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OpenAI starts offering a paid ChatGPT plan for $20 per month
ChatGPT Plus subscribers will have general access to the chatbot, even during peak times. They'll also get faster response times from ChatGPT, along with priority access to upgrades and new features.
ChatGPT (barely) passed graduate business and law exams
ChatGPT is good enough to pass some graduate business and law exams... but it won't earn a scholarship.
OpenAI will soon test a paid version of its hit ChatGPT bot
ChatGPT will soon be available in a paid version, if you're willing to be part of a pilot program for the chatbot.
Meta unleashes BlenderBot 3 upon the internet, its most competent chat AI to date
On Friday, Meta's AI Research division will see if its latest iteration of Blenderbot AI can stand up to the horrors of the interwebs with the public demo release of its 175 billion-parameter, Blenderbot 3.
The Trevor Project has a new AI persona for LGBTQ crisis counseling
Since the start of 2021, The Trevor Project, the largest suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, has used an AI technology called the Crisis Contact Simulator to train its counselors on how to talk to youth in crisis.
WHO debunks coronavirus misinformation on Facebook Messenger
Facebook and the World Health Organization (WHO) are again teaming up to make it easier to find reliable information about the coronavirus.
WhatsApp and WHO create a chatbot to share reliable coronavirus info
In an attempt to help users find accurate coronavirus information, WhatsApp and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a chatbot that will answer questions about the pandemic. When users text "hi" to the new WHO Health Alert (+41 79 893 1892), the service will respond with a series of prompts, the latest data and a few emojis. In addition to fighting misinformation on the platform, this could also help government decision-makers find the latest numbers and situation reports, WhatsApp says.
Facebook built a bot to help staff deflect awkward questions from relatives
If you think your dinners over the holiday period are awkward, spare a thought for Facebook employees who face a grilling from family members about the social media giant's disastrous reputation. In typical Facebook style, the company is tackling this problem through automated technological innovation instead of addressing the underlying human issue.
Facebook suspended Israeli PM's campaign chatbot for hate speech
Facebook has suspended a chatbot linked to the official account of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after it posted a message that said Israel's Arab politicians "want to destroy us all." It appears that the chatbot -- operated under the name of a campaign volunteer -- was trying to generate support for Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party ahead of next Tuesday's election.
Nuance's AI uses real interactions to make chat bots smarter
Many high profile brands and companies have a customer service chat bot function on their website. Indeed, some research suggests that by 2020 conversational AI will be the main go-to for customer support in large organizations. But as the current technology stands, it's only as effective as the manual programming that's gone into its creation, and relies on the customer asking the right questions or including the right keywords to send the bot down the right branch of script. Today, though, Nuance Communication has announced a new technology that aims to make the conversational intelligence of chat bots a whole lot smarter.
Microsoft buys chatbot company to juice its AI projects
Research company Gartner believes that by 2020, conversational AI -- or chat bots -- will be the predominant go-to for customer support in large organizations. So if you've got a question or a problem, chances are you'll be talking to a computer about it. Tech companies will need to make sure their capabilities are on point, then, which is likely why Microsoft has just acquired software design and development studio XOXCO.
USA Today thinks chat bots can keep voters informed during midterms
USA Today is no stranger to using technology as a hook for political coverage, but this time it could be particularly helpful in performing your civic duty. It's rolling out chat bots across its properties that will help you keep tabs on various aspects of the 2018 midterm elections, including national news, regional election info and the hot-button issues of the day. And crucially, the bots will help you find polling stations -- you'll know both where local politicians stand as well as where to vote on November 6th.
Ubisoft's AI-powered gaming assistant is now available
We got a sneak peek at Ubisoft's gamer-centric virtual assistant this past January, but it was only out in Canada in a sort of soft launch. Now, the helpful chatbot named Sam — part of the Ubisoft Club mobile app — is available to everyone worldwide, but still only in English.
Microsoft AI knows when to (politely) interrupt conversations
Most AI assistants can't really hold a conversation. They're fine with I-go-you-go dialogue, but most humans aren't quite so timid -- they know when to interrupt, and when to restart chat when there's an awkward pause. Microsoft wants to fix that. It just upgraded its Xiaolce chatbot AI with "full duplex" conversation that lets it start speaking when it's listening to what you're saying. As it can predict what you're likely to say next, it knows when to interrupt you with important info or say something more when both sides suddenly go quiet. Think of it as that friend who knows when to speak up without being overly rude.
Facebook tries giving chatbots a consistent personality
Dig into the personalities of chat bots and you'll find that they're about as shallow as they were in the days of Eliza or Dr. Sbaitso. They respond with canned phrases and tend to be blithely unaware of what you've said. Facebook wants to fix that. Its research team has tested a new approach that gives bots more consistent personalities and more natural responses. Facebook taught its AI to look for patterns in a special 164,000-utterance data set, Persona-Chat, that included a handful of facts about a given bot's persona. An AI trying to mimic a real person would have five biographical statements to work with, such as its family and hobbies, with each of them revised to say the same things in a different way. Train existing chat bots from that and you get AI that 'knows' what it likes, but still maintains the context of a conversation and speaks relatively fluently.
Google Assistant can help troubleshoot your Pixel 2 phone
Plenty of companies offer chat support to troubleshoot problems with your phone. But do you really want to talk to another human for what could be a simple fix? You don't have to... if you have a Pixel 2. Android Police has discovered that you can ask Google Assistant for help with battery issues. Ask why your battery isn't charging properly and the AI companion will not only run a diagnostics check, but look for particularly power-hungry apps. It offers to connect you to Google's chat or phone support if it can't answer your questions in one shot, although problems in the AP test suggest this component isn't ready for prime time.
Microsoft's Cortana finds answers inside your Skype chats
You can already count on a dash of AI assistance in some mobile messaging apps, whether it's Google Assistant in Allo or the smart replies you find across iOS. But what if Skype is your chat app of choice? You're covered: as of today, Microsoft is rolling out its Cortana assistant to the Skype apps for Android and iOS. You can talk directly to Cortana if you want to ask about directions, flights or the weather, but it promises to be the biggest help inside your normal conversations.
Apple Music tunes are now available inside Facebook Messenger
We've known for a while that both Spotify and Apple Music were coming to Facebook Messenger. Spotify was integrated as a chat extension this past August with an AI-powered group playlist feature. Now Apple Music is getting its own presence as the streaming music service has officially launched inside the social network's Messenger system.
Facebook's 'M' AI assistant will help you choose a movie
Facebook had grand plans for its in-Messenger AI assistant, M, when it was launched in 2015. While the service hasn't quite yet lived up to the hype, the company is continually rolling out new features in a bid to make using it a fun experience, and to make it easier to get things done. From today, users in the US will see three new suggestions when using the app.
Facebook’s AI suggestions come to Messenger in the UK
According to Facebook, chatbots were going to change the way we get things done. Users were meant to be able to to buy flowers, order fast food and check in with their bank without ever having to leave the Messenger app. The company quickly dialed back its enthusiasm, admitting that they were somewhat overhyped, but its core technology, M, still underpins Messenger today. Most of that functionality has been limited to the US, but this week Facebook has brought what it calls "M Suggestions" to the UK, allowing users to enjoy recommendations from its AI-powered personal assistant.
