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AbCellera receives $300 million in combined government funding for biotech campus (BETAKIT)

Vancouver-based AbCellera will receive $300 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund to upgrade existing facilities throughout Vancouver and to develop a “state-of-the-art” biotech campus featuring a preclinical antibody-development facility.

Ex-OpenAI execs raise $450 million for Anthropic, a rival A.I. venture backed by Google (CNBC)

Anthropic, an artificial intelligence startup founded in 2021 by former OpenAI research execs, said it raised $450 million on Tuesday. This marks the largest AI funding round this year since Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI in January, according to PitchBook data.

BenchSci closes $95-million CAD Series D to expand AI drug-discovery platform (BETAKIT)

Toronto-based BenchSci, which helps pharmaceutical firms accelerate research and development using artificial intelligence, has secured $95 million CAD in Series D funding.

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ChatGPT-maker OpenAI says has no plans to leave Europe (REUTERS)

OpenAI has no plans to leave Europe, CEO Sam Altman said on Friday, reversing a threat made earlier last week to leave the region if it becomes too hard to comply with upcoming laws on artificial intelligence.

Altman had previously said the current draft of the EU AI Act was “over-regulating.”

Cognosys raises $2-million seed round to create AI personal assistants (BETAKIT)

Artificial intelligence startup Cognosys has secured $2 million CAD in a seed round.

The company, which is headquartered in Vancouver, is creating web-based AI agents that it claims will serve as personal assistants.

AI guru Yoshua Bengio says regulation too slow, warns of ‘existential’ threats (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Artificial intelligence pioneer Yoshua Bengio says regulation in Canada is on the right path, but progress is far too sluggish.

He is calling on the federal government to begin rolling out rules immediately against certain threats such as “counterfeiting humans” using AI-driven bots.

“There’s a revolution in the wings”: Why Canada’s semiconductor industry needs an overhaul (BETAKIT)

Niraj Mathur, co-founder of Blumind, discusses his experience building a deep-tech company in Canada and why he feels the semiconductor industry is due for an all-out revolution.

Here’s What Happens When Your Lawyer Uses ChatGPT
(THE NEW YORK TIMES)

When an airline asked a Manhattan federal judge to toss out a lawsuit, the complainant’s lawyers vehemently objected, submitting a 10-page brief that cited more than half a dozen relevant court decisions. 

There was just one hitch: ChatGPT invented the whole thing.

Evaluating UCP and NDP plans for tech as Alberta’s election day approaches (BETAKIT)

Advance polling for the 2023 Alberta general election has already begun. What’s on the table for the province’s tech sector?

Here’s what Canadian tech can expect from the United Conservative Party and New Democratic Party leading up to and following Alberta’s provincial election on May 29.

Paradigm broadening crypto-only focus to areas including AI
(THE BLOCK)

Crypto venture capital firm Paradigm, one of the most established and active players in the space, is going beyond just blockchain and highlighting a focus on a broader array of “frontier tech” that includes artificial intelligence.

Summer camp for Canadian tech is back:
Startupfest returns July 12-14 (BETAKIT)

Startupfest has announced its Big Picture Agenda, highlighting some of the major attractions coming to the Montreal technology festival when it kicks off July 12.

Use this BetaKit-supplied 15 percent discount code for your Startupfest tickets so we can see you in Montreal!

How Microsoft Swallowed Its Pride to Make a Massive Bet on OpenAI (THE INFORMATION)

Last December, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella demanded to know how OpenAI had managed to surpass the capabilities of the AI project Microsoft’s 1,500-person research team had been working on for decades.

“OpenAI built this with 250 people,” Nadella said. “Why do we have Microsoft Research at all?”

Opinion: Laid-off tech employees are overlooking public service (BETAKIT)

Code For Canada’s Dorothy Eng argues that tech professionals would enjoy the challenge of designing solutions for everyone in Canada, not just those who can afford them.

More Big Money For AI: Insider Raises $105M (CRUNCHBASE)

A day after investors flooded $700 million into two AI startups — Builder.ai and Anthropic — Turkey-based AI marketing platform Insider locked up another $105 million.

Insider offers a platform that allows its more than 1,200 customers to connect customer data across channels and systems, predict future behavior with an AI-enhanced engine, and provides an individualized customer experience.

The post A|I: The AI Times – AbCellera and BenchSci secure big funding first appeared on BetaKit.