Young Thoughts Vol.33

Hello,

👉This is the newsletter <Young Thoughts> for the CEO of RCTOWN👈

This month, we deliver valuable information on notable topics such as VR, AI, OTT, IT, and more. Please read to the end~! We will introduce these in detail in the newsletter.

Today's RCTOWN NEWSLETTER 💌

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[AI] "Embedding AI everywhere"... What is MS's new weapon?

[MS] "AI finds the way when tasks are set" Changes in the workplace brought by Copilot+ PC

[GPT] GPT-4o release boosts 'ChatGPT' mobile app revenue

[AI] Amazon also enters the AI assistant battlefield... "Alexa equipped with generative AI"

[Apple] Apple introduces new accessibility features including eye tracking, music haptics, and voice shortcuts

[Jobs] AI-induced job reduction fear becomes reality... Tech companies cut over 5,500 jobs at the start of the year

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This time, we introduce 'Bijja', a platform that allows you to directly purchase items from one of China's largest shopping malls, 1688, through proxy shopping services in Korea. Most of the products registered on the 1688 shopping mall can be viewed and purchased on Bijja. During the purchasing process, Bijja provides services such as product description translation, conversion from CNY to KRW, and proxy international shipping (requires a personal customs code), offering convenience to Korean users. (The only platform in Korea developed based on 1688 crawling technology)

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Explore the site

[AI] "Embedding AI everywhere"... What is MS's new weapon?

MS Integrates GPT-4o into the Cloud
Releases 'Mini Multimodal AI'
'Embedding AI Everywhere'

Microsoft (MS) has launched a range of services and products to embed 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agents' into various aspects of daily life and work.

As the era of multimodal AI begins in earnest, Microsoft has meticulously deployed it from the cloud to PCs to make it accessible to more users. Especially with the emergence of on-device AI devices this year, they have focused their capabilities on the 'Mini Multimodal AI Model' that will be integrated into these devices. Prior to this, OpenAI and Google also released related AI models and products, indicating that the competition for market share will become even more intense.

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[MS] "AI finds the way when tasks are set" Changes in the workplace brought by Copilot+ PC

Microsoft has announced a new category of Windows PCs that utilize all the capabilities of AI. Named 'Copilot+ PC,' this device has been developed in collaboration with PC manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Samsung, ASUS, Acer, and Lenovo. It features more powerful processing performance, all-day battery life, and supports various AI functions.

Microsoft's Corporate Vice President Yusuf Mehdi explained through a blog post, "The Copilot+ PC represents the most significant change to the Windows platform in decades. We have completely reinvented the entire PC, from the chip to the operating system, application layer, and cloud, with AI at the center." The first Copilot+ PC product, using the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processor, will be released on June 18. PCs using Intel and AMD chips will follow.

Focus on AI Performance and Security

To add AI capabilities to the Copilot+ PC, Microsoft designed a 'completely new' system architecture that combines the CPU, GPU, and NPU. The recently released Intel Meteor Lake processor for AI PCs performs 10 trillion operations per second (TOPS), while the new chip made by Microsoft performs 40 trillion operations. Mehdi stated, "This new chip will be included in the Copilot+ PC. The enhanced Copilot+ PC connects to large language models (LLM) and small language models (SLM) running on the Azure cloud, delivering performance levels never seen before. AI workload execution is 20 times more powerful and up to 100 times more efficient."

What Copilot+ PC Means for Enterprises

Copilot+ provides powerful tools for productivity, creativity, and communication, aiding in task management. Faisal Kawoosa, Chief Analyst at TechArc, believes that the Copilot+ PC will be much more useful for enterprises than individuals. He said, "Enterprises have vast amounts of data that can effectively leverage the power of AI. Moreover, today's corporate users deal with a labyrinth of interconnected apps. Remembering and connecting these applications was entirely up to the user, but with Copilot+, AI can handle these complex tasks."

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[GPT] GPT-4o release boosts 'ChatGPT' mobile app revenue

The release of OpenAI's new model 'GPT-4o' has led to a significant increase in revenue for the 'ChatGPT' mobile app, reaching a record high. The response has been remarkable from the start.

TechCrunch reported on the 20th (local time) that the net income of the ChatGPT mobile app reached up to $900,000 (approximately 1.2 billion KRW) on the 14th, the day after the release of GPT-4o. This is nearly double the daily average of $491,000 (approximately 670 million KRW) for the ChatGPT app.

According to data from the mobile analytics company Appfigures, the net income of the ChatGPT mobile app increased by 22% on the launch day of GPT-4o and continued to rise over the following days.

In April, there was a significant surge in revenue, reaching $622,670 (approximately 850 million KRW), which was the second highest ever. However, this was just an abnormally high-income day, and the scale was much smaller.

