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How AI-powered humanoid robots are set to impact our lives

Humanoid robots were once a futuristic concept, but now AI-powered robots are utilized across all industries to assist us. These AI-powered humanoid robots combine artificial intelligence with robotics to mimic human-like characteristics. They are equipped with sensors, cameras, AI, and machine-learning technologies and can mimic a human’s expressions, interactions, and movements. These robots use AI to perform tasks faster and more accurately.

Humanoid robots are being used in various fields.

•Healthcare: AI-powered robots unequivocally accelerate surgical procedures, monitor patients, deliver precise diagnoses, and perform a wide range of surgeries, from minimally invasive procedures to open heart surgeries.

• Manufacturing: AI and robots have been utilized in the manufacturing industry for more than a decade. They are capable of performing tasks such as welding, packaging, and shipping. Additionally, they can assist with damage control and rapid maintenance. These robots can complete these tasks efficiently due to automation.

• Agriculture: The agriculture industry uses robots to improve process efficiency and increase crop yields. AI helps farmers understand weather conditions and advises them on fertilizers and water. However, the main application of AI in agriculture is to help farmers automate manual labour, thus improving efficiency and saving time.

• Nuclear waste management: Cleaning up nuclear waste has been a major drive for robotics development, automated robots designed for this purpose help in collecting radioactive wastes which would be dangerous to humans.

 

Image Credit: Samsung.com

Impact on our lives
AI-powered humanoid robots are set to transform our lives by enhancing healthcare, improving customer service, and providing educational support. These robots can also be used to provide companionship to patients and elderly people and help them complete daily tasks to make their lives convenient.

The use of humanoid robots in the realm of customer service has become very prevalent, these robots are used to greet customers, provide information, and also help in making transactions. This helps the business work efficiently and reduces the number of workers required to operate.

These robots can also help us complete everyday chores, such as cooking and cleaning, making our lives easier. They can also enhance workforce productivity by working alongside humans in industries such as manufacturing and logistics. They are used to complete dangerous tasks like search and rescue missions and can help in supplying resources to hard-to-reach areas during disasters. These AI robots can also emulate and study the behaviours of humans, helping researchers in different fields.

Humanoid robots

Sophia: Created by Hanson Robotics, Sophia can interact with people and also hold conversations.

Ameca: Designed by Engineered Arts, Ameca naturally interacts with humans and detects emotions and age. Ameca can communicate common expressions like astonishment and surprise and gestures like yawning and shrugging.

Atlas: Created by Boston Dynamics, it was funded by the US Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), it is used to assist humans in search and rescue missions.

AI-powered humanoid robots have the potential to transform our lives by enhancing companionship, improving healthcare, education, and many more. Their ability to assist in labour-intensive tasks and operate in dangerous environments is very useful. However, as these robots become more integrated into society, we need to be cautious about the ethical complications and the societal change that this will bring.

The Man Who Taught Machines to Think

The rapid advancement of AI has been remarkable, and all this was possible because of the machine’s ability to learn and adapt. The man who was pivotal in the advancement of machine learning and who taught machines to think was John Joseph Hopfield. Let us delve into the life of John J. Hopfield and uncover how he eventually secured the Nobel Prize.

Born on July 15th, 1933, in Chicago to physicists John Joseph Hopfield and Helen Hopfield, Dr. Hopfield completed his Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, in 1954. In 1958, he received his PhD in Physics from Cornell University. During his doctoral work, he wrote about the interaction of excitons in crystals. In his dissertation, he also coined a term that is still used in solid-state physics: “The polarization field ‘particles’ analogous to photons will be called ‘polaritons’.

Hopfield spent two years working at Bell Laboratories on the optical properties of semiconductors and quantitative models. In 1958, he became a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, and later worked at many other universities, including Princeton University and the California Institute of Technology. It was later revealed that Hopfield was the “hidden collaborator” for Philip W. Anderson’s work on the Anderson impurity model.

Hopfield Network
In 1982, he published his first paper on neuroscience titled “Neural networks and physical systems with emergent collective computational abilities.” John J. Hopfield introduced the Hopfield Network, a form of recurrent artificial neural network (ANN), in this study.

Hopfield Network is primarily used for associative memory as it retains and recalls patterns, it can also store and reconstruct images and other types of patterns in the form of data. Hopfield stated that the inspiration for the Hopfield network came from his knowledge of spin glasses, which he gained from his hidden collaboration with Philip W. Anderson. The Hopfield network had a limitation in its memory capacity. In 2016, Hopfield and Dmitry Krotov developed a new version with larger memory, known as the modern Hopfield network.

