Tag: Artificial Intelligence

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Arm reportedly to launch AI chips in 2025 as Softbank plan AI data centres

AI

Arm, with a 90% holding by SoftBank, is reportedly set to establish an AI chip unit with the goal of developing a prototype by spring 2025.

This initiative is aimed at catching up with the booming AI market, currently dominated by Nvidia.

Arm, alongside competitors such as AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, is accelerating efforts to gain position in the AI sector.

SoftBank is negotiating with contract manufacturers, including Taiwan’s TSMC, to produce the AI chips. Mass production is expected to commence in autumn 2025.

Arm’s shares have surged by nearly 45% this year, bringing its market capitalization to over $113 billion.

The chip designer based in the U.K., plans to create an AI chip unit to develop a prototype by spring 2025.

Discussions are reportedly ongoing with contract manufacturers like Taiwan’s TSMC for the production of the AI chips. It was reported that production is anticipated to start in fall 2025.

Arm is responsible for designing the core architecture for these chips. The company licences its designs to companies including Qualcomm and Nvidia and earning royalty fees from each sale. The company asserts that 99% of high-end smartphones utilize Arm technology.

Ambition

Established by Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, SoftBank is heavily investing in AI. The company has new plans to allocate $960 million by the following year to enhance its generative AI computing capabilities. In June 2023, Son expressed SoftBank’s ambition to occupy a leading role in the AI revolution.

Reportedly, SoftBank aims to establish AI data centres equipped with proprietary chips throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East by 2026.

For the fiscal year concluding in March 2024, SoftBank recorded a 7.24 billion Japanese Yen ($4.6 billion) profit in its Vision Fund.

This was the first profitable year for the principal tech investment division since 2021.

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Scientists create ‘world’s purest silicon’ – it has the power to change the world

Purest silcon created

Scientists have recently achieved a remarkable breakthrough by creating pure silicon, which could pave the way for quantum computing

The world’s purest silicon

Researchers have developed an ultra-pure form of silicon, known as silicon-28 (Si-28), which is fundamental for ‘silicon-spin qubits’ in quantum computers. This advancement addresses a major challenge in quantum computing: the ‘fragile quantum coherence.’

Quantum computers tend to accumulate errors quickly due to slight environmental changes, affecting their dependability.

Quantum bits, or qubits, are analogous to classical computer bits but are extremely sensitive to environmental interference.

Technical

Current quantum computers, even when cooled to near absolute zero, can only maintain error-free operation for a very short time.

This new technique generates qubits by embedding phosphorus atoms into crystals of pure, stable silicon. A concentrated silicon beam then directs onto a silicon chip, replacing impurities with pure silicon.

As a result, the impurity levels in silicon have been significantly reduced, from 4.5% to a mere 0.0002%.

David Jamieson, a project co-supervisor from the University of Melbourne, mentioned that the team achieved this level of purity using a standard piece of equipment – an ion implanter – that’s typically found in semiconductor fabrication laboratories.

Richard Curry, a professor at The University of Manchester where extensive research took place, believes that this advancement could accelerate the development of operational quantum computers. Processes that might have taken a decade to complete could now be accomplished in potentially half that time or less.

Potential impact

Practical quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize numerous fields

  • Energy Optimization: They can solve intricate problems related to energy.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Quantum computers may significantly boost AI capabilities.
  • Drug Discovery: They could expedite drug development and molecular simulations.
  • Communication: They can enhance encryption and communication protocols.

The creation of the world’s purest silicon represents a significant step forward in the development of large-scale quantum computers.

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Arm Holdings share price drops

AI

UK chip designer Arm’s shares fell on Thursday 9th May 2024, subdued by revenue forecasts despite a strong sales quarter fueled by demand for AI applications.

Arm announced a 47% increase in fiscal Q4 revenue to $928 million on Wednesday.

This surge was propelled by its licensing business, which saw a 60% increase to $414 million for the quarter, attributed to several high-value licencing deals for AI chips.

Additionally, Arm’s royalty revenues rose 37% to $514 million year-over-year, thanks to the growing adoption of its new Armv9-based chips, which offer higher margins.

However, Arm’s revenue projection for 2025, estimated between $3.8 billion and $4.1 billion, did not meet investor expectations, with analysts anticipating $3.99 billion for the year.

