☕ AI overview

Breaking down Stanford's latest AI report.

April 24, 2024 PRESENTED BY It's Wednesday. Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence recently released its annual AI Index report, spending 500 pages on a tech temperature check. Not up for that much reading? Tech Brew's Patrick Kulp has the TL;DR. In today's edition: What to know about this year's massive Stanford AI report Survey shows widespread fears about AI-fueled misinformation Biden dishes out $7 billion for low-income households to go solar —Patrick Kulp, Annie Saunders AI Stanford studies Imaginima/Getty Images The last 12 months have been a frenetic period for AI—so much so that it took Stanford University researchers a whopping 500 pages to break down the state of the technology in the 2024 edition of its annual AI Index report. Published by the university's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the report covers everything from generative AI investment (on the rise) and the costs of training (also ballooning) to how the technology stacks up against humans (a mixed bag). Just want the TL;DR? Tech Brew pulled out some of the biggest takeaways from the report. Generative AI investment is surging: While global private investment in AI fell for a second year in a row, it probably doesn't come as a surprise that one subfield of the tech—generative AI—has clearly been having a moment. Funding for that area jumped nearly ninefold in 2023 from the year before, up to $25.2 billion. Costs are skyrocketing, too—and they're not just monetary: Just as investment is mounting, so too is the amount of money required to train these massive systems. The report estimated that OpenAI's GPT-4 likely cost $78 million to train, while Google's Gemini Ultra had an estimated price tag of upward of $191 million. That's not to mention the environmental cost. Keep reading here.—PK PRESENTED BY NYSE Institutional icon The NYSE is best known as the world's largest stock exchange and a global financial hub, yet it's so much more. It serves as a nexus where visionaries from around the globe converge to shape a promising tomorrow. Within the iconic walls of this instantly recognizable Wall Street landmark, CEOs, founders, and influential figures gather to ignite innovation and drive the change that will define our future. This spirit was vividly evident as the NYSE proudly embraced GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) and GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV), marking their inaugural trading day as independent entities, each committed to forging a more sustainable path forward. Hear that bell ringing? The future is here. AI Survey says: scared Moor Studio/Getty Images With a presidential election fast approaching, Americans are having a hard time telling what's real on the internet—and AI isn't helping. Adobe asked around 6,000 consumers in four countries about their encounters with misinformation, as well as their fears that generative AI deepfakes are fueling the problem. The survey registered widespread concern around the issue, to the point that some respondents said they were cutting down on certain social media as a result. Social media platforms and government agencies have been attempting to curb AI trickery, especially when it comes to election-related content. Adobe, for its part, spearheaded a consortium of organizations called the Content Authenticity Initiative to create what it describes as a "nutrition label" to determine the veracity of online media. Read on for quick highlights from Adobe's survey findings. Keep reading here.—PK GREEN TECH Solar spending Anadolu/Getty Images The Biden administration celebrated Earth Day by doling out $7 billion worth of grants for solar projects across close to a million low-income households. The funding, part of the Environmental Protection Agency's "Solar For All" grant competition made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will go to 60 selectees across states, municipalities, tribal governments, and nonprofits to help residents in poorer communities go solar. The news kicks off a host of announcements to come throughout the week that will tout the president's climate record. Tech Brew spoke with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about the strategy behind the grants and how the administration is thinking about solar energy more broadly as part of President Biden's goal to transition the country away from carbon-based power by 2035. Granholm said the goal of this week's grants is to help close a gap in who tends to install solar panels and help those who could use the power savings most take the plunge. "It's clear that solar panels have largely been taken up by wealthier homeowners, either they buy them or they lease them," Granholm said. "It's unfortunate that the message about leasing at least hasn't really trickled across to families that may have lower incomes, because even if you pay a lease payment, it can still be lower than your energy bill to begin with. That's part of the impetus behind Solar For All: making sure we reduce people's energy bills on average." Keep reading here.—PK TOGETHER WITH FINANCEBUZZ Rare unlimited cash-back match turns heads. If you have outstanding credit card debt, getting a new 0% intro APR credit card could help ease the pressure while you pay down your balances. On top of that, this top credit card offers a whopping up to 5% cash-back perk that gets matched after your first year. That's up to 10% back on qualifying purchases in your first 12 months! Take advantage of this offer—learn how to apply now. BITS AND BYTES Stat: 6%. That's the union membership rate in Tennessee, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. But that number could soon rise: The UAW notched a win last week when workers at a Chattanooga Volkswagen plant voted to join the union. Quote: "The legitimate world looks so much like a scam that it's much easier to make a scam look like the legit world."—Cory Doctorow, a journalist who writes about the internet, to the New York Times in a story about the proliferation of online scams Read: How investors are using special purpose vehicles to buy stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic (The Information) Capital, meet culture: The NYSE is a catalyst for innovation. It's where icons meet disruptors, where the best + brightest help shape the future—all to the familiar sound of the Bell. Learn more.* *A message from our sponsor. JOBS When's the last time you landed a job by applying cold? We've partnered with CollabWORK, the first community-powered hiring platform, to bring you curated jobs from companies looking to connect with Tech Brew readers. Apply below and join CollabWORK for free. Senior Product Manager, Search at Walmart (in person) Network Engineer at Govcio LLC (hybrid) Network Development Engineer at Amazon Data Services, Inc. (in person) SHARE THE BREW Share Tech Brew with your coworkers, acquire free Brew swag, and then make new friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We're saying we'll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others: emergingtechbrew.com/r/?kid=b3968dba Written by Patrick Kulp and Annie Saunders Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.   Guide → What is AI?   Guide → What is 5G? Take The Brew to work Marketers: Marketing Brew Corporate: CFO Brew   HR Brew Tech: IT Brew   Retailers: Retail Brew Healthcare: Healthcare Brew Get smarter in just 5 minutes Business News: Morning Brew Money & Career: Money With Katie   Bossy Interested in podcasts? 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