Innovation Dinner | xAI | G1 | Europe's AI challenge | Canva

Hello, Lovely innovators, Trailblazers, and Forward thinkers,

As you might have noticed, Aragorn got himself banned from Linkedin for a week, so let’s be honest: you are probably starving for some amazing news on how technology is changing the world as we know it!

Are you hungry? We are! We’ve always been hungry. Hungry for knowledge, insights, great conversation, and pushing boundaries.

So what happens if you turn that hunger into a concept? What happens if you set out to find other people who are also hungry for the same thing?

Innovation Dinner! That’s what! So go check it out. We only have about 10 seats left at the table!

What else? Well, what about that easy 6 billion Elon managed to rake in for xAI? Oh, and did you see China is doing it again? They launched a 16k Humanoid Robot. If you thought their electric cars were ridiculously cheap and absolutely sick, wait till this thing enters your home…

We also wondered if the EU is killing itself with regulation… so go and check it out if you’re also worried on that one.

Finally, Patrick took a look at Canva, and we want to introduce you to Ricardo.
No he’s not an AI robot, he’s our new intern!

As always you can also watch the recording of how we brainstormed and put this newsletter together, the video is at the bottom of the letter!

Without further ado, enjoy this edition of the Innovation Letter!

And like they say in the Netherlands, Zie je later!

Aragorn & Patrick

Innovation Dinner | Just 10 of seats left!

Our first event was a big success, and tasted like more.

So we launched something new: THE EXCLUSIVE INNOVATION DINNER

If you’re anything like us, you’re hungry for good conversation, knowledge, and insights, and all of that makes you hungry for great food!

On the 12th of June, we’ll launch our very first edition:

We kick off with drinks and bites in the sun on the terrace of Proeflokaal in Katendrecht (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). At around 18:00, we will sit down for a fantastic five-course dinner: three parts wonderful food and two parts mind-blowing talk and discussion. Somewhere between 21:00 and 22:00, we wrap it up with dessert and will send you home leveled up!

Some people in the network found the magic combo: buy two tickets! One for yourself and the other one to treat your dearest customer or team member. Spoil them while captivating them. Give them a great evening and a clear vision for action!

xAi Got Supercharged!

Elon Musk's xAi just secured a whopping $6 billion in funding. This isn't just pocket change – it's a war chest aimed at building the future of AI. Here's the lowdown for everyone:

• At just 15 months old, xAi is already valued at a third of OpenAI, the established leader in the AI space. This rapid growth shows the potential xAi holds and the confidence investors have in their vision.

• This funding isn't just about bragging rights. xAi plans to use this cash injection to train a new generation of Grok, the impressive AI chatbot that's currently exclusive to premium members. Imagine even smarter, more helpful AI assistants thanks to xAi's supercharged development.

• xAi is building a Gigafactory for AI! Their secret weapon is a monstrous supercomputer powered by a staggering 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs.  With this kind of muscle, xAi can develop groundbreaking AI tools that will push the boundaries of what's possible.

This is a big deal for decision-makers too:

• These advancements have the potential to disrupt entire industries. By staying informed about the latest developments, businesses can prepare to leverage this technology and stay ahead of the curve. Innovation Network has got you covered.

• The competition between xAi and OpenAI fosters rapid innovation. This means a constant stream of new AI tools and solutions that can benefit businesses of all sizes.

Buckle up, because with a supercomputer the size of a city block and a Elon Musk behind it… this is just the beginning.

Europe's AI Challenge: Privacy vs. Progress

A new chart by Visual Capitalist reveals a stark reality: the US and China dominate the global AI landscape, with Europe lagging far behind. This raises critical questions about the continent's future competitiveness and security.

The US boasts over 5,500 AI startups, dwarfing China's 1,446 and Europe's combined total. This reflects significant investment disparities, with the US attracting 15 times more funding than the UK alone.

This gap poses a strategic threat on multiple fronts: economic, security, and even military. While crucial, Europe's strict data privacy regulations can hinder AI development. Sentiment analysis, for instance, which helps businesses understand customers, is often restricted.

The dilemma is obvious: prioritize privacy and risk falling behind, or loosen regulations and potentially compromise security. The nightmare scenario? A nation achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or higher and using it with quantum computing to bypass data protections altogether.