What is Arm?

Contrary to chipmakers like Nvidia, which manufacture and market their own products, Arm creates the ‘architectures’ that form the foundation of chips.

These designs are then licenced to various chip manufacturers, including Qualcomm and Nvidia, with Arm earning royalties on each unit sold.

Originally founded in Cambridge, England, in 1990, Arm was an independent company listed in London until 2016, when it was acquired by Japanese tech investor SoftBank for $32 billion.

In September 2023, SoftBank listed Arm on the Nasdaq. Since its initial public offering, Arm’s share value has more than doubled, driven by the explosive demand for chips that power advanced generative AI applications, such as ChatGPT.

But this recent revenue forecast had a negative effect on its share price

Arm Holdings one year chart to 9th May 2024

The recent revenue forecast had a negative effect on its share price
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Microsoft cloud growth accelerates thanks to AI

Microsoft AI

Microsoft’s Q3 results surpassed estimates for both revenue and earnings.

But the revenue forecast for Q4 was less than anticipated, with the company reportedly projecting $64 billion, which is below the consensus of $64.5 billion – (only just).

Revenue: $61.86 vs. $60.80 billion expected

Earnings per share: $2.94 vs. $2.82 expected

Additionally, Microsoft is reportedly boosting its capital expenditures to acquire Nvidia graphics processing units, which are essential for training and operating artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Microsoft one month share price chart 2024

Microsoft one month share price chart 2024
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Synthesia creates AI avatars that can convey human emotions

Avatar

AI startup Synthesia on Thursday 25th April 2024 announced its ‘Expressive Avatars’. These are AI-generated digital avatars that can express human emotions including happiness, sadness, and frustration.

Synthesia, supported by the tech giant Nvidia, reportedly secured an investment of $90 million in 2023, reaching a valuation close to $1 billion.

This video was created using the Synthesia platform, it took just two minutes to create.

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AI energy consumption is shocking!

AI Energy Consumption

Powering artificial intelligence (AI) models takes a substantial toll on our planet’s energy resources.

Delving deeper into AI, it becomes crucial to comprehend the environmental impact of this technological revolution.

Current trends

A new peer-reviewed study featured in ‘Joule‘ highlights the significant energy requirements of AI. The research, carried out by Alex de Vries, a data scientist at the Dutch central bank, provides a quantification of the energy usage linked to the trends in AI capacity and adoption.

The energy appetite of AI

The AI industry is experiencing rapid growth as major technology companies incorporate AI-driven services into their platforms. These applications require significantly more power than traditional ones, resulting in online interactions that are more energy-intensive.

Projected impact

Continuing on the present course, NVIDIA could be dispatching 1.5 million AI server units each year by 2027. If these servers were to run at maximum capacity, they would consume a minimum of 85.4 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. For comparison, this amount of energy surpasses the yearly consumption of numerous small nations.

Comparisons

By 2027, it is projected that global AI-related electricity consumption may rise by 85 to 134 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually. This estimate is on par with the yearly electricity requirements of nations such as the Netherlands, Argentina, and Sweden.

Why sustainability matters

While AI heralds significant breakthroughs, its sustainability is a crucial risk factor to consider. Picture Google’s search engine evolving into a ChatGPT-style chatbot, managing nine billion interactions daily. This would cause energy demands to soar, matching the consumption of a nation like Ireland. Although this scenario isn’t immediately likely due to logistical limitations, it highlights the resource-intensive nature of generative AI applications.

As we explore the AI domain, sustainability should not be neglected. Discussing AI’s risks, such as errors and biases, should also include its environmental impact. Innovation must be balanced with responsible energy use for a sustainable future.

Conclusion

In essence, AI’s demand for power is substantial, and the challenge is to leverage its capabilities while reducing its environmental impact. We must proceed with caution to ensure our technological advances do not compromise the health of our planet.

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Nvidia enters correction territory as stock falls from all-time high

AI

Nvidia, manufacturer of one of the most advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), has significantly benefited from the artificial intelligence (AI) surge due to the high demand for its microchips.

The company’s shares have fallen 10% from their recent all-time high, which was over $950. On Tuesday, 9th April 2024, the stock closed at $853.54, but it saw a slight recovery on Wednesday 10th April 2024, to $870.39.

