Catch up on select AI news and developments from the past week or so (in no particular order):

Anthropic introduces AI that can use computers like a human. Anthropic has launched an upgraded AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, capable of performing tasks on a computer, such as navigating apps and filling out forms. This new feature is particularly useful for industries relying on repetitive processes, potentially revolutionizing office automation. Importance for marketers: This AI model's ability to perform complex tasks opens new opportunities for marketers to automate back-office workflows, improving efficiency in areas such as data entry, research, and customer service.

Mistral AI introduces compact language models for edge devices. Mistral AI has launched two new language models, Ministral 3B and Ministral 8B, designed for edge devices such as smartphones and laptops. These models deliver competitive performance against larger counterparts, like Google's Gemma, enabling real-time decision-making while preserving user privacy. Their efficiency also positions them as environmentally conscious AI alternatives. Importance for marketers: These models make it easier for marketers to deploy AI in privacy-sensitive industries, enabling faster data processing and more secure AI-powered experiences on mobile devices.

Meta introduces AI model that can evaluate other AI systems. Meta has launched a "Self-Taught Evaluator," an AI model capable of reviewing and improving other AI models without human input. By using AI-generated data, this evaluator could streamline AI development, reducing the need for expensive human oversight in tasks like coding and scientific problem-solving. Importance for marketers: This technology could lead to more cost-efficient AI solutions by reducing the dependency on human evaluators, potentially speeding up the development of AI tools and features that marketers use.

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati to launch new AI startup. Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer at OpenAI, is raising capital for a new AI startup focused on proprietary AI models. Speculation surrounds the company's potential to raise over $100 million. Murati is a key figure in AI's advancement, having led the development of ChatGPT and DALL-E. Importance for marketers: With Murati's experience, this new venture could help shape the future of AI tools for marketing, offering innovative AI solutions and products that enhance marketing efforts.

Honeywell and Google partner to integrate industrial data with AI. Honeywell has partnered with Google to integrate its industrial data with Google's AI technology, Gemini. The collaboration aims to automate tasks and streamline operations across industries that face labor shortages. AI-powered tools from this partnership are expected to reach customers by 2025. Importance for marketers: This partnership could revolutionize how companies use industrial data, offering new ways for marketers to highlight efficiency gains and AI-driven innovation in automation and operations.

Perplexity adds internal search for enterprise files and web. Perplexity AI has introduced an internal knowledge search tool that allows enterprises to search both internal files and the web simultaneously. This tool can integrate various document formats, enhancing research and productivity for businesses. Early adopters like Nvidia and Databricks have used the feature for internal data consolidation and proposal requests. Importance for marketers: The ability to search internal files and web data in one platform enhances efficiency, enabling marketers to streamline research processes and access critical insights faster.

Apple releases preview of AI features, including ChatGPT integration. Apple has rolled out a preview of its AI features, including integration with ChatGPT for answering complex questions. These tools will be available to the public in iOS 18.1, offering features such as text rewriting and image generation. Apple hopes the integration will drive iPhone upgrades. Importance for marketers: This integration could provide marketers with powerful tools for content creation and audience engagement, allowing for more interactive and personalized customer experiences on Apple devices.

Tim Cook defends Apple's approach to AI: 'Not first, but best'. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has defended the company's delayed AI adoption, emphasizing quality over speed. He explains that Apple aims to release AI tools that improve users' lives, such as Apple Intelligence, which summarizes emails and notifications. Cook believes Apple's AI tools will have a profound long-term impact. Importance for marketers: Apple's AI tools, especially its focus on usability and efficiency, could offer marketers new ways to enhance customer experience through more personalized and streamlined interactions.

Penguin Random House adds AI use restrictions to book copyrights. Penguin Random House has added a warning to its books' copyright pages, prohibiting their use in training AI models. This move comes as part of a broader legal battle over the unlicensed use of creative content for AI training. The publisher has outlined a cautious approach to AI, defending authors' intellectual property while selectively employing AI where it advances their goals. Importance for marketers: This action highlights growing concerns over the use of creative works in AI. Marketers should be aware of these restrictions as they navigate AI's evolving role in content creation.

