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Trudeau announces Lunar Accelerator, partnership with NASA-led Lunar Gateway (BETAKIT)
Canada will be investing $2.05 billion over 24 years towards Canada’s space program. Canada expects the investment to help grow Canadian companies by supporting the development of AI tech and widening the market for businesses.
New AI makes it harder to detect what’s real online (CBC)
“Don’t assume just because there’s a picture out there, it’s real.”
Innovation Nation: Montreal’s AI supercluster is all about the little guy (VANCOUVERSUN)
At the heart of the Scale AI proposal is the idea that artificial intelligence systems can use such data to make better, more efficient supply chains.
Presto raises $30M to bring its AI platform and tabletop ordering hardware to restaurant chains (TECHCRUNCH)
The funding comes from Recruit Holdings and Romulus Capital, with participation from I2BF Global Ventures, EG Capital, and Brainchild Holdings.
Is ethical AI even possible? (NYTIMES)
“Building ethical artificial intelligence is an enormously complex task. It gets even harder when stakeholders realize that ethics are in the eye of the beholder.”
Element AI coming out of “stealth phase,” launching product with National Bank (BETAKIT)
Element AI decided to keep its head down while developing its first set of products.
Qualcomm launches its first platform made for robots (ENGADGET)
RB3 is built for always-connected bots and drones.
Microsoft’s quantum computing network takes one giant leap at Startup Summit (GEEKWIRE)
“We’re looking at solving big food production problems. We think we have opportunities to solve problems around materials science, personal health care, machine learning. All of these things are possible and obtainable with a quantum computer. We have been talking around here that we’re at the advent of the quantum economy.”
Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI fund, leads $7M investment in English learning app Elsa (TECHCRUNCH)
Elsa uses voice recognition and AI to grade a user’s speaking versus standard American English, giving them a score at the end to help them track their progress.
Ottawa AI startup reDock raises $1M for rebooted proposal product (OBJ)
The funding was led by Anges Québec, with participation from Panache Ventures, ScaleUP Ventures, and Hustle Fund.
Researchers get AI help to map ecosystem, wildlife conservation (HINDUSTANTIMES)
What’s new is that AI-based technologies are catching on big time across Indian research organisations working on environment and conservation. These organisations are being backed by big-ticket funding programs such as Microsoft’s AI for Earth, a $50 million, five-year program that has eight participants from India.