Tech Archives - Page 4 of 5

September 17, 2024September 12, 2025

Big Tech aiming to raise $100 billion for AI data centres

In a substantial effort to strengthen the infrastructure required for artificial intelligence (AI), BlackRock and Microsoft have unveiled a significant fundraising endeavour.

The initiative, dubbed the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP), seeks to secure $30 billion in private equity capital, with the possibility of leveraging up to $100 billion including debt financing.

The main objective of this initiative is to establish new and larger data centers to accommodate the escalating demand for computing power spurred by advancements in AI. These data centres are vital for meeting the growing computational requirements of AI applications, which necessitate substantial processing power and storage capacity. Additionally, the partnership will focus on investing in the energy infrastructure required to operate these data centres in an environmentally sustainable manner.

BlackRock, the global investment management corporation, contributes its vast network of corporate relationships and private equity expertise. Microsoft, a pioneer in technology and AI, offers the necessary technological expertise and industry leadership. Together, their goal is to establish a strong infrastructure that will bolster AI innovation and contribute to economic expansion.

The investment will be primarily directed towards the United States, with a portion also being allocated to partner countries. This strategic emphasis aims to boost American AI competitiveness and encourage worldwide cooperation. The partnership is designed to support an open architecture and a wide-ranging ecosystem, enabling a variety of partners and companies to leverage the infrastructure.

NVIDIA, a leading force in AI technology, will contribute to GAIIP by providing its expertise in AI data centres and manufacturing facilities. This partnership is anticipated to improve AI supply chains and energy procurement, offering advantages to both consumers and the broader industry.

This collaboration marks a substantial move towards establishing the infrastructure of tomorrow and powering it in an eco-friendly manner.

September 12, 2024September 12, 2025

The AI Race between China and the U.S.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a pivotal battleground in the technological race between China and the United States.

“AI is expected to become a crucial component of economic and military power in the near future,” Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2023 stated.

Both countries are significantly investing in AI research and development, striving to achieve a leading role in this revolutionary sector. This post looks at the major figures in China’s AI scene, their progress, and their comparison with their American counterparts.

China’s AI Landscape

China’s AI aspirations are propelled by a number of significant technology firms, each forging their own AI models and applications.

Baidu: Often referred to as the ‘Google of China,’ Baidu leads in AI development. Its premier AI model, ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration), fuels the Ernie Bot, a chatbot aimed to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Baidu asserts that ERNIE 4.0 matches GPT-4’s capabilities, demonstrating sophisticated understanding and reasoning abilities.

Alibaba: Alibaba’s AI model, Tongyi Qianwen (commonly known as Qwen), is a comprehensive set of foundational models adept at a range of tasks, from generating content to solving mathematical problems. Select versions of Qwen are open-source, enabling developers to utilize and modify them for various uses. Alibaba has announced that Qwen models are in use by over 90,000 enterprise clients.

Tencent: The Hunyuan model from Tencent is a prominent component of China’s AI landscape. Offered through Tencent’s cloud computing division, Hunyuan is tailored to facilitate a broad spectrum of applications, encompassing natural language processing and computer vision.

Huawei: In spite of considerable obstacles stemming from U.S. sanctions, Huawei persists in AI innovation. The firm has created its own AI processors, like the Kunlun series, to diminish dependence on international technology. Huawei’s AI features are incorporated into a diverse array of products, including smartphones and cloud solutions.

Comparison to the U.S.

The U.S. continues to be a dominant force in AI, with leading companies such as OpenA I, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic and Meta spearheading advancements.

Generative AI: U.S. firms have advanced significantly in generative AI, with OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini at the forefront. These models excel in creating text, images, and videos from user inputs. Although Chinese models like ERNIE and Qwen are strong contenders, the U.S. maintains a slight lead in capabilities and market penetration.

Semiconductor Design: The U.S. leads the semiconductor design industry, vital for AI progress. U.S. companies command an 85% global market share in chip design, crucial for AI model training and system operation. China’s dependence on imported semiconductors is a notable obstacle, but there are ongoing efforts to create homegrown solutions.

Research and Innovation: Both nations boast strong AI research sectors, yet the U.S. edges out slightly in generating state-of-the-art AI products. U.S. tech giants frequently introduce AI breakthroughs to the market, with Chinese firms quickly gaining ground.

