Google’s AI has some seriously messed up opinions
Not so friendly. Image: NurPhoto/Getty Images Google’s code of conduct explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, religion, and a host of other protected categories. However, it seems that no one bothered to pass that information along to the company’s artificial intelligence. The Mountain View-based company developed what it’s calling a Cloud Natural Language […]
Rasa Core kicks up the context for chatbots
Context is everything when dealing with dialog systems. We humans take for granted how complex even our simplest conversations are. That’s part of the reason why dialog systems can’t live up to their human counterparts. But with an interactive learning approach and some open source love, Berlin-based Rasa is hoping to help enterprises solve their […]
Meituan is the $30 billion startup you’ve probably never heard of
Drivers for the world’s fourth most valuable startup. Image: Andy Wong/AP/REX/Shutterstock China’s Meituan Dianping just became the world’s fourth-most valuable startup, reaching a $30 billion valuation that puts it ahead of high-fliers like Airbnb Inc. and Space X. Never heard of Meituan? You’re not alone. The Beijing-based company, led by Wang Xing, is almost unknown […]
This isn’t the first time Dove rolled out a racist ad
Image: MARK ZUCKERBERG/FACEBOOK For all the good Facebook has done in the wake of Hurricane Maria, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sending his cartoon avatar to the ravaged streets of Puerto Rico on Monday afternoon stands out as a tone-deaf misstep. He capitalized on a natural disaster to promote his company’s new tech, and the whole thing […]
Automated video creation startup Wibbitz raises $20M
Wibbitz, which uses artificial intelligence to create short videos based on text news stories, has raised $20 million in Series C funding. The money comes from some big names in the media world, with Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann) leading the round and participation from The Weather Channel, The […]