Nvidia Corporation share price off recent all time high

Nvidia Corporation share price off recent all time high

On Tuesday, 9th April 2024, Intel, a competitor in the chipmaking industry, introduced a new AI chip named Gaudi 3. This chip is designed to drive large language models and stands as a contender against Nvidia’s most sophisticated chips.

U.S. inflation data coming in higher than expected along with a climb in treasuries has led to doubts of a Fed rate cut anytime soon.

These concerns combined together, pushed Nvidia and some other tech stocks lower.

The Nasdaq Composite drifted lower on the day

The Nasdaq Composite drifted lower
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GEN AI – The AI ‘generation’

AI Generation

The Generation AI: How the next wave of young innovators will shape the future

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only a technology that is transforming the world, but also a culture that is inspiring the next generation of young innovators.

The Generation AI is a term that refers to the children and teenagers who are growing up with AI as a natural part of their lives, and who are using it to express their creativity, solve problems, and pursue their passions. 

Generation AI is different from the previous generations in many ways. They are more diverse, more connected, more curious, and more entrepreneurial. GEN AI are also more aware of the social and ethical implications of AI, and more eager to use it for good. They are not just passive consumers of AI, but active creators and collaborators. 

The Generation AI is already making an impact in a variety of domains and industries.

Education

Generation AI is learning with and from AI, using it to enhance their learning experiences, personalise their curricula, and access global resources. They are also teaching AI, using it to share their knowledge, mentor their peers, and build their portfolios. For example, CodeGPT is a platform that allows students to learn coding with AI, and to create their own AI projects. 

Healthcare

The Generation AI is improving their health and well-being with AI, using it to monitor their fitness, nutrition, and mental health, and to access reliable and personalized health information and services. They are also contributing to the health of others, using AI to support health research, diagnosis, and treatment. For example, Cureskin is an app that uses AI to detect and treat skin conditions. 

Entertainment

The Generation AI is enjoying and creating entertainment with AI, using it to discover and consume content that suits their tastes, preferences, and moods, and to generate their own content, such as music, art, games, and stories. They are also engaging and interacting with AI, using it to play, chat, and socialise with others.

For example, OpenART, Microsoft Copilot, Stable Diffusion or PopAI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are just a small selection of generative AI systems that can create realistic and diverse images from text descriptions.  The Generation AI is not only the future of AI, but also the future of humanity.

They are the ones who will shape the direction and impact of AI, and who will benefit from its opportunities and challenges. They are the ones who will unleash the full potential of AI, and who will make the world a better place a discerned use of AI.

Note: apps mentioned in this article are not recommendations. They are just for reference only.

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Generative AI: A New Frontier of Creativity and Innovation

AI generated art

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only a powerful tool for solving problems but is also a source of creativity and innovation.

Generative AI is a type of AI that can create new and realistic content, such as images, text, music, software, and product designs, by learning from existing data and generating novel outputs that reflect the characteristics of the training data but do not repeat it. 

Gen AI uses various techniques, such as deep neural networks, transformers, and generative adversarial networks, to model the complex patterns and structure of the input data and produce diverse and high-quality outputs.  Generative AI can also respond to natural language prompts, allowing users to interact with the system and specify their desired outcomes. 

Generative AI has many potential applications across different domains and industries.

Software development

GAI (Generative AI) can help developers write code faster and easier by generating suggestions, corrections, or completions based on the context and the user’s intent. For example, Copilot is a generative AI system that can assist developers with coding tasks by learning from billions of lines of code. 

Healthcare

Generative AI can help researchers discover new drugs, treatments, or vaccines by generating novel molecules, proteins, or antibodies that have the desired properties and functions. For example, Insilico Medicine is a company that uses generative AI to design new drugs for aging and age-related diseases.

Entertainment

Generative AI can help artists, musicians, writers, or filmmakers create original and engaging content by generating images, sounds, text, or video that match their style and preferences. For example, Stable Diffusion is a generative AI system that can create realistic and diverse images from text descriptions.

Customer service

Generative AI can help businesses provide better and more personalised service to their customers by generating natural and human-like responses, recommendations, or solutions based on the customer’s needs and preferences. For example, ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot that can have very human-seeming interactions with users.

