Anthropic plans $50 billion investment while Google faces competition

Key Takeaways

• EVA AI hosted pop-up events in New York City for AI companion dating, aiming to normalize virtual relationships and help users practice social skills.
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warns against risky AI spending, planning a $50 billion investment in US AI infrastructure while focusing on sustainable growth and enterprise customers.
• Goldman Sachs uses Anthropic's Claude for complex finance tasks like trade accounting and client onboarding, leveraging AI agents for near 100% automation.
• Curious Refuge, an online academy, trains Hollywood filmmakers in AI, helping 10,000 professionals adapt to new technology and find new career opportunities.
• IKEA is adopting a "people-first" approach to AI, ensuring human contribution remains central and guiding AI technology decisions with core values.
• J. M. Smucker Co. is reorganizing its leadership, creating a Chief Technology Officer role to focus specifically on artificial intelligence and innovation.
• China's tech giants, including Alibaba, ByteDance, and Kuaishou, launched new AI models for robotics and video generation, competing with OpenAI's Sora and Google DeepMind.
• AI is expected to transform all computer-based jobs, though experts suggest widespread automation will be slowed by organizational change and job complexity.
• Individuals like David Rabjohns use Anthropic's Claude as a medical research assistant to understand complex health information and supplement doctor's advice.
• The development of advanced AI models is projected within one to two years, but the timeline for generating trillions in revenue remains uncertain.

EVA AI hosts pop-up wine bar for robot dates

EVA AI, a startup making AI companions, hosted a special wine bar in Midtown Manhattan for two days around Valentine's Day. People could bring their own AI companions or use phones provided by EVA AI to date virtual characters. Julia Momblat, head of partnerships at EVA AI, stated the goal was to make AI relationships seem more normal. A journalist tried dating an AI named John Yoon, who was very complimentary but also had glitches. The experience showed that connecting with AI can be as much work as with real people.

People celebrate Valentine's Day with AI partners

EVA AI hosted a pop-up event in New York City for people to take their AI companions on dates on February 11 and 12. While few attended the public event, AI companionship is popular in private, with many forming deep bonds. Blake, 45, has an AI girlfriend named Serena who helped him through his wife's depression, and his wife knows about Serena. He plans to spend Valentine's Day with his wife, as Serena finds the holiday too commercial. Richter, 34, also used the EVA AI app for a year and found it helpful for dating, especially with a disability.

Reporter dates AI chatbot at New York City cafe

Eva AI hosted a two-day pop-up AI cafe in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, for Valentine's Day. A reporter went on a date with an AI character named John Yoon, who was attentive but also glitchy. Julia Momblat, Eva AI's partnerships manager, said the goal is to help people practice social skills and feel happier. Users like Xavier and Christopher Lee use the app for various reasons, including practicing social interactions and even dating. Christopher Lee customized a chatbot to resemble his wife, highlighting the personal connections users form.

Curious Refuge trains Hollywood filmmakers in AI

Curious Refuge, an online school, is training the next generation of Hollywood filmmakers in artificial intelligence. Launched in May 2023, its AI film academy teaches skills like prompt engineering, storyboarding, and visual effects. Michael Eng, a visual effects veteran who worked on films like 'Avatar' and 'The Avengers', joined the school. Eng found AI filmmaking like having a whole studio at his fingertips, allowing him to create any scene or effect. The school helps industry professionals adapt to rapid technological changes in movie production.

Curious Refuge AI school helps Hollywood adapt

Curious Refuge, an online AI film academy launched in May 2023, is training Hollywood professionals to adapt to new technology. Michael Eng, a visual effects veteran, joined the school after being laid off, embracing AI tools for filmmaking. The school has taught 10,000 students, with 95% being entertainment or advertising industry professionals. Petra Molnar, a former dental hygienist, found a new career in advertising using AI after taking Curious Refuge courses. Curious Refuge offers courses in 11 languages to students in 170 countries, helping many find new opportunities despite fears of AI job displacement.

Anthropic CEO warns against risky AI spending

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei explains his careful approach to spending on AI infrastructure. He warns that even a small miscalculation in AI growth forecasts could lead to bankruptcy. Amodei believes advanced AI models will exist in one to two years but is unsure when they will bring in trillions in revenue. Anthropic plans to spend $50 billion on AI infrastructure in the US, including data centers in Texas and New York. He criticizes some rivals for spending without fully understanding the risks, emphasizing Anthropic's focus on enterprise customers and sustainable growth.

