June 20, 2025

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Google, Salesforce AI Use, Animaj Raises $85 Million

AI is rapidly evolving, presenting both opportunities and challenges across various sectors. Companies like Google and Salesforce are already using AI to streamline hiring processes, while Animaj secured $85 million from HarbourView Equity Partners to create AI-driven kids' content for platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Guidehouse is investing $1.5 billion over the next three years to boost AI innovation and develop new tools for government and commercial use. However, the rise of AI also brings concerns. Cloudflare's CEO warns that AI poses a threat to publishers as AI summaries reduce traffic to original articles. Yoshua Bengio is launching LawZero with Scientist AI to act as a safety guardrail, preventing AI from causing harm. There are also growing concerns about the environmental impact of AI, with studies showing that larger AI models consume more energy. Experts are calling for greater transparency from big tech companies like OpenAI regarding their AI models' energy usage. Users are now faced with a trade-off between AI accuracy and sustainability, and are encouraged to use smaller, more energy-efficient models when possible. Even Elon Musk is tweaking his AI chatbot Grok after it shared information he disagreed with. Regulators are also struggling to keep pace with AI's rapid development, raising concerns about fairness and potential abuse.

Key Takeaways

  • Animaj received $85 million from HarbourView Equity Partners to create AI-powered kids' content.
  • Guidehouse is investing $1.5 billion over three years to boost AI innovation across government and commercial sectors.
  • Google and Salesforce are using AI tools to streamline job application reviews.
  • Yoshua Bengio is launching LawZero with Scientist AI to prevent AI from causing harm.
  • Cloudflare's CEO warns that AI summaries are a threat to publishers' advertising revenue.
  • AI models vary significantly in energy consumption, impacting the environment.
  • Experts are calling for greater transparency from companies like OpenAI regarding AI energy usage.
  • Smaller AI models can be more energy-efficient for simple tasks.
  • Regulators are struggling to keep up with the rapid development of AI.
  • Elon Musk is adjusting his AI chatbot Grok after it presented information he considered inaccurate.

AI's climate cost: Choosing models that are kinder to the planet

A new study shows that some AI chatbots use more energy and create more emissions than others. The study looked at 14 large language models (LLMs) and found that bigger models used more energy but weren't always more accurate. The study suggests choosing smaller AI models for simple questions to save energy. Using less energy-intensive models can help reduce the environmental impact of AI.

AI energy use: Experts question lack of transparency from big tech

Experts are concerned about the lack of information on how much energy AI uses. OpenAI's CEO mentioned a number, but it lacks context. A new analysis shows that most AI models have no environmental information available. Researchers say it's important to know how much energy AI models use, like knowing a car's gas mileage. Open source models can help researchers measure AI emissions more accurately.

Use AI responsibly: Tips for reducing your carbon footprint

Using AI models like ChatGPT has a carbon cost, but it can be managed. For simple questions, use a search engine instead of AI to save energy. If you need AI, choose smaller, more energy-efficient models. Using AI to summarize or translate text can be more efficient than doing it yourself. Ask AI to be concise to save energy, and remember that AI doesn't need pleasantries like 'please' or 'thank you'.

AI accuracy versus sustainability: A tough choice for users

New research shows that using AI involves a trade-off between accuracy and environmental impact. German researchers tested 14 AI models and found that some models used much more energy than others. Smaller models can answer many questions well, using less energy. The type of question also affects energy use; questions needing reasoning use more energy. Users must consider the environmental cost when choosing an AI model.

Animaj gets $85M investment for AI-powered kids' content

HarbourView Equity Partners is investing $85 million in Animaj, a company that makes kids' entertainment using AI. Animaj uses AI to create and distribute content on platforms like YouTube, Roblox, and TikTok. They have a large audience of 242 million viewers on YouTube. The funding will help Animaj buy more content and expand its AI technology. Animaj aims to create a new type of media company that uses data and AI.

Guidehouse invests $1.5B to boost AI innovation

Guidehouse plans to invest $1.5 billion over three years to improve AI. The company will launch a new AI tool to help government and businesses work better. The investment will also create an AI Center of Excellence. Guidehouse will develop AI tools for government and commercial markets. They will also train employees to use the latest AI technology.

Guidehouse invests $1.5B to boost AI innovation

Guidehouse plans to invest $1.5 billion over three years to improve AI. The company will launch a new AI tool to help government and businesses work better. The investment will also create an AI Center of Excellence. Guidehouse will develop AI tools for government and commercial markets. They will also train employees to use the latest AI technology.

AI helps Google, Salesforce review job applications

Companies like Google and Salesforce use AI to help review job applications. Salesforce uses its AI tool, Agentforce, to find candidates with skills like collaboration and AI knowledge. Recruiters still oversee the process and focus on promising candidates. AI helps speed up the hiring process, but humans still make the final decisions. Some companies are careful to avoid bias in AI screening.

AI godfather's new plan: Scientist AI to protect humanity

Yoshua Bengio, a leading AI researcher, is launching LawZero to ensure AI doesn't harm people. He's worried about AI becoming too independent and escaping human control. Bengio proposes Scientist AI, which would predict if an AI's actions are harmful and block them. This would act as a safety guardrail for AI systems. Scientist AI would not have its own goals but would focus on preventing harm.

Outdoor writer distrusts AI, prefers simple tools

An outdoor writer expresses his distrust of technology, including AI. He worries that AI will make people dumber and less able to think. He prefers simple tools and habits, like writing on his laptop but also having a manual typewriter as a backup. He questions the value of AI assistance in writing and prefers his own ideas and a human editor.

NY lawmakers address prison reform and AI in session's end

New York lawmakers passed over 600 bills in June, including measures on prison reform and AI. The legislative session was busy due to budget delays. One bill focused on prison reform after recent inmate deaths. Other bills covered topics from alcohol to hunting. The governor will now review the bills to decide whether to sign them into law.

Cloudflare CEO warns AI poses threat to publishers

Cloudflare's CEO says AI is a major threat to publishers because people are using AI summaries instead of clicking on original articles. This hurts publishers' advertising revenue. Search traffic to publishers has dropped as AI use increases. Cloudflare is developing a tool to stop content scraping to help publishers. The company aims to protect publishers from AI's negative impacts.

Musk fixes AI Grok after it tells the truth

Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, stated that right-wing violence has been more frequent and deadly since 2016. Musk called this a 'major fail' and said he is working on it because he believes it is false. Grok also didn't agree that Musk is handsome or that the 2020 election was stolen. The author humorously suggests Grok needs reprogramming to align with certain beliefs.

AI rules can't keep up with AI development, regulator warns

A market regulator warns that AI is developing faster than regulators can create rules. This raises concerns about fairness and preventing abuse as AI trading becomes more common.

Sources

AI Large Language Models (LLMs) Energy Consumption Carbon Footprint Sustainability Environmental Impact Transparency Open Source Models AI Accuracy AI Models AI Chatbots AI Investment AI Innovation AI Tools AI Center of Excellence AI Training Job Applications Recruiting AI Screening AI Safety AI Regulation Content Creation Media AI Bias AI Governance AI Ethics AI Risk AI Development AI Summarization AI in Business AI in Government AI in Hiring AI and Publishers AI and Content Scraping AI and Misinformation AI and Truth AI and Violence AI and Politics