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- AI gets its Nobel moment
AI gets its Nobel moment
+ Wimbledon to replace line judges with AI after 147 years
Lavena Xu-Johnson
October 10, 2024
Welcome back to a new edition of AI Odyssey!
Adobe is launching a web tool that lets creators digitally sign and authenticate their work, entering private beta today with a public release set for early next year. It’s part of a broader push to protect digital content, including transparency around AI-generated images.
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1: AI makes history with Nobel Prize wins
This week, AI took a major step into the spotlight, earning two Nobel Prizes for groundbreaking work. Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield were awarded the Nobel in Physics for developing neural networks, while Demis Hassabis and his team received the Chemistry prize for their AI-driven protein-folding breakthrough.
Why it matters: The recognition highlights AI's growing influence in science, helping solve complex problems and analyze massive data sets, though concerns about misuse remain.
The big picture: AI's impact on science is undeniable. Hassabis' AlphaFold2 system has already contributed to drug design and tackling antibiotic resistance.
Yes, but: Hassabis noted AI still needs human ingenuity to ask the right questions, despite its rapid progress. The race is on to see which AI approach will deliver the biggest benefits to humanity.
2: Wimbledon to replace line judges with AI after 147 years
Wimbledon’s keeping the strawberries and cream, but it’s saying goodbye to line judges. Starting next year, the iconic tennis tournament is ditching the humans who call balls “in” or “out” and switching entirely to an AI-powered electronic line calling system (ELC).
Why it matters: For nearly 150 years, line judges have been a staple at Wimbledon, but now the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is going all-in on tech to ensure accuracy and avoid human errors. The switch follows other major tournaments like the Australian Open and U.S. Open, which already use similar systems.
The tech upgrade: Wimbledon’s been experimenting with AI-assisted calls for years, particularly during the pandemic. Now, players will no longer be able to challenge line calls — the AI is supposedly too precise to argue with. But don’t worry, chair umpires will still stick around.
Bigger picture: AI isn’t just creeping into tennis — it's everywhere in sports, from analyzing game footage to helping athletes train. Wimbledon’s move is just the latest in AI’s takeover of the sporting world.
3: OpenAI expands globally with new offices in major cities
OpenAI is expanding its global footprint with new offices in Singapore, Paris, Brussels, New York, and Seattle. These join existing locations in San Francisco, London, Dublin, and Tokyo as part of the company's aggressive growth strategy. The move comes on the heels of their recent $6.6 billion funding round and leadership shakeups.
We’re expanding 🌎
We’re opening offices in NYC, Seattle, Paris, Brussels, and Singapore, alongside our growing San Francisco, London, Dublin, and Tokyo offices.
Want to join us? openai.com/careers/
— OpenAI (@OpenAI)
4:07 AM • Oct 9, 2024
Why it matters: The new Singapore office, set to open by the end of 2024, will be a key hub for the Asia Pacific region. OpenAI has partnered with AI Singapore to bring its AI tools to Southeast Asia, while usage of ChatGPT in Singapore has doubled this year.
What they’re saying: “We’re excited to partner with the government and the country’s thriving AI ecosystem,” said CEO Sam Altman, highlighting Singapore's AI leadership.
The bottom line: OpenAI is expanding fast to key markets worldwide, ensuring their AI technologies reach more users and partners globally.
4: Meta AI expands to six new countries, including the U.K. and Brazil
Meta is ramping up its global AI presence, launching its chatbot, Meta AI, in six more countries: Brazil, the U.K., the Philippines, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Paraguay. CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on his WhatsApp channel, hinting at more countries to follow, including key regions in the Middle East.
Why it matters: With this expansion, Meta AI is now available in 43 countries and over a dozen languages, with more regions—including Algeria, Egypt, and Indonesia—joining soon. The bot will also support Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese by the end of the rollout cycle, marking a significant step in the company’s global push.
What they’re saying: Meta AI, which operates across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the Meta.ai website, now boasts nearly 500 million users globally, Zuckerberg revealed. He predicts it will be the most-used assistant worldwide by year-end.
The big picture: Meta is betting big on AI, recently adding features like celebrity voices and photo-editing capabilities. India remains the chatbot’s largest market, thanks to WhatsApp’s massive user base. As Meta continues its aggressive rollout, it’s positioning itself as a dominant force in the AI assistant space.