OpenAI Preps To Launch AI Agent 🤖!

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No, no, no; not that type of agent 😉! But that would be something, wouldn’t it? Maybe we’ll get there someday. 

Hello, innovators and productivity hackers. It’s another issue of the Neural Frontier, and you’re welcome! 👋

Word on the street is that Open AI is working on AI agents that can automate complex user tasks, like writing code and even booking flights ✈️. 

Plus, China’s Baidu takes a stride into the AI glasses arena with their new unveiling. But do they have what it takes to dethrone Meta? 

Hop in and find out 😅! 

PS: Apparently, Perplexity is now worth a whopping $9B 🤯! 

In a rush? Here's your quick byte:

🤖 OpenAI preps to launch AI agent!    

😎 China’s Baidu takes on Meta with its new smart glasses. 

🤑 Perplexity set to raise $500M at $9B valuation!

🎭 AI Reimagines: Not-so-super Mario?! 

⚡ The Neural Frontier’s weekly spotlight: 3 AI tools making a splash this week. 

🤖 OpenAI Preps To Launch AI Agent! 

OpenAI is preparing to release a groundbreaking artificial intelligence agent, codenamed “Operator,” in January. The new software will automate complex tasks for users, including writing code and booking travel.

Here’s what you need to know: 

🚀 What to Expect: Operator will initially be available as a research preview and through OpenAI’s API, allowing developers to integrate the tool into their applications. The AI agent is designed to complete multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention, working directly on a user’s computer or within a web browser.

👥 Industry-Wide Push: OpenAI isn’t the only company diving into agentic AI. Anthropic has launched a similar tool that can act autonomously on a user's computer, and Microsoft has introduced agent tools for managing emails and records. Google, too, is reportedly developing its own AI agent, signaling a major trend in the industry.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, hinted at the impact of agents during a Reddit AMA, describing them as the "next giant breakthrough" in AI. The development comes as OpenAI and other AI firms look for ways to maximize the utility of their models amid rising costs and diminishing returns from model improvements.

😎 China’s Baidu takes on Meta with its new smart glasses. 

Baidu has officially introduced its first AI-powered glasses, the Xiaodu AI Glasses, at the Baidu World 2024 conference in Shanghai. 

These innovative smart glasses, powered by a large language model, will be available in the first half of 2025. 

Here’s what we know so far:

🌐 Key Features: The Xiaodu AI Glasses are equipped with:

• First-Person Photography: A 16MP ultra-wide camera with AI-powered anti-shake capabilities.

• Real-Time Q&A: Mobile question-and-answer functionality integrated with Baidu's AI.

• Health and Info Tracking: Calorie tracking and an object encyclopedia feature.

• Intelligent Reminders: Visual and audio translation tools for travel and daily use.

• Advanced Audio Capabilities: A four-microphone array and custom speakers with sound leakage prevention, plus the ability to recognize the direction of the sound source.

🚀 User Experience: Designed for hands-free convenience, the glasses offer over five hours of continuous use and up to 56 hours of standby time, with a quick 30-minute full charge. Integrated with Baidu Maps and location-based tech, the glasses function as a “walking encyclopedia,” perfect for real-time exploration and learning.

Baidu also highlighted the growth of its ERNIE Foundational Model, which now has over 1.5 billion daily uses and a user base of 430 million. Additionally, Baidu unveiled iRAG, a tech designed to combat hallucinations in image generation, and Miaoda, a no-code app creation tool, further cementing its role in AI innovation.

Proxy, the AI Agent for Everyday Life

Imagine if you had a digital clone to do your tasks for you. Well, meet Proxy…

Last week, Convergence, the London based AI start-up revealed Proxy to the world, the first general AI Agent.

Users are asking things like “Book my trip to Paris and find a restaurant suitable for an interview” or “Order a grocery delivery for me with a custom weekly meal plan”.

You can train it how you choose, so all Proxy’s are different, and personalised to how you teach it. The more you teach it, the more it learns about your personal work flows and begins to automate them.

Join the waitlist here

🤑 Perplexity set to raise $500M at $9B valuation!

Perplexity AI, the up-and-coming AI-powered search engine, is close to finalizing a massive $500 million funding round, raising its valuation to an impressive $9 billion. 

This latest development has been confirmed by a source familiar with the matter, though the details remain under wraps.

Here’s the scoop: 

💡 Growth Trajectory: At the start of 2024, Perplexity was valued at around $500 million. Since then, the company has experienced explosive growth, fueled by investor enthusiasm in the generative AI sector. With four funding rounds completed this year, Perplexity has quickly become a major player, attracting high-profile backers like Institutional Venture Partners, which is leading the current round.

🤖 Rivals in the AI Search Space: Perplexity faces stiff competition from giants like Google and OpenAI, the latter of which recently enhanced its ChatGPT platform with real-time search capabilities. OpenAI's latest features, including live sports scores, stock quotes, and weather updates, directly challenge Perplexity’s offerings.

📰 Controversy and Revenue-Sharing: Despite its success, Perplexity has had its share of controversies. The startup has been accused of scraping content from major media outlets, with The New York Times sending a cease-and-desist notice in October. In response, Perplexity launched a revenue-sharing program in July, partnering with publishers like Fortune, Time, and The Texas Tribune. This initiative aims to share ad revenue when articles from participating publishers are cited in AI-generated answers.

Growth-wise, Perplexity’s app has seen over 2 million downloads and handles more than 230 million queries each month. According to a pitch deck viewed by CNBC, U.S. queries have increased eightfold over the past year, showcasing the startup's rapid expansion and growing influence in the AI search landscape.

🎭 AI Reimagines: Not-so-super Mario?!

Welcome to the gloomy vibrant world of Super Mario! Or is it? 🤔

This week, our curated showcase brings you a side of Mario you’ve never seen before. Gritty, dark-ish, and modern, you’ll want to see this one! 

⚡ The Neural Frontier’s weekly spotlight: 3 AI tools making a splash this week.

As always, we have a new list of AI-driven productivity boosters for your perusal. Enjoy!   

1. 📝 PaperGen: This tool is an AI-powered academic writing assistant that specializes in generating long-form papers with comprehensive citations and data visualization. 

2. 🧠 Notion AI: By seamlessly blending AI into your virtual workspace, Notion AI transforms everyday note-taking and document creation into a supercharged productivity experience by providing writing and editing assistance, auto-fill capabilities, and one-click content generation. 

3. 🎯 PromptPerfect: This tool simplifies AI prompt engineering, offering a sophisticated platform to optimize interactions with powerful models like GPT-4, Claude, and Midjourney. The platform provides multiple capabilities, from prompt optimization and image creation to API integration and script writing. 

In conclusion… 

OpenAI has been in back-to-back headlines. First, the model leak, and now AI agents are in motion. What would next week bring in? A new model? Maybe. Maybe not. 

Anyways, what are your thoughts on Baidu’s new glasses? And how shocked were you at Perplexity’s new valuation? 🤯

That’s the AI space for you: crazy updates, shocking valuations, and innovations at every turn. 

But that’s what keeps us excited and motivated to bring the information to your doorstep, right? Right! 

As always, we’ll see you in the next one. 

Till then, stay curious, smash that Subscribe button, and share this newsletter with a friend (or two 😉).