Lumian Gen AI Newsletter Issue #28

⏱️ News Flash

The 2-Minute Scoop to Keep You in the Loop

1/ Rabbit unveils r1 AI pocket companion to handle tasks for you

Tech startup Rabbit just unveiled r1, a smart gadget that uses AI to do a variety of online tasks for you, like booking trips or shopping, just by talking to it. It's designed to be easy to use, with a screen and buttons, and keeps your information private. It’s priced at $199 and starts shipping Easter 2024. Check out the demo here.

2/ Volkswagen plans to add ChatGPT to its cars

Volkswagen is set to upgrade its cars by adding ChatGPT to its IDA voice assistant from mid-2024, allowing for more natural, conversation-like interactions with the vehicle. This integration will enable drivers to easily access car information and navigation through casual speech, though users should be mindful of ChatGPT's potential inaccuracies. This initiative places VW at the forefront of adopting advanced AI in the automotive industry.

3/ Chinese companies aren't interested in Nvidia's slower AI chips

Nvidia faces challenges in China due to U.S. export restrictions preventing the sale of its top AI chips, leading major Chinese firms like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance to seek alternatives. These companies are turning to domestic producers like Huawei or developing their own chips, as the downgraded Nvidia chips offered as replacements don't meet their needs. This shift poses a significant long-term risk to Nvidia's sales and market presence in China, as local companies seek to avoid future supply disruptions.

🤖 Mistral AI

Europe’s Leading LLM Player

In a world where AI startups pop up like mushrooms after rain, Mistral AI stands out - not just because it's French, but because it's moving at a speed that would make a cheetah envious. 

Founded in 2023, this company, birthed by a trio of AI aficionados from DeepMind and Meta, is more than just another name in the game. The founders aimed to beat GPT 3.5 by year-end. And they did.

Remember when OpenAI was supposed to be open-source? Well, Mistral AI is actually doing it. The funding story reads like a Silicon Valley dream, but with a European twist. Their seed round raked in a cool $113 million, and for their Series A? A whopping $415 million with a valuation of $2 billion and counting..

In their seed deck, they lay it out plain and simple. The real value is in the hard-to-make tech. They've got the brains, the technology, and a vision to be Europe's AI crown jewel.

You can play with it on; Together’s Playground, Perplexity, Vercel, Langchain’s Langsmith and Hugging Face.

To use the official API check out their docs, plus available on Together, Anyscale, Replicate, Perplexity and many others.

🤑 Fundraising

The (AI) Intelligent Investor

• Former Twitter CEO’s AI Startup Raises $30 Million in Khosla-Led Deal

• Luma raises $43M to build AI that crafts 3D models

• Nabla raises $24M for its AI copilot for doctors

🤖 Nerd Out

Technical and Business Readings

• The great sobering of 2024 - A look ahead for AI startups

• AI’s future could hinge on one thorny legal question

• What’s ahead for Enterprise AI in 2024

😜 RoboPitch!

Circuit Boards and Boardrooms

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Best,

Robin and Saswat