The Latest AI News from Zoom, Meta, OpenAI and More!

Quantious Team

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Quantious

4 min readJul 12, 2024

Emerging Tech Roundup — July 12

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: Zoom wants to be known ‘as an AI-first collaboration platform’, Meta releases four AI models for developer use, Seattle startup helps artists accelerate production, FRVR AI makes game creation available, OpenAI-powered humanoid robot starts a job at BMW assembly plant, art therapy app Scribble Journey launches a new feature, and Affinity’s Adobe-rivaling creative suite is now free for six months.

Zoom Now Wants to be Known ‘As an AI-First Collaboration Platform’

(Artificial Intelligence News, July 3)

Zoom is rebranding itself as an “AI-first collaboration platform” to enhance productivity beyond video conferencing. This shift aligns with the tech industry’s broader adoption of AI and supports Zoom’s expanded suite of tools, Zoom Workplace — designed for hybrid work environments. Additionally, Zoom’s recent acquisition of the employee engagement platform Workvivo underscores its commitment to comprehensive workplace solutions, unrelated to video functionality.

Meta Releases Four New Publicly Available AI Models for Developer Use

(Tech Xplore, July 3)

Meta’s Fundamental AI Research team is releasing four new AI models — JASCO, AudioSeal, and two versions of Chameleon — to the public for researchers and developers to integrate into their applications. JASCO enhances audio inputs and allows users to adjust sound characteristics and generate music based on text input, outperforming similar systems in tests. AudioSeal adds watermarks to AI-generated speech for easy identification and offers a commercial license, enabling its use in various applications.

AI Expert and Film Vet Lead New Seattle Startup Aiming to Help Artists Accelerate Production

(Geek Wire, July 3)

Yinhan Liu, a natural language processing expert, is launching LeyLine, a Seattle-based company offering AI-powered production tools for creative professionals. LeyLine’s software integrates with video production applications, using optimized generative AI models to automate workflows like converting images to 3D assets and smoothing animations. The company, which also operates a talent marketplace for studios and freelancers, is working with early customers and aims to generate revenue later this year.

FRVR AI Makes Game Creation Available to Anyone

(Artificial Intelligence News, July 4)

FRVR is expanding its goals and working to democratize game creation by making it accessible to anyone, allowing gamers to bring their innovative ideas to life without needing professional skills in coding or art. The FRVR platform — already enjoyed by over 1.5 billion players globally — spans various devices and has expanded to include FRVR AI, a tool that simplifies the game development process through AI. Users can start by providing a brief game description and the AI engine will generate a playable game that can be refined through written instructions, making game development easy and inclusive.

OpenAI-Powered Humanoid Robot Fills Spot At BMW Assembly Plant

(Forbes, July 7)

A new humanoid robot from California robotics firm Figure has been integrated into the vehicle assembly process at a BMW plant in South Carolina. This fully autonomous robot uses neural networks to map camera pixels to actions and converts camera data into movements — leveraging a machine learning model powered by OpenAI. According to one report, the robot can manipulate objects with both hands and learn on the job.

Art Therapy App Scribble Journey Lets You Express Emotions Through Doodles

(Tech Crunch, July 8)

Art therapy and mental health app Scribble Journey helps users express and explore their emotions through drawing activities. The startup recently launched a new iOS feature allowing users to complete these activities digitally, such as the “Emotion Color Wheel,” which involves drawing and labeling emotions. After completing the drawings, users follow guided journaling prompts to reflect on their work, with entries saved in a “Journey” log for future reflection.

Affinity’s Adobe-Rivaling Creative Suite is Now Free for Six Months

(The Verge, July 8)

Serif has launched a six-month free trial for its Affinity creative suite, an alternative to Adobe’s design apps, available for Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher on Mac, Windows PC, and iPad. Affinity uses a one-time purchase model, with prices starting at $69.99 per app or $164.99 for the entire suite, currently discounted by 50 percent. This trial and discount aim to reassure users concerned about pricing changes following Serif’s acquisition by Canva, emphasizing a risk-free opportunity to try the software.