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Why are investors getting so excited about generative AI? Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast

Tools like DALL-E and ChatGPT are all over social media. This week on the pod, we ask whether we should believe the investor hype around generative AI

By Steph Bailey

Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast is our weekly show that boils down the biggest goings on in European tech and startups into a commute-sized dose of news, analysis and features.

This week we look ahead to the new year, about what major policy changes are coming out of the European Union. Our central and eastern Europe reporter Zosia Wanat explains why we should be paying attention to the Digital Services Act (DSA), the landmark AI Act and acts covering gig workers.

We also hear one perspective as to why Europe is licking its wounds. Scientists in the US have become the first to prove nuclear fusion could work in practice. It’s a huge breakthrough but André Loesekrug-Pietri, the president of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI), Europe’s equivalent of DARPA, thinks Europe should have got there first. He joins us to tell us why.

Lastly, we ask Tariq Rauf from London-based Qatalog, which uses generative AI to build operational software for businesses, why investors are so excited about generative AI — and whether we should believe in the hype.

Listen to Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast on Apple, Spotify and all major platforms.

This podcast is brought to you by Zendesk for Startups. Zendesk helps startups build lasting customer experiences from day one. With the Zendesk for Startups Program, startups get Zendesk customer support software and CRM for six months free of charge. Learn more and claim your six months free here.