Apple AI goes open-source

PLUS: 'Sentient' Optimus robots are coming

Welcome, AI enthusiasts.

As the world eagerly awaits Apple's WWDC reveal, a new model release just provided the strongest signal yet that on-device AI is coming in a BIG way.

Even more shocking is that the secretive company is going open-source with the release — a curveball that’s turning some heads in the AI race. Let’s investigate…

In today’s AI rundown:

  • Apple unveils OpenELM for on-device AI

  • Elon Musk: Tesla is an AI company

  • Unlock AI-assisted Gmail writing

  • Moderna and OpenAI partner up

  • 6 new AI tools & 4 new AI jobs

  • More AI & tech news

Read time: 4 minutes

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

APPLE

Image source: Midjourney

The Rundown: Apple just quietly released OpenELM, a family of small, open-source language models designed to run efficiently on devices like iPhones and Macs.

The details:

  • OpenELM consists of eight models with four different parameter sizes (270M, 450M, 1.1B, and 3B), all trained on public datasets.

  • The model family is optimized for on-device use, allowing for AI-powered tasks to be handled without relying on cloud servers.

  • OpenELM slightly outperforms comparable open-source models like OLMo despite requiring 2x less training data.

  • Also open-sourced is CoreNet, the library used to train OpenELM — along with models allowing for ‘efficient inference and fine-tuning on Apple devices.’

Why it matters: It feels like everyone is getting in on the small model game, and this release marks yet another breadcrumb toward Apple’s potential on-device AI moves coming at WWDC. Also notable is the open-source release — a distinct turn from Apple’s previously restrictive and secretive ways.

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TESLA

Image source: Tesla

The Rundown: Elon Musk provided new updates on Tesla’s Optimus autonomous robots during the company’s 2024 Q1 earnings call — stating that Tesla should be thought of as an AI or robotics company, not an automaker.

The details:

  • Musk said he believes Optimus will be ‘more valuable than everything else [in the company] combined’.

  • He revealed that Optimus should be doing ‘useful tasks’ in Tesla factories by the end of the year and sold externally by the end of 2025.

  • A new graphic featured Optimus at the top of Tesla’s ecosystem chart, with the robots accounting for ‘a majority’ of the company’s long-term value.

  • Tesla’s shares surged following the call despite missing earnings expectations.

Why it matters: While many still look at Tesla and think of cars, Musk’s AI and robotic visions are operating on a grander scale. The confident predictions on Optimus also show where the company is heading — with the ‘sentient’ humanoid robot at the center of Musk’s futuristic plans.

AI TRAINING

The Rundown: Google’s new ‘Help me write’ feature grants Gmail direct access to Gemini, allowing Google Workspace users to draft full emails in seconds from simple prompts.

Step-by-step:

  1. Join the waitlist here to gain access. Note: the feature is not available worldwide. If it isn’t available in your country, the only workaround is with a US-based VPN.

  2. Once you sign in, click the ‘Help me write’ option (pencil icon with a star) in the navigation bar when composing a new email.

  3. Provide a brief prompt/description of the email you want to write, and let the AI generate a draft.

  4. Refine your email using the available options: Formalize, Elaborate, and Shorten.

  5. Review your AI-assisted email, make any necessary edits, and hit "Send".

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MODERNA

Image source: OpenAI

The Rundown: Biotech giant Moderna announced the expansion of its partnership with OpenAI to integrate AI across its entire org, aiming to accelerate the development of life-saving mRNA treatments.

The details:

  • Moderna’s custom GPTs tackle tasks ranging from predicting optimal drug doses to branding and internal communication.

  • The company saw the creation of 750 GPTs and 120 ChatGPT conversations per company user each week.

  • CEO Stephane Bancel said Moderna is looking to ‘redesign every business process’ with AI, allowing the 3,000-person team to perform like 100,000.

Why it matters: While AI for medical research is a common topic, we rarely get a peek under the hood. Moderna’s AI adoption could not only supercharge the development of revolutionary treatments, but also serve as a blueprint for other enterprises to harness ChatGPT within their organizations.

NEW TOOLS & JOBS

  • 🏠 Homestage - Upload a picture and instantly add virtual furniture

  • 🚀 Caption AI ad generator - Generate top-performing, UCG-style video ads in one click

  • ⚒️ Dify - Open-source LLM app development platform with RAG engine

  • 👍 Feedbuck - Instant website feedback widget

  • 👶 Bundle of Joy - Discover the perfect baby name with AI

  • 🧠 SecBrain - AI-powered voice recorder app to help users remember everything

  • 📢 C3 AI - Senior Director, Corporate Communications

  • 📊 Synthesia - Lead Product Analyst

  • 🔒 OpenAI - Security Engineer, Detection & Response

  • 👩‍💻 Shield AI - Principal Engineer, Frond-End/Full Stack

QUICK HITS

Tupac Shakur’s representatives are threatening legal action after the late rapper’s AI-generated vocals were used without permission on Drake’s recent “Taylor Made” diss track.

Meta saw significant profit and revenue increases in the company’s Q1 earnings report, attributed to significantly expanding AI investments.

AI startup Cognition announced a new funding round valuing the company at over $2B, despite no revenue and mixed sentiment on its ‘Devin’ AI coding agent.

Anthropic released new AI alignment research, developing a method to help detect when AI systems might act against instructions for improved safety measures.

Xaira Therapeutics launched with $1B in funding, aiming to revolutionize drug discovery with AI — and featuring former Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne as CEO.

Augment emerged from stealth with $252M in funding, led by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, launching an AI-powered coding platform to rival GitHub Copilot.

Nvidia is acquiring Run:ai, an Israeli software company focused on software for AI computing resource management — with the deal valued at $700M.

THAT’S A WRAP

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