Warp-Speed Wednesdays
Your Must-Read Weekly Tech Updates: GPT-4 Vision Capabilities, Autonomous Robots, and the Future of Automation
New Frequency
I'm making a slight adjustment to the frequency of this segment of the newsletter, shifting to a biweekly schedule for the time being. This change allows me to concentrate on a current project that's demanding my attention.
Please know that my passion for writing and my commitment to keeping you informed as technology rapidly advances remain undiminished. I truly enjoy this connection with all of you, and I'm looking forward to continuing our exploration of the ever-evolving tech landscape. Thank you for your understanding and continued engagement!
AI
Bing Search GPT-4 gets eyes! Vision analysis-capabilities
We have been waiting on image analysis capabilities ever since OpenAI teased us in March this year.
They have finally launched this capability in Bing search for FREE, and it is very powerful. We should see OpenAI launch this for developers and ChatGPT Plus soon.
Image recognition and analysis will allow GPT-4 to see and have a better understanding of the World. We will see even more capable AI agents using OpenAI’s models once this is officially released to developers.
I will keep you all updated on the official release, so you can empower your workflows. Remember, if you have been following this newsletter, you are early to the party. Many people still don’t use ChatGPT, and an extremely small minority develop using OpenAI’s API.
MIT Physics department series on the implications of ChatGPT
Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO and ex-OpenAI VP of research, predicts human-level AI in 3 years
San Francisco’s AI community having frequent meetups to discuss AI, startups, and building agents.
We still haven’t seen useful products using AI agents, but I expect there will be a small 5-10% of startups being built now that will find product/market fit in the next coming year.
Robotics
Technology predictions must often be taken at face value, yet there's a tangible sense of anticipation within the venture capital (VC) community regarding substantial advancements in automation and labor replacement.
While the field of robotics presents formidable challenges, making it hard to discern just how quickly robots might tackle large-scale, real-world problems, the relentless progress of AI is fueling these machines on a fast track. The integration of AI into robotics has the potential not only to revolutionize industry but to make a significant impact on GDP. There's a sense of inevitability that, despite the obstacles, AI will continue to be a driving force.
Remember Amazon teased us with delivery robots. What happened to them?
Startups creating similar robots released their rolling Wall-E into the wild. While these robots are impressive, some developers overlooked the social implications of having what appears to be "free food" or accessible packages driving past people on the streets. Unsurprisingly, these robots, seen as mere objects by some, have become targets for theft.
The underlying issue may go deeper, reflecting societal struggles where people, feeling disenfranchised and neglected, are driven to act out of desperation.
Addressing this challenge for autonomous machines in public settings will require innovative thinking and empathy. A loud alarm system might deter theft to some extent – an idea we can explore by studying the efficacy of car alarms. However, solutions rooted in aggression or violence must be avoided, as they would only further entrench divisions between different social groups, fomenting resentment and hostility.
We also must strategically choose where to deploy these technologies and continuing to focus on ways to assist and uplift our fellow Humans. The key isn't merely to protect the robots but to foster a society where the impulse to steal from them diminishes. It's a complex task, but one that speaks to our shared Humanity and technological future.
Similar to Tesla, Addock is betting big on robots automating factory work in the short-term to supporting the scaling his robot fleet. In the longer term, he expects robots to enter people’s homes as personal assistants.