Artificial Intelligence
Dubai Hosts First AI Hackfest in the Region
Microsoft today began its inaugural Hackfest, a four-day event – and the first of its kind in the Gulf region – where customers from both, public and private sector were invited to work with Microsoft’s engineers and data scientists to solve real-world problems using the tools of artificial intelligence. Taking place at the Address Boulevard hotel, downtown in Dubai, the Hackfest falls in line with UAE’s strategy for Artificial intelligence and the Gulf region’s aim to use an integrated smart digital system that can overcome challenges and provide quick efficient solutions.
The event will demonstrate the power of AI technologies to leading IT decision makers and give them an opportunity to experience capabilities such as machine-learning, advanced analytics, and natural-language processing – all hosted by Microsoft Azure cloud platform. During the event, attendees will present business problems and challenges to Microsoft’s experts, who will collaborate with the delegates on solutions that use a combination of cloud-based AI tools. “The intelligent cloud is full of possibilities, because of advancements in artificial intelligence,” said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf. “Many companies, from multiple industries, and several governments, including those here in the GCC, have begun reaping the rewards.”
“This Hackfest is our way of demonstrating the potential of AI to solve real world problems – to the extent that we are bringing our best engineers to collaborate with the regional tech community and solve their business challenges with real solutions. This is our ‘AI challenge’; bring us your most daunting digital transformation issues and watch the intelligent cloud show you how to achieve more: engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and revitalise business models,” Hashish added.
A recent Microsoft survey of large Gulf enterprises discovered that more than half of them (51%) were planning to migrate to the cloud. Many others expressed interest in adopting various forms of AI, including business intelligence (41%), Internet of Things (37%), automated workflow (25%), predictive analytics (21%) and robotics and machine automation (14%).
Hackfest 2018 is designed around two tracks. The first track focuses on attendees who have presented problems best solved by AI and Machine learning, while the other track engages with customers who would like to learn more about developing cognitive applications.
Organisations attending the Microsoft AI Hackfest include Dubai Municipality, DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), MBC Group, The United Arab Emirates University, du – from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, Al Jaber Engineering & Contracting (ALEC) and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar.

Apps
Experience the ChatGPT ‘Make It More’ Trend: Generate Weird AI Images

AI art generators occupy a peculiar space, capable of rendering diverse scenarios, from a cosmic skateboarding dog to a coffee cup adrift in the ocean. Setting aside ethical considerations, some creations may not initially meet expectations, necessitating user prompts to refine the AI-generated output.
Yet, what if the aim isn’t to craft a polished piece of AI art? Enter the “make it more” trend, where ChatGPT users task DALL-E to generate an image and subsequently request the bot to amplify certain aspects. For instance, Justine Moore prompted DALL-E to create a bowl of ramen, then instructed it to make it spicier. The iterative process led to increasingly absurd results, culminating in a bowl of noodles shooting fire beams into outer space.
A Dad getting increasingly Dad-ier pic.twitter.com/1EUFECmnT3
— Justine Moore (@venturetwins) November 27, 2023
While the Make It More trend gains traction on ChatGPT and DALL-E, allowing users to experiment with various image transformations, it also raises concerns about resource utilization. The AI processing involved consumes power and energy, prompting considerations about the trend’s efficiency and environmental impact. Nevertheless, these prompts contribute to OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to enhance AI capabilities across platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E.
Artificial Intelligence
Humane Launches AI Pin, a Wearable Powered by OpenAI

After months of anticipation, Humane has officially introduced its groundbreaking device, the AI Pin. Priced at $699, the wearable consists of a square device and a magnetic battery pack that attaches to clothing or surfaces.
Alongside the upfront cost, users will be required to subscribe to Humane’s service for $24 per month, providing a phone number and T-Mobile data coverage. Preorders kick off on November 16th, with shipments slated for early 2024.
Weighing in at 34 grams, the Pin, equipped with a Snapdragon processor, employs voice control, gestures, a camera, and a small built-in projector for operation. The 13-megapixel camera captures both photos and videos following a software update. Notably, the Pin, unlike the Rewind Pendant, isn’t designed for continuous recording, requiring manual activation through the touchpad.
Powered by AI Mic software, the Pin connects to AI models, incorporating technologies from Microsoft and OpenAI, particularly leveraging ChatGPT access. The operating system, Cosmos, streamlines user interaction by automatically directing queries to appropriate tools, eliminating the need for extensive settings or app management.
Humane’s vision for the Pin is to simplify the user experience, allowing seamless interaction through voice or touch without the clutter of traditional interfaces.
With features like voice-based messaging, email summarization, nutritional information retrieval through the camera, and real-time translation, the Pin aims to function as a wearable, AI-powered search engine. Future plans include adding navigation and shopping capabilities, along with providing developers the opportunity to create their own tools.
Humane sees the AI Pin as a foundational step in a broader project, anticipating advancements as underlying AI models improve. The company envisions the device evolving similarly to smartphones, where improved hardware enhances user experience, but true innovation arises from the expanding range of capabilities. While challenges lie ahead, Humane is poised to embark on this transformative journey.
Apps
ChatGPT Plus Subscribers Can Now Upload and Analyse Files

ChatGPT Plus members can now enjoy new beta features, including file upload and analysis, and multimodal support. Users no longer need to manually select modes like “Browse with Bing” from the GPT-4 dropdown; the chatbot will intuitively discern their needs based on context.
These features bring a touch of the office capabilities available in ChatGPT Enterprise to individual chatbot subscribers. While not all Plus subscribers have received the multimodal update, many have tried the Advanced Data Analysis feature. When a file is uploaded to ChatGPT, it takes a brief moment to process it before becoming operational. The chatbot can then perform tasks such as summarising data, answering questions, or generating data visualisations based on user prompts.
It’s worth noting that ChatGPT can handle more than just text files. In a Threads post, a user demonstrated uploading an image of a capybara and asked ChatGPT, via DALL-E 3, to create a Pixar-style image based on it. They further refined the concept by uploading another image, this time of a wiggly skateboard, and asked the chatbot to incorporate it into the image.