Business

The Tech Company Brief by Hackernoon: Musk launches xAI startup to rival OpenAI

Now that the Threads craze has come and gone and failed to kill Twitter/X/Everything™ like the technology pundits would have you believe, it bears mentioning that Musk is opening up a new front in his war against competitors, now also targeting Microsoft-backed OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

Musk’s everything app ambition is kinda like his wish to be anywhere and everywhere (sometimes quite literally), so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the billionaire entrepreneur also wants a piece of the artificial intelligence pie. Just recently, the world’s richest man announced the launch of an AI startup called xAI.

Long-time readers may have noticed that xAI sounds a lot different than the “TruthGPT” Musk had said he was naming his AI startup all the way back in April but the Tesla owner is uh.. Weirdly obsessed with the alphabet “X” so just roll with it.

Musk’s foray into AI is both a business decision and a way to get even with OpenAI, which he co founded and then left years ago over “differences” in the direction the startup was headed. Musk even went as far as to call on OpenAI earlier this year for an immediate pause of at least 6 months in the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.

“The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe,” the company’s website states, adding that xAI will work closely with X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies to make progress towards its mission.

Microsoft ranked #16 on HackerNoon’s Tech Company Rankings this week while Tesla was on the #97 spot.

Make AI Safe Again🤖

Tech heavyweights including Google-parent Alphabet and Facebook creator Meta are banding together to make artificial intelligence safe. Joining them are MicrosoftAmazon, OpenAI (of course), and a host of other tech companies who have committed to watermarking AI-generated content in a bid to make the technology safer.

Exactly how and where the watermark will appear is unclear, but the idea is to embed it within content so users can easily spot deep-fake images or audios, Reuters reported.

AI safety has taken center stage ever since the release of ChatGPT, with world governments consulting companies developing the technology to develop guard rails lest the robots take over. As major governments develop AI regulation, tech companies have begun self regulation. In fact, OpenAI has already created a new research team to “steer and control AI systems much smarter than us” and prevent it from going rogue.

The U.S., which reportedly lags behind the EU in tackling artificial intelligence regulation, is looking to develop bipartisan legislation on AI technology under President Joe Biden who has been meeting with AI companies for consultations.

Facebook ranked #3 on HackerNoon’s Tech Company Rankings this week while Amazon was on the #37 spot.


In Other News.. 📰

  • OpenAI’s Sam Altman launches Worldcoin crypto project — via Reuters.
  • It’s Spotify’s turn to increase prices — via The Verge.
  • Threads has lured some creators who never loved Twitter — now Meta has to keep them— via CNBC.
  • With the rise of AI, social media platforms could face a perfect storm of misinformation in 2024 — via CNN.
  • Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey urges ‘calm’ after Elon Musk eliminates the last traces of his original company — via Fortune.
  • Leaders, experts offer artificial intelligence advice for real people — via Axios.

And that’s a wrap! Don’t forget to share this newsletter with your family and friends!

See y’all next week. PEACE! ☮️

— Sheharyar Khan, Editor, Business Tech @ HackerNoon


The Tech Company Brief is a weekly newsletter written by HackerNoon editors to help you dissect the last week in tech news! Subscribe here for the full scoop delivered straight to your inbox: https://hackernoon.com/tech-company-brief


This article was originally published by Sheharyar Khan on Hackernoon.

HackerNoon

Recent Posts

Are AI chatbots crossing the line? The risks developers need to know ahead of Valentine’s Day

AI chatbots are transforming communication, but recent headlines reveal their darker side: lawsuits over harmful content and reports…

5 hours ago

India’s digital ID architect touts DPI for govt tracking individual finances, vaccine passports

DPI systems can just as easily exclude people from participating in some aspects of society…

6 hours ago

HR execs head to Orlando for HR Management Institute event to help define the future of work 

HR has always had far-reaching responsibilities, however its focus has long been on employee retention…

4 days ago

Longview Fusion Energy Systems Highlighted as Key Contributor in Multiple FIRE Grants

Longview Fusion Energy Systems has announced its role as a key contributor to two of the…

1 week ago

As CFOs battle tough odds, accounting solutions help to drive new efficiencies 

As CFOs battle tough odds, accounting solutions help to drive new efficiencies  More than anything,…

1 week ago

An algorithmic Apple of Discord: DARPA renames Theory of Mind program to ‘Kallisti’

Could 'Kallisti' be the beginning of another Trojan Horse scenario? perspective The US Defense Advanced…

1 week ago