Technology News Era

Recent technological advances are transforming the medtech sector. European companies and research institutions are working on solutions aimed at improving our knowledge and response to genetics, diseases that impact millions of people, and public health emergencies. How will this momentum continue in 2024? And which technologies will further push medtech innovation forward? Yes, AI From predicting genetic diseases to improving cancer treatments and making variant-proof vaccines, AI has already proved that it can be an invaluable tool in solving some of the biggest challenges in healthcare. “In 2024, we will see significant strides made in the field of techbio, particularly… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8DgSUIR

As the world becomes increasingly globalised, maintaining compliance while embracing global mobility will be the key to retaining talent as we move into 2024. This is according to Hanna Asmussen, CEO and co-founder of Localyze, a global mobility platform for companies and employees. In 2023, there was a continued interest in flexible working. Recent research from #WorkAnywhere has shown that remote workers in Europe and beyond are more satisfied with their jobs.  Furthermore, from a business perspective, we found that 51% of businesses in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands believe global mobility initiatives like sponsoring relocations and workcations expands… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WZSQ1yv

Artificial intelligence went mainstream in 2023. The watershed moment arrived at the end of the previous year, with the November 30 release of ChatGPT. Just two months later, the OpenAI system was reaching an estimated 100 million active users. According to analysts at investment bank UBS, the headline-grabbing chatbot had become the fastest-growing consumer app of all time. Over the remaining course of 2023, the hype train went into overdrive. Suddenly, AI seemed to be everywhere. It was transforming our lives. It was taking our jobs. It was even threatening to cause an apocalypse.  In reality, however, the breakthroughs have largely… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/G4f0ZPa

In this bonus episode of the TNW Podcast, we’re featuring two interviews with notable European VC players: Kinga Stanislawska, founder of European Women in VC and co-founder Experior VC. We talked about the state of diversity in European VC, the issues we’re facing, and the potential ways to solve them. Sten Tamkivi, partner at Plural Platform. We discussed his vision of the European VC landscape, as well as some predictions for 2024. Listen to the episode with the player above — or, better still, find us on your favourite podcast platform and subscribe! Music and sound engineering for this podcast… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/HX4gE69

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undeniably witnessed a meteoric rise in recent years, revolutionising industries, transforming economies, and reshaping the way we live and work. Emergn has found that an overwhelming 94% of new digital products and services will be at least partly AI developed by 2028. As we stand on the cusp of an AI-driven future, the prospects seem boundless, with promises of increased efficiency, innovation, and improved quality of life. However, this rapid ascent comes with a set of challenges and risks that demand careful consideration. The European Union’s recent move to regulate AI through the EU AI Act… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2vKB4mb

Down rounds, corrections, and adjustments. These are just a few of the gloomy terms you have likely heard a lot of in European tech in 2023. It has been a year of bleak headlines in tech — and European startups, scaleups, and giants didn’t escape the trend. Job cuts have been a common theme and valuations have been slashed. We saw Hopin, the digital events startup that was once a darling of VCs at the height of lockdowns, fall from a valuation over $7 billion to a sale worth just $15 million. These types of scenarios were on the minds… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/r8kH3F7

Guest post by Singapore Tourism Board As the tourism industry continues its post-pandemic recovery in an increasingly uncertain travel market, a question that has dawned upon us is — what’s next? Naturally, many of us are looking towards technology for more opportunities. In 2023, we saw the generative AI boom and further growth of emerging technologies like extended reality (XR) and 5G. While these advances are already shaping the travel sector, there is much more to come as more use cases emerge while the technology further matures. Looking forward into 2024, we can expect teams to do more with less, streamline their… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/seCScOH

Virgile Raingeard is the co-founder and CEO of Europe’s leading compensation benchmarking platform Figures, founded in 2020 and based in France.  1. The end to ‘competitive salary’ on job adverts Pay transparency has been the talk of the town this year following the new EU directive adopted by the Council in April, which will force companies to tell job seekers the expected salary (or salary range) for positions they advertise. As a result, we’re predicting that 2024 will be the start of the end of ‘competitive salary’ on job postings. Not only is this the right (and soon to be… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/JHZjAbg

