Science Park's Newletter

Communicating Science Since 2006

Sankar Narayanan K
November 21, 2023

OpenAI CEO Shakeup Sparks Weekend Whirlwind, Sending Shockwaves Through the AI and Tech Community

Satya Nadela hires former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to lead new AI research unit

Microsoft has recruited OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to spearhead a novel advanced AI research unit, announced by CEO Satya Nadella.
The move follows OpenAI appointing former Twitch chief Emmett Shear as CEO, against investor calls to reinstate ousted co-founder Sam Altman.
Nadella expressed excitement about Altman and Brockman leading the new AI research team at Microsoft, assuring swift resource allocation for their success.
The inclusion of "colleagues" hints at potential plans for Microsoft to enlist other former OpenAI employees who departed recently.

Google AI powered shopping experience

Google joins Microsoft and Mozilla in using generative AI for holiday shopping assistance.
Google’s AI, akin to Microsoft's, suggests gift ideas based on user input.
Intended as a starting point for web exploration, it emphasizes publisher links.
Restriction to U.S.-based Google users via the official app or Chrome on desktops.
Innovative improvements include AI-generated images from user descriptions.
Users can virtually visualize clothing on different body types through AI models.
Google's initiative echoes Microsoft's but stands out with unique AI features.
Despite being U.S.-limited, Google offers an innovative approach to gift suggestions.

Meta’s Responsible AI disbanded

Meta Platforms (META.O) is redistributing its Responsible AI team across various company divisions to continue addressing AI-related harms.
The move aims to integrate these team members into core product development, as per a Meta spokesperson's emailed statement.
Most members of the Responsible AI team will transition to working on generative AI, contributing to responsible AI endeavors across Meta.
Additionally, some team members will shift to AI infrastructure roles within the company.
Meta emphasizes continued prioritization and investment in safe and responsible AI development through these structural changes to better accommodate future requirements.
The Information initially reported on this redistribution move by Meta.
In October, Meta began introducing generative AI tools for advertisers, enabling content creation like image backgrounds and diverse written text variations.
Meta boasts an AI product lineup inclusive of the language model "Llama 2" and an AI chatbot, Meta AI, proficient in generating text responses and lifelike images.