Chinese-founded startup Manus has unveiled a new feature called Wide Research that speeds up research by assigning tasks to multiple AI agents working together, marking its biggest update since March. The function processes large numbers of data entries simultaneously, leveraging the collective capabilities of scores of AI agents.
McDonald's plans to significantly increase its artificial intelligence investments by 2027, with a focus on India as a key hub for data governance, engineering, and platform architecture. The company aims to utilize AI to verify orders at over 40,000 locations globally, starting with 400 restaurants in India, where it has recently set up a global office in Hyderabad.
Microsoft's shares surged 4.3% after reporting a blowout quarterly result, lifting its market capitalization to over $4 trillion, joining Nvidia in the exclusive club. The tech giant's profit reached $27.2 billion on revenue of $76.4 billion, driven by massive customer interest in its cutting-edge AI capacity. CEO Satya Nadella attributed the growth to "Cloud and AI" being the driving force behind business transformation across industries. Microsoft has a strategic partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI since 2019 and is investing heavily in AI, with plans for $100 billion or more in annual capital spending. Analysts praise the company's AI advantages, which are expected to drive 10% annual revenue growth over the next six years, but warn that supply chain pressure could impact pricing if demand exceeds supply.
Microsoft researchers have identified 40 white-collar jobs that are most likely to be stolen by AI, including data analysts, marketing specialists, and customer service representatives. The list includes roles such as software developers, human resources managers, and sales professionals. The study highlights the growing threat of automation in various industries and the need for workers to develop new skills to remain relevant.
Microsoft researchers warn that advancements in AI could extend automation to fields like interpreting and translating, as well as roles such as historians, customer service representatives, writers, and sales representatives of services. Jobs less likely to be impacted include phlebotomists, nursing assistants, and hazardous materials removal workers.
Meta's AI chief Yann LeCun has criticized Elon Musk's plan to replace researchers with engineers at his AI startup xAI, stating that this change could kill innovation by blurring the distinct roles of research and engineering.
China's top artificial intelligence summit featured an entire floor dedicated to robots, with onlookers marveling at their capabilities, including playing drums and serving popcorn, as well as participating in a boxing ring. Catherine Thorbecke reports that this was a crowd-pleaser at the event, which showcased what was once considered science fiction just a few years ago.
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication expressed concerns over the Ministry of IT's collaboration with Jazz and NUST University on Pakistan's first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), citing a lack of transparency in the selection process. Chairperson Senator Palwasha Khan called for greater inclusivity and competitive bidding, while members questioned why other capable institutions were not invited to participate. The committee also discussed the "Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024," which aims to create an ethical framework for AI use and innovation, and emphasized the need for regulating AI technologies in light of rapid global developments.
Stephen, a vocal advocate for AI's purpose and ethics, recently participated in an art installation called Vocalize at Hay Festival, where an AI-powered version of his voice confronted the future of AI, identity, and truth. Visitors were given a voiceover training session led by the AI, but things took an unexpected turn. This event came two years after Stephen discovered that an AI recording of his voice had been created without his knowledge. He previously expressed shock upon learning that his recordings of Harry Potter audiobooks had been used to recreate his voice with AI in 2023.