🌍 NASA’s AI Copilot Launches, FTC vs. Microsoft, Robotics Revolution
Good morning. It’s Friday, November 15. Today we are covering:
NASA's AI Earth Copilot will take your questions about our planet
US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft's cloud business
Inside the Billion-Dollar Startup Bringing AI Into the Physical World
Musk's amended lawsuit against OpenAI names Microsoft as defendant
Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube
Let’s dive in
NASA's AI Earth Copilot will take your questions about our planet
By Emma Roth via The Verge
NASA collaborates with Microsoft to create Earth Copilot, an AI chatbot designed to simplify access to geospatial and scientific data about the Earth, providing easy-to-digest answers to complex questions.
The tool integrates AI into NASA's data repository, enabling insights on topics like Hurricane Ian's impact or the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on air quality, aiming to "democratize" access to scientific information for non-experts.
Currently available to NASA scientists and researchers, Earth Copilot will be tested for potential integration into NASA’s VEDA platform, streamlining data exploration and analysis.
𝕏: NASA's repository of geospatial data contains key insights on everything from climate and air quality to urban planning and disaster response—but its scale and complexity make it difficult to parse. With Earth Copilot, they're making it easier than ever for anyone to access that data - Satya Nadella (@satyanadella)
US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft's cloud business
By Stefania Palma via Financial Times
The FTC is preparing an investigation into Microsoft's cloud business, examining claims of anti-competitive practices such as punitive licensing terms and high exit fees aimed at discouraging customers from leaving its Azure platform.
This probe reflects Lina Khan's aggressive stance against Big Tech, following widespread concerns over monopolistic behavior and restrictive software licensing, with bipartisan scrutiny extending to other companies like Amazon and Google.
Similar investigations are underway internationally, including by the UK’s CMA, while Microsoft has faced allegations of lobbying interference from Google, highlighting intense competition in the $675 billion cloud market.
𝕏: The FTC is preparing to launch an investigation into anti-competitive practices at Microsoft’s Azure cloud biz, as the US regulator still pursues Big Tech in final weeks of Biden admin - Arash Massoudi (@ArashMassoudi)
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Inside the Billion-Dollar Startup Bringing AI Into the Physical World
By Will Knight via WIRED
Physical Intelligence, a San Francisco-based startup, has raised $400 million from backers like OpenAI and Jeff Bezos, aiming to revolutionize robotics by developing AI models that give robots humanlike dexterity and understanding of the physical world.
The company combines large language models (LLMs) with vision and motion data to teach robots complex tasks, such as folding clothes and cleaning tables, showcasing promising early results in household and industrial applications.
Founders, including Karol Hausman, Sergey Levine, and Chelsea Finn, believe their approach could spark a robotics revolution, though challenges like data scarcity and scaling remain formidable.
𝕏: I recently visited Physical Intelligence, a $400 million funded startup that aims to bring artificial intelligence into the real world. The company is making progress towards a master algorithm for robot control and building some remarkable home robots. - @willknight.bsky.social (@willknight)
Musk's amended lawsuit against OpenAI names Microsoft as defendant
By Kyle Wiggers via TechCrunch
Elon Musk's amended lawsuit against OpenAI now includes Microsoft, Reid Hoffman, and others as defendants, accusing them of anti-competitive behavior and collusion to harm competitors like Musk's xAI.
The suit alleges a "de facto merger" between OpenAI and Microsoft, with preferential access to infrastructure and shared sensitive information violating antitrust rules, while calling out former board members for potential conflicts of interest.
Musk's complaint also criticizes OpenAI's shift from its original nonprofit mission, claiming it is becoming a for-profit subsidiary of Microsoft, undermining its founding principles of transparency and safety.
𝕏: Grosse semaine pour @OpenAI avec : - un nouveau recours en justice de Microsoft et Musk pour non respect de la mission d’origine (des IA libres) - une appli pour tous les utilisateurs PC - une appli Mac qui peut interpréter le code d’autres applis - Frederic CAVAZZA (@fredcavazza)
Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube
By Anna Washenko via Engadget
Google will stop serving political advertisements in the EU, including on YouTube, citing new regulatory challenges and legal uncertainties under the Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising.
The decision follows similar moves in Canada, France, and Brazil, and reflects Google's ongoing scrutiny by EU authorities over its ad practices and antitrust issues.
This announcement comes amid broader tensions, as Google recently tested omitting EU-based news publishers from search results, further fueling regulatory and public scrutiny in the region.
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