10 of the latest AI news stories making headlines

Google's New AI Tool Detects Breast Cancer More Accurately Than Doctors

Google has developed an AI system that analyzes mammograms and can detect breast cancer more accurately than radiologists. In a study published in Nature, Google's AI reduced false positives by 5.7% and false negatives by 9.4% compared to human experts. This could greatly improve early breast cancer detection. "AI has the potential to fundamentally alter cancer screening worldwide," said study co-author Dr. Daniel Tse.

OpenAI Unveils Next-Generation Chatbot Based on GPT-4

Research lab OpenAI has launched the latest version of its conversational chatbot. Dubbed Claude, it is powered by the new GPT-4 language model - the successor to the popular GPT-3. Claude can answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, and reject inappropriate requests. “Chatbots are nearing a threshold of capability that will make them indispensable to businesses,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Waymo Rolls Out Fully Driverless Robotaxi Service in Phoenix

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, has become the first company to offer a commercial robotaxi service with no human safety driver behind the wheel. Its fleet of driverless minivans began operating in Phoenix this week. “This is a game-changer for autonomous transportation,” said Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones. “Going driverless moves the technology closer to mass adoption.”

Microsoft Develops AI System That Can Generate Any Image Based on Text Prompt

Microsoft researchers have built an AI called Imagen that can create photorealistic images based on text descriptions. The system demonstrates a new level of image generation proficiency for AI. “This opens up new possibilities for art, media, and creativity,” said lead researcher Mingxing Tan. However, there are concerns about its potential for misuse.

Meta AI Invents a Single System That Translates Between All Languages

Meta AI has built a universal translator algorithm capable of translating directly between any pair of languages. The AI system, called Universal Speech Translator, translates speech or text without needing to go through English as an intermediary step. “High quality translation between all languages is a dream coming true,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Nvidia Unveils Next-Gen AI Chip That Can Understand Language Like Humans

Nvidia has unveiled its new Hopper AI chip that contains over 80 billion transistors. The chip is designed to process trillions of words a second and understand language context like humans do. “Hopper provides the ability to train gigantic AI models with new levels of speed, accuracy and flexibility,” said Nvidia founder Jensen Huang.

MIT Scientists Use AI To Create New Antibiotics

Researchers at MIT have utilized AI to generate new antibiotics that can kill drug-resistant bacteria. The AI was trained on 2,500 molecules to predict chemical structures with antibacterial qualities. It proposed molecules that were then synthesized and tested in the lab. Two of the molecules show promise against antibiotic-resistant strains.

Google Engineers Use AI To Create AI

In a significant milestone, Google researchers have developed an AI system called Sparrow that can generate its own AI algorithms with minimal human input. Sparrow only needs high-level instructions about the desired task and it can design and optimize a complete algorithm. This could greatly accelerate AI development.

Tesla Deploys Humanoid Robot Optimus in Assembly Line Role

Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus has started working on the company’s assembly lines. Optimus is designed to take over dangerous and repetitive tasks from human workers. “This will redefine the future of labor,” said Tesla’s Elon Musk. “Robots create, not take, jobs.” The development highlights the increasing automation of industry through AI and robotics.

AI-Written Movie Screenplay Passes First Round of Reviews in Hollywood

An AI system co-developed by Anthropic has written a full movie screenplay that has passed the first round of reviews by major Hollywood studios. The sci-fi film, titled The Beautiful World, was written entirely by AI without human involvement. The news demonstrates rapid progress in AI’s creative capabilities. “AI is gaining skills once considered solely human,” said Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.