Welcome to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🛒 Amazon Just Walk Out adds AI

• 🍎 Apple Intelligence slow rollout

• 🗳️ UK Labour government cuts AI funding

• 🤺 Microsoft says OpenAI is now a competitor

Let’s get right into it!

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BIG TECH

Amazon Just Walk Out adds AI

Amazon has introduced a new AI model for its "Just Walk Out" technology, enhancing its ability to track shoppers and generate receipts more efficiently. This new multimodal AI foundation model analyzes different types of sensor data simultaneously, improving the automatic identification of items taken from shelves. The technology, part of Amazon Web Services, will roll out to existing stores over the next month and is already used in 170 third-party locations worldwide.

The updated system promises faster and more accurate receipt generation, utilizing the same machine learning models as generative AI applications. It supports third-party retailers by reducing lines, enabling 24/7 operations, reducing theft, optimizing labor, and efficiently using retail space. The Just Walk Out technology, using cameras, weight sensors, and interactive store maps, operates autonomously, with human intervention only for AI training purposes. Amazon also plans to expand an RFID-enabled version of this technology to more stadiums globally.

BIG TECH

Apple Intelligence slow rollout

The first version of Apple Intelligence is now available for developers, but it’s missing several key features, including ChatGPT integration. iOS 18.1 beta 1 introduces the new Siri, but the complete suite of features will be rolled out gradually. In a recent earnings call, Tim Cook discussed this staggered rollout and provided a timeline for ChatGPT support, which is expected by the end of the calendar year.

While Apple Intelligence launches in U.S. English only, additional languages and features will be added over the next year. Although it was initially assumed that ChatGPT integration would be part of iOS 18.1, it will likely arrive with iOS 18.2 later in the year. Based on past release patterns, iOS 18.1 is expected in October, with iOS 18.2 following in December, possibly introducing more AI features like Genmoji and other image generation tools.

GLOBAL AI NEWS

UK Labour government cuts AI funding

The new Labour government has cancelled £1.3bn of funding for tech and AI projects promised by the previous Conservative administration, including £800m for an exascale supercomputer at Edinburgh University and £500m for AI research. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology stated the funds were never allocated in the budget.

Despite the cuts, the government insists it's necessary for economic stability. Edinburgh University, which has already spent £31m on the supercomputer project, is seeking urgent discussions with the government. The tech sector remains a significant part of the UK economy, valued at $1.1 trillion in early 2024. This decision has faced criticism from the tech industry, with concerns about losing talent to the US and falling behind other countries.

STARTUPS

Microsoft says OpenAI is now a competitor

Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI has grown more complex, as Microsoft now lists OpenAI as a competitor in its latest annual report. Despite a long-term partnership where Microsoft serves as OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider and biggest investor, both companies are encroaching on each other's territories.

OpenAI is now seen as a competitor in AI offerings and search and news advertising, especially after unveiling a search engine prototype called SearchGPT. While some companies access OpenAI's models through Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, others use Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot. Despite these competitive aspects, an OpenAI spokesperson affirmed that the partnership remains intact and was always intended to include competition.