OpenAI is getting into the holiday spirit

OpenAI has launched a festive event called the "12 Days of OpenAI," offering daily updates and announcements about new and existing products. Over the course of the event, OpenAI will unveil exciting innovations, including the much-anticipated Sora AI, a cutting-edge video generator. CEO Sam Altman has hinted at a mix of major announcements and smaller, yet impactful, updates throughout the 12-day celebration.

The event began with a bang, showcasing the powerful o1 reasoning model designed to enhance AI's decision-making capabilities. Alongside this, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Pro, a premium business-focused tier of their popular AI chatbot. These announcements set the tone for what promises to be a series of groundbreaking releases that could redefine AI applications across industries.

As the event unfolds, OpenAI will host daily live streams featuring product launches and demonstrations. With such a strong start, anticipation is building for what’s next. From transformative AI tools to creative advancements, "12 Days of OpenAI" offers a glimpse into the future of AI technology and innovation. Grab a warm drink and stay tuned for all the updates!

Related: OpenAI’s o1 model sure tries to deceive humans a lot

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Google says its new AI model outperforms the top weather forecast system

A groundbreaking AI-based weather model called GenCast, developed by Google DeepMind, is now delivering 15-day forecasts with unprecedented accuracy and speed. GenCast was tested against the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)—the current global benchmark in meteorology—and outperformed it in over 97% of 1,320 real-world scenarios from 2019. Trained on four decades of historical data (1979–2018), the model can generate forecasts in just eight minutes, compared to the hours needed by traditional systems. Details of the findings were published in the prestigious science journal Nature, with ECMWF leadership acknowledging this as a significant leap toward integrating AI into meteorology.

The AI model excels not only in day-to-day weather prediction but also in forecasting extreme weather events like heatwaves, cold snaps, and high wind speeds, providing crucial early warnings. DeepMind emphasized the life-saving potential of such accuracy, as climate change continues to intensify extreme weather patterns. Notable recent events, such as wildfires in Hawaii, heat waves in Morocco, and Hurricane Helene in the U.S., have underscored the devastating impact of insufficient warning systems. With its precision, GenCast could help mitigate loss of life and economic damage by giving officials more reliable tools to prepare and respond.

Experts see this development as an important milestone, though not a replacement for traditional models just yet. David Schultz, a meteorology professor at Manchester University, believes such AI systems will incrementally improve, particularly in predicting the intensity of extreme events. However, he also notes that they depend heavily on the foundation of existing forecasting systems like ECMWF’s. Nonetheless, GenCast's debut marks a pivotal step forward, as the demand for more accurate and rapid forecasting grows in the face of escalating societal pressures from climate change.

OpenAI seeks to unlock investment by ditching ‘AGI’ clause with Microsoft

OpenAI is in discussions to revise a provision in its agreement with Microsoft that would prevent the tech giant from accessing its most advanced artificial general intelligence (AGI) technology once achieved. This clause was originally intended to safeguard AGI from being misused for commercial purposes by leaving control with OpenAI’s non-profit board. However, the restriction could discourage Microsoft, which has invested over $13 billion into OpenAI, from committing further funding. To address this, OpenAI is exploring changes to its corporate structure and investor agreements to unlock more investment for its costly AI development efforts.

The proposed restructuring would see OpenAI transitioning from its origins as a not-for-profit research lab into a public benefit corporation while retaining an independent non-profit entity focused on its mission to benefit humanity. The restructuring discussions include granting Microsoft continued access to all OpenAI technology, even after AGI milestones are reached. OpenAI’s leadership, including CEO Sam Altman, has expressed the need for flexibility, acknowledging that the path to AGI involves significant uncertainty and continuous societal input.

This shift has sparked criticism from figures like Elon Musk, a co-founder and early backer, who has accused OpenAI of abandoning its original mission. As part of the restructuring, OpenAI aims to balance the interests of investors like Microsoft while maintaining its commitment to humanity's broader welfare through the non-profit. Altman and OpenAI’s board assert that any changes will ensure the organization remains aligned with its founding principles while enabling the financial sustainability needed to compete with rivals like Google and Amazon.

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• Huge randomized trial of AI boosts discovery — at least for good scientists

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• Google says its new AI models can identify emotions — and that has experts worried

• AI is making Philippine call center work more efficient, for better and worse

• If you can make this AI bot fall in love, you could win thousands of dollars

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