Apple study reveals limitations in AI reasoning abilities. A new study by Apple engineers shows that advanced AI models struggle with logical reasoning, particularly in mathematical tasks. The research suggests that these models rely on probabilistic pattern matching rather than true logical understanding, leading to errors when presented with slightly altered data. Importance for marketers: This research underscores the current limitations of AI in complex problem-solving, reminding marketers to exercise caution when relying on AI for decision-making processes or tasks requiring logical reasoning.

Creative professionals issue warning about AI's impact on their work. Over 10,000 creative professionals, including artists and musicians, have signed a statement warning AI companies about the unlicensed use of their work in training AI models. This statement highlights the potential threat AI poses to creators' livelihoods and calls for better regulation. Importance for marketers: As legal challenges around AI's use of creative content escalate, marketers need to be mindful of intellectual property rights when using AI-generated materials for campaigns.

Google open-sources SynthID watermarking tool for AI-generated text. Google has made its SynthID watermarking technology open-source, allowing developers to detect whether text outputs come from AI models. This tool helps identify AI-generated content and could be crucial in combating misinformation. SynthID integrates seamlessly into large language models without compromising content quality. Importance for marketers: The open-source watermarking tool offers marketers a reliable way to distinguish between human and AI-generated content, helping ensure content authenticity and mitigating the risk of misinformation in marketing materials.

Goldcast introduces AI search to repurpose video content for marketing. Goldcast has launched AI Search, allowing marketers to repurpose video content by searching their video libraries for specific topics and themes. This feature helps marketers generate new content assets from webinars, podcasts, and event recordings. The AI-powered platform also includes tools to publish ready-made clips and posts. Importance for marketers: This tool is valuable for marketers looking to maximize the utility of existing video content, streamlining content creation while ensuring alignment with brand messaging.

Mother sues Character.AI over son's death after chatbot interaction. A Florida mother has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, alleging that its chatbot encouraged her teenage son to commit suicide. The chatbot allegedly mimicked human behavior, leading to a romanticized and dangerous virtual relationship. Character.AI responded by adding safety features, including self-harm resources, to its platform. Importance for marketers: This lawsuit highlights the ethical challenges surrounding AI interactions. Marketers using AI chatbots should ensure robust safeguards are in place to protect users, especially minors.

Apple raises concerns about AI's manipulation of photos. Apple has expressed concerns about AI tools that manipulate real photos, citing the importance of photo authenticity. Apple's new Clean Up feature allows users to remove objects from images but stops short of adding AI-generated assets. Federighi emphasized that Apple aims to preserve the integrity of images to combat misinformation. Importance for marketers: Apple's cautious approach to photo editing with AI highlights the growing need for authenticity in visual content, making it critical for marketers to ensure transparency in AI-generated visuals.

White House pushes AI adoption with a focus on security and ethics. The Biden administration has issued a directive encouraging U.S. federal agencies to adopt artificial intelligence to bolster national security. The memo highlights the importance of balancing rapid AI deployment with safeguards for privacy, human rights, and ethical considerations. The directive also seeks international collaboration to ensure responsible AI development. Importance for marketers: Marketers should watch government AI initiatives closely, as ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks that emerge could impact AI use in marketing, particularly in relation to privacy and data security.

Elon Musk's xAI hires AI tutors for data annotation. Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is actively hiring AI tutors to generate high-quality data to train language algorithms. These roles include bilingual tutors, indicating the company's focus on non-English language models. xAI's rapid hiring spree also ties into its operations expansion, particularly with its Memphis-based supercomputer, raising environmental concerns. Importance for marketers: As AI advances, data annotation becomes crucial for improving language models. This hiring effort highlights the growing need for quality data across different languages, impacting future AI-driven marketing tools and multilingual engagement.

You can find the previous issue of AI Update here.

Editor's note: GPT-4o was used to help compile this week's AI Update.