The stakes are high. AI in the military sphere is a game-changer. Autonomous drones, advanced surveillance, and predictive analytics are just a few examples. Historically, technological superiority has swayed conflicts. The US's use of GPS in the Gulf War is a prime example.

Furthermore, the possibility of countries like the US or China restricting access to their AI advancements could create a crippling digital divide. This would exacerbate inequalities, leaving some nations without crucial tools for the future.

Europe, despite its technological strengths, is at a crossroads. While data privacy is paramount, a fragmented approach hinders competitiveness. Striking a balance between protecting citizens and fostering innovation is crucial.

The future is uncertain. Will Europe bridge the gap? Hopefully, future charts will reflect a more balanced landscape, with Europe joining the AI race without compromising its values.

Canva: More Than Just Cringeworthy Raps

This newsletter didn’t start with practical AI tips, but we get the most positive feedback on them. So… we keep on going. And sometimes the best tools are right under your nose. Let's talk about Canva!

Regular Canva users likely can't escape the buzz around Canva Create 2024. Yes, the "enterprise rap" was undeniably cringeworthy – not exactly what freelancers and creative minds crave. But despite the awkward video, Canva remains a fantastic tool for anyone who wants to design, even with limited design experience.

New features are rolling out quickly, and the latest additions are impressive. You can now effortlessly select specific parts of an uploaded video and turn it into a highlight reel, a huge time-saver.

Canva also showcases how to seamlessly integrate AI into design. The platform empowers anyone to create something cool in minutes. Many AI-powered features, like removing backgrounds or magically transferring people from one image to another, become intuitive after a while. The new "magic media" option is particularly exciting. You can prompt the tool to generate design images, graphics, and even videos based on your ideas.

Sure, similar capabilities exist with tools like Dall-E and Midjourney. However, Canva excels in integrating these features into a user-friendly workflow.

This focus on user experience is part of Canva's phenomenal growth. Over 185 million people globally use the platform monthly, making it a clear leader in design accessibility. Their expansion into the enterprise market is a natural progression. Valued at around $40 billion with aspirations for a Nasdaq listing, it remains to be seen if their enterprise solutions will gain traction. Regardless, we highly recommend Canva as a design tool for everyone.

$16,000 Assistant? G1 Robot is Here

Forget the Sky drama over voice doppelgangers, a real robot revolution is brewing, complete with a cringy commercial where they kick and jab at their creations. Supposedly to demonstrate stability, but let's be honest, it just feels mean. Anyway, G1 doesn’t seem to care (for now). Although he does pick up some kind of fighting stick. For some reason we seem to be entering a phase of cringe tech commercials and performances 👆. Wasn’t there a recent big brand smashing instruments?

But hey, here's G1, a robot that can walk, pick things up, and even hold an egg without turning it into breakfast, unless he confuses it with a walnut. It's basically aced robot college thanks to deep learning and simulation training – think endless virtual practice sessions, minus the all-nighters and the questionable ethics of robot-kicking.

The best part? For a cool $16,000, you can have your very own helper robot. It might not be able to fold your laundry (yet), but compared to the cost of a personal assistant who "borrows" your clothes, it starts to look reasonable.

This robot is another sign of how quickly AI and robotics are developing. They might not be taking over the world just yet (although some office workers might disagree), but they're on their way to becoming valuable tools in our homes and workplaces.

Aragorn obviously couldn’t help himself, and had to write a whole article about it after we discussed it in the prep video. The Rise of Rosie, go and check it out here.

Meet our Future Content Creator Intern

Hey everyone! I’m Ricardo Santos and I’m the newest addition to the Innovation Network team. I’ll am the Future Content Creator Intern for the next few months. I’m a student of Creative Business at Hogeschool Utrecht currently in my 3rd year. My life’s passions are Videogames, Anime, Vtubers/streamers, and creative writing. I’m also fascinated by everything about technology and space, so I’m very excited to learn everything that I can from Innovation Network and help bring you guys cool new content to enjoy!

Newsletter full video recording

This time with an AI generated Deep House Intro and a very unexpected ending…