Thursday🌪️AI Updates: Alexa’s Milestone, iOS Genmoji, OpenAI’s New Acquisition & More!

Happy Thursday, Web3 enthusiasts! Today’s roundup brings some exciting updates from the tech world. Alexa is celebrating 10 years of voice assistant evolution, marking a decade of both successes and setbacks. Meanwhile, iOS 18.2 Beta introduces new AI-driven features, including the innovative Genmoji, available for select iPhones. OpenAI is making headlines with its recent acquisition of Chat.com, adding to its growing portfolio of domain names. And in the world of AI innovation, SingularityNET and ASI have unveiled a groundbreaking proto-AGI system within Minecraft, taking a huge step forward in AGI development. Keep reading for all the details!

1. Alexa turns 10: A decade of Amazon’s voice assistant, both a success and a miss

Amazon’s Alexa, launched quietly on November 6, 2014, sparked a smart speaker revolution and brought “ambient computing” to millions of homes. Despite its success as a household staple, Alexa’s capabilities largely remain limited to music and timers, falling short of Amazon's grand vision of an ultra-versatile assistant. Now, Amazon aims to level up Alexa by integrating advanced generative AI and large language models, potentially making it a far more powerful and useful tool. As we reflect on its first decade, all eyes are on Amazon to see if Alexa's future can truly realize the company’s bold ambitions.

Alexa at 10: Amazon’s assistant is a winner and a failure

On The Vergecast: assessing Amazon’s voice assistant, one decade in.

The Verge

2. iOS 18.2 Public Beta: Genmoji and fresh AI features for select iPhones

Apple’s iOS 18.2 public beta introduces a range of AI-driven features designed to enhance user experience. Highlights include Genmoji, an app for creating custom emojis, and Image Playground for generating images from prompts. Siri is now smarter with ChatGPT integration, allowing users to ask for assistance with writing, answering questions, and creating images. The Visual Intelligence feature uses the iPhone’s camera to identify objects in real time. While some features require joining a waitlist, Apple is rolling out these updates carefully to ensure safe scaling for users. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple’s AI-powered offerings.

iOS 18.2 Public Beta 1 Brings Genmoji and More AI to Some iPhones

Some developers and public beta testers can try these features now.

CNETSee full bio

3. OpenAI acquires Chat.com

OpenAI has acquired Chat.com, one of the web's oldest domains, redirecting it to their popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. Originally registered in 1996, Chat.com was purchased last year by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah for $15.5 million, marking one of the highest domain sales to date. Shah recently confirmed he sold the domain to OpenAI, likely receiving shares in exchange. Although Chat.com now links to ChatGPT, it doesn’t signal a full brand shift—OpenAI has retained ChatGPT's primary site. This acquisition highlights OpenAI’s commitment to strengthening its brand and making its AI even more accessible to a global audience.

OpenAI acquired Chat.com | TechCrunch

OpenAI now owns Chat.com. The domain name redicts to ChatGPT.

TechCrunchKyle Wiggers

4. SingularityNET & ASI: Proto-AGI learning in Minecraft

SingularityNET and the ASI Alliance have introduced AIRIS, a self-learning proto-AGI within Minecraft. Unlike traditional game AI, AIRIS adapts and creates new rules based on real-time experiences, marking a significant step toward artificial general intelligence. The AI operates independently of pre-set rules, evolving through challenges and stimuli. Its integration into Minecraft’s open-ended world offers a perfect environment for testing adaptive, autonomous learning. This breakthrough could extend to robotics, automation, and smart systems, solving real-world problems. AIRIS’s success in Minecraft will inform future applications of AGI in more complex settings, bringing us closer to advanced AI capabilities.

SingularityNET, ASI alliance launch self-learning proto-AGI in Minecraft

SingularityNET and ASI Alliance introduce AIRIS, a self-learning AI in Minecraft.

CointelegraphJosh O’Sullivan

That wraps up today’s Web3 roundup! From Alexa's 10th anniversary to OpenAI’s latest acquisition and the AI advancements in iOS 18.2 and Minecraft, the tech world is buzzing with exciting developments. Stay tuned for more insights as we continue to track the latest trends in AI, Web3, and beyond. Don’t forget to follow us for more updates and subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the ever-evolving world of technology. Until next time!

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