Trending This Year: Pilots Wearing VR, AI at Work, and Mobile AI

Emerging Tech Roundup — January 5

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: Microsoft’s Copilot AI Chatbot App Arrives on iOS, AI Saves Sales Professionals More Than Two Hours of Work Each Day, FAA Approves Pilot VR Headsets, New Tech Lets Scientists Control Genes Like a Light Switch, Square Enix Plans ‘Aggressive’ Use of AI, Moonwalker Robotic Shoes get Lighter and Smarter, and Samsung’s Next Galaxy Device Opens a New Era of Mobile AI.

Microsoft’s Copilot AI Chatbot App Arrives on iOS

(Engadget, December 30)

Microsoft has recently launched standalone Android and iOS apps for Microsoft Copilot, featuring the latest GPT-4 model from OpenAI for AI-generated responses. The iOS version includes a unique capability to transform spoken words into images using OpenAI’s DALL-E 3. As part of Microsoft’s expansion of Copilot, these releases offer free access to the AI chatbot, broadening its availability beyond Windows 10 and 11 to reach a wider audience.

AI is Saving Sales Professionals More Than Two Hours of Work Each Day

(Business Insider, January 1)

A recent HubSpot survey found that sales teams are experiencing significant time savings by automating various tasks with AI, averaging over two hours per day. The study, based on responses from nearly 650 sales professionals and 300 business leaders in the U.S., revealed that 31% of sales professionals leverage AI tools such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Jasper for creating sales content and outreach messages. While AI is not replacing salespeople, it helps teams to effectively streamline repetitive tasks like scheduling, note-taking, and data entry, with approximately 90% of sales professionals using generative AI starting with AI-generated text and then making edits.

Hawaii Flight Safety: FAA Approved Pilot VR Headsets After JAL Crash

(Beat of Hawaii, January 2)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted approval for the use of VR headsets in commercial flights, a move seen as a major stride in aviation safety. Originally employed in pilot training, these VR goggles, equipped with high-quality lenses and sensors, are now integrated into cockpits, providing real-time visualization and navigation support for destinations like Hawaii. The FAA’s approval reflects a substantial change and a growing global AR and VR market in aviation, as head-worn displays (HWD) were previously absent in U.S.-registered commercial airlines.

Gene On/Off? New Tech Lets Scientists Control Genes Like a Light Switch

(Interesting Engineering, January 2)

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking technology for gene therapy that addresses the critical challenge of maintaining optimal therapeutic gene levels. Their method utilizes FDA-approved tiny substances to regulate gene expression, avoiding harmful immune responses associated with current methods. By modifying RNA to bind with FDA-approved tetracycline, this innovation allows individuals undergoing gene therapy to precisely control and adjust their treatment, offering a significant advancement in personalized and safer gene therapies.

Square Enix Plans ‘Aggressive’ Use of AI to Create New Forms of Content

(Engadget, January 2)

Video game company Square Enix has announced plans to aggressively integrate AI, generative AI, and similar cutting-edge technology into its operations this year. While emphasizing the potential of generative AI to reshape the creation process and content itself, Square Enix hopes to enhance development productivity and marketing. The company envisions leveraging these technologies for consumer content creation and exploring immersive AR and VR experiences that bridge the real and virtual worlds.

Moonwalker Robotic Shoes Get Lighter and Smarter

(Tech Crunch, January 3)

Next week at CES, Shift Robotics from Austin will unveil the Moonwalker X, a revamped version of their popular robotic shoes. Weighing a full pound less per shoe and featuring key control system upgrades, the new model addresses the previous drawbacks of weight and the learning curve, which had been noted in the original Moonwalkers launched on Kickstarter in October 2022. The company aims to address cost concerns with the upcoming release and highlight improved features and a smaller size range to attract a wider audience.

Galaxy Unpacked 2024: Opening a New Era of Mobile AI

(Samsung Newsroom, January 3)

Samsung is set to reveal its new Galaxy devices this month, promising an enhanced mobile experience driven by AI. The anticipated lineup includes the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra, aiming to establish a benchmark for intelligent mobile experiences. Samsung’s incorporation of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Series 8 Gen 3 chips — enabling local operation of generative AI applications — could mark a significant step toward advanced AI capabilities in smartphones, potentially positioning Samsung ahead of Apple in this aspect and further strengthening its 20% market share in the global smartphone market.