Google Cloud said on Wednesday that it and Air France-KLM have teamed up to apply generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the data of the airline business.
TakeAway Points:
- Google Cloud said on Wednesday it had partnered with Air France-KLM to deploy generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology on the airline group’s data.
- Loss-making Chinese AI company SenseTime Group said on Tuesday it has completed a major organizational restructuring aimed at ramping up its shift toward generative AI technologies.
- The company wants to make generative AI its core business to drive growth, profitability, and financial soundness.
Google cloud partners with Air France-KLM on technology
On Wednesday, Google Cloud announced that it has teamed up with Air France-KLM to apply generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the data of the airline business.
Google Cloud said in a statement that the Franco-Dutch airline group’s 551 operating aircraft, 93 million passengers carried in 2023, and its commercial and cargo flights generated large amounts of data, which would be used by Google Cloud’s AI solution in areas such as analyzing passenger preferences and travel patterns and predicting maintenance of aircraft.
Air France-KLM will retain full ownership and control of its data, Google Cloud said.
“The group will gain a deeper understanding of passenger preferences, travel patterns, and behaviours to offer newly tailored travel options and services and be able to enhance flight, airport, and business operations, with the time needed for data analysis in predictive plane maintenance already dropping from hours to minutes,” Google Cloud said.
“Airlines generate massive amounts of data, much of which can be incredibly valuable in helping drive operational insights and build better customer experiences,” said Matt Renner, President, Global Revenue at Google Cloud.
China’s SenseTime reshapes to focus on generative AI growth
Making losses The Chinese AI startup SenseTime Group announced on Tuesday that it has finished a significant organisational reorganisation that would accelerate its transition to generative AI technologies.
The Hong Kong-listed company, previously focused on computer vision and surveillance technologies, has accelerated its transformation into generative AI following the industry-wide surge triggered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
SenseTime was one of China’s hottest AI firms but has fallen behind rivals amid the generative AI boom. Its shares have dropped 61% from their issue price three years ago.
The company wants to make generative AI its core business to drive growth, profitability, and financial soundness, it said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Restructuring
The restructuring comes as SenseTime’s computer vision business declines, with its “traditional AI” segment down 50.6% in the first half of this year. The company has yet to turn a profit since its founding a decade ago.
SenseTime launched its large language model, SenseNova, in early 2023, claiming capabilities comparable to OpenAI’s latest GPT version.
In 2021, the United States put SenseTime on an export controls list, alleging it had created facial-recognition software used to oppress Uyghur Muslims. The company said at the time the accusation was unfounded and that it was compliant with laws.
SenseTime’s restructuring sets up several business units with separate CEOs, including for smart auto, domestic robotics, smart healthcare, and smart retail, the company said in its filing.
