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Fast Company staff writer Pavithra Mohan explains how Trumps executive orders regarding DEI will impact youand how companies can sustain inclusion efforts.
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E-Commerce
Theres a focus on protecting our personal data now, perhaps more so than ever before, be it from foreign powers, Big Tech, or Elon Musks DOGE. Consumers are wary about where their data is going, what its being used for, and how, or if, they can put up safeguards, especially while using tech tools like search engines or AI assistants. With several AI tools and assistants hitting the market over the past couple of yearsMicrosofts Copilot and Metas Llama, among many othersmuch of our data, queries, and summaries are being fed to large tech companies, used to train their artificial intelligence models. While some users may not mind, it could turn others off, which is why one company is trying a different approach. PIN AI, a Bay Area-based AI startup, is rolling out what it calls the personal AI network with the launch of a mobile application this week, complete with a native large language model (LLM) that is designed to become a personalized intelligence network, or PIN. In a nutshell, PIN AIs app and LLM live on a users smartphone, accessing the personal data via other apps and platforms that only the user authorizes, and then provide specific and tailored insights or answers based on that information. Its similar, in some ways, to Apple Intelligence. Thats important, say PIN AIs founders, because AI tools are the next great online frontier, even if theyre not ubiquitous quite yet. These AI products are becoming the universal interface to access online services, says Davide Crapis, one of the companys cofounders, along with Bill Sun and Ben Wu. Its becoming the new way that we access the internet. Getting personal Personalization is going to be incredibly important going forwardnot only to protect users data and information but also to provide relevant information. For example, suppose a user allows PIN AI to connect to their Gmail account, social media accounts, banking information and payment apps, text messages, and internet browsing data. Tapping into all of that information, PIN AI will be able to deliver personalized, in-depth answers or responses, unlike any or most other AI tools on the market. [Image: PIN AI] In other words, while other AI models utilize all of the data theyve scraped and ingested to train themselves to generate responses for users, PIN AI only uses the personal data and information a user has given it access to. Crapis, Sun, and Wu, collectively, have been working on AI technology for many years, and say that it may sound complicated but that users will quickly realize its a fairly simple product. Theres an LLM packed with the app, says Sun, so you get a personalized AI. As an example of how personal the AI tool can get, Sun tells Fast Company that a hypothetical user could simply bark a voice command at the app such as, order my mom a birthday present. From there, PIN AI would sift through past communications and other information, discerning what the users mom might want, where to get it, and at the best price. It can also place the order and have it deliveredwith no additional effort from the user, other than the initial voice command. Its all about sovereignty Another example: If a user were to ask PIN AI a more complicated question, such as, can I afford to buy a new car, the tool could likewise analyze the users bank accounts, figure out what types of vehicles the user may want or need (incorporating family needs, etc.), their favorite color or other potential specifications, financing needs, and deliver up an answer of either yes or no, along with a list of potential buying options from nearby dealerships. While its all pretty powerful, users may rightfully be wary about giving an app and AI tool so much access to their information. Thats another thing the PIN AI team says theyre focusing on: encryption and security. The tool is built on blockchain protocols and users data and information are encrypted, so if a user loses their phone with PIN AI installed, a bad actor still shouldnt be able to access it. Resonating with early users After rolling out a trial app, Sun says that it has attracted around 2 million users, almost exclusively through word of mouth, as well as an active community on platforms like Discord. In terms of monetization, the company plans to drive revenue by charging the various agents from different apps and platforms that will interact on the model a per-use feeso users themselves dont pay anything. The monetization takes place within an agentic AI marketplace, and those agents will fork over a slice of applicable commission fees. And its also gotten the attention of investors. The company is backed by a16z Crypto (CSX), Hack VC, and Sequoia Capital U.S. Scout. So far, PIN AI has raised more than $10 million, according to data from PitchBook. With the app launch, the team hopes to attract more users, refine the product, and see how PIN AI ultimately slots in on the market among other AI tools. Its about the sovereignty of the user and their data, says Crapis. With PIN AI, you have full control.
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E-Commerce
A Texas county on Wednesday approved holding an election sought by SpaceX that would let residents living around billionaire Elon Musk’s company decide whether to formally create a new city called Starbase.The election was set for May 3 and votes can only be cast by residents living near the launch site that is currently part of an unincorporated area of Cameron County, located along the U.S.-Mexico border.In December, more than 70 area residents signed a petition requesting an election to make Starbase its own municipality. Most of the residents are company employees and the community includes more than 100 children, according to copies of the petition obtained by The Associated Press.Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevio said the county reviewed the petition and found it met the state’s requirements for the incorporation process to move forward.“If the election passes, this will be the newest town in Cameron County since Los Indios in 1995,” Trevio said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing the outcome of this election.”SpaceX responded to a request for comment by referring to the company’s earlier statement in December.Kathryn Lueders, Starbase’s general manager, previously said that the incorporation would streamline certain processes to build amenities in the area. Some local environmental advocates have expressed worry about what the effects would mean for development.SpaceX’s launch site broke ground in Texas in 2014. Only 10 of the roughly 250 lots of land within the proposed new city limits do not belong to the company.More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by the county last year.Musk has long been planting business roots in Texas and has spread them far and wide across the Lone Star State. The billionaire moved to Texas in 2020 and relocated to or expanded a number of his companies in the state, citing the state’s business-friendly climate.Tesla’s massive 10-million-square-foot (930,000-square-meter) Gigafactory, where the company makes its Cybertrucks, opened near Austin in 2022 and will also serve as the company headquarters. Valerie Gonzalez, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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