri capabilities, writing tools, and advanced photo editing, are expected in a beta update with iOS 18.1 in October, limited initially to U.S. English. Major features such as image generation and ChatGPT integration will be introduced gradually in the coming months (see Apple’s announcement).

AI Tackles the World's Biggest Killer

Cambridge-based startup CardiaTec is using AI to fight cardiovascular disease (CVD), the world’s leading cause of death, responsible for 17.9 million deaths globally each year. With $6.5 million in new funding, CardiaTec is creating the largest dataset of human heart tissue, collecting data from 65 hospitals in the U.K. and U.S. Their AI models will analyze a wide range of biological data, from genetics to protein functions, to better understand how heart disease works. The goal? To accelerate the discovery of new treatments for conditions like ischemic heart disease (see CardiaTec’s mission).

🧰 AI TOOLBOX 

🤯 MIND SPARK

OpenAI, the Company Behind ChatGPT, Eyes Record-Breaking Valuation: OpenAI is in talks to raise $6.5 billion, potentially hitting a staggering $150 billion pre-money valuation, according to Bloomberg. This would nearly double its valuation from earlier this year, making it the most valuable AI startup globally. Major players like Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia are rumored to be backing this round (read more).

Audible’s AI Narrators Take the Stage: Audible is trialing the use of professional narrators to train AI models on their voices, paving the way for synthetic audiobook recordings. Narrators can approve their AI counterparts for specific works and adjust pacing and pronunciation—plus, they’ll earn royalties from every AI-generated title that uses their voice (see Audible’s announcement).

Alibaba Backs AI-Driven Messaging Startup: Connectly, co-founded by former Meta executive Stefanos Loukakos, has raised $20 million in a Series B round led by Alibaba. The startup leverages AI to personalize customer messaging across platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram for e-commerce, enabling brands to automate conversations and drive sales (read more).

Adobe Brings AI Video Generation to Firefly by Year-End: Adobe’s highly anticipated Firefly Video AI model will roll out to the public before 2024 ends, offering game-changing features like Text to Video and Image to Video creation. Generative Extend, allowing seamless video extensions, will debut in Premiere Pro beta soon, with more AI-powered tools coming to Firefly’s dedicated site (see Adobe’s announcement).

Sergey Brin Returns to AI: Google co-founder Sergey Brin has rejoined Google, diving into AI projects "pretty much every day". Brin, captivated by the rapid advancements in AI, emphasized the potential of algorithmic improvements over simply scaling up compute power, marking his return as a pivotal moment for the future of AI (see full interview).

Google's AI Can Now Create Podcasts from Your Notes: In a surprising leap, Google’s NotebookLM app now features AI-generated podcasts, turning your research notes into lively audio discussions. With two AI hosts that summarize material and banter like real podcasters, this new feature offers a fresh way to digest information (see Google’s announcement).

🎨 AI ART