Using Virtual Reality when you’re out of toilet paper

Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality, Autonomous Systems

Oct 03, 2024

Good morning,

People are making a run on toilet paper over fears of supply chain disruptions, as the dockworkers’ strike enters its third day. Iran launched an attack at Israel in a blood feud over the killing of Iranian-backed Hezbollah leaders. Israel has vowed to respond. California’s governor has vetoed a controversial AI bill and amid the flight of co-founders and the C-suite, OpenAI has raised $6.6B in the largest ever VC round, fetching a $157B valuation.

Let’s go!

News Headlines

Putin orders conscription of 133,000 servicemen in Russia's Autumn draft (RT)
Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte takes over as NATO chief (DW)
Israel bars UN secretary general from entering country as it vows that Iran will 'pay' for its missile strike (RT)
JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off in VP debate (TI)
White House sides with union dockworkers as east coast strike enters its second day (RT)
Striking Boeing union asks CEO to 'truly engage' after workers' health coverage cut (RT)
NYC mayor deflects questions about bribery charges as a potential witness speaks outside City Hall (AP)
First woman ascends to the presidency of Mexico, declares ‘it’s time for women!’ (BBC)
Ukraine withdraws from Vuhledar under pressure, after two-years long defense (AP)

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning

California governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a controversial, major AI safety bill (TC)
Apple has backed out of OpenAI's $6.5B funding round (WSJ)
Redbird supercharges analytics pipeline with AI agents, handles 90% of workload (VB)
China urged local firms to stay away from Nvidia chips (BBG)
OpenAI sees $5B loss on $3.7B in revenue this year (CNBC)
Pika launches Pika 1.5, offering eye-popping, physics defying special effects (VB)
Anthropic scoops up OpenAI co-founder Durk Kingma (TC)
Radbound University team claims human-level AI is impossible--ever (SB)

Extended Reality

VR offers a new tool for fighting drug addiction (FBS)
Israeli startup 6Degrees uses VR to help war-injured amputees overcome phantom limb sensations (TOI)
Meta bets big on augmented reality as the future of wearable tech (INC)
VR in gaming market to reach $73.1B by 2032 at 26% CAGR (EIN)
Snap’s AR smart glasses edge closer to market, following CEO’s lofty statements (XRT)
Microsoft HoloLens 2 discontinued with no successor in sight (TC)
Leonardo presents its Virtual and Extended Reality Simulator (DH)

Deal Flow

OpenAI raised a staggering $6.6B venture round led by Thrive Capital (TC)
HPC-AI Tech, a startup specializing in AI software infrastructure, raised a $50M Series A from Singtel Innov8, Sinovation Ventures, and more (BW)
SurgAR, a French startup offering augmented-reality surgery solutions, raised $12.3M in a round led by Mutuelles Impact (TEU)
DeepOpinion, an Austrian enterprise GenAI automation platform, raised an $11M Series A led by Red River West and AIpha Intelligence Capital (TFN)
Distance Technologies, a developer of glasses-free MR for automotive and defense markets, raised an $11M seed round led by GV (VB)
Machine Learning startup Ensemble has raised a $3.3M seed round led by Salesforce Ventures to bring 'dark matter' technology to AI unlocking hidden data relationships (VB)
AI chipmaker and Nvidia-rival Cerebras filed for an IPO (BW)

Opportunities

The IRS is seeking industry information about AI tools for application security scanning and testing as it prepares future projects (SAM)
DARPA is seeking new and non-traditional proposers to provide innovative ideas around AI/ML to the Bio Tech Office (SAM)
The Army's PEO-Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical (PEO-C3T) is seeking information from industry as it shapes its next-gen command and control platform (SAM)
The Army's PEO-Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO-STRI) is seeking sources to potentially partner with the PEO in the development of a VR trainer for joint fires (SAM)

Hiring in AI/ML, XR, Robotics (brought to you by Defense Tech Jobs)

Merlin Labs - Automatic Speech Recognition Software Engineer

Merlin is hiring an ASR Software Engineer to lead ASR research, design, and development and implement ASR systems for aviation applications.
This summer, Merlin won a $105M contract from SOCOM to provide advanced automation for MC-130J aircraft
Most recently, Merlin kicked off a flight test campaign of auto-piloted Cessna Caravan aircraft

Apply Now!