Tag: technological innovation

  • Apple abandons electric car project, shifts focus to AI

    Apple abandons electric car project, shifts focus to AI

    In a surprising turn of events, Apple has officially terminated its ambitious electric car project, according to a reliable source informed about the matter.

    The decision, revealed on Tuesday, marks the end of a decade-long effort initiated by the tech giant to venture into the electric vehicle industry.

    The abandoned project aimed to propel Apple into a new sector, potentially mirroring the triumphs of its iconic iPhone.

    However, the venture faced challenges and inconsistent progress throughout its existence.

    The cancellation aligns with a broader trend in the automotive industry, where global players are scaling back investments in electric vehicles amid a substantial drop in demand.

    Reportedly, several team members previously engaged in the electric car project will be reassigned to Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) division.

    This strategic move aligns with Apple’s commitment to bolstering its presence in AI, a domain where it has been comparatively reserved.

    Apple has refrained from significant AI initiatives, contrasting sharply with industry giants like Alphabet and Microsoft, which seized an early advantage in integrating this transformative technology.

    Concerns have arisen that Apple’s cautious approach may leave it lagging behind in infusing AI into its product lineup.

    Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, commented, “If it is true, Apple will put more focus on GenAI, and that should give investors more optimism about the company’s efforts and ability to compete at a platform level on AI.”

    Last year, Apple experienced the smallest share gain among the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks, reflecting apprehensions about its stance on AI.

    Microsoft recently surpassed Apple as the world’s most valuable company, underscoring Apple’s struggle with weakening demand for its key products, particularly in significant markets like China.

    Simultaneously, the electric vehicle industry faces a slowdown in demand due to elevated interest rates, leading to job cuts and reduced production.

    Apple’s shift in focus to AI reflects a strategic pivot in response to market dynamics and underscores the company’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation.

    Apple has chosen to adapt its trajectory in a rapidly evolving landscape, signalling a nuanced strategy that aligns with emerging industry trends.

  • Microsoft creates chatbot that could allow you to talk to dead loved ones

    Microsoft creates chatbot that could allow you to talk to dead loved ones

    Microsoft has created a technology and filed a patent that might digitally reincarnate your dead ones as a chatbot.

    The system will use social data like images, voice data, social media posts, electronic messages and written letters to create the digital profile of the person.

    “The social data may be used to create or modify a special index in the theme of the specific person’s personality. The special index may be used to train the chatbot to converse and interact in the personality of a specific person.” reads the patent.

    The chatbot can sound like a real person.
    “In some aspects, the voice of the specific person will be generated using audio recordings and sound data related to the specific person.”

    The 2D and 3D model of the specific person may be generated using images, depth information, or video data associated with the person.

    Microsoft’s patent is not concerned about who might be chosen to be the subject of one of its chatbots, stating that the subject could be dead or alive.

    “The specific person, who the chatbot represents, may correspond to a past or present entity, such as a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, a celebrity, a fictional character, a historical figure, a random entity etc.”

    There is a possibility that people in future might train up digital version before they die, says the report.

    If the chatbot doesn’t get enough input data to provide an answer on a specific topic, crowd-sourced conversational data will be used to fill in the gaps.

    This option will give a lot of space for creativity. User can feed the data of their desire while training the chatbot systems.

    The idea of reincarnating people as chatbots raise all manner of privacy implications that are not discussed in the patent, which is, by nature, concerned with the technical workings of the system.