Unlocking potential or unleashing the ‘genie’?

Generative AI is a new frontier of creativity and innovation that can unlock new possibilities and opportunities for humans and machines.

Unlocking potential or unleashing the ‘genie’?

However, generative AI also poses some challenges and risks, such as ethical, legal, social, and security issues, that need to be addressed and regulated. Therefore, it is important to develop and use generative AI responsibly and ethically, with respect for human values and dignity. 

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Tesla’s robot-taxi is coming!

Robot Taxi

The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk recently made an announcement regarding the company’s robotaxi.

According to his social media post on X, Tesla will unveil its robotaxi product on 8th August 2024. This project has been a topic of discussion for several years and could potentially represent a significant new business venture for Tesla. 

The robotaxi initiative aims to allow Tesla vehicles to use self-driving technology for autonomous ride-hailing services, picking up passengers without human intervention.

Previous predictions

Elon Musk has made bold predictions regarding the timeline for robotaxis. In 2019, he anticipated having over a million robotaxis in operation by 2020. Currently, Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems, such as Autopilot and the premium Full Self-Driving option, still necessitate human oversight.

Nonetheless, amidst the competitive landscape of autonomous vehicles, Tesla remains steadfast in its pursuit of a fully autonomous future.

Tesla One year Chart

Tesla one year chart

Mass production?

Musk stated that a robotaxi model lacking a steering wheel or pedals is expected to enter mass production by 2024. The aim is to make the cost of a journey in the Tesla robotaxi lower than that of a public bus or underground train ticket.

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Is Apple planning to build an AI robot?

Robotics

Reports indicate that Apple is delving into AI-powered robotics, aiming to innovate within the home robotics sector. A Bloomberg article reveals that the tech titan is exploring two fascinating initiatives.

Mobile Robot

Apple is reportedly exploring the development of a robot that can accompany its owner. Envision a congenial AI companion that travels with you.

Robotic Display

The project aims to develop a robotic mechanism capable of moving displays. Despite being periodically removed and reinstated on Apple’s roadmap; it is still in the preliminary research stage.

The projects are spearheaded by Matt Costello, Apple’s VP of Hardware Engineering, and Brian Lynch, the Senior Director of Home Hardware Engineering. Moreover, Apple’s AI team is developing algorithms to enable robots to navigate homes, potentially linking to the mobile robot initiative.

Apple’s foray into AI-driven home robots comes after shelving its electric vehicle project, marking an intriguing development. The company is exploring the integration of AI into AirPods and the possibility of creating smart glasses. Despite not launching generative AI tools as swiftly as some rivals, Apple is set to introduce some later this year.

In the realm of robotics, Apple enters a field with established entities like Amazon, Roomba, and Unitree, which have already introduced home robotics products.

Therefore, it’s worth watching for upcoming Apple AI products in the future!

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Nvidia has big AI ambitions in medicine and healthcare 

AI in healthcare

NVIDIA reportedly introduced about twenty or so new AI-driven tools tailored for healthcare at its 2024 GTC AI conference, securing partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and GE Healthcare for surgical and medical imaging applications.

For the AI chip pioneer, venturing into healthcare represents a decade-long development effort with substantial revenue possibilities.

The adoption of AI in drug discovery and research, a process that traditionally takes up to 12 years and costs billions, is accelerating rapidly.

The opportunities will be far reaching.

Nvidia one year chart

Dramatic price movement for Nvidia over a one-year period
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Nvidia plan to enhance AI induced success

AI GPU

Nvidia have announced a new generation of artificial intelligence chips and software for running AI models. It’s called: The Blackwell B200 GPU

Blackwell B200 GPU

The Blackwell B200 is the successor to Nvidia’s Hopper H100 and H200 GPUs.

It represents a massive generational leap in computational power.

AI Performance: The B200 GPU delivers 4 times the AI training performance and 30 times the inference performance compared to its predecessor.

Transistor Count: It packs an impressive 208 billion transistors, more than doubling the transistor count of the existing H100.

Memory: The B200 features 192GB of HBM3e memory with an impressive bandwidth of 8 TB/s.

Architecture: The Blackwell architecture takes over from H100/H200.

