Fueling the Future with AI funding

AI Companies continue to raise funding and platforms like AWS invests more into AI to entice enteripse users ans developers

All this and more in today’s newsletter

News Bytes

• Exciting times for AI!, In the first half of 2024, over $35.5 billion was invested globally in AI startups, with five of the six venture rounds exceeding $1 billion raised by AI companies. Among U.S.-based startups, several raised significant funding: Hebbia secured $130 million for its generative AI document search, Skild AI raised $300 million for robot technology, Bright Machines received $106 million for smart robotics and AI software.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) has intensified its focus on generative AI, targeting not only developers but also enterprises. During its summit in New York, AWS unveiled App Studio, a service aimed at accelerating application development using natural language prompts. Additionally, the chip industry is eyeing a trillion-dollar opportunity in AI chips, with energy-efficient alternatives gaining traction alongside Nvidia.

• OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), urging an investigation into the company’s allegedly restrictive non-disclosure agreements. According to the Washington Post, these agreements could penalize employees who raised concerns about OpenAI to federal authorities. The company required employees to waive their federal rights to whistleblower compensation and obtain prior consent before disclosing information to regulators.

• The European Union has charged Elon Musk’s company, formerly known as Twitter and now rebranded as “X,” with violating new regulations for social media platforms. Musk is accused of deceiving users and failing to meet transparency requirements. The controversy centers around the blue check “verification” system, which Musk relaunched after acquiring Twitter in late 2022. Under this system, anyone could pay for the once-coveted badge, leading to an influx of spoof accounts, impersonators, and misleading information.

Text to Speech AI Tools

• ElevenLabs : Create the most realistic speech with our AI audio platform

• Murf.AI : AI voice generator that transforms your text into realistic speech in minutes

• Play HT : Generate AI voices, Indistinguishable from Humans

• NaturalReaders : Text-to-speech site with very audible voices

• Uberduck : Realistic, expressive synthetic vocals for agencies, musicians, marketers, and creators.

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