🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Raspberry Pi Camera Takes Photos Using AI Instead of Lens (quick read)

• The Raspberry Pi camera project by Bjørn Karmann, called "Paragraphica," uses AI instead of a lens to take photos.

• It generates images based on various factors such as location, date, and weather, collected through open APIs.

• The camera is designed with adjustable dials for features like film grain and sharpness which the AI program integrates into the photo generation.

• Paragraphica is powered by a Raspberry Pi, housed inside a custom shell and uses a GPS module for location determination.

• The software for Paragraphica was written specifically for the project, utilizing Python and the Stable Diffusion API.

• It also includes a touchscreen for controls and a visual tool for developing web apps.

AI: The Undiscovered Country
A (very!) brief overview of AI law &
how to integrate ChatGPT in your workflow
By Marc Hoag

Presented by the Beverly Hills Bar Association

June 13, 2023, 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

1.0 hour CLE credit

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The Roll iOS app uses AI to simulate crane and dolly shots on iPhone footage (medium read)

• Roll AI is a new iOS and web platform that uses AI to add simulated professional camera effects to iPhone footage, such as stabilized pan, dolly, and crane shots.

• It creates a 3D space from iPhone footage, enabling post-production effects and automatic editing, including text overlays and various studio effects like bokeh.

• The platform consists of an iOS app for recording and uploading video, and a web-based app for previewing, editing, and downloading the footage.

• Roll AI supports High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) for higher quality video capture and offers a Multicam Mode to simulate multiple camera angles.

• The service requires a subscription with options ranging from $49 per month for the Creator tier to $199 per month for the Pro tier; a free trial is also available.

• While currently exclusive to iOS, the company plans to add Android support in the near future.

Character.AI, the a16z-backed chatbot startup, tops 1.7M installs in first week (medium read)

• Character.AI, an AI app backed by a16z, has achieved over 1.7 million installs within its first week of launch.

• Founded by former Google researchers Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, the company provides customizable AI companions with distinct personalities.

• The app, which raised $150 million in Series A funding, launched globally to iOS and Android users on May 23.

• Character.AI also launched its premium service c.ai+, providing faster response times, peak period access, and early access to new features, and announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud.

• Despite a slight post-launch decline in demand, the company reports that 99% of its downloads were organic and that users have created over 10 million custom AI characters.

🤖🔥🤯 COOL AI TOOLS, APPS, VIDEOS, PODCASTS, LINKS, AND MORE!

• Recraft: AI-generated vector art.

• Scanlist: AI-powered profile scraping and lead generation.

• Querio: An AI chatbot for your data.

🌡️ CLIMATE CHANGE & CLEAN ENERGY

What the rise of AI means for the climate fight (long read)

• AI tools are increasingly used in climate tech for tasks such as detecting plastic waste, decarbonizing agriculture, and predicting climate disasters, though challenges like data hallucinations, ethical concerns, and trust in AI data persist.

• A large majority (87%) of global public and private-sector climate and AI leaders view AI as beneficial in the fight against climate change, especially for analyzing large data bodies for carbon reduction, carbon removal, and space technology.

• AI has potential in tracking real-time changes like deforestation, land degradation, and urbanization, and assisting in emergency response coordination and relief efforts.

• Businesses are leveraging AI to measure and reduce emissions, but transparency in measurement methods is key to ensure data accuracy and comparability.

• Responsible AI is considered essential in climate tech to address issues like data bias and hallucinations, and there is growing support for increased government action in promoting AI for climate change mitigation.

Funding gap threatens Europe's pioneering role in climate tech startups (quick read)

• The World Fund's whitepaper, "Climate Tech Investments: An Opportunity for Europe", underscores a significant funding gap in climate tech, with only 16% of climate finance needs currently met.

• To achieve EU and global climate targets by 2030, climate tech funding must increase by at least 590% ($4.35 trillion annually), despite 2022 being a record year with investment levels reaching $13.2 billion.

• To close this funding gap, it's recommended to focus investments in industries, companies, and technologies that prioritize climate impact, driven by scientific methodologies and understanding of underlying climate science.

• Three key challenges prompting investors to consider climate-tech startups are escalating carbon costs, the intensifying climate crisis, and new economic opportunities.

• Europe is considered to have significant potential to spearhead the global climate tech revolution, with the venture capital community playing a crucial role in supporting climate deep tech and innovative solutions replacing carbon-intensive industries.

Google Ventures leads £5.3m pre-seed funding round for climate-tech CUR8 (quick read)

• Climate-tech platform CUR8 successfully raised £5.3m in a pre-seed funding round led by Google's venture capital division, GV.

• CUR8 facilitates decarbonisation efforts by purchasing carbon removal credits and assembling carbon removal portfolios for businesses, aiding them to reach net zero targets.

• The funding round, which saw participation from CapitalT, Climate VC, SystemaNova, Force Over Mass, and ANIM, indicates growing interest in sustainable business ventures.

• The raised funds will be used for team expansion, improving the platform's capacity, and further software development, with the aim to lower the cost of carbon removals over time.

• CUR8 has provided carbon removals for notable events, including The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant and The State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II, and plans to continue expanding its impact in this multi-trillion dollar industry.

🚗 AUTONOMOUS & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

California lawmakers and AV industry battle for future of self-driving trucks (medium read)

• California bill requiring human safety operator in autonomous trucks passes state's Assembly and moves to Senate review.

• Proponents aim to ensure road safety and job security for truck drivers, while detractors argue it stifles technological advancements and competitiveness.

• Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association condemns the bill as a technology ban and a threat to road safety improvements.

• If passed, the law restricts the California Department of Motor Vehicles from granting permits to autonomous trucking companies without a human operator unless legislature is convinced of its safety.

• An added clause requires DMV to submit a report evaluating the performance of autonomous vehicles and their impact on public safety and employment by 2029 or five years after testing begins.

• Autonomous trucks without human operators might not operate in California until 2030 at the earliest, according to the bill's timeline.

Fiat teases adorable, all-electric Topolino designed to ‘bring a smile’ to city drivers (quick read)

• Fiat teases its upcoming all-electric quadricycle, the Fiat Topolino, designed to electrify city transport.

• The name "Topolino", Italian for "small mouse", has historical ties to Fiat's 500 car, one of the world's smallest vehicles in the 1930s.

• Despite having no doors, the Topolino aims to provide a cute, functional, and sustainable urban mobility solution.

• The Topolino is classified as a quadricycle in Europe, limiting its maximum speed to 45 km/h and allowing anyone 14 or older with a motorcycle license to drive it.

• Fiat plans to assemble the Topolino at the Stellantis' plant in Morocco.

The “death of self-driving cars” has been greatly exaggerated (long read)

• Self-driving car progress has been slower than anticipated, leading some companies to cease their efforts.

• Waymo and Cruise, backed by Google and GM, are persistently developing self-driving technologies despite setbacks.

• Despite technological improvement and expansion plans, achieving profitability remains a significant hurdle.

• Safety remains paramount in the industry, but current challenges involve navigating chaotic urban environments and freeways.

• Both companies face pressure to accelerate commercialization, raising concerns about prematurely entering more challenging environments.

• Tesla's Full Self Driving is distinct, leaning towards a human-supervised assistance model instead of full autonomy.

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-Marc 👋

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