2023 has been a tough funding year for European startups — even being characterised as the “most depressed” in VC exit value in a decade. Amid uncertainty and a staggering macroeconomic environment, VC activity and deal value also, unsurprisingly, dropped. But what will the funding ecosystem look like in 2024? And, more importantly, will it bring cause for hope for startups and investors alike? According to analysis by Pitchbook, neither the volume nor the value of VC-backed IPOs will see a meaningful recovery next year. With macroeconomic factors weighing heavily on public markets, stakeholders remain cautious as 2023 saw fewer… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/YnPE6K2

The generative AI movement may dominate today’s headlines, but another technological transformation is gaining momentum under the radar—the proliferation of autonomous service robots. Their surge in popularity continues to be fueled by their ability to improve efficiency and reduce the need for manual labor in repetitive, hazardous tasks, as well as more recent advancements in sensor fusion and software-defined processes that improve their price-performance. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored increasing demand for operational and supply chain resilience. Reaching a critical tipping point Many autonomous robotic solutions today have reached a critical adoption tipping point due to improved price-performance. Customer… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/E5BbPwO

Welcome to the first episode of the TNW Podcast — our new show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Andrii and Linnea talk about what happens when generative AI hallucinations start to concern European politics, the big deal between OpenAI and Axel Springer, similarities between the industries of computer chips and tampons, and much more. In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Erika Cheung, a Theranos whistleblower who’s now working on bringing ethics and responsibility to entrepreneurship.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kwQRHKX

AI’s ability to beat human players in games like chess and GO is no longer surprising. After all, artificial intelligence has proved it can outperform its animate creators in certain tasks, especially when it comes to processing and analysing information. But physical skill has remained a human prerogative — until now. Researchers at ETH Zurich have created an AI robot with the task to learn how to play the popular labyrinth maze game. The goal of the game is simple: using two knobs, you have to steer a marble ball from a start to an end point without it falling… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/JGRTZvD

Today, Dutch neobank bunq launched its generative AI platform — Finn. Running on open large language models (LLMs) from OpenAI and Meta, the new chatbot function is designed to help users plan their finances, make better budgets, and easily find transactions. Essentially, according to bunq, enabling users to “live the life they want.”  “It is basically as if you have your own personal accountant who knows everything about your personal life, and about your transactions, and has all of this in their head and can answer whatever questions you have,” Ali Niknam, bunq’s founder and CEO tells TNW.  Credit: bunq… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mL5KVCF

Digital maps and location tech specialist TomTom has partnered up with Microsoft to develop an AI voice assistant for vehicles. According to the Netherlands-based company, the automotive assistant enables voice interaction with location search, infotainment, and vehicle command systems. This means that drivers can “converse” with the vehicle, ask questions about navigation directions or route stops, and use voice control to regulate the temperature, for instance, or open the windows and change radio stations. The AI assistant uses multiple Microsoft products, including its Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Kubernetes Services, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Cognitive Services. It’s already built into… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/L9uR0JF

German-Dutch startup Zander Laboratories has secured €30mn in funding from Germany’s Cyber Agency to transform the interaction between humans and machines. Notably, this is the largest single-financed research project in the EU to date. The startup beat four other contenders who competed for the government’s “Secure Neural Human-Machine Interaction” proposal call in October. Zander Laboratories took home the price thanks to its “Neuroadaptivity for Autonomous Systems” (NAFAS) project, which aims to tackle a persistent difficulty for machines: understanding human emotions, cognitive decision-making, and mental states. Towards an intuitive interaction between human and machine NAFAS employs a passive Brain-Computer Interface (pBCI),… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Sk2nlTD

More money, better benefits, greater flexibility to work when and where they like: Europe’s tech workers, in tandem with their global counterparts, have a laundry list of demands going into 2024. A recent Gallup poll found that “blenders,” aka those who prefer a job where work and life are more blended throughout the day, make up 55% of the professional workforce. So when it comes to the hottest roles in tech next year, first and foremost—especially for knowledge workers who aren’t people managers and who are engaged in deep technical work such as coding—jobs where remote or fully flexible options… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/uqCc0hj

