News from the AI & ML world
DeeperML - #aiautomation
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Fiona Jackson@eWEEK
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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has announced that the company anticipates a reduction in its corporate workforce as generative AI is integrated into various business operations. In an internal memo to employees, Jassy stated that Amazon expects to cut human workers and replace them with AI to achieve efficiency gains through automation. This decision stems from the company's aggressive push into AI, with over 1,000 generative AI services and applications already in development, including Alexa+ and the Nova foundation models. The use of AI agents is expected to accelerate internal processes and innovation across every business line.
Jassy emphasized that the deployment of AI will change the way work is done at Amazon. He noted that "we will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs." While the exact impact on specific departments remains unspecified, the memo highlights the critical role of AI agents in the company's future. These agents are capable of engaging in deep research, writing code, and ultimately transforming the speed and scope of innovation for customers. The announcement follows a history of workforce reductions at Amazon, with over 27,000 corporate jobs eliminated since 2022. Although previous layoffs were primarily attributed to economic uncertainty and organizational efficiency, Jassy's recent memo indicates that AI-driven automation will be a significant factor moving forward. Jassy acknowledged the need for Amazon to operate like the "world's largest startup" and stressed the importance of AI investment for internal productivity improvements. He expects that these changes will reduce the company's total corporate workforce in the next few years. Recommended read:
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@techstrong.ai
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Amazon is making a significant push into robotics with the development of humanoid robots designed for package delivery. According to reports, the tech giant is working on the AI software needed to power these robots and is constructing a dedicated "humanoid park" at its San Francisco facility. This indoor testing ground, resembling the size of a coffee shop, will serve as an obstacle course where the robots can practice the entire delivery process, including navigating sidewalks, climbing stairs, and handling packages. The initiative reflects Amazon's continued efforts to enhance efficiency and optimize its logistics operations through advanced automation.
Amazon envisions these humanoid robots eventually riding in its Rivian electric vans and independently completing the last leg of the delivery journey. The company is reportedly testing various robot models, including the Unitree G1, and focusing on developing AI software that will allow them to navigate real-world environments. This move comes as Amazon continues to invest heavily in AI and robotics, including the deployment of over 750,000 robots in its warehouses. The integration of humanoid robots into the delivery process has the potential to reduce physical strain on human workers and address labor shortages, especially during peak seasons. This initiative is part of a broader trend of leveraging AI and robotics to optimize supply chains and reduce operational costs. While there is no official rollout date for the humanoid delivery robots, Amazon's investment in this technology signals its commitment to exploring innovative solutions for package delivery. Furthermore, it coincides with Amazon investing $10 billion in North Carolina to build new data centers as part of a massive AI infrastructure expansion. Recommended read:
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@orases.com
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AI agents are rapidly transforming industries by automating tasks and enhancing decision-making, moving beyond simple automation to intelligent autonomy. These agents are being implemented across various sectors, promising significant improvements in efficiency and productivity. A strategic roadmap is essential for successful AI agent implementation, aligning technology with workflows and business objectives to ensure that these systems have a real impact on operations and decision-making. Without a clear structure, companies risk wasting investments on generic tools and isolated pilot projects.
The impact of AI agents is particularly evident in customer experience (CX), with companies increasingly integrating AI agents into their technology interactions. Cisco's recent Agentic AI Report highlights the transformative impact of these autonomous agents, which can retain memory, reason about tasks, and autonomously select actions to optimize outcomes with minimal human intervention. Cisco's data anticipates that enterprises expect 56% of their interactions with technology partners will be managed by AI agents within the next 12 months, increasing to 68% over three years. This accelerated adoption necessitates that vendors rapidly develop and deploy scalable, robust agentic AI solutions. Thomson Reuters is also leveraging this trend with agentic AI capabilities in its CoCounsel assistant, enabling autonomous, multi-step task execution in tax and accounting workflows. Early results show that processes like tax jurisdiction reviews have been drastically reduced from half a week to under an hour. The company plans to extend agentic AI to legal, risk, and compliance domains, connecting firm knowledge, codes, and internal documents into one workspace where AI handles complete workflows, rather than individual queries. This integration allows professionals to focus on higher-level tasks, ensuring that human expertise guides judgment and validates outputs. Recommended read:
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Alexey Shabanov@TestingCatalog
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Perplexity AI is rapidly expanding its presence in the AI market through strategic integrations and innovative features. The company has launched Perplexity Labs, a new tool for Pro subscribers designed to automate tasks such as creating reports, spreadsheets, and mini web apps. This feature leverages AI research, code execution, and content generation, positioning Perplexity as a versatile platform for both information retrieval and content creation. Labs can generate and execute code for data structuring, create interactive web apps, and produce various file types, making it well-suited for diverse projects from marketing campaigns to business analysis.
