Self-driving vehicles are revolutionizing urban transport worldwide, and China's central metropolis, Wuhan, is at the forefront of this technological race. The city has an ambitious goal to become the world's first fully driverless city, and this endeavor is already yielding impressive results.
Tech giant Microsoft has partnered with French AI startup Mistral AI to make large language models and AI tools available on its Azure platform. As part of this multi-year partnership, Microsoft has taken a small minority stake in Mistral AI and made an initial financial investment to support the company's development, signaling a strategic move to diversify its AI offerings.
In the summer of 2024, OpenAI began rolling out the highly anticipated Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT. Leveraging the multimodal capabilities of the GPT-4o model, this feature opened a new dimension in communication with artificial intelligence. Initially available to a select group of paid (Plus) subscribers, this function offered hyper-realistic, real-time voice interactions, significantly reducing the latency of previous voice features and enabling more natural conversations.
Artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be legally recognized as an "inventor" on patent applications in the United States, a position confirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and reinforced by guidance from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This stance affirms that under current US law, only human beings qualify for inventorship.
Kroger's latest AI-powered dynamic pricing system has sparked mixed reactions, particularly due to concerns surrounding data privacy and inequality. How does this impact customer trust, and what ethical questions does the new technology raise?
The Linux operating system (OS) has become one of the most influential pieces of software today, especially in the world of servers, data centers, and developer environments. Its journey began in the early 1990s, and thanks to its open-source model, flexibility, and community support, it continues to evolve and spread.
Google DeepMind recently announced AlphaChip, an open-source artificial intelligence system set to revolutionize computer chip design. AlphaChip can generate optimized chip layouts, a crucial step known as floorplanning, in mere hours, compared to the months it can take using traditional human-led methods. This breakthrough was notably detailed in a 2021 publication in the journal Nature.
Amazon has significantly increased its use of robotics, now employing over 750,000 robots across its global network. With these, it aims to enhance the efficiency, safety, and speed of various warehouse workflows and delivery processes.
Amazon has announced the discontinuation of its Astro for Business robot less than a year after its introduction, signaling a strategic shift to concentrate resources on the development of home robotics. This move reflects the company's evolving priorities in the robotics sector.
Anthropic's new artificial intelligence model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, sets new industry standards in reasoning, knowledge, and coding capabilities. Operating at twice the speed of its predecessor, the model excels in complex tasks and enhances collaboration with the new Artifacts feature.
In a move signaling its deepening investment in artificial intelligence, particularly for on-device processing, Apple has acquired Datakalab, a French AI startup specializing in low-power computer vision and deep learning algorithms. The acquisition, finalized in December 2023 for an undisclosed sum, was recently noted in a European Commission filing and highlights Apple's strategy ahead of expected AI feature launches, likely reinforcing its commitment to privacy-preserving AI.
Apple has introduced OpenELM (Open Efficient Language Models), a new family of open-source large language models specifically designed to run locally on devices like iPhones and iPads. This represents a significant shift from the heavy reliance on cloud-based server processing typical for most powerful AI models today. While Apple pioneered on-device AI acceleration with its Neural Engine, it has been less visible in the large generative model space dominated by cloud services. This development is a key part of Apple's broader strategy to integrate more advanced AI capabilities directly into its hardware, aiming to enhance user privacy, reduce latency, and enable offline functionality.
Imagine that everything you see, hear, and feel – your favorite armchair, the neighbor's lawnmower, even your most cherished memories – are all part of an intricate simulation. What if it turned out we aren't living in a physical universe, but within a virtual reality crafted by a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI)?
Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed VERO, an innovative robot dog equipped with vacuum cleaners attached to its feet, designed to clean beaches and other public spaces, with a particular focus on tackling pollution caused by cigarette butts.
As artificial intelligence models grow increasingly complex and power-hungry, the search for more efficient hardware becomes critical. IBM Research has stepped into this challenge, unveiling a novel analog AI chip designed to mimic the brain's efficiency. Utilizing phase-change memory, this chip performs computations directly within memory, reportedly achieving up to 14 times greater efficiency on certain AI tasks compared to its traditional digital counterparts and potentially paving the way for more sustainable AI development.
As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skyrockets, Big Tech companies face the immense challenge of powering their data centers without exacerbating climate change. Driven by the computational intensity of training and running complex models, AI's rapid growth is forcing a re-evaluation of energy sources, creating a delicate balance between developing renewable energy and relying on the immediate availability of fossil fuels. This tension highlights the broader impact of AI's energy footprint on global environmental goals and strains on local power grids.
Known as the "firefly petunia," this glowing petunia is a genetically modified plant that continuously emits a green light, thanks to genes derived from a luminous mushroom.
The Hyundai-owned company recently released a video showing its electric Atlas robot performing push-ups. This demonstration not only showcases the robot's physical capabilities but also highlights potential future applications for humanoid robots.
Boston Dynamics has unveiled a new version of its Atlas humanoid robot, now fully electric, marking a significant shift away from previous hydraulic models. The new Atlas boasts advanced capabilities, including joints offering exceptional rotation (some enabling 360-degree movement), allowing for a wide range of motions that exceed human limits, potentially making it the "world's most dynamic humanoid robot".
Chinese automaker BYD, backed by Warren Buffett, has introduced two new plug-in hybrid sedans, the Qin L and Seal 06, boasting an impressive range of over 1,300 miles (approximately 2,100 km) on a single tank of fuel and a fully charged battery. This remarkable achievement sets a new benchmark in the automotive industry and positions BYD competitively against major players like Volkswagen and Toyota in the Chinese market.