MC.29: A Bet On The Future

Thrilled to introduce Alter + our weekly news summary: exploring how AI SaaS firms are boosting their earnings, the changing roles of Generative AI, the trend of businesses creating their own AI solutions, and AI's entry into healthcare.

Hello everyone,

Super excited to unveil Alter!

It's a native app that brings AI capabilities to all macOS apps. If you missed the first demos last week, check them out: video 1 | video 2

Part of this newsletter's purpose is to build in the open and share our experiences in creating a bootstrapped startup from scratch. I hope you will find actionable insights from our experiences, which I will start to transcribe in dedicated posts:

I think it’s more digest that my giant newsletter of last week!

The beta is coming, don’t miss the early access and the special perks: https://alterhq.com

PS: You're among the first to see Alter, we just launched the website an hour ago!

Cheers,

Sam

In this issue:

πŸ’Ό Tom Tunguz: AI SaaS Companies Will Be More Profitable
🧠 Harvard Business Review: How People Are Really Using GenAI
🏒 Andreessen Horowitz: Generative AI in Enterprises
βš• Nvidia: Powers AI Nurses with Hippocratic Partnership
πŸ“ HIMSS 2024: Ambient Clinical Documentation
πŸ–ΌοΈ MIT: High Quality Image Generation 30x faster
πŸ”“ DBRX: Setting New Standards for Open Source LLMs
🐰 Rabbit's R1: First Deliveries on April 24
πŸ“š BBC: Opening Archives to Big Tech
πŸ” Google: €250 Million Fine Over Bard AI
🌍 POLITICO: The Global Race to Control AI

Updates & tools

Tom Tunguz: AI SaaS Companies Will Be More Profitable
He points out a future where companies using AI software will make a lot more money because they're getting better at doing things more efficiently. Moving to smaller, yet powerful AI models that are much cheaper is a big deal. It's interesting to think about how the costs and advantages of AI work together, kind of like how prices and demand work in an economy. MORE

Harvard Business Review: How People Are Really Using GenAI
People used to think generative AI was just for making content, but that's changing. Now, it's mainly used for coming up with ideas, showing that generative AI is working with humans instead of taking their place. This insight comes from looking at Reddit discussions, and it shows that AI can do more than we thought – it can help us be more creative and get more done. MORE

Andreessen Horowitz: Generative AI in Enterprises
Rather than buying ready-made solutions, companies are now spending three times more on their AI budgets to create custom applications with their own data. This move to make AI tools in-house shows how important unique data has become and also creates a huge chance for AI startups to help with these projects. MORE

Nvidia: Powers AI Nurses with Hippocratic Partnership
Introducing Rachel, a GenAI Healthcare Agent designed to manage post-surgery check-ins, starting a fresh chapter in healthcare. This idea is intriguing but raises questions about how deep AI care can go. Nvidia's big step, alongside Hippocratic, now worth a massive $500 million, shows they're really counting on AI to make a difference in specialized areas. MORE

HIMSS 2024: Ambient Clinical Documentation
At the HIMSS conference in Orlando, everyone was excited about ambient clinical documentation. This technology uses AI to automatically turn doctor-patient talks into clinical notes. Big players like Microsoft's Nuance Communications are at the forefront, making it easier for doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more on caring for patients. It's a big step in using technology to help healthcare workers. MORE

MIT: High Quality Image Generation 30x faster
Tianwei Yin and his team at MIT have created a way to make images 30 times faster with something called DMD. This big step forward could also make the pictures we get from AI look better. It gets better and better on all front. MORE

DBRX: Setting New Standards for Open Source LLMs
Databricks recently launched DBRX, a model that's way ahead in understanding language and logic. It's exciting to see open source models grow so fast, becoming stronger and quicker. This improvement is part of this exciting trend where we have better speed and quality. MORE

Rabbit's R1: First Deliveries on April 24
The upcoming release of the Rabbit R1 AI pocket companion has got me thinking about the future of personal tech devices. With giants like Google and Samsung integrating AI into smartphones, the R1's unique approach could either set a new trend or become an interesting footnote in tech history. Let's see if it can make a dent in the smartphone-dominated world. MORE

BBC: Opening Archives to Big Tech 
The BBC is considering offering its huge archives to Big Tech companies. Taking cues from media companies like Axel Springer and Le Monde, this could open up a new source of income. Data is the new gold, to think that old media archives could have such value. MORE

Google: €250 Million Fine Over Bard AI
The French competition authority has hit Google with a €250 million fine. This action was taken because Google's Bard AI took content from news outlets and publishers without asking or giving them a choice to say no. It shows us that when we explore new possibilities with AI, it's important to respect where the data comes from and the rights of those who own it. MORE

POLITICO: The Global Race to Control AI
2024 is looking to be a key year for controlling AI, with Europe's AI Act, the White House's executive order, and countries like the U.K., Japan, Canada, and China all getting involved. POLITICO's article points out the growing focus from both the public and politicians on the possible dangers of AI and the worldwide push to manage the tech. It's a tricky mix of innovation, regulation, and making sure the future is secure and available to all. MORE

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