"AI Innovations: Electric Planes, Regulatory Software, Military Metaverses & Market Titans"

In the ever-evolving world of AI and technology, we're seeing some exciting innovations. This week, our attention is drawn to São Paulo, Brazil, where the 30th SAE BRASIL International Mobility Congress and Exhibition is set to take place on October 10th and 11th, 2023. The congress's theme, “Driven by Innovation: We are the next generation of mobility”, is apt, given the significant impact of AI on mobility and transportation. The event will feature over 20 panels, numerous workshops, and a competition styled as a hackathon or ideathon, centered around the theme “Artificial Intelligence in Mobility”. The competition aims to equip students with knowledge and prepare them for future roles in this field. A highlight of the event is an exhibit by Embraer - a fully electric plane, developed in partnership with WEG and EDP. This aircraft, which had its inaugural flight in 2020, is still under rigorous testing of its innovative propulsion system. This innovation signals a new era of eco-friendly aviation, powered by electric propulsion, a sector where AI could offer numerous opportunities for optimization and enhancement. Visitors can also experience, through virtual reality, eVTOL – an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle for urban air mobility from Eve, an Embraer enterprise. This reflects the growing interest and advancements in AI for autonomous vehicles, particularly in urban environments. Moving away from mobility, we now look at the rapid growth and evolving applications of AI in other industries such as the cannabis business and the food industry. An advocate from the Florida-based firm, Mr. Cannabis Law, is pioneering the use of AI software to simplify the regulatory complexities around establishing and operating a marijuana business, highlighting the potential of AI to streamline processes across various industries. In another development, HungryRoot founder Ben McKean has launched a nonprofit called Every, which uses AI to promote self-awareness and interpersonal relationships. The app generates games and provides insights, all driven by AI. This is an example of how AI, when combined with human behavioral aspects, is disrupting traditional approaches to mentoring and relationship building. These developments underscore how AI is not only transforming how we operate across various industries, but also how we interact and perceive ourselves. As we continue to witness the rapid growth and adoption of AI, it's crucial that we not only celebrate and harness these advancements, but also thoughtfully consider their ethical implications and societal impacts. In the face of current market volatility, some of the biggest tech giants, the "Magnificent Seven", are best positioned to weather this storm. This 'Magnificent Seven' includes Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla—primarily companies with a market capitalization exceeding $1 trillion and substantial cash reserves. These tech stocks led the market rally in the first half of this year, with many of their share prices tripling. Jim Cramer, a prominent CNBC commentator, suggests that in the face of escalating bond yields, these mega-cap tech stocks could be our safeguard against market shocks. He argues that few companies worldwide have balance sheets as robust as these tech giants. They offer top-tier products such as Apple’s iPhones or Nvidia’s graphic processing units, which remain in high demand. Yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury are at their highest level since 2007, causing volatility among stocks. In contrast, these tech stocks, singled out by Cramer, have a history of exceptional performance over the past decade. For instance, Nvidia’s stock has risen more than 600% over the past five years, while Tesla’s share price has surged more than an incredible 1,400% in the same timeframe. These mega-cap tech stocks are driven by the evolution of generative artificial intelligence (AI). With unprecedented levels of global uncertainty, leaning towards these tech stocks could be the right move. Additionally, they are influencing various other sectors, including the biotech industry, and changing the game with their AI technologies. Companies like Ginkgo Bioworks are revolutionizing synthetic biology through AI. They have developed an innovative approach of converting microorganisms into data to support their AI systems, enabling them to predict beneficial mutations and thereby increasing cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Even giants like Pfizer have collaboration agreements with Ginkgo, recognizing the potential of AI-infused biotechnology. Eli Lilly has also leveraged AI technology to enhance its drug discovery and approval processes, partnering with companies like Yseop to utilize AI's natural language processing capabilities to present data to regulations authorities in more compelling ways, thereby accelerating drug approval processes. In essence, AI isn’t just transforming the technology sector, but is gradually infiltrating other fields like biotech. This proves that as investors, we can't overlook the increasing importance of AI in our investment strategies. This is where AI meets markets—in the boardrooms of the Magnificent Seven. We're also seeing some remarkable innovation in the world of augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and military training. Our focus is on a groundbreaking piece of news about a military metaverse - a collective digital combat space where soldiers can interact in real-time. This metaverse, which has been likened to a massive, multi-day multiplayer video game, is set to completely revolutionize the way the U.S. military trains. Developed by former F-22 pilot Dan Robinson and his company, Red 6, this military metaverse combines the world of artificial intelligence with augmented reality and military operations. The goal? To provide a realistic, immersive, and flexible training environment for soldiers, particularly for Air Force pilots. What sets the military metaverse apart is its potential to simulate extensive campaign-length combat situations, which can significantly enhance the level and intensity of training. But why augmented reality? Well, augmented reality allows digital content to overlay the real world, creating a rich, immersive environment where any potential combat scenario can be addressed. This innovation, simply put, means that pilots will see digital displays of simulated combat scenarios as they fly their aircraft. The parallel to video games here is uncanny and intentional. Digital training simulations and the use of gaming in military training aren't new. They have been part of the training repertoire for years, playing a significant part in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of joint military training. However, this particular application, this military metaverse, takes it to an entirely new level. The cost implications cannot be ignored either, especially given that training fighter pilots can cost anywhere between 6 to over 10 million dollars. The costs to operate flights range from $8000 per hour for an F-16 to a staggering $33,000 an hour for an F-22 flight. Amid these financial considerations, the metaverse's ability to provide more frequent training against relevant targets becomes all the more valuable. Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of this AI-enabled military metaverse is its potential for adaptive learning. Robinson points out that the augmented reality simulations help pilots quickly learn from the consequences of their military actions. The ability to fly a mission, see the impact of their actions, and then immediately adapt tactics for the next mission offers a dynamic learning opportunity like never before. Looking forward, the vision is clear. The future might involve all warfighters across domains being connected in joint synthetic —or virtually augmented—training environments outdoors. The military metaverse is viewed as an extension of this future synthetic training environment, signaling a significant paradigm shift in training methodology. With advancements like these, we're seeing just how AI and AR innovations continue to reshape and redefine traditional norms across various domains, and it highlights how technology, with its limitless possibilities, truly is rewriting the future as we know it.