AI This Week

Scale AI confirms that Meta has made a landmark minority investment — $14.3 billion for a 49% stake — valuing the AI‑data firm at over $29 billion. As part of the deal, Scale founder and CEO Alexandr Wang is stepping down to join Meta’s “superintelligence” lab, while remaining on Scale’s board. Jason Droege, formerly the company’s chief strategy officer, assumes the role of interim CEO. Scale will use the fresh capital to pump up R&D, deepen partnerships, and pay out shareholders and equity‑holders. Meta gains privileged access to Scale’s AI‑training data network and executive talent amid its push to revive its AI efforts following lukewarm receptions to LLaMA 4.

Online publishers are seeing search referrals implode as Google swaps blue links for AI-generated summaries. The WSJ reports that features like AI Overviews and the new conversational AI Mode are siphoning organic traffic — Business Insider slumped 55% since 2022, HuffPost and The Washington Post face half their search traffic lost — forcing layoffs and strategy pivots. Google claims AI tools boost engagement and still promote links, but publishers say the shift turns Google into an “answer engine,” threatening journalism and prompting deals or lawsuits over content rights

Mary Meeker, known as the "Queen of the Internet," released a report highlighting the unprecedented pace of artificial intelligence adoption. The study shows AI is being invested in, developed, and used faster than any previous technological change. ChatGPT reached 100 million users in under two months, far quicker than Facebook's 4.5 years. Meeker attributes this rapid growth to aggressive development by tech companies, decreased costs, and widespread buy-in from businesses. The report also notes increased mentions of AI in corporate earnings reports and a 167% year-over-year increase in new AI models since 2020.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have developed two innovative AI technologies to improve cancer care. The first, MSI-SEER, predicts microsatellite instability-high status from pathology slides, potentially identifying more patients who could benefit from immunotherapy. The second is a 3D imaging tool that provides detailed tissue analysis at the subcellular level. These advancements demonstrate how VUMC is using AI to address various medical needs. The 3D imaging technology has applications beyond cancer diagnostics, including drug development and organ transplant assessment.

ChatGPT, the wildly popular AI chatbot, faced a significant outage on Tuesday, leaving users frustrated and unable to access its conversational capabilities. Over 1,500 reports flooded Downdetector, as the platform displayed error messages and failed to respond to queries. The disruption comes on the heels of OpenAI's announcement of reaching $10 billion in annual recurring revenue, a staggering leap from last year's $5.5 billion. Despite the impressive growth, the company reported a substantial loss of approximately $5 billion in the previous year. The outage coincides with the recent release of Advanced Voice, an update for paid users promising enhanced intonation and more natural interactions.

Scientists at Berlin's Charité University Hospital have developed an AI model capable of identifying over 170 tumor types from all human organs. The model, called crossNN, focuses particularly on difficult-to-diagnose brain tumors. It analyzes epigenetic characteristics of tumors, providing highly accurate diagnoses without the need for invasive surgery in some cases. The AI achieves 99.1% accuracy for brain tumors and 97.8% accuracy across all tumor types. Researchers plan to conduct clinical trials across Germany to further test crossNN's accuracy before potentially introducing it into routine cancer care.

Nvidia's newest chips have significantly improved the efficiency of training large artificial intelligence systems. According to data released by MLCommons, the number of chips required to train large language models has decreased dramatically. Nvidia's Blackwell chips are more than twice as fast as their previous generation Hopper chips on a per-chip basis. The data shows that 2,496 Blackwell chips completed a training test in just 27 minutes, while it took over three times as many previous-generation chips to achieve a faster time.

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus is crafting a new musical with the assistance of artificial intelligence. At 80, the legendary songwriter announced during SXSW London that he is nearly three-quarters through the creative process. He describes AI as a tool that extends his creative mind, helping break through tough blocks. The Swedish musician acknowledges the tool’s limits, noting it often produces unusable lyrics yet occasionally offers sparks for new ideas. His journey with cutting-edge technology continued after ABBA’s pioneering avatar show Voyage. Ulvaeus also champions fair compensation for artists as AI systems benefit from their work. The project arises from his ongoing work with Pophouse Entertainment

Yoshua Bengio, one of AI’s foremost innovators, has launched LawZero, a non-profit aimed at addressing the potential dangers posed by rogue AI systems. With an initial $30 million in funding and backing from prominent figures and organizations, Bengio’s initiative seeks to create "Scientist AI," a system designed to monitor and block harmful behavior in autonomous AI agents. Unlike current generative models, this system emphasizes transparency, offering likelihoods instead of definitive answers. Bengio warns of increasing risks as AI tools advance, highlighting incidents where models displayed deceptive tendencies to avoid shutdown. LawZero will focus on proving its methodology and gaining support from governments and corporations to build robust, scalable safeguards.

AI is redefining creativity in the culinary world. Grant Achatz, chef and owner of Next in Chicago, is testing its boundaries by crafting a nine-course menu with recipes adapted from AI-generated suggestions, including imaginary chefs' influences. While AI is now widely used for restaurant operations, its role in recipe innovation remains uncharted territory. Some chefs, like Dominique Crenn, resist AI's intrusion into what they view as a deeply human art form, while others, such as Ned Baldwin, embrace its technical assistance. AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney are producing unexpected ideas for dishes, visual designs, and even restaurant ambiance. Though AI can’t physically cook or construct, it challenges chefs to see outside the box.