Neuralink get's a hand

ONUE

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Welcome to today's ONUE briefing! Neuralink expands its brain-computer interface to control robotic arms, OpenAI's Sora video model leaks, and WhatsApp rolls out anti-spam tools. Plus, SoftBank bets big on OpenAI, and startups like MatX shake up the AI chip market.

Let’s dive in.

Top Story

Neuralink announces tests into physical extensions

What's Happening: Neuralink, yet another Musk company, focusing on innovative brain-computer interface company, just announced a significant expansion of its technology. The firm is now exploring the potential for its brain implant, known as the N1, to control an prototype assistive robotic arm. This initiative, called the CONVOY Study, aims to help individuals with severe paralysis, to interact with the physical world using thought alone. Previously focused on digital interactions like cursor control.

Meaning: The implications of Neuralink's project are massive. For people with paralysis, this technology heralds a new era of independence, where they could perform everyday tasks like eating or handling objects without assistance, meaning significantly improving their quality of life. This also opens up interesting opportunities for human augmentation, where interfacing directly with machines could become common.

Tech Pulse

OpenAI's Sora AI Video Model Leak: The unauthorized release of Sora, an innovative AI model by OpenAI for creating videos from text, occurred when a group of beta testers, frustrated with what they thought as unfair conditions from OpenAI, shared access to this technology publicly on Hugging Face. This model, capable of generating up to a minute of realistic video content from simple prompts, has now sparked widespread discussions on AI ethics and copyright implications.

WhatsApp's Anti-Spam Feature: WhatsApp has introduced a significant anti-spam measure by enabling users to unsubscribe from business marketing messages, helping to address privacy and control issues. This feature provides users with the option to opt-out of promotional content without needing to block the business entirely. This is likely due to heavy customer feedback on privacy concerns.

Business Insights

Good news for the AI industry (and Sam Altman)

SoftBank's Investment in OpenAI: SoftBank is making a bold $1.5 billion tender offer to OpenAI employees, showcasing their strong belief in AI's future impact. This deal allows employees to sell shares, aligning their financial interests with OpenAI's success, while SoftBank aims to deepen its investment in this AI leader. With OpenAI valued at $157 billion post a recent $6.6 billion funding round, SoftBank's investment highlights the high expectations for AI's economic influence, supporting OpenAI's expansion and innovation in the AI sector.

MatX sees big growth: MatX, an AI-focused chip startup, has secured funding at a valuation exceeding $300 million, showing the continually escalating demand for AI-specific hardware. This development signals a shift in the semiconductor industry, where startups like MatX are emerging as big players by designing chips tailored for AI applications, this could disrupt the dominance of established tech giants in this niche market.

Other Headlines

🤝 International Diplomacy: China's Xi Jinping has shown interest in working with Trump's incoming administration, suggesting a potential reset in US-China relations.

🎤 Drake's Legal Action Against UMG: Drake's lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us" underscores issues of defamation and artist rights in the music industry.

⚖️ Legal Shift for Trump Cases: Special Counsel Jack Smith has moved to drop legal actions against Trump, indicating the complexities of prosecuting political figures.

📱 Huawei's HarmonyOS Bold Move: Huawei's launch of the Mate 70 series on HarmonyOS marks a significant step towards independence from Android, potentially influencing the global smartphone market dynamics.

⛯ Hospitality Tech Investment: Lighthouse securing $370 million for hospitality analytics shows the tech sector's focus on industry-specific solutions, driving efficiency and revenue through data.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

Thomas & the ONUE team 🚀