Trump 2.0's Impact on AI, Perplexity triples value, Google's Interactive Learning, OpenAI’s Big Domain Buy & More
Explore Trump’s tech impact, Perplexity’s skyrocketing valuation, Nvidia’s new AI toolkit, Google’s interactive learning, and OpenAI’s high-stakes domain purchase.
Mads Bjerregaard
November 08, 2024 • Reading time: 10 minutes
Table of Contents
🇺🇸 Trump 2.0 - Big Changes Ahead for Tech, AI, and Global Policy
With Donald Trump’s re-election, the U.S. tech industry is bracing for sweeping changes. His administration promises to introduce deregulation, reshape AI policies, and implement strategic shifts affecting major tech sectors like semiconductors, social media, and AI. Key figures, including Elon Musk, are expected to play a significant role in driving this new era of tech policy.
Key Shifts to Watch
Leadership Changes: Trump plans to remove Lina Khan as FTC head, which could halt aggressive antitrust actions against companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta.
AI Deregulation: The administration is likely to roll back Biden’s AI regulations, potentially paving the way for rapid AI advancement with fewer restrictions.
Musk's Role: Elon Musk may emerge as a major influence on tech policy, pushing for deregulation and expanding his projects in government-backed initiatives.
Trade Tensions with China: Expect escalated trade restrictions impacting the semiconductor industry’s reliance on Chinese resources, with potential ripple effects for Taiwan’s security.
Section 230 Revisions: Trump’s return could revive challenges to Section 230, potentially leading to changes in how major platforms handle content moderation.
TikTok Reversal?: Despite earlier support for a TikTok ban, Trump now signals openness to rethinking ByteDance’s operations in the U.S.
Data Privacy Tensions with the EU: Heightened scrutiny on U.S.-EU data sharing could destabilize the recent Data Privacy Framework, affecting tech’s global user access.
Trump’s tech policy could redefine the industry landscape, loosening AI restrictions and easing antitrust pressures, while trade policies and national security stances might reshape global tech alliances. As companies brace for rapid policy shifts, the upcoming years could see significant transformations in AI development, semiconductor strategy, and international data governance.
🚀 Perplexity Triples Valuation in Less Than Six Months
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. Source: Getty Images
Celebrating its second anniversary, Perplexity has become one of the hottest names in AI. The company is closing in on a massive $500 million funding round — its fourth this year — catapulting it into the upper echelon of AI startups in terms of valuation.
Key to Success: Breaking Away from the Pack
Perplexity’s strategy has been all about standing out:
Election Information Hub: While many chatbots stayed away from political questions, Perplexity embraced them, providing a hub for voter information.
Revenue-Sharing Partnerships: In response to concerns from publishers like Forbes and Wired over content usage, Perplexity has initiated revenue-sharing agreements to keep relations smooth.
Facing the Competition
As Perplexity expands, competitors are hot on its heels:
OpenAI’s Search Platform: OpenAI recently unveiled its GPT-powered search feature, a direct competitor to Perplexity’s core offering.
Meta’s Upcoming Platform: Meta is reportedly working on its own solution, aiming to challenge Perplexity’s search dominance.
🤖 Nvidia Unveils Major Robotics AI Toolkit
At the 2024 Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL), Nvidia announced a cutting-edge suite of AI and simulation tools designed to propel robotics development. This comprehensive toolkit introduces powerful new capabilities for training, motion generation, and perception in humanoid robotics
Key Features:
Isaac Lab Framework: Nvidia’s Isaac Lab is now available as an open-source platform. It provides a suite of scalable, versatile tools designed to train robots efficiently and at scale, making it easier for developers to refine robot capabilities in a range of simulated and real-world environments.
Project GR00T: A major part of Nvidia’s announcement, Project GR00T introduces specialized workflows for humanoid robots. These workflows cover essential functions like motion generation, which allows robots to move in more human-like ways, and environmental perception, enabling them to better understand and navigate their surroundings.
