BMW will deploy Figure’s humanoid robot at South Carolina plant

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1. BMW will deploy Figure’s humanoid robot at South Carolina plant

BMW has announced a commercial agreement with Figure to deploy its first humanoid robot, Figure 01, to a BMW manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The Spartanburg plant is BMW's only in the US and has the highest yield among the German manufacturer's factories worldwide. Figure is beginning with an initial five tasks, rolling out one at a time. The robots will be single- or multi-purpose systems, growing their skillset over time.

The initial applications include standard manufacturing tasks such as box moving, pick and place, and pallet unloading and loading. Figure CEO Brett Adcock likens the approach to an app store, similar to Boston Dynamics' Spot robot via SDK. The first commercial robot is expected to ship within a year. Training will involve reinforcement learning, simulation, and teleoperation to help the robot out of potential jams.

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2. Sam Altman plans to tap TSMC to rival Nvidia with his own AI chip

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to create his own AI chip, aiming to rival Nvidia, the dominant chip market player with a market value of nearly $1.5 trillion. Altman is in talks with influential figures in the Middle East, including Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE's national security adviser and chairman of several state investment funds and AI companies. The chip venture is expected to cost billions of dollars and challenge Nvidia, the dominant AI chip market player.

OpenAI, which is working on a new version of its flagship AI model, GPT-4, is becoming more dependent on its chip partners as its models grow more complex. It is still unclear whether Altman's chip venture will be a subsidiary of OpenAI or a separate entity.

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3. Meet the first Spanish AI model earning up to €10,000 per month

Aitana López, the first Spanish AI model, has gained over 121,000 followers on Instagram and has received private messages from celebrities asking her out. The virtual model, created by the agency The Clueless, can earn up to €10,000 a month, with an average of €3,000. Aitana's income is scattered, but she has gained over 121,000 followers and has received private messages from celebrities. The agency team creates Aitana's life every week, using a mix of artificial intelligence and design experts.

The agency has received requests from brands wanting their own personalized models, as they want an image that represents their brand values and has cost savings. Critics argue that the unrealistic perfection of the models could influence the younger generation and that real influencers already create the highly sexualized image of the models created and brands themselves.

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4. Call for action on deepfakes as fears grow among MPs over election threat

MPs in Westminster are concerned that AI-generated content will increase the spread of disinformation and deepfakes, which could undermine the integrity of the upcoming general election. A survey reveals that 70% of MPs believe AI poses a threat to the election's integrity. With 2024 being a significant year for democracy, senior figures from all major parties are pushing for the issue to be prioritized before the election campaign begins.

A YouGov poll commissioned by Cavendish showed that 57% of MPs said AI could negatively interfere with electoral integrity in 2024. Two-thirds (65%) said political parties and politicians should be transparent about how they are using AI tools in campaigns. The vast majority of general voters (78%) backed a requirement for political parties to disclose their use of AI.

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5. DPD AI Chatbot swears, calls itself ‘useless’ and criticises delivery firm

DPD has disabled a part of its AI-powered online chatbot after a disgruntled customer, musician Ashley Beauchamp, made it swear and criticize the company. Beauchamp was trying to find a missing parcel but was having no joy in getting useful information from the chatbot. He experimented with the chatbot, asking it to tell jokes and eventually getting it to write a poem criticising the company.

The chatbot also swore and called itself a "useless Chatbot that can't help you." The company has since disabled the part responsible and is updating its system. Beauchamp said that while the chatbot adventure was amusing, it struck a chord with people and that the company is in touch with Beauchamp to resolve his issue.

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