If you take a morning shower at the voco Brussels City North hotel, the water that you see trickling down the drain as you wash your hair might visit you again later — when you flush the toilet in the evening.  However, before that shower water returns to swirl around your toilet bowl and dash, at last, towards the city’s sewers, it will go through a special treatment process enabled by a chain of fridge-like machines in the hotel’s basement. “Every time you flush your toilet, you actually import six to nine litres [of water] into your building,” says Sabine… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/xjYIig9

X, formerly Twitter, is the first online platform to experience the full wrath of the Digital Services Act (DSA) — the EU’s landmark content moderation rulebook. The DSA, which entered into force in November for 19 major platforms, sets a list of rules designed to protect users against harmful or illegal content, disinformation, and the violation of privacy and free speech. But while big tech has so far rushed to comply, X isn’t doing a stellar job in the eyes of the Commission. “Today’s opening of formal proceedings against X makes it clear that, with the DSA, the time of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/OemCZw4

A branch of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is launching a drone delivery scheme across 30 medical facilities in the north of the country. The aim is to cut costs, while improving service to hundreds of thousands of patients.   The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been experimenting with autonomous drone deliveries for a while now, in partnership with UK-based Apian. The startup was founded by two former NHS doctors who wanted to make the delivery of critical medical supplies as convenient as “ordering a pizza”.  Apian — which is now made up of a 20+ strong team of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/V7iU14x

Methane is the second biggest greenhouse gas contributor to climate change. It’s also 84 times more potent than culprit number one, carbon dioxide. Unsurprisingly, 60% of global emissions result from human activity. While reducing methane emissions is key to tackling global warming, removing it from the air has proven challenging. That’s because the gas can be burnt off from air when its concentration exceeds 4%. However, the majority of human-caused emissions are below 0.1%. Now, a research team led by the University of Copenhagen has developed a new method that can remove even low-concentration methane. This could be applied to livestock… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://thenextweb.com/news/methane-cleaner-reactor-reduce-emissions-livestock

A site located on the Scottish island of Unst has become the first spaceport in Western Europe to be granted a licence for vertical rocket launches. SaxaVord spaceport in the Shetland Islands secured the licence from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, paving the way for the first rocket launches in 2024.  It follows a three-year assessment by the authority to determine whether the spaceport meets stringent safety, security, and environmental criteria. The permit allows for 30 lift-offs a year from the site.  The SaxaVord Spaceport, a former RAF radar station, is co-owned by Frank and Debbie Strang, who bought the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ihOGBSH

 Let’s talk about femtech in Europe. In this bonus episode of the TNW Podcast, we’re featuring two interviews with notable players in the industry: Ida Tin, co-founder and chairwoman of the period tracking app Clue — and the very person who coined the term ‘femtech’ itself. Valentina Milanova, founder and CEO of Daye, a gynaecological health startup based in the UK. Listen to the episode with the player above — or, better still, find us on your favourite podcast platform and subscribe! Let us know how we did and get a chance to win a ticket to the TNW… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/R4mfes3

Hydropower currently generates more energy than all other renewables combined and is expected to remain the world’s largest source of renewable electricity into the 2030s. And pumping water uphill, aka pumped storage hydro, accounts for 90% of energy storage capacity.  However, in Europe, investment and general interest in hydropower pales in comparison to wind and solar. This is partly because most suitable locations for power-generating dams have already been utilised, and building new dams is increasingly controversial due to their high environmental impact. For these reasons, hydropower is often referred to as the “forgotten giant” of renewable energy.  Yet, there… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/AMxgNvE

Word of the year indeed — it seems even the Catholic Church can’t stop talking about AI. The events unfolding in the Middle East and the continued war in Ukraine has made the well-worn Christmas wish “peace on earth” even more acutely felt than normal (whatever that is). However, that the Pope would throw AI into the mix might have been a little less expected.  The Pope’s message for the World Day of Peace (January 1) is titled “Artificial Intelligence and Peace”. While he expresses cautious optimism when it comes to the technology, he also relays concern that in our… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cSGfU91

