1)
Microsoft Copilot is now offering GPT 4 Turbo (for free)
In a absolute great news, Microsoft has just upgraded the free tier of their AI assistant Copilot to include GPT-4 Turbo, which was previously available only to paid users. This means copilot users can now leverage the capabilities of OpenAI’s most advanced language model for free. They can access this model by setting Copilot to either “Creative” or “Precise” mode. It can process 4 times more text for a deeper understanding of the user’s intent. It is trained on data up to December 2023, providing more up-to-date information. By the way, pro subscribers can still choose between GPT-4 Turbo and older models if needed.
2)
OpenAI’s ChatGPT powers a robot that can perform human chores
Robotic startup ‘Figure’ and OpenAI have just demonstrated their first ever collaboration in the form of full-sized humanoid robot. Figure’s CEO on Wednesday shared a two-minute video minute on his X handle where this robot is seen performing several minor tasks. This includes serving food, picking up trash, placing it in designated bins and arranging dishes. OpenAI’s technology has empowered this robot to understand and respond to human commands within a dynamic environment. While this robot’s capabilities are impressive, it is still in development and its widespread deployment might take time. Figure, which has designed this robot, was recently in news from several investors including OpenAI.
3)
Spotify to Challenge YouTube with new Music Video Feature
YouTube has a new challenger and that new challenger is Spotify. Spotify is making a move into uncharted territory by beta testing full-length music videos to a limited pool of premium subscribers in select countries. This feature is seen as a way to compete with the dominance of YouTube, which has long been the go-to platform for music videos. The initial rollout includes a restricted catalog of music videos, featuring both global artists and local favorites. It’s still early days, but Spotify’s entry into the music video arena could potentially heat up the competition in the music streaming market. Whether they can effectively challenge YouTube’s established position remains to be seen.
4)
TikTok inches closer to ban in the US
The House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that will put great pressure on TikTok’s operation in the US market. The bill essentially gives six months’ time to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell its controlling stake or else TikTok app will be outrightly banned in the American market. However, TikTok could still survive in the all-important American market. That’s because the bill still awaits consideration by the Senate, and its future there is uncertain. While President Biden expressed support for signing the bill if passed, the Senate might seek further hearings before proceeding. Over, ban on TikTok app has become a hot political topic before the upcoming US presidential elections.
5)
Microsoft Teams is becoming a single unified app
Microsoft Teams is transitioning towards a single unified app to streamline user experience. Previously, Microsoft offered separate Teams applications for work/school and personal accounts on Windows 11. This caused confusion and inconvenience for users switching between the two. Microsoft is addressing this by introducing a unified Teams app. This app will allow users to seamlessly switch between various accounts. The new unified app is currently being tested in the Windows 11 Insider Preview program. It’s expected to be available for commercial users in April 2024 and later become the standard for all users.