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

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• OpenAI’s newest model passes IQ of 120

• Godmother of AI

• OpenAI rates its new model as “medium” risk

• Salesforce expands AI fund to $1 billion

Let’s get right into it!

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OpenAI’s newest model passes IQ of 120

OpenAI's latest AI model, o1, has demonstrated a significant leap in intelligence, achieving an IQ score as high as 120 on the Norway Mensa IQ test. This marks a breakthrough in AI reasoning abilities, as previous models showed little improvement in this area. The o1 model successfully solved complex IQ questions, demonstrating advanced pattern recognition, although it still made occasional errors.

Testing suggests that o1’s improvement is genuine and not the result of training on specific IQ tests. The model's progress reinforces projections that AI could soon surpass human intelligence, with potential implications for the future of AI development and industries reliant on this technology.

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Godmother of AI

Fei-Fei Li, a Stanford professor known as the "Godmother of AI," has raised $230 million for her startup, World Labs, which is now valued at over $1 billion. Backed by investors like Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and Radical Ventures, the company plans to launch its first product in 2025.

World Labs is developing "large world models" designed to help professionals such as artists, designers, developers, and engineers interact with and understand the 3D world. Potential customers include game companies and movie studios.

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OpenAI rates its new model as “medium” risk

OpenAI has acknowledged that its latest AI models, known as o1 or "Strawberry," pose an increased risk of misuse, particularly in the development of biological weapons. While these models demonstrate advanced reasoning and problem-solving capabilities, including scientific and mathematical tasks, they have also been rated with a "medium risk" for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapon creation, the highest risk level OpenAI has assigned to its technology.

BIG TECH

Salesforce expands AI fund to $1 billion

At its Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, Salesforce Ventures announced an additional $500 million fund dedicated to AI companies, bringing its total AI investment fund to $1 billion. This marks a significant increase, as Salesforce Ventures doubled its AI fund to $500 million in June 2023.

Since its launch in 2009, Salesforce Ventures has deployed $5 billion, and its growing AI portfolio includes notable companies like Anthropic, Hugging Face, Runway, and Together AI. San Francisco's AI boom is attracting startups from around the world, with Salesforce Ventures playing a key role in fostering the city's AI ecosystem.