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BenchSci trims headcount citing generative AI, economic conditions
Toronto-based artificial intelligence and biomedical startup BenchSci has reduced its headcount as the startup looks to adapt to the impact of generative AI in the field of drug discovery.
The layoffs come roughly six months after BenchSci closed $95 million in Series D funding to expand its AI-powered drug-discovery platform.
“This decision stems from shifts in our longer-term strategic direction and what we know will have the greatest impact on our customers—which includes furthering our investment in generative AI,” BenchSci CEO Liran Belenzon said in a statement sent to BetaKit.
(BetaKit)
Shaping the future of advanced robotics
Google has unveiled new robotics models AutoRT, SARA-RT, and RT-Trajectory to improve real-world robot data collection, speed, and generalization.
AutoRT is a system that harnesses the potential of large foundation models, which DeepMind says is critical for creating robots that can understand practical human goals.
SARA-RT and RT-Trajectory focus on making physical robot movement more efficient and adaptable.
Clinia secures Series A funding, partnership with Telus Health to deploy its search tech
For Montréal-based Clinia, which has spent the past few years ensuring its artificial intelligence-powered health-search infrastructure is “enterprise-grade,” the $10 million deal gives the healthtech startup fresh capital from Telus Ventures, a new customer in Telus Health, and a strong distribution network.
(BetaKit)
OpenAI in Talks With CNN, Fox and Time to License Content
OpenAI is in talks with CNN, Fox Corp. and Time to license their work, according to people familiar with the matter, in a growing effort to secure access to news content to build out its artificial intelligence products while facing allegations it’s ripping off copyrighted materials.
Keeping to its word from last week, OpenAI also officially opened its GPT Store for business this week, allowing people who’ve created their own chatbots publicly share their versions of ChatGPT.
OpenAI’s GPT store launch is bigger than you think
OpenAI’s GPT Store is going to be bigger for entrepreneurs than Apple’s App Store, Commit CEO Greg Gunn writes in an op-ed for BetaKit.
OpenAI has a significant lead in the AI race because its platform is easy to build on, and because of its focus on distribution and monetization, Gunn says.
“Like with Apple in the last tech generation, it’s OpenAI’s race to lose.”
(BetaKit)
Goodyear, Gatik expand self-driving-truck partnership with tech tested in Canada’s winters
As Gatik’s autonomous trucks, which transport goods for Loblaw, ditch their human drivers, they had to learn one of the trickiest things about driving—how slick the road can be before you start skidding.
Gatik and tire giant Goodyear are now expanding work that began in Canada, using high-tech tires to train self-driving vehicles.
Zapier’s Reid Robinson on navigating AI integrations
The swift embrace of generative AI tools is opening new doors for business leaders. But embedding this tech into a business’ operational fabric requires seamless integrations. Building those seamless integrations is the focus for Reid Robinson, lead product manager for AI at Zapier. “The focus being really to just experiment and build at the edge of this emerging technology to really push the limits,” Robinson said in a sit-down interview with BetaKit at SAAS NORTH 2023.
(BetaKit)
Solon Angel explains which industries will be dominated first by AI
The influence of AI in our day-to-day activities is becoming more apparent. For Solon Angel, founder of MindBridge, we’re living in “a bit of an Internet moment.”
When it comes to industries with existing infrastructure, standards, and regulations, businesses can, as Angel puts it, “do a bit of judo.” This means using the weight of the opponent to your advantage, and focus on a very narrow entry point to improve existing processes.
(BetaKit)
US companies and Chinese experts engaged in secret diplomacy on AI safety
Artificial intelligence companies OpenAI, Anthropic and Cohere have engaged in secret diplomacy with Chinese AI experts, amid shared concern about how the powerful technology may spread misinformation and threaten social cohesion.
The previously unreported talks are a rare sign of Sino-US co-operation amid a race for supremacy between the two major powers in the area of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and quantum computing.
Danielle Gifford on expanding Canada’s investor funnel
Early-stage investing is fraught with steep risks and a long, uncertain path to returns, but those facts shouldn’t necessarily deter new entrants, according to Danielle Gifford, former executive director at Movement51.
“What people don’t realize is that early-stage investing is very much a viable asset class,” Gifford said in a sit-down interview with BetaKit at SAAS NORTH 2023.
(BetaKit)
Humane lays off 4 percent of employees before releasing its AI Pin
Humane laid off four percent of employees this week in a move that was described as a cost-cutting measure to those who were impacted.
The cuts, which numbered 10 people, come ahead of the five-year-old startup shipping its first device: a $699, screenless, AI-powered pin that is pitched as a smartphone replacement.
ArenaX Labs closes $6 million to develop AI-powered battle game
Toronto-based gaming software startup ArenaX Labs has closed $6 million in funding as it looks to fuel the development of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video game.
Founded in 2021, ArenaX Labs is developing a player-versus-player, Ethereum-native game where players can purchase and train characters that are powered by AI. Players can then put their characters to battle with other AI characters, with the outcomes based on how well players train them.
(BetaKit)
AI-powered misinformation is the world’s biggest short-term threat, Davos report says
False and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence that threatens to erode democracy and polarize society is the top immediate risk to the global economy, the World Economic Forum said in a report Wednesday.
The authors worry that the boom in generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT means that creating sophisticated synthetic content that can be used to manipulate groups of people won’t be limited any longer to those with specialized skills.
