Meta’s protein-folding AI reminds us it’s not just a metaverse firm

Meta has unveiled a new protein-folding AI that could be revolutionary for science and the development of new medicines.

Facebook, as the company was known before changing its name, has always been seen as a leader in AI. The popular open-source framework PyTorch was Facebook’s creation and earlier this year Meta became a founding member of a foundation aiming to drive the adoption of AI.

In its pursuit to become a leader in the metaverse, changing its very company...

2 November 2022 | Applications

Xbox’s Matt Booty wants to see QA testers replaced by AI

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty told a live audience at PAX that he’d like to see QA (Quality Assurance) testers replaced by AI.

Gaming QA testers regularly come under fire as bug-riddled games reach the hands of disappointed gamers with seemingly increasing prevalence.

The backlash QA testers receive from frustrated gamers is often misplaced. Managers are often aware that games are full of bugs but decide to release unfinished games anyway in the hope of starting to...

7 September 2022 | Applications

Inworld closes $50M Series A for its realistic NPC generator

Inworld, a Disney-backed startup using AI to create realistic non-playable virtual characters (NPCs), has closed a $50 million Series A funding round.

The startup has attracted interest for its ability to design and deploy interactive characters with more realistic interactions across the metaverse and other virtual words like video games.

In current video games, NPCs have pre-scripted responses. AI-powered virtual characters like those Inworld are developing can offer...

24 August 2022 | Applications

The NHS hopes an AI chatbot will help tackle patient wait times

An NHS trust in Liverpool is partnering with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop an AI chatbot to help tackle patient wait times.

Brits have become used to long NHS wait times for many years. However, the post-covid backlog has sent the number of patients on waiting lists rocketing:

There are many strong views on what NHS reforms are needed, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the current trajectory is unsustainable. Modern technologies will be vital...

29 July 2022 | Artificial Intelligence

Chess robot breaks child’s finger after premature move

A robot went rogue at a Moscow chess tournament and broke a kid’s finger after he made a move prematurely. 

The robot, which uses AI to play three chess games at once, grabbed and pinched the child’s finger. Unfortunately, despite several people rushing to help, the robot broke the kid’s finger:

According to Moscow Chess Federation VP Sergey Smagin, the robot has been used for 15 years and this is the first time such an incident has occurred.

Reports...

25 July 2022 | Applications

How sports clubs achieve a slam dunk in loyalty with data

The way we watch, engage, and interact with our favourite sports clubs is undergoing a seismic shift. Recent UK research suggests that data will now have a more important role in fan engagement than ever before. In this article, we take a closer look at what this means for sports clubs serious about future-proofing their strategy to attract and retain loyal fans.

Matchday may be the ‘pinnacle’ for sports fans, but for sports clubs, the real battleground is that period between...

6 June 2022 | Entertainment & Retail

Nuance partners with The Academy to launch The AI Collaborative

Nuance has partnered with The Health Management Academy (The Academy) to launch The AI Collaborative, an industry group focused on advancing healthcare using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Nuance became a household name for creating the speech engine recognition engine behind Siri. In recent years, the company has put a strong focus on AI solutions for healthcare and is now a full-service partner of 77 percent of US hospitals and is trusted by over 500,000...

13 May 2022 | Artificial Intelligence

Kendrick Lamar uses deepfakes in latest music video

American rapper Kendrick Lamar has made use of deepfakes for his latest music video.

Deepfakes use generative neural network architectures –  such as autoencoders or generative adversarial networks (GANs) – to manipulate or generate visual and audio content.

Lamar is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. However, he’s regularly proved his creative mind isn’t limited to his rapping talent.

For his track ‘The Heart Part 5’,...

9 May 2022 | Deep & Reinforcement Learning

LabGenius uses Graphcore’s IPUs to speed up drug discovery

AI-driven scientific research firm LabGenius is harnessing the power of Graphcore’s IPUs (Intelligence Processing Units) to speed up its drug discovery efforts.

LabGenius is currently focused on discovering new treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases. The firm combines AI, lab automation, and synthetic biology for its potentially life-saving work.

Until now, the company has been using traditional GPUs for its workloads. LabGenius reports that switching to...

21 April 2022 | Applications

SenseTime delivers ‘AI for a better tomorrow’ keynote at WAICF

Hong Kong-based AI giant SenseTime delivered a keynote titled “AI for a better tomorrow” at this year’s World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF).

George Huang, President of the International Business Group at SenseTime, led the keynote and showcased how the company is applying its AI technology in the areas of mixed reality, mobility, city management, and healthcare.

"There has been massive market demand for AI computing services, as the digitalisation of cities and...

14 April 2022 | Artificial Intelligence