By bhadeshia123 – YouTube: Emergence, dynamics, and behaviour – John Hopfield (Time: 35m55s) – View/save archived versions on archive.org and archive.today, CC BY 3.0, Link

In 2015, John J. Hopfield was awarded the Albert Einstein World Award of Science for his work in the field of life sciences. Hopfield was awarded the IEEE Frank Rosenblatt in 2009 for his contributions to understanding information processing in biological systems.

John Joseph Hopfield was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize with Geoffrey E. Hinton for “foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.

How AI Tools Are Impacting Software Outsourcing Work in Asian Countries Like India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and China

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been one of the most transformative forces in many industries, and the software outsourcing sector in Asia is no exception. Countries like India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and China have long been known as major hubs for outsourcing software development, thanks to their skilled labor and cost advantages. However, with the advent of AI tools, this industry is undergoing significant changes.

But how exactly are AI tools reshaping software outsourcing work in these countries? And what does this mean for businesses, workers, and the future of outsourcing?

How AI Tools Are Changing the Dynamics in India
India has been the top destination for software outsourcing for decades, but AI tools are transforming how software development projects are managed. Platforms like GitHub Copilot, which can auto-generate code snippets based on developers’ inputs, are becoming popular.

Indian companies are increasingly integrating AI into their workflows to enhance productivity, reduce time-to-market, and offer more competitive services. This transformation is shifting the industry from a purely labor-driven model to one that leverages advanced technologies.

The Impact of AI on Pakistan’s Software Outsourcing Sector
Pakistan is another rapidly growing player in the software outsourcing world. AI tools are making a notable impact by helping smaller firms compete on the global stage. With AI-enhanced development tools, developers can increase their output and deliver higher-quality products, giving Pakistani firms a competitive edge.

However, this also presents challenges, as developers need to constantly upskill to keep up with AI trends. Those who invest in learning AI technologies are better positioned to seize opportunities in this changing market.

The Role of AI in the Philippines’ Outsourcing Industry
The Philippines has traditionally been known for call center outsourcing, but in recent years, the country has made strides in the software development space. AI tools are helping Filipino developers improve their collaboration with international clients and speed up the software development cycle.

AI-powered collaboration platforms also make it easier for teams in the Philippines to work in real-time with clients in different time zones, enhancing client satisfaction and reducing communication delays.

China’s Advanced AI Tools and Software Outsourcing
China, a global leader in AI research and development, is using its technological edge to enhance its software outsourcing services. Chinese firms are adopting advanced AI-driven tools for everything from project management to software development, allowing them to offer highly efficient, high-quality services.

This has helped China maintain its competitive edge in the global outsourcing market, as its AI-driven solutions appeal to clients looking for speed, reliability, and innovation.

AI-Enhanced Project Management and Communication
AI is transforming project management by automating task tracking, setting deadlines, and even forecasting project risks. This makes project management more efficient and reduces the need for constant human oversight. AI-enabled communication tools, such as virtual assistants, are also helping streamline client-developer interactions, ensuring projects stay on track.

Boosting Productivity and Speed of Delivery
One of the biggest advantages AI offers is the ability to boost productivity. By automating repetitive tasks, AI allows developers to focus on complex coding, innovation, and creative problem-solving. This leads to faster delivery times for clients, making outsourcing firms more competitive in a global market that values speed and efficiency.

Reduction in Human Errors
AI tools can identify potential errors in code far more efficiently than humans. This leads to fewer bugs, reduced downtime, and fewer costly mistakes. In industries where precision is paramount, such as healthcare or finance, this can be a game-changer for outsourcing firms offering software solutions.

Cost Efficiency for Outsourcing Firms
AI’s ability to automate mundane and repetitive tasks allows firms to cut down on labor costs. While there is an upfront cost to implementing AI tools, the long-term savings in time and efficiency more than make up for it. Many outsourcing firms in Asia are finding that integrating AI into their processes reduces overhead costs while maintaining high-quality output.

Potential Job Displacement and Skill Gaps
With AI tools taking over repetitive tasks, there is growing concern about job displacement. While AI can enhance productivity, it may also render some roles obsolete. This means that developers and other IT professionals need to adapt by learning new skills to stay relevant in the AI-driven future of outsourcing.

Opportunities for Innovation in AI Outsourcing
Despite the challenges, there are also immense opportunities for innovation. AI tools can enable outsourcing firms to offer new, cutting-edge solutions. By creating AI-driven products and services, these companies can tap into new markets and offer even more value to their clients.

