ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini (et al): news and discussion about AI

CNBC Property Play: Building data centers on the moon​

The most transformative technology in over a century may have finally found its limit: ordering tacos.

Since last year, Taco Bell has rolled out voice AI-powered ordering at more than 500 drive-through locations, and now the chain is realizing that not every customer is a fan of the new tech.

Some have taken to social media to complain about glitches and delays. Others are simply just weirded out. And then there is a contingent intent on trolling the system with orders like, “18,000 cups of water, please.”
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Mathews said he is now thinking carefully about where and where not to use this tech in the future. It might not make sense to exclusively use artificial intelligence at every drive-through, he said. For example, at super busy restaurants with long lines, a human team member might handle things better, he said.

It is the latest sign that nearly three years into the generative AI boom, companies are still simply figuring things out. While many have faith in the technology’s promise, they are pivoting and overhauling their AI strategies as they learn more about where the technology is actually working and where it isn’t.

Voice AI at the drive-through has been a particularly elusive use case. Last year, McDonald’s ended an experiment with International Business Machines aimed at making it work. Chief Information Officer Brian Rice told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that he is now working on it with Google Cloud. Wendy’s said this year that it was expanding use of its drive-through assistant, FreshAi, also built on Google’s technology.
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For decades, shows like "Star Trek" and novels like "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" have showcased fictional universal translators, capable of seamlessly converting any language into English and vice versa.

Now, those gadgets once limited to works of science fiction are inching close to reality.

During its iPhone unveiling event on Tuesday, Apple included a video of many travelers' dream scenario. It showed an English-speaking tourist buying flowers in an unnamed Spanish-speaking country. The florist addressed the tourist in Spanish, but what the tourist heard was in clear, coherent English.

"Today all the red carnations are 50% off," the tourist heard in English in her headphones, at essentially the same time that the clerk was speaking.

The video was marketing material for Apple's latest AirPods Pro 3, but the feature is one of many of its kind coming from tech companies that also include Google parent Alphabet and Meta, which makes Facebook and Instagram.
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For Apple, Live Translation is a key selling point for the AirPods Pro 3, which the company unveiled on Tuesday. The new $250 earbuds go on sale next week, and with Live Translation, users will be able to immediately hear French, German, Portuguese and Spanish translated to English. Live Translation will also arrive as an update to AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 on Monday.

And when two people are speaking to each other wearing AirPods, the conversation can be translated both ways simultaneously inside each user's headphones. In Apple's video demo, it looked like two people talking to each other in different languages.
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