Meetup Recap, Google, Meta and more | AITX Newsletter #8

Hello everyone! AITX Team here with more updates this week.

If you’re new here, welcome! 👋 At AITX, we aim to:

• Connect you with like-minded peers passionate about AI.

• Provide a space for sharing ideas and receiving feedback on AI projects you’re building.

• Share helpful tools and invaluable resources.

February Meetup Recap

First, we would like to thank 8VC for sponsoring this meetup and buying pizza for everyone.

We had 4 speakers at this past event including Google & Meta. Let’s dive into what each had to share:

Google _{Jorquel Condomina}

Google came to giving out Beta access to Gemini Ultra, as well as compute credits.

We would like to thank Jorquel and his team at Google for taking the time to share their latest AI advancements with the AITX community.

Learn more about Gemini here.

Meta _{John Bockstanz}

John came to tell us what events and opportunities are coming up for Meta in Austin.

Here’s a look at what those are:

Learn more about how Meta’s models (like Llama) are powering various companies and organizations here.

Syft.ai _{Zach Wright}

Syft AI streamlines B2B sales by:

• automating top-of-funnel activities

• matching sellers with prospects who need their solutions

• automating value hypothesis to enhance value selling efforts

By leveraging Syft AI's innovative approach, businesses can significantly improve their sales outcomes, making every interaction more personalized and impactful. Check them out here.

Language Learning App _{Tim Moose}

Tim Moose is the founder and CTO of SwiftKick Mobile, a mobile app design & development agency.

At this meetup, he brought us one of his latest projects—an AI-powered app for language learning. It has features like a chatbot for tutoring or generating questions only with terms you know.

If you have more questions about it, reach out to Time on LinkedIn here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Why the Future of AI Should be Open

• When: Monday, March 11 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT

• Where: Hilton Austin Downtown 500 E 4th St. · Austin TX

• What: Join this panel to explore how we can advance a new era of AI built on radically open forms of AI collaboration and information sharing to ultimately cultivate greater levels of innovation and inclusivity.

Hack the Future

• When: Sunday, March 10 | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM CST

• Where: 103 E 5th Street, Suite 103 - 105 Austin, TX 

• What: SeedAI is bringing together policymakers, the tech industry, creators, and the AI workforce of tomorrow for a full day of programming at SXSW. Register here to join SeedAI for panels, red-teaming exercises, networking, and demos from AI creators, MetaAI on Ray Ban Meta smart glasses, and Quest 3 mixed reality demos.

Education & Innovation: An Evening at Meta ATX

• When: Wednesday, March 6 | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM CST

• Where: Meta Austin’s 3rd & Shoal office 607 West 3rd St Austin, TX 

• What: Register here by March 1 to join Meta during SXSW EDU for a free reception with appetizers, drinks, and a panel discussion about the value of AI and immersive tech for education. Experience MetaAI demos on Ray Ban Meta smart glasses, try Quest 3 mixed reality headsets, and network with other innovators. 

Content Frontier: A Practical Guide to Content Marketing with AI

• When: Thursday, March 7 | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM CST

• Where: Tyndall at Robertson Hill 800 Embassy Dr. · Austin, TX

• What: AITX is collaborating with Surge.ai. This unique event is the perfect prelude to SxSW's AI track, offering marketers, content creators, and business innovators an exclusive opportunity to deepen their understanding of AI's role in content marketing, while also forging valuable connections with peers in their field.

  Note: There is a max capacity so be sure to register early.

Austin AI Social Hour

• When: Thursday, March 14 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM CST

• Where: Lazarus Brewing Co. 4803 Airport Blvd · Austin, TX

• What: The AI Product Collective is a welcoming community in Austin that unites builders, entrepreneurs, and individuals from diverse technical and non-technical backgrounds. We aim to create spaces where community members can connect, exchange ideas, ask questions, and showcase AI-centric projects they're working on.

COMMUNITY STORIES

Austin Embarks on a Responsible AI Journey

Austin, Texas, is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) within its city governance, ensuring innovation goes hand-in-hand with responsibility. Here's a snapshot of the city's strategic approach:

• Item 24 Initiative: Spearheaded by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes.

• Privacy & Rights: Focus on data privacy and civil liberties.

• Academic Partnership: Collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin.

• Task Force Insight: Involvement of tech experts for ethical AI use.

By aligning with academic partners and engaging experts in a task force, the city aims to navigate the complexities of AI technology responsibly. This approach not only positions Austin as a leader in ethical AI use but also sets a precedent for other cities to follow.

Read more here.

AI Executive Order: Accelerating Federal AI Adoption

• AI Talent Surge: President Biden's executive order aims for a governmentwide AI talent boost.

• Blueprint for AI Bill of Rights: Ensures AI tools align with privacy and civil liberties.

• Tech Company Commitments: 15 American tech firms pledge for "trustworthy AI."

• OMB Guidance: New rules for federal AI use, including chief AI officers and risk management.

• AI Safety Institute: Established by NIST for AI risk research and guidelines.

• Tech Talent Drive: OPM's hiring initiative for data scientists and direct hire for AI roles.

• White House AI Council: Coordination hub for federal AI efforts.

The Biden administration is pushing for a significant advancement in the federal government's use of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on ethical guidelines, talent acquisition, and innovation. This initiative aims to ensure the government's AI applications are secure, equitable, and beneficial, reflecting a commitment to lead by example in the responsible use of emerging technologies. With ongoing developments in policy and talent acquisition, the administration is setting a foundation for AI to enhance public services and operations while addressing potential risks.

Read more here.

UT's "Year of AI" Exhibition Overview

• Artistic Insight: The exhibition, featuring works from 13 international artists (2009-2023), probes the role of human categorization in AI development.

• Key Themes: Highlights include the critique of binary thinking in AI, the impact of predictive policing, and the subjective nature of color perception.

• Engagement and Ethical Reflection: Aligns with UT Austin's ethical AI initiative, encouraging public reflection on AI's role in society without casting it in a solely positive or negative light.

This exhibition at UT Austin not only showcases the interplay between art and artificial intelligence but also invites viewers to explore the nuanced ways AI influences and reflects our world. Through a curated selection of contemporary works, it presents a unique opportunity to engage with the ethical and societal dimensions of AI technology.

Read more here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT

This week, we're excited to highlight John Bockstanz.

John is dedicated to empowering Austin's entrepreneurs and developers to harness open source AI, supported by Meta. He's at the forefront of Meta's AI and Metaverse projects in Austin.

Engineers, entrepreneurs, and business owners eager to explore open source AI should reach out to John!