Challenges Faced by Software Outsourcing Firms
While AI tools offer numerous benefits, they also come with challenges. The cost of implementing AI tools can be high, especially for smaller firms. Additionally, balancing the automation provided by AI with the need for human oversight and creativity can be tricky.

The Future of AI in Software Outsourcing
The future of AI in software outsourcing looks bright. As AI continues to evolve, it will further enhance the efficiency and capabilities of outsourcing firms, allowing them to offer more innovative and cost-effective solutions to their clients. However, the industry will need to adapt by investing in skill development and staying ahead of the latest AI trends.


AI is undoubtedly reshaping the software outsourcing industry in Asia, with countries like India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and China at the forefront of this transformation. While AI tools present challenges, they also offer immense opportunities for growth, innovation, and efficiency. For outsourcing firms, the key to success will be in striking a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and investing in human expertise.

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Opkey has raised 47 million dollars to advance artificial intelligence-powered development for enhancing their platform for the workers and also make it less complex, so this is a noteworthy achievement for the business software industry. The company views the financing round as a turning point, it will significantly help them in its mission to transform the way that companies approach ERP migration and testing.

Genesis Opkey

Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Image Source: opkey.com

Founded in 2015 by industry veterans Pankaj Goel, Avinash Tiwari and Lalit Jain, Opkey was born out of a shared vision to address the shortcomings of existing ERP testing tools. The founders recognized a gap in the market: available solutions were either too technically complex to be widely adopted or lacked the robustness required for comprehensive automated testing.

An AI-Powered Revolution in ERP Testing

Artificial intelligence is used by the Opkey platform to speed up the ERP software testing since that was one of the main points of why they wanted to use AI which is for rapid production, particularly in the human resources and finance departments. The company made testing automation more accessible to a larger group of workers which also enhanced their productivity by reducing the requirement for deep coding expertise through the use of an intuitive interface.

The AI-powered assistant uses the proprietary genAI Test data mining algorithm to create dynamic tests based on customer configurations and preferences.

Distribution of Investments and Upcoming Projects

The recently acquired monies will be dispersed carefully across several important areas:

Product advancement: Opkey wants to put more work into this area by putting a particular emphasis on significantly improving its ability to use artificial intelligence and increasing its support by this method for other types of ERP systems.

Global Expansion: The business will spend money on training in marketing sector because it also plays a significant role and also to advertising to bolster its standing in the global market.

Investment in research and development: To preserve Opkey’s competitive edge in ERP testing, a certain amount of the funds will be devoted to R&D.

Impact on ERP Modernization

Opkey’s innovative approach has already demonstrated significant benefits for companies undergoing ERP transformation. This platform allows the organization to implement the ERP change by 50 % faster and reduce defects by more than 70 %. This increase in effectiveness is important for the main information employees (IT).

Sector Prospects

PeakSpan Capital Partner Sanket Merchant stated, "We are excited to partner with Pankaj and the Opkey team as they provide unparalleled assurance through continuous test automation and pioneer the next frontier of innovation in ERP modernization with artificial intelligence." Merchant was enthusiastic about Opkey's potential.

techfundingnews.com

Opkey is positioned to have a significant impact on how ERP testing and migration strategies are implemented by businesses worldwide as it expands its operations and develops its platform further.

Artificial Agency Secures $16 Million to Elevate NPC Realism in Video Games Using AI

Artificial Agency Secures $16 Million to Elevate NPC Realism in Video Games Using AI

Artificial Agency, a firm formed by previous Google DeepMind investigators has come forth from the shadows with sixteen million dollars in funding to transform non-playable characters (NPCs) in video games with AI. The company aims to change conventional video games by rendering NPC encounters more dynamic and lifelike with gamers.

The AI Behavior Engine

Artificial Agency Secures $16 Million to Elevate NPC Realism in Video Games Using AI

Image Source: techcrunch.com

Artificial Agency’s revolutionary AI behaviour engine is intended to improve the realism of NPCs by breaking away from standard decision trees and pre-written scripts, which frequently result in monotonous and predictable NPC behaviour. Instead, the engine enables game developers to provide NPCs with a set of motivations, rules, and objectives. These features influence NPC responses to participant actions, resulting in enhanced and enjoyable gameplay interactions.

Competitive Landscape

Artificial Agency, situated in Edmonton, Alberta, joins a congested industry that includes competitors such as Inworld and Nvidia, both of which specialize on AI-generated NPC behaviours. However, Artificial Agency thinks that its innovations will quickly become indispensable in the industry.

