#Ai agriculture

[jcmarchi]

Black Forest Labs

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/black-forest-labs/

Black Forest Labs

The startup powering image generation for xAI’s Grok.

Image Credit: Black Forest Labs

Next Week in The Sequence:

Edge 425: Our series about SSMs dives into Mamba, the best known SSM model. We review the original Mamba paper by Carnegie Mellon University and Princeton and dive into the GridTape framework for building LLM apps.

Edge 426: We discuss Gemma Scope and ShieldGemma, two new tools for interpretability and guardrailing released by Google DeepMind.

You can subscribe to The Sequence below:

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📝 Editorial: Black Forest Labs

One of the ideas I like about The Sequence is that it helps bring awareness to AI labs that may not have the media profile or the billions in fundraising of the big AI incumbents but are truly doing unique work in AI research. Today, I’d like to talk about a small startup called Black Forest Labs, which is loaded with world-class AI talent. Even though you might not have heard of Black Forest Labs, there’s a chance you’ve interacted with their work.

Have you used xAI’s Grok’s new image generation features in X? If so, then you’ve been using Black Forest Labs’ models. Grok-2’s new image generation capabilities are powered by a model called FLUX.1, created by Black Forest Labs. Who are these guys? Well, what if I told you that they are part of the team behind the famous Stable Diffusion model and also contributed to research breakthroughs like VQGAN and Latent Diffusion?

Black Forest Labs’ main model is FLUX, which comes in three main variants:

FLUX.1 [schnell]: The fastest model, mostly used for local development and personal use.

FLUX.1 [dev]: An open-weight model for non-commercial usage.

FLUX.1 [pro]: The largest, state-of-the-art image generation model available via APIs.

The company recently raised $31 million from marquee firms like Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst, with participation from renowned angel investors such as Michael Ovitz and Gary Tan. Given their research talent, top-tier backers, and partnership with xAI, Black Forest Labs is one of the new startups likely to make some noise in the near future. For now, Grok-2 images are incredibly entertaining.

🔎 ML Research

Phi 3.5

Microsoft published the technical report around Phi 3.5 family of small language models. The new release includes Phi-3.5-MoE as well as new versions of Phi-3.5-mini, Phi-3.5-vision —> Read more.

FermiNet

Google DeepMind published a paper discussing FermiNet, a neural network architecture that can solve fundamental equations of quantum mechanics. FermiNet is the first neural network applied to computing the energy of atoms and molecules —> Read more.

DeepSeek-Prover-V1.5

DeepSeek-AI published a paper unveileing DeepSeek-Prover-V1.5, an LLM optimized for theorem proving. The model uses DeepSeekMath-Base as a baseline and fine-tunes it in theorem proving adn proof generation usign reinforcement learning —> Read more.

xGen-MM (BLIP-3)

Salesforce Research published a paper introducing xGen-MM, also known as BLIP-3, a framework for developing multimodal LLMs. The model showcases strong in-context learning capabilities and includes versions fine-tuned for instructions and safety —> Read more.

Hermes 3

Nous Research published the technical report behind its Hermes 3 family of models specialized in reasoning and creative capabilities. Hermes 3 scales up to 405B parameters and leverages a 128k context windows —> Read more.

Speculative RAG

Google Research published a paper detailing Speculative RAG, a technique that tries to address the effectiveness vs. efficiency dilemma in RAG solutions. The method uses a RAG fine-tuned LLM to complement a generalist LLM in RAG workflows —> Read more.

🤖 AI Tech Releases

Jamba 1.5

AI21 released Jamba 1.5, an SSM-Transformer model that enables long context handling capabilities —> Read more.

NVIDIA Llama-3.1 Minitron

NVIDIA open sourced Minitron, an 4B and 8B distilled versions of Llama 3.1 —> Read more.

🛠 Real World AI

Google AI Edge’s MediaPipe

Google provided a deep dive into the techniques for serving 7B parameter models in the browser —> Read more.

AI Infrastructure Videos

The videos from the @Scale AI infrastructure conference are now online —> Read more.

📡AI Radar

MidJourney released a new web experience for its image generation models.

OpenAI established a partnership with Conde Nast.

AI ERP platform Opkey raised a $47 million Series B.

AI-blockchain startup Story raised $80 million in a new round.

AI construction platform Trunk Tools raised a $20 million Series A.

Payments for AI agents platform Skyfire Systems, raised $8.5 million in a new round.

Dropbox acquired AI scheduling tool Reclaim.ai.

xAI started using SGLang for Grok 2 and became 2x faster.

Vectara released Portal, a new no-code interface for creating generative AI applications.

AI-legend Andrew Ng is transitioning to executive chairman in its role at Landing AI.

AI agent for business travel Otto raised $6 million.

Boston Dynamics new Atlas can do push ups.

AI ad platform Creatory raised a $10 million Series A.

Tidal, Google’s AI agriculture spinoff, raised new funding for its expansion plans.

AI fintech platform Magie raised $4 million.

LambdaTest introduced Kane AI, an AI testing assistant.

TheSequence is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

[sblai]

AI Crop Yield Optimization

Unlock the potential of AI for enhanced crop yield optimization in agriculture with SBL's advanced solutions. Explore how our innovative technology can drive sustainable growth and profitability. Dive deeper into the future of farming here: https://www.sblcorp.ai/solutions/agriculture/ai-crop-yield-optimization/

[mindblowingscience]

Water scarcity and the high cost of energy represent the main problems for irrigation communities, which manage water for this end, making it available to agriculture. In a context of drought, with a deregulated and changing electricity market, knowing when and how much water crops are going to be irrigated with would allow those who manage them to overcome uncertainty when making decisions and, therefore, guide them towards objectives like economic savings, environmental sustainability, and efficiency. For this, data science and Artificial Intelligence are important resources.

Continue Reading.

[cognitivejustice]

Esther Kimani, a computer programmer from Kenya, has won the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Her groundbreaking early crop pest and disease detection device wowed the judges, thanks to its remarkable ability to swiftly detect and identify agricultural pests and diseases. This innovative tool can reduce crop losses for smallholder farmers by up to 30% and boost yields by as much as 40%.

Harnessing the power of solar energy, the device employs computer vision algorithms and advanced machine learning to detect and identify crop pests, pathogens, or diseases, and the nature of the infection or infestation. Farmers receive notifications via SMS, making this an affordable alternative to traditional detection methods at just $3 per month—significantly cheaper than hiring drones or agricultural inspectors.

source

[coffeenuts]

[economicsresearch]

page 564 panel a - oh dear, a deer. Two deer.

You know that feeling of starting awake in a dungeon, cold wet stone stabbing into your back, your neck so stiff you wonder if you'll ever lift your head again, the space so dark you wonder if you've lifted your head even now, and blasting through your brain like a spear thrust of fire -- I AM NOT TRYING TO EAT THE ASS OF ALL HUMAN HISTORY.

I must have been thinking about AI again, like all the entombed dungeon dwellers of old; the Duke of Rothesay, the Count of Monte Cristo, Anne Boleyn.

[theseratio]

Join @olingataeed for Asili insights into how Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies #4IR of AI blockchain IoT 5G Web3 are transforming agrotech #seed2urheart

[curtismckeighan1957blog]

[the-alternate-realities]

[agrosoftuz]

Hi everyone! our first release has released! Check it out! You will find something useful for your business!

https://agrosoft.uz/promote

[jcmarchi]

From Warehouses to Complex Environments: The Rise of GenAI-Powered Robotics

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/from-warehouses-to-complex-environments-the-rise-of-genai-powered-robotics/

From Warehouses to Complex Environments: The Rise of GenAI-Powered Robotics

The development of robotics has advanced significantly over the past few decades. It evolved from basic mechanical arms performing repetitive tasks to sophisticated systems powered by Generative AI (GenAI), which can handle complex functions. This transformation spans industries from warehousing to healthcare, agriculture, disaster response, and urban infrastructure.

Robots have fascinated humanity since early science fiction. Today, they are an integral part of many industries. The evolution from simple automation to advanced GenAI-powered robots marks a revolutionary shift where we utilize technology to enhance efficiency and solve complex problems.

The Evolution of Robotic Automation

Robotic automation began in the mid-20th century with the introduction of Unimate in 1961. Unimate revolutionized manufacturing by performing highly precise tasks like welding and material handling. It set the foundation for future advancements and demonstrated the potential of robotics to improve productivity and safety. Unimate could work tirelessly, perform tasks with consistent quality, and handle dangerous materials without risking human lives. This marked the beginning of the Industrial Robotics Age. Robots became integral to assembly lines in automotive manufacturing and other heavy industries.

Today, we are viewing a new phase in robotics driven by GenAI. Unlike traditional robots that follow pre-programmed instructions, GenAI-powered robots use advanced machine learning algorithms. They understand, learn from, and adapt to their environments. This shift from static automation to intelligent, adaptable systems brings significant advancements across various sectors.

GenAI-powered robots handle more complex tasks, make decisions in real-time, and adapt to changing conditions. They are invaluable in previously unpredictable environments. These robots use sensors and data analytics to gather information about their surroundings and performance. Machine learning algorithms process this data to help robots make better decisions and perform tasks more efficiently. This adaptability is essential in environments where conditions can change rapidly, such as hospitals, farms, and disaster zones.

How Robotics is Revolutionizing Warehousing?

One of the most visible impacts of GenAI-powered robotics has been in warehousing. The global warehousing and storage market, which was valued at $504.28 billion in 2023, is projected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.7% during the forecast period, reaching a value of $1012.43 billion by 2030. The adoption of advanced robotics solutions drives this growth.

