AI-Driven Antibody Discovery by LabGenius
LabGenius, a company founded in 2012, has developed a machine learning algorithm that automates the antibody discovery process. By utilizing DNA sequencing, computation, and robotics, the company has created a system that designs antibodies to target specific diseases. Automated robotic systems build and grow these antibodies in the lab, run tests, and feed the data back into the algorithm, all with limited human supervision. The machine learning model explores the infinite search space of potential antibodies, selecting more than 700 initial options from across a search space of 100,000 potential antibodies, and then automatically designs, builds, and tests them. This approach yields unexpected solutions that humans may not have thought of, and finds them more quickly, taking just six weeks from problem setup to finishing the first batch. Read more
Zoom’s AI Training Policy Raises Concerns
An update to Zoom’s terms of service has caused concern among users, with allegations that the company is tapping into online calls to train artificial intelligence models. However, the terms now clearly state that Zoom will not use user-generated content like video and chat for AI training without customer consent. Once a meeting host agrees to the use of content, other participants must leave if they don’t want to consent. The terms also allow Zoom to use other data, such as information about user behavior, without additional permission. Critics argue that the way this function works could pose problems for some participants if the host opts into the generative AI features, questioning how real consent is in such cases. Read more
OpenAI’s Web Crawling GPTBot Sparks Controversy
OpenAI has launched a web crawling bot known as GPTBot, which collects public data from the internet to improve the capabilities, accuracy, and safety of future models. The bot’s launch has led to a blocking effort by website owners and creators. OpenAI provides instructions on how to disallow the collection bot from accessing a site, and web pages are filtered to remove sources that have paywalls or gather personally identifiable information. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of simply blocking GPTBot and the fairness of web scraping, as legal battles continue to unfold. Read more
Google Introduces Project IDX: AI-Enabled Browser-Based Development Environment
Google has announced the launch of Project IDX, an AI-enabled browser-based development environment for building full-stack web and multiplatform apps. Project IDX currently supports frameworks like Angular, Flutter, Next.js, React, Svelte, and Vue, and languages like JavaScript and Dart, with support for Python, Go, and others in development. As a cloud-based IDE, it integrates with Google’s Firebase Hosting and Google Cloud Functions, allowing developers to bring in existing code from GitHub. The environment also includes access to a Linux-based virtual machine and will soon feature embedded Android and iOS simulators in the browser. Though still in early stages, Google plans to add new capabilities over time. Read more