Government Support: The Chinese government ardently backs AI advancement, enacting strategies to spur innovation and lessen foreign tech reliance. Such support has spurred China’s AI industry’s rapid expansion, positioning it as a strong rival to the U.S.

Conclusion

The competition in AI development between China and the U.S. is escalating, as both countries achieve significant breakthroughs. Although the U.S. maintains a marginal lead in some respects, China’s swift advancement and state backing indicate that the disparity might keep closing. The quest for AI dominance by these nations is set to influence the worldwide technological and innovative landscape profoundly.

As of September 2024, it is estimated that China’s AI development is approximately nine months behind that of the U.S.

August 29, 2024September 12, 2025

Nvidia reports 122% revenue growth

Nvidia has announced earnings surpassing Wall Street forecasts and has issued guidance for the current quarter that exceeds expectations.

As the artificial intelligence boom continues, Nvidia remains a major beneficiary. Despite a stock price dip, after trading hours, the stock has risen approximately 150% this year. The question remains whether Nvidia can sustain this growth trajectory.

Nvidia said it expects about $32.5 billion in current-quarter revenue, versus $31.7 billion expected by analysts, according to analysis That would be an increase of 80% from a year earlier.

Revenue continues to surge, rising 122% on an annual basis during the quarter, following three straight periods of year-on-year growth in excess of 200%.

Nvidia’s data centre business, which encompasses its AI processors, saw a 154% increase in revenue from the previous year, reaching $26.3 billion and representing 88% of the company’s total sales.

However, not all these sales were from AI chips. Nvidia reported that its networking products contributed $3.7 billion in revenue.

The company primarily serves a select group of cloud service providers and consumer internet firms, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla. Nvidia’s chips, notably the H100 and H200, are integral to the majority of generative AI applications, like OpenAI‘s ChatGPT.

Nvidia also announced a $50 billion stock buyback.

Nvidia shares dropped close to 5% in after-hours pre-market trade (29th August 2024).

August 22, 2024September 12, 2025

Microsoft to release Windows Recall AI search feature for testing as soon as October 2024

Microsoft announced on Wednesday 21st August 2024 that it will release the contentious Recall AI search feature for Windows users to test starting in October

Recall captures screenshots of on-screen activity, enabling users to search for previously seen information. Security experts raised immediate concerns about the potential risks of Windows capturing images automatically without user consent. In response, researchers developed open-source software demonstrating how attackers could easily access personal information.

Microsoft addressed these concerns in June 2024, stating that Recall would be disabled by default and promising security improvements for the feature.

While Microsoft has not provided a specific timeline for a wider release, it has introduced a new category of Windows PCs, termed Copilot+ PCs, which meet the system requirements for Recall. These PCs, produced by various manufacturers, are designed to handle AI workloads, and Microsoft has demonstrated Recall operating on these devices.

*Manufacturers are eager to demonstrate that AI models can run on local PCs, offering an alternative to cloud-based servers from companies like OpenAI. Following this trend, Apple has launched MacBooks capable of running AI models, and Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro is also a Copilot+ PC with local AI capabilities.

The timing of Recall’s broader release could be pivotal, as consumer interest in new computers may spike during the holiday season if Microsoft extends Recall to all compatible devices by that time.

*Is this a move away from AI cloud-based operations to some extent? AI tasks can easily be run in the cloud – why do we need an AI enabled device?

August 21, 2024September 12, 2025

OpenAI cements deal with Vogue owner Condé Nast

OpenAI has partnered with the global magazine conglomerate Condé Nast to enable ChatGPT and its search engine, SearchGPT, to showcase content from renowned publications such as Vogue, The New Yorker and GQ.

The agreement represents the most recent in a series of deals made by OpenAI with prominent media companies.

The material generated by media organizations is coveted by tech companies for training their AI (Artificial Intelligence) models.

Several media companies, such as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, have opposed this practice and have pursued legal measures to safeguard their content.

The financial details of the contract between OpenAI and Condé Nast were not revealed.

August 12, 2024September 12, 2025

Slower and smaller-than-expected rate cuts. A slowing U.S. economy and a potential AI bubble – does this all add up to a coming bear market?

