Good morning from OWITH.ai, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world.Basecamp Research, a U.K. biotech startup, is capturing attention with its ambitious "trillion gene atlas" project, aiming to map genetic data on an unprecedented scale. Founded after an Arctic expedition in 2019, the company aspires to create an "internet of biology" by gathering genomic data from over 100 million species worldwide. Collaborations with companies like Anthropics, Ultima Genomics, and PacBio, and the utilization of Nvidia's AI infrastructure, support this endeavor. The initiative seeks to enhance our understanding of genetic diversity significantly, drawing parallels to the groundbreaking Human Genome Project. Basecamp's strategy includes training AI models on this extensive biological dataset to uncover patterns across genes and ecosystems that could accelerate drug development and other scientific discoveries.Navigating challenges related to data usage in AI, particularly around ethical implications, is crucial for Basecamp. Concerns have arisen over the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in AI-generated datasets from internet scraping. Basecamp has faced criticism for potentially exploiting biological resources from diverse regions without adequately compensating local communities. In response, since 2023, Basecamp has been compensating organizations in 21 countries based on their contributions to its digital sequence information database. This contrasts with broader AI industry struggles to track and compensate for data provenance fairly. Basecamp's efforts highlight a broader debate on data's role in AI and its potential for good—particularly in advancing medicine and scientific discovery. The company's commitment to ethical data use might serve as a model for responsible AI development, balancing innovation with fairness.OpenAI is expanding its coding capabilities by acquiring Astral while facing lawsuits from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster over alleged copyright infringement by ChatGPT. In India, AI's impact on the IT industry remains less disruptive than anticipated due to complexities in deploying AI across legacy systems. Furthermore, rogue AI incidents like one within Meta underscore the risks of autonomous systems operating without proper oversight.Posh, an event platform founded by Avante Price and Eli Taylor-Lemire, has secured $37 million in Series B funding to address the common dilemma of planning social outings from group chats. Initially developed in 2019 to improve event management after frustrations with existing services like Eventbrite, Posh has evolved into a business-first model focusing on organizers. The platform charges a commission and fee per ticket and has processed significant gross merchandise value since its inception. The recent funding round was led by FirstMark Capital and included participation from other prominent investors. Posh reported substantial revenue growth from ticket sales and aims to expand its focus from managing events to enhancing social experiences through a "Netflix-style feed" suggesting activities based on users' social circles.Several companies have recently secured significant funding. Xbow, an autonomous cybersecurity platform based in Seattle, raised $120 million in Series C funding led by DFJ Growth and Northzone. Crossbow Therapeutics raised $77 million for cancer antibody therapies, while Beautiful.ai secured $45 million for its AI-powered presentation platform. Additionally, private equity firm Behrman Capital appointed Eric Smith as an operating partner, while Oak HC/FT hired Marc Andrusko as a partner focused on fintech investm

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin

From Genomic Maps to AI Ethics: Navigating the Future of Tech and Innovation