Elon Musk’s company xAI released its latest large language model ‘Grok 2,’ which is basically built into X (formerly known as Twitter). You can access it if you’re a Premium member on the social media platform.

According to xAI’s press release, the model can generate images and handle tasks like coding with advanced reasoning. Grok-2 is already outperforming some major competitors, but the rollout has been wild for other reasons.

X Premium users are creating and sharing controversial and very realistic deepfake images, raising concerns about generative AI’s impact, especially with the US elections on the horizon. 

Grok claims to have safeguards against harmful content, though it’s unclear how strict these really are. We will take a deep dive into images generated by Grok 2 in the AI Picture Of The Week section below. 

X's office in Brazil is shutting down

Also, Musk's feud with Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes escalated and the former chose to shut shop in the country. X's office in Brazil is shutting down "immediately" after de Moraes threatened to arrest the company’s legal rep if they didn’t follow his censorship orders. 

In a bold move, X exposed the judge’s secret order on their platform, complete with screenshots. Although the platform is still accessible in Brazil, the legal pressure is intense—de Moraes is cracking down on content from "digital militias" spreading fake news and hate speech about ex-President Bolsonaro. 

While Brazil has speech protections, the government has more leeway to ban certain types of speech compared to the US.

Google's latest gadgets and AI updates

Google held its ninth Made By Google event and the company is clearly aiming to leap ahead in the AI race, setting the stage for a big year in tech.

The event was packed with exciting updates and the latest gadgets, but the real star was how they’re positioning AI at the heart of everything. Here’s what stood out:

• AI Everywhere: Google’s Gemini AI is now the center of Android, with many saying that it offers features that go beyond what Apple’s Siri currently does. From advanced on-device processing to lifelike conversations, Gemini is showing off what AI can do right now, not in a year.

• Pixel 9 Lineup: The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, along with the larger 9 Pro XL, come with Gemini baked in as the default assistant. Google also introduced the Pixel 9 Fold Pro, with an 8-inch display and powerful camera upgrades.

• AI-Powered Photography: Google has a Magic Editor and a new Pixel Studio which brings AI-driven photo editing and image generation to its devices.

As Google battles to stay ahead in the GAIm of Thrones that the current landscape has become, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s latest comment has landed him in hot waters.

Speaking at Stanford University, he claimed that Google was blindsided by the early rise of ChatGPT and generative AI because its employees were too focused on working from home. 

"Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning,” said Schmidt. “And the reason the startups work is because the people work like hell.”

He also insinuated that Google's emphasis on work-life balance slowed them down in the AI race. 

California AI Regulation Bill advances to Assembly Floor but with caveats

An updated version of SB 1047, which mandates that companies like Meta and Google test powerful AI models' safety and install emergency ‘kill switches,’ was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 15.

However, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has opposed the bill, calling it "well-intentioned but ill-informed" and "more harmful than helpful."

Despite amendments to address concerns, Pelosi and other Bay Area congress members believe the bill could stifle small entrepreneurs and academia, an argument also brought forward by tech giants. 

Recent amendments to California's SB 1047 have softened its regulations on AI companies. The bill no longer allows the attorney general to sue AI companies for negligent safety practices before a catastrophe but can still seek injunctive relief or sue after an event.

Other changes include removing criminal liability for AI labs, requiring public safety statements instead of certified results, and offering leniency for open-source fine-tuned models under $10 million.

Iranian group uses ChatGPT to stir division before US elections

​​OpenAI has banned several ChatGPT accounts linked to an Iranian group trying to create division among US voters, said the company in a blog post. 

The group used AI to generate divisive content on issues like the US election and the Israel-Gaza conflict, although their posts had minimal engagement.

“The operation used ChatGPT to generate content focused on a number of topics—including commentary on candidates on both sides in the U.S. presidential election – which it then shared via social media accounts and websites,” said the company.

This follows recent reports of Iranian-linked cyber operations aimed at meddling in the US elections. Despite the low impact of their efforts, the group's goal was to increase polarization and disrupt the election process.

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you?

IE₊ SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING
_{Invest In Science And Engineering}

Enjoy exclusive access to the forefront of AI content, highlighting trends and news that shape the future. Join a community passionate about AI, delve into the latest AI breakthroughs, and be informed with our AI-focused weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, AI reporting goes beyond the ordinary - and it is Ad-Free.

NEWS

• LongWriter: New AI large language model capable of producing 10,000-word texts
  The researchers said that LLMs can generate entire research papers, books, manuscripts, or movie scripts.

• AI speeds up mobile phone lens design, slashing development time to one day
  The result could be improved cameras for mobile phones with superior quality or new functionality.

• Chinese scientists develop brain-inspired AI model to cut energy use
  The experiments also showed that it could provide new methods and theoretical support for integrating the dynamic characteristics of neuroscience into AI.

MUST-READ

China’s Agibot unveils humanoid robots to take on Elon Musk’s Optimus

Aiming to make an impact in the highly contested humanoid robot domain, Shanghai-based startup Agibot has unveiled its first set of humanoid robots.

On August 18, the company unveiled five new wheeled and bipedal humanoid robot models tailored for a range of uses, from domestic chores to industrial tasks.

AI PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Another week, another leap in AI-generated imagery. 

Grok 2 is turning heads with its hyper-realistic—and incredibly uncensored—images, sparking a wave of shock and awe among AI ethics experts. 

The buzz on social media is wild as users share jaw-dropping and sometimes jaw-droppingly controversial creations. Grok 2 isn’t just pushing boundaries, one can say it’s shattering them.

While most text-to-image AI models have clamped down on using real faces and politicians' images ahead of the U.S. elections, Grok 2 is going all out. The images above are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of their wildness.

AI TOOL OF THE WEEK

Is your desktop as clutter-free and pristine as a BMW showroom, with every icon placed like it's been personally curated by Marie Kondo? Or is it more like the rest of us, a digital jungle where no icon has been disturbed in a century?

The people who fall into the former category might not need this tool necessarily, but for the rest of us normies, it’s a godsend.

It’s called Sparkle, and it’s exclusively for Mac users (sorry, Windows folks).

Let’s get into how to use it:

1. Choose Your Folders

When you first launch Sparkle after downloading it from this website, you'll be prompted to select which folders you want it to organize. You can choose from your Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders. You may pick one, two, or all three.

2. Understanding Sparkle's Magic Folders

Once you've selected your folders, Sparkle will create three subfolders inside each: Recents, AI Library, and Manual Library.

• Recents: This is where all new files (less than three days old) will automatically be placed.
  

• AI Library: As files age out of the Recents folder (after three days), Sparkle moves them here. But it doesn’t just dump them in—Sparkle builds a custom folder structure tailored to your files.
  

• Manual Library: If you’ve got your own system for certain files or folders, Sparkle respects that. Drop anything you want to organize manually into the Manual Library, and Sparkle won’t touch it. The first time you run Sparkle, it will move your existing folder structure here to keep things safe.

3. Keeping Your Files Organized

With Sparkle, your Mac's most-used folders will stay organized effortlessly. New files go to Recents, then they’re sorted into your AI Library after three days. Want to handle something yourself? Just move it to the Manual Library.

4. Tips for Using Sparkle

• Set it and forget it: Once Sparkle is set up, it works in the background to keep things organized without you lifting a finger, claim the tool's makers.

• Check your recents: This folder is for quick access to your latest downloads and documents. 

Here’s a before and after photo from a user who used Sparkle: