Good Morning! Bringing iMessage to Android with 'Nothing Chats.' In a bold move, the upstart phone manufacturer "Nothing" has announced plans to bring Apple's iMessage to Android users through its new "Nothing Chats" app, aiming to break down barriers between iPhone and Android users. Microsoft Ignite 2023: AI Advancements and Platform Updates. Microsoft's annual Ignite conference brought over 100 updates focused on AI advancements like Microsoft Copilot, an AI companion for IT, and Azure Maia, an AI accelerator chip for data centers. Strategic Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Adoption by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA released a roadmap outlining five strategic efforts to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI technology.

— Forrest Knight & Meghanadh Vasireddy

Bringing iMessage to Android with 'Nothing Chats

In a bold move, the upstart phone manufacturer "Nothing" has announced plans to bring Apple's iMessage to Android users through its new "Nothing Chats" app. The company aims to break down the long-standing iMessage barrier that has separated iPhone and Android users, addressing the "blue bubble vs. green bubble dilemma".

The "Nothing Chats" app will be powered by Sunbird, an app developer that has claimed to be able to send iMessage chats for about a year now. The app will initially roll out to owners of the Nothing Phone 2, with the promise of iMessage compatibility.

However, this move raises questions about its feasibility and legality. Apple has previously stated that iMessage on Android would only serve to weaken Apple, and it is expected that any Android OEM offering "iMessage" support would face immediate legal action from Apple. Despite this, Nothing CEO Carl Pei has stated, “There’s nothing illegal about this setup".

The "Nothing Chats" app requires users to trust Sunbird with their iCloud credentials, which are stored as a token in an encrypted database and associated with one of its Mac Minis in the US or Europe, depending on the user’s location. These Mac Minis then act as a relay for iMessages sent via the app.

This development comes amidst ongoing discussions about the need for Apple to adopt modern texting standards like RCS, which would improve messaging between iPhones and Android phones. It also raises concerns about the security and privacy of iMessage, which is secured by end-to-end encryption, but stores a copy of those encryption keys in iCloud backups, which Apple can access.

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Microsoft Ignite 2023: AI Advancements and Platform Updates

Microsoft Ignite 2023, the tech giant's annual conference, has brought a wave of over 100 updates across various platforms, with a particular focus on AI advancements.

The spotlight was on Microsoft Copilot, an AI companion for IT that simplifies day-to-day administration. The Copilot experience has been extended across all Microsoft surfaces, including the web, PC, and more. Microsoft also unveiled Copilot Studio, a low-code tool that allows customization of Copilot for Microsoft 365 and the building of standalone copilots.

Microsoft Azure Maia, an AI Accelerator chip designed to run cloud-based training and inferencing for AI workloads, was another significant announcement. This chip, along with the Microsoft Azure Cobalt CPU, is expected to roll out to Microsoft data centers in early 2024.

In addition to these, Microsoft announced the general availability of the Microsoft Loop app, designed for the new way of working, with a flexible canvas for collaboration between people and generative AI.

The updates are aimed at enhancing every layer of the Microsoft Copilot stack to help organizations adopt artificial intelligence in what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calls 'the age of Copilot'.

These advancements are a testament to Microsoft's commitment to AI transformation and the technology driving change, promising a future where AI is more integrated into our daily work and life.

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Strategic Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Adoption by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a comprehensive roadmap for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), aligning with the White House Executive Order 14110. The roadmap outlines five strategic lines of effort to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI.

Firstly, CISA aims to responsibly use AI to support its mission, leveraging AI-enabled software tools to strengthen cyber defense and support critical infrastructure. Secondly, the agency will assure AI systems, assessing and assisting in the secure design of AI-based software across diverse stakeholders.

The third line of effort focuses on protecting critical infrastructure from the malicious use of AI. Fourthly, CISA will collaborate and communicate on key AI efforts with interagency, international partners, and the public. Lastly, the agency is committed to expanding AI expertise in its workforce, actively recruiting and training personnel with AI expertise.

CISA's roadmap emphasizes the Secure by Design principles in AI adoption, integrating these practices into AI engineering to address AI-specific assurance issues. The roadmap represents a significant step towards ensuring AI safety and security nationwide, playing a key role in managing risks at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure.

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The Rise of AI Assistants

AI assistants are revolutionizing office tasks, introducing a new way to handle mundane work and improve efficiency. A San Francisco-based startup, Adept AI, is pioneering an experimental AI agent that surpasses traditional chatbots like ChatGPT in automating common office chores. Using reinforcement learning, the company trains its AI by observing human actions, aiming to replicate and improve upon their performance.

These AI agents initially focus on simple yet prevalent office tasks such as invoice processing and calendar management. Adept AI claims their agents boast a minimum 95% reliability, a notable advancement compared to previous tools like robotic process automation, which have shown less effectiveness.

The prevalence of AI assistants is on the rise, with predictions by Gartner indicating that around 50% of knowledge workers will rely on virtual assistants daily by 2025. These assistants are not just improving productivity but also cutting down training and support costs while offering personalized experiences. Familiar names like Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, Jasper, WriteSonic, Otter.ai, and Fireflies are among the popular AI assistants in use today.

As AI technology progresses, these assistants are expected to become more human-like and offer increasingly personalized experiences. Even in their current state, these AI-powered tools are transforming our work and daily lives, simplifying tasks and enhancing overall convenience.

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Youtube Spotlight

Dev Startup Day 8 - UI/UX and More Data Flow

Forrest covers the progress on the development of a new platform, including restructuring the content strategy, building the user interface, and planning for open-sourcing in the future. He also discusses the decision not to open-source the project immediately, addressing concerns and benefits associated with delaying the process

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