Someone made a DIY version of Google’s most exciting AI

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1. Someone made a DIY version of Google’s most exciting AI

Google's Project Astra, a supercharged computer vision AI, is preparing to make smart glasses work. However, Google has not yet committed its prototype AI assistant to anything, much less a piece of hardware. Pietro Schirano, a designer with experience at Uber and Facebook, has created a Google chatbot with vision capabilities called DIY-Astra. DIY-Astra uses Google's Gemini 1.5 Flash, a lightweight AI model for speed and efficiency.

It works by tapping into a live webcam feed to analyze its view with the Google AI API, generate text responses, and read its response out loud. Although not groundbreaking, DIY-Astra can handle basic tasks and understand handwritten math problems. The prototype is available now on a GitHub repository, and Google has hinted at Project Astra coming to its products later this year.

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2. Autodesk acquires AI-powered VFX startup Wonder Dynamics

Autodesk has acquired Wonder Dynamics, a startup that enables creators to create complex characters and visual effects using AI-powered image analysis. The company, founded by VFX artist Nikola Todorovic and actor Tye Sheridan, aims to empower creatives rather than replace them.

Wonder Studio, a fully cloud-hosted, web-based platform, was developed by Autodesk after raising a $10 million seed round in 2021. The partnership aims to bridge the old with the new, making things possible in pipelines that artists already use. Both founders will join Autodesk, with no short-term changes expected.

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3. Elon Musk’s Neuralink Gets FDA Green Light for Second Patient, as First Describes His Emotional Journey

The U.S. FDA gave a green light to Elon Musk’s Neuralink to implant its brain chip in a second person, signing off on the company’s proposed fixes for a problem that occurred in the first test participant.

Neuralink’s first implant in a human started to detach from that person’s brain, causing him to briefly lose some functions. The fixes include embedding some of the device’s ultrathin wires deeper into the brain.

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4. Humane is looking for a buyer after the AI Pin’s underwhelming debut

Humane, the startup behind the AI Pin wearable computer, is seeking a buyer after its underwhelming debut. The $699 device has been criticized for its slow responses and user experience, and has raised $230 million from investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

The company has pledged to address software flaws and hardware issues with firmware updates. The potential buyers for Humane are Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

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5. Google invests 1 billion euros in Finnish data centre to drive AI growth

Google is investing a further $1 billion into expanding its data centre campus in Finland to boost its artificial intelligence (AI) business growth in Europe. The move is driven by Finland's cooler climate, tax breaks, and abundant renewable power.

Finland's wind power capacity has increased by 75% to 5,677 megawatts in 2022 alone, making renewable capacity available for data centres like Google's. Analysts believe data centres' power consumption will increase due to the rapid growth in AI usage. Google plans to achieve net zero emissions across all operations and value chain by 2030.

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