After numerous setbacks, the European Space Agency recently announced that its next-generation rocket, Ariane 6, is set to launch in just six months’ time. If successful, the heavy-lift launcher will restore the continent’s independent access to space satellites. Now, various parts of the rocket, built in factories across Europe, need to be transported across the Atlantic Ocean to be assembled at ESA’s spaceport in French Guiana. This oversea territory is — for now — home to Europe’s only active spaceport. To tackle the task, ArianeGroup, which is behind the rocket, commissioned the construction of a custom-built vessel called Canopée. The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/dRO3PVz

Welcome to the first episode of TNW Podcast — our new show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. Listen to today’s episode and subscribe to be the first to get the next one: In today’s episode, Andrii and Linnea talk about Mistral AI’s jumbo funding round, the future of the AI Act, big eVTOL news from Lilium, and a few things in between. In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Special Envoy at Techleap.nl. Let us know… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rGtRHVL

The newly-adopted 2024 work programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC) is opening over €1.2bn in funding opportunities, mainly targeting deep tech startups and SMEs. Under the new scheme, the EIC Fund will receive a capital injection of €585mn to invest in EIC selected companies, leveraging over €2 billion in new investments. The majority of the funding addresses all fields of technology, but €420mn is dedicated to startups and SMEs developing tech for strategic industries, including Generative AI, space, critical raw materials, semiconductors, and quantum. This is in line the bloc’s initiatives such as the Chips Act, the Net Zero… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/j4YlkAD

For us, June doesn’t simply bring the much-anticipated beginning of summer. It also brings Europe’s leading (and most intimate) tech event. Yes, we’re talking about TNW Conference 2024 — and you’re all invited! We really want to see you there so use the code TNWXMEDIA to get 30% off all passes. Whether you’re already a loyal fan or you want to experience the magic for the first time, you can expect nothing less than the very heart of tech. As usual we’re bringing together the entire ecosystem: from startups and investors, to C-level executives, industry leaders, and policymakers. With the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/S8F1svg

Open Cosmos, the UK startup that uses satellites to fight climate change, has successfully launched its fourth satellite this year. Its mission? To monitor volcanic activity and wildfires in the Canary Islands. Following its takeoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the satellite is now in its final orbit — and first contact with the ground has already been established. Part of the ESA PIONEER Programme, the so-called ALISIO-1 (short for Advanced Land-Imaging Satellite for Infrared Observations) is a small 6U satellite, developed for the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands. Its aim is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/oAYChbv

In the intricate web of business activity in the UK, the relationship between large corporations and SMEs plays a pivotal role in shaping the economic landscape. With SMEs accounting for 99.9% of the UK business population, their importance and contribution to the economy is crucial. Despite this, 2023 has seen the largest net decrease of small businesses on record. The UK government has announced plans to introduce new measures to support SMEs, it’s now time for major corporations to play their part. As businesses continue to struggle against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, cash flow issues have become a major concern. With… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZGEpgmn

We are probably all guilty of using too much water. However, most water wastage happens prior to the precious resource entering our homes. That is because national pipe networks are riddled with leaks — and water scarcity is a growing global problem. Could AI be part of the solution? For instance, the UK wastes more than three billion litres of perfectly good quality drinking water every day. Meanwhile, Italy and its ageing water infrastructure loses 42% of drinking water yearly. Globally, daily water loss is estimated to be 45 billion litres.  HULO.ai, a startup from Leuwarden, the Netherlands, is looking… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/fr7bWYs

Climate change not only comes with a high cost for our planet, but for the economy as well. For context, between 1980 and 2022, EU member states have suffered losses of assets worth €650bn. Among the sectors impacted is the insurance industry, which is grappling to adapt to the new normal of frequent natural disasters, while seeing climate-related losses exceeding $100bn (€92.7) a year. London-based BirdsEyeView offers a solution. The insurtech space startup uses satellite data to develop insurance solutions for severe weather and provide SMEs with access to weather-based parametric products. Specifically, the company’s RAPTOR technology uses AI and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WEHhiUN

The James Webb Telescope’s new image of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), a supernova remnant that is located 1,000 light-years away, has marked a new era in the study of its explosion. Already in April 2023, Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) revealed new and surprising features within the inner shell of Cas A. Interestingly, many of those features are invisible in the latest image by the telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), while the NIRCam image appears also less colourful than the one provided by MIRI. But according to researchers, this is simply the result of different wavelengths — and instead of showing less… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ou5rWUZ

