Pickleball Gets an AI Boost, DoorDash Combats Harassment with AI
Emerging Tech Roundup — March 15
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: Ray-Ban’s Meta Sunglasses Can Now Identify and Describe Landmarks, TikTok May be Building an App for Photos, Creatio Unveils LLM-Powered Copilot for its CRM, DoorDash Launches New AI-Powered Feature to Help Combat Chat Abuse and Harassment, Volley Creates AI-Enabled Ball Machine for Racquet Sports, Researchers Create Sticker That Could Allow People With Voice Disorders to Speak Again, and World’s 1st AI Software Engineer Can Make 1000s of Decisions in a Jiffy.
Ray-Ban’s Meta Sunglasses Can Now Identify and Describe Landmarks
(Engadget, March 12)
Ray-Ban’s Meta sunglasses introduced AI-powered visual search features last year, with the latest beta adding a new capability to identify landmarks and provide detailed information, acting as a virtual tour guide for travelers. The feature was demonstrated with sample images, explaining historical facts and insights about locations such as the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco’s “painted ladies” houses. Mark Zuckerberg showcased the new capabilities through Instagram videos, highlighting how the glasses now offer audio descriptions of landmarks like Big Sky Mountain and the Roosevelt Arch, alongside explanations such as the formation of snow.
Code Suggests That TikTok Could be Building an App for Photos
(Tech Crunch, March 12)
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly considering entering the photo-sharing space with a potential Instagram competitor called TikTok Photos, hinted at by code discovered within the TikTok app. The APK file for TikTok includes references and icons for this new app, described as catering to “like-minded people who enjoy photo posts.” This move follows ByteDance’s efforts to diversify its offerings, having already challenged Spotify and Apple Music with TikTok Music, and looking to rival YouTube with longer videos, showcasing its ambition to compete across various digital fronts.
Creatio Unveils LLM-Powered Copilot for its CRM
(Venture Beat, March 12)
Creatio, a Boston-based software company renowned for its user-friendly CRM system and “no-code” approach, is unveiling Creatio Copilot, a virtual assistant and CRM app builder. This innovative tool enables users to effortlessly navigate through CRM data, fetch specific information, and construct customized apps, visualizations, and analyses on demand. With features like Copilot Studio, users can easily deploy AI models, adapt apps, and create new use cases, offering a seamless integration of AI into the entire Creatio ecosystem.
DoorDash Launches New AI-Powered Feature to Help Combat Chat Abuse and Harassment
(DoorDash, March 12)
DoorDash has unveiled AI-powered SafeChat+, aimed at enhancing safety and user experience on their platform. Leveraging AI, SafeChat+ monitors in-app conversations to detect and prevent verbal abuse or harassment, offering Dashers the option to cancel orders without affecting their ratings if inappropriate behavior is detected. With coverage across multiple languages and the ability to review over 1,400 messages per minute, SafeChat+ reinforces DoorDash’s commitment to safety and swiftly addresses incidents of misconduct, ensuring a secure environment for consumers and Dashers alike.
Volley’s AI-Enabled Ball Machine for Racquet Sports can Simulate Gameplay
(Tech Crunch, March 13)
Sports tech startup Volley has introduced an AI-powered sports training machine aimed at revolutionizing racquet sports training for platform tennis, padel, and pickleball players. Unlike traditional ball machines, Volley’s trainer robot utilizes AI and vision software to collect data, simulate live gameplay, and adjust to individual skill levels — offering a realistic training experience without the need for a full team. Equipped with three cameras for tracking and video recording, along with features like adjustable height and tilt, Volley provides a comprehensive training solution suitable for players of all levels, complemented by instructor guidance via built-in speakers and LED screens.
A Simple Sticker Could Allow People With Voice Disorders to Speak Again
(Science Alert, March 13)
Researchers are exploring a groundbreaking adhesive patch powered by artificial intelligence, aimed at restoring speech for individuals with voice disorders. The patch attaches to the skin and translates larynx muscle movements into electrical signals, which are then converted into speech by a machine learning algorithm. Offering a non-invasive solution, this innovation bypasses the need for vocal cord vibrations and holds promise for the millions affected by voice disorders worldwide, presenting a significant advancement over existing treatments.
World’s 1st AI Software Engineer Can Make 1000s of Decisions in a Jiffy
(Interesting Engineering, March 13)
AI technology startup Cognition has introduced “Devin,” hailed as the world’s inaugural AI software developer. Backed by prominent investors, Cognition is presenting Devin as a versatile teammate capable of autonomously tackling tasks or collaborating with engineers. Unlike other AI software engineering assistants, Devin stands out by managing the entire development process from inception to completion, offering engineers a comprehensive AI worker for their projects.
