This Week in Generative AI - 11 to 14 July

Microsoft, KPMG Expand AI Deal, Target $12B Revenue

Accounting giant KPMG plans to invest $2 billion in AI and cloud services over the next five years as part of an expanded partnership with Microsoft.
The investment aims to automate aspects of KPMG’s services and generate $12 billion in revenue.
The company assures that the investment will enhance the workforce rather than eliminate jobs.

Raja Rajamannar, the Global CMO & President of the Healthcare Business at Mastercard, believes that utilising generative artificial intelligence (AI) can reduce marketing production expenses by 40-60%.
He emphasises that AI should be seen as augmented intelligence, boosting productivity and elevating work to new heights.
AI offers marketers a powerful tool to gain deeper insights into and effectively engage with their target audience.

Google AI chatbot Bard is now available in the European Union after concerns were raised by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) about compliance with GDPR.
Bard is also accessible in Brazil and offers new features such as multiple languages, audio responses, and improved flexibility in tone and style.
The DPC had previously stated that Google had not provided sufficient information on how Bard would meet GDPR requirements.

Nonprofit research organisation Data & Society has launched the Algorithmic Impacts Methods Lab (AIMLab) to study the effects of automated decision-making systems on society.
AIMLab aims to collaborate with other nonprofits to provide policymakers and industry leaders with useful data on the impact of algorithms.
The lab’s head of research, Tamara Kneese, plans to document the effects of AI on human labour and measure the environmental impact of deploying AI models.

OpenAI faces multiple challenges, including copyright lawsuits and competition from other AI companies.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now investigated OpenAI’s AI practices, specifically looking into potential consumer risks and whether the company engaged in unfair or deceptive practices.
This investigation comes after a policy think tank called for the FTC to halt the release of OpenAI’s GPT models until necessary safeguards are established.