From the 13th to the 17th, the total net income from the Apple Store and Google Play reached $4.2 million (approximately 5.7 billion KRW), which is the highest ever.

This increase in subscription demand for the ChatGPT mobile app is particularly notable given that GPT-4o is available for free on the web but is only accessible to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who pay $19.99 (approximately 27,000 KRW) per month. The ChatGPT subscription fee is more expensive than a Netflix subscription, indicating a huge demand to experience the latest AI voice assistant on mobile.

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[AI] Amazon also enters the AI assistant battlefield... "Alexa equipped with generative AI"

Amazon is set to unveil a voice assistant equipped with conversational artificial intelligence (AI) called 'Alexa' at the end of this year, CNBC reported on the 22nd (local time), citing sources.

Following recent plans by OpenAI, Google, and Apple to release voice assistants with conversational AI, it has been confirmed that Amazon will also launch a voice assistant capable of interacting with people through voice, beyond just text. This is expected to intensify the competition surrounding 'AI assistants.'

Sources reported that Amazon plans to upgrade its 10-year-old Alexa voice assistant with generative AI and charge a monthly subscription fee to offset the technology development costs. The subscription fee has not yet been determined, but it will not be included in the annual Amazon Prime membership fee of $139.

Alexa is an AI voice assistant similar to Apple's Siri. It gained popularity at launch by providing voice-activated features such as setting timers and alarms, and giving weather updates upon user request. However, with the rise of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, Alexa's older version has become outdated.

Amazon is reportedly using its self-developed large language model 'Titan' to equip Alexa with generative AI. As chatbot competition intensified around OpenAI and Google, Amazon announced last September that it was developing a generative AI-based Alexa. In a letter to shareholders last month, Amazon revealed that it is building generative AI applications across its consumer business, including a more powerful Alexa.

As Amazon transforms Alexa into a conversational AI, the competition surrounding AI assistants capable of interacting with people is expected to become fierce. On the 13th, OpenAI unveiled its new AI model 'GPT-4o,' which can see, hear, and converse. A day later, Google introduced 'Project Astra,' which features similar capabilities. Apple, which is pushing to integrate AI functions into its devices, is expected to announce the inclusion of generative AI in Siri as part of its AI strategy at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month.

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[Apple] Apple introduces new accessibility features including eye tracking, music haptics, and voice shortcuts

Apple today unveiled new accessibility features, set to be released later this year, including eye tracking for controlling an iPad or iPhone with the eyes, aimed at people with physical disabilities. Another newly introduced feature, Music Haptics, allows users with hearing impairments or deafness to experience music in a new way using the iPhone's Taptic Engine.

Meanwhile, new features like Voice Shortcuts, which help users perform tasks with custom sounds, and Car Motion Cues, which help reduce motion sickness when using an iPhone or iPad in a moving vehicle, were also unveiled. Additionally, more accessibility features will be added to visionOS. These newly introduced features are the result of the combined capabilities of Apple hardware and software, utilizing Apple Silicon, artificial intelligence, and on-device machine learning, further advancing Apple's decades-long effort to design products for all users.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated, "We believe that the power of change through innovation enriches lives," adding, "This is why Apple has strived to incorporate accessibility as a core feature of its hardware and software for nearly 40 years. We will continue to push the boundaries of technology, and these new features reflect our long-standing commitment to providing the best possible experience for all users."

Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, said, "We are opening new horizons in accessibility every year," adding, "These new features will impact the lives of a wide range of users by providing new ways to communicate with others, control their devices, and navigate the world."

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[Jobs] AI-induced job reduction fear becomes reality... Tech companies cut over 5,500 jobs at the start of the year

The rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly taking over human jobs. It is ironic that tech companies and developed countries that created or contributed to the advancement of AI are the first to be affected.

On the 14th (local time), CNN reported that tech companies are making large-scale investments in AI while continuing to reduce their workforce.

According to the report, the world's largest search engine company Google and the world's largest e-commerce company Amazon each laid off hundreds of employees last week. The social networking service (SNS) platform Discord and the mobile game developer Unity Software, known for Pokémon Go, also cut their workforce by 17% and 25%, respectively. The online language learning company Duolingo reduced its contract staff by about 10%. Notably, according to the tech layoff tracking site Layoffs, more than 5,500 tech company employees in the US and some other countries have lost their jobs within the first two weeks of this year. In the past two years, the tech industry has laid off hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide.

This wave of restructuring and reorganization is seen as a process of normalizing the over-hiring that occurred in this field during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the influence of AI is also evident.

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That's all for today's RCTOWN newsletter. Did you have a productive and enjoyable May? The weather is mild and great for walks, but the temperature difference between day and night is still significant. It's chilly in the morning and evening, so make sure to dress warmly. We'll be back every three weeks with some useful tips just when you might have forgotten about us.🍀😊