⚙️ Walmart's AI Revolution

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Bot Buddy
October 06, 2023

Good morning. While the rumor mill churns out whispers of a live-action Cyberpunk 2077 series, we're here to light up your inbox with the electric glow of AI and tech insights. Forget neural hacks and cybernetic implants—our newsletter is all the upgrade you'll need.

In today’s newsletter:

  • 🤖 Walmart's AI Revolution: What Shoppers Can Expect

  • 📱Pixel 8 Pro: A Milestone in On-Device Generative AI

  • 🌱 Every: The App That Uses AI to Cultivate Human Connection

  • 🚘Parking Gets Smart: Metropolis' $1.7 Billion Move to Lead the Industry

  • 🌐Gradient Secures $10M to Democratize Access to Specialized AI Models

  • 📈 Scaling New Heights: Section 32 Gears Up with a $525 Million Fund

 NEWS

Walmart's Triple-Threat: AI in Search, Shopping, and Design

Midjourney

If you've ever found yourself lost in the sea of options available at Walmart, a technological lifeguard is on the way. Walmart is diving deeper into the AI pool to reshape the shopping experience at every touchpoint. The retail giant is planning to roll out three groundbreaking features soon: an interactive shopping assistant, a context-aware search tool powered by generative AI, and an interior design assistant. With generative AI at its core, the shopping assistant aims to offer personalized product suggestions and answer specific queries—like recommending the perfect Halloween costume for that upcoming horror-themed party.

The innovation doesn't stop there. Walmart's new AI-powered search tool can understand the context of your query, allowing for a more efficient shopping experience. Perhaps you're planning a unicorn-themed birthday party. Instead of typing in separate searches for balloons, streamers, and paper napkins, a single query will yield a comprehensive list of relevant products. This technology saves not just time but the potential frustration of sifting through endless pages. Walmart isn't alone in this; other giants like Instacart have also stepped up their search game with ChatGPT-powered tools, but Walmart’s breadth of inventory provides a unique testing ground for such technology.

Finally, for those who need help redecorating, Walmart’s interior design assistant combines generative AI with Augmented Reality (AR). Upload a photo of your room, and voila! The AI suggests how you could spruce up your space, offering to place various decor items within a predetermined budget. This technological blend has the potential to revolutionize the way we conceptualize and implement interior design. All of these advancements follow Walmart's successful deployment of its "My Assistant" AI tool among its corporate staff, an AI that has been so well-received that employees are using it for everything from summarizing documents to crafting witty out-of-office messages. If this is how Walmart is putting AI to work internally, one can only imagine what these customer-facing tools will mean for our future shopping expeditions.

NEWS

Google Pixel 8 Pro: A Leap in On-Device AI Capabilities

Midjourney

Google is setting a new standard in the smartphone world, not just in terms of hardware but by pushing the boundaries of on-device AI capabilities. The newly launched Pixel 8 Pro is the first to run Google's generative AI models directly on the device, thanks to its custom-built Tensor G3 chip designed explicitly for accelerating AI workloads. This development marks a significant step forward for the utility of AI in everyday tech, enabling more complex operations to run smoothly without the need for cloud-based processing.

One of the stand-out features making waves is the enhanced Magic Eraser tool, which leverages AI for image editing. Google has updated this tool to remove larger objects and even people from photos without leaving smudges or distortions. Instead, it fills in the gaps with new pixels that blend seamlessly into the existing image, promising users high-quality results. This is achieved through on-device generative AI models that have been distilled to operate efficiently on the Pixel 8 Pro. Not to be left behind, the camera zoom feature is also getting an AI-powered boost, intelligently sharpening and enhancing photo details.

The AI prowess of the Pixel 8 Pro isn't confined to visuals; it also extends to audio applications. The device's recording app will soon deliver AI-generated summaries, capturing the essence of meetings or interviews in concise terms. Coupled with Gboard’s upcoming smart reply suggestions that offer higher conversational awareness, it's clear that Google is doubling down on making AI not just a tech buzzword but an integral part of its device ecosystem. As Rick Osterloh, SVP of Devices and Services at Google, indicated, these AI features will continue to roll out, with a significant update planned for December.

Here is a video from Google showcasing all the new AI features…

Okay… so maybe Wednesday’s issue wasn’t a little bit harder. Two blowouts in a row.

We were convinced that this was a doozy.

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🌱 Every: The App That Uses AI to Cultivate Human Connection

Ben McKean, founder and CEO of healthy grocery delivery service Hungryroot, has launched a new non-profit app called Every. This iOS app uses AI to create games focused on self-discovery and human connection. Starting with a game called Inner Odyssey, users pick a photo representing a place they'd like to explore and answer follow-up questions. The app then shows how others have responded and highlights connections among your contacts based on similar answers. The technology leverages AI models trained in partnership with OpenAI and Midjourney. Every aims to address the loneliness epidemic and could potentially be adapted for workplace team-building. The app has just launched publicly on the App Store and is currently free to use.

🚘 Metropolis and SP Plus Unite: Where AI Meets Parking Innovation

Metropolis, an AI-powered parking platform, has secured $1.7 billion to acquire SP Plus, a leader in parking facility management. Funded through a mix of loans and Series C preferred stock, the deal aims to revolutionize the parking experience by offering checkout-free payments. SP Plus, with a significant footprint in North America, brings over two million parking spaces and operations in more than 360 cities to the Metropolis platform. The acquisition is part of Metropolis' broader vision to extend its computer vision technology to other spheres like EV charging stations and retail stores.

💰Unlocking AI's Potential: Gradient Raises $10 Million to Simplify LLM Deployment

Gradient, a startup offering a cloud-based platform for building and customizing AI apps using large language models (LLMs), has secured $10 million in funding. Co-founded by veterans of tech giants like Netflix and Google, Gradient aims to simplify the deployment of specialized LLMs at scale. Unlike other platforms that focus on generalist models, Gradient allows organizations to integrate thousands of specialized models tailored to specific tasks. It offers a range of pre-trained open-source models that users can fine-tune for their needs in industries such as finance and law. Customers maintain full ownership of their data and models. The startup plans to expand its team and already serves around 20 enterprise clients.

📈Scaling New Heights: Section 32 Gears Up with a $525 Million Fund

Section 32, the venture firm founded by ex-Google Ventures CEO Bill Maris, has secured $525 million for its fifth investment fund. Based in Palo Alto, California, the firm manages $2.3 billion in assets and has backed approximately 100 startups in diverse fields, including cybersecurity, healthcare, and gaming. Its portfolio features high-profile companies such as Cohere, Scale AI, and Gusto. The new fund will be divided between early-stage investments and follow-on opportunities. CEO Andy Harrison emphasizes the firm’s focus on software-driven businesses in tech and healthcare. Section 32 has already made 5-6 new investments from this latest fund and announced the promotion of Wesley Tillu to partner.

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