In this section, I share what I am up to, pictures of the week, what is new in AI and crypto, and more.
Dear readers,
The last two weeks my weekly posts did not go out or were a day late. There was a technical problem at Mailchimp. I believe it is fixed and am hoping you received the email properly on June 29 and July 5.
I was cruising in the Caribbean with my family – all 15 of us. Kids, grandkids, spouses, with Joanne and I for eight days. A great time was held by all. Proof of that is here.
No more talks for the summer. I will be traveling a lot in July, August, and September. Will do my best to keep the weeklies coming.
Epi One has now raised $753,250 from 136 investors. Seems to be a lot of interest in early detection of cancer.
Here’s a summary of some interesting happenings in the crypto world this week (as of July 4th, 2024):
- Bitcoin price drop: Bitcoin took a tumble, falling below $60,000 for the first time in two months. Analysts are debating whether this is a temporary dip or a sign of a larger trend https://cointelegraph.com/.
- Ethereum fees surpass Bitcoin: Interestingly, Ethereum generated more fee income than Bitcoin over the past year, highlighting its network activity https://www.investing.com/crypto/ethereum.
- Focus on DeFi security: There have been reports of a hack on the Ethereum Foundation and discussions about the importance of insurance in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) https://www.coindesk.com/tag/defi/132/.
- New Web3 fund: DWF launched a $20 million fund to support Web3 projects in Chinese-speaking regions,indicating continued interest in this area https://www.coindesk.com/tag/defi/132/.
- Layer 3 developments: Orbs, a layer 3 blockchain, announced the launch of its liquidity hub, potentially improving liquidity in the crypto market https://twitter.com/orbs_network?lang=en.
It’s important to stay up-to-date on crypto news, but remember that the market can be volatile.
Here’s a look at some fresh developments in AI this week (as of July 4th, 2024):
- AI Security Concerns: Microsoft researchers revealed a new technique for bypassing safety measures in generative AI models, highlighting the need for robust security in these systems https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-artificial-intelligence-skeleton-key-attack-microsoft-expose-personal-financial-data.
- Copyright Infringement Lawsuit: The music industry is throwing a curveball with a lawsuit against AI startups for alleged copyright violation in music generation. This could be a landmark case that impacts how AI interacts with creative content https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/us-record-labels-are-suing-ai-music-generators-alleging-copyright-infr-rcna158660.
- Apple Joins OpenAI: Apple has secured a seat on the board of OpenAI, a leading research lab in artificial intelligence. This move suggests Apple’s growing interest in shaping the future of AI development https://openai.com/index/openai-and-apple-announce-partnership/.
- Progress in Language Processing Units (LPUs): Advancements in LPUs (Language Processing Units) could pave the way for more sophisticated voice AI applications in contact centers, potentially improving customer service experiences https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/tech/voice-actors-ai-lawsuit-lovo/index.html.
These are just a few examples. You can follow these resources for more in-depth AI news:
- AI Weekly (https://aiweekly.co/) offers a comprehensive newsletter on current AI news and trends.
- Last Week in AI (https://lastweekin.ai/) provides summaries of interesting AI research papers and news articles.
My YouTube channel is at http://www.youtube.com/jrpatric The oldest one on the channel was from a speech I gave in Paris in 1996. It is here.
