AI Revives Antibiotics
July 31, 2023
Good morning. In a world where Kanye West's Twitter suspension can be lifted, anything is possible - including the exciting news we have for you today. From AI-enhanced tabletop games to reviving extinct antibiotics, it's almost as unpredictable as a Yeezy tweet.
In today’s newsletter:
🎲 Hasbro and Xplored: Forging New Paths in AI-Enhanced Tabletop Gaming
💊 Reviving Extinct Antibiotics: AI Deciphers Evolutionary Secrets
📈 Tech Stocks Surge, AI Draws Investor Skepticism
📱 Universe Debuts GUS: AI-Powered Designer for Mobile Websites
🤖 Google's RT-2: A Major Leap in Robotics with AI-Language Model
💰 AI Usage Fees: English Favored Over Other Languages in Cost
NEWS
Hasbro and Xplored Join Forces: A New Era of AI-Enhanced Tabletop Gaming Beckons
Midjourney
Hasbro, the creative force behind popular games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, has formed a strategic alliance with Xplored, the innovators behind the digital board game platform Teburu. The aim? To integrate AI into Hasbro's tabletop games, combining Hasbro's expertise in game creation with Xplored's proficiency in digital platforms and AI.
The implications of this partnership could revolutionize the gaming experience. Imagine a Dungeons & Dragons game where the AI reacts instantly to player decisions, creating a dynamic and responsive world. This would offer a real-time gaming experience based on players' actions. Additionally, the AI could simplify game rules, making it easier for beginners to understand and enjoy the game. This would be like having an intelligent guidebook that evolves with the player, making the game more accessible to a wider audience.
Key Features of the AI Integration:
Dynamic and Responsive: The AI reacts instantly to player decisions, creating a real-time gaming experience
Simplified Rules: The AI simplifies game rules, making it easier for beginners to get started
Adaptive Learning: The AI acts like an intelligent guidebook that evolves with the player, broadening the game's appeal
Challenges on the Horizon
The Dungeon Masters Guild, a significant online marketplace for Dungeons & Dragons, has recently imposed restrictions on AI-generated content. This is akin to a city implementing strict zoning laws, which could stifle the development of new AI-enhanced gaming experiences. Standalone AI art products now face stringent regulations, and AI-generated art in rulebooks and adventures must be clearly labeled. Content primarily generated by AI is no longer permitted on the platform.
Looking Forward
Despite these obstacles, the Hasbro-Xplored partnership represents a bold step toward the future of tabletop gaming. It's reminiscent of the transformative moment when chess first encountered computer algorithms, forever changing the game. The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities. As we await further details from Hasbro's earnings call and upcoming announcements, one thing is clear: the integration of AI and tabletop games is an exciting new frontier, and we're only just beginning to explore its potential.
NEWS
Reviving Extinct Antibiotics: AI Unlocks Evolutionary Secrets
Midjourney
In a groundbreaking move, bioengineers have tapped into the power of AI to unlock a treasure trove of potential solutions from our evolutionary past. Led by Cesar de la Fuente at the University of Pennsylvania, the team has breathed life back into protein fragments from our long-extinct relatives, Neanderthals and Denisovans. These fragments, known as peptides, pack a punch against bacteria. This process, coined as molecular 'de-extinction', feels like hopping on a time machine to fetch solutions from the past for today's problems.
The scientists put an AI algorithm through its paces to pinpoint sites on human proteins where they're known to be sliced into peptides. Imagine these peptides as puzzle pieces that come together to form the bigger picture - the protein. This algorithm was then unleashed on the protein sequences of Homo-sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. Armed with the properties of known antimicrobial peptides, the AI predicted which of these fresh peptides might possess bacteria-destroying capabilities.
So, how did they put these peptides to the test? The team cherry-picked six potent peptides and introduced them to mice plagued with Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium notorious for hospital-acquired infections. The outcome was encouraging. All six peptides put the brakes on the bacterium's growth in the thigh muscle, and five managed to wipe out bacteria thriving in skin abscesses, albeit with a hefty dose. It's like having a new set of weapons in our arsenal in the battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
We're on the cusp of a new era, and we're just beginning to explore its potential.
Tech Stocks Soar, AI Hype Meets Investor Skepticism
According to a Bloomberg survey, 77% of respondents plan to maintain or increase their exposure to tech stocks, but only half are willing to personally invest in AI tools. Furthermore, a majority of firms are not considering AI for trading or investing. This hesitation underscores the challenge for companies like Microsoft and Alphabet Inc., who are betting big on AI, to generate profits from their investments. The skepticism seems rooted in the uncertainty of AI's practical applications and its ability to replace core job functions, with 64% of respondents dismissing the idea that AI could perform their job within the next three years.
Universe Unveils AI-Powered Designer for Mobile Websites
Universe, a no-code mobile website builder, has launched an AI-powered website designer named GUS (Generative Universe Sites) in beta. GUS assists users in building and launching custom websites from their iOS devices, using a text conversation to gather user requirements and generate a customizable layout. The tool aims to empower anyone to build their own corner of the internet, with plans to extend the experience to the web for non-iOS and desktop users.
Google's Robots Leap Forward with A.I. Language Model
Google's new robotics model, RT-2, called a "vision-language-action" model, can not only see and analyze the world around it but also instruct a robot on how to move. The system translates the robot's movements into a series of numbers, and incorporates those tokens into the same training data as the language model. This allows RT-2 to learn how a robot's arm should move to perform certain actions. Despite some limitations, Google researchers believe these new language-equipped machines could eventually be used in warehouses, medicine, or even as household assistants. However, the company currently has no plans to sell RT-2 robots or release them more widely.
AI Usage Fees: English Favored Over Other Languages
University of Oxford study reveals a significant cost disparity in using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on language, with English being the cheapest. The tokenization process, which converts user input into computational cost, is more expensive for languages with complex structures like Chinese. This discrepancy is creating an AI divide, prompting countries like China and India to develop native-language LLMs.
Decktopus: Create the perfect presentation in the shortest time without any design skills (link)
Suno Chirp: Generate music with custom-generated vocals (link)
Lolo: Easy AI chatbot to track your nutrition and calories (link)
PlayHT: Create ultra-realistic Text to Speech (TTS) audio (link)
Croissant: AI-powered software which provides consumers with guaranteed buyback values at checkout (link)
Einblick: Data Notebooks that solve any problem with just one sentence (link)
Our database of all the best AI tools mentioned in our newsletter is coming soon!
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Prompt: A serene autumn landscape with a reflective lake surrounded by trees with colorful fall foliage, in the style of the Hudson River School, capturing the romantic essence and fine details --ar 16:9 --q 2 --s 750
Prompt: The Moon Knight dissolving into swirling sand, volumetric dust, cinematic lighting, close up portrait --ar 16:9 --q 2 --s 750
That's a wrap for now!
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