AI is a massive business to be. Are you there yet?

How is it going, AI enthusiasts? 👋

We are nearly halfway through February, reader, and congratulations – if you read this, you are one step closer to the end of the darkest, greyest period! Well done, you! 🥹

Let’s put in a bit of effort and bring a bit of enjoyment to your day. Leave the world behind and spend 3 minutes with Max reading this week’s newsletter!👇

1. Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Herculaneum Papyri 🥾

Over two centuries following the groundbreaking discovery of the Rosetta Stone (by the way, you may find it in the British Museum), here comes a new game-changing achievement in the field of archaeology. Ancient papyrus scrolls, entombed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius 🌋 in 79 AD, have finally yielded their secrets, though the task no longer rests solely upon human shoulders.

The Herculaneum papyri 📜, previously unreadable due to their fragile condition, was unravelled by three students utilising AI-powered coding machines as part of the Vesuvius Challenge. This contest offered a prize pot of $1m to help solve the problem. Youssef Nader in Germany, Luke Farritor in the US, and Julian Schilliger in Switzerland will now share the $ 700,000 reward, with humanity gaining access to more than 2,000 letters from the scrolls. The sheer number of letters reveals that it is likely penned by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, unravelling ancient wisdom and culture, especially concerning "music, food, and the art of savouring life's pleasures" 😉. Moreover, it paves the way for further decryption of additional scrolls yet to be unearthed.

The deciphered fragment accounts for merely 5% of one of the scrolls already discovered, prompting the announcement of a new $100,000 grand prize for the inaugural team capable of decoding at least 90% of all four scrolls. If your February calendar lacks engagements, why not embark on this challenge: become a 21st-century AIndiana Jones with ChatGPT instead of a whip! 💰

I wonder if someone did AI research on well-discovered ancient texts. We, humans, could have missed something.

2. One of us! 📈

You know that feeling when a newcomer at work swiftly rises to success within 12 months, while you, having been there for years, cannot help but wonder, "How?" 😱 It seems AI is just like that newcomer. A year after its introduction to the market, the generative AI sector is poised to exceed a value of $100 billion in the next four years, according to a recent study by Sopra Steria.

This surge is anticipated to be propelled by new language models offering prospects in customer service, software development, knowledge management and digital marketing.

Whilst the current market valuation remains relatively modest, experts foresee a significant change in the commercialisation of generative AI, powered by competition among major AI models and the ascent of specialised large language models. This technology's potential applications span various sectors, including customer service, digital marketing, software engineering and knowledge management.

As businesses transition from exploration to systematic adoption of generative AI, my friends, we must acknowledge that a newcomer is making significant strides and is now one of us. However, I'd encourage us all to strike a balance between proactivity and maintaining control, ensuring that human oversight remains crucial to its implementation (just in case, you know) 🤔

3. Here is hoping 🤳

We've been discussing the impact of fake content generated by technology a lot lately, how it can affect global policy in general and Taylor Swift in particular 🙈. There's a glimmer of hope for a safe(r) reality on the horizon as Meta is rolling out technology to identify and label AI-generated images across its platforms. This initiative is about to cover Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Meta already applies labels to AI-generated images produced by its systems. Here is hoping the upcoming technology will build momentum in the industry's fight against AI-generated deception 🤞

However, right now, there are significant concerns about potential evasion tactics. Moreover, Meta's current strategy doesn't address AI-generated audio and video content, leaving a notable gap. Criticisms of the company's approach to manipulated media highlight the need for updates to tackle synthetic and hybrid content more effectively. The stakes are too high to overlook ⛔️

Despite the challenges, Meta's initiative represents a crucial step in grappling with the complexities of AI-generated misinformation. Stay safe(r) and double-check – that's my advice in this evolving landscape 🕵🏻‍♂️

So that’s it for now. Can’t help but be amused at how fast the world is changing…But I believe we’ll be okay as long as we have each other and common sense. 🙃

Don’t forget to tell your friends about my newsletter, and stay curious! 🚀

Max

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