Companies like Amazon and Alibaba have been pioneers in this domain. For example, in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, robots navigate warehouse floors, pick items, and deliver them to human packers with incredible speed and accuracy. This integration has led to significant operational efficiency and cost savings. As of recent reports, Amazon employs over 750,000 robots in their fulfillment centers to assist employees, making the sites safer and enabling employee upskilling. These robots use AI to navigate complex warehouse layouts, avoiding obstacles and finding the most efficient routes to transport goods. The robots can lift and move shelves of products, bringing them to stationary human workers who then pack and ship the items. This system has dramatically increased order fulfillment speed, reduced errors, and lowered labor costs.

Similarly, Alibaba’s Cainiao logistics network uses AI-powered robots to manage over a million packages daily, ensuring quick and accurate deliveries even during peak shopping seasons. These robots can sort packages quickly, using AI to read labels and direct packages to the correct delivery zones. During Singles’ Day, Alibaba’s automated warehouse with 700 robots can process up to 800 million packages, significantly boosting efficiency​.

Expanding into Complex Environments

The potential of GenAI-powered robotics extends beyond the controlled environments of warehouses into more complex fields. These robots significantly contribute to healthcare, agriculture, disaster response, and urban infrastructure.

Enhancing Precision in Healthcare

GenAI-powered robots are transforming surgery, diagnostics, and patient care in healthcare. Surgical robots like the da Vinci system enable minimally invasive procedures with enhanced precision, reducing recovery times and improving patient outcomes. According to recent data, the global surgical robots market was valued at $7.40 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.7%, reaching $27.51 billion by 2032.

AI-powered robots are also improving diagnostic capabilities. By analyzing medical images, these robots can detect abnormalities more accurately than human doctors, facilitating early detection of conditions such as cancer and improving survival rates.

Improving Efficiency in Agriculture

In agriculture, GenAI-powered robots address labor shortages and the increasing demand for food. The global agricultural robots market was valued at $7.21 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $28.96 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 16.7%​​. Robots like Harvest CROO use AI to pick strawberries, reducing labor costs and increasing productivity. Technologies like Blue River Technology’s “See & Spray” system use computer vision to target and eliminate weeds, promoting sustainable farming practices by reducing chemical usage​​. These robots increase efficiency and help promote sustainable practices by minimizing chemicals and optimizing resource usage.

Enhancing Safety and Improved Disaster Response

GenAI-powered robots are invaluable in disaster response. Capable of navigating hazardous environments, these robots can search for survivors and deliver critical supplies. During the 2020 Australian bushfires, AI-equipped drones played a crucial role in surveying affected areas and directing firefighting efforts, demonstrating the importance of robotics in emergencies. These robots enhance the safety and efficiency of disaster response efforts, enabling quicker and more effective rescue operations.

Improving Maintenance in Urban Infrastructure

GenAI-powered robots enhance maintenance and construction processes in urban infrastructure by inspecting bridges, tunnels, and buildings to identify structural issues early. The construction robotics market is projected to grow significantly, reaching $681.8 million by 2028, with a CAGR of 15.5%. The Hadrian X robot by FBR (Fastbrick Robotics) uses AI to lay bricks precisely and quickly, accelerating construction timelines and reducing waste. Asia-Pacific leads in adopting robotic automation due to significant government investments.

Robots in this sector are improving the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of urban infrastructure projects, helping cities manage their growth and maintenance needs more effectively.

Overcoming Challenges and Embracing the Future

Despite the remarkable advancements, integrating GenAI-powered robotics into complex environments poses several challenges, including technical limitations, regulatory hurdles, and ethical considerations.

One primary technical challenge is ensuring the reliability and robustness of AI algorithms in diverse and unpredictable environments, unlike controlled settings such as warehouses. Researchers are continually working on enhancing AI models to improve adaptability and decision-making capabilities.

Regulatory frameworks for AI and robotics are still evolving, necessitating clear guidelines from governments and industry bodies to ensure safe and ethical deployment. This includes addressing data privacy, cybersecurity, and the potential impact on employment.

Furthermore, the rise of GenAI-powered robotics raises ethical questions. The use of AI in decision-making processes, especially in healthcare and law enforcement, must be carefully regulated to prevent biases and ensure fairness. Additionally, concerns related to job displacement and the economic impact of automation on the workforce need to be addressed.

The Bottom Line

The integration of GenAI-powered robotics signifies a transformative shift across various industries, from warehousing to healthcare and urban infrastructure. While these advancements enhance efficiency, safety, and precision, they also present challenges such as technical reliability, regulatory hurdles, and ethical considerations.

Addressing these issues requires ongoing innovation, clear regulatory frameworks, and ethical guidelines to ensure that robotics technology benefits society while mitigating potential drawbacks. As we head toward this future, a balanced approach will be fundamental in utilizing the full potential of GenAI-powered robots.

[thetatechnolabs]

Improving Crop Health and Resource Management with Agriculture Software Development Services

[technology-trends-by-mellisa]

Generative AI: Use cases, Benefits and Models in 2025

AI development service

AI/ML development solutions

Hire AI developers

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[glasierinc]

Generative AI: Use Cases, Benefits and Models in 2025

AI development service

AI/ML development solutions

Hire AI developers

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[economicsresearch]

page 564 panel a - Monument on a hill. I am not asleep.