Artificial Intelligence
The AI Spending Frenzy Is Propping Up the Real Economy, TooLydia DePillis | The Latest York Times
“Corporations will spend $375 billion globally in 2025 on AI infrastructure, the investment bank UBS estimates. That’s projected to rise to $500 billion next yr. Investment in software and computer equipment, not counting the information center buildings, accounted for 1 / 4 of all economic growth this past quarter, data from the Commerce Department shows.”
Artificial Intelligence
Anthropic Settles High-Profile AI Copyright Lawsuit Brought by Book AuthorsKate Knibbs | Wired
“Anthropic has reached a preliminary settlement in a category motion lawsuit brought by a bunch of distinguished authors, marking a serious turn in one of the crucial significant ongoing AI copyright lawsuits in history. The move will allow Anthropic to avoid what might have been a financially devastating consequence in court.”
Under Pressure After Setbacks, SpaceX’s Huge Rocket Finally Goes the DistanceStephen Clark | Ars Technica
“The largely successful mission for the world’s largest rocket was a vital milestone for SpaceX’s Starship program after months of repeated setbacks, including three disappointing test flights and a strong explosion on the bottom that destroyed the ship that engineers were originally readying for this launch.”
Computing
China Is Constructing a Brain-Computer Interface IndustryEmily Mullin | Wired
“Jointly authored in July by seven departments inside the Chinese government—including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences—the brand new policy document lays out a road map for China to attain breakthroughs in BCI technology by 2027 and construct an internationally competitive industry by 2030.”
Tech
Researchers Are Already Leaving Meta’s Latest Superintelligence LabZoë Schiffer | Wired
“Not less than three artificial intelligence researchers have resigned from Meta’s latest superintelligence lab, just two months after CEO Mark Zuckerberg first announced the initiative. Two of the staffers have returned to OpenAI, where they each previously worked, after lower than one-month stints at Meta, Wired has confirmed. …Meta executives have reportedly struggled to combat bureaucratic and recruitment issues related to its AI initiatives.”
Energy
Nvidia, Google, and Bill Gates Help Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raise $863MTim De Chant | TechCrunch
“The Massachusetts-based company has raised nearly $3 billion so far, probably the most of any fusion startup. …Fusion power has long been promised as an almost limitless energy source, though it wasn’t until recently that investors considered it a bet value placing. As advances in computing and AI have quickened the pace of research and development, the sector has turn out to be a hotbed of startup and investor activity.”
Future
Taco Bell Rethinks Way forward for Voice AI on the Drive-ThroughIsabelle Bousquette | The Wall Street Journal
“Since last yr, Taco Bell has rolled out voice AI-powered ordering at greater than 500 drive-through locations, and now the chain is realizing that not every customer is a fan of the brand new tech. Some have taken to social media to complain about glitches and delays. Others are simply just weirded out. After which there may be a contingent intent on trolling the system with orders like, ‘18,000 cups of water, please.'”
Energy
Google’s Still Not Giving Us the Full Picture on AI Energy UseCasey Crownhart | MIT Technology Review
“I used to be excited to see [Google’s AI energy use] report come out, and I welcome more openness from major players in AI about their estimated energy use per query. But I’ve noticed that some folks are taking this number and using it to conclude that we don’t have to worry about AI’s energy demand. That’s not the suitable takeaway here. Let’s dig into why.”
Artificial Intelligence
Google’s AI Model Just Nailed the Forecast for the Strongest Atlantic Storm This 12 monthsEric Berger | Ars Technica
“This doesn’t suggest Google’s model shall be one of the best for each storm. The truth is, that’s impossible. But we actually shall be giving it more weight in the longer term. Furthermore, these are very latest tools. Google’s Weather Lab, together with a handful of other AI weather models, has already shown equivalent skill to one of the best physics-based models in a short while. If these models improve further, they could thoroughly turn out to be the gold standard for certain varieties of weather prediction.”
Future
AI Is Eliminating Jobs for Younger StaffWill Knight | Wired
“The researchers discovered several strong signals in the information—most notably that the adoption of generative AI coincided with a decrease in job opportunities for younger staff in sectors previously identified as particularly vulnerable to AI-powered automation (think customer support and software development). In these industries, they found a 16 percent decline in employment for staff aged 22 to 25.”
Robotics
America’s Newest Auto Plant Is Filled with Robots. It Still Needs the Human Touch.John Keilman | The Wall Street Journal
“The factory, which opened near Savannah, Ga., late last yr, deploys 750 robots, not counting the lots of of autonomous guided vehicles that glide across the ground. About 1,450 people work alongside them. That roughly 2-to-1 ratio of humans to robots compares with the US auto-industry average of 7-to-1.”
Artificial Intelligence
A Higher Approach to Think About AIDavid Autor and James Manyika | The Atlantic
“Slightly than asking AI to hurl itself over the [automation] abyss while hoping for one of the best, we must always as a substitute use AI’s extraordinary and improving capabilities to construct bridges. What this implies in practical terms: We should always insist on AI that may collaborate with, say, doctors—in addition to teachers, lawyers, constructing contractors, and plenty of others—as a substitute of AI that goals to automate them out of a job.”