Newsletter
Sept. 24, 2023
AI Joke of the Day
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“Why don’t aliens visit our planet?"
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“Terrible ratings. One star.”
Sept. 24, 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving field, with new developments being made all the time. In the last 14 days, there have been a number of notable AI advances, including:
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Google's Duet AI invades Workspace. Duet is a new AI tool that can help users with a variety of tasks, such as writing emails, creating documents, and scheduling meetings. It is now available in Gmail, Docs, and more for $30 a month.
OpenAI launches a ChatGPT plan for enterprise customers. ChatGPT is a powerful AI language model that can generate text, translate languages, and write different kinds of creative content. OpenAI is now offering a ChatGPT plan for enterprise customers, which includes access to a dedicated API and support team.
AI21 Labs raises $1.4B valuation. AI21 Labs is a company that is developing a new type of AI chip. The company recently raised $1.4B in funding, which gives it a valuation of over $10B.
Pentagon plans vast AI fleet to counter China. The Pentagon is planning to develop a vast fleet of AI-powered weapons and systems to counter China's growing military power. The plan includes developing AI-powered drones, ships, and submarines.
Imbue raises $200M to build AI models that can 'robustly reason'. Imbue is a company that is developing AI models that can reason in a more human-like way. The company recently raised $200M in funding, which will be used to accelerate the development of its AI models.
Ads for AI sex workers invade social media. Ads for AI sex workers are becoming increasingly common on social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok. These ads often offer realistic and immersive experiences, but they also raise ethical concerns about the use of AI for sexual purposes.
In addition to these specific developments, there has also been continued progress in a number of other areas of AI research, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. As AI technology continues to develop, it is likely to have a major impact on a wide range of industries and aspects of our lives.
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Here are some other notable AI developments from the last 14 days:
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Researchers develop AI model that can predict the spread of wildfires. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an AI model that can predict the spread of wildfires with greater accuracy than existing models. The model could be used to help firefighters better prepare for wildfires and to evacuate people from areas that are at risk.
AI model can identify cancer cells with over 99% accuracy. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed an AI model that can identify cancer cells in microscopic images with over 99% accuracy. The model could be used to help pathologists diagnose cancer more quickly and accurately.
AI model can generate realistic images of faces from text descriptions. Researchers at Google AI have developed an AI model that can generate realistic images of faces from text descriptions. The model could be used to create avatars for video games or to generate images of people who do not exist.
AI model can translate over 200 languages. Researchers at Facebook AI have developed an AI model that can translate over 200 languages. The model could be used to help people communicate with each other across language barriers.
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July 24, 2023
Meta, Microsoft Team Up in AI Push
The partnership will offer social-media companies language models to companies. Microsoft will release a new version of Meta Platforms’ artificial intelligence language model in a collaboration between the tech giants to make the software available to companies for the first time.
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The Meta AI model, dubbed Llama 2, will be free and available to developers building software on Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing platform, the companies said Tuesday. Meta previously released an earlier version of Llama to academics. It was subsequently leaked in an online forum. Still, the social-media company hadn’t made it available for commercial Microsoft on Tuesday also announced plans to charge businesses $30 a month per person for access to an AI-powered assistant for Microsoft 365, its popular workplace software that includes Word and Excel, setting up a test of how much consumers will pay for AI tools. The fee is more than double what Microsoft currently charges for the least expensive version of the productivity software, a sign of what value the tech giant sees in AI investments.
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Shares of Microsoft soared 4% Tuesday to a record $359.49, helping push significant stock indexes higher. The stock is up 50% this year. Meta is releasing Llama 2 as “open source” software, which is typically made widely available for use, modification, and sharing by the public. The earlier leak put the company at the center of a vibrant, if uncontrolled, surge in AI software development.
The release of Llama 2 is set to intensify competition for private, commercial models such as the GPT-4 system developed by OpenAI, the startup that released popular chatbot ChatGPT. “Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology,” Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday in a Facebook post. “It also improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can scrutinize it to identify and fix potential issues.”
Anthropic Claude 2
We are pleased to announce Claude 2, our new model. Claude 2 has improved performance and longer responses and can be accessed via API and a new public-facing beta website, claude.ai. We have heard from our users that Claude is easy to converse with, clearly explains their thinking, is less likely to produce harmful outputs, and has a more extended memory. We have made improvements from our previous models on coding, math, and reasoning. For example, our latest model scored 76.5% on the multiple-choice section of the Bar exam, up from 73.0% with Claude 1.3.
