AI War Has Begun with Google, Apple, Microsoft Up Their Games, Which Tech Giant Will Claim Triumph?

Following the grand launches by OpenAI and Google, other major tech giants are intensifying their efforts to elevate their AI capabilities and excel in this competitive arena.

OpenAI has launched a new AI model called GPT-4o, an upgrade to their previous GPT-4 model. This new model boasts significant improvements in speed, text, video, and audio capabilities.

Notably, GPT-4o is twice as fast as GPT-4 Turbo and half the cost to run. Additionally, the new model can handle 50 different languages and allows for video chat functionality, which is still under development.

Google's I/O 2024 conference showcased the company's significant lead in integrating AI across its products and services.

From a smarter Google Assistant evolving into Gemini, to AI-powered features in Gmail and enhanced on-device processing with Gemini Nano, Google presented a future where AI seamlessly integrates into everyday tasks.

Apple Prepares AI Splash with OpenAI Partnership at WWDC

Now, Apple is gearing up for a major announcement in the artificial intelligence (AI) space at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The company is reportedly partnering with OpenAI, the developer behind the popular ChatGPT language model, to bolster its AI offerings.

This move could significantly enhance Apple's competitiveness in the premium smartphone market, particularly against rivals like Samsung Electronics.

Analysts speculate that Apple's AI push will include a revamped Siri voice assistant, alongside advancements in photo and video processing powered by AI.

These innovations are expected to drive demand for higher-end iPhones with increased storage capacity and processing power.

The partnership with OpenAI is strategically significant for Apple. By collaborating with a separate entity rather than Google's AI unit, Gemini, Apple can potentially avoid potential antitrust concerns.

Google's dominant position as the default search engine on iPhones has already drawn scrutiny from regulators, and integrating Google's AI technology could further raise eyebrows.

From a smarter Google Assistant evolving into Gemini, to AI-powered features in Gmail and enhanced on-device processing with Gemini Nano, Google presented a future where AI seamlessly integrates into everyday tasks.

While features like Visual Look Up show promise, there's a gap in areas like call management and the overall depth of AI integration within Apple's ecosystem.

One key differentiator is on-device processing.

Pixel phones boast an AI-powered assistant that can answer calls, understand context, and even detect scam calls. Apple's Live Voicemail with robotic transcripts pales in comparison.

Google Workspace also highlights the power of AI, with features like summarising emails and generating context-aware auto-replies.

Rumours suggest Apple might introduce similar functionalities in its iWork suite, but Google's current offerings seem more comprehensive.

Both companies are looking to improve their virtual assistants.

Google's Gemini promises to handle complex queries and tasks, while Apple is likely developing a more robust Siri powered by large language models.

However, the on-device processing capabilities of Gemini Nano could be a significant advantage for Google, allowing for features that prioritise privacy and offline functionality.

With WWDC approaching, the focus will be on how Apple plans to bridge the AI gap.

Will iOS 18 introduce features that compete with Google's call management tools and AI-powered functionalities within core apps?

While some improvements are rumoured, the true test will lie in the depth and seamless integration of these features.

The iPhone 16 launch later this year might also reveal hardware advancements that complement Apple's AI ambitions.

WWDC will be a crucial event to assess whether Apple can close the distance with Google in the race to leverage AI for a more intelligent user experience.

Microsoft's New AI Push

Microsoft is making a big push into AI with the announcement of new computers that have AI tech built directly into them.

This is part of a larger battle among tech giants to be the leader in AI. Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, says that these new computers will make AI tools and features run faster than if they were run through an internet connection.

This could give Microsoft a new edge in convincing consumers to choose a PC over a computer made by Apple.

Microsoft's announcement comes just a week after Google showed off dozens of new AI features and products at its own conference.

Both companies are locked in a fight to position themselves as the go-to provider of AI tech. This fight has intensified since OpenAI launched ChatGPT, which kicked off an industry-wide rush into AI.

One of the key factors in this competition is the development of new AI models. Microsoft has signed a multibillion-dollar deal with OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, which will give them access to OpenAI's latest AI models, including GPT4o in its new computers.

This gives Microsoft a significant advantage over Google, which is still developing its own AI models.

Another factor in the competition is the type of chips that are used in computers. Apple has been using its own custom chips in its computers, which has given them superior battery life and performance.

Microsoft is now using Qualcomm chips that are designed to accelerate AI applications. This could help Microsoft to close the gap with Apple in terms of performance.

This is a significant shift away from Intel processors, which have dominated the PC market for decades. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips include a neural processing unit (NPU) that is designed to accelerate AI-focused applications, such as Microsoft's Copilot software.

Copilot is a large language model chatbot developed by Microsoft that can be used for a variety of tasks, such as writing emails and generating creative text formats.

The move to Arm-based processors is likely motivated by a desire to improve battery life and performance, as well as to compete more effectively with Apple's Mac computers, which use custom chips based on Arm designs.