2023 has been a tough funding year for European fintech startups, with raised capital dropping 70% drop in H1 compared to the same period in 2022. But against this backdrop, British payment startup SumUp has still managed to bag €285mn to expand its global footprint. SumUp was founded in the UK in 2012 with the mission to level the playing field for small businesses. Through its SuperApp, it provides merchants with an online store, a free business account, and an invoicing solution — alongside remote and in-person payments integrated with the company’s card terminal and point-of-sale registers. The startup recently… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Fintech from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Jp7efQH

Following marathon discussions last week, the European Union has secured a tentative agreement on the terms of the AI Act, bringing the landmark regulation closer to enactment. While missing the original deadline for Wednesday, lawmakers managed to thrash out a deal late on Friday, just in time for the weekend. If they had not, the law would have been delayed until next year, potentially after the EU-wide elections in June. It has not been easy trying to hit a moving target. Billed as the world’s first comprehensive legislation for artificial intelligence, the Act was first proposed in 2021. In the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4AUGiqH

The internet is filled with sites and services we loathe yet it seems, to paraphrase Brokeback Mountain, we just don’t know how to quit them. Consider the evidence: Facebook was widely reviled after its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, yet it still has over 3 billion monthly active users. Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter there has been huge public outcry about his actions and decisions, but the platform remains relevant. And, most recently, Bandcamp was bought by Songtradr which swiftly laid off 50% of its staff. But guess what? It’s still by far-and-away the leader in its category.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cJC1xEj

Q-day (the day when quantum computers will successfully actually break the internet) may be some time away yet. However, that does not mean that companies — and states — shouldn’t hop on the qubit bandwagon now so as not to be left behind in the race for a technology that could potentially alter how we think about life, the Universe, and well… everything.  Spurred on by a discourse that more and more revolves around the concept of “digital sovereignty,” 11 EU member states this week signed the European Declaration on Quantum Technologies.  The signatories have agreed to align, coordinate, engage,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/phas1H7

Yesterday, Google launched its much anticipated response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT (the first release of Bard didn’t really count, did it?). However, the new set of generative AI models that Google is dubbing “the start of the Gemini era” will not yet be available in Europe — due to regulatory hurdles.  The tech giant is calling Gemini the “most capable model ever” and says it has been trained to recognise, understand, and combine different types of information including text, images, audio, video, and code.  According to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, it is as good as the best human experts… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IdCSJYc

The tech world is waiting with bated breath for the results from the final negotiations in Brussels regarding the EU’s landmark AI Act. The discussions that commenced at 14:00 CET on Wednesday failed to reach a conclusion before the end of the day. However, negotiators did reportedly reach a compromise for the control of generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT.  According to sources familiar with the talks, they will now continue on the topic of the controversial use of AI for biometric surveillance — which lawmakers want to ban. As reported by Reuters, governments may have made concessions on other… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QqheGZy

With under 2 million people, a landmass that’s half the size of Greece, and a recent history of communist rule, Latvia doesn’t have textbook foundations for building world-leading businesses. But building a world-leading business is exactly what Latvia’s Printful did. In 2021, the on-demand printing startup was valued at over $1 billion, making it the country’s first-ever unicorn. To reach the local landmark, Printful took an international route. But rather than focus on its home continent of Europe, the company set its sights on the US. “We wanted to make something big — and to this day, there is no bigger… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/CLmHE4x

Human intelligence heavily depends on acquiring knowledge from other humans — accumulated through time as part of our cultural evolution. This type of social learning, known in literature as cultural transmission, enables us to imitate actions and behaviours in real time. But can AI also develop social learning skills the same way? Imitation learning has long been a training approach for artificial intelligence, instructing the algorithms to observe humans complete a task and then try to mimic them. But usually AI tools need multiple examples and exposure to vast amounts of data to successfully copy their trainer. Now, a groundbreaking… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rFdNKJf

As a new year approaches, you might be curious to see whether your programming skills are still in demand or whether you should consider up-skilling for the best opportunities. Hundreds of coding languages have emerged over the years; no matter what you’re hoping to create, there is no doubt a programming language out there for it. So which are standing the test of time and which are worth boning up on? Here are seven that are set to emerge or remain in demand in 2024 and beyond. Python Hailed for its versatility and dev velocity, Python has steadily climbed the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/tWbUALT