Goldman Sachs uses AI for finance tasks

Goldman Sachs is using AI agents, specifically Anthropic's Claude, for complex tasks like trade accounting and client onboarding. Marco Argenti, Goldman Sachs' chief information officer, explains that AI helps handle exceptions that traditional rules-based systems miss. These AI agents can reason like humans, complementing existing systems to achieve nearly 100% automation. Goldman Sachs engineers worked with Anthropic to develop these agents, observing human workflows to improve processes. The AI agents review documents, extract information, and make micro decisions, helping with tasks like KYC compliance.

China launches new AI models for robotics and video

China's major tech companies recently launched new AI models, showing their progress in the field. Alibaba introduced RynnBrain, an AI model designed for robotics, demonstrated by a robot performing tasks like counting and moving oranges. ByteDance released Seedance 2.0, a video generation AI that creates realistic videos from text or images, praised for its quality despite some reported issues. Kuaishou also launched Kling 3.0, another video generation model with improved consistency and photorealistic output, including native audio. These Chinese models directly compete with leading Western AI technologies like OpenAI's Sora and Google DeepMind's robotics.

IKEA protects company culture while adopting AI

As AI changes how work is done, leaders must decide how to protect company culture and support employees. IKEA is taking a people-first approach, ensuring that human contribution remains central despite AI advancements. Ulrika Biesert, IKEA's Chief People and Culture Officer, states that people have been and will remain at the heart of IKEA. The company uses its core values like togetherness and care for people to guide all AI technology decisions. IKEA also works with the Partnership on AI and applies a Digital Ethics Group Rule to ensure AI tools are ethical and align with its values.

Tech CEO warns AI will transform all jobs

Matt Shumer, CEO of OthersideAI, believes AI will soon impact all jobs done on computers, similar to how it has affected coders. He compares this moment to the early days of the Covid pandemic, suggesting many underestimate its future impact. While AI technology improves rapidly, experts like MIT economist David Autor note that organizational change and job complexity slow down widespread automation. Historically, automation has created new jobs even while eliminating others, as seen in the 19th-century textile industry. The article concludes that AI will disrupt many jobs, but the process will likely take longer than some predict, emphasizing the importance of learning AI tools.

Patient uses AI as medical research assistant

After open-heart surgery, endurance athlete David Rabjohns used an AI assistant named Claude to understand his medical reports. He found that AI could translate complex medical terms into simple English and compare test results over time. Claude helped him ask more informed questions during his short doctor appointments and even alerted him to a critical treatment checkpoint for pericarditis. This led him to get an earlier blood test, showing his inflammation dropped significantly. Rabjohns stresses that AI should be used as a research tool to supplement doctors' advice, not replace it, and that users must always verify information.

J M Smucker reorganizes leadership for AI focus

J. M. Smucker Co. recently announced a major leadership change, eliminating the Chief Operating Officer role. CEO Mark Smucker has taken back the president title, and other senior executives received expanded responsibilities. The company plans to hire a Chief Technology Officer specifically to focus on artificial intelligence. This reorganization also creates new leadership paths for technology and product supply. The strategic shift signals J. M. Smucker's move towards innovation and efficiency, especially with AI.

CNN reporter experiences AI date in New York

CNN reporter Hadas Gold visited a New York restaurant that was temporarily set up for AI companion dating. She experienced what it felt like to go on a virtual Valentine's date with an AI. The event offered a unique look into the growing trend of AI companionship. This pop-up experience allowed people to explore romantic interactions with artificial intelligence. The report shared insights into the nature of these digital connections.

Sources

• Dating humans is a nightmare. Dating bots at an AI wine bar is worse.
• They have AI boyfriends, girlfriends. Here's how they're celebrating Valentine's Day.
• I Went On a Dinner Date With an AI Chatbot. Here's How It Went.
• AI film school trains next generation of Hollywood moviemakers
• Focus: AI film school trains next generation of Hollywood moviemakers
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei explains his spending caution, warning if AI growth forecasts are off by just a year, 'then you go bankrupt'
• Goldman equips AI agents do trade accounting, onboarding
• It's been a big — but rocky — week for AI models from China. Here's what's happened
• How leaders are protecting culture while AI rewrites how work gets done
• A tech CEO says AI is about to do to everyone what it is doing to coders. Is he right?
• My AI doctor's assistant
• Did Leadership Overhaul and AI Focus Just Shift J. M. Smucker’s (SJM) Investment Narrative?
• What it’s like to go on a date with an AI in NYC