Pika Labs Text-to-Video
Pika Labs is an innovative tool that lets you bring your ideas to life by simply typing in the desired text. Gone are the days of complex video editing software and lengthy production processes. With this platform, you can effortlessly transform your text into engaging and visually captivating videos. Embrace your imagination and watch as your words seamlessly transform into dynamic video content that captures your audience's attention.
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Breaking News
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July 17, 2023
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GoogleBets on Medical AI Program
Google is testing an artificial intelligence program trained to expertly answer medical questions, racing against rivals, including Microsoft, to translate recent AI advances into products that would be used widely by clinicians.
Med-PaLM 2 can generate responses to medical questions and perform tasks such as summarizing documents or organizing reams of health data, according to Google executives and research published by the company.
The healthcare industry has become a new front in the battle between big tech companies and smaller startups to win customers with AI offerings. However, past efforts such as IBM’s Watson Health initiative sometimes struggled to translate the technology into lasting profits.
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Medical leaders and ethicists said that while generative AI could be transformative for medicine, patients must be told about any new AI algorithms already used in hospitals for specialized tasks, such as predicting heart trouble from patient electrocardiograms. Generative AI tools present a new set of risks because they can be used to produce authoritative-sounding responses to medical questions, potentially influencing patients in ways that doctors wouldn’t endorse.
Announcing xAI
The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe.
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You can meet the team and ask us questions during a Twitter Spaces chat on Friday, July 14th.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, leads our team.
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Previously, we worked at DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Tesla, and the University of Toronto. Collectively we contributed some of the most widely used methods in the field, in particular the Adam optimizer, Batch Normalization, Layer Normalization, and the discovery of adversarial examples. We introduced innovative techniques and analyses such as Transformer-XL, Autoformalization, the Memorizing Transformer, Batch Size Scaling, and μTransfer. We have worked on and led the development of some of the largest breakthroughs in the field including AlphaStar, AlphaCode, Inception, Minerva, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4.
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AI and The Shifting Paradigm: The Drama Unfolding in Hollywood
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Hollywood - the Mecca of storytelling, the beacon of entertainment, is currently experiencing an unprecedented shift as both actors and writers unite to protest. They stand up against what they perceive as an "existential threat" to their profession. But beneath this seismic shift, a fascinating narrative is unfolding that every AI enthusiast should be keenly following.
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Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the National Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA, has taken center stage amid this tumultuous scenario. In a recent press conference in Los Angeles, he declared their intention to strike. His rallying cry echoed that the existing contracts must reflect the transformative changes rippling through the industry. He contended, "Our members are undervalued and impacting their ability to make ends meet."
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SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher mirrored the sentiment in her electrifying speech that reverberated across the room, eliciting applause. She highlighted the stark economic disparities within the industry, stating, "Studios claim they're on the verge of bankruptcy while their CEOs pocket hundreds of millions. They're on the wrong side of history."
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As artificial intelligence enthusiasts, we understand the power of change. We know the ripple effects that technological disruption can have on traditional systems, and Hollywood is no exception. Drescher didn't mince her words. "The jig is up," she announced. "You cannot continually be marginalized, disrespected, and dishonored."
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The decision for actors to strike, starting at midnight, is historic - it's been 63 years since Hollywood has seen two unions on strike simultaneously. This move is expected to bring the industry to a standstill. However, it could expedite the end of the labor war tearing through the heart of Hollywood.
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In the bigger picture, Hollywood's largest union, encompassing 160,000 members, will effectively bring all scripted film and TV production to a grinding halt. Many of these projects were stopped due to the ongoing writers' strike.
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For the movie buffs and serial binge-watchers among us, these signals further delays in film releases and TV show premieres. But, as AI enthusiasts, we see a deeper narrative - a classic case of an industry grappling with rapid evolution, creating a ripple effect of changes that are felt across every aspect of the entertainment sphere.
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The silver screen drama that Hollywood is experiencing today is a reminder of the implications AI and automation could have on many professions. It invites us to consider the human aspect of technological advancement and encourages us to be part of the solution in shaping an equitable future for all.
