Elon Musk’s xAI raises $6 billion to fund its race against ChatGPT and all the rest

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1. Elon Musk’s xAI raises $6 billion to fund its race against ChatGPT and all the rest

Elon Musk's xAI has raised $6 billion in funding to bring its first products to market, build advanced infrastructure, and accelerate research and development of future technologies. The funding comes from sources including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.

xAI plans to launch Grok, an edgier version of OpenAI's ChatGPT, via X, formerly known as Twitter. The company is also reportedly seeking 100,000 of Nvidia's H100 chips for a supercomputer to power an upgraded version of its Grok AI chatbot. Big tech firms like Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are investing billions in AI startups.

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2. OpenAI Releases Former Staffers From Non-Disparagement Clauses

OpenAI is releasing most past employees from nondisparagement agreements tied to their exit contracts and equity. The company has not sought to cancel any vested equity if employees spoke out about the company. Employees raised concerns about restrictions after Vox reported that some staffers were asked to sign nondisparagement agreements tied to their shares.

OpenAI said it would remove the language from exit paperwork for outgoing staffers and release former employees from nondisparagement agreements unless the provision was mutual.

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3. Deepfake scams have robbed companies of millions.

Deepfake scams have stolen millions of dollars from companies worldwide, with cybersecurity experts warning that the trend could worsen as criminals exploit generative AI for fraud. Deep fakes are digitally altered images or videos of real people, often using artificial intelligence to misrepresent them.

The popularity of Open AI's Chat GPT has lowered the barrier of entry for cyber criminals, and the sophistication of these scams has expanded as AI technology continues to evolve. Companies are also concerned about the potential use of deepfake photos, videos, or speeches of high-ranking executives for malicious purposes.

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4. iPhone users may get AI-generated emoji and more app customization than ever with iOS 18

Apple is set to unveil AI-generated emojis and more customization options for iPhone users at WWDC next month. The company is developing software to create custom emojis based on user texting. Additionally, users will have more freedom in app icon color and layout.

Apple is expected to announce a partnership with OpenAI, potentially enhancing Safari searches, Siri, photo retouching, voice memo transcriptions, and smart recaps for notifications and web pages. These rumors are still rumors, so they are not set in stone.

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5. Iyo thinks its gen AI earbuds can succeed where Humane and Rabbit stumbled

Iyo, a Alphabet X spinout, is set to release its gen AI earbuds, the Iyo One, this winter. The company, which was formed inside Google's Alphabet X "moonshot factory" and was spun off in 2021, aims to build on the success of Bluetooth earbuds.

The Iyo One will integrate assistants like Alexa and Siri into headphones, requiring a fundamental rethink of how we interact with our devices. The company's founding predates the current AI hype cycle and is based on the Alphabet X moonshot factory.

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