Perplexity’s Election Tracker, MIT's Robot Revolution, OpenAI's New Talent, & Apple’s Latest Acquisition

Happy Tuesday, AI & Data Enthusiasts! Perplexity is stepping into the election world with a results tracker, MIT is revolutionizing robot training, and OpenAI is up to something secretive (again!). Let’s dive more into these tech moves in today’s newsletter.

In today’s edition: 

• Perplexity Introduces Election Results Tracker

• MIT Unveils LLM-Inspired Approach to Robot Training

• OpenAI Recruits Ex-Pebble CEO for Secretive New Project

• Apple Acquires Photo-Editing App Pixelmator

- Naseema Perveen

WHAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION MOST

Perplexity Introduces Election Results Tracker

Perplexity, the AI-driven search engine, is stepping into the realm of election monitoring with a new hub dedicated to U.S. general election information. Despite occasional AI hallucinations, Perplexity aims to build trust by providing reliable, real-time election updates and in-depth analyses through partnerships with trusted data sources.

• Data Partnerships: The election hub will feature live updates on presidential, senate, and house races, powered by data from The Associated Press and Democracy Works. The platform will also answer questions about voting requirements, poll times, and more.

• AI-Summarized Insights: Users can access AI-generated summaries of ballot measures, candidate platforms, and policy endorsements. While Perplexity’s hub relies heavily on partner data, its launch sets it apart from competitors who have avoided similar initiatives due to concerns over AI misinformation.

• Accuracy Concerns: Given the track record of AI inaccuracies in political contexts, Perplexity’s claims of trustworthiness will be put to the test. Previous research highlighted AI’s struggles with election-related queries, especially for accessibility and non-English language users.

Perplexity’s election tracker is a bold move in an era of AI misinformation, offering comprehensive coverage for informed voters. As live updates begin, the effectiveness and reliability of Perplexity’s hub will be closely watched, especially in a high-stakes election season.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MORNING BREW

The gold standard of business news

Morning Brew is transforming the way working professionals consume business news.

They skip the jargon and lengthy stories, and instead serve up the news impacting your life and career with a hint of wit and humor. This way, you’ll actually enjoy reading the news—and the information sticks.

Best part? Morning Brew’s newsletter is completely free. Sign up in just 10 seconds and if you realize that you prefer long, dense, and boring business news—you can always go back to it.

Join 4.3 Million Readers Now

KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT

MIT Unveils LLM-Inspired Approach to Robot Training

MIT has introduced a groundbreaking method for teaching robots new skills, drawing inspiration from the way large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 are trained. By leveraging extensive and diverse data sets, this new approach aims to overcome the limitations of traditional training methods, paving the way for more adaptable and efficient robotic systems.

• Beyond Imitation Learning: Traditional robot training through imitation learning often falters when conditions change, such as different lighting or unexpected obstacles. MIT’s method uses a massive data approach to improve adaptability.

• Heterogeneous Pretrained Transformers (HPT): The new architecture integrates diverse data from various sensors and environments, using transformers to generate robust training models. The larger the transformer, the better the robot's performance.

• Future Vision: Researchers, like CMU’s David Held, aspire to create a universal, downloadable “robot brain” that requires no additional training, similar to how LLMs revolutionized language understanding.

While the concept is still in its early stages, MIT’s innovative approach signals a shift in robotic training, with potential breakthroughs expected as research scales. As robots become smarter and more adaptable, the future of robotics could be as transformative as AI has been for language.

OpenAI Recruits Ex-Pebble CEO for Secretive New Project

OpenAI has welcomed Gabor Cselle, Twitter challenger Pebble's former CEO and co-founder, to its team. Known for his entrepreneurial expertise and history of successful tech ventures, Cselle brings a wealth of experience to the AI giant. He’s already engaged in a top-secret project, marking another significant addition to OpenAI’s expanding roster of high-profile talent. While details remain scarce, Cselle has hinted at exciting developments on the horizon, sharing that he’s “learning a lot already.”

