🤖 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The whole world wants A.I. — and the market will deliver, Sam Altman says

• 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 announces jaw-dropping $3 billion investment in AI

• 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 intros new AI-powered travel and product search features

• 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!

• Decktopus: Another AI-powered slide deck generation tool.

• Pictori.ai: AI-powered video generator.

• Durable.co: AI-powered website generation.

🌡️ CLIMATE CHANGE & CLEAN ENERGY

Extreme Heat Is Deadlier Than Hurricanes, Floods and Tornadoes Combined

• 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 Luxury Cruise Ships Emit As Much Toxic Sulphur As 1 Billion Cars — Study

• 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.

Flooding Issue In NYC? Rooftop Gardens For Bus Stops To The Rescue!

• 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

Volkswagen ID.7 — Sleek On The Outside, Symphonic On The Inside

• 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.

AEHRA unveils SLEEK all-electric, four door GT simply called ‘The Sedan,’ targeting 500 mile range

• 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.

Elon Musk Says One Thing May Make or Break Tesla

• 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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Thanks for reading!

-Marc 👋

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