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

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🧠 O.Q. - OpenAI Quotient

• 🗳️ AI’s impact on elections

• 📈 AI startup funding doubles

• 🏇 UK & China lead AI adoption

Let’s get right into it!

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TECHNOLOGY

O.Q. - OpenAI Quotient

OpenAI has developed a five-level system to track its progress towards creating artificial intelligence (AI) that can outperform humans, aiming to enhance understanding of AI safety and future developments. The levels range from today's conversational AI (Level 1) to AI capable of managing an organization (Level 5). Currently, OpenAI believes it is at Level 1 and close to achieving Level 2, termed "Reasoners," which involves basic problem-solving comparable to a doctorate-level human without tools.

This classification, shared with employees and to be presented to investors, includes AI systems that can act independently over days (Level 3), innovate (Level 4), and operate entire organizations (Level 5). This framework, inspired by discussions in the AI community and comparable to automation levels in self-driving cars, is a work in progress and subject to feedback and adjustments.

POLITICS

AI’s impact on elections

This year's presidential election mirrors the last, with the same candidates and issues, but now AI is a game-changer. Deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation targeting voters have become more sophisticated, potentially disrupting the election process.

Cybersecurity experts are expressing concerns about AI's role in spreading fake content and disinformation, complicating the identification of truth. Despite robust election infrastructure, the focus has shifted to combating AI-enhanced misinformation. This requires stronger efforts from social media platforms and potential new regulations to protect the integrity of the election system and democracy itself.

BUSINESS

AI startup funding doubles

Last quarter saw a record $24.2 billion raised by AI-related startups in 1,001 deals, according to Crunchbase data, more than doubling the amount from both the previous quarter and the same period last year. Despite the impressive total, the number of deals was the lowest in years, indicating a trend toward larger investments in fewer startups.

This includes major fundraises like Elon Musk's xAI with $6 billion, CoreWeave's $1.1 billion, and Wayve's $1.05 billion. Overall, the first half of the year saw $35.6 billion invested in AI startups, a 24% increase from the previous year. The trend suggests investors are focusing on fewer, but larger, bets on AI startups.

GLOBAL TECH

UK & China lead AI adoption

China is leading the world in using generative AI, according to a survey by SAS and Coleman Parkes Research. China leads the world in adopting generative AI, with 83% of organizations using the technology, followed by the UK at 70%, and the US at 65%, according to a survey by SAS and Coleman Parkes Research.

Despite higher adoption rates in China, the US is ahead in fully implementing GenAI, with 24% of organizations compared to China’s 19%. The global economic impact of GenAI could add $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually. However, many organizations face challenges, including lack of understanding, insufficient data, and regulation preparedness.

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