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| Here are today's main tech stories: - π§ Elon Musk said Neuralink has implanted its chip in a human's brain for the first time.
- 𧡠Instagram's Threads saw its downloads triple in December 2023.
- π€ Peugeot plans to integrate ChatGPT in its vehicles starting this year.
- π Cruise is set to reduce its spending on robotaxis by 50%.
- π€ Germany approves the AI Act after negotiations with the European Union.
- π OpenAI is creating an AI manual for teens and families.
ArbΓ«r
p/Arber | |
| 1 | | Elon Musk said Neuralink has implanted its chip inside a human's brain for the first time. According to Musk, the patient is "recovering well." More: - Founded in 2016, Neuralink is a neurotechnology company developing a brain-computer interface.
- The company claims that its brain tech will help humans control their digital devices without touching them and potentially cure blindness, among other conditions.
- Neuralink began recruiting patients for its first-in-human clinical trial in 2023 after it received approval from the FDA.
- The company had faced criticism from PETA because it uses animals for testing purposes. After an investigation by the USDA, it was concluded that there was no evidence that Neuralink risked animal welfare in its trials except for one self-reported case.
- Neuralink's first product will be named Telepathy, Musk said.
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The Instagram Threads app was downloaded 28 million times in December, tripling the number of downloads a month earlier. The app has 160 million registered accounts since its launch in July 2023. More: - Threads was downloaded 12 million times on the iOS App Store and 16 million times on the Google Play Store.
- The app was in the Top 10 chart in both the App Store and Play Store.
- Threads reached 100 million users five days after its launch, becoming the fastest app to reach the milestone.
- Downloads quickly slowed down in the following months but picked up in December.
- TechCrunch attributes the rebound to several factors, including Meta's advertising campaign to promote Threads on Facebook, the app's move into the "fediverse," and websites adding Threads share buttons.
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| 3 | | Peugeot will integrate ChatGPT into its vehicles in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain starting this week. The French carmaker plans to roll out the feature in other countries later this year. More: - ChatGPT will be integrated into all Peugeot models, including the new e-3008, the company said.
- Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have also announced plans to integrate the AI assistant into their cars.
- Mercedes-Benz started an opt-in GhatGPT trial for 900,000 vehicles in the U.S. last summer.
- Volkswagen in January said it planned to integrate ChatGPT in its IDA voice assistant starting in the second quarter of 2024.
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| 4 | | Cruise plans to reduce its spending on robotaxis by 50% this year. The $1B budget cut comes as General Motors (GM) reported a 10% increase in revenue in 2023. More: - Last week investigations by the Justice Department and the Security and Exchange Commission concluded that the company misled regulators regarding an October accident in which a Cruise vehicle dragged a pedestrian 20 feet.
- A separate probe found that the vehicle suffered "a semantic mapping error" and incorrectly identified the pedestrian.
- Cruise lost $1.9B in cash during 2023 and registered $2.7B in pre-tax loss. According to Reuters, the robotaxi division has so far cost GM $8B in losses.
- However, GM said it remains committed to Cruise and will focus on retaining software and engineering talent in the coming year.
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| 5 | | Germany is set to approve the AI Act after the parties that form the country's governing coalition reached a compromise. The EU describes the AI Act as the world's "first comprehensive AI law." More: - The AI Act aims to regulate the providers of artificial intelligence systems and ensure that the technology is used in a way that doesn't threaten citizens' safety and privacy.
- EU negotiators approved the AI Act in December, but the legislation has to be endorsed by member countries to be enacted.
- German Digital Minister Volker Wissing on Tuesday said that the government coalition has "reached a workable compromise" to adopt the AI Act.
- He said that the agreement will allow Germany to ensure that the regulations are not too onerous on small and medium-sized businesses.
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| 6 | | OpenAI has partnered with Common Sense Media to create AI training materials for teens and families. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said he hopes the guidelines will help children and families harness the benefits of AI. More: - Common Sense is a nonprofit that develops ratings and review systems to help parents, children, and educators better understand the benefits and risks posed by a variety of media products.
- Under its agreement with OpenAI, Common Sense will produce materials to help families "realize the full potential of AI for teens and families and minimize the risks."
- Altman said: "AI should allow high school seniors of the future to operate at a higher level of abstraction and therefore achieve more than today's students."
- He said that large language models (LLMs) customized for educational purposes could help teens "who want to learn about science or learn about biology."
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 | Writer | | Arbër is an Inside analyst who has previously incubated his startup at the largest incubator in Southeastern Europe. He has collaborated with multiple major publications and holds a business degree from XAMK University in Finland. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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