xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence lab, revealed details of its product roadmap and organizational changes during a public all-hands meeting, while several other AI-related developments were also announced this week. The meeting, which was published on X, formerly Twitter, included information on departing employees, described as layoffs due to a changing organizational structure, according to TechCrunch.
The 45-minute video offered insights into xAI's plans, marking a rare move for the company. The decision to release the video may have been influenced by a previous report in The New York Times, according to TechCrunch. The company, formed just 30 months ago, has made significant progress, according to the source.
In other AI news, AI inference startup Modal Labs is reportedly in talks to raise a new funding round at a $2.5 billion valuation, according to four sources with knowledge of the deal, as reported by TechCrunch. If the deal closes at these terms, it would more than double the company's valuation from its previous $1.1 billion valuation announced less than five months ago. General Catalyst is reportedly in talks to lead the round. Modal Labs' annualized revenue run rate is approximately $50 million, according to sources. However, Modal Labs co-founder and CEO Erik Bernhardsson denied that his company was actively fundraising, characterizing his recent interactions with VCs as general conversations, according to TechCrunch.
Uber Eats also announced a new AI feature, Cart Assistant, designed to help customers create grocery carts faster and easier, according to TechCrunch. The beta version is now available in the app. Users can search for a grocery store and tap the Cart Assistant icon to begin shopping. Customers can enter a list or upload an image, and the AI will automatically add items to their basket, including photos of handwritten lists or screenshots of recipes. Users can then customize the basket by swapping items or adding more products. Uber Eats notes that Cart Assistant uses previous orders to prioritize familiar items.
Meanwhile, enterprise AI continues to evolve, with companies like Glean aiming to own the AI layer that powers work across organizations, according to TechCrunch. Glean, which started as an enterprise search product, has evolved into an AI work assistant. "Who will own your company's AI layer?" asked Glean's CEO and founder Arvind Jain at Web Summit Qatar, according to TechCrunch. The startup raised $150 million last year at a $7.2 billion valuation.
Finally, Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of the multiplayer shooter Highguard, reportedly laid off most of its staff just over two weeks after the game's launch, according to The Verge. The company is "parting ways with a number of its employees," according to the report.
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