*Dual-Die Configuration: The B200 is not a single GPU in the traditional sense. Instead, it consists of two tightly coupled die, functioning as one unified CUDA GPU. These chips are linked via a 10 TB/s NV-HBI connection to ensure coherent operation.

*Dual-die packaging technology is used to pack two integrated circuit chips in one single package module. It doubles functionality levels.

Process Node: The B200 utilizes TSMC’s 4NP process node, a refined version of the 4N process used by Hopper H100 and Ada Lovelace architecture GPUs.

The Blackwell B200 is designed for data centres and AI workloads but will likely be available to expect consumer in the future, although these may differ significantly from the data centre model.

Grace Blackwell GB200 Superchip:

Nvidia’s GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip, with two B200 graphics processors and one Arm-based central processor

This superchip pairs the Grace CPU architecture with the updated Blackwell GPU.

It’s another addition to Nvidia’s lineup, combining CPU and GPU power for advanced computing tasks.

Nvidia continues to push the boundaries of accelerated computing, and these new GPUs promise remarkable performance improvements for AI and other workloads.

Onwards and upwards for Nvidia and the advancement of AI.

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Apple and Alphabet reportedly in Gemini AI talks

AI mobile phone

Apple playing AI catchup

Apple is reportedly engaged in negotiations to acquire a licence for Google’s Gemini, a generative AI platform, with the intention of integrating it into iPhones. These ongoing discussions may result in Gemini enhancing iPhone software with new features later this year.

The terms, branding, and implementation details have not been finalised. This potential partnership could significantly impact the AI capabilities of future iPhones.

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EU passes world’s first major ‘act’ to regulate AI

The European Union (EU) has made history by approving the world’s first comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence Act

Known as the Artificial Intelligence Act, this groundbreaking legislation is expected to serve as a global signpost for other governments grappling with how to regulate this fast-developing technology.

The AI Act takes a risk-based approach, categorizing AI applications based on their risk levels. It prohibits certain high-risk uses, emphasizes transparency, and aims to keep AI development human centric. This landmark regulation should help set a precedent for responsible AI deployment worldwide.

The regulation is expected to become enforceable in May 2024, after passing final checks and receiving endorsement from the European Council.

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Is AI driving a market bubble or is there so much more yet to come?

Tech bubble

As tech giant Nvidia soars on hype around artificial intelligence (AI), and as global stock indexes claim record highs, debate has grown about whether the stock market has entered a ‘bubble.’

An AI bubble of boom

We are reminded of the dotcom bubble where investment was rife in anything tech – so, are we now potentially facing a new tech bubble – an AI bubble of boom?

That’s generally seen as a period in which asset prices inflate rapidly, potentially beyond their core value; and risk crashing just as fast.

Other AI stocks are chasing the dream too adding to the hype. However, some are in the slow lane playing catch-up and this may suggest there is much, much more to come.

The likes of AMD, Intel, Amazon, OpenAI, Arm and a myriad of other tech companies big and small have much more AI to bring to the tech table.

Let’s use Nvidia as an example of a potential stock bubble

If we look at the valuation of Nvidia, justifiably it is actually very high, too high even – that’s the first sign of a potential problem, valuation. The second issue is investor positioning – whenever you have a market bubble, investors are very clustered or very concentrated, either in one market or in one sector as a whole.

Nvidia one year chart as of 29th February 2024. Price 791

Nvidia one year chart as of 29th February 2024. Price 791

Sectors

It doesn’t matter which markets you look at – the U.S., Europe or Asia markets – the problem is the same. We now have an historic valuation between the tech sector, the AI sub-sector of the tech sector, and the rest of the market.

Investors are very clustered in this tech sector. However, some leading commentators say of tech that this is not hype – this is real. It most probably is, for now, and with much more to come from the smaller tech and AI companies that have yet to show their true AI value. But all bubbles burst in the end.

Pop!

There is certainly plenty of room for AI to grow – it’s in its infancy – but the question is: ‘how and when will the bubble burst? Because, in my humble opinion, it most certainly will.

We may not see a dramatic market crash like 1999-2000 or 2007/2008, but an investor rotation out of areas of concentration into the broader market will likely happen.

If you look at the bubbles of 1999-2000, and then in 2007/2008, one key characteristic was investor leverage. And we had, whether it was retail investors or institutional investors, a very high level of leverage, and that was either through borrowings or it was through derivatives.