The stock markets mix of toil and trouble is in the cauldron ready for a bear market in 2025, if not before.

Why?

Fed to resist reducing rates to the market’s desired 3.50%.
Profits unlikely from now on to fulfill expectations, because the U.S. economy is slowing.
AI sector is in or close to ‘bubble territory’.
Debt.
Geopolitical concerns.

These concerns are now all combining, and it will likely add-up to a bear market of around 25% in 2025 (this is my best guess).

Remember – make your own decisions and always, always do your own careful research. Seek professional financial advice if in doubt.

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

August 8, 2024September 12, 2025

U.S. stocks recovery attempt fizzles out

Stocks closed lower on Wednesday 7th August 2024, failing to fully recover from Monday’s sell-off.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 234 points to 38763.45. The S&P 500 fell to 5199.50, while the Nasdaq Composite closed at 16195.81.

During the day, the Dow had surged around 480 points, the S&P 500 had climbed 1.73%, and the Nasdaq had risen over 2%.

Dow Jones one day chart 7th August 2024

S&P 500 one day chart 7th August 2024

Nasdaq Composite one day chart 7th August 2024

However, a downturn in Nvidia and other major tech stocks, after an initial rise, led to a significant drop in the afternoon. Nvidia retracted by 5.1%, Super Micro Computer plummeted 20.1% following its fiscal Q4 earnings missing analyst predictions, Tesla fell 4.4%, and Meta Platforms decreased by 1%.

Nvidia one day chart 7th August 2024

One month chart Super Micro Computer 7th August 2024

Nvidia one day chart 7th August 2024

The U.S.10-year Treasury yield continued to rise, increasing by about six basis points to 3.95%, returning to its level before the disappointing job figures last Friday, which had sparked concerns of an economic slowdown.

The Volatility Index (CBOE), the so called ‘fear gauge‘ was trading at around 29, having dropped to as low as 22 earlier in the day. This sharp decrease from Monday 5th August 2024 suggests that investor fears are subsiding, however, they remain higher than at the beginning of the month.

The Volatility Index (CBOE) on 7th August 2024

August 7, 2024September 12, 2025

Judge ruling says Google’s monopoly of online searches is illegal

Too much monopolistic power held by too few

A U.S. judge has ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in online searches and related advertising. The lawsuit, brought by the Department of Justice, charged Google with controlling around 90% of the online search market.

It was reportedly noted by the judge that Google’s billions of dollars in investments to become the default search engine on smartphones and browsers could be anticompetitive.

The decision, issued on Monday 5th August 2024, could potentially change how tech giants operate.

It was reported that in his extensive 277-page decision, Judge Mehta remarked, “Google has acted as a monopolist and engaged in anticompetitive practices to maintain its monopoly.”

This represents a significant victory for federal antitrust enforcers who have pursued similar cases against other leading technology companies for illegal monopolistic behaviours.

Companies like Meta Platforms, which operate Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as companies like Amazon and Apple., have also faced lawsuits from federal regulators.

The judgment comes after a 10-week trial where it was argued that Google’s substantial payments to remain the primary search engine have impeded the competition’s ability to challenge effectively.

This is a seismic shift in the way search engines and advertising may operate in the future. Already with the advent of AI, search engines look and feel different.

Recently, OpenAI launched ‘SearchGPT’ – and Microsoft have named it a competitor in the world of search engines.

Times are changing.

August 5, 2024September 12, 2025

Global stock market rout intensifies as Dow futures dip over 1200 points

U.S. stock futures slumped Monday 5th August 2024 as global markets sell-off centered around potential U.S. recession fears.

About one hour before U.S. stocks open – here’s the situation

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 1250 points following a 611point loss on Friday 2nd August 2024.

S&P 500 futures are down 4.6% after the benchmark lost 1.8% on Friday 2nd August 2024.

Nasdaq-100 futures lost 6% as big tech stocks take a hit in early trading.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 plunged 12% in its worst day since the 1987 Black Monday crash.

If the Dow Jones decline continues it would be the first 1000 point decline since September 2022.

July 22, 2024September 12, 2025

CrowdStrike shares tumble as fallout from global tech failure continues

CrowdStrike’s shares fell a further 13% on Monday 22nd July 2024 while the cybersecurity software firm attempted to help clients from various sectors to recover from an outage that disrupted millions of Microsoft Windows devices on Friday 19th July 2024.

