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

Sophia Velastegui, Chief Product Officer at Aptiv

Celebrating this week's Woman in Tech 🥳: Meet Sophia Velastegui, Chief Product Officer at Aptiv, the global automotive technology company valued at over $18 billion.

Born in South Korea, Velastegui earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Her career trajectory:

• In 2009, she joined Apple, contributing to the first MacBook Air and iPad and working on iCloud, Apple Maps, and Apple's data pipeline and AI systems.

• In 2014, she joined Google and led the Silicon/Architecture Roadmap team from a recently acquired company to a functional business unit of Google.

• In 2017, she was hired as CAIO of Microsoft, where she led the integration of GPT-3 across Microsoft products such as LinkedIn and Outlook and played a role in the addition of DALL-E 2 into Microsoft Bing.

In her current role at Aptiv, Velastegui oversees a global team of 2500 professionals across engineering, sales, marketing, finance, and operations.

She was named one of Business Insider's "Most Powerful Female Engineers" in 2017 and 2018, and won the Lumiere Distinguished Leadership Award from the Advanced Imaging Society.

Beyond her corporate roles, Velastegui serves on the board of Georgia Tech's College of Engineering and is an AI advisor for the US National Science Foundation.

“For women in tech, if you’ve ever been part of a transformation, adoption, or change management, you have a right to be at the table, so don’t be afraid to take your seat there.” - Sophia Velastegui

I support Velastegui’s call for a “human-centered” approach to AI—her vision for balancing innovation with safety through diverse councils and adaptive oversight is exactly the kind of leadership this field needs.

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 ♥️