The startup is also making strides in device integration. Samsung is reportedly nearing a wide-ranging deal with Perplexity that includes investment and deep integration into devices, the Bixby assistant, and the web browser. This partnership could see Perplexity pre-installed on upcoming Galaxy S26 series phones, potentially replacing Google Gemini as the default AI assistant. The integration might also extend to Samsung Internet, offering users more advanced and personalized AI experiences directly within their web browsing. Furthermore, Perplexity is enhancing its AI-driven search capabilities within the Comet Browser. Users can now observe Perplexity AI controlling pages in the Comet Browser, with visual indicators showing actions like clicking and filling forms. This new feature allows for more interactive and transparent AI-driven automation, benefiting users who automate repetitive workflows such as data entry and testing. This positions Perplexity as a pioneer in bringing interactive and transparent AI-driven automation to the browser. Recommended read:
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Alexey Shabanov@TestingCatalog
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Perplexity has unveiled Perplexity Labs, a new AI-powered tool designed for Pro subscribers, aiming to revolutionize the creation of work deliverables. Labs automates tasks like generating reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, and even mini web apps, leveraging AI research and code execution to bring projects from ideation to completion. It functions as an AI-driven team, providing users with a comprehensive suite of tools to transform their ideas into tangible results, marking a significant move beyond traditional search functionalities.
Labs stands out by investing a minimum of 10 minutes in self-supervised work, conducting web browsing, writing and executing code, and organizing data to achieve its objectives. This extended timeframe allows the AI to crunch numbers, apply formulas, generate visuals, and construct interactive web apps, all without requiring the user to lift a finger. The technology combines various AI capabilities Perplexity has developed, packaging the output into an "Assets" tab for easy access and download. Available on web, iOS, and Android, with Mac and Windows apps on the horizon, Perplexity Labs is accessible for Pro subscribers at $20 per month. With the mini web apps feature being particularly ambitious, Labs can build and deploy simple interactive websites directly within the interface, such as dashboards, slideshows, or data visualization tools, without the user needing any coding knowledge. This move aims to shift Perplexity's positioning from a "better Google" to a "personal research assistant and worker," providing training wheels for building AI agents and automating time-consuming tasks. Recommended read:
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@www.theapplepost.com
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mastodon.macstories.net
, MacStories
Sky, an innovative macOS application developed by the original creators of Shortcuts, is poised to revolutionize user experience by bringing AI-powered automation to Macs. This mind-blowing app, set to launch later this year, allows users to extend AI integration and automation capabilities system-wide. Early testers, including Federico Viticci, have expressed immense excitement, drawing parallels to the transformative impact of Editorial and Workflow, apps previously associated with members of the Sky team.
The developers behind Sky, Ari Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, and Kim Beverett at Software Applications Incorporated, have been secretly working on the project since 2023. Sky aims to be more intuitive than its predecessors, harnessing the power of AI and large language models (LLMs) to streamline tasks and workflows. Viticci, who has had exclusive access to Sky for the past two weeks, believes it will fundamentally change how users approach macOS automation. He felt the same excitement when first trying Editorial, Workflow, and Shortcuts. Simultaneously, Apple is expected to unveil a major software rebrand at WWDC 2025, headlined by the introduction of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, visionOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26. This strategic shift involves moving away from traditional version numbers to a year-based system, mirroring a practice seen in the past with Windows. This change aims to reflect significant operating system redesigns and simplify branding for both users and developers. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests this would create consistency across Apple's platforms. Recommended read:
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