CrowdStrike 5-day share price chart

Early Friday, the company released a flawed update to its Falcon vulnerability-protection software, leading to crashes in PC’s, data centre servers, and networked display screens.

This caused flights to be grounded and medical appointments to be cancelled among numerous other ‘knock-on’ problems world-wide. Microsoft reported that the incident affected 8.5 million Windows devices, which is less than 1% of the global total.

IT staff swiftly acted to repair computers. At the same time, hackers attempted to exploit the turmoil by creating malicious websites that seemed to provide software updates.

See CrowdStrike website for more details about this issue.

Chief security officer Shawn Henry said the incident had been a “gut punch” for the firm, which had previously been one of the most trusted names in the industry.

“We let down the very people we committed to protect, and to say we’re devastated is a huge understatement,“ he reportedly said.

Mr Henry, a former FBI executive assistant director, reportedly said the weekend had been “the most challenging 48 hours” of his 12 years at the company. He promised it would use the incident as an opportunity to “emerge better and stronger than ever”.

“The confidence we built in drips over the years was lost in buckets within hours, and it was a gut punch,” he said in a LinkedIn post, on Monday 22nd July 2024.

“But this pales in comparison to the pain we’ve caused our customers and our partners.”

July 18, 2024September 12, 2025

Worst day for Nasdaq since 2022 as investors continue to rotate out of tech. S&P 500 slides – Dow gains

On Wednesday 17th July 2024, the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 pulled-back as investors continued to shift from tech stocks to more interest rate-sensitive sectors.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.39%, closing at 5588. The tech-geared Nasdaq tumbled 2.77%, finishing at 17996, marking its worst session since December 2022 and ending below 18000 for the first time since 1st July 2024.

Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average resisted the downward trend, gaining around 243 points, or to close at 41198. This advance led the index to close above the 41000 milestone.

Nasdaq Composite 17th July 2024 – one day chart

S&P 500 17th July 2024 – one day chart

Dow Jones 17th July 2024 – one day chart

July 17, 2024September 12, 2025

Market rotation helps Dow to a 743-point one day gain to close at a record high. Russell 2000 and crypto benefit

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high Tuesday 16th July 2024, rallying 743 points for its biggest one-day increase in more than a year, as the bull run appeared to broaden.

The small cap-focused Russell 2000 also rose for the fifth straight day, rising 3.5% fast closing in on a new record high as the money continues to rotate from tech stocks.

Russell 2000 index one year chart

The Dow Jones finished at 40,954, marking an increase of 1.85% for the day. It has experienced consistent daily gains since the previous week, culminating in an overall rise of over 4% over the past five trading days. The closing value on Tuesday 16th July 2024 represents the largest single-day gain since June 2023.

Dow one year chart as at: 16th July 2024

The market saw an uptick amidst a broader rally, driven by the news that June retail sales exceeded expectations, strong earnings reports to date, and the expectation of a benchmark interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve in September.

Positive remarks from the Federal Reserve about potential interest rate cuts are bolstering market sentiment. Additionally, the buzz surrounding Trump’s re-election campaign and the recent assassination attempt on Trump at one of his election rallies seem to be influencing market movements as well.

However, Donald Trump reportedly said Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defence, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published on Tuesday 16th July 2024. His comment had a negative impact on chip and tech stocks.

Crypto is enjoying the market rotation as more money is being ploughed back into cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin jumped from a low point in July 2024 of just below $56,000. Altcoins are also enjoying a mini-recovery.

Bitcoin benefitting from markets rotation – one year chart

July 15, 2024September 12, 2025

Dow rises more than 400 points to hit intra-day of 42000 then trims back before close

Let the rotation begin

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged on Friday 12th July 2024 as investors began to diversify beyond the technology sector.

The Dow closed at 40,000.90, after hitting a new all-time high of 40,257.

The S&P 500 added 0.55% to 5,615, and the Nasdaq Composite went up 0.63% to 18,398. However, on Thursday 11th July 2024 the S&P 500 experienced its worst day since late April due to a major market rotation, with Nvidia dropping 5.6%.

