Recently, the online sales industry has undergone a revolutionary change! A startup named Rep.ai has just announced the completion of a $7.5 million funding round, aiming to launch a brand new AI digital clone technology. This technology will help businesses create virtual sales representatives capable of conducting real-time video and audio conversations, truly providing 24/7 services and transforming our traditional shopping experience. Rep.ai was formerly known as ServiceBell, and they have rebranded to focus on developing these lifelike AI clones.

Judge Kevin Newsom of the US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals innovatively used chatbots like ChatGPT to interpret the legal term 'ordinary meaning,' particularly concerning the dispute over whether a 'physical restraint' was involved in a gun robbery case. In this case, the judge agreed to uphold the severe sentence for the defendant DeLeon but noted that there may have been past misinterpretations of the definition of 'physical restraint' and emphasized that the term should be understood according to its ordinary, common meaning. Newsom asked GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini about the ordinary meaning of 'physical restraint.'

Replika, an AI chatbot designed to help users build emotional and social connections, has recently come into the spotlight. CEO Eugenia Kuyda stated in an interview with The Verge that some users are even willing to 'marry' their AI companions, believing it brings happiness and reduces loneliness. Kuyda argues that AI companions can be effective tools for emotional support, helping people establish friendships and a sense of connection. Despite facing controversy in the past, such as issues related to users' sexual interactions with their AI partners and incidents of verbal abuse,

Meta has announced the shutdown of its celebrity chatbot project, which allowed users to interact with virtual avatars of celebrities. Despite significant promotion, the project is no longer in service. Meta's focus has shifted to AI Studio, a new tool that allows users to create their own chatbots. Initial projects included virtual characters such as Coco, Victor, and Amber, but they failed to meet expectations, particularly in attracting more celebrities, resulting in low returns on investment. Nevertheless, Meta remains committed to AI chat technology.

Google has conducted a significant upgrade to the AI chatbot Gemini to enhance performance, expand language support, and increase its reach. The Gemini 1.5 Flash version supports 40 languages across 230 countries and regions, with notable improvements in quality and response speed, particularly in reasoning and image understanding. This upgrade includes a 32,000-token context window expansion, support for file uploads, and the display of relevant webpage links below generated answers to improve transparency. Gemini's functionalities will expand into more application areas.

The latest research finds that AI-powered chatbots can pass certified ethical hacker exams, but researchers warn that they should not be solely relied upon for cybersecurity protection. The study was conducted by researchers Prasad Calyam from the University of Missouri and collaborators from Amrita University in India, and tested the leading generative AI tools ChatGPT by OpenAI and Bard (now known as Gemini) by Google.Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, provided by Midjourney Image Licen

Instagram has launched 'AI Studio', allowing creators to create their own versions of AI chatbots. ⭐ The AI created by the creators will primarily appear in Instagram's messaging and will be clearly labeled as AI. ⭐ Meta stated that they aim to enable creators and small businesses to create AI to engage with their communities and customers.

A research team from University College London and Eberhard Karls University Tübingen developed Limbic Access to improve the accessibility of mental health services. Observational studies show that the use of Limbic Access has led to more people utilizing NHS talking therapy services, particularly among minority groups. The system reduces the social stigma surrounding mental health issues through personalized design and guided self-referral processes. During its use across 14 NHS talking therapy service centers in England, self-referral numbers increased by 15%. Non-binary, Asian/British Asian individuals and others...

Anthropic Inc. recently announced plans to integrate image recognition features into its chatbot Claude, enabling it to analyze images. The company has secured backing from major firms like Amazon and Google, with projected revenues reaching $5 billion in 2024. Anthropic's decision will help Claude catch up with competitors in image processing, providing users with a more comprehensive experience.

Various AI chatbots have been launched: OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, Microsoft's BingChat, and the recently public-tested Grok by xAI. While people are amazed by the powerful capabilities of generative AI, they also often struggle with its 'hallucinations.' On the second day of Grok's open beta, a security tester, Jax Winterbourne, shared a screenshot on X showing Grok denying a request: 'I'm afraid I cannot fulfill this request because...

Essential AI, founded by former Google executives, has raised $56.5 million in new funding. Essential AI developed an AI technology called 'Enterprise Brain' that performs enterprise functions and automates tasks. The founder of Essential AI authored the paper 'Attention Is All You Need', which outlines the foundation of large language models at Google. Large language models expand AI capabilities across text, images, speech, video, and music.

A study by the University of California found that GPT-4 did not pass the Turing Test and performed worse than human intelligence. The GPT-3.5 model lost in conversations with the 60-year-old AI chatbot ELIZA. The research used the Turing Test to explore the human-like characteristics of AI models, sparking academic interest. Investigators' judgments were primarily based on language style and social-emotional traits, with no significant prediction based on educational level.

More than 48% of people use their phones to research destinations, nearly 47% compare flights before making decisions, and over 40% book travel through mobile devices. 22% of travelers use AI chatbots to help research travel destinations. The use of AI for airline destination research and booking is more pronounced in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.

An increasing number of media publishers are starting to block AI crawlers from accessing content. Direqt sees an opportunity in developing AI chatbots for instant messaging applications. These chatbots help publishers directly engage with readers and enhance content participation. Direqt is collaborating with companies like OpenAI to provide generative AI experiences for publishers. These chatbots can generate an average click-through rate of 24.16%, bringing direct traffic to publishers.

Recent research reveals that well-known AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, propagate false medical beliefs about Black individuals. Researchers at Stanford University discovered through questioning AI chatbots that their responses contained erroneous views regarding kidney function, lung capacity, and muscle mass. This raises concerns as incorrect medical information could exacerbate health disparities.

Applications like RIZZ and PlugAI use language models to generate responses that help users find partners. Other applications are also leveraging AI models in the dating market to enhance profiles or provide personalized chatbots for profit. The user base of RIZZ alone on the Android platform has exceeded 500,000. However, it remains questionable whether these applications can deliver high-quality experiences, as the use of AI-generated profile pictures and interesting chats may lead to dull dates. Users should exercise caution when using such applications, being mindful of privacy and safety.

🔍 Language model-powered chatbots may have the potential to assist in planning biological weapon attacks📊 Reports indicate that chatbots provide plans and guidance for executing biological attacks but do not provide explicit biological instructions🔒 The report warns of biological weapons threats and calls for AI companies to restrict chatbot openness on sensitive topics.

💰 Meta (the parent company of Facebook) is paying millions to celebrities to create celebrity-style AI chatbots. 💬 A celebrity, who wishes to remain anonymous, earned up to $5 million for just six hours of work, becoming one of the AIs. 🤖 Meta plans to expand these virtual celebrities into the video communication space.

Researchers at MIT found that people's expectations of AI chatbots influence their experiences. The study shows that users project their expectations onto AI systems, affecting their interactions with chatbots. This finding suggests that cultural notions significantly impact the use and development of AI technology. The individuals behind AI are also trying to shape AI systems to make them more empathetic and trustworthy.

A recent study reveals that nearly 10% of users misuse AI chatbots for conversations involving sexual content. The research team analyzed 100,000 chatbot interactions and found that approximately 10% included pornographic themes. This study aims to uncover the true nature of people's interactions with chatbots, promoting safer use of chatbots in the real world. Researchers categorized the misuse themes into three categories: obscene narratives, sexual fantasies and role-playing, as well as discussions of harmful behaviors.