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Tools of the Week
Bruinen enables developers to integrate end-user data and actions into their LLMs - auth, permissions and action confirmations included*
GPT Researcher summons an autonomous agent designed for comprehensive online research
BREAKING NEWS
JULY 10
AlphaDev: DeepMind's Tool for Enhancing Sorting Algorithms
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Sorting algorithms play a vital role in computer science, enabling efficient data organization for various purposes such as search, analysis, and manipulation. DeepMind, a leading AI company, has been exploring the potential of artificial intelligence techniques, specifically deep reinforcement learning (DRL), to enhance sorting algorithms. In 2023, they introduced AlphaDev, an AI agent designed explicitly for this purpose.
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AlphaDev focuses on improving three fundamental sorting algorithms: sort 3, sort 4, and sort 5. These algorithms are integral components of the LLVM libc++ sorting library and are invoked repeatedly by larger sorting algorithms. Through various techniques like optimizing assembly instructions, minimizing unnecessary comparisons, and employing sophisticated partitioning schemes, AlphaDev has achieved up to a 70% improvement in sorting performance compared to the original algorithms.
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Microsoft introduces Windows 11 AI Copilot
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The Rundown: Microsoft has begun rolling out early previews of their AI-powered personal assistant for Windows 11 to insiders in the Dev Channel.
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Key points:
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To use Copilot, users must have Windows Build 23493 or higher in the Dev Channel and Microsoft Edge version 115.0.1901.150 or higher.
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Allows users to have the AI automatically modify settings in the operating system.
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Windows Copilot takes over from Cortana as the built-in Windows personal assistant.
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AI Tools of the Week
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IngestAI - Explore multiple AI models in one place with features like Fine-tuning AI, Embedding, Customization, AI Search and various integrations support. Try their AI playground for free *
What The Beat - Generate meanings of your favorite song using AI
AI Post Generator - Generate engaging social posts in just a few clicks
Genera.so - Launch generative image applications in minutes.
MindOS - Marketplace of AI assistants.
Breaking News
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JULY 3
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Meta Threads
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk is no stranger to media scrutiny, but lately, the tides seem to be turning in favor of Meta Platforms, much to the chagrin of the news media. Meta's latest offering, the Twitter rival app Threads, has garnered an unusual surge of positive coverage since its launch. However, this honeymoon period is expected to be short-lived. It's only a matter of time—likely within a week—before a media outlet uncovers Meta's data collection practices on Threads, triggering a new wave of criticism.
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While tech journalists currently believe that Threads could threaten Musk's Twitter, its actual impact on the social media giant remains uncertain. Meta's formal announcement positions Threads as a separate platform for real-time updates and public conversations, seemingly aimed at replacing Twitter. However, due to its strong integration with Instagram (users log in using their Instagram accounts), it may not be perceived as a natural substitute by Twitter's user base. Twitter serves as a hub for weighty topics like finance, science, and politics, as well as self-promotion and heated debates.
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In response to Twitter users' discontent following Musk's current limits on daily posts, Meta expedited the launch of Threads, forsaking advertising for now. The company focuses on building a substantial user base before prioritizing profits, mirroring its past approach. While some analysts remain uncertain about the potential revenue boost from Threads, Zuckerberg and other Meta executives have embraced the opportunity to compete directly with Twitter, signaling their enthusiasm for the new product.
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AI EDA Chip Design
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Electronic design automation (EDA) is undergoing a transformative shift fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). AI EDA tools are revolutionizing chip design by automating laborious and error-prone tasks such as design space exploration, verification, and test pattern generation.
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This integration of AI in EDA is yielding significant enhancements in efficiency and productivity throughout the chip design process. AI EDA tools enable designers to optimize power, performance, and area (PPA) trade-offs, resulting in better chip designs. Additionally, they aid in early bug detection and resolution, saving valuable time and resources.
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The impact of AI EDA on the chip design industry is poised to be groundbreaking. It promises accelerated design cycles, reduced costs, and enhanced reliability, paving the way for creating innovative semiconductor products.
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Two notable frontrunners in the AI EDA landscape are Celebrus and Synopsis. Celebrus, a startup, focuses on AI-powered EDA tools tailored for high-performance computing (HPC) chip design. Renowned chip manufacturers like Intel, AMD, and Nvidia already employ Celebrus' tools.