The AI tech boom has legs but there will almost inevitably be a rotation from AI to other sectors – that will then adjust the overvalued AI sector. And it could pullback quite hard.

Be ready!

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Google halts Gemini AI image generator after it created inaccurate historical content

Gemini chatbot illustration

Google on Thursday 22nd February 2024 said it is pausing its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) image generation feature after saying it offers ‘inaccuracies’ in historical pictures

Users had been reporting that the AI tool generated images of historical figures, like the U.S. Founding Fathers as people of colour, calling this inaccurate.

Google posted a statement on Thursday 22nd February 2024, saying that it will pause Gemini’s feature to generate images of people and will re-release an ‘improved’ version soon.

Is Google struggling to keep up with the AI race?

The image generator tool was launched at the start of February 2024 through Gemini, which was orignally called Bard.

It is facing challenges at a time when Google is trying to catch up with Microsoft-backed OpenAI project, Copilot.

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Nvidia revenue is up 265% latest figures show and stock gains 15%

AI chip

The excitement surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) technology appears to show few signs of abating

The technology company at the heart of the AI chip boom reported its Q4 earnings after the stock market’s close on Wednesday 21st February 2024, beating expectations for both earnings and sales. The company’s total revenue is up 265% from a year ago.

Investors are looking to Nvidia’s latest quarterly earnings report to see whether the company’s meteoric growth can last.

Nvidia one year share price as at 22nd February 2024

Nvidia one year share price as at 22nd February 2024

AI chips

Nvidia makes powerful computer chips that power popular AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. High demand for those chips has propelled the company into the exclusive trillion-dollar club.

As of market close on 21st February 2024 the company’s market cap sat at $1.667 trillion, putting it behind Alphabet’s $1.779 trillion market cap. It’s also behind Microsoft and Apple, which hold market caps of $2.988 trillion and $2.819 trillion, respectively.

Nvidia’s stock price has been on an upward trajectory so far this year. Shares have gained by nearly 40% since the beginning of 2024. On top of that, they’ve soared by over 225% in the last 12 months.

Although short-term demand for Nvidia’s AI chips has been strong, major companies such as Microsoft and Meta have indicated interest in buying them from other companies.

If you had invested $1,000 in Nvidia

If you had invested $1,000 in Nvidia five, 10 or 24 years ago, here’s how much your investment would be worth now.

$1,000 in Nvidia five years ago, your investment would have increased by an eye-watering 1,015% and be worth around $17,542 as of 20th February 2024.

If you had invested $1,000 in Nvidia 10 years ago, your investment would have soared by about 22,340% and be worth around $148,226 as of 20th February 2024.

But, if you had invested $1,000 in Nvidia in January 1999, when Nvidia first went public, your investment would have grown by around 277,708% and be worth close to $2,784,065 as of 20th February 2024.

AI has only just started.

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Energy hungry data centre power solution

AI data centre

The use of nuclear reactors for data centres is a controversial and complex topic that has both advantages and disadvantages

Nuclear reactors can provide a reliable, stable, and carbon-free source of electricity for power-hungry data centres, which are essential for the operation of various applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Grid overload

Nuclear reactors can also reduce the dependence on the existing grid, which may be vulnerable to blackouts, fluctuations, or cyberattacks. On the other hand, nuclear reactors require a high initial investment, as well as strict safety and regulatory standards. Nuclear reactors also pose potential risks of radiation, waste disposal, and proliferation. Moreover, nuclear reactors may not be suitable for all locations, as they may face public opposition, environmental concerns, or geopolitical issues.

Small Modular Reactor (SMR)

One of the possible solutions to these challenges is to use small modular reactors (SMRs), which are advanced reactors with about a third of the power generation of a traditional, large nuclear plant. SMRs are designed to be more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective than conventional reactors, as they can be built off-site and transported to the desired location. SMRs can also be integrated with renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, to create a hybrid system that can balance the power demand and supply.

However, the technology of SMRs is still in its early stages of development and deployment, and there are currently no data centres in the world that use built-in nuclear reactors. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether nuclear reactors will become a common or viable option for future data centres. The decision to use nuclear reactors for data centres should be based on a careful evaluation of the benefits and risks, as well as the alternatives and trade-offs, of each specific case.

