Google’s Pixel 9 launches w/ powerful AI assistant

Today’s Highlights:

📰 News: Google’s Pixel 9 launches with tons of AI features + xAI launches new Grok-2 AI models 

💰 Funding: Radical Ventures raises $800M to invest in late-stage AI

⚡️ Top News Stories:

1. Google’s launches Pixel 9 series with a focus on AI-driven enhancements 

Gemini Live was the main focus, a multimodal personal AI assistant integrated deeply into the device that can provide context-aware help, screen interaction, and drag-and-drop functionality helping users perform tasks across apps without switching between them. Here’s the video highlights:

Other highlights included:

• New features like "Add Me" for group photos and "Super Res Zoom Video" enhance Pixel's camera capabilities using AI.

• Pixel Watch 3 uses AI for advanced sleep detection, running metrics, and emergency pulse detection.

• Pixel Studio is a new app powered by AI for on-device image creation and editing using Tensor G4 and Imagen 3.

• Pixel Buds Pro 2 features advanced AI-driven noise cancellation and hands-free AI interactions with the new Tensor A1 chip.

2. xAI has launched new AI models, Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini in beta, offering improved reasoning and new capabilities, including image generation on the X social network.

• The new Grok AI models are currently accessible only to Premium and Premium+ users on X, with plans to expand availability through an enterprise API later this month.

• Grok-2 is reported to excel in coding, writing, and news generation, though early reviews note some limitations, particularly in news summarization.

• xAI plans to integrate Grok-2 into various AI-driven features on X, such as enhanced search, post analytics, and AI-powered replies, along with a preview of multimodal understanding.

• Grok-2's image generation feature, which uses FLUX.1 by Black Forest Labs, has no guardrails against creating images of political figures (despite claims guardrails), raising concerns about potential misuse, especially with the U.S. presidential election approaching.

3. Imagen 3, Google’s latest AI image tool, launches with improvements that enhance detail and customization, while maintaining ethical safeguards.

4. OpenAI releases SWE-bench Verified, a human-validated subset of SWE-bench to more accurately evaluate AI models software engineering capabilities.

5. Anthropic introduces prompt caching, allowing Claude users to save and reuse prompts, while significantly enhancing cost-effectiveness and speed.

6. Geekbench has introduced Geekbench AI, a cross-platform tool to assess device performance under AI-heavy workloads, evaluating CPU, GPU, and NPU performance, focusing on accuracy and speed in ML tasks.

7. Sakana AI introduces "The AI Scientist," an automated system that handles the entire scientific research process, from idea generation to peer review, primarily in machine learning.

8. Meta and UMG expand their partnership, boosting monetization and AI protection for artists across Meta's platforms.

9. SAG-AFTRA forges a landmark deal with AI startup Narrativ for using AI voice replicas in digital advertising, setting new standards for AI’s use in Hollywood, that ensure ethical use, consent, and compensation for performers.

10. Prediction marketplace Polymarket partners with AI search engine Perplexity to offer news summaries related to events on its platform.

11. Huawei is close to launching the Ascend 910C, a new AI chip aimed at competing with Nvidia's advanced chips in China, despite U.S. sanctions.

12. California’s AI safety bill, SB 1047, was amended after suggestions from Anthropic, reducing state power to act preemptively against AI developers and eliminating criminal liability for false safety claims.

💰 Top Funding News:

1. Radical Ventures is nearing an $800M fundraise, to focus on later-stage AI companies, backed by AI leaders like Fei-Fei Li and Geoffrey Hinton.

2. AMD has completed its acquisition of Silo AI, Europe's largest private AI lab, in a $665M all-cash deal to bolster its AI capabilities and integrate cutting-edge AI solutions with AMD hardware.

3. World Labs, founded by AI expert Fei-Fei Li, is developing AI models that can accurately estimate the 3D physicality of real-world objects and environments, raised a $100M round led by NEA

4. PayZen, which uses AI/ML to develop personalized, data-driven payment plans that simplify healthcare payments, raised a $232M Series B, led by NEA, w/ 7wireVentures, SignalFire, and Viola Ventures.

5. Guidewheel, which integrates AI-powered sensors into factory machines to monitor electrical usage, raised a $31M Series B, led by Decarbonization Partners (BlackRock and Temasek) w/ Ecolab, Rethink Impact, GSBackers, Greycroft, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

6. Encord, which provides a data development platform for AI, raised a $30M Series B, led by Next47, w/ CRV, Crane Venture Partners, and Y Combinator.

7. EliseAI, the conversational AI platforms specifically designed for the housing industry, automating property management workflows and enhancing customer interactions, raised a $75M Series D, led by Sapphire Ventures, w/ Navitas Capital, Point72 Private Investments, DivcoWest Ventures, and Koch Real Estate Investments.

8. Sahara AI, which is developing a decentralized AI blockchain platform that enables collaborative AI development, raised a $43M Series A, co-led by Binance Labs, Pantera Capital, and Polychain Capital, w/ Sequoia Capital, Samsung, and other prominent investors.

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