Huge chips give supercomputers a run for their money
Gina Genkina | IEEE spectrum
“[Cerebras recently] We have demonstrated that WSE-2, a second-generation wafer-scale engine, is significantly faster than Frontier, the world's fastest supercomputer, for molecular dynamics calculations. [And] “Cerebras worked with machine learning model optimization company Neural Magic to show that sparse large language models can perform inference at one-third the energy cost of the full model without losing accuracy.”
Apple has proven that AI is a feature, not a product.
Will Knight | mad
“Rather than standalone devices or experiences, Apple has focused on how generative AI can enhance apps and OS functionality in small but meaningful ways. Early adopters have certainly flocked to generative AI programs like ChatGPT for help rewriting emails, summarizing documents, and generating images, but this usually involves opening another browser window or app, cutting and pasting, and trying to make sense of the chatbot's sometimes frantic ramblings. meant to do it. . To be truly useful, generative AI must permeate the technologies we already use in ways we can better understand and trust.”
Lung-targeted CRISPR therapy offers hope for cystic fibrosis
Christa Leste-Lasser | new scientist
“CRISPR gene editing therapies have the potential to provide an effective and long-lasting treatment for cystic fibrosis after overcoming major challenges that have hindered previous gene therapies. The approach was successful in editing DNA in hard-to-reach lung stem cells in mice, and the modifications lasted for at least 22 months, or the entire life of the animal, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Daniel Siegwart said:
politics
An AI bot is running for mayor in Wyoming.
Victoria Elliot | mad
“Victor Miller is making an unusual campaign promise as he runs for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Not like that AI bots make decisions. VIC, Virtual Integrated Citizen, is a ChatGPT-based chatbot created by Miller. And Miller says the bots have better ideas and a better understanding of the law than many of the people currently working in government. 'I realized that this institution is much smarter than me and, more importantly, much better than some of the public servants I see,' he says.
Biotech companies are trying to make milk without cows
Antonio Regalado | MIT Technology Review
“The FDA says commercial milk is safe. [from avian influenza] This is because it is pasteurized to kill germs. Still, it's enough to make you think about life beyond milk, like drinking your coffee black or oat milk. But for those of us who can't live without the real thing, it turns out that some genetic engineers are researching ways to retain milk and eliminate cows instead.”
Can Apple save the Vision Pro?
Kevin Roose | new york times
“Vision Pro needs a little more love and vision to reach its full potential. Apple needs better answers to basic questions: What is this for? How will it improve my life or make me more productive than other things I can buy for $3,500? Can you do things you can't do on a laptop or a big TV? Otherwise, your Vision Pro may become obsolete. And I and my fellow Vision Bros could emerge as the Google Glassholes of 2024. This is a tribe of brave but ultimately foolish eccentrics who gambled on the new technologies of the future and lost.”
OpenAI's revenue is soaring.
Laura Bratton | quartz
“OpenAI’s annual revenue has more than tripled over the past year. information. Annual revenue is an estimate of a company's revenue using partial data. That is, multiply last month's profit by 12. OpenAI's annual revenue was about $1 billion last summer, $1.6 billion at the end of 2023, and has now reached $3.40. $1 billion, the outlet said.”
Robotaxi puts humanoid drivers in the cockpit of the future
Paul Ridden | new atlas
“Musashi is a ‘musculoskeletal humanoid’ developed in 2011. [a Japanese] In 2019, our research group was selected as a testbed for learning control systems. The form factor not only has proportions similar to the human body, but also features 'joint and muscle structures' inspired by the human body. The robot has now been seen being used in autonomous driving projects by members of the Jouhou System Kougaku Lab, where it has been trained to master driving in a human-like manner. As you can see in the video below, there are varying degrees of success.”
gadget
The AI upgrade cycle has begun
Jay Peters | The Verge
“AI has quickly become the latest item in the technology industry’s constant desire to drive upgrade cycles. Just a few years ago, every smartphone manufacturer was competing with 5G. About 10 years ago, the TV industry pushed for 3D TV. Nowadays, every technology company clearly sees the opportunity with AI and as a result, they are adding limited AI features to their latest and greatest devices. But like the race toward 5G, the mad rush toward AI is happening quickly before the technology has proven useful and the problems have been solved.”
Image credit: SIMON LEE / Unsplash