It’s a question as old as the tech industry itself: can Europe compete with Silicon Valley? This reared up again in my mind for two main reasons. The first is the recent(-ish) shift of Big Tech into being media entities. And the second? That’s Spotify’s struggles as a European stalwart in this field. Let’s consider the first point. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Silicon Valley shift its strategy and start investing heavily in media. You only need to look at Apple’s launch of the Apple TV+ and Apple Music streaming services, or Amazon’s foray into movies and TV… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/OCPa8uL

Oh, the wonderful and mind-twisting world of quantum mechanics. However, in order to harness the magic-like potential of bending qubits to one’s will, there is a whole lot of nitty gritty engineering that needs to occur.  The quantum revolution will not happen unless an entire ecosystem comes together, each part reaching the highest potential of its own expertise.  And plenty of that development is happening in the Netherlands. Just today, Dutch startup QuantaMap announced it had secured €1.4mn in funding for its quality assurance tech for the production of quantum computer chips. Quantum chips are not like regular computer chips,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/59D6AZ2

In the world of AI image generation, tools like DALL-E and Midjourney are holding the crown — and not simply because of their high-resolution performance. The training of these models requires such substantial investment and resources that it inevitably leads to centralised services and pay-per-use access. A new AI tool developed by the University of Surrey aims to reverse this trend and democratise the technology, by opening up high-res image generation to a wider audience. Dubbed DemoFusion, the model allows users to generate high-quality images without the need to subscribe to a service, or own a very powerful computer. In… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/02fNpgj

Shady behaviour might be part of the Grand Theft Auto DNA, but leaking video game trailers on TikTok before launch is probably not what developers had in mind. Especially not when it can be traced back to a senior Rockstar developer’s son.  The fact that fans will need to wait more than a year for the next instalment in the GTA saga (or, as one viewer close to the author expressed this morning, “2025 just means not 2024”) did not diminish the enthusiasm when Rockstar Games released the GTA VI trailer in the early hours of Tuesday CET. Our trailer… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/YD8lQsS

European contributions might have been a little late to join the generative AI investment party, but that does not mean they will not end up rivalling some of the earlier North American frontrunners. According to people familiar with the matter, Mistral AI, the French genAI seed-funding sensation, is just about to conclude the raising of about €450mn from investors.  Unlike Germany’s Aleph Alpha who just raised a similar sum, most investors come from beyond the confines of the continent. The round is led by Silicon Valley VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, and also includes backing from Nvidia and Salesforce.  Sources close… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/nNOwvoD

We have all seen the gloomy headlines over the past week. VC funding for European tech startups will have dropped by a whopping $45bn in 2023. However, some sectors, such as build world climate tech are faring… less horribly than others.  Specifically, a new report by sustainability investor A/O released today has found that despite the global downturn, climate tech is attracting as much as 70% of built world VC investment — up from around only 20% five years ago. In addition, investment in early stage rounds in European startups in the sector has, for the first time, exceeded that… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/pHGZ0Xc

With COP28 underway in Dubai making it again glaringly obvious just how little lawmakers are prepared to bend for the sake of future generations of Earthlings, the release of the first “green filter” generative AI search chatbot could not have been more timely.  Berlin-based Ecosia, the world’s largest not-for-profit search engine, hopes the launch of its new product will assist users in making better choices for the planet, and further differentiate its offerings from the “monolithic giants” of internet search.  Powered by OpenAI’s API, Ecosia’s chatbot has a “green answers” option. This triggers a layered green persona that will provide… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IlvR7o9

Renewable energies like wind and solar are clean, abundant, and cheap — but notoriously unpredictable. That’s why so much time and money has been pumped into scaling energy storage solutions: we need to keep the lights on even when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. While lithium-ion batteries have received the bulk of this investment, there’s another kid on the block that could be cheaper and greener. In an ironic twist, the whole system is powered by the same molecule it is attended to fight — carbon dioxide.  Imaginatively, it is called the CO2 battery. The way… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/1SwAgGm