Software
Twos: An AI-Powered To-Do App for Task Completion
2024-12-05
The overarching promise of companies dedicated to AI-powered productivity tools lies in crafting solutions capable of handling tasks on your behalf. However, some of the initial demos we've witnessed fall short in realizing these promises. Take Twos, a to-do list app, which is approaching the problem from a distinct perspective. When adding a task, it offers relevant action suggestions such as adding links to sites or formulating texts to complete the task. The aim is to recommend suitable sites or apps for task completion.

How the AI-Powered Suggestions Feature Works

To utilize the AI-powered suggestions feature, simply record your tasks as you typically would. The app's AI model then checks if it can provide a suggestion. For example, when writing "Buy paper napkins", you'll receive suggestions for links to Amazon, Walmart, and eBay with "paper napkins" as the search terms. If you mention a birthday or anniversary, the app will prompt you to add a reminder to your calendar, send a text, or purchase a gift card.

Image Credits: Twos

App Integrations and Use Cases

Currently, Twos has 27 integrations with various apps like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Instacart, Expedia, Google Search, Google Maps, Google Flights, Uber Eats, contacts, calls, messages apps, email, IMDb, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, ZocDoc, Ticketmaster, and StubHub. These integrations cover a wide range of use cases including shopping, restaurants, food, music, movies, reminders, and events.

Image Credits: Twos

Current Limitations and Future Improvements

The feature generally functions well in most situations. Nevertheless, at present, it mainly suggests U.S.-centric services for categories like shopping, ticket purchases, and food delivery. The company needs to enhance localization for users outside the country. This is a crucial aspect that will determine the app's wider appeal and usability.

Twos was founded in 2021 by former Google engineer Parker Klein and Joe Steilberg. With more than 25,000 active users across the web, Android, and iOS, the app is free to use. Users have the option to activate "Plus" features such as adding tags and hyperlinks, creating a custom home screen, utilizing an auto-sorting feature, and leveraging templates. Each feature comes at a one-time cost of $2.

Last year, the startup introduced an AI assistant to assist with list creation. Additionally, other apps like Hypelist are also leveraging AI models to help people build their recommendation lists, highlighting the growing trend in this area.

After Selling to IBM, Founder Aims to Add 'Agentic Memory' to Enterprise Data
2024-12-05
In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the concept of an “AI agent” remains a subject of much debate. While not everyone is in unanimous agreement on its exact definition, one thing is clear - these agents are causing quite a stir. At a broad level, these so-called “agents” hold the promise of going far beyond the capabilities of a simple chatbot, enabling them to make decisions and take actions on behalf of people. Some may assist with online shopping, while others could enhance the efficiency of factories with varying degrees of autonomy.

Unleashing the Power of Dynamic Memory in Enterprise Workflows

Across AI's Mission in the Enterprise World

Across AI is emerging as a key player in this arena, coming out of stealth to develop a “dynamic memory system” specifically tailored for complex enterprise workflows. The startup is targeting chief revenue officers and sales teams, offering a platform that seamlessly connects with all their internal and external enterprise data sources. This creates a shared “agentic memory” that proves invaluable in identifying and qualifying new sales opportunities, spotting risks, and suggesting relevant questions for sales teams to ask their customers.As Steven Mih, the co-founder and CEO of Across AI, explains, “Sales teams often face challenges in obtaining and utilizing the right information at the right time. Critical knowledge gets bottlenecked among a few experts or gets lost in vast amounts of unstructured data, leading to inefficiencies and costly errors. Existing AI solutions often fall short as they lack deep integration and contextual understanding.”

Mih's previous venture, Ahana, was a Google Ventures-backed company that built commercial services on Presto. After selling Ahana to IBM last year, Mih decided to embark on a new journey with Across AI. He joined forces with renowned professors Dr. Niloufar Salehi and Dr. Afshin Nikzad from UC Berkeley and Stanford University respectively, who have been researching ways to improve the efficacy of AI systems in “high-stakes” settings.

