AI News Roundup: From DOOM to $100 Billion Valuations

Every friday, we release our AI Friday round newsletter where we share the hottest gossip around AI.

In today’s edition we have some juicy information for you.

What's happening in the world of AI right now?

Because when you think about it — it's moving at breakneck speed. From gaming to funding, from conversational AI to hardware, the landscape is shifting rapidly.

Here's my take on the latest AI developments 👇

Google's GameNGen: DOOM at 20 FPS

Remember DOOM? Well, Google just took it to a whole new level:

• Google researchers developed GameNGen, an AI that can simulate DOOM at over 20 fps

• It works by predicting each frame in real time with a diffusion model

• At scale, this could mean AI creating personalized games on the fly

The breakthrough? This isn't just about recreating old games. It's about the potential for AI to generate entire gaming experiences tailored to individual players. Imagine a world where every gaming session is unique!

OpenAI's Massive Valuation

OpenAI is making waves in the financial world:

• Reportedly in talks for a new funding round

• Valuation could exceed $100 billion

• Thrive Capital leading the round, with Microsoft expected to participate

But here's the kicker: Could Project Strawberry be behind this massive valuation? The AI world is buzzing with speculation.

Bland AI: Not So Bland After All

Conversational AI is heating up:

• Bland AI closed their series A with $22M in funding

• Unexplored use cases in automated conversational AI abound

• Try calling their AI (enter your # on their website) to experience how human it sounds

The story: This isn't just another chatbot. Bland AI is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI-human interaction.

Gemini's Custom Gems

Google's not sitting idle:

• Released Custom Gems for Gemini Advanced users

• Gems are customizable versions of Gemini

• Similar to OpenAI's Custom GPTs, with features like Custom Instructions

Learning: The race for customizable AI is on, and Google's throwing its hat in the ring.

Midjourney's Hardware Tease

From software to hardware:

• Midjourney teased an upcoming hardware launch

• "Multiple efforts in flight"

• Hiring for a new team in SF

The breakthrough: This could be a game-changer. An AI company known for image generation stepping into hardware? The possibilities are intriguing.

XPENG's Humanoid Robot

China's not far behind:

• Chinese electric car manufacturer XPENG teased its 2nd generation humanoid robot

• Full reveal set for October 24th at the company's 1024 Tech Day

• China's robotic developments in the past two weeks have been impressive

Summary:

• AI in gaming is evolving rapidly

• Massive investments in AI continue

• Conversational AI is becoming more human-like

• Customization is key in AI development

• Hardware is the new frontier for AI companies

• Robotics advancements are accelerating, especially in China

Want to share any ideas or tell me anything? The easiest way is to reply to this email. I read all of them.

That's it for this week!

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Hit reply and let me know what AI news excited you the most this week—I'd love to hear from you!

Keep innovating

Best Regards,
Udit Goenka
Founder & CEO
TinyCheque