Google debuts SynthID, a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images

⚡ Today’s Highlights

• 📰 News: Google Cloud Next ‘23 debuts SynthID, a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images + US Copyright Office wants to hear public opinions on AI and copyright

• 💰 Funding: Apollo.io, Rockset, Amplified Industries, ControlRooms.ai, Jitty, and Refiberd

• 🦾 Tools: Transform your enterprise data into a fully operational chat interface!

📰 Today's Top Stories

Welcome to Google Cloud Next ’23

(15 min read) (Source: Google Cloud)

TLDR: The Google Next conference launched yesterday and showcased a plethora of AI technologies aimed at large enterprises. New partnerships with companies like General Motors and Estee Lauder were announced.

• Among the major reveals was SynthID, a tool capable of watermarking AI-generated images in a way invisible to the human eye. This tech alters digital image files and is designed to remain intact even if the image is tampered with.

• Google is also rolling out BigQuery Studio, a unified interface for data engineering, analytics, and predictive analysis. The platform aims to increase efficiency for data teams and is integrated with Vertex AI foundation models for cross-cloud analytics, governance, and secure data sharing.

• Duet AI was introduced to boost productivity across Google Workspace and Google Cloud. In Workspace, it aids in tasks ranging from taking notes during Google Meet calls to assisting with content in Google Chat. In Google Cloud, it serves as a coding assistant, expert adviser, data analyst, and security adviser, among other roles.

US Copyright Office wants to hear what people think about AI and copyright

(4 min read) (Source: The Verge)

TLDR: The US Copyright Office has initiated a public comment period to address pressing questions around AI and copyright. Key issues include the legality of AI models using copyrighted data for training, the copyright status of AI-generated content, and liability frameworks. Comments from the public are due by October 18th and replies by November 15th.

• Recent lawsuits highlight the tension between AI and copyright issues. For instance, three artists filed legal action against AI art platforms for using their work in training datasets without consent. Additionally, OpenAI and Meta faced lawsuits from authors and a comedian for similar reasons.

• Policy and legal clarity on these issues is crucial as the Copyright Office's decisions may set precedents for future AI regulations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has urged faster rulemaking in this arena, aligning with current public and legislative focus on AI.

The Big Picture: The intersection of AI and intellectual property is becoming a critical battleground that will shape the future of creativity, liability, and technological innovation. Startup founders and tech investors need to pay close attention and contribute their insights to influence sensible, future-proof regulations.

👀 More Reading

1. AI bros are at war over declarations that Google's upcoming Gemini AI model smashes OpenAI's GPT-4 (Business Insider)

2. It Costs Just $400 to Build an AI Disinformation Machine (WIRED)

3. How PayPal is using AI to combat fraud, and make it easier to pay (AP News)

4. How to Use AI to Talk to Whales—and Save Life on Earth (WIRED)

5. A disturbing AI phenomenon could completely upend the internet as we know it (Business Insider)

6. The A.I. Revolution Is Coming. But Not as Fast as Some People Think. (The New York Times)

💰 Funding Alerts

1. Apollo.io, a company offering a unified platform for sales and marketing professionals to access verified B2B contact data, engage prospects, and automate outreach using AI-driven guidance, raised $100 million in a Series D funding round.

• Round led by Bain Capital Ventures (Merritt Hummer, Partner), with participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital (Sonya Huang, Partner), Tribe Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners (Abhishek Sharma, Managing Director).

• Funding will be used to support Apollo.io's growth plans, aiming to expand its team from 450 to 1,000 members by 2025 across various departments.

2. Rockset, a search and analytics company that offers a search and analytics database for real-time AI applications, raised $44 million in funding, bringing the total funding to $105 million.

• Its technology enables applications like recommendation engines, chatbots, risk analytics, logistics tracking, and real-time search and reporting with low latency using SQL and vector search.

• Round led by Icon Ventures and included participation from new investors Glynn Capital, Four Rivers, K5 Global, and existing investors Sequoia and Greylock.

• Funding will be used to invest in innovating real-time AI capabilities and go-to-market initiatives.

3. Amplified Industries (formerly Acoustic Wells), a company offering an industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solution that monitors, controls, and optimizes artificial lift on oil fields in real-time, raised $10 million in funding for its official launch from stealth.

• Their solution uses machine learning, acoustic physics, and AI-powered edge computing to maximize efficiency and reduce environmental impact. They aim to transform the energy sector by replacing aging and labor-intensive tools with an affordable automation solution.

• Round led by Schooner Capital (Alexandra Manick, Principal).

• Funding will be used to further develop and expand the IoT solution, enhancing remote monitoring and control capabilities for oil field equipment, ultimately creating a smarter and cleaner oil field.

4. ControlRooms.ai, a troubleshooting company for chemical and energy producers, raised $10 million in Series A funding round.

• They offer a platform that uses AI to dynamically learn plant behavior and identify operational problems in heavy industries.

• Round led by Origin Ventures, with participation from Amity Ventures, Tokio Marine Future Fund, S3 Ventures, GTM Fund, Alpha Square Group, and FJ Labs among others.

• Funding will be used to accelerate product development and go-to-market efforts, particularly in the chemical, energy, and materials segments of heavy industry.

5. Jitty, a property search engine startup that utilizes large-language model (LLM) technologies and computer vision to simplify the home-buying process, raised $2 million in a funding round.

• Jitty intends to revolutionize the home-buying experience by offering advanced AI capabilities to match homebuyers' requirements more effectively and providing a user-friendly interface.

• Round led by Gradient Ventures, an AI fund established by Google.

• Funding will be used to launch Jitty's service in the UK and expand into other European markets.

6. Refiberd, an AI-driven solution focused on tackling textile waste in the fashion industry, raised a $3.4 million seed round.

• Refiberd aims to address the industry's textile waste problem through advanced AI-driven solutions for sorting textiles, a critical challenge in chemical recycling.

• Round led by True Wealth Ventures, Better Ventures, The Schmidt Family Foundation, Fashion for Good, H&M Foundation, Kubera Venture Capital, and Susquehanna Private Equity Investments, LLLP.

• Funding will be used to further develop its technical approach for sorting textiles, enabling effective textile-to-textile recycling.

🦾 Trending Tools

1. Arkifi revolutionizes finance by providing a digital financial analyst at your fingertips. It liberates professionals from manual model building, fostering strategic innovation and alpha generation.

• Features: Generative AI-powered finance workflow automation, deterministic output for trustworthy results.

• Perfect for: Finance experts seeking efficient model automation, strategic insights, and accurate results.

2. Mano transforms enterprise data into a fully operational chat interface. Gives businesses a secure, AI-backed internal Copilot complete with data management tools.

• Features: Securely hosts your docs, offers admin controls, auto-chunks and embeds data.

• Perfect for: Enterprises looking for a smart, secure way to manage internal data and metrics.

3. Notably turns your research data into actionable insights in a snap. It's like having a research assistant who never sleeps, turning qualitative data into synthesized gems.

• Features: AI-powered data summaries, video summaries, automated tagging, and data-driven canvas.

• Perfect for: Researchers and data analysts craving quick, reliable insights from qualitative data.

4. Gradient takes the headache out of developing custom Language Learning Models. With one API call, you can fine-tune open-source LLMs like Llama 2 while keeping your data on a tight leash.

• Features: Single-call fine-tuning of open-source LLMs, SOC 2 compliance for top-notch data security.

• Perfect for: Developers and data scientists keen on owning their data while building personalized AI applications.

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