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  • #75. 🤑Accenture drops $3B on AI | 🛳️EU cruise ships emit as much sulphur as 1B cars | 🔋Elon says one thing may make or break Tesla

#75. 🤑Accenture drops $3B on AI | 🛳️EU cruise ships emit as much sulphur as 1B cars | 🔋Elon says one thing may make or break Tesla

PLUS: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claims market will deliver AI | Google's AI-powered travel & product search | extreme heat deadlier than hurricanes, floods, tornadoes | NYC rooftop gardens | VW ID.7 | AEHRA Italian EV has 500 mi range

🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claims global demand for AI is high and the market will respond accordingly, during his world tour stop in Singapore.

  • OpenAI is focusing on making AI affordable, consistently reducing the cost of 'inference' for their models like ChatGPT.

  • Altman has urged countries like China and South Korea to lead in AI regulation and chip production respectively.

  • Altman is touring globally, visiting India, China, South Korea, and Japan for conferences and meetings.

  • In an open letter, Altman and other tech leaders have warned that AI could pose a human extinction risk equivalent to nuclear war.

  • Accenture, a global professional services and consulting company, plans to invest $3 billion in AI over the next three years to enhance its team and client solutions.

  • The investment includes the development of new strategies, operating models, business cases, and digital core architectures for its clients to capitalize on AI innovation.

  • As part of the initiative, Accenture will double its Data & AI practice team from 40,000 to 80,000 employees through hiring, training, and acquisitions.

  • Accenture announced its AI Navigator for Enterprise, a new platform to assist clients in defining AI business cases and selecting architectures/models.

  • Accenture will also set up data and AI readiness accelerators across 19 industries and launch a new Center for Advanced AI.

  • The announcement comes amid substantial AI product launches from companies like Salesforce, Oracle, and ServiceNow, positioning Accenture both as a partner and potential competitor.

  • Google announces new AI-powered capabilities for Search Generative Experience (SGE), focusing on travel and shopping queries.

  • Users can now ask about a place or destination to get a snapshot of information, including web data, reviews, photos, and business profile details.

  • For product searches, SGE will provide considerations, descriptions, reviews, ratings, prices, images, and recommendations.

  • Google’s upcoming Add to Sheets feature will allow users to insert search results directly into a spreadsheet for easy sharing and collaboration.

  • The new features are available through Google's Search Labs, currently only in English in the U.S.

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

🌡️ CLIMATE CHANGE & CLEAN ENERGY

  • On June 25, 2022, UPS driver Esteban Chavez Jr. died of heatstroke in Pasadena, California, an example of increasing heat-related fatalities due to rising global temperatures.

  • Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., killing more than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined. Yet, this risk is often underrepresented in climate change mitigation strategies.

  • Urban centers, which are becoming increasingly populated, experience more severe effects of heat due to the "heat island effect" — cities' high density of heat-absorbing infrastructure and lack of green space.

  • Many hotspot communities suffer due to long-term effects of discriminatory urban planning policies, leading to a lack of green space and affordable cooling solutions.

  • A research team at Howard University is studying how people perceive and respond to heat risks, developing tools like an app to inform decision-making and mitigate the effects of extreme heat in urban areas.

  • Europe's 218 cruise ships emitted as much sulphur oxides (SOx) last year as 1 billion cars, despite a UN sulphur cap.

  • Air pollutants from cruise ships fell 80% in Venice following a ban on large cruise ships, demonstrating the possibility of pollution control.

  • Cruise ship time around ports and fuel consumption increased by around a quarter (23%-24%) compared to 2019, leading to a rise in toxic air pollutants.

  • Barcelona was Europe's most polluted port in 2021, with cruise ships emitting almost three times more SOx than all the city's cars.

  • MSC Cruises was the most polluting operator, its ships emitting nearly as much SOx as all passenger vehicles in Europe.

  • Switching from oil to fossil gas (LNG) reduces air pollution but is detrimental from a climate perspective due to methane leaks from engines.

  • New York City faces growing flood issues due to its extensive concrete surfaces.

  • One proposed solution is to install rooftop gardens on city bus stops, which could help absorb rainfall and reduce runoff.

  • NYC's bus shelters cover an area the size of four football fields, deflecting over 6.5 million gallons of rainwater annually.

  • Other cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Buffalo, along with cities in Brazil, Japan, and Amsterdam have trialed green-roofed shelters.

  • Implementation at scale could make this solution cost-effective; greening one shelter in Pittsburgh cost $12,000, while greening 300+ shelters in Utrecht, Netherlands cost $1,400 each.

  • If NYC is as cost-efficient as Utrecht, this solution would be more than twice as cost-effective as the city's current flood infrastructure, which costs over $4,000 per shelter.

🚗 AUTONOMOUS & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

  • The Volkswagen ID.7, a forthcoming electric vehicle, prioritizes aerodynamics to offset the lower energy storage capacity of EV batteries compared to gasoline or diesel.

  • The car will have a coefficient of drag of 0.23 and a frontal area of 2.46 square meters, one of the most aerodynamic designs Volkswagen has ever manufactured.

  • Design features include a low front end, coupe-like roof form, and tapering rear end. Details like enclosed underbody, small spoilers, and air curtains also contribute to reducing drag.

  • Design processes for optimal aerodynamics included regular consultations between development and design teams, multiple computer simulations, and wind tunnel tests.

  • The car's interior, quiet due to reduced wind turbulence, includes a Harman Kardon premium sound system with 14 speakers and 16 channels, fine-tuned for an immersive listening experience.

  • The ID.7, nearly 5 meters long with ample interior space, is expected to start deliveries in China, followed by the US and Europe. Pricing information is not yet released.

  • Italian EV startup AEHRA has revealed its second model, a four-door GT named 'The Sedan', which targets a range of 500 miles.

  • The Sedan's design is the work of former Lamborghini and Ferrari leads, featuring a mono-body platform and unique 'liquid-like' aesthetic.

  • The vehicle will come equipped with three electric motors, a 120kWh battery by Miba, and offers charging rates up to 350kW.

  • The Sedan will also feature distinctive falcon-wing doors and a lengthy infotainment screen that extends into a 'home theatre mode'.

  • While currently a concept, AEHRA aims for the production model to look identical, with a planned launch alongside their SUV model in 2026.

  • The startup claims to have substantial funding and aims to distribute its EVs in North America, Europe, China, and the Gulf States.

  • Tesla's market value, which is approaching $1 trillion, outpaces other automakers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, and General Motors.

  • The significant market value gap is because Tesla is perceived more as a tech company than a vehicle manufacturer.

  • CEO Elon Musk states Tesla's future value and stock performance hinge on the company's development of autonomous vehicles.

  • Musk suggests the "value of autonomy" is so high that even a slight chance of success makes Tesla incredibly valuable.

  • Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD), an advanced driver assistance system, is viewed as a key asset, though it doesn't make the cars fully autonomous.

  • Musk predicts Tesla cars could be fully autonomous as early as this year or next, despite previous unfulfilled promises of self-driving Teslas.

🎉 THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY!

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