Trending This Week: AI Job Coaches and Heart-Tracking Wearables
Emerging Tech Roundup — November 3
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: ChatGPT Allows Plus Members to Upload and Analyze Files, Google Researchers Create Noise-Canceling Wearables that Track Heart Rate, Company Makes Presentation Software More Accessible, 14-Year-Old Invents Cancer-Fighting Soap, Dell and Meta Partner to Bring Llama 2 Open Source AI to Enterprise Users On-Premises, Researchers Use AI to Make Mobile Networks More Efficient, and LinkedIn Premium Intros AI Job Coach.
ChatGPT Plus Members Can Upload and Analyze Files in The Latest Beta
(Tech Xplore, October 29)
OpenAI has introduced new beta features for ChatGPT Plus members, allowing users to upload and work with various types of files. This update also includes multimodal support, streamlining the user experience by inferring context. Subscribers can utilize these features for tasks like summarizing data, answering questions, and even generating visual content based on prompts.
Google Research: Noise-Canceling Hearables that Track Heart Rate
(Interesting Engineering, October 30)
Google researchers have developed a groundbreaking technology that enables active noise-canceling (ANC) wearables to incorporate health-monitoring features. They employed audio plethysmography (APG) within ANC wearables, using low-intensity ultrasound signals through headphone speakers to track physiological data without the need for extra sensors. In addition, battery life is not sacrificed for new, advanced features to be used in this technology.
A Google Slides Extension Can Make Presentation Software More Accessible for Blind Users
(Tech Xplore, October 30)
Researchers developed an innovative solution A11yBoard to enhance accessibility for blind users when working with slideshow software like Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. The browser extension and mobile app enable users with visual impairments to navigate complex slide layouts and text effectively. The tool has a number of features that allow users to employ audio, touch, gesture, speech recognition, search, and much more.
Melanoma Treating Soap: 14-Year-Old Invents Cancer-Fighting Soap
(Interesting Engineering, October 30)
A 14-year-old student developed a soap called MTS (Melanoma Treating Soap) designed to treat skin cancer, earning him the top prize in the 3M Young Scientist’s Challenge. MTS is formulated with cancer-fighting chemicals, primarily Imidazoquinoline, integrated with a nanolipid-based particle transporter. His inspiration stemmed from his childhood experiences in Ethiopia — where he observed a high prevalence of skin cancer — motivating him to create an affordable and accessible solution by employing digital molecular testing to determine the soap’s effectiveness.
Dell and Meta Partner to Bring Llama 2 Open Source AI to Enterprise Users On-Premises
(Venture Beat, October 31)
Dell Technologies is giving a significant enterprise adoption boost to Meta’s open-source Llama 2 large language model (LLM). Dell recently revealed its plans to support Llama 2 models in its Dell Validated Design for Generative AI hardware and on-premises generative AI solutions — distinguishing itself from other cloud providers that have previously supported Llama 2. This partnership extends the availability of the open-source LLM for on-premises deployments, expanding its accessibility within enterprise environments.
Researchers Use AI to Make Mobile Networks More Efficient
(Tech Xplore, October 31)
A new AI model may potentially allow the UK’s telecommunications network to achieve up to 76% in resource savings when compared to the most robust Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) system on the market. By harnessing AI, telecom providers can optimize their bandwidth utilization at a minimal computational cost, presenting possibilities for various applications such as drone batteries and remote surgery. The research suggests that implementing these findings could enhance network efficiency, resilience, and energy conservation for telecom providers.
LinkedIn’s Latest Premium Perk is an AI Job Coach
(Engadget, November 1)
LinkedIn is introducing a new AI-powered benefit for its premium subscribers — a built-in job coach that utilizes AI and LinkedIn data to assist job seekers in finding, researching, and applying for positions. This coincides with LinkedIn’s announcement of reaching 1 billion members and its increased commitment to AI-driven features. The feature offers job seekers AI-generated insights with each job posting, helping users understand job descriptions, identify relevant experiences from their LinkedIn profiles, and provide tips for enhancing their profiles to stand out to potential employers.
