Startup Stash - Anger Pal and A Blinking Box 🫴

A few weeks ago we heard about the physical GPT - the AI with a body. And we thought: well, it’s still time before the AI could be our emotional pal. 

We were wrong. AI has already taken the leap into the realm of emotions. Hume.ai's latest creation, the Empathic Voice Interface (EVI), is touted as the first AI capable of discerning users' emotions solely from their speech patterns.

The EVI possesses the remarkable ability to detect a range of emotions like anxiety, surprise, or frustration, and tailor its responses accordingly. 

While it represents a significant stride towards AI sounding more human-like, there's still a considerable distance to traverse before it can truly deceive us.

Curious folks out there can interact with the EVI through a demo, and we highly recommend giving it a try. But don’t expect too much. Although the responses bear a resemblance to those generated by GPT, the experience isn’t perfect. 

The answers sound robotic (no surprises there) – with abrupt shifts in tone and disjointed intonation, making it feel like a patchwork of disconnected sentences rather than a cohesive dialogue.

However, the answer did seem aligned with the emotions. If you pretend to be irate, the EVI will attempt to pacify you — a happy development after the ill-fated incident of ChatGPT suggested a man to commit suicide when the depressed human asked it for advice. 

The EVI API is already accessible to the public, so we can anticipate a wave of new applications leveraging its capabilities in innovative ways.

Retiring from your full-time job undoubtedly carries its own set of sacrifices. But for many Americans, the financial toll of retirement has reached unprecedented heights.

Recent findings Northwestern Mutual, which polled 4,588 American adults, reveal that the average U.S. adult anticipates needing a hefty $1.46 million to bid farewell to the workforce comfortably. This is in stark contrast to boomers and older Americans who say that $990k is sufficient to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

Sadly, GenZ and Millennials aren’t even close to saving up this colossal amount. The typical survey respondent has only managed to save $88.4k towards retirement by 2024 – a far cry from the "magic number.” 

But it’s not all their fault. Thanks to inflation and its future woes, the retirement figure has surged by 53% since 2020. Inflation, however, is not the only factor affecting the number. 

• Our perception of how much we need for a comfortable retirement is heavily influenced by our proximity to the age of around 65. 
• Escalating healthcare expenses have further compounded concerns, particularly among younger workers.

Are you worried that your boss is thinking of replacing them with a box with blinking lights? 

According to a recent report: 40% of managers hope to replace some workers with AI this year. And the evidence is stacking up. AI is playing a part in the current flood of tech industry layoffs.

Beautiful.ai surveyed 3,000 people in management positions to learn how they're implementing the new technology in their business.

• 66% of the managers said they're using AI at work to boost worker productivity. 
• More concerningly, 12% said their use of AI was undertaken with a goal of downsizing and cutting labor costs. 
• 48% were clear that the company could save a lot of cash by replacing a "large number" of staff this year. 
• Four in 10 managers said they thought they could replace employees with AI, and operate just as well.

💉 Natural & Non-invasive - A recent global survey found that the number of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures jumped 57.8% from ~11.9m in 2018 to ~17.6m in 2022. 

🧘‍♀️ Weighty Market - Costco is rolling a 3-month weight-loss program with healthcare marketplace Sesame. 

🏡 A Costly Basic - A typical and basic home now costs $1 million and up in more than 500 U.S. cities.

🏢 Vacant Floors - Office vacancies are near 20% now, as the ‘slow bleed’ continues. 

🤳 Time to revise your relationship with screen time? Here’s a sensible and realistic two-week itinerary for a digital detox.