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Welcome to The Prompt by Kuro House, your daily dose of AI news and insights. Today, we’re diving into some groundbreaking updates from the AI world that you need to know. From startups revolutionizing HR in the Middle East to AI’s role in healthcare and national security, we’ve got you covered.
First up, imagine an AI-powered Rippling designed specifically for the MENA region. That’s exactly what Cercli, a Dubai-based startup and Y Combinator alum, is building. According to TechCrunch, Cercli just closed an oversubscribed $12 million Series A round led by Picus Capital. They’ve rebuilt their entire payroll and recruitment stack to be AI-native, scaling revenue over 10 times and processing more than $100 million in payroll annually across 50 countries. Their AI-first approach allows for rapid onboarding in just a few days, a stark contrast to the months-long setups typical with legacy systems. Cercli’s consolidation of HR, payroll, and compliance tools into one unified platform is helping MENA businesses operate more efficiently on a global scale.
Next, Meta AI is seeing a surge in app downloads and daily users following the launch of its new Vibes AI video feed. Similarweb’s data shows daily active users jumping to 2.7 million as of mid-October, up from just 775,000 a month earlier. Daily downloads have also increased to 300,000, a massive leap compared to 4,000 daily downloads a year ago. The Vibes feed, launched in late September, features short-form AI-generated videos that seem to be driving this growth. Interestingly, this spike coincides with the launch of OpenAI’s video generator Sora, suggesting that attention on one AI video app may be benefiting others.
Over in New York City, the Friend AI pendant has sparked quite a bit of controversy. The $129 chatbot necklace, heavily advertised in subway ads, has drawn both attention and backlash. As reported by The Verge, a protest formed where people defaced the ads and expressed their frustration with the idea of AI replacing human friendship. Friend’s founder Avi Schiffmann attended the protest, describing it as a serious and productive conversation with the community. Despite the criticism, this intense public reaction shows that AI devices challenging social norms are definitely getting people talking.
In healthcare, Zocdoc’s CEO Oliver Kharraz shared some fascinating insights about AI’s role in medical appointments and patient care. On The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Kharraz explained how Zocdoc uses AI to improve doctor-patient matching and streamline appointment scheduling. He emphasized a hybrid approach where AI handles routine tasks, but complex medical advice remains firmly in human hands. Zocdoc’s AI assistant, Zo, can autonomously schedule appointments by phone, reducing wait times and improving user experience. Importantly, Kharraz highlighted that while telehealth is growing, most medical appointments remain in-person, especially outside mental health. He also discussed the challenges and opportunities around AI integration with platforms like Google, Apple, and emerging agent technologies.
Finally, Anthropic has teamed up with the US government to prevent its AI, Claude, from assisting in nuclear weapon development. Wired reports that Anthropic and the National Nuclear Security Administration co-developed a sophisticated nuclear classifier filter. This filter is designed to identify and block conversations that might veer into sensitive nuclear weapon information. While experts are divided on the necessity and effectiveness of this measure, it represents a proactive step in AI safety for national security. Anthropic is even offering this classifier as a voluntary industry standard to other AI companies to reduce potential risks.
That wraps up today’s top AI stories, showcasing innovation, controversy, and responsibility in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. As AI continues to weave deeper into our lives, these developments remind us how crucial thoughtful design and ethical considerations are. Thanks for tuning into The Prompt by Kuro House. Stay curious, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more AI updates.
