Innovation around generative AI hasn't taken a vacation, and even during this summer period, technology and announcements continue to move forward. Here's a summary of what's been going on aroundgenerative AI.
OpenAI always on deck
With the GPT version 4 update (gpt4-o) released by OpenAI just before the summer, the company continues to demonstrate its determination to maintain its leadership position. The announcement of SearchGPT was also greeted with surprise.
This prototype launched by OpenAI aims to replace Google's search engine. By combining real-time information search with the summarizing capabilities of GPT models, could OpenAI have achieved what Google has been trying to do for the past six months?
SearchGPT promises sourced answers, benefiting from potential partnerships with publishers such as News Corp and The Atlantic. This innovation comes at a time when Google and Microsoft are beefing up their own AI-based search tools, but without the media impact of OpenAI.
At the same time, the latter is offering almost free fine-tuning (just a few dollars for 1 million tokens) for GPT-4o mini (a limited offer until the end of September, it seems). The idea is to enable companies to adapt the model to their specific needs.
Meta advances quietly but surely
Meta recently launched an evolution of its model with Llama version 3.1. This version boasts improved reasoning capabilities and appears to rival leading models such as GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 in a variety of complex tasks, but on the basis of an open source model.
This has been Meta's declared aim from the outset: to democratize access to AI by enabling anyone to modify and use these models without sharing personal data. A diametrically opposed approach to its competitors, who retain their proprietary models. Mark Zuckerberg compares this approach to the Linux revolution, hoping it will lead to rapid adoption and significant advances in AI.
Apple closes the generative AI gap with its competitors
In the face of competitors such as Google and OpenAI, Apple is relentless in its efforts to position itself as a leader in the field of Generative AI. At its latest conference, Apple presented innovations integrating AI into its main operating systems.
To achieve its goals, Apple has mentioned collaborations with technology giants such as Google and OpenAI. Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI, expressed his enthusiasm on X (Twitter) about integrating ChatGPT into Apple products by the end of the year. These partnerships could enable Apple to better compete in the field of generative AI technologies.
By processing data directly on devices, Apple enhances user confidentiality. However, data that requires a call to OpenAI will be subject to the latter's rules, which could raise privacy issues. Apple's announcements have already prompted a number of reactions, with Elon Musk tweeting his intention to ban iPhones from his offices, highlighting concerns about privacy and the impact of AI.
By initially limiting AI to high-end devices, Apple is targeting its most committed customers and gathering feedback before a wider roll-out. This strategy could also encourage users to renew their hardware to benefit from the latest innovations.
With these new features and partnerships, Apple aims to redefine the user experience. By transforming its devices into true personal assistants capable of managing various aspects of users' lives, Apple aims to offer a unique combination of power, intuition, integration, personalization and privacy.
Microsoft had a difficult start to the summer
Microsoft's summer has been a little more complicated than its competitors. Between the disruption of numerous infrastructures following the Crowdstrike bug, and the difficulties encountered by their customers in adopting Copilot, the latest news is not good.
It's true that Copilot still has a long way to go before it becomes even more relevant. Unable to fully meet user expectations, initially enthusiastic customers seem to be losing interest. However, this type of tool needs time to evolve. We can therefore expect Microsoft to improve its generative AI in the weeks and months to come. It's a subject to keep an eye on!
In conclusion, innovation in generative artificial intelligence is not slowing down. OpenAI continues to lead the way, with significant advances such as the GPT-4 update and the promising launch of SearchGPT. For its part, Meta, with Llama 3.1, remains true to its commitment to democratized open source AI. Apple introduces innovative AI functionalities to its ecosystems. Finally, despite a difficult start this summer, Microsoft is working to improve its offerings, such as Copilot, to meet the growing expectations of its users.
This summer of 2024 is a key moment for the rapid and ongoing evolution of AI technologies. The coming months promise further advances and increased competition, as each major player fine-tunes its strategies to assert itself in this dynamic space.
Jérôme Malzac
Innovation Director at Micropole
