Today’s Cache | Elon Musk to integrate AI startup with X; Humanoid robots and their problems; OpenAI plans for developer conference debut

Elon Musk is to integrate AI startup xAI with X [File] | Photo Credit: POOL

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Elon Musk to integrate AI startup with X

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI is to be combined with X (formerly Twitter), allowing the social media platform’s paying subscribers to access the new AI bot Grok, while also making it available through an app. According to the Tesla billionaire and X owner, Grok will attempt to help humanity understand the universe and will also generate responses that users are meant to interpret as “witty.”

Musk pointed out that Grok was unique as it could leverage real time information on X. By contrast, AI models such as ChatGPT were released with a knowledge cut-off in place which prevented it from sourcing answers backed by the most up-to-date information. Musk was also one of the participants who spoke with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the country’s first AI safety summit.

Humanoid robots and their problems

The generative AI boom has spurred investments in companies and startups building humanoid robots to carry out tasks such as loading/unloading objects. While some companies do not overly focus on the appearance of their robots, others want them to fit into public spaces with the help of humanlike traits such as the bipedal body structure and our facial features.

However, these so-called humanoid robots are still in the early stages of development. While Amazon is testing the use of Agility’s Digit robots in its warehouse, Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot was criticised for its basic walk and awkward gait. Job security concerns also complicate the existence of these robots.

OpenAI plans for developer conference debut

At ChatGPT-maker OpenAI’s first ever developer conference, which is scheduled for today, technologists and investors are hoping for news of more powerful AI tools as well as cheaper plans for their usage. The day long event will take place in San Francisco, where the economy has taken a beating due to COVID-19, in spite of its active tech sector presence. Announcements about cost cutting efforts for OpenAI product users and news about the GPT-4 model are also eagerly awaited.

While ChatGPT has achieved popularity as both a desktop tool and a smartphone app, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hopes to push the boundaries by creating a platform which developers will use to launch their own AI-generated products, reported Reuters.