Partnership with Hugging Face: In a new partnership, Nvidia has teamed up with Hugging Face to integrate their LeRobot platform. This collaboration aims to accelerate AI advancements by combining Nvidia’s hardware and tools with Hugging Face’s open-source AI models and community, potentially speeding up innovation across the robotics industry.
Cosmos Tokenizer: Nvidia also introduced a high-speed data processing tool, the Cosmos Tokenizer. This tool can process visual data for robots up to 12 times faster than current alternatives, providing a significant boost in the speed and efficiency with which robots analyze and respond to visual information.
Nvidia’s push in robotics AI could solidify its role as a foundational player in the race toward humanoid robots. With these new tools, the robotics industry is poised to accelerate, blending advanced AI models with physical hardware in ways previously unseen.
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📚 Master Any Topic with Google’s Interactive AI Learning
Google’s new Learn About feature offers a hands-on, AI-driven way to dive deep into any topic. Designed to make learning more engaging, this tool combines AI-powered explanations, visual aids, and interactive content to guide users through complex subjects.
How It Works:
Visit the Learn About Page: Available in selected countries, this page is the starting point for exploring any topic.
Enter a Topic or Browse Collections: Users can search for specific topics or choose from curated collections.
Interactive Exploration: Navigate through vocabulary builders, timelines, and visual aids to deepen your understanding.
Customize Your Experience: Options like Simplify, Go Deeper, and Get Images allow users to tailor the learning experience.
Pro Tip: Follow-up questions and related topics help expand your knowledge, making Learn About a powerful tool for mastering new subjects at your own pace
💸 OpenAI Acquires $15M+ Domain Name, chat.com
OpenAI has acquired the coveted domain name chat.com from HubSpot founder Dharmesh Shah, redirecting it to ChatGPT. This high-profile purchase, reportedly over $15 million, could be one of the priciest domain acquisitions on record.
Key Details:
Original Purchase: Dharmesh Shah bought chat.com in March 2023 for approximately $15.5 million.
Sale to OpenAI: Shah confirmed selling the domain to OpenAI, hinting that the transaction included shares in the company rather than a cash-only deal.
Philanthropic Twist: Shah donated $250,000 of the sale proceeds to Khan Academy.
Potential Shift in Branding: The domain now directs to ChatGPT, suggesting that OpenAI may be gearing up for a broader brand identity beyond “ChatGPT,” possibly signaling a shift towards future AI models.
This acquisition aligns with OpenAI’s ambitions to create a broader presence in conversational AI. A shift from “ChatGPT” to simply “chat” hints at a brand evolution, as OpenAI eyes a future in which AI is even more integrated into daily life and communication.
⚡Quick News
Google's "Jarvis" Leak: Google briefly leaked Jarvis, an AI that autonomously manages web-based tasks, on the Chrome Web Store. It’s expected to officially release in December.
Saudi Arabia's Project Transcendence: Saudi Arabia announced Project Transcendence, a $100 billion AI initiative aimed at positioning the kingdom as a global tech leader, with investments spanning data centers, startups, and infrastructure.
Perplexity's Funding Round: Despite facing legal challenges from major publishers, Perplexity is reportedly set to raise $500 million, giving it a valuation of $9 billion.
KLING's Custom Models: Chinese video platform KLING is launching a Custom Models feature, allowing users to train personalized video characters for consistent appearances across scenes.
Microsoft’s Anti-Hallucination Patent: Microsoft filed a patent for a “response-augmenting system” designed to reduce AI hallucinations by verifying information against real-world data before responding
🧰 New AI Tools
Video Ocean: Quickly create stunning videos from text and images, perfect for content creators looking to produce polished videos in minutes.
SWE-Kit: An open-source toolkit for building your own software engineering assistant, inspired by the popular coding assistant Devin.
Sona: Capture valuable insights from conversations with AI-powered transcription and note-taking, turning meetings into actionable data.
RivalSense: Keep an eye on competitors with weekly AI-curated updates, helping you stay informed on any company’s moves.
PopPop AI Vocal Remover: A free tool to easily separate or remove vocals from any song, ideal for music producers and remix enthusiasts.
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