• Experience and Background: Cselle, a seasoned founder, previously sold startups reMail to Google and Namo Media to Twitter. He also worked as a group product manager at Twitter and later led Google's Area 120 incubator.

• Pebble Journey: In 2022, Cselle co-founded Pebble (formerly T2) with a focus on safety and moderation. Pebble struggled and later reemerged despite initial investor backing as a Mastodon instance.

• Recent Developments: Before joining OpenAI, Cselle explored generative AI at South Park Commons, including projects inspired by viral hits like HQ Trivia.

While Cselle’s work at OpenAI remains under wraps, his hiring highlights a trend of strategic talent acquisitions, as seen with Anthropic's recent addition of Alex Rodrigues. The AI landscape is brimming with talent and big moves like these hint at exciting innovations ahead.

Apple Acquires Photo-Editing App Pixelmator

Apple is set to acquire Pixelmator, the popular image-editing app known for its suite of creative tools. While the Pixelmator team has promised “no material changes” to its apps for now, the acquisition could lead to deeper integration of Pixelmator's features into Apple's Photos app, aligning with the tech giant’s ongoing push to enhance its imaging capabilities with AI.

• Pixelmator’s Legacy: Founded in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2007, Pixelmator has built a reputation for delivering powerful photo-editing software, currently available on iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and visionOS.

• Apple’s AI Ambitions: The acquisition aligns with Apple's recent focus on AI-driven features, such as the Clean Up tool, which debuted as a competitor to Google’s Magic Eraser.

• Looking Forward: While Pixelmator’s independence may remain in the short term, future integration into Apple’s ecosystem seems likely as the tech company continues to refine its creative offerings.

With this acquisition, Apple’s commitment to enhancing its imaging software becomes clearer. As regulatory approval is awaited, the potential for new AI-powered features could mark an exciting new chapter for photo editing on Apple devices.

🎤 VOICE YOUR OPINION

TOGETHER WITH PINATA

Ditch the complexity—Pinata’s File API gets you uploading in minutes

Pinata’s File API is designed to make your life as a developer easier. Say goodbye to time-consuming setups and configuration hassles. With just a few lines of code, you can add file uploads and retrieval to your app, freeing up time to focus on building features that matter. Whether you're building large-scale projects or a weekend app, Pinata provides fast, secure, and scalable file management.

Build now!

ICYMI

• Artisan raises $11.5M to deploy AI ’employees’ for sales teams.

• Avarra raised $8 million for its AI avatar sales training platform.

• Numa, a startup that uses AI in car dealerships, raised $32 million.

• Subnet raised $55 million for building more environmentally friendly AI data centers.

• AI coding startup Poolside raised a massive $500 million round.

MONEY MATTERS

• Data security startup Noma came out of stealth mode with $32 million in funding.

• GPU platform GMI Cloud raised $82 million in new funding.

• Read AI raised $50 million for its text summarization bot.

• Subnet raised $55 million for building more environmentally friendly AI data centers.

• AI coding startup Poolside raised a massive $500 million round.

LINKS WE’RE LOVIN’

✅ Podcast: Future of Programming with AI | Lex Fridman Podcast

✅Cheat sheet: Data Science Cheat Sheets

✅Course: AI Basics Course for Beginners

✅Webinar: Leading AI Initiatives: The Strategic Role of the CAIO.

✅Watch: iPhone 16 Pro First Review 2024.

SHARE THE NEWSLETTER & GET REWARDS

Your referral count: 0

Or copy & paste your referral link to others: https://youraiexperience.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

That’s all for now. And, thanks for staying with us. If you have specific feedback, please let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us. We are here to serve you!

Join 130k+ AI and Data enthusiasts by subscribing to our LinkedIn page.

Become a sponsor of our next newsletter and connect with industry leaders and innovators.