OpenAI launches telephone and WhatsApp access to ChatGPT

OpenAI has introduced a new way to interact with ChatGPT through a toll-free number (1-800-CHATGPT) and WhatsApp messaging service. According to the company’s official explanation, users in the United States and Canada can now call 1-800-242-8478 to speak with ChatGPT, while international users can access the service via WhatsApp messaging. The service is available without …

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Google launches new benchmark to test AI models’ factual accuracy

Google has introduced FACTS Grounding, a new benchmark system to evaluate how accurately large language models (LLMs) use source material in their responses. The benchmark comprises 1,719 examples across various domains including finance, technology, and medicine. The FACTS team at Google DeepMind and Google Research developed the system, which uses three frontier LLM judges – …

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IBM launches improved Granite 3.1 language models

IBM has released a new version of its open-source large language models, Granite 3.1, featuring significant improvements in performance and capabilities. According to reporting by Sean Michael Kerner for VentureBeat, the new models offer extended context length and integrated hallucination detection. The Granite 8B Instruct model reportedly outperforms similar-sized competitors including Meta Llama 3.1 and …

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OpenAI releases o1 model for developer access

OpenAI has made its advanced o1 artificial intelligence model available to third-party developers through its API. According to an article by Carl Franzen in VentureBeat, this release represents a significant advancement in making sophisticated AI technology accessible to developers. The o1 model, first announced in September 2024, differs from traditional large language models by incorporating …

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UK creative industry opposes AI copyright exemption plan

British creative organizations have united against a government proposal that would allow AI companies to use copyrighted works without explicit permission. According to Robert Booth’s report in The Guardian, the Creative Rights in AI Coalition, representing thousands of artists, writers, and media companies, rejected the plan announced by technology minister Chris Bryant. The proposal would …

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Runway launches AI filmmaker talent network

Runway, a New York-based AI company, has introduced a new online platform connecting AI filmmakers with potential employers. According to an article by Shubham Sharma for VentureBeat, the network aims to help brands, agencies, and studios find specialized AI video talent. The platform already features dozens of independent artists and production houses, including members of …

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Perplexity raises $500 million at $9 billion valuation

Perplexity AI Inc., a company developing an AI-powered search engine to compete with Google, has secured $500 million in new funding. According to reporting by Shirin Ghaffary for Bloomberg, the investment was led by Institutional Venture Partners and values the company at $9 billion. The valuation represents a dramatic increase from the company’s $3 billion …

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Salesforce expands AI sales team with 2,000 new hires

Salesforce is doubling its artificial intelligence sales staff by hiring 2,000 new employees, according to CEO Marc Benioff. As reported by Jordan Novet, the cloud software company has already received 9,000 applications for these positions. The expansion comes as Salesforce prepares to launch the second generation of its Agentforce technology in February 2025. This AI-powered …

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AI data sources reveal growing tech company dominance

A comprehensive study by the Data Provenance Initiative has uncovered concerning trends in AI training data sources, according to findings reported by Melissa Heikkilä in MIT Technology Review. The research, analyzing nearly 4,000 public datasets across 67 countries, shows that data collection for AI development is increasingly concentrated among major technology companies. Since 2018, web …

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US homeland security chief criticizes EU’s AI regulation approach

The outgoing US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has warned against Europe’s strict approach to AI regulation. In an interview with the Financial Times, reported by Cristina Criddle and Tabby Kinder, Mayorkas expressed concern about the growing tensions between the US and Europe over AI oversight. He emphasized that Europe’s “adversarial” relationship with …

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