Investors rotated from tech to industrial stocks in the Dow on Friday, hoping that slowing inflation might lead to a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.

The Dow gained 1.6% for the week, spurred by a report showing a 0.1% decline in the consumer price index for June. Recent reports suggest that the Federal Reserve might indeed consider a rate cut in September if inflation continues to slow.

While the AI growth has been dominant, other market catalysts, such as potential rate cuts, can also drive different sectors, including utilities.

Good earnings, improving economic news and the promise of a rate cut are combining to become the perfect storm for U.S. stocks.

July 11, 2024September 12, 2025

Big Tech and AI stocks push S&P 500 and Nasdaq to new all-time highs!

On Wednesday, 10th July 2024, the S&P 500 reached a new record high, surpassing 5,600 for the first time, propelled by a significant surge in semiconductor stocks.

The S&P 500 index rose by 1.02%, ending the day at 5,633 and marking its seventh consecutive day of gains. The Nasdaq Composite increased, achieving a new all-time high closing at 18,647.

This year has seen the S&P 500 close at record highs some 37 times, with the Nasdaq following closely with 27 record high finishes.

S&P 500

Nasdaq Composite

The Dow Jones Industrial Average grew by 429 points, finishing at 39,721.

Note: figures rounded

July 11, 2024September 12, 2025

Japan’s Nikkei blast through 42000 to reach all-time high

Japan’s Nikkei 225 surpassed the 42,000 threshold for the first time ever during a widespread increase in Asia-Pacific markets on Thursday 11th July 2024.

This surge followed a rally in U.S. Big Tech stocks, fueled by optimism over a potential Federal Reserve rate cut moving ever closer.

The Nikkei climbed almost 1% to close at 42,224 driven by gains in technology shares, while the comprehensive Topix index advanced to finish at 2,929.

Nikkei index

July 4, 2024September 12, 2025

Nasdaq and S&P 500 both hit new highs as markets close early for U.S. Independence Day!

The S&P 500 reached new heights in a shortened trading session on Wednesday 3rd July 2024, with investors seemingly dismissing lacklustre economic data.

The S&P 500 closed at a new high of 5537, while the Nasdaq Composite finished the session at 18188, buoyed by rallies in technology and AI stocks like Tesla and Nvidia. Both indices reached new all-time highs during the session and closed at record levels.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost just closed down at 39308.

Trading volume was subdued as the New York Stock Exchange closed early at 1 p.m. ET. The exchange will remain closed on Thursday 4th July 2024 for Independence Day celebrations.

S&P 500: One-year chart – index closed at a new record high

S&P 500 One-year chart closed at new record high

Nasdaq Composite: One-year chart closed at new record high

June 21, 2024September 12, 2025

S&P 500 breaches 5500 but closes slightly lower as Nvidia pulls back from its meteoric rise

The S&P 500 retreated on Thursday 20th June 2024, having momentarily surpassed the 5500 for the first time ever, as Nvidia, a favourite stock with Wall Street investors, relinquished its earlier gains.

The S&P 500 index fell 0.25% to end at 5473. Earlier in the session, the S&P 500 gained around 0.34% to hit a new all-time high.

S&P 500 one day chart 20th June 2024

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.79% to finish at 17721. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow) jumped around 299 points, to close at 39134.

Nvidia lost ground and handed the Market Cap crown back to Microsoft after briefly enjoying the accolade for just 2 days. At one point, Nvidia trimmed around $240 billion off its Market Cap as investors took profits.

Will Nvidia regain the crown in the coming weeks? Probably.

Nvidia one day chart 20th June 2024

June 4, 2024September 12, 2025

Cisco’s ThousandEyes has unveiled an AI product designed to predict and rectify internet outages

ThousandEyes, Cisco’s internet monitoring division, has introduced a new suite of AI-driven features known as Digital Experience Assurance, or DXA, on Tuesday 4th June 2024.

The firm asserts that this new AI technology will allow customers to not only monitor but also automatically address issues affecting network quality.

Describing itself as the ‘Google Maps’ of the internet, Cisco ThousandEyes offers a comprehensive, end-to-end perspective of every user and application across all networks.

Established 15 years prior, the company has been heavily investing in AI technology in recent years.