Building the Memory: Connecting Enterprise Stack Components

Across AI is designed as a web app and chatbot that integrates with various parts of the enterprise stack, including CRM systems, communication and collaboration tools, and calendars. By doing so, it builds a comprehensive memory and develops contextual understanding. This allows it to provide just-in-time assistance wherever a user is working, without disrupting their workflow.“As the system shows up where users already are, such as in Slack or [Microsoft] Team’s app, it offers seamless support and enhances productivity,” Mih said. The memory continuously adapts, retaining only relevant information and discarding outdated data. This raises interesting questions about how it determines relevance, which Mih attributes to the development of a “deep understanding of the workflow context.”

The system actively tracks, timestamps, and monitors information updates, ensuring that data remains up-to-date and conflicts are resolved. Unlike traditional AI systems that treat all data equally, Across AI's agentic memory system prioritizes information based on its contextual importance. In cases of ambiguity, determinations are escalated to relevant personnel like sales managers or product managers.

Data Security: A Foundational Aspect

Enterprises have been cautious in adopting generative AI due to concerns about data privacy and security. Mih understands this concern and emphasizes that data security is a “foundational aspect” of Across AI's agentic memory platform.“Our memory system operates within the company's secure environment, maintaining strict access control over sensitive information and not exposing data to external models for training,” Mih said. The company plans to offer both SaaS and cloud-premises deployment options to meet the diverse security and compliance requirements of enterprises.

There are subtle synergies between Across AI and Mih's previous startup, Ahana. Ahana focused on enabling users to query vast amounts of data via Presto, handling the complexities of infrastructure setup and maintenance. Across AI is addressing the same problem from a different perspective, aiming to help users analyze large amounts of data quickly.“This experience has deepened my understanding of the challenges enterprises face in navigating complex data ecosystems,” Mih said.

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Humane Demos AI Software for Cars, Phones & Smart Speakers
2024-12-05
When Humane introduced its Ai Pin, it painted a vivid picture of a world filled with dedicated AI devices, an addition to the smartphones we carry daily. However, the initial reception and sales haven't been as stellar as hoped. Returns even surpassed unit sales at one point, leading Humane to lower the price from $700 to $500. Despite the device still being on the market, the future of the company remains uncertain, yet it isn't short on funds with over $230 million in its coffers.

Introducing CosmOS: A Game-Changer

Now, Humane is presenting something fresh - CosmOS, an operating system that holds the potential to transform all our tech devices. In a captivating demo video, it showcased the OS running seamlessly on a car's entertainment system, a smart speaker, a TV, and an Android phone.

What CosmOS Represents

In many aspects, CosmOS gives a glimpse into what Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple's Siri could evolve into when combined with AI agent-like capabilities. It's a voice assistant that can handle complex queries and interact with other apps and services on our behalf. For instance, in the car, one can ask CosmOS to turn up the heat at home and also inquire about when people are coming over tonight. This shows its ability to multitask and understand context.

Based on the Ai Pin's OS

Humane emphasizes that CosmOS is built upon the operating system that powers its Ai Pin. As stated in the video, "This intelligent conductor seamlessly coordinates various AI models, data sets, services, and device capabilities to deliver a fluid, intuitive experience." It's a testament to the company's belief in the power of their existing technology.

Multimodal and Multi-Step Use Cases

On the TV, CosmOS presents a multimodal and multi-step use case. Say you ask how many goals a soccer player has scored this season. The AI assistant can identify the player based on the screen and provide an accurate answer. This showcases its advanced visual recognition and query-solving abilities.

Smartphone Integration

Regarding smartphone integration, the demo reminds us of Apple's pitch for a better Siri powered by Apple Intelligence at WWDC earlier this year. With CosmOS, it understands what's on your screen and can interact with your calendar in the background, enhancing the overall user experience.

Third-Party Developer Potential

Humane claims that third-party developers will be able to create integrations between CosmOS and their "agents, data, and services." This opens up a world of possibilities, allowing for a more personalized and interconnected tech ecosystem. However, the demo video also gives the impression of a sales pitch, as it seems to be testing the waters for potential acquisition and repurposing of the software in other products.
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