"The conversations we often have with these studios are not about if, but about when," co-founder and CEO Brian Tanner explained. "This sort of dynamic interaction and dynamic response that our system allows is going to be table stakes in the games industry just a few years from now."

techcrunch.com

Funding and Future Prospects

The firm raised $12 million in a seed round led by Radical Ventures and Toyota Ventures, which added to Radical Ventures’ prior $4 million pre-seed financing, for a total of $16 million.  Other seed round partners comprised  Kaya, Flying Fish,  BDC Deep Tech, and TIRTA Ventures.

Despite certain reservations about the use of machine learning in games, Artificial Agencies are collaborating with several famous AAA studios to build their behaviour engine, which is expected to be widely available by 2025. Daniel Mulet, a Radical Ventures investor, pointed out that many gaming firms were attempting to construct similar technologies on their own, emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive network.

Demonstrating Artificial Intelligent Potential

The company’s ‘ Co-founder Alex Kearney showed TechCrunch a non-player character in Minecraft powered by the behaviour engine. The NPC, Aaron, completed difficult tasks and engaged with player characters uniquely, and unscripted, demonstrating the engine’s ability to produce more lifelike and responsive NPCs.

Economic considerations

Tanner determined that the demo’s artificial intelligence prediction expenses were around a dollar, a significant reduction from a hundred dollars, a year ago. With further GPU optimizations and artificial intelligence optimisations, the cost is likely to fall even more. While Artificial Agency believes AI NPCs would not raise game prices for consumers, Radical Ventures’ Mulet speculated that licensing the technology to game producers may result in increased charges for gamers.

Conclusion

Artificial Agency’s artificial intelligence behaviour engine is a big development in developing lifelike NPCs, promising to alter the game experience. As the company works to improve its technology and partner with large studios, it places itself at the vanguard of the game industry’s future evolution.

 
TSMC Sales Rise Ahead of Expectations on AI Infrastructure Boom

TSMC Sales Rise Ahead of Expectations on AI Infrastructure Boom

The only source of the most cutting-edge processors for Nvidia Corp. as well as Apple Inc., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced an impressive NT$207.9 billion ($6.4 billion) in revenue for June. With an astounding amount, the June quarter had a 40 percent growth, reaching NT$673.5 billion, over the average estimate of a 35.5 percent increase.

Taking the AI Wave by Storm

TSMC Sales Rise Ahead of Expectations on AI Infrastructure Boom

Image Source: bnnbloomberg.ca

This spike in sales comes after TSMC’s $1 trillion market valuation was momentarily attained due to significant investments in data centres and devices connected to artificial intelligence (AI). Companies all over the world are scrambling to get hardware, such as Nvidia chips, to support their AI infrastructure. Wall Street brokerages have raised their price forecasts for TSMC in response to the increasing demand, presumably because they expect price increases in 2025 that would further boost earnings.

The slow sales of smartphones, which are just now starting to pick up steam, have been offset by the orders for artificial intelligence (AI) chips. The fact that Apple continues to be TSMC’s biggest client shows how important the business is to the tech giant’s entire supply chain.

Effect on the Index Taiex

Despite continuous global conflicts between the United States and China, the outstanding performance of TSMC along with other AI-related firms has greatly lifted Taiwan’s flagship Taiex Index by more than forty percent in the previous year. Broader market concerns have been eclipsed by the exponential growth in AI infrastructure investment, indicating the industry’s strong potential.

Intelligence Insights from Bloomberg

Bloomberg Intelligence reports that the higher-than-expected consumer interest in CoWoS advanced packaging was the reason behind TSMC’s second-quarter revenues exceeding projections. This spike in sales will probably lead to a beat in results because it will somewhat offset the margin dilution from the 3nm ramp-up.

Given the robust demand for its 3nm as well as CoWoS packaging technologies, TSMC’s capability to negotiate pricing hikes will be a major topic of discussion at the next earnings call.

Concerns about Valuation

Even while TSMC’s future looks promising, Nvidia’s valuation is starting to raise questions. Recently, an analyst at New Street Research downgraded Nvidia’s shares, stating that it is approaching “full value.” Following an almost 240 percent increase in 2023, Nvidia’s stocks have surged 165 percent this year, prompting concerns about the durability of its sharp rise.

In summary

The artificial intelligence infrastructure boom is driving TSMC’s sales spike, which highlights the increasing significance of sophisticated chip technologies in enabling the forthcoming wave of technology breakthroughs.