Author: TechBrunch

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After Meta began labeling photos as “created with AI” in May, photographers complained that the social networking company was labeling actual photos that used basic editing tools. Due to user feedback and general confusion about what level of AI is used in the photos, the company is changing the tag to “AI Information” across all Meta apps. Mehta said previous versions of the tag weren't clear enough for users to indicate that a tagged image wasn't necessarily created by AI, but that AI-powered tools might have been used in the editing process. “Like others across the industry, we found that…

Investing app Robinhood is adding more AI capabilities for investors with the acquisition of AI-powered research platform Pluto Capital, Inc., announced on Monday. The acquisition of Pluto will give Robinhood additional tools to identify trends and investment opportunities more quickly, guide users' investment strategies and provide real-time portfolio optimization, according to the company. Pluto founder Jacob Sansbury will join Robinhood upon the completion of the deal, terms of which were not disclosed. At Robinhood, Sansbury will be tasked with accelerating the trading app's adoption of AI technology, including using Pluto's data analytics capabilities to process and interpret market data using…

SmartHR, a cloud-based human resources and workforce management software startup, announced Monday that it has raised $140 million in a funding round led by KKR and Teachers Ventures Growth, the investment arm of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, with participation from existing investors. The Series E round, which comes three years after the company raised $142.5 million in Series D funding that gave it a valuation of $1.6 billion, is the latest indication that investors remain eager to back technology that helps companies more efficiently manage their largest cost base: human resources. The company declined to comment on its current…

The first self-checkout system was installed in a Kroger grocery store outside Atlanta in 1986. It took decades, but the technology has finally spread across the U.S. And with grocery stores moving toward automation, robotic bagging may not be far off. This week, MIT's CSAIL division is showcasing RoboGrocery, which combines computer vision and soft robotic grippers to bag a variety of items. To test the system, researchers placed 10 objects that were unknown to the robot on a grocery conveyor belt. Products range from delicate items such as grapes, bread, kale, muffins and crackers to more rigid items such…

Whether it's drafting emails, creating concept art, or conning vulnerable people into thinking you're a friend or relative in need, AI is versatile. But we all want to avoid getting scammed, so let's take a moment to talk about what you should be careful of. Over the past few years, not only has the quality of generated media, from text to audio to images to video, improved dramatically, but it has also become cheaper and easier to create. The same kinds of tools that help concept artists dream up fantasy monsters and spaceships, or help non-native speakers improve their business…

When Till Klein and Jochen Bütgen met Gaingels, a US-based angel investor syndicate that supports LGBTQ+ founders, they wondered why there wasn't a company doing the same in Europe's LGBTQ+ startup community. Five years later, when no such company still existed, Klein and Bütgen decided to start their own. In 2023, the two founded Identity.vc, a venture firm that invests in early-stage companies with at least one founder or executive who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The Berlin-based firm is currently raising €50 million for its first fund, having raised €15 million to date. The founding partners…

In the early 1990s, researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began developing the robot that would become Paro. More than three decades later, the fawn-eyed baby seal is still best known as a therapy robot for the elderly. In 2011, the robot reached the height of pop-culture fame when it made an unofficial cameo appearance on “The Simpsons.” Japan has dominated the elderly robotics market for decades, due to its aggressive adoption of new technologies and its aging population. 29% of the population is over 65 years old. The increase in life expectancy is, of…

Apple's AI plans go beyond the already-announced release of Apple Intelligence for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as the company is also working to bring these features to its Vision Pro headsets, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This isn't a particularly surprising move: if Apple Intelligence (a suite of features that includes an improved Siri, proofing tools, and custom emoji) is key to Apple's future, why isn't it available in all of Apple's latest products? But while there's a lot to like about the Vision Pro, it's still a very expensive device that's (for now) only available to a select few.…

If data is truly what drives generative AI, and one of the keys to successful implementation is access to data that is meaningful to business operations, it would seem that certain SaaS vendors have an inherent advantage when it comes to data. Execution is another matter, but with the data, your models can at least process more meaningful things. One SaaS company that was an early proponent of generative AI was ServiceNow, which has been leveraging data from its platform to help build more business-centric models. For CIO Chris Bedi, it's about building actionable experiences that help people do their…