Between open-sourced AI models with animal names and guest spots from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton, Meta has carved out an idiosyncratic and perhaps more whimsical lane in Silicon Valley’s race to own the next wave of AI.

Sure, much of the attention in this week’s earnings call went to Meta’s core business of advertising—for which the company put up strong numbers. But Mark Zuckerberg also seemed hyped to talk AI—and analysts had some questions about Meta’s plans there.

Forget the namesake metaverse: In the earnings call, Zuckerberg only used the term thrice. AI, however, merited nearly 70 mentions, and Zuckerberg said it will be the “biggest investment area in 2024.” Rather than hiring new people to manage this push, the Meta CEO said the company will continue “deprioritizing a number of non-AI projects” and reassign those workers to AI efforts.

While many tech giants’ plans center on one key assistant—ChatGPT, GPT-4, or Bard—woven throughout their products, Meta boasts more of an ensemble cast. The company does have a new all-purpose assistant called Meta AI, but it’s also building business chatbots, AI personas of real-life celebrities, and even imagined AI characters.

“We think that having a basic assistant is really important, but we think that…there are going to be lots of different AIs that people interact with,” Zuckerberg said. “We think ultimately, most creators are going to want one to help grow and engage their community. We think most businesses are going to want one to help support their customers and help drive commerce. So we think that there are going to be a lot of different AIs.”

Keep reading here.—PK

Riddle us this: How can you earn 10% annual interest while supporting crime-stopping technology?

You don’t have to be a superhero to solve this one. It’s Knightscope’s Public Safety Infrastructure Bond. Knightscope is offering bonds paying 10% annual interest for 5 years to scale their crime-fighting, AI-powered robots across the country.

Knightscope’s Autonomous Security Robots are already patrolling high-profile locations like Times Square and many others across the country. This bond offering helps get them into the hands of communities who need them while paying you cash each year.

But you don’t want to wait for a bat signal for this one. Only $10m in bonds are available. Fight crime with your portfolio. Buy Knightscope bonds and start earning interest today.

The Biden administration announced this week the creation of 10 biotech hubs across the US under its Tech Hubs program, with each hub eligible to apply for up to $75 million to invest in areas like research and development and job creation.

The hubs are spread across the US, primarily in rural areas, and are part of a $500 million investment from the Biden administration that’s intended to boost the tech industry’s growth beyond the coasts.

“For too long, economic growth and opportunity has clustered in a few cities on the coasts,” according to the White House. “The Tech Hubs will bring the benefits and opportunities of scientific and technological innovation to communities across the country, with nearly three-quarters significantly benefitting small and rural areas and more than three-quarters directly supporting historically underserved communities.”

Keep reading on Healthcare Brew.—MA

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

I write about all things emerging tech, especially the tech that connects us and our world. That includes the obvious candidates—think the internet, mobile networks, and wi-fi—but also the unexpected. (Online cows, anybody?)

What technologies are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

I love the prospect of moving away from fossil fuels for transportation, and electric vehicles have my attention. As I recently wrote in a Tech Brew essay, there’s definitely an intimidation factor if you’re a first-time EV driver, but the basics are relatively simple to master. Now that I’m familiar with EV charging etiquette, my next rental will likely be electric.

I’m still not sold on the metaverse. I can understand the appeal of fun, immersive experiences like the palm-sweat-inducing rock-climbing game my brother introduced me to on Oculus, or the utter shenanigans you can get up to in PokerStars VR (stop stealing my cigars, man!). But making VR headsets a fixture of corporate technology? I’m not ready to sit in a virtual conference room sipping virtual coffee.

Keep reading here.