Welcome back humans.

Big developments this week in terms of Robotics. Good cause I was kinda getting tired of talking about ChatGPT, lol. Anyway it’s my lead story and I think it has massive implications for autonomy. On top of that Search isn’t phased by AI (yet) and authors are getting a pass on writing AI assisted novels.

Here’s what you need to know about AI today:

• BMW and Figure AI team up to have robots make cars

• Google really is still the search king, for now

• A Japanese author wins top prize with AI assisted novel

#1 BMW Hires Robots-as-a-Service from Figure AI to Make Cars

Figure AI and BMW are linking up to use AI robots in their manufacturing. Figure AI, known for their humanoid robots, just inked a deal to bring them into BMW's car factories.

These aren’t your average robots. They're like the Swiss Army knives of robots – ready to tackle all sorts of jobs, especially the risky or snooze-worthy ones.

This means the human crew can focus on the stuff robots can't do.

The plan? Start small, test the waters with a few robot tasks, and then gradually let them take the stage at BMW's Spartanburg factory in South Carolina.

Yep, that's right, BMW's got a massive playground in the US, and it's a record-breaker in production.

And these robots aren't just plug-and-play.

They're going to learn as they go, getting smarter and more skilled over time.

An interesting note: BMW's not just buying these robots; they're kind of renting them through Figure’s "Robotics as a Service" model. Innovative.

This announcement comes as major progress is being made in the robotics arena when it comes to training.

AI's not just about doing what it's told anymore.

It's stepping into the world of learning by watching, just like how you might learn to flip pancakes by watching a YouTube tutorial.

Nvidia's showing off a robot that's like, "I see what you did there," and then actually does it.

This is a game-changer because it's less about spoon-feeding the robot with instructions and more about "monkey see, monkey do."

This is big – AI's breaking free from needing us to hold its hand.

Some are thinking this advancement will transform caregiving. Specifically elder care and home tasks.

With the world's aging population, we're talking about a serious need for more helping hands, or in this case, robot hands.

Japan's leading the charge, prepping for a future where robots are the new nurses.

The big question is, are we ready to high-five a robot instead of a human caregiver?

Welcome to the future, where your nurse, your car builder, and your personal assistant might all be robots!

💡 My take:

It’s stories like these that usually go under the radar that are actually most relevant in terms of where the world is going. AI does not = ChatGPT/OpenAI. This is exciting, you may remember in my 2024 predictions I mentioned that there would be big advancements in robotics and it would impact blue collar factory job. Well here we are. Though it’s just the beginning I imagine things could move fast. If BMW is able to report reduced costs and high production you can bet your bitcoin that other automakers will follow, then other manufacturers. The biggest surprise to me is the training of the AI robots. The idea that you can train a robot by simply showing them a task is a huge development. I’m not sure why more people aren’t discussing this. The ripple effect means that we’re starting with prompt engineering now but soon we could be training AI agents (not robots) simply by screen recording our actions and then providing the necessary credentials to execute. This is a game changer and I think the first real life example of what the future of automation will look like.

#2 Google Still King of Search, Despite AI

So, back in February 2023, Microsoft decided to shake things up by adding ChatGPT to its Bing search engine.

People were buzzing, thinking this would be a game-changer in the search engine world.

Plot twist – it wasn’t. At least not yet.

Bing's market share? It's like that friend who barely leaves the couch, ending the year at a chill 3.4% of the global search market lol.

That’s not even a 1% bump.

Despite Bing putting on its fancy ChatGPT shoes, it looks like most folks are still dancing with their usual search engine partners.

There was this poll, right after Bing Chat hit the scene, and guess what?

A whopping 60% of the crowd said, "Nah, Bing's not gonna break more than a 5% market share groove."

In the grand scheme of things, while Bing and ChatGPT pairing up did turn some heads, it's like throwing a party that everyone talks about but not many show up to.

In the end, Bing's still hanging out in the same corner of the search engine party, not really busting out any major moves.

💡 My take:

Short and sweet: I think we’re too early.

Search has been the interface of the world wide web since nearly it’s inception. The browser wars have always been very much a thing, remember Internet Explorer? This is really a long term game. Search engines never launch and take over the market. Never. Even when Chrome launched it took them a decade to become the #1 search engine, and that was Google entering the browser game with a war chest of funds to play with. Regardless of the product, in tech industry, sometimes it’s not just about launching the most amazing product. The timing has to be right, and when the timing isn’t right you need CASH to play the long game. To wait for user behaviors to evolve and to relentlessly execute a distribution strategy that gets you into the hands of every consumer. That’s why I think it’s too early to call this. User behavior is still evolving and ChatGPT has only really had 1 year of use and distribution. We’re still super early kids.

#3 AI’s New Muse: Japanese Author Wins Prestigious Prize with Chat-GPT Assisted Novel

Rie Kudan, a Japanese author, just pulled a fast one in the literary world.

She's been using ChatGPT, to help pen parts of her novel, "The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy" (or "Tokyo-to Dojo-to" for the purists).

And here's the kicker – her book won the Akutagawa Prize, a big deal in the literary scene.

Now, before you think it's all AI magic, it's just about 5% of the book that's ChatGPT's handiwork.

The novel's got this cool, futuristic vibe – set in a Japan where AI is as common as sushi, and it's all about an architect who designs a cozy high-rise prison.

Talk about thinking outside the box!

Kudan's not shy about it, either. She's like, "Yeah, I used ChatGPT to find the perfect, soft, and fuzzy words that fit the muddled themes of my story."

And it paid off. One of the judges even called the novel "flawless" – not too shabby for a book with an AI co-author.

💡 My take:

This is an exciting development but what’s most exciting is the response from the judges at the Akutagawa Prize. Not a blink, nor stare, nor shrill shriek about her use of AI. And also, bravo to her on her transparency in sharing that she even used ChatGPT to begin with. While it was only for 5% of her book I think it is telling that humans and AI can work together. So much of the conversation of late is about AI replacing humans. In this polarizing world I personally think it’s just another topic to polarize. AI is not perfect (and will not be perfect) but the world as we live in now has actually already adopted it. It’s a battle between how many will use it ethically and how many will stand on a soapbox to dissuade you.

Plus, if you’ve ever had and idea for a book, now’s your time! Just make sure you factor in extra time for editing!

💩Sh*ts & Giggles

That’s all for today folks!

See you on the interwebs and on the pod,

AB