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Synopsis, on the other hand, is a leading EDA software provider that has recently introduced a suite of AI-powered tools. These include DSO.ai for place and route, VSO.ai for functional verification, and TSO.ai for silicon testing. Major chipmakers like Samsung, TSMC, and Qualcomm widely adopt Synopsis' AI EDA tools.
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Launching an AI Product
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Innovating with AI has defied the challenges of launching AI products by introducing not just one but two new offerings within a month. As part of their endeavor, they have developed a complimentary video lesson and cheat sheet to facilitate self-learning.
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The provided resources aim to equip individuals with essential knowledge in the following areas:
The AI Business Model Matrix: Discover how to leverage your skills, interests, and advanced AI tools to create distinctive and captivating business models.
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The AI Venture Mindset: Learn how to navigate the landscape of rapid experimentation and capitalize on the uncertainties prevalent in the industry to your advantage.
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The AI Marketing Cookbook: Gain insights into the optimal channels and strategies for sharing and promoting your AI-powered business, ensuring maximum growth potential.
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Innovating with AI's initiative empowers aspiring entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to delve into the world of AI product development. By offering valuable guidance and practical tools, they aim to inspire and enable individuals to embrace the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
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MidJourney has Unveiled its Latest Addition
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MidJourney, the AI image generator, has unveiled its latest addition, the "Panning" feature, following the recent introduction of its "Zoom out" functionality. This new feature enables users to expand their images in multiple directions, including up, down, left, and right, simply by utilizing the arrow keys.
Key details of the "Panning" feature include:
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Expanding Images: By clicking the arrow keys, users can extend their images in the corresponding direction, allowing for greater visual exploration.
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Remix Mode: Through the "/settings" command and selecting "Remix mode," users can modify their prompts while extending their images, offering a dynamic and customizable creative experience.
However, there are certain limitations: Lack of Variations: Currently, panned images do not support variations, limiting the creative possibilities for further customization. Decreased Resolution: Zooming out the images may result in a decrease in resolution, affecting the overall image quality. Horizontal and Vertical Pan Limitation.
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MidJourney's "Panning" feature adds a new dimension to the AI image generation process, allowing users to expand their creative boundaries. While there are some limitations, the feature offers an enhanced image manipulation experience.
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Microsoft introduces Windows 11 AI Copilot
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Microsoft has begun rolling out early previews of their AI-powered personal assistant for Windows 11 to insiders in the Dev Channel.
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Key points:
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To use Copilot, users must have Windows Build 23493 or higher in the Dev Channel and Microsoft Edge version 115.0.1901.150 or higher.
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Allows users to have the AI automatically modify settings in the operating system.
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Windows Copilot takes over from Cortana as the built-in Windows personal assistant.
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AI Tools of the Week
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IngestAI - Explore multiple AI models in one place with features like Fine-tuning AI, Embedding, Customization, AI Search, and various integrations support. Try their AI playground for free *
Sellesta - Revamp your Amazon business with Sellesta AI tools - Keyword Research, Listing Optimization, and Keyword Tracking. Start free now! *
What The Beat - Generate meanings of your favorite song using AI
AI Post Generator - Generate engaging social posts in just a few clicks
Genera.so - Launch generative image applications in minutes.
Angry Email Translator - Transform angry emails into polite ones
MindOS - Marketplace of AI assistants.
Barcode.so - Create beautiful and attention-grabbing QR Codes
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Breaking News:
JUNE 26
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Deep Fakes
Deepfakes Web is a service that lets you create deepfake videos on the web. It uses Deep Learning to absorb the various complexities of face data. It can take up to 4 hours to learn and train from video and images, whereas it takes another 30 minutes to swap the faces using the trained model. The free version will output the deepfake video in around 5 hours, whereas the premium version will spit out the video in just 1 hour.
Google’s Anti-Money Laundering AI
The product, an application programming interface dubbed Anti Money Laundering AI, has some notable users, including London-based HSBC, Brazil’s Banco Bradesco, and Lunar, a Denmark-based digital bank.
Financial institutions have long relied on human judgment to calibrate systems that help spot potentially risky transactions and customers.
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Now, Google Cloud wants them to let its artificial intelligence technology take greater control of that process. Alphabet’s cloud business on Wednesday announced the launch of a new AI-driven anti-money-laundering product. Like many other tools already on the market, the company’s technology uses machine learning to help clients in the financial sector comply with regulations that require them to screen for and report potentially suspicious activity.
