AI news and funding updates from the last 24 hours(4th April 2025):
✅ Spotify
- Advertising Platform Upgrade:
Spotify has revamped its advertising platform by launching the Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX), a global marketplace for programmatic ad buying. The update includes new tools for automation, creativity, and performance tracking, alongside Gen AI Ads for generating audio scripts and voiceovers. These enhancements aim to offer advertisers more diverse ad formats and refined targeting, particularly to engage the Gen Z audience.
✅ Tech Mahindra & ServiceNow
- Broadband Solutions Partnership:
Tech Mahindra and ServiceNow have joined forces to offer advanced broadband solutions for communication service providers. Their collaboration centers on an AI-driven platform, netOps.now, which improves network planning, operations, and customer care while reducing rollout times and consolidating systems.
✅ Runway
- Series D Funding and AI Video Tools Expansion:
Runway, the generative AI startup for video creation, secured $308 million in Series D funding—doubling its valuation to $3 billion. The investment will drive the growth of its film and animation studio and further develop its AI video tools, including the new Gen-4 model that enhances video generation from images.
✅ Midjourney
- Launch of V7 AI Image Generation Model:
Midjourney introduced its alpha V7 model, marking a significant upgrade in image quality, texture detail, and object coherence. The new release includes a Draft Mode for faster, cost-effective renders and features default personalization, helping the company maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving AI art space.
✅ ByteDance
- Introduction of DreamActor-M1:
ByteDance launched DreamActor-M1, an AI framework designed to create realistic human animations from reference images. Utilizing a Diffusion Transformer architecture, the model offers improved control over facial expressions and body movements, and it promises greater consistency even in complex animations.
✅ Johns Hopkins APL & Microsoft
- AI-Driven Robotics and Materials Science Collaboration:
In a joint initiative, Johns Hopkins APL and Microsoft are harnessing generative AI to advance robotics and materials science. Using Microsoft’s MatterGen model, they aim to develop autonomous robot teams and discover novel superconducting materials, integrating cutting-edge AI into mission-driven research.
- Revised Data Center Strategy:
Separately, Microsoft is scaling back its global data center expansion plans. Rather than embarking on new constructions, the company is focusing on upgrading existing facilities, signaling a strategic shift amid evolving market demands.
✅ Cognition AI
- Devin 2.0 Launch and New Pricing Model:
Cognition AI has updated its AI software engineer, Devin 2.0, featuring an agent-native IDE, parallel instance support, and interactive planning tools to boost developer productivity. Additionally, the company introduced a more affordable pay-as-you-go pricing option to lower the entry barrier for users.
✅ Cal AI
- College Admissions and Entrepreneurial Success:
Teen co-founder Zach Yadegari of Cal AI faced widespread college rejections, a situation many attribute to his essay’s perceived lack of academic enthusiasm despite his entrepreneurial achievements. While top-tier institutions turned him down, he eventually secured admissions elsewhere and is reassessing his path to success.
✅ Intel & TSMC
- Joint Venture for Chip Manufacturing:
Semiconductor giants Intel and TSMC are reportedly forming a joint venture to operate Intel’s chip manufacturing facilities. TSMC is set to acquire a 20% stake, contributing its chipmaking expertise to support Intel’s turnaround efforts and help mitigate potential job losses.