Good Morning AI Aficionados!

In this newsletter, we will be discussing the unfortunate detrimental impact generative AI usage has on the environment. Furthermore, we will touch upon how the legal startup Harvey, supported by OpenAI, has generated $100 million in funding and the responsibilities Harvey will help to fulfill.

This week’s edition:

• The Environmental Impact of Generative AI

• Legal Tech Startup Harvey Secures $100 Million Funding

• Your 5 Min AI Learning: Organise your Internet Tabs with Side Space

• New AI Tools

• More AI News

• AI Image of the Week

Read time: 8 Minutes

LATEST NEWS

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF AI

The Environmental Impact of Generative AI

What You Need to Know: The rapid advancement of generative AI technologies, while promising significant benefits, poses serious environmental challenges. Increased electricity demand and water consumption from data centres are major concerns, leading to higher carbon emissions and potential strain on local ecosystems. As generative AI becomes more integrated into daily life, its resource-intensive nature raises urgent questions about sustainability.

The Finer Details:

• Electricity Consumption: Training models like GPT-4 require enormous energy; data centres in North America saw power needs rise from 2,688 MW in 2022 to 5,341 MW in 2023.

• Water Usage: Data centres consume approximately two litres of water for every kilowatt-hour of energy used for cooling.

• Carbon Footprint: Training a single model can generate over 500 tons of CO2 emissions; new models are released frequently, compounding energy waste.

• Resource Extraction: Manufacturing GPUs involves environmentally damaging mining practices and complex production processes.

• Demanding Data Centres: The rise of generative AI has dramatically increased the pace of data centre construction, with each requiring substantial energy.

So What? The growing environmental footprint of generative AI demands urgent attention. Experts advocate for a holistic approach to assess the true costs and benefits of this technology, emphasising the need for sustainable practices in its development and deployment. The industry must prioritise responsible development that balances innovation with environmental stewardship to mitigate adverse effects on our planet.

AI STARTUP HARVEY

Harvey Secures $100 Million in Series C Funding

What You Need to Know: Harvey, an innovative legal tech startup powered by AI and backed by OpenAI, has successfully raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by GV (Google Ventures). This latest investment brings Harvey's total funding to $206 million and values the company at an impressive $1.5 billion. The co-founders, Winston Weinberg and Gabriel Pereyra, announced that the majority of the new capital will be directed toward enhancing data collection efforts and developing domain-specific AI models. Additionally, they plan to expand their workforce and services into new global markets.

The Finer Details:

• Founders: Winston Weinberg, a former securities and antitrust litigator, and Gabriel Pereyra, who previously worked as a research scientist at DeepMind.

• Launch Year: 2022, with a focus on improving legal workflows using AI.

• Technology: Harvey leverages OpenAI's GPT-4 model to assist lawyers in various tasks, including:

  • Answering complex legal questions posed in natural language.

  • Extracting information from trial transcripts.

  • Finding relevant legal documents to support court arguments.

  • Generating first drafts of legal filings with citations from databases.

• User Base: Tens of thousands of lawyers from prestigious firms such as Allen & Overy, Macfarlanes, Ashurst, CMS, Reed Smith, and PwC are currently utilising Harvey's services.

• Growth Metrics: The company has reported a tripling of its annual recurring revenue since December and has also tripled its workforce.

So What? Harvey is poised to revolutionise the legal industry by automating tedious tasks that typically consume valuable time for lawyers, allowing them to concentrate on more strategic aspects of their work. However, concerns regarding data privacy and the accuracy of AI-generated information remain significant hurdles that could affect how law firms integrate these tools into their practices. As Harvey continues to grow and refine its offerings, it will be crucial for the company to address these issues to gain broader acceptance within the legal community.

YOUR 5 MINUTE AI LEARNING

YOUR 5 MIN AI LEARNING

Organise your Internet Tabs using Side Space

For this week’s AI learning section, we decided to choose a tool that can help you organise the browser tabs you open. Side Space, is a game-changing Chrome extension designed to tackle the chaos they create. We all know the struggle of opening countless tabs and then losing track of them—Side Space is here to help! This tool organises your tabs vertically in a side panel, making it easy to manage and navigate. Powered by AI, it intelligently groups your tabs by their content, creating virtual spaces for different tasks, whether you're working, browsing for fun, or juggling multiple projects. 

Additionally, it offers customisation options, tab syncing across devices and even saves system resources by suspending inactive tabs. Perfect for multitaskers and heavy browser users, Side Space not only declutters your interface but also enhances your focus and boosts productivity. So the next time you see a mess at the top of your internet screen, it’s time to say hello to a more organised browsing experience with Side Space!

LATEST AI TOOLS

FactSnap 

A Google Chrome Extension to cross-check information against reliable news sources. (Free)

“FactSnap does not tell users what to believe; rather, it offers the resources and context necessary to evaluate claims, understand various perspectives, and make decisions based on evidence and reason.”

Memenome 

A tool to monitor and analyse social media trends across various platforms. (Paid)

“Turn PDFs into brainrot videos. Supercharge your learning with engaging content”

BlurData

A MacOS App that detects and censors sensitive information in screenshots and PDFs. (Paid)

“ Instant blurring, Instant Privacy for the images you share online and offline. Email addresses, monetary values, names, and other sensitive data will be identified and concealed.”

MORE AI HIGHLIGHTS

Resurrection of the First AI Chatbot ELIZA

The world's first AI chatbot, ELIZA, has been successfully resurrected after decades, thanks to meticulous reconstruction from archived records. Created in the 1960s by MIT's Joseph Weizenbaum, ELIZA is now operational for the first time in years, showcasing the evolution of conversational AI technology

TfL Prioritises AI for Enhanced Platform Safety

Transport for London (TfL) is focusing on new artificial intelligence technology to improve passenger safety on station platforms, currently being trialled at Custom House station on the Docklands Light Railway. The AI system analyses security camera footage to detect objects on the tracks while ignoring train movements, with plans for further trials across the network later this year to address safety concerns effectively.

UK Government Invests in AI to Boost Small Business Productivity

The UK government is launching 120 projects with a £7 million funding initiative aimed at helping small businesses enhance productivity through artificial intelligence, with applications ranging from predicting potholes to optimising bakery production. This initiative is part of the government's broader AI Opportunities Action Plan, which seeks to integrate AI across various sectors to drive economic growth and improve living standards nationwide.

AI Enhances IVF Success Rates for Women

AI has the potential to revolutionise in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) by improving success rates and making the process more efficient and cost-effective. Clinics utilising AI can better select the healthiest sperm, eggs, and embryos, ultimately increasing the chances of successful pregnancies for couples facing infertility challenges.

AI IMAGE OF THE WEEK

This week's AI image is a bit of a fun one. I am a massive fan of Marvel and recently got into watching Daredevil (I know I am a bit late). The announcement of the new Daredevil series has got me even more excited. So, let us create an image of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

The prompt used to generate this image on poe.com: 

“An image of the Devil of Hell’s kitchen, talking to the Kingpin in his iconic white suit in a New York Diner. Chaos is occurring behind them as crime has taken over. However, within all the chaos there is a little shine of hope that comes straight from the Daredevil.” 

Send us your AI generated art for a chance to be featured.

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