Monthly Brandtech Blend - November 2024

Apple releases AI on devices in the US, coming to the EU in 2025

Through a free software update, Apple has started rolling out its long-awaited Apple Intelligence feature on newer iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. This first wave is so far limited to US-English set languages. It includes functionalities such as photo Clean-Up, improved Siri, and AI-boosted Writing Tools, with additional features to be added in December (Genmoji, Image Wand, ChatGPT integration…). According to the tech giant, Apple Intelligence will be available in the European Union starting April 2025, despite earlier claims that EU tech regulations, particularly the Digital Markets Act (DMA), would prevent its rollout. Apple has also indicated plans to introduce localized English support and additional languages throughout 2025, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The upcoming rollout will include many core features of Apple Intelligence, although notification summaries will not be available in the EU. Apple expressed its commitment to delivering these features while ensuring compliance with the DMA and maintaining user privacy and security. The announcement raises questions about the initial concerns regarding the DMA, as Apple seems to be finding ways to adapt its offerings to meet regulatory requirements while still expanding its AI capabilities in the European market.

Read more at Apple and TechCrunch.

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Meta's latest AI model can check the work of other LLMs

Meta's research arm, Fundamental AI Research (FAIR), has announced the launch of several new AI models; standing out among them is the Self-Taught Evaluator, designed to assess the performance of other AI models without requiring human intervention during its training phase. According to Meta, this model generates its own training data and utilizes another AI model to evaluate its outputs, allowing it to continuously improve its performance. The Self-Taught Evaluator builds on existing research in Reinforcement Learning from AI Feedback (RLAIF) and incorporates techniques that minimize human involvement in AI development to create more autonomous systems.

In addition to the Self-Taught Evaluator, Meta has introduced Spirit LM, an open-source language model meant to integrate speech and text more naturally than traditional models. Spirit LM utilizes phonetic, pitch, and tone tokens to enhance the representation of spoken language, addressing limitations found in existing Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems. The model is available in two versions: Spirit LM Base, which focuses on capturing speech nuances, and the full Spirit LM, which emphasizes emotional elements. Meta asserts that this approach allows for more expressive and natural-sounding speech while also enabling the model to learn new tasks across various speech-related applications.

More info at The Tech Portal.

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Criteo posts mixed results as digital advertisers transition to post-cookie landscape

Criteo reported mixed financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, with revenues of $459 million reflecting a 2% decline year-over-year, while gross profit rose by 13% to $232 million. In its announcement, the company highlighted its disciplined cost management, noting a decrease in traffic acquisition costs (TAC) from $224 million to $193 million. Meanwhile, Criteo's retail media revenue saw a significant increase of 22%, contrasting with a 5% decline in its legacy performance media revenue, which relies heavily on third-party cookies. Looking ahead, Criteo's leadership forecasted a modest revenue increase for the fourth quarter, acknowledging potential challenges due to the US general election, which may shorten the holiday shopping season.

Against the backdrop of a broader transition away from third-party cookies, Criteo's executives discussed their recent partnership with Microsoft, which could potentially bring in a substantial number of advertisers to their platform. Yet despite the optimism surrounding these new opportunities, analysts expressed concerns about the stagnation of Criteo's ad retargeting business, which has not seen growth for three consecutive quarters. Criteo's management emphasized its strategic shift away from reliance on third-party cookies, focusing instead on broader addressability strategies.

More details can be found at Digiday.

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