In today’s newsletter:

• News - 🚨 Are Companies Ignoring AI Crisis Risks?

• Productivity - ✈️ Navan: Your AI-Powered Travel Assistant

• Culture - 🎵 AI Brings Beatles' Final Song to Life

🚨 Are Companies Ignoring AI Crisis Risks?

A recent survey shows that 80% of companies lack a crisis plan for handling AI-related threats, despite rising risks from generative AI technologies like deepfakes and phishing scams. According to Riskconnect’s 2024 report, cybersecurity concerns now affect 72% of businesses, yet many still rely on outdated risk management strategies, overlooking the potential dangers of AI misuse and cyber attacks.

Furthermore, 65% of firms have no policies governing the use of generative AI by partners, leaving gaps that could be exploited by fraudsters. Experts caution that internal risks, like AI-generated content triggering Google’s SEO penalties or leaking sensitive data, are often underestimated. Companies like Dell and Empathy First Media have started implementing AI governance frameworks, but many businesses remain unprepared for the growing and complex challenges AI poses.

🗞️ In Other News…

• Microsoft Outlook now offers personalized, AI-powered themes through Copilot, allowing users to create dynamic, custom designs based on location, weather, or preferences across multiple platforms.

• An AI-generated portrait of Alan Turing by Ai-Da Robot sold for over $1 million, marking a new milestone in the art market for humanoid robot artists.

• A federal judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed by news organizations against OpenAI, ruling that the company's use of their content to train its AI models constitutes fair use.

• AI-enabled virtual pets are gaining popularity by offering interactive, social experiences that foster connections, but they raise questions about balancing digital companionship with real-world relationships.

• AI didn’t alter the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election but fueled distrust and deepened partisan divides by amplifying misinformation, further entrenching biases on social media platforms.

✈️ Navan: Your AI-Powered Travel Assistant

Navan offers an AI-powered travel management platform designed to simplify booking and trip planning for business travelers. Users can easily book flights, hotels, and ground transportation, while Navan’s AI capabilities help predict and manage potential travel disruptions in real time. The platform also provides personalized travel recommendations based on individual preferences and previous bookings, making trip organization more efficient.

Navan integrates with expense management systems to track travel-related costs automatically, reducing the need for manual input. The AI assistant is available 24/7, providing users with itinerary updates, travel information, and support throughout their trip, making it a practical solution for managing business travel efficiently.

🎵 AI Brings Beatles' Final Song to Life

The Beatles’ last-ever track, “Now and Then,” has been nominated for two Grammy Awards nearly 50 years after the band split up, thanks to an AI-powered restoration. Originally recorded as a John Lennon demo in the late 1970s, the song was unfinished for decades due to technical limitations. In 2021, filmmaker Peter Jackson used machine learning to separate Lennon’s vocals from the piano, enabling Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to complete the track, which was released in November 2023.

Despite its AI-assisted production, “Now and Then” complies with Grammy guidelines, which allow human-created work with AI elements. It’s up for Record of the Year against modern giants like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, and for Best Rock Performance against Green Day and Pearl Jam. The nominations mark a historic moment, bridging the past and present, as we await the 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2nd.

VC Fundraising Rounds

• 8 Financial Intelligence, a company that specialized in Autonomous AI and definitive financial engineering, has received $300M in Series C funding. (11/8/24)

• Glint Solar, a company that provides software for identifying and analyzing solar project sites, has received $8M in Series A funding. (11/7/24)

• EdgeCortix received a $26M subsidy from Japan’s NEDO to advance energy-efficient AI chiplets for post-5G communication systems. (11/6/24)

• R.grid, a company that automates clinical trials with AI-driven platforms for efficiency, has raised $6.5M in its Seed Round funding. (11/6/24)