The noise we make is hurting animals. Can we learn to shut up?
MIT Technology Review·60-word summary·1 min read
Jennifer Phillips reflects on the pandemic's impact on urban noise levels, noting how quieter cities revealed the sounds of nature, like sparrows. The pandemic led to reduced traffic and air travel, making cities eerily silent and offering a new perspective on the environment and human activity's influence on urban soundscapes.
Coinbase is testing AI agents modeled after former employees Fred Ehrsam and Balaji Srinivasan, according to CEO Brian Armstrong. These AI agents are designed to operate within virtual environments like Slack and email. The rollout aims to enhance productivity and collaboration, marking Coinbase’s entry into integrating AI-driven virtual assistants modeled after key personnel. The testing phase is currently underway.
Coinbase is testing AI agents that appear on Slack and email, with CEO Brian Armstrong predicting these agents will soon conduct more on-chain transactions than humans. He also forecasts that AI agents will outnumber Coinbase employees shortly, highlighting the company's focus on integrating AI technology into its operations. The initiative underscores the growing role of AI in the crypto industry.
Nvidia launched Nemotron 3 Super, a 120-billion-parameter AI model designed for agentic workloads. It activates only 12.7 billion parameters per forward pass, reducing compute costs for AI agents at scale. The model aims to improve efficiency and performance in AI-driven onchain tasks, potentially impacting blockchain automation and smart contract execution.
Singapore-based Cobo has launched the Cobo Agentic Wallet, allowing AI agents to execute onchain tasks with built-in safety features. The wallet incorporates multi-party computation to ensure security during AI-led onchain operations. This development aims to enhance AI integration in blockchain transactions, marking a significant step in AI and Web3 convergence. The launch underscores Cobo's focus on secure, AI-enabled blockchain solutions.
OpenAI's recent acquisitions aim to address two major existential challenges facing the company. While specific details and amounts are not disclosed, the moves reflect OpenAI's efforts to strengthen its position in AI technology. The discussion was featured on the latest episode of Equity, highlighting the company's strategic steps to ensure long-term sustainability and innovation in the AI sector.
AI startups have proliferated due to the limited expansion of foundation models into various categories, a situation expected to change soon. The 12-month window suggests that these startups may face increased competition or new opportunities as foundation models evolve and expand their capabilities across different sectors. The timeline indicates significant shifts in AI development are imminent within the next year.