Meta Llama, US AI Investment Reaches $471B, $5.2B Gov Spend

AI is rapidly evolving across various sectors, from defense and manufacturing to law and education. In the U.S., private sector AI investment reached $471 billion in 2024, while the government spent $5.2 billion on AI contracts between 2013 and 2023. China's private sector invested $119 billion in AI during the same period, and the U.K. government spent $26 billion. These investments are fueling innovations like Ford's use of AI cameras (AiTriz and MAIVS) to catch manufacturing errors and prevent recalls. Public-private partnerships are also transforming intelligence analysis, allowing government agencies to leverage AI for predicting geopolitical events and detecting digital threats. However, concerns about AI safety and ethics are growing. Researchers emphasize the need for transparency in military AI, while companies like Rubrik are launching services like Agent Rewind to fix errors made by AI agents. Character AI is shifting its focus from AGI to AI storytelling, using open-source models like Meta's Llama, and is addressing safety concerns for younger users. Startups like Cluely are developing AI tools to enhance productivity in meetings and job interviews. Educational institutions are also embracing AI, with UChicago Law offering a course where students build AI tools to help tenants understand their rights, and UAB celebrating graduates using AI to improve healthcare. Australian firms are also planning significant investments in agentic AI to boost productivity, while also acknowledging the risks involved.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. private sector AI investment reached $471 billion in 2024.
• The U.S. government spent $5.2 billion on AI contracts from 2013-2023.
• China's private sector invested $119 billion in AI between 2013 and 2024.
• The U.K. government spent $26 billion on AI from 2013 to 2023.
• Ford is using AiTriz and MAIVS, AI camera systems, to catch manufacturing errors.
• Rubrik launched Agent Rewind to help organizations fix errors made by AI agents.
• Character AI is focusing on AI storytelling using models like Meta's Llama.
• Character AI has 20 million monthly active users and is making over $30 million in revenue.
• UChicago Law is offering an AI course on renter's rights.
• Over 90% of Australian organizations plan to use agentic AI in the next six months.

Military AI needs transparency to build trust says researchers

Researchers Roy Lindelauf and Herwin Meerveld say military AI systems need to be more transparent. They argue that while companies are developing advanced AI, they often keep the methods secret for competitive reasons. This makes it hard for defense organizations to ensure AI is used safely and ethically. The researchers suggest governments should prioritize responsible AI adoption and work with private companies under strict safeguards. They also highlight the challenges of understanding and verifying AI behavior, especially in complex situations like drone decision-making.

AI transforming intelligence analysis through public-private partnerships

AI is changing how the U.S. Intelligence Community collects and analyzes information. AI algorithms can process large amounts of data faster than humans. Public-private partnerships allow government agencies to use AI companies' technology. AI can predict geopolitical events, analyze unstructured data, and detect digital threats. These partnerships give AI firms access to data for training their models and validation from the U.S. Government.

Ford uses AI cameras to catch errors, prevent recalls

Ford is using AI cameras in its factories to find small manufacturing errors. The AI systems, called AiTriz and MAIVS, help workers spot problems in real time. AiTriz uses video to find misalignments, while MAIVS uses photos to check if parts are correctly installed. Ford hopes this will reduce costly recalls. The AI systems are already helping workers fix issues before they become big problems.

US leads AI investment race ahead of China, UK

The U.S. is investing the most in AI, followed by China and the U.K. In 2024, the U.S. private sector invested $471 billion in AI. The U.S. government spent $5.2 billion on AI contracts from 2013 to 2023, mostly through the Department of Defense. China's private sector invested $119 billion in AI between 2013 and 2024. The U.K. government spent about $26 billion on AI from 2013 to 2023.

Rubrik launches Agent Rewind to fix AI mistakes

Rubrik has launched Agent Rewind, a service that helps organizations fix errors made by AI agents. AI agents can sometimes make mistakes that lead to technical or legal problems. Agent Rewind lets companies track, control, and reverse AI agent actions. It is built on the AI infrastructure of Predibase, which Rubrik recently bought. The service creates a record of AI actions and allows for secure rollbacks to undo unwanted changes.

Character AI shifts focus from AGI to AI storytelling

Character.AI, an AI companion startup, is now focusing on AI entertainment instead of building AGI models. The company is using open-source models like Meta’s Llama and Alibaba’s Qwen. Character.AI has 20 million monthly active users and is making over $30 million in revenue. The company is also working on safety measures for younger users, like age verification and separate models for under-18s. They are also dealing with a lawsuit concerning safety.

Cluely AI startup redefines cheating to win at meetings

Neel Shanmugam, an Ivy League dropout, co-founded Cluely, an AI startup in San Francisco. Cluely creates AI tools that help people in real time, like suggesting answers in job interviews. The company's software can also flag important points in meetings. Shanmugam believes that doing things is more important than having a degree. He and his team live in their San Francisco office to focus on the company.

UChicago Law offers AI course on renter's rights

UChicago Law is offering a course where students will build a database of legal summaries about renter's rights. The students will then use this data to train an AI model. The goal is to create a tool that the public can use to get answers to their questions about tenant law. This project aims to help tenants who often don't have lawyers.

Australian firms to invest billions in agentic AI

Over 90% of Australian organizations plan to use agentic AI in the next six months. About 41% are already using it, and another 50% plan to implement it soon. Companies are investing in agentic AI to improve productivity and efficiency. They expect to get a good return on their investment. However, they are also concerned about risks like misuse, privacy breaches, and data security.

UAB celebrates mother, daughter, and mentor graduating with AI certificates

Julie and Sophia Schifanella, along with their mentor Laurie Tunagur, are graduating from UAB's AI in Medicine certificate program. Julie was inspired by her mother's illness to create an AI tool for early detection of brain viruses. Sophia is using AI to improve the lives of children with autism. They all believe AI can help improve health care by speeding up processes and reducing burnout among medical staff.

Sources

• Building Trust in Military AI Starts with Opening the Black Box - War on the Rocks
• The Transformative Potential of AI in Intelligence Analysis
• AI cameras help Ford factory workers spot assembly errors and prevent costly recalls
• Which Countries Are Investing Most in AI?
• Rubrik launches service to fight off misbehaving AI agents
• Character.AI Gave Up on AGI. Now It’s Selling Stories
• AI startup Cluely redfines "cheating," says Ivy League dropout co-founder
• UChicago Law Offers AI Course
• Australian firms to boost agentic AI investment to USD $12.3 billion
• Mother-daughter duo, inspirational mentor graduate with UAB’s AI in Medicine certificates and hope to better care for patients