AI News Digest: Dec. 19, 2024

Welcome to the fourth issue of the AI News Digest! We want to hear from you: Are these AI stories valuable? What else would you like to see in future editions? Let us know: send us an email or comment in our LinkedIn Group.

TOP NEWS

Google asks FTC to break up Microsoft's cloud deal with OpenAI, the Information says Google is asking the U.S. government to halt Microsoft’s exclusive agreement to host OpenAI’s technology on its cloud servers, arguing that their consumers would need to pay more to access OpenAI models. Reuters

Inside the AI back-channel between China and the West Despite international affairs that may affect collaboration between various countries, computer scientists from the United States and China are chatting about AI and its prominent effects in the world. The Economist

Google introduces A.I. agent that aces 15-day weather forecasts DeepMind, a London-based AI company under Google, has developed GenCast, a cutting-edge AI model that delivers a highly-accurate 15-day weather forecast. The New York Times

GOVERNMENT

China opens investigation into Nvidia over potential antitrust violations Amid rising tensions over AI technology, China’s antitrust regulator is investigating Nvidia for potential violations related to its 2020 acquisition of Mellanox Technologies. This probe follows U.S. export restrictions on Nvidia's chips to China, highlighting the ongoing struggle for technological dominance between the two countries. The New York Times

OpenAI enters Silicon Valley’s hot new business: War OpenAI has partnered with Anduril Industries to integrate its AI technology into Anduril's counterdrone systems for the U.S. military. This partnership aims to improve drone detection and response speed, while positioning OpenAI in the growing defense-tech sector. The Wall Street Journal

RESPONSIBLE AI

Can AI really fix media bias? Los Angeles Times owner's controversial plan The Los Angeles Times plans to use AI to detect bias and show multiple sides of stories. Critics worry it may hurt trust and pressure reporters, highlighting the challenges of using AI in journalism. Forbes

An A.I. granny is phone scammers' worst nightmare British telecom company O2 has introduced Daisy Harris, an AI-powered "granny" to combat phone scammers by wasting their time and disrupting their schemes. Daisy is equipped with clever tactics to deter and engage scammers, reducing their effectiveness. The New York Times

AI RISK

If you can make this AI bot fall in love, you could win thousands of dollars A team at Freysa.ai is offering thousands of dollars to whoever can make its AI named Freysa say “I love you” in a conversation with a human being. TechCrunch

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability profession scrambles to fill 'extreme gap' in digital skills to harness power of AI Sustainability organizations are launching training programs to address a digital skill gap, but rapid technological changes demand ongoing workforce education. Reuters

U.S. AI task force co-chair asks FERC to support co-located data centers - letter U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte, co-chair of the Congressional AI Task Force, urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to support the development of data centers directly at power plants. Obernolte argues that “co-located" data centers are essential for national security and maintaining the U.S.'s competitive edge in AI. Reuters

LIFE SCIENCES

Combining AI and CRISPR will be transformational AI is increasing CRISPR's potential by enhancing precision and discovery in genomics, paving the way for breakthroughs in gene therapy, agriculture, and climate solutions. Wired

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ABOUT THE DIGEST

‍This newsletter is a special collaboration between Northeastern University students studying AI, data science, and computer science, and experts at The Institute for Experiential AI.
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Northeastern student curators include:

• Mihalis Koutouvos (PM), second-year, computer science
• Kaviarasu Annadurai, graduate student, robotics
• Mohammed Hussain Shariff, graduate student, applied machine intelligence
• Gabriella Hylton, third-year, computer science and economics
• Hayli Wynn, second-year, computer science and business
• Junxin Zheng, graduate student, computer science
• Yuxi Zhou, graduate student, computer science

Northeastern's Institute for Experiential AI review and editorial team includes:

• Ricardo Baeza-Yates, director of research
• Hamit Hamutcu, senior advisor, strategy & marketing
• Tim Weidinger, director of business development
• Digital marketing and content team