Apple Intelligence and OpenAI’s Strawberry AI Model

Sep 13

Emerging Tech Roundup — September 13

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: AI-powered visual search comes to the iPhone, Audible to generate AI voice replicas of audiobook narrators, OpenAI to reportedly release Strawberry AI Model, Amazon to invest $10 billion in UK data centers, Nuro pivots to license self-driving tech to carmakers, Lucid shows off Gravity SUV, and Adobe previews AI video tools that arrive later this year.

AI-Powered Visual Search Comes to the iPhone

(Tech Crunch, September 9)

At the 2024 Apple Event, Apple announced the introduction of visual search powered by its AI suite, Apple Intelligence, for iPhone 16 models. The new Camera Control button enables "visual intelligence," allowing users to perform reverse image searches, recognize text, and retrieve relevant information such as restaurant details or event fliers. Visual intelligence, which respects user privacy, will launch in beta for U.S. users in October, with global rollout expected by early 2025.

Audible to Start Generating AI Voice Replicas of Select Audiobook Narrators

(Bloomberg, September 9)

Audible is launching a new initiative that invites select US-based audiobook narrators to train AI on their voices, allowing their clones to be used for future audiobook recordings. The program aims to increase audiobook production efficiently while offering narrators the opportunity to expand their earnings by working on multiple projects simultaneously through a royalty-sharing model. Audible hopes this will help bring more exclusive content to its platform, as many self-published titles on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing still lack audiobook versions.

OpenAI to Reportedly Release the New Strawberry AI Model in the Next 2 Weeks

(Inc, September 10)

OpenAI is set to launch a new AI model, codenamed Strawberry, on ChatGPT within the next two weeks, designed to tackle complex, multi-step problems. Unlike OpenAI's flagship model GPT-4o, Strawberry will initially process only text, but aims to offer more accurate responses with fewer errors and hallucinations. Early testers have noted that while its improved reasoning abilities are promising, the model can be slow, taking 10 to 20 seconds to respond.

Amazon to Invest $10 Billion in UK Data Centers

(Reuters, September 11)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced plans to invest £8 billion ($10.45 billion) in the United Kingdom over the next five years to build and maintain data centers. This investment is expected to contribute £14 billion to the UK's GDP by 2028 and support over 14,000 jobs. AWS has already invested £3 billion in London and Manchester since 2022, and the new project marks a significant increase in their investment pace.

Nuro Pivots to License Self-Driving Tech to Carmakers, Mobility Companies

(Tech Crunch, September 11)

Delivery robot company Nuro is expanding its business model to include robotaxis and autonomous vehicles by licensing its autonomous driving technology to external companies. Nuro will partner with car manufacturers and rideshare operators, providing its Nuro Driver technology. The company will also offer an AI platform to support the development and validation of its autonomous systems, positioning itself in new markets less affected by trade regulations.

Lucid Shows Off Gravity SUV with Tesla Port and Teases a Cheaper Midsize EV

(The Verge, September 11)

Lucid revealed that its upcoming Gravity SUV will feature a native Tesla-compatible charge port by 2025, aligning with the North American Charging Standard (NACS). This port will be positioned similarly to Tesla vehicles, avoiding issues with Supercharger access, unlike other EVs that require CCS-to-NACS adapters. Lucid also teased a more affordable vehicle during its Technology and Manufacturing Day event, joining Hyundai and Rivian in adopting the NACS standard for future EV models.

Adobe Previews AI Video Tools That Arrive Later This Year

(Engadget , September 11)

Adobe is set to release its Firefly AI video generation tools in beta later this year, designed to automate tasks like filling footage gaps, removing objects, and enhancing transitions, which could drastically streamline video post-production. While Adobe frames these tools as freeing editors from tedious work, there are concerns that AI adoption could lead to increased output demands, lower pay, or fewer jobs in the industry. The Firefly tools—including text-to-video generation and AI-assisted camera control—aim to help editors create establishing shots or b-roll without a large budget.