It has been calculated that a ‘norma’ data centre (whatever that is), needs 32 megawatts of power flowing into the building. For an AI data centre, it’s closer to 80 megawatts.

AI systems are using all this extra electricity simply because they are doing so much more processing than standard computing. They are chewing through far more data.

As AI continues to develop, so too will the power requirement needed to run these monsters.

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OpenAI unveils new AI software that lets you create realistic video by typing a descriptive sentence

Video

The new AI tool from OpenAI named Sora, can generate realistic videos from text prompts.

OpenAI has developed a new AI tool named Sora that can generate highly detailed videos of up to 60 seconds from descriptive text prompts.

The tool has raised concerns about its potential misuse, particularly in the creation of deepfakes and disinformation.

On the other hand, it is a remarkable achievement in the current AI arena and created in such a short space of time.

OpenAI has stated that it is working with experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content, and bias, who are testing Sora.

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Are AI investing trading bots taking over? It’s a little bit alien to me

Alien investing

AI ‘trading bots’ are software programs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse market data, generate trading signals, and execute trades automatically.

‘I meant Artificial Intelligence Investing not ‘Alien’ Investing (AI)’

AI trading bots are becoming more popular among investors who want to take advantage of the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of AI technology. But is this a good thing for the future of investing?

Pros

AI ‘trading bots’ could transform the world of investing

  • Enabling more accessible and affordable trading for everyone, regardless of their experience, knowledge, or capital.
  • Enhancing the performance and profitability of trading strategies, by optimising entry and exit points, managing risk, and adapting to changing market conditions.
  • Providing more diverse and innovative trading opportunities, by exploring new markets, assets, and strategies that human traders may overlook or ignore.
  • Reducing the emotional and psychological biases that often affect human traders, such as fear, greed, overconfidence, and regret.

Cons

AI ‘trading bots’ also pose some challenges and risks

  • Increasing the complexity and volatility of the markets, by creating feedback loops, amplifying trends, and triggering flash crashes.
  • Exposing traders to technical glitches, security breaches, and malicious attacks, by relying on software and internet connectivity that may malfunction or be compromised.
  • Raising ethical and regulatory issues, by creating potential conflicts of interest, information asymmetry, and market manipulation.

Conclusion

AI ‘trading bots’ are not a mystical ‘get rich quick solution’ that can guarantee success in the world of investing. They are tools that require careful selection, evaluation, and supervision by human input and for the human trader to maintain ultimate control.

We should always be aware of the benefits and limitations of AI technology.

Alien investing
Are AI investing trading bots taking over? ‘I meant Artificial Intelligence Investing not ‘Alien’ Investing (AI)’
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AMD enters AI-powered PC race as artificial intelligence demand grows

AI power

U.S. microchip giant Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is investing in AI PCs to take on the likes of Nvidia and Intel and Arm as the AI race gains momentum.

As the AI market expands so too will AI powered personal computer (PC). These are personal computers embedded with processors specifically designed to perform AI functions such as real-time language translation. Intel has already announced its AI powered chip for the PC.

Tech research firm Canalys in a December report said the boom in generative AI is expected to boost PC sales as consumers are seeking devices with AI features, predicting that 60% of the PCs shipped in 2027 will be AI-capable.

AI tech interest explodes

An explosion of interest in AI was sparked by the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 as the chatbot went viral for its ability to generate human-like responses to users’ prompts.

Microsoft was quick to adopt the Technolgy and incorporate AI into its Bing search engine. Other companies such as Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Arm, Meta, Tesla and Apple are all heavily involved in AI development too.

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A new powerful AI is coming but the techies have no clue as to what it will look like

AGI

That’s reassuring then, and they are creating it

Leaders at some of the world’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies are expecting a form of AI on a par with, or even exceeding human intelligence to arrive sometime in the near future. But what it will eventually look like and how it will be applied are unknown.

Artificial General Intelligence or AGI is coming soon

Leaders from OpenAI, Microsoft and Google’s DeepMind, and many other major tech companies debated the risks and opportunities presented by AI at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2024.

AI has become the talk of ‘town’ around the world through 2023, mainly due to the success of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular generative AI chatbot, brought to us by Microsoft. Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, are powered large language models, algorithms trained on vast quantities of data, but are not AGI.

