Espacing the AI Bottleneck: Ndea is Building “A Factory for Rapid Scientific Advancement”

⚡️ Headlines

🤖 AI

Eve AI Secures $14M Seed Round, Signaling Growth in Legal AI Sector - The funding will enhance Eve AI's capabilities in automating legal processes. [Legal.io].

TSMC's Profits Surge 57% Amid Strong Demand for AI Chips - The semiconductor giant reports significant earnings growth due to increased AI hardware demand. [Barron's].

Microsoft Introduces Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for All Users - The AI-driven chat service aims to enhance productivity across business applications. [The Verge].

Google Partners with Associated Press to Integrate News into Gemini AI Chatbot - The collaboration brings real-time news updates to users through AI technology. [Associated Press].

AI-Generated Content Floods Sports News Sites, Raising Quality Concerns - Numerous websites are using AI-generated articles, leading to misinformation and credibility issues. [Wired].

🦾 Emerging Tech

Donald Trump's Crypto Connections Explored - An investigation into the former president's ties to the cryptocurrency industry. [Wired].

NFT Market Faces Decline in 2024, Marking Worst Year Since 2020 - Trading volumes and sales counts drop nearly 20%, reflecting market volatility. [Cointelegraph].

🤳 Social Media

TikTok Prepares to Shut Down App in U.S. Amid Pending Ban - The company plans to cease operations unless an executive order delays the ban. [Reuters].

Snapchat Appeals to TikTok Users in the U.S. - Snapchat introduces new features to attract users potentially affected by the TikTok ban. [Social Media Today].

Biden Administration Explores Options to Keep TikTok Operational - Efforts are underway to prevent the app's shutdown amid security concerns. [Reuters].

Trump Considers Executive Order to Delay TikTok Ban - The former president may grant a temporary reprieve to the app through executive action. [Welt].

🔬 Research

Many Americans Unknowingly Use AI in Daily Products - A Gallup poll reveals widespread unawareness of AI integration in everyday items. [Gallup].

The State of Video Gaming in 2025 - An in-depth analysis of current trends and future projections in the gaming industry. [MatthewBall.co].

⚖ Legal

U.S. Adds 16 Chinese Entities to Trade Blacklist - The move includes companies linked to unauthorized chip production for blacklisted firms. [Reuters].

Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Use of Pirated Data for AI Training - Internal communications reveal the company's covert use of copyrighted material. [The Verge].

🎱 Random

State Farm Withdraws Super Bowl Ad Amid Los Angeles Fires - The insurer focuses resources on supporting customers affected by wildfires. [Marketing Dive].

Creator Economy Startup Funding Rebounds as Industry Matures - Investment in creator-focused startups shows signs of recovery. [The Information].

AI Chatbots Emerge as Virtual Companions - The rise of AI-driven virtual relationships sparks discussions on technology's role in personal life. [The New York Times].

🔌 Plug-Into-This

Forget Nvidia: Ndea wants to build AI that keeps improving on its own with 'no bottlenecks in sight'

Former Google engineer François Chollet and Zapier co-founder Mike Knoop have launched Ndea, an AI research lab aiming to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) by integrating deep learning with program synthesis. They propose that this combination will enable AI systems to adapt and innovate beyond current task-specific applications.

• Ndea's approach seeks to merge intuitive pattern recognition from deep learning with formal reasoning through guided program synthesis.

• The founders believe that current deep learning models are limited by their dependence on large datasets and lack of adaptability to new tasks.

• Program synthesis involves generating programs that can explain data, allowing for greater generalization with fewer data points.

• The ultimate goal is to create AI systems capable of posing problems and exploring new territories, leading to unprecedented scientific progress.

• Ndea has not disclosed its funding sources or financial backing at this time.

😯 Self-improving models that combine learning and reasoning capabilities have looked like a pipedream so far but announcements like these are certainly worth keeping an eye on to see what ends up being feasible in this quest of overcoming the limitations of current AI systems.

OpenAI is bankrolling Axios’ expansion into four new markets

OpenAI is funding Axios' expansion into four new markets, aiming to enhance local news coverage and integrate AI-driven tools into journalism. This collaboration seeks to combine Axios' journalistic expertise with OpenAI's technological advancements to innovate news delivery.

• The expansion will introduce Axios' Smart Brevity style to new cities, focusing on concise and efficient news reporting.

• OpenAI's investment underscores its interest in supporting local journalism and exploring AI applications in media.

• The partnership may lead to the development of AI tools that assist journalists in content creation and audience engagement.

• Axios plans to hire local reporters and editors in each new market to ensure community-focused coverage.

• The financial terms of OpenAI's investment and the specific markets targeted for expansion have not been disclosed.

📰 OpenAI certainly seems to have won the race to woo (coerce?) quality publishers first after a long period of conflict. We all know the news media industry is long overdue for some innovation…but it feels weird to think that AI could solve some of those underlying problems.

Microsoft and Google Adjust AI Pricing to Drive Enterprise Adoption

Microsoft and Google have introduced new pricing models for their enterprise AI services, likely in response to slower-than-expected adoption rates among business clients. These changes aim to make AI tools more accessible to enterprises that have been reluctant to commit to high upfront costs or subscriptions.

• Microsoft has rolled out a pay-as-you-go model for select AI features like Copilot Chat, designed to help businesses with tasks such as data analysis and meeting preparation.

• Advanced capabilities for Microsoft’s Copilot tools still require a $30 monthly Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, suggesting a hybrid pricing approach to attract entry-level users while upselling to full-service plans.

• Google upped the cost of workspace by $2 and offers Gemini standard now.

• Both companies are recalibrating their strategies to lower entry barriers for enterprise AI adoption, addressing concerns about cost-effectiveness and return on investment.

• These pricing shifts reflect mounting pressure to demonstrate the value of their AI initiatives, following substantial R&D investments and heightened competition in the enterprise market.

🔍 The move by Microsoft and Google highlights a common challenge in AI: bridging the gap between innovation and adoption. By tailoring pricing to enterprise hesitation, they hope to stimulate demand and showcase the transformative potential of AI in business.

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