GAIA Generative AI Accelerator Allocates $160 Million for 120 Startups

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
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GAIA Generative AI Accelerator Allocates $160 Million for 120 Startups

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) logo

Supported by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), in cooperation with New Native Inc., GAIA, the generative artificial-intelligence (AI) accelerator, contributed to supporting and empowering start-ups specialized in generative AI with the aim of improving them and accelerating their entry to the market.

GAIA has established four AI Hackathons so far, where more than 7,000 participants and AI developers have created 185 prototypes. The program budget has reached $30 million with the aim of empowering 300 startups in generative AI.

The first batch of GAIA accelerator was launched in July 2023 with the participation of 15 startups with the value of its investment fund amounting to $160 million that aims to invest in 120 companies in the early stages, as it tracks the progress of startups automatically using generative AI techniques.

The establishment of GAIA falls within efforts of SDAIA and NTDP to enhance the Kingdom’s pioneering scientific status as a leading enabler of AI technologies.

GAIA works on empowering the environmental AI systems in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region through offering programs that target the entrepreneurship sector and technology startups and attract Al-driven businesses in the Kingdom.



LinkedIn CEO to Take over Office, More AI Duties in Microsoft Executive Shuffle

A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed LinkedIn logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed LinkedIn logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
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LinkedIn CEO to Take over Office, More AI Duties in Microsoft Executive Shuffle

A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed LinkedIn logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed LinkedIn logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)

The CEO of LinkedIn will take additional responsibility for Microsoft's Office products, while an executive responsible for one of the company's leading business-to-business artificial intelligence products will start reporting to head of the company's Windows unit, according to a memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella viewed by Reuters.

Ryan Roslansky, who oversees the business-focused social network owned by Microsoft, will remain CEO of LinkedIn but also oversee products such as Word and Excel and also "Copilot," Microsoft's leading AI product, within the company's productivity software suite, the memo said.

Roslansky will report to Rajesh Jha, who oversees Microsoft Windows and Teams, among other duties. The memo said existing Office leaders Sumit Chauhan and Gaurav Sareen will report to Jha as well.

Also moving to report to Jha will be Charles Lamanna, who leads "Copilot" for business and industrial users, the memo said.