- Horizon AI
- Posts
- Elon Musk's xAI Secures Another $6 Billion 💰
Elon Musk's xAI Secures Another $6 Billion 💰
Get real-time coding assistance with Gemini
Gina Acosta
December 24, 2024
In partnership with
Welcome to another edition of Horizon AI,
AI investment has reached new heights this year, with Elon Musk's xAI capitalizing on the trend, raising an incredible $12 billion in just over eight months.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season!
Read Time: 4.5 min
Here's what's new today in the Horizon AI
Elon Musk’s xAI Secures $6B in Latest Funding Round 💰
Microsoft Looking to Add Non-OpenAI Models into 365 Copilot
AI Tutorial: Get real-time coding assistance with Gemini
AI Tools to check out
The Latest in AI and Tech 💡
AI Findings/Resources
AI News
XAI
Elon Musk’s xAI Secures $6B in Latest Funding Round
xAI has successfully raised $6 billion in Series C funding. Backed by major investors like NVIDIA, AMD, and Andreessen Horowitz, this marks a major milestone for the company as it continues to grow rapidly.
Details:
xAI’s latest round brings its total funding to $12 billion, doubling its valuation in just six months.
According to the Financial Times, only previous xAI investors were allowed in this round, with those backing Musk’s Twitter acquisition getting access to up to 25% of xAI’s shares.
The funds will go toward expanding infrastructure and developing new products, as the company's next large model, Grok 3, is still in training.
xAI has had a busy year, launching Grok 2, an image generation model, and even constructing the "Colossus" supercomputer. The company says it is focused on building advanced AI systems that are "truthful, competent, and maximally beneficial for all of humanity.
TOGETHER WITH UPMARKET
Access Private Companies Shaping Tomorrow's Technology
Explore our opportunities and see why we are trusted by over 500 investors who have deployed over $175M since 2019. Recently closed opportunities include Anthropic, SpaceX, OpenAI, and Neuralink.
All investments have the risk of loss. UpMarket is not associated with or endorsed by the above-listed companies. Only available to eligible accredited investors. View important disclosures at www.upmarket.co
MICROSOFT
Microsoft Looking to Add Non-OpenAI Models into 365 Copilot
Microsoft is working to integrate internal and third-party AI models into its Microsoft 365 Copilot products to reduce reliance on OpenAI’s technology.
Details:
When Microsoft launched 365 Copilot in March 2023, a key selling point was that it used OpenAI's GPT-4 model.
Now, the company is training its own AI models, like Phi-4, and customizing open-weight models to reduce 365 Copilot's reliance on OpenAI due to concerns about cost and speed for enterprise users.
CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft’s leadership are closely monitoring these efforts, but the company asserts that OpenAI remains its partner for frontier models.
This is Microsoft’s latest effort, which is a major backer of OpenAI, to reduce its dependence on the AI startup.
AI Tutorial
Get real-time coding assistance with Gemini
Google's new Gemini 2.0 "Stream Realtime" feature can be used to offer real-time coding help, like having a personal tutor always with you as you code.
Here's how to use it:
Go to Google AI Studio and select 'Stream Realtime' in the sidebar.
Click on "Share your screen"
Resume your coding work and ask for assistance when needed by giving voice commands.
Gemini will analyze the code on your screen and provide guidance.
AI Tools to check out
🎵 Eapy: It allows creators organize ideas, share inspiration and workflows, and co-create original, copyright-free music with 100% copyright-free AI music models.
⭐ Patterned AI: Generate unique patterns for your product using AI.
🎥 Shorts Generator: Create viral videos in minutes.
🌐 AI Desk: AI-powered Customer Service on your website.
💬 ChatNode: Create advanced AI chatbots with a deep understanding of your business.
AI Findings/Resources
📈 OpenAI’s o3 suggests AI models are scaling in new ways — but so are the costs
🧠 An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’. Here’s what that means
The latest in AI and Tech
Home Assistant launched its first voice assistant hardware, Voice PE, for $59. It offers local, privacy-focused control for connected devices. Once connected, you can use voice commands to control devices, such as “Pause the music” and “Turn on the lights.”
Apple is reportedly developing a video doorbell with Face ID, expected by 2025. It could let you unlock your door just by looking at the camera.
Two NHS trusts in London are trialing AI to detect type 2 diabetes up to 10 years early. The system analyzes heart traces for subtle warning signs.
Researchers at KAIST have developed a lightweight exoskeleton that helps paraplegics walk, climb stairs, and navigate obstacles. Kim Seung-hwan, who is himself a paraplegic and part of the KAIST team, demonstrated the prototype.
That’s a wrap!
We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's email!Your feedback helps us improve our content |
Not subscribed yet? Sign up here and send it to a colleague or friend!
See you in our next edition!
Gina 👩🏻💻