Welcome back to your daily dossier talking AI, robotics, crypto and the future of tech. 👾

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🛑 Grok 3 AI temporarily censored criticism of Trump and Musk.
🤖 Microsoft unveils new generative AI-controlled robot for automation.
💰 Bybit faces $4B in withdrawals after major crypto exchange hack.
📈 Adarsh Hiremath shares insights on scaling Mercor and AI recruitment.
🍏 Apple’s M4 MacBook Air nears its official launch date.

AI

• Grok 3 censored criticism of Trump and Musk

  • xAI's chatbot, Grok 3, briefly censored unflattering mentions of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

  • This issue arose from an unauthorized change to Grok's system prompt by a former OpenAI employee now at xAI.

  • xAI later updated the model, removing the restriction to ensure Grok provides unbiased information, but the incident fueled debates.

• Mental health chatbot helps understaffed schools

  • Schools facing counselor shortages are adopting Sonny, a hybrid AI-human chatbot to support student mental health.

  • Sonny engages with students through text, offering guidance and monitoring for issues like anxiety and depression.

  • Currently, Sonny serves over 4,500 students across nine school districts, providing a judgment-free space for teens.

• AI advances boost self-driving car development

  • Automakers are leveraging artificial intelligence to ensure that self-driving cars maintain brand-specific driving characteristics.

  • Companies like Porsche, Volvo, and Rivian are integrating AI-driven software that replicates their signature driving dynamics.

  • Porsche focuses on sporty performance, Volvo prioritizes safety and comfort, and Rivian enhances off-road adaptability.

ROBOTICS

• Microsoft unveils new generative AI-controlled robot for automation

  • Microsoft has released a new generative model, dubbed Magma that can autonomously control an entire robot.

  • "Magma is able to formulate plans and execute actions to achieve it," Microsoft wrote in its research paper.

  • In its announcement, Magma could be used to “complete agentic tasks ranging from UI navigation to robot manipulation.”

• Flatworm-inspired robot swims with shimmy motion

  • Researchers at Switzerland's EPFL have developed an aquatic robot inspired by the movements of marine flatworms.

  • The battery-powered device weighs just 6 grams and measures 45 mm long by 55 mm wide.

  • The current prototype has light sensors that serve as rudimentary eyes, allowing it to autonomously follow moving light sources.

• Japan unveils the world's largest Biohybrid robot hand

  • A team of researchers in Japan says it has developed a robot hand that moves using cultivated human muscle tissues.

  • It has been said that it is the largest of its kind yet developed with hope of applying the technology to prosthetic hands.

  • The biohybrid hand has five fingers that move individually using multiple joints and can perform complex finger movements.

CRYPTO

• Bybit faces $4B in withdrawals after major crypto exchange hack

  • Bybit experienced a $1.5 billion hack and over $4 billion of ‘bank run,’ leading to a total $5.5 billion outflow within the exchange.

  • Bybit CEO Ben Zhou revealed that the security breach saw the hackers make off with roughly 70% of their clients’ ether.

  • Zhou said, “As long as Bybit is there and continues to track, I hope we can get these funds back.”

• Million-dollar Dolce & Gabbana suit fractionalized on Ethereum L2

  • Fermion Protocol is a real world asset or RWA application built on Ethereum layer-2 network Base.

  • Fermion Protocol is launching its services by fractionalizing a Dolce & Gabbana digital suit that was purchased for $1 million.

  • The Glass Suit, part of the Italian fashion brand’s Collezione Genesi, was originally won in an auction by Boson Protocol in 2021.

• Arkham Intelligence exchange launches spot trading on March 1

  • Arkham Intelligence will begin offering spot crypto trading to users in seventeen U.S. states starting March 1.

  • The move follows through on Arkham's announcement from November last year, and the launch of its USDT-based perpetuals exchange.

  • With the launch, Arkham will compete against other USD-supported exchanges in a market dominated by Crypto.com and Coinbase.

CONTENT

• Adarsh Hiremath shares insights on scaling Mercor and AI recruitment

  • Adarsh Hiremath, co-founder and CTO of Mercor, an AI recruitment platform, discusses the company’s rapid growth to $70M ARR.

  • Mercor’s founders, all Thiel Fellows, are now the youngest unicorn founders, following a $100M funding round led by Felicis.

  • Hiremath also shares insights on scaling challenges, AI’s impact on software development, and synthetic vs. human data.

• How to find work you truly love with Bob Moesta

  • Bob Moesta, co-creator of the Jobs to Be Done framework, has released a new book, Job Moves.

  • The book serves as a practical guide to career development, focusing on four career change “quests”.

  • Moesta introduces concepts like the "jobcation", career prototyping, and crafting a compelling career story.

• Building practical AI for enterprises with Aatish Nayak

  • Aatish Nayak, Head of Product at Harvey, discusses building AI products for enterprises, particularly in the legal industry.

  • He emphasizes that industries like law don’t require AGI or cutting-edge models and they need AI solutions that seamlessly integrate.

  • Nayak highlights key considerations such as UX design, trust, and customer engagement, ensuring AI tools provide real value.

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• Apple’s M4 MacBook Air nears official launch date

  • Apple is preparing to update the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs in March, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

  • With the slim laptops’ spec bump, the MacBook line’s M4 transition will be complete.

  • Apple is “preparing its marketing, sales and retail teams for the debut” and letting its retail stock of the laptops clear out.

• Tesla set to launch its own robotaxi service without Uber partnership

  • Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has stated that Elon Musk intends for Tesla to independently roll out its planned robotaxi service.

  • This decision positions Tesla as a direct competitor in the autonomous ride-hailing market and plans to launch robotaxi service by June 2025.

  • Uber, meanwhile, is focusing on partnerships with autonomous vehicle developers, such as Waymo.

• Nvidia confirms ‘rare’ manufacturing defect in RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti

  • Nvidia has acknowledged a manufacturing defect affecting less than 0.5% of its GeForce RTX 5090, 5090D, and 5070 Ti graphics cards.

  • These GPUs were produced with one fewer Render Output Unit (ROP) than intended, leading to an approximate 4% reduction performance.

  • Nvidia stated that affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement.