🚀 Amazon to Launch New AI-Powered Alexa Using Anthropic's Claude

• Amazon will launch a new AI-powered version of its Alexa voice assistant in October, utilizing AI models from Anthropic's Claude due to performance issues with its internal technology.
• The upgraded "Remarkable" Alexa will feature improved conversational abilities and advanced functions such as shopping advice and multi-step tasks, available through a paid subscription service costing between $5 to $10 per month.
• Amazon has invested $4 billion in Anthropic, and analysts project that if 10% of the 100 million active Alexa users subscribe, it could generate at least $600 million annually in revenue for Amazon.

🤖 Apple's robotics work aims to solve user's first-world problems

• Apple is exploring robotics, with the potential first product being an iPad mounted on a robot arm, aimed at expanding into new product categories.
• The development is led by Kevin Lynch, with Apple hiring more experts and considering technology from previous projects like the Apple Car for future household robotic applications.
• A new humanlike interface utilizing generative AI is being developed for interaction with these robotic devices, potentially sidelining Siri for this category of products.

💼 Workers at Google DeepMind Push Company to Drop Military Contracts

• Nearly 200 workers at Google DeepMind expressed concern over the company's contracts with military organizations, stating that this activity violates Google's AI principles and the lab's initial commitment to not engage in military applications.
• The letter, signed by around 5% of DeepMind’s workforce, calls for the termination of military access to DeepMind technology and the establishment of governance to prevent future military use of AI technologies, but has not received a meaningful response from leadership.
• DeepMind's technology is bundled into Google Cloud services, which are sold to militaries and governments, including Israel, despite the company stating that its contracts do not involve sensitive military workloads, raising ethical concerns among employees about the implications of these agreements.

👴 Apple Succession Strategy: Keep the Old Guard Around as Long as Possible

• Apple is focusing on a succession strategy that aims to retain its key executives for as long as possible, highlighting the importance of continuity in leadership.
• Executives such as Tim Cook, John Giannandrea, and Craig Federighi were featured at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference, emphasizing their pivotal roles in the company's future.
• This approach suggests that Apple is prioritizing stability and experience within its leadership team amid ongoing innovation and competition in the tech industry.

🦣 'Closer than people think': Woolly mammoth 'de-extinction' is nearing reality — and we have no idea what happens next

• Scientists are progressing towards de-extinction, with plans to revive the woolly mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger through genetic engineering methods, including inserting mammoth DNA into elephants and dodo DNA into chickens.
• The efforts, led by companies like Colossal Biosciences, aim to fulfill ecological niches left vacant by extinct species, potentially mitigating issues like climate change and reducing the ecological impact of invasive species.
• However, experts warn of serious ecological risks, unintended consequences, and ethical considerations, questioning whether resources spent on de-extinction might be better allocated to preserving currently endangered species.

🛰️ The New Glenn rocket’s second stage set to roll to the launch pad on Monday

• Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is preparing for its debut by rolling the second stage to Launch Complex 36 in Florida, aiming for a hot fire test powered by two BE-3U engines within the next week.
• NASA has contracted Blue Origin to launch the ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars, with a tight launch window from October 13 to October 21, which adds urgency to the integration and testing of the rocket.
• New Glenn, which features a fully reusable first stage and a lift capacity of 45 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, will attempt an ambitious drone ship landing of its first stage during its initial flight, seeking to establish a new trend in commercial heavy lift rockets.

🤖 Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas can do push-ups

• Boston Dynamics has released a 40-second video showcasing its new electric Atlas robot performing push-ups, highlighting its advanced actuators and performance capabilities.
• The company is still in the initial phases of commercializing the Atlas robot for factory environments, focusing currently on marketing through viral videos.
• Despite the impressive demonstration, the practical applications of Atlas in real-world scenarios remain to be seen as Boston Dynamics continues its development efforts.