Bitcoin mining companies are diversifying into AI and high-performance computing (HPC) data centres. While Bitcoin miners can adjust energy consumption quickly, AI and HPC operations require constant, massive energy supply. This high demand poses challenges for utility providers. Bitcoin mining facilities are significantly cheaper to build and run than AI/HPC data centres. To meet energy demands, tech giants are turning to nuclear power providers.
OpenAI has added a feature to ChatGPT Advanced Voice allowing users to share short clips of conversations on desktop and mobile. Users can select, save, and share portions of voice chats, except on the web version. This update highlights OpenAI's focus on voice-based interaction with ChatGPT.
ChatGPT visits rose 116% year-over-year to 3.7 billion in October 2023. Other AI tools like NotebookLM, Microsoft CoPilot, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's Gemini also saw significant growth. Business leaders are increasingly familiar with generative AI, with 72% using it weekly. Average budgets for generative AI more than doubled to £8.2 million. Many firms are expanding AI teams, with some appointing Chief AI Officers. Concerns about accuracy, privacy, and integration remain.
Enterprise tech providers are seeing strong growth from AI adoption. Palantir's revenue increased 30% year-over-year, with 54% growth in US commercial revenue. Lumen Technologies is experiencing higher demand for AI infrastructure support. DigitalOcean launched new AI offerings and saw 12% revenue growth. Helport AI's revenue jumped 132% as it expanded to over 30,000 users globally. These developments indicate widespread AI adoption across the tech industry.
Microsoft is adding an AI-powered 'Rewrite' feature to Notepad, using their GPT model to help users refine their writing. It can rephrase, adjust tone, and modify text length. Currently available to some Windows Insiders, it requires a Microsoft account and credits, with wider rollout expected later.
ChatGPT search, combining AI chat with real-time web info, has launched for select users with a Chrome extension. Key uses include trend spotting, recipe finding, and trivia hosting, offering personalised and up-to-date information.
Duolingo showcased its AI integration by using a chatbot to present Q3 earnings results. The company has partnered with OpenAI since 2022, incorporating GPT-4 into its premium service. Duolingo's CEO believes AI features enhance engagement and effectiveness for language learners.
Microsoft has introduced an AI chatbot for Xbox support and is rolling out AI-powered natural language search for the Xbox dashboard. The search will understand descriptive phrases, misspellings and acronyms. These AI features reflect Microsoft's cautious approach to AI integration in Xbox.
An AI robotics startup has raised $400 million, valuing it at $2.8 billion. The company's foundation model, π0, powers robots to follow text instructions and output motor commands. They've published research on enhancing flexible, general-purpose robotic systems.
Ars Technica hosted an event featuring panel discussions on AI, infrastructure, security, and compliance in business computing. The event highlighted the potential impact of generative AI on business and discussed how companies can manage compliance amid rapid technological changes.
Google is developing an AI-powered smart reply feature for its Phone app's call-screening function. This builds on existing capabilities, potentially allowing AI to generate responses based on caller input during screening.
AI and machine learning are revolutionising scientific prediction across fields like college admissions, elections, and drug discovery. Large datasets and complex 'black box' models are being used, with statisticians developing techniques to quantify uncertainty without understanding the models' inner workings. Concerns about reproducibility exist, and statisticians are creating safeguards for reliable findings. The emerging field of data science incorporates traditional statistics with new techniques like large-scale population tracking.
Microsoft has integrated Copilot Pro AI features into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, replacing the previous $20 monthly add-on. This brings AI capabilities to core Office applications. The decision came after user feedback on standalone pricing. Microsoft 365 subscription prices have slightly increased to accommodate this change. The new pricing is available in select Asia-Pacific countries, with plans for global expansion.
Taiwan's semiconductor production is projected to grow 22% to NT$5.3 trillion in 2024, driven by demand for advanced chips in AI servers. This follows a 10.2% decline in 2023 due to weak computer and smartphone demand.
Microsoft has introduced AI-powered themes called 'Themes by Copilot' for Outlook, available to Copilot Pro or business licence holders. The themes work across all Outlook platforms and can be based on weather or locations with dynamic updates. Non-AI themes are also available for users without Copilot licences.
Researchers from top universities questioned whether large language models (LLMs) truly understand the world. Using new metrics, they tested LLMs on city navigation and a board game. Despite high accuracy in normal conditions, LLMs struggled with unexpected changes and created impossible scenarios. This suggests LLMs may perform well without grasping underlying rules, raising concerns for real-world AI deployment. The study will be presented at an upcoming conference.
Datadog, a cloud monitoring firm, has increased its annual revenue forecast to £2.66 billion and raised its adjusted profit forecast to £1.75-1.77 per share. This improved outlook is due to growing demand for its AI-backed cybersecurity products. The company also reported quarterly revenue and profit exceeding analyst expectations.
Anthropic's AI models are gaining popularity among developers, showing faster growth than market leader OpenAI in recent months. Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet model excels at code tasks, while OpenAI maintains its lead due to first-mover advantage and strong developer tools. Both companies report increased usage of their AI models by developers and enterprises.
Fortinet has expanded its AI-powered security assistant, FortiAI, to include FortiNDR Cloud and Lacework FortiCNAPP. FortiAI uses generative AI to simplify security analyses, helping with threat detection, alert clarification, and risk assessment. Fortinet continues to incorporate AI across its product portfolio.
Chinese researchers used Meta's Llama AI model for military purposes, sparking debate on open source AI and national security. Critics want restrictions, while proponents highlight innovation benefits. China's investment in open source AI development has global implications, especially for US-China AI competition.
