Grindr is removing an "ethnicity filter" from its dating app as part of its support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the company announced on Monday. The controversial feature, limited to those who stump up £12.99 a month for the premium version of the app, allows users to sort search results based on reported ethnicity, height, weight and other characteristics. In a statement posted to Instagram, the company said "We stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the hundreds of thousands of queer people of color who log in to our app every day. "We will continue to fight racism on Grindr, both through dialogue with our community and a zero-tolerance policy for racism and hate speech on our platform. As part of this commitment, and based on your feedback, we have decided to remove the ethnicity filter from our next release.

Sony and Microsoft have joined together to create artificial intelligence-powered (AI) smart camera solutions to make it easier for enterprise customers to perform video analytics, the companies announced. Announced last week, the IMX500 is the world's first image sensor to contain a pixel chip and logic chip. The logic chip, called Sony's digital signal processor, is dedicated to AI signal processing, along with memory for the AI model. "Video analytics and smart cameras can drive better business insights and outcomes across a wide range of scenarios for businesses," said Takeshi Numoto, corporate vice president and commercial chief marketing officer at Microsoft. "Through this partnership, we're combining Microsoft's expertise in providing trusted, enterprise-grade AI and analytics solutions with Sony's established leadership in the imaging sensors market to help uncover new opportunities for our mutual customers and partners." Sony and Microsoft also announced that they will create a smart camera managed app powered by Azure Internet of Things (IoT) and cognitive services that it hopes to use alongside the IMX500 sensor to provide new video analytics use cases for enterprise customers.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly important technology within the investment management industry.1 AI has been used in a variety of ways--including as the newest strategy for attempts to "beat the market" by outperforming passive index funds that are benchmarked against the S&P 500, despite the long-standing finding that index funds consistently win that contest.2 Investment advisers who use AI should consider the unique issues the technology raises in light of an adviser's fiduciary duty to its clients. In this client alert, we provide an overview of how AI is being used by investment advisers, the fiduciary duties applicable to investment advisers, and particular issues advisers should consider in designing AI-based programs, to ensure they are acting in the best interests of their clients.3 Under federal law, an investment adviser is a fiduciary to its clients.8

Following the publication of best-selling titles, The FINTECH Book, The INSURTECH Book, The WEALTHTECH Book and The PAYTECH Book, we are pleased to announce the release of the latest instalment in the series: The AI Book. The AI Book is the result of globally crowdsourcing the most cutting-edge artificial intelligence knowledge, led by FINTECH Circle. After the initial call for potential co-authors of the book was released and shared across the wider fintech community, 170 potential contributors submitted proposals with a diverse range of industry expertise. After shortlisting writers, these successful AI entrepreneurs, fintech professionals, thought leaders and investors went on to write chapters for The AI Book, the latest edition of The FINTECH Book Series published by WILEY. Susanne Chishti, the CEO and Founder of FINTECH Circle, selected three AI and technology leaders to join her on the editorial side – a powerful all-women team consisting of Ivana Bartoletti (Technical Director at Deloitte, author and Co-founder of the Women Leading in AI network), Anne Leslie (Senior Managing Consultant at IBM), and Shân M. Millie (Founder at Bright Blue Hare, Founding Associate of London Market Growth and Business Performance Specialists at GreenKite).

Relying on its self-developed full-stack end-to-end AI technology, Xmov has opened the process of intelligent characterization from intelligent modeling to AI performance animation technology which drives facial expressions, eyes, body and finger movements, and generating short videos or real-time broadcasts to realize interaction and commercialization of virtual intelligent property (IP). Ling's team will generate content around such characteristics as the national essence of Peking Opera and the combination of classic and modern fashion on social platforms like Weibo, Instagram, and TikTok, Xmov said in a statement. With commercial programming, the 3D virtual figure will engage in business endorsements, live broadcasts, and participate in online and offline activities. CEO and Xmov founder Chai Jinxiang said virtual IP value will be released at the maximum level via livestreaming and short videos. The emerging virtual idol sector, backed by China's younger generation, has been on the fast development track in recent years, with more domestic internet firms increasing investment in this nascent sector.

Customer experience automation vendor, ActiveCampaign, has secured US$100 million in its latest series B investment round. Key investors this time include Susquehanna and Silversmith Capital Partners, which was the sole sponsor in the series A funding round in 2016. ActiveCampaign said it will use the funding to develop its CXA category through product innovations to advance beyond legacy marketing automation, traditional CRM and service technology, while continuing international expansion and building on its customer success team and partner ecosystem. ActiveCampaign is pitching its platform across the spectrum of small, midsize, and enterprise businesses and has 90,000 customers spanning 161 countries. Since its last funding round, the company said it had increased annual recurring revenue six-fold to more than $90 million, opened new offices in several locations including Sydney, and grown its employee base to 550 staff.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ready, set, INNOVATE! T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) today unveiled six exciting companies handpicked to participate in this year's T-Mobile Accelerator. These companies will work directly with T-Mobile leaders and other industry experts and mentors to develop and commercialize the next disruptive emerging products, applications and solutions made possible by T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network today and in the future. Formerly the Sprint Accelerator, the immersive program runs through July 30 and will culminate in Demo Day where participants showcase their accomplishments. "We are committed to using our broad and deep nationwide 5G network to accelerate innovation and spur the development of new, transformative applications. Mentoring, collaborating with, and providing resources to these six promising companies is an important part of that mission," said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile.

Google says that it will not "build custom AI/ML algorithms to facilitate upstream extraction in the oil and gas industry," the company announced on Tuesday. This represents a small but significant win for climate activists. Google's comment coincided with the release of a new Greenpeace report highlighting the role of the three leading cloud-computing services--Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure--in helping companies find and extract oil and gas. Greenpeace notes that extracting known fossil fuel reserves would already be sufficient to push the world over 2 degrees of warming. Uncovering additional reserves will ultimately lead to even more warming.

The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation announced today that Maxwell Wang is one of the recipients of the 2020 Hertz Fellowship. Wang, a M.D./Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, is one of 16 researchers to receive the prestigious award, chosen from more than 800 applicants from 24 universities across the nation. Hertz Fellows receive up to five years of research funding, giving them the freedom to pursue innovative ideas. At CMU, Wang is studying machine learning and neuroscience, working with mentors Avniel Ghuman, Max G'Sell and Rob Kass. He is conducting research to understand how brain networks change during neuro-interventions, such as deep brain stimulation, and to link these changes to endpoints such as symptom improvement and adverse side-effect profiles.

Sphero, the company behind robotic toys like the BB-8 robot and educational robotics kits, announced today that it's spinning its public safety division into a new company, dubbed Company Six. It plans to commercialize robots and AI software for first responders, government, defense and "those who work in dangerous situations." While Sphero didn't say that Company Six will make robots for police, it sounds like the new company could be headed in that direction. "Our team is excited to build critically-needed robotic hardware and advanced software solutions that help first responders and people with dangerous jobs," said Company Six CEO Jim Booth, formerly Sphero's COO. Sphero has brought four million robots to market, including programmable tank robots, and it's experience in mobility could come in handy.