The humanoid space is going crAIzy!
And here are some of the reads I've enjoyed this week or so.
We’ve got to start with the crAIzy!
Big-data analytics firm Databricks has emerged as an unlikely player in the generative artificial intelligence space, open-sourcing a new AI model that it claims is “as magical as ChatGPT,” despite being trained on far less data in less than three hours using a single machine. It's one of a growing number of comparatively low-budget efforts to spring up lately, though not all are going as planned. That Stanford ChatGPT clone that required just $600 to build has been taken down owing to "hosting costs" and the "inadequacies" of its content filters. SiliconAngle has more on Databricks's news here.
Investment in generative AI startups has ballooned to $5.9 billion since the beginning of 2022, up from $1.5 billion in 2020, according to data from PitchBook. Reuters has more here. (from Strictly VC)
From AI Explained
Less than 24 hours ago a paper was released that will echo around the world. I read all 154 papers in one sitting. The paper suggests GPT 4 has ‘sparks of Artificial General Intelligence’. This is not just hype, I go through 15 examples detailing just what exactly the unrestrained GPT 4 is capable of. Insane highlights include the monumental ability to use tools effectively – this is an emergent capability not found in ChatGPT. I detail the kind of tools it has already demonstrated it can use, from using external APIs to being a true personal assistant, from a Fermi answerer to a Mathlete and a handyman. This paper may well change your thoughts on the state of AGI. That is just touching on the multitude of implications of this bombshell paper, which was originally titled 'First Contact'...
Sparks of AGI Paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.12712.pdf
Augmented Memory: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2301.04589.pdf
Adept AI Photoshop: https://www.adept.ai/blog/introducing...
https://www.patreon.com/AIExplained
AI is seizing the master key of civilization and we cannot afford to lose, warns Sapiens author Yuval Harari - Steve Mollman - Fortune
I have opinions too, that’s for sure. Hope you do too!
Quick Reads (incl ProMat and more Humanoids):
1X, a nine-year-old Oslo startup whose goal is to produce androids capable of human-like movements and behaviors, raised a $23.5 million Series A2 round led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, with Tiger Global also contributing. More here.
Series A Funding is getting harder - Crunchbase
Editor’s Picks: best robots of ProMat 2023 - The Robot Report
Next-gen Digit humanoid wants to automate logistics tasks - The Robot Report
Verity reels in $32M for its autonomous warehouse drones - Silicon Angle
Ambi Robotics optimizes sorting operations with AmbiAccess - The Robot Report
6 River Systems co-founder on the state of warehouse robots - TechCrunch
Wingtra raises $22M as its survey drones soar to new heights - Silicon Angle
Intrinsic CEO to keynote Robotics Summit - The Robot Report
How Computer Vision is changing manufacturing in 2023 - Voxel51
Jabil to provide manufacturing services for Sarcos - The Robot Report
Rosotics unveils a new kind of giant 3D printer - Payload
Automotive industry sets record by employing 1M robots - The Robot Report
Deeper Reads:
More about the robots of ProMat 2023 - Brian Heater - TechCrunch
If I were a VC in the robotics space right now, in addition to making a lot more money, I would be hyperfocused on precisely this. Whoever develops a truly mobile robot capable of maneuvering down factory aisles (i.e., around the size of a 6 River/Locus/Fetch robot) mounted with a mobile manipulator capable of picking things off the shelf at a decent clip and a variety of speeds should clear out room in their driveway for the Brinks truck delivery.
Programming Robots: Keeping the Code Clean - Benjie Holson - General Robots
I’ve been working on general purpose robots with Everyday Robots for 8 years, and was the engineering lead of the product/applications group until we were impacted by the recent Alphabet layoffs. This series is an attempt to share almost a decade of lessons learned so you can get a head start making robots that live and work among us. Previous posts live here.
Robot Talk Episode 42 - Thom Kirwan-Evans - Robohub
Claire chatted to Thom Kirwan-Evans from Origami Labs all about computer vision, machine learning, and robots in industry.
Thom Kirwan-Evans is a co-founder at Origami Labs where he applies the latest AI research to solve complex real world problems. Thom started as a physicist at Dstl working with camera systems before moving to an engineering consultancy and then setting up his own company last year.
Tales of Hands on Robotic Automation - David Rogers
Learn how to build cost-effective robotic and edge automation. Manufacturers view technology as an advantage for improving quality, agility, and innovation.