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

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🖼️ Genie 2: 3D worlds from a single image

• 🎅 OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’

• 👩🏻‍💼 Salesforce to hire 1,000 employees to sell AI product

• ☔️ Google DeepMind’s AI weather forecast technology

Let’s get right into it!

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BIG TECH

Google’s Genie 2 can create 3D worlds from a single image

Google DeepMind has unveiled Genie 2, an advanced AI model capable of generating 3D simulated environments in real-time, a step up from its predecessor's 2D capabilities. Unlike game engines, Genie 2 uses a diffusion model to create dynamic scenes as players or AI agents navigate the world, simulating elements like water, smoke, and physics effects.

It can handle various perspectives, such as first-person and isometric views, and remembers scene elements even after they leave the player’s view. However, Genie 2 has limitations, maintaining consistent worlds for up to 60 seconds before image quality degrades. While not publicly available, DeepMind envisions Genie 2 as a tool for training AI agents, rapid prototyping for artists, and advancing research toward artificial general intelligence by enabling limitless, diverse training environments.

STARTUPS

OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’

OpenAI is launching a 12-day “shipmas” event starting December 5th, featuring daily announcements of new features, products, and demos. Highlights include the debut of its long-anticipated text-to-video AI tool, Sora, and a new reasoning model. Sora, which has been in an invite-only research preview, has already sparked controversy among artists over its development.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed the event but withheld specific details. Teased updates may include a Santa-themed voice for ChatGPT, while competitors like Google’s generative AI video model, Veo, are also entering the market. OpenAI aims to showcase its innovations during this festive rollout, generating excitement across the AI community.

BIG TECH

Salesforce to hire 1,000 employees to sell AI product

Salesforce shares hit a record high as the company reported quarterly revenue of $9.44 billion, surpassing estimates, with an adjusted operating margin of 33.1%. The surge is fueled by Salesforce’s AI-driven strategy, centered on its new Agentforce product, which automates tasks like customer support and sales.

Launched in October, Agentforce has sparked optimism, driving shares up more than 50% this year after earlier setbacks. CEO Marc Benioff, confident in AI's potential, announced plans to hire 1,000 employees to sell Agentforce, marking a shift from previous cost-cutting measures. While initial AI-related deals show promise, their financial impact will unfold over time.

BIG TECH

Google DeepMind’s AI weather forecast technology

DeepMind's new AI system, GenCast, demonstrates significant advancements in weather forecasting by outperforming traditional models like the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in accuracy and efficiency. Unlike traditional models based on atmospheric physics, GenCast uses diffusion models to generate high-resolution forecasts while significantly reducing computational costs.

GenCast excels in handling extreme weather, forecasting tropical cyclone tracks, and projecting wind power output, outperforming traditional models in most benchmarks. By merging AI techniques with aspects of traditional forecasting, GenCast offers a faster, more accurate, and cost-effective approach, paving the way for further innovation in hybrid weather prediction systems.