The week's developments in AI, quantum, and biotech, explained | 22.05.24

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This week, the UK completed the world's first quantum navigation flights — a new alternative to GPS? Plus, MIT engineers developed "SuperLimbs" an exoskeleton designed to help astronauts recover from falls in lunar gravity. Are we on the brink of a new era in space exploration and navigation?

Meanwhile in AI, Microsoft aims to make Windows an AI operating system with the launch of Copilot+ PCs. Plus researchers at the University of Michigan created ‘memristor’ chips with a sense of time that can make AI up to 90% more efficient. 

Keep reading for the latest on caterbots? robotapillars? Plus the wild promises of IndieBio’s SF incubator lineup and the AI-driven tools to transform, discover, and analyse…

— Charlie and the Research & Intelligence Team 

P.S You are now able to sign up for the super early bird offer (75% off) to the CogX AI Summit in London on October 7th here.

Innovation and Releases

💻Microsoft wants to make an AI operating system, launching Copilot+ PCs with. The new Windows 11 introduces Recall to find past content, Super Resolution for photo upscaling, and Live Captions supporting 40 languages. The new Windows Copilot Runtime powers these AI features locally without needing an internet connection.

🚗UK’s law paves the way for driverless cars by 2026: The new Automated Vehicles (AV) Act allows fully self-driving cars on UK roads within two years. Companies will be responsible for accidents in self-driving mode, to enhance safety and boost the economy.

🧬IndieBio’s SF incubator lineup is making some wild biotech promises: Companies include Stream Genomics with faster, cheaper genome sequencing, AquaLith with durable silicon anodes for batteries, and Transition Biomining using microbes for mineral extraction.

🤖MIT's "SuperLimbs" help astronauts recover from falls: Integrated into a backpack, these robotic limbs assist with minimal energy use. Designed for the Artemis missions, they enhance productivity and safety during lunar construction and excavation. 

🛰️UK completes first quantum navigation flights: A British consortium tested "un-jammable" quantum navigation technology, a potential replacement for GPS? Successful trials aim for deployment by 2030 as part of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy.

AI Tools of the Week

🔧Transform: Retrovision App converts images into 3D meshes with AI-generated depth. Fine-tune projection parameters and download meshes as GLB files.

🔮Discover: Infinite Craft lets you drag and drop water, fire, wind, and earth to create new elemental alchemy, just for fun.

🌍Analyze: GeoSpy.ai uses AI to interpret satellite imagery for environmental monitoring, urban planning, crop health and strategic planning.

Latest Research

🐛Engineers create caterpillar-shaped robot This modular soft robot splits into segments and reassembles, hauling cargo and crawling through twists with ease. Using origami inspired design and electrothermal actuation, it bends and twists for flexible movement. 

🧠AI tool DEPLOY can classify brain tumours into 10 major subtypes through histopathology images. With 95% accuracy, DEPLOY offers faster results than the traditional method of DNA methylation-based profiling, which can take weeks. 

🕰️AI chips get a sense of time: Researchers at the University of Michigan created a new type of chip, called a memristor, that mimics how our brains handle time. These memristors could make AI much more efficient and cut down on power use by up to 90%.

🧠 Metacognitive Skills in LLMs: Researchers found that LLMs can label and cluster maths problems by skills, improving their problem-solving accuracy. This method boosted mathematical performance, with potential for broader use in various problem-solving tasks.

In case you missed it

The hottest new LLM on the market. Check out this GPT-4o full breakdown, with bonus details:

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🚀 You are now able to sign up for the super early bird offer (75% off) to the CogX AI Summit in London on October 7th here.