eBay’s newest AI feature allows sellers to replace image backgrounds with AI-generated backdrops.
eBay’s background enhancement tool could benefit sellers who lack the equipment or skills to take professional-looking or high-quality photos.
It may also improve on eBay’s previous offering, which used computer vision technology to give listing photos a simple, white background.
The new AI feature is powered by the open-source model Stable Diffusion.
The latest announcement comes a year after eBay introduced an AI feature that generates titles and descriptions for a product listing.
Read More“eBay Unveils Cutting-Edge AI Background Enhancement Tool for Product Images”
Google’s newest startup program, announced on Wednesday, aims to bring AI technology to the public sector.
The newly launched “Google for Startups AI Academy: American Infrastructure” will offer participants hands-on training from AI experts and other support for companies solving problems in areas like agriculture, energy, education, public safety, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, urban development, and more.
Over the course of twelve weeks, startups participating in the equity-free program will be guided by an AI curriculum developed by Google’s People + AI Research (PAIR) team and will participate in advanced sales and go-to-market workshops.
They’ll also be able to access industry connections and, of course, tap into Google’s AI tools as they build.
While much focus is on the AI companies building the models, tools, and interfaces for working with AI, a focus on real-world applications of the technology could impact communities at the local, state, and national levels, Google believes.
Read More“Revolutionizing Public Infrastructure with Google’s Cutting-Edge AI Startup Program”
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco is the must-attend event for startup founders aiming to make their mark in the tech world.
Founder benefits: Each founder of the startup can access all Founder Pass benefits.
Here’s what participation offers:Global showcase : Be among the top 200 startups selected from around the globe, spanning multiple industries.
Whether you’re looking to network, learn, or showcase your startup, Disrupt offers the ideal platform to propel your business forward.
Secure your place at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 and take the next big step in your entrepreneurial journey.
Read MoreMaximizing Your Impact: Standing Out at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 as a Founder
The weather’s getting hotter — but not quite as hot as the generative AI space, which saw a slew of new models released this week, including Meta’s Llama 3.
In other AI news, Hyundai-owned robotics company Boston Dynamics unveiled an electric-powered humanoid follow-up to its long-running Atlas robot, which it recently retired.
And Rebecca and Sean report on layoffs at Tesla , which they say hit high performers and gutted some departments.
AnalysisGoogle Cloud bets on generative AI: Ron writes about how Google Cloud is investing heavily in generative AI, as evidenced by the string of announcements during Google’s Cloud Next conference earlier in the month.
Generative AI in health: Generative AI is coming for healthcare — but not everyone’s thrilled.
Read MoreConcerns Arise as Boston Dynamics Reveals Latest Robot, Citing Drama with MKBHD and Restructuring at Tesla
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this afternoon that would require TikTok-owner ByteDance to sell the popular social media app or see it banned in the United States.
Efforts to ban TikTok go back to the Trump Administration, but the issue has been revived in recent months.
The House already passed a similar bill in March — a bill that the Senate showed little interest in taking up.
The Senate could take up the package this coming week, and President Joe Biden has said he supports the bill and will sign it.
If that happens, TikTok is expected to challenge the bill in court.
Read MoreU.S. House Approves Amended Measure to Prohibit TikTok or Compel Sale
Notable Capital’s Hans Tung on the state of VC and the upside to down roundsTo some investors, “down round” is a dirty phrase, but not to Notable Capital’s Hans Tung.
Hans is a managing partner at Notable Capital, formerly GGV Capital, a venture firm focusing on investments in the U.S., Latin America, Israel, and Europe.
Hans, whose portfolio includes the likes of Airbnb, StockX and Slack, sat down with TechCrunch’s Equity podcast to discuss the overall state of venture and why he still believes down rounds can make a lot of sense.
Of course, we dug into recent changes at his own firm, which evolved from 24-year-old cross-border firm GGV Capital and rebranded its U.S. and Asia operations to Notable Capital and Granite Asia, respectively.
GGV’s transformation is the latest in a string of changes we’ve seen in the world of venture capital, including personnel changes at Founders Fund, Benchmark and Thrive Capital.
Read More“VC Insights with Notable Capital’s Hans Tung: Assessing the Current Climate and Uncovering the Opportunities of Down Rounds”
Why vector databases are having a moment as the AI hype cycle peaks GenAI spurs demand for vector search startups, but database giants are also taking noteVector databases are all the rage, judging by the number of startups entering the space and the investors ponying up for a piece of the pie.
“Working with visual search and robotics at Amazon was when I really looked at vector search — I was thinking about new ways to do product discovery, and that very quickly converged on vector search,” Clark told TechCrunch.
“I think the same is likely to happen with vector databases,” Zaitsev told TechCrunch.
“Our pitch is, ‘we do advanced vector search in the best way possible.’ It is all about specialization.
At some point, users will face limitations if vector search is a critical component of your solution.”
Read More“Vector Databases: The Rising Star in the Age of AI Hype”
Allison Cohen is the senior applied AI projects manager at Mila, a Quebec-based community of more than 1,200 researchers specializing in AI and machine learning.
One of the projects I managed involved building a dataset containing instances of subtle and overt expressions of bias against women.
I learned firsthand why this process is fundamental to building responsible applications, and also why it’s not done enough — it’s hard work!
What advice would you give to women seeking to enter the AI field?
How can investors better push for responsible AI?
Read MoreThe Role of Women in Artificial Intelligence: An Interview with Allison Cohen, Developer of Ethical AI Initiatives
Lawmakers passed legislation early Saturday reauthorizing and expanding a controversial U.S. surveillance law shortly after the powers expired at midnight, rejecting opposition by privacy advocates and lawmakers.
Critics, including lawmakers who voted against the reauthorization, say FISA also sweeps up the communications of Americans while spying on its foreign targets.
Following the passage in the early hours of today, Senator Mark Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that FISA was “indispensable” to the U.S. intelligence community.
FISA requires the government to seek an annual certification from the secretive FISA Court, which oversees and approves the government’s surveillance programs.
The FISA Court last certified the government’s surveillance program under Section 702 in early April, allowing the government to use its lapsed authority until at least April 2025.
Read MoreThe U.S. Government Votes to Extend Controversial Spying Law Despite Criticism of Increased Surveillance Powers
India’s election overshadowed by the rise of online misinformation Greater internet penetration and the rise of "cheapfakes" since the last general election in 2019 pose new challengesAs India kicks off the world’s biggest election, which starts on April 19 and runs through June 1, the electoral landscape is overshadowed by misinformation.
Misinformation is not just a problem for election fairness — it can have deadly effects, including violence on the ground and increase hatred for minorities.
“Ever since social media has been thriving, there is a new trend where you use misinformation to target communities,” he said.
The country’s vast diversity in language and culture also make it particularly hard for fact-checkers to review and filter out misleading content.
Moreover, just before the Indian election, Meta reportedly cut funding to news organizations for fact-checking on WhatsApp.
Read More“Online Misinformation Casts a Shadow over India’s Election”
