Exploring Frontiers

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pentridge Newsletter! We’ve returned to get into the most compelling developments in Artificial Intelligence. This field continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace, bringing forth new advancements and innovations that shape our understanding and application of technology.

While AI remains the core focus of this newsletter, we are also beginning to explore emerging technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrency. These technologies continue to gain momentum and show great promise in complementing AI to create more secure and also alternative solutions. In this edition, alongside our usual AI insights, we introduce 'Crypto Corner'—a new segment dedicated to the basics of cryptocurrency and blockchain. As Bitcoin cements its status as the world’s best performing asset, and institutions like BlackRock invest in Ethereum's blockchain, it's clear that these topics deserve our attention.

So, let's get started with this edition, discussing AI's latest trends and a glance into the potential of blockchain and decentralized technologies.

Inside This Issue:

• Google’s Med-Gemini: Revolutionizing Healthcare

• Victoriya Shi: Pioneering AI in Diplomacy

• ChatGPT’s New "Memory" Feature

• Quick Fire AI News

• Crypto Corner: Bitcoin and Beyond

Google's Med-Gemini: A Leap Forward in AI for Healthcare

Google has introduced Med-Gemini, an advanced suite of AI models designed specifically for the healthcare sector. This innovation marks a significant development as Med-Gemini surpasses leading models, including GPT-4, in 10 of 14 healthcare benchmarks. It integrates web search data to deliver more accurate and current responses to complex medical inquiries, excelling in analyzing medical imagery and records, and conducting realistic dialogues about patient cases. Read more

Why This Matters: Google's specialization of its Gemini model into Med-Gemini illustrates the vast potential of AI to transform healthcare, highlighting the trend of industries adopting specialized AI solutions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in niche tasks.

Ukraine Debuts 'Victoriya Shi': The World's First AI Digital Spokesperson in Diplomacy

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken a pioneering step by introducing Victoriya Shi, an AI-generated avatar, as its digital spokesperson. Designed to resemble Rosalie Nombre, a beloved Ukrainian singer and reality TV star, Victoriya will present pre-scripted official statements, each accompanied by a QR code to ensure authenticity and combat potential deepfakes.

Watch Victoriya's Debut: Victoriya Shi's First Announcement

Implications: As the inaugural "AI diplomat," Victoriya Shi's role may foreshadow how governments could increasingly rely on AI for public communication and perhaps more complex diplomatic tasks in the future.

OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with New "Memory" Feature for Pro Users

OpenAI continues to innovate with its AI models by introducing a new "Memory" feature in ChatGPT for Pro account holders. This feature allows ChatGPT to retain information across sessions, enhancing its ability to provide personalized responses based on past interactions.

Why It’s Important: This development makes ChatGPT more useful and tailored for individual users, potentially changing how we interact with AI by making it more context-aware and sensitive to our preferences over time. Read more here.

Quick Fire AI News:

1. Penn Engineering's New AI Master's Program - The University of Pennsylvania is now offering a Master's degree in AI. Read more

2. Updates to Synthesia Avatars - Synthesia has upgraded its platform that makes AI-driven video avatars. Explore features

3. Apple Talks AI with OpenAI - Apple is discussing how to integrate more AI features into iPhones with OpenAI. Full details

4. MultiOn AI's New Agent API - MultiOn AI has launched a new API that lets you use AI to control various devices and apps. Discover more

5. Meet Llama 3 from Meta - Meta has released the third version of its large language model to improve how it interacts. Visit Llama 3

6. Easier Access to ChatGPT - OpenAI has made it simpler to start using ChatGPT right away. Start using ChatGPT

7. AI-Developed Drug Progresses - InSilico Medicine's drug, created using AI, has moved to the next phase of testing. Read the news

Crypto Corner

Bitcoin's Big Change

Every four years, Bitcoin goes through a major update called the bitcoin "halving" event, where the reward for mining Bitcoin is cut in half. This cycle’s event happened just last month on April 20, 2024, reducing the reward from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoins for every block mined. It helps limit the number of new bitcoins being made, which makes each bitcoin more valuable and a more scarce asset. After the halving, the price of Bitcoin usually goes up because there are fewer new bitcoins available. This scarcity tends to increase demand among investors, driving up prices.

Ethereum Gains a Big Supporter

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has started using the technology of the Ethereum blockchain. This is a significant endorsement as it shows that major financial players are interested in using Ethereum not just for trading but also for actual financial services. This could lead to more companies adopting Ethereum, making it more integral in the world of finance.

New Investment Options for Bitcoin and Ethereum

Recently, new investment funds called Spot ETFs have been introduced in the US and China. These funds allow people to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum without directly owning the coins, making cryptocurrency investment accessible through traditional investment channels like the stock market.

AI Meets Crypto

Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to deeply intersect with the blockchain. Whether in regard to bringing together compute power in a decentralized manner to drive AI models, or more equitably distributing AI development, AI & Crypto is paving the way for a more advanced and secure technological progression

That’s it for this week’s edition! If you have any questions or would like to make a request for this newsletter, feel free to respond back directly. 

 ^{Today's email was brought to you by Aki}

^{Was this email forwarded to you? You can subscribe here!}