OpenAI's GPT-4b Advances Longevity Research Amid AI's Environmental Concerns

The upcoming o3-mini model gains attention, while experts analyze generative AI's impact on the environment.

Author

Sebastian Krogh
January 21, 2025 • Reading time: 10 minutes

⚡ Quick News

  • Shield AI Valued at $5 Billion After Major Funding Shield AI, a leader in autonomous aircraft technology, has raised $200 million, boosting its valuation to $5 billion. With support from prominent investors like Palantir and Airbus, its Hivemind technology allows for autonomous drone operation without GPS. As defense budgets rise in response to global tensions, Shield AI's innovations position it to challenge traditional defense contractors, increasingly playing a pivotal role in the defense sector.

  • Microsoft Unveils Ambitious AI Strategy for 2025 As part of its aggressive AI strategy for 2025, Microsoft is launching a new engineering group, CoreAI, led by former Meta executive Jay Parikh. The company is also introducing pay-as-you-go Copilot Chat agents for businesses and integrating premium AI functionalities within Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which will include price increases. These moves underscore Microsoft's vision to automate complex human tasks into AI-driven solutions, reinforcing its leadership in the evolving tech landscape.

  • Major Investments Boost AI Firms' Market Presence Several AI firms have recently secured substantial funding, signaling robust investor confidence. Cursor, an AI coding assistant, raised $105 million in a Series B funding round, supported by leading VCs like Thrive Capital and a16z. Meanwhile, Shield AI obtained $200 million, doubling its valuation to $5 billion, and AI search platform Perplexity acquired the career-focused social platform Read.cv, marking significant expansion and growth opportunities for these companies.

  • Nexos.ai Launches to Revolutionize Enterprise AI Nexos.ai, founded by the creators of Nord Security, aims to assist businesses in scaling AI projects from pilots to full implementation. With tools that streamline costs, enhance security, and manage scalability, it supports over 200 AI models from leading providers including OpenAI. Backed by $8 million from Index Ventures, Nexos.ai addresses enterprise challenges related to AI adaptation, offering a compliance-focused infrastructure ahead of its planned launch in March.


OpenAI has taken a significant leap in the realm of protein engineering by launching the GPT-4b micro model, an AI designed to optimize Yamanaka factors, which play a critical role in cellular rejuvenation. This cutting-edge model accelerates the transformation of ordinary cells into stem cells, representing a notable advancement in the field of longevity research. By collaborating with Retro Biosciences, OpenAI is set on a course to spark breakthroughs that could extend human lifespans by up to ten years. Although still in its early stages, the partnership is backed by a robust $180 million investment from OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, reflecting the project's potential to redefine biotechnology.
Key Highlights:

  • GPT-4b micro revolutionizes the enhancement of Yamanaka factors, crucial for converting cells into stem cells, thus advancing regenerative medicine.

  • OpenAI's strategic collaboration with Retro Biosciences is driven by Altman's $180 million investment, underlining financial and strategic commitment to longevity research.

  • Initial experiments reveal a 50% increase in reprogramming efficiency, surpassing traditional scientific methods.

  • The AI model employs few-shot learning techniques to redesign proteins, pushing creative boundaries beyond human capabilities.

  • Transparency and conflict of interest within AI-driven research remain topics of ongoing discourse.

  • The partnership is positioned as a proof of concept for leveraging AI in scientific discoveries, although full public access to the model is not yet available.

Why It Matters: OpenAI's advancements could transform regenerative medicine, enhancing the efficiency of cell therapies and paving the way for treatments targeting age-related ailments. Yet, alongside these scientific strides, crucial discussions about the ethical use and transparency of AI in research continue to shape its future trajectory.

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CAs we continue to witness rapid strides in generative AI technology, significant environmental challenges have come to the fore. The energy demands and water resource implications of these technologies are substantial, presenting critical sustainability issues. MIT researchers have sounded the alarm on balancing AI advancement with responsible ecological practices, noting the massive energy consumption of AI systems. In 2022 alone, data centers worldwide consumed an amount of electricity comparable to that of major countries like France, highlighting the stress placed on both power grids and natural ecosystems.
Key Highlights:

  • Enormous energy requirements of generative AI contribute significantly to carbon emissions and strain the power grid.

  • Globally, data centers used 460 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2022, paralleling national energy consumptions.

  • Water use for cooling data centers intensifies environmental concerns.

  • Regular updates to sophisticated AI models may lead to substantial resource wastage.

  • User unawareness about AI’s environmental toll compounds the sustainability issue.

Why It Matters:To ensure AI remains a sustainable technological advancement, integrating energy-efficient practices and thoughtful resource management is essential. Policymakers, researchers, and companies must address these ecological concerns to balance AI's progress with the preservation of our planet's health.

Poised to push the boundaries of AI capabilities further, OpenAI is gearing up for the release of its o3-mini model, a pivotal development in the AI spectrum. Building on the foundation of its predecessors, the new model promises enhanced processing speeds and simultaneous API and ChatGPT integration—a strategic move to democratize access, streamline usability, and foster broader developer engagement. This transition not only highlights OpenAI's innovative momentum but also signals a pivotal moment in their development roadmap as they strive to make advanced AI tools more accessible.
Key Highlights:

  • o3-mini evolves from the o1 model, renowned for its superior scientific and technical abilities.

  • Implements a rapid release with concurrent API and ChatGPT deployment, diverging from prior staggered release schedules.

  • Positions itself within the $200/month Pro package, suggesting opportunities for premium offerings.

  • The model prioritizes speed enhancements over outpacing the capabilities of existing models like the o1 Pro.

Why It Matters:OpenAI's swift iteration in model development underscores its dedication to providing state-of-the-art AI solutions and tools that empower developers. This agility is crucial in maintaining competitiveness and innovation in the ever-evolving tech industry landscape.

As the tech landscape continues to evolve, prediction markets are proving to be invaluable in providing insights into possible future scenarios within the technology and AI sectors. Much like a stock exchange for forecasting future occurrences, these markets offer visibility on anticipated developments and trends. One such conjecture depicts ChatGPT potentially surpassing Gemini by 2025, while some speculate a resurrection of Vine following TikTok's departure from the US landscape. Though inherently speculative, these predictions capture the zeitgeist of market sentiment and project potential trajectories within the industry.
Key Highlights:

  • 41% of market players anticipate ChatGPT topping Gemini by the year 2025.

  • With TikTok’s expected US exit, 18% forecast the relaunch of Vine by 2025.

  • Forecasts show 14% betting on Alphabet’s CEO Sundar Pichai vacating his position by 2025.

  • There's a 25% prediction of NASA achieving a moon landing before 2028.

  • Pierre Poilievre emerges as a favored contender in Canada’s next election predictions.

Why It Matters:Prediction markets open a window to potential industry evolutions and help businesses strategize for the future. By analyzing these market forecasts, stakeholders can prepare to navigate and align with imminent technological shifts and possibilities.

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