Reddit Manipulation, Drug Repurposing, OpenELM
25 April 2024: AI services game Reddit for SEO, Americans worry about job loss, AWS launches Custom AI Model Import, United Airlines leverages AI, Apple's OpenELM
Good Morning,
Latest in AI,
1. 1-Minute Roundup
2. Headlines
3. AI Investment Deals
4. Other AI News
1-Minute Roundup
Headlines:
AI services manipulate Reddit for product promotion and Google ranking
Americans worry about AI's impact on jobs and education
AI Investment Deals:
Amplifier Security raises $3.3M for AI security development
Aropha secures $1M for AI-driven biodegradable material testing
Clueso announces $1.4M for AI-powered training video production
Parloa raises $66M to enhance conversational AI in the U.S.
BforeAI secures $15M to expand predictive cybersecurity
PeppercornAI raises £3.25M for its AI conversational platform
FlexAI exits stealth with $30M for simplified AI compute access
Augment launches with $252M to transform AI-driven coding
Nvidia to acquire Run.ai for $700M, specialising in AI computing resources
Nova AI raises $1M for automated code testing with data privacy focus
Others:
Transcripta Bio uses AI to repurpose drugs for rare diseases
AWS launches Custom AI Model Import for enterprises
United Airlines leverages AI for customer experience and efficiency
Apple releases OpenELM, open-source language models for on-device AI
Headlines
AI Services Manipulate Reddit for Product Promotion and Google Ranking
Companies like ReplyGuy and Stealth Marketing are using AI to artificially boost products on Reddit, aiming to rank high on Google and generate leads.
Why it Matters: The rise of AI-powered manipulation on Reddit threatens the platform's integrity and user trust, as Redditors are generally suspicious of astroturfing, bots, and vote manipulation.
Zoom In:
ReplyGuy auto-suggests keywords and responds to posts, mentioning products "naturally."
Stealth Marketing claims to "turn Reddit into a steady stream of customers."
Reddit has banned chiefly accounts shown as examples by these services
Numbers:
Two-thirds of all takedowns on Reddit are for spam
2.7% of takedowns are for content manipulation
Around 75% of removals are done automatically
How it Works: Users add their company name and URL to the service's dashboard, which then auto-suggests keywords and responds to relevant posts, aiming for upvotes and visibility.
Reality Check: While the existence of these services doesn't necessarily mean Reddit will be overrun with AI-generated content, it highlights the ongoing efforts to game the platform for SEO purposes.
Americans Concerned About AI's Impact on Jobs and Education
Recent YouGov surveys reveal that many American workers are worried about AI eliminating their jobs or reducing their hours and salaries. Most also believe that K-12 schools should incorporate AI usage skills into the curriculum to prepare students for future careers.
Why it Matters: As AI advances, its potential to disrupt the workforce and reshape education is becoming increasingly apparent, prompting Americans to consider the implications for their careers and their children's future.
Numbers:
35% of workers are concerned about losing their jobs or having hours/salaries cut due to AI
43% think AI will decrease available jobs in their industry, up 9 points since June 2023
Most believe AI will increase automation (56%), employee monitoring (51%), and profits (49%)
42% of workers use AI tools at work; 46% of them worry about job loss
Only 3% have personally experienced job loss or hour/salary cuts due to AI
21% think K-12 students must learn AI skills; 29% among parents
50% say AI has hurt politics; 44% say the same for media
Manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation see more positive than negative impact
Between the Lines: While concern about AI's effects is significant, few Americans have experienced a job loss or reduced hours/salary due to AI.
Big Picture: The survey highlights the growing need for schools to adapt their curricula to incorporate AI skills, with most Americans believing schools should focus on teaching appropriate AI usage rather than preventing it.
AI Investment Deals
Amplifier Security, an Atlanta-based AI security firm, raised $3.3M led by Cota Capital, targeting development expansion. Investors include founders from Slack, MobileIron, and others.
Aropha, an Ohio-based lab, secures $1M seed funding from Comeback Capital to enhance AI-driven biodegradable material testing. Expansion aims include more robust lab operations and a predictive model, ArophaAI.
Clueso announced $1.4M seed funding, led by f7 Ventures, after recovering from a 25k user base to zero. The company focuses on AI-driven training video production.
Parloa, a German conversational AI firm, secures $66M in Series B funding led by Altimeter Capital to enhance U.S. operations and voice-first customer service technology.
BforeAI raised $15M in Series A funding, led by SYN Ventures, to expand its predictive security capabilities in the U.S., aiming to preempt cyberattacks with AI-driven technology.
PeppercornAI, a Cardiff-based insurtech, raised £3.25M, led by Wealth Club, to enhance its AI conversational platform despite a challenging funding environment for UK fintech.
FlexAI, a French startup, exits stealth with a massive $30M seed round to simplify AI compute access, launching an on-demand cloud service for AI training later this year.
Augment launches from stealth with $252M in funding, backed by Eric Schmidt. It aims to transform AI-driven coding by improving software quality and developer productivity.
Nvidia is set to acquire Israeli AI software firm Run.ai, which specialises in managing AI computing resources (GPU). The deal is valued at $700M. Run.ai has been collaborating with Nvidia since 2020.
Nova AI, a specialist in automated code testing, has raised $1M in pre-seed funding. The company focuses on enterprises concerned with data privacy.
Others
Transcripta Bio Leverages AI to Repurpose Existing Drugs for Rare Diseases
Transcripta Bio's AI-powered drug-screening program identified a potential treatment for a rare genetic condition
The company's technology can efficiently analyse thousands of existing drugs for repurposing across rare diseases
AWS Launches Custom AI Model Import
The new feature allows enterprises to import and access their proprietary generative AI models on AWS Bedrock.
Imported models benefit from Bedrock's infrastructure, customisation tools, and safeguards to mitigate biases.
United Airlines Leverages AI for Customer Experience and Operational Efficiency
United uses AI-generated messages to inform passengers about flight delays and provide explanations.
United plans to launch "Get Me Close," a tool that helps customers find alternative nearby airports during flight delays and is exploring AI-summarised technical documents for pilots, though heavily regulated areas will take longer to implement
Apple Releases OpenELM: Open-Source, Efficient Language Models for On-Device AI
OpenELM is a family of small AI models designed to run efficiently on a single device.
The models, ranging from 270 million to 3 billion parameters, are available for public use and modification.
Like TheAIML?
Don’t keep it to yourself. Colleagues and friends can sign up here.
For even more,
Our newsletter archive: Click here
Follow us on Linkedin,
Follow us on 𝕏/Twitter
How are we doing? We would like to hear what you think about this newsletter. Let us know.