🧠 AI nears human-level intelligence

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☀️ On this day: On December 24, 2008, Google released the first public beta version of its web browser, Google Chrome, for macOS and Linux. Chrome introduced features like a minimalist user interface and a powerful JavaScript engine, quickly gaining popularity and influencing web browsing standards.

What’s happening:

• 🧠 AI nears human-level intelligence on the GAIA test

• 🔍 Google fights to keep Chrome in antitrust fallout

• 🚨 Honey browser extension exposed as a scam

• 🤝 Microsoft rethinks OpenAI partnership

• 💸 X Premium+ jumps 37.5% in price hike

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

🧠 AI nears human-level intelligence on the GAIA test ↗️LINK

• What: H2O.ai's h2oGPTe Agent achieved a groundbreaking 65% score on the GAIA benchmark, far surpassing Google (49%), Microsoft Research (38%), and Hugging Face (33%). The GAIA benchmark evaluates AI's ability to solve real-world, complex tasks requiring human-like reasoning and effort.

• Why: This milestone demonstrates progress toward AI reaching human-level general intelligence, which is defined as 92% on GAIA. H2O .ai attributes the success to advancements in multimodal comprehension, reasoning, and enterprise integration, highlighting its readiness for diverse business applications.

• Impact: h2oGPTe's dominance reaffirms H2O .ai's leadership in AI innovation. With AI now just 30% shy of human-level performance, this breakthrough could transform business workflows, enabling solutions for intricate challenges across industries.

🔍 Google fights to keep Chrome in antitrust fallout ↗️LINK

• What: Google has proposed ending its default search deals with Apple and Android manufacturers for three years to address DOJ antitrust concerns. This would end its exclusive multibillion-dollar Apple search deal and allow rivals like Mozilla to set competing search engines as defaults.

• Why: A court found Google guilty of monopolizing online search. The DOJ demands broader remedies, including a potential Chrome or Android divestiture. Google argues its proposal targets key issues without overregulating the fast-changing tech industry.

• Impact: If accepted, Google avoids major structural changes like selling Chrome or Android. Critics like DuckDuckGo say the plan preserves Google's dominance, while the DOJ's broader terms aim to level the playing field. The case resumes in April 2024.

🚨 Honey browser extension exposed as a scam ↗️LINK

• What: An investigation by YouTube channel MegaLag has revealed that PayPal Honey, a popular browser extension marketed as a tool to find the best deals, manipulates affiliate cookies to steal revenue from creators and misleads users by hiding better discounts.

• Why: Honey replaces creators’ affiliate links with its own during checkout, diverting commissions to PayPal. Additionally, merchants in Honey’s cashback program can suppress better public discounts, deceiving users into accepting less advantageous deals.

• Impact: Influencers unknowingly promoted a tool that harms their income while users miss out on genuine savings. The expose raises concerns about transparency and ethics in browser extension practices, prompting calls for accountability from PayPal and Honey.

🤝 Microsoft rethinks OpenAI partnership ↗️LINK

• What: Microsoft is reportedly exploring alternative AI models for its 365 Copilot product, moving beyond its reliance on OpenAI's GPT-4. The shift comes amid criticism of Copilot’s performance and its $30/month user cost, with users and insiders labeling it “gimmicky” and often unreliable.

• Why: OpenAI’s GPT-4 is seen as too expensive and slow for Microsoft’s enterprise customers. To address this, Microsoft is developing in-house models like Phi-4 and considering other open-weight models to improve speed and efficiency while reducing costs.

• Impact: By diversifying its AI offerings, Microsoft seeks to maintain competitive edge in enterprise AI while reducing dependency on OpenAI. This strategy may position Microsoft for long-term success in the evolving AI landscape.

💸 X Premium+ jumps 37.5% in price hike ↗️LINK

• What: X is raising its Premium+ subscription prices by 37.5%, increasing the U.S. monthly fee from $16 to $22 and annual plans from $168 to $229. Internationally, prices have soared, with Nigeria seeing a 366% hike and Turkey facing a 157% increase. Current subscribers retain old rates until January 20.

• Why: X claims the adjustments are necessary to maintain the service experience, as Premium+ offers features like ad-free browsing and exclusive perks. However, the steep increases raise affordability concerns, especially in lower-income regions.

• Impact: The hikes could alienate users in heavily affected markets like Nigeria and Turkey while testing the appeal of Premium+ globally. The basic tier remains $3, providing a budget-friendly alternative for users.

Today’s Poll:

Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Poll Result:

AI in Public Safety: Necessary Innovation or Overreach?

• A) Necessary – It enhances service quality and response time - 47%

• B) Overreach – Human involvement is crucial for all calls - 53% 🏆

Reader’s opinion:

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