Executives at some of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies see ‘artificial general intelligence,’ or AGI, a hypothesized form of AI with intelligence on a par or better than humans. This prospect is both exciting and worrying.

Concern

AI and AGI have created concern among governments, corporations and public consultation groups worldwide, owing to the risks around the lack of transparency of AI systems; social manipulation through computer algorithms; job losses due to increased automation; surveillance; and data privacy and worse… the lack of human control!

Extinction event possible

Many industry leaders in technology have warned that AI could lead to an ‘extinction-level’ event where machines become so powerful they get out of control and wipe out humanity.

A new powerful AI is coming but the techies have no clue as to what it will look like

Several prominent technology leaders, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak for example, have called for a pause in AI development, stating that a moratorium would be beneficial in allowing society to catch up.

Turing test

AI chatbots like ChatGPT have passed the Turing test, a test called the ‘imitation game,’ which was developed by British computer scientist Alan Turing to determine whether someone is communicating with a machine and a human. The one big area where AI is lacking is common sense.

It has been reported on many occasions, that the tech world is taking steps to ensure that the AI race doesn’t lead to a ‘Hiroshima moment.‘

Will AGI be created in the image of humans?

Let’s hope not.

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AI cannot patent UK inventions

Patent

The UK Supreme Court has upheld earlier decisions to reject a bid to allow an artificial intelligence to be named as an inventor in a patent application.

Dr Stephen Thaler (an ‘inventor’), had sought to have his AI, called Dabus, recognised as the inventor of a food container and a flashing light beacon. But in 2019, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) rejected this, saying only a person could be named as an inventor. The decision was then backed by both the High Court and Court of Appeal. The IPO argued, and courts have supported the view, that only ‘persons’ can have patent rights, not Artificial Intelligence.

Now five Supreme Court judges have dismissed a bid to reverse those decisions, concluding that ‘an inventor must be a person’, and that an AI cannot be named as an inventor to secure patent rights.

The judgement does not deal with the issue of whether Dabus did in fact invent the food container and light.

This issue will likely be debated for some time yet – maybe an AI court of the future could decide?

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I asked AI to write a Christmas poem…

Father Christmas

And this is what it came up with… (exactly as it was written)

Christmas is a time of joy
A time to celebrate and enjoy
The birth of our Savior and King
Who came to earth to bring
Peace and love to all mankind
And hope for those who seek and find

Christmas is a time of grace
A time to forgive and embrace
The ones who hurt us or make us sad
And remember the good times we had
With family and friends who are dear
And wish them all a happy new year

Christmas is a time of light
A time to shine and delight
The world with our gifts and talents
And share our blessings and abundance
With those who are in need or alone
And make them feel they have a home

The image was AI generated too.

Merry Christmas and A happy New Year!

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Intel unveils new AI chip

AI micro chip

Intel’s new chip will go head-to-head with Nvidia and AMD

Intel unveiled new computer microchips on Thursday 14th December 2023, including Gaudi3, a chip for generative AI software.

Intel also announced Core Ultra chips, designed for Windows laptops and PCs, and new fifth-generation Xeon server chips. Intel’s server and PC processors include specialized AI parts called NPUs that can be used to run AI programs faster.

AI race

AI models, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, run on Nvidia GPUs in the cloud. It’s one reason Nvidia stock has been up nearly 230% year to date while Intel shares have risen 68%. And it’s why companies like AMD and, now Intel, have announced chips that they hope will attract AI companies away from Nvidia’s dominant position in the market.

Gaudi3 will compete with Nvidia’s H100, the main choice among companies that build huge factories of the chips to power AI applications, and AMD’s forthcoming MI300X, when it starts shipping to customers in 2024.

CEO Gelsinger

‘We’ve been seeing the excitement with generative AI, the star of the show for 2023,’ Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger reportedly said at a launch event in New York where he announced Gaudi3 along other chips focused on AI applications.

Intel upping the anti with its Gaudi AI chip. The AI PC to become the new AI start of 2024 and beyond!

‘We think the AI PC will be the star of the show for the upcoming year,’ Gelsinger added. And that’s where Intel’s new Core Ultra processors, also announced on Thursday, will come into play.

Let the battle commence.