Microsoft's new laptops will be marketed as having AI built-in, and the company will be prompting users to use this technology in many of its apps.

Google, on the other hand, is putting AI-generated answers at the top of search results, which has angered web publishers who feel that their content is being taken from their websites without permission.

The battle between Microsoft and Google for AI supremacy is just beginning. The outcome of this competition will likely have a major impact on the way that we use technology in the future.

ByteDance Takes the Lead in China's AI Chatbot Race

Meanwhile in China, ByteDance, the company behind TikTok and Douyin, has overtaken Baidu in the race to create China's most popular AI chatbot.

Doubao, ByteDance's chatbot launched in August 2023, surpassed Baidu's Ernie Bot in downloads and now boasts more monthly active users on Apple's iOS in China. This follows Baidu's initial lead in the AI chatbot market.

This development reflects ByteDance's recent prioritisation of catching up in the field of AI.

Doubao's success highlights this effort, becoming the most downloaded AI chatbot on Apple's iOS with nearly 9 million downloads in the year through April, compared to Ernie Bot's 8 million. Doubao also leads in monthly active users with over 4 million.

It's important to note that this data only covers Apple's iOS platform, but it reflects a broader trend in China's AI chatbot market.

ByteDance claims Doubao has 26 million monthly active users across mobile and PC, compared to OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile app with 6.7 million monthly users in the US.

In China, the competition for AI chatbot supremacy extends far beyond ByteDance and Baidu.

Tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent, alongside global players like Microsoft, are making substantial investments in generative AI, such as developing their own models and funding startups in the field.

The competition is fierce, with new startups like Moonshot AI entering the market with their Kimi bot.

Analysts warn that this "low barrier to entry" and the dominance of free-to-use services could hinder monetisation efforts for all these companies, especially considering US trade restrictions on advanced AI hardware.

Vitalik Buterin on GPT-4 Passing the Turing Test

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, believes that OpenAI's GPT-4 language model has achieved a significant milestone by passing the Turing test.

Source: Vitalik Buterin’s warpcast

The Turing test, proposed by Alan Turing in 1950, is a theoretical test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.

Buterin bases his conclusion on a recent preprint paper from the University of California San Diego which involved human test subjects interacting with both humans and AI models in a blind test.

The study found that humans were fooled by GPT-4 56% of the time, leading Buterin to remark that people's ability to tell the difference between human and machine is now basically a coin flip.

Source: Vitalik Buterin’s warpcast

It's important to note that the Turing test is a controversial benchmark. While some view it as a significant achievement for AI, others argue that it doesn't necessarily reflect true intelligence.

Critics point out that the test can be passed by machines that are simply good at mimicking human conversation, without actually understanding the meaning behind the words.

Additionally, the concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is often conflated with the Turing test.

AGI refers to a hypothetical type of AI that would be capable of human-level intelligence across a wide range of domains. GPT-4, while impressive, is not believed to be AGI.

Despite these limitations, Buterin believes that GPT-4's performance on the Turing test is a sign that AI is making significant progress.

He acknowledges that the test doesn't equate to true intelligence, but argues that it's still a noteworthy achievement and a reminder of how far AI has come.

AI News Anchors Spreading Disinformation

As AI technology continues to advance and demonstrate increasing capabilities, it becomes imperative to concurrently address its security aspects.

While the potential for innovation and enhancement is vast, the proliferation of AI also introduces new risks, including the spread of misinformation and susceptibility to scams.

AI-generated news anchors are a new tool being used to spread disinformation, particularly around elections.

These anchors, often created using video editing tools like CapCut, can be used to deliver biased messages and sow confusion among voters.

China has been at the forefront of this trend, using AI anchors to push pro-China narratives and attack opposing candidates.

While the technology is not perfect, with many videos featuring unconvincing avatars and stiff voices, there is concern that AI-generated content will become more sophisticated and believable in the future.

Experts worry that deepfakes, manipulated videos of real people, could be even more persuasive than entirely synthetic anchors.

So far, the impact of AI-generated news anchors seems to be limited. Microsoft hasn't seen many instances of this content influencing real-world events, and Tsai won the Taiwanese election despite being targeted by a disinformation campaign.

However, some people are falling for these videos, and the potential for disruption is there.

The future of AI-generated disinformation likely lies in a combination of existing tools and new developments. Threat actors may adapt techniques used in commercials to create more engaging propaganda videos.

Additionally, the release of powerful new AI video creation tools could make it easier to produce realistic deepfakes.

Looking far, AI-generated news anchors are a worrying development, but their effectiveness is still uncertain. It's important to stay vigilant and develop methods to identify and debunk disinformation, no matter what form it takes.

Securing the Future of AI

Therefore, alongside the pursuit of technological progress, it is essential to prioritise the development of robust security measures.

This entails implementing safeguards to prevent the exploitation of AI systems for malicious purposes and devising strategies to combat the dissemination of fake information.

By proactively addressing these security concerns, we can mitigate risks and foster an environment where AI innovation can thrive safely and responsibly.