At Google’s annual I/O 2024 developer conference, the tech giant unveiled that Project IDX, its cutting-edge, AI-centric browser-based development environment, has transitioned into open beta. Initially launched as an invite-only service with a waitlist in August, Project IDX has already garnered interest from over 100,000 developers. Jeanine Banks, Google’s VP and General Manager for Developer X, highlighted the significance of Project IDX in addressing the escalating complexities associated with deploying AI technologies. She emphasized the platform’s role in streamlining application develop ..read more

Jamango!, a platform for creating games without needing to code, has secured $2.5 million in funding. This boost will help speed up their development before they go global later this year. Their success stems from being easy to use, letting people design and customize games using simple blocks and a no-code editor. The gaming industry is seeing a surge in demand for user-made content and browser-based gaming, which is expected to grow by $63 billion by 2027. Jamango! aims to capitalize on this trend by focusing on browser-first and web-based gaming, rather than downloads. The funding came from ..read more

Qu Jing, Baidu’s public relations head, has left the company following a series of social media videos where she demanded long hours and dedication from staff. The videos were intended to promote Baidu but instead sparked controversy over workplace practices in China’s tech sector. In the videos, Qu urged her team to prioritize the company and disregard the impact on their personal lives. She stated, “I’m not your mum,” emphasizing that she only cared about results. These comments reignited concerns about the “996” culture prevalent in Chinese tech firms, where employees work from 9 am to 9 pm ..read more

Jim Simons, a legendary investor and mathematician known for founding one of the most successful investment firms, Renaissance Technologies, has passed away at the age of 86. Simons, who died in New York City, founded Renaissance Technologies in 1978. Unlike traditional Wall Street firms, Simons populated Renaissance with scientists and mathematicians who developed predictive models to identify market patterns. Utilizing computer algorithms, Renaissance’s flagship Medallion Fund achieved remarkable gains, surpassing $100 billion and boasting average annual returns of 66%, even after hefty inve ..read more

Ben Lambert, the founder of Checkfirst, identified a critical gap in the Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Compliance (TICC) space when his wife’s property inspection business faced challenges in conducting inspections remotely after relocating to Portugal. Traditional methods of on-site inspections resulted in delays in report generation and scheduling difficulties, prompting Lambert to establish Checkfirst, an AI-powered workflow tools startup. Founded in 2021, Checkfirst helps businesses in the TICC space schedule and complete inspections faster using AI. It’s a digital authority for ..read more

Greenboard, a rising star in compliance and operations software for financial services, has announced the successful closure of a $4.5 million Seed funding round. Base10 Partners led the funding round with participation from Y Combinator, General Catalyst, Wayfinder Ventures, Liquid2 Ventures, Twenty Two Ventures, Rogue Capital, Transpose Platform, and others. According to Crunchbase, this reached a total funding amount to $9 million. This funding injection will propel Greenboard’s mission to develop a cutting-edge, AI-powered platform tailored to streamline financial firms’ compliance program ..read more

TikTok has taken legal action against the United States government over a new law that mandates Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. Filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, TikTok and ByteDance argue that the law, signed by President Biden, violates Americans’ First Amendment rights to free speech. The law, called the Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024, passed with bipartisan support amid concerns that TikTok poses a national security threat. It requires ByteDance to divest its stake in TikTok within nine month ..read more

OpenAI has forged a new partnership with Dotdash Meredith, the owner of popular publications like People and Better Homes & Gardens. This collaboration involves OpenAI licensing content from Dotdash Meredith for training its ChatGPT model, while Dotdash Meredith will utilize OpenAI’s models to enhance its ad-targeting tool. This move comes after OpenAI faced legal challenges for allegedly using content without permission for training purposes. Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel expressed support for AI platforms compensating publishers for their content and ensuring proper attribution. Prior ..read more

OpenAI is reportedly venturing into the realm of search capabilities for its ChatGPT, potentially positioning the chatbot as a viable alternative to traditional search engines like Google. Bloomberg reports that the company is actively working on a search feature that would enable ChatGPT to scour the web for answers to user queries and present results complete with citations to their original sources. This development could significantly enhance the utility of ChatGPT by providing users with relevant information sourced from diverse online platforms. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the expe ..read more

Video sharing platforms have emerged as influential gatekeepers of information and entertainment. With billions of users worldwide, platforms like YouTube and TikTok play a pivotal role in shaping our cultural narratives, political discourse, and consumer behaviors. However, recent research by Safety Detectives has revealed that these platforms are not as neutral as they may seem. Unveiling the Biases Safety Detectives’ international study delves deep into the content trends of YouTube and TikTok across 24 countries. By analyzing thousands of videos and assessing diversity, ideological leaning ..read more