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Where Google Cloud aims to set itself apart, it is by doing away with the rules-based programming that is typically an integral part of setting up and maintaining an anti-money laundering surveillance program. This design choice goes against the prevailing approach to such tools and could be subject to skepticism from some quarters of the industry.
An AI Assessment of Current US Inflation Trend and Projected Next Year's Inflation Rate
Inflation measures the rate at which prices for goods and services are rising. It is typically measured as a percentage change in the consumer price index (CPI), a basket of goods and services consumers typically purchase.
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The US inflation rate has been rising in recent months, reaching a peak of 8.5% in March 2022. This was the highest inflation rate in the US since December 1981. The main drivers of inflation have been rising energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and strong demand for goods and services. While the supply chain issues of COVID exacerbated inflation that has subsided, leaving the underlying demographic issues supporting labor inflation which is a stubborn, persistent issue.
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Nevertheless, inflation has started to come down in recent months, but it is still well above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. The Fed is expected to continue raising interest rates to bring inflation down to its target.
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Projected Next Year's Inflation Rate
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There are several factors that will influence the US inflation rate in 2023. These include the pace of economic growth, unemployment, and the direction of energy prices.
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The Federal Reserve is expected to continue raising interest rates in 2023, which will help to slow the economy and bring down inflation. However, economic growth is also expected to slow in 2023, which could put downward pressure on inflation.
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The level of unemployment is also expected to remain low in 2023, which will help to keep wages rising. However, if wages rise too quickly, it could lead to higher inflation.
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The direction of energy prices is the most uncertain factor influencing the US inflation rate in 2023. Energy prices have been volatile in recent months, and it is difficult to predict whether they will continue to rise or fall in 2023.
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Overall, the US inflation rate is expected to decline in 2023, but it is still likely to remain above the Federal Reserve's target. The pace of economic growth, unemployment, and the direction of energy prices will all play a role in determining the actual inflation rate in 2023.
Here are some possible scenarios for the US inflation rate in 2023:
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Best-case scenario: The economy grows moderately, unemployment remains low, and energy prices fall. The inflation rate could fall to 2% or below in this scenario in 2023.
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Worst-case scenario: The economy grows slowly, unemployment rises, and energy prices rise. In this scenario, the inflation rate could reach 4% or higher in 2023.
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Most likely scenario: The economy grows at a slow to moderate pace, unemployment remains low, and energy prices fluctuate. The inflation rate could fall to 3% in this scenario in 2023.
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It is important to note that these are just possible scenarios, and the actual inflation rate in 2023 will depend on several factors that are difficult to predict.
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What can you do to protect yourself from inflation?
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There are several things you can do to protect yourself from inflation, including:
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Invest in assets that are likely to appreciate during periods of inflation. This includes assets such as stocks, real estate, and commodities.
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Make sure you have a good emergency fund in place. This will help you cover unexpected expenses if your income does not keep up with inflation.
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Negotiate your wages regularly. If your wages are not keeping up with inflation, you may need to ask for a raise.
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Shop around for the best deals. As prices rise, it is more important than ever to shop around and compare prices before purchasing.
By taking these steps, you can help protect yourself from the effects of inflation.
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OpenAI Considers Creating an App Store for AI Software
OpenAI was an early mover in releasing chatbots powered by large-language models. It is now contemplating extending its influence in the world of artificial intelligence.
The company is considering launching a marketplace in which customers could sell AI models they customize for their own needs to other businesses.
What is Apple Vision Pro?
If you want a sense of Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, you;ll have to wait. Apple is reconsidering a lot of bold new features it had been developing for the headset—at least for now.
Those include plans for fitness experiences, ambitious tools to help developers quickly and easily create augmented reality content and the ability to see full-body digital avatars during video calls.
Trending Tools​
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Uptrends - To stay on top of stock market news. Uptrends.ai analyzes online market chatter to help you find the trends and events that matter.
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Stockimg AI - All-in-one AI Image Generator. Logo, illustration, poster, wallpaper, QR Code, Product Photo and more - Plus it includes “upscale 4x” and “remove background”
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Meshy - 3D generative AI production suite
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Zyng - Instantly create amazing product posts without design skills
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Artificial Art - Versatile image generation with user-defined styles.