NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Will Elon Musk's AI Vision Shape the Trump Era?

As Elon Musk joins the Trump administration, his stance on AI could reshape policy and the future of work. Like him or not, his influence is something we all need to understand.

Musk views AI as "the most disruptive force in history," believing it will soon surpass human intelligence. Yet, he's equally vocal about its risks, estimating a 10-20% chance of AI development "going bad" and becoming a potential threat to humanity—a concern that fuels his push for responsible AI regulation.

Among Musk's boldest predictions is that AI will render most jobs obsolete, leading to a "work-optional" future. His solution? A "universal high income" to support people in a world where machines handle production.

Elon Musk is expected to lead a not-yet-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration. Here’s what we might see:

• AI-Powered Government by streamlining bureaucratic operations with AI.

• Removing Regulations that Musk sees as barriers to tech innovation.

• Workforce Transition Planning and addressing AI-related job displacement (maybe universal high-income pilots?)

• AI Safety Initiatives and guidelines for AI use in industry and government.

Critics argue Musk's vast business holdings, including billions in government contracts, pose conflicts of interest.

Musk's influence on the new administration, whether he formally joins or not, suggests a significant shift in the US government's approach to AI with far-reaching consequences.

We need to watch this space! 🤔

Saudi’s $100b AI Project Challenges UAE’s Tech Leadership

Saudi Arabia is making a bold leap into the AI arena with its ambitious "Project Transcendence," a $100 billion initiative aimed at establishing the kingdom as a global AI powerhouse.

For everyone rushing to move to Dubai, note that this massive investment represents a strategic move to position The Kingdom as a technological hub to rival neighboring UAE. 

The regional competition is on 😎. The state-backed entity would be "at least as big as Abu Dhabi's G42 tech conglomerate."

The $100 billion will be directed towards:

1. Developing data centers and AI infrastructure

2. Investing in AI startups

3. Attracting and nurturing tech talent

4. Encouraging tech companies to establish operations in Saudi Arabia

A key component of Project Transcendence is its focus on partnerships with established tech giants.

• The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is already collaborating with Google on an AI hub, with plans to invest between $5 billion and $10 billion. This partnership aims to develop Arabic language AI models, addressing a significant gap in the current AI landscape.

• Additionally, the PIF has been in early talks with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to potentially create an AI-focused fund that could reach $40 billion in commitments.

Another key goal of Project Transcendence: diversifying the economy beyond oil dependence.

WOMAN IN TECH

Dr. Sasha Luccioni, the AI & Climate Lead at Hugging Face

Celebrating this week's Woman in Tech 🥳: Meet Dr. Sasha Luccioni, the AI & Climate Lead at Hugging Face, ensuring sustainable AI practices at the unicorn startup.

Born in the former Soviet Union, Luccioni obtained an M.Sc. in Cognitive Science from École Normale Supérieure in Paris and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Computing from UQAM University.

Her impressive career trajectory includes:

• Research Scientist: Roles at Nuance Communications, Morgan Stanley, and the Quebec AI Institute, where she spearheaded "This Climate Does Not Exist," a project visualizing the potential effects of climate change.

• Hugging Face (2021-present): She co-authored a study in 2022 that estimated the carbon emissions of BLOOM, a large multilingual AI model, to be over 50 metric tons of CO₂. This figure is comparable to approximately 80 round-trip flights between London and New York, underscoring the substantial environmental impact of large-scale AI models.

Beyond her research, Luccioni is developing an "energy star rating for AI" to help developers make sustainable choices by comparing the climate impact of different models.

Her efforts have been recognized globally, including:

• TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI (2024)

• Business Insider's AI Power List (2024)

• MIT Technology Review's "35 Innovators Under 35" list (2023)

Seeing Luccioni champion sustainable AI practices gives me so much hope for the future of our planet. It's inspiring how she's leading the AI industry towards greater environmental awareness and responsibility. 😎

Would You Pay Millions for a URL? 💰

OpenAI has acquired the domain name Chat.com in a landmark deal, redirecting it to their AI chatbot ChatGPT. This move strengthens OpenAI's brand and positions it as a leader in the rapidly growing AI communications market.

The domain, originally registered in 1996, was sold last year to HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah for a record-breaking $15.5 million. Shah recently confirmed selling Chat.com to OpenAI for a larger undisclosed eight-figure sum, reportedly involving more OpenAI shares than cash. This shrewd move could prove incredibly lucrative as OpenAI's valuation continues to soar. 🚀

Yay! I was featured in Salesforce’s list of 16 AI Influencers You Need to Know! 🥳

Big thanks to Salesforce for this recognition!

"With so many voices weighing in on AI, who should you listen to? Here are 16 AI influencers worth paying attention to right now..." wrote Catherine Bowe, Senior Director Marketing Salesforce.

Shoutout to all the brilliant minds on the list, including Dr. Joy Buolamwini, Karen Hao, Reid Hoffman, Clara Shih, and others.

Until next time!

Ayesha ♥️