The Israeli start-up D-ID.com launched its iOS and Android apps, which allow users to upload a still image and script and turn it into an AI-generated video. Originally available as a web platform, this technology, a mix of proprietary and open-source software, is being used to create digital representations of people, including fictional characters, presenters, or brand ambassadors. Like the web version, the app features premade digital characters that D-ID provides or uploads an image from the user's phone's photo library. The videos can be up to 10 minutes in length. This mobile service is subscription-based, with plans starting at $5.99 per month. "At its core lies a foundational model capable of generating video frames based on audio input. All its products are powered by its robust API with the ability to render video at an industry-leading 100 FPS, four times faster than real-time rendering," Gil Perry, CEO of D-ID, said to TechCrunch. D-ID, which raised a $25 million Series B last year, claims that over 150 million videos have been made using the platform. .
CapCut, the ByteDance-owned video editing app, introduced this month CapCut for Business targeting advertisers and marketers with features such as, AI ad scripts and AI-generated presenters, so they can be able to generate branded content. These tools — available across the CapCut app for desktop, mobile, and tablets — help advertisers to come up with script ideas based on their product or business description, as well as commercially licensed business templates, allowing to convert URLs of products or landing pages into videos. Tightly integrated with TikTok, CapCut has been a top consumer video editing app that regularly ranks in the top 20 in the iOS App Store. The company is positioning its editing app as a way for consumers to make compelling videos for social media, including TikTok, and for marketers to easily do so as well, without having to spend heavily on advanced video editing software. CapCut surpassed Splice to become the most profitable video editing app globally during the first half of 2023, pulling in a record high of $50 million, making it ByteDance’s second app to top $100 million globally.
Nearly three in four global CEOs say that investing in generative AI is a top spending priority, despite uncertain economic conditions, according to a survey done by KPMG on 1,300 global managers, including 400 in the U.S. They expect to see a return on their investment in three to five years. They also look forward to increased profitability in new products, market growth opportunities, enhanced innovation, and aid cybersecurity efforts. Fewer CEOS — less than one-third — expect a faster ROI of one to three years. For CIOs, the focus is finding real value from implementation, as they have to find the proper foundational models and characteristics. "Increased disruption and structural changes to the economy are compounding risks, requiring CEOs to move forward with long-term growth strategies while remaining agile to take advantage of new opportunities and respond to unforeseen challenges," said Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teacher's union in the U.S., signed a deal with the identification platform GTPZero to detect when students use artificial intelligence to do their homework. The teacher's union will be paying for access to more tailored AI detection and certification tools and assistance. "If we don't guard against its perils upfront, we're going to repeat the terrible transitions that happened with the industrial revolution," AFT President Randi Weingarten told CBS MoneyWatch. "ChatGPT can be a really important supplement and complement to educators if the guardrails are in place." "You can't stop technology and innovation. You need to ride it and harness, it and that's what we are talking to our members about," she said. Founded in January by Princeton graduate Edward Tian, GPTZero is a 15-person company that says "it's working with teachers to figure out where AI fits into education and empower students to use AI responsibly." • Wired: Kids Are Going Back to School. So Is ChatGPT
NVIDIA Research announced yesterday that it developed an AI agent called Eureka powered by GPT-4 LLM and generative AI. Eureka can teach robots complex skills by writing code that rewards robots for reinforcement learning. One of the 30 tasks is a robotic hand to perform rapid pen-spinning tricks for the first time as well as a human can. Eureka has also taught robots to open drawers and cabinets, toss and catch balls, and manipulate scissors, among other tasks. The Eureka research includes a paper and the project’s AI algorithms, which developers can experiment with. "Eureka is a first step toward developing new algorithms that integrate generative and reinforcement learning methods to solve hard tasks," said Anima Anandkumar, Senior Director of AI Research at NVIDIA and an author of the Eureka paper. The results from nine Isaac Gym GPU-accelerated simulation environments are showcased in visualizations generated using NVIDIA Omniverse. "It’s breakthrough work bound to get developers’ minds spinning with possibilities, adding to recent NVIDIA Research advancements like Voyager, an AI agent built with GPT-4 that can autonomously play Minecraft. NVIDIA Research comprises hundreds of scientists and engineers worldwide, with teams focused on topics including AI, computer graphics, computer vision, self-driving cars, and robotics.