ThousandEyes is now implementing significant AI-centric modifications to its platform, which are designed to enhance its clients’ oversight of network quality and robustness.

May 24, 2024September 12, 2025

Wall Street is in love with Nvidia as results beat estimates – but can the stock maintain these meteoric gains?

Nvidia’s shares surpassed $1,000 for the first time during extended trading on Wednesday 22nd May 2024, following the chip manufacturers report of fiscal first-quarter (Q1) earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations.

Investors have been using Nvidia’s performance as a barometer for the AI industry’s growth, which has captivated the market over the past year. The robust results indicate that the demand for Nvidia’s AI chips continues to be strong. However, there may be an argument that it is time to take some profits from these massive gains. Can it continue its meteoric climb?

It was also announced that revenues from the upcoming next-generation AI chip, ‘Blackwell‘, are expected later in the year.

In extended trading, the stock increased by around 7%. Additionally, Nvidia announced a 10-for-1 stock split. Given the post-market activity, the shares are on track to reach a new high on Thursday 23rd May 2024.

Nvidia one year share price

Earnings Per Share: $6.12 vs. $5.98 – (Nvidia financial reports)

Revenue: $26.04 billion vs. $24.65 billion – (Nvidia financial reports)

Nvidia anticipates sales of $28 billion for the current quarter, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations of $26.61 billion sales, as reported – (Nvidia financial reports)

The company declared a net income of $14.88 billion, or $5.98 per share, a significant increase from $2.04 billion, or 82 cents per share, in the same period last year. (Nvidia financial reports)

Over the past year, Nvidia’s sales have surged, driven by purchases from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI, which have invested billions in Nvidia’s GPUs. These high-end, expensive chips are essential for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Nvidia’s primary business segment, data center sales, encompasses AI chips and other necessary components for operating large AI servers.

The revenue for Nvidia’s data centre sector soared over 400% compared to the previous year. This growth was attributed to the delivery of the company’s ‘Hopper’ graphics processors (GPU’s), including the H100 GPU.

It was also reported that Meta’s Lama 3, their newest large language model utilizing 24,000 H100 GPUs, as a notable income stream this quarter.

April 18, 2024September 12, 2025

Surging tech stocks allow world’s largest sovereign wealth fund to post $110 billion profit in Q1

Norway’s massive sovereign wealth fund reported a first-quarter profit of 1.21 trillion kroner ($109.9 billion) – bolstered by strong returns from its technology stock investments it was announced on Thursday 18th April 2024.

Established in the 1990s, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, invests the surplus revenue from the nation’s oil and gas sector. The fund has invested in over 8,800 companies across more than 70 countries to date.

April 9, 2024September 12, 2025

GEN AI – The 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.

April 5, 2024September 12, 2025

Tech giant Samsung expects profits to jump by more than 900%

Samsung Electronics anticipates its profits for the first quarter of 2024 to surge more than tenfold compared to the previous year.

This projection is due to the recovery in chip prices following a post-pandemic decline and a surge in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) related products.

As the world’s leading manufacturer of memory microchips, smartphones, and televisions, the South Korea-based Samsung reportedly plans to publish a comprehensive financial report on 30th April 2024.

Projected profit

The tech giant has projected that its operating profit for the January-March 2024 quarter soared to 6.6 trillion won ($4.9bn; £3.9bn), marking a 931% increase from the same period in 2023, surpassing analysts’ forecasts of approximately 5.7 trillion won.

Rebound in microchip prices

A rebound in global semiconductor prices, following a significant downturn the previous year, is expected to bolster its earnings. Over the past year, global memory microchip prices have reportedly increased by about 20%. The semiconductor division of Samsung typically generates the most revenue for the company.

The demand for semiconductors is projected to stay robust throughout the year, fueled by the expansion in AI technologies. Furthermore, the earthquake that struck Taiwan on 3rd April 2024 could potentially constrict the worldwide chip supply, possibly enabling Samsung to further elevate its prices.

Taiwan a key player

Taiwan houses several key chipmakers, including TSMC, which supplies Apple and Nvidia. Despite TSMC reporting minimal impact on its production from the earthquake, it did experience some operational disruptions.

Additionally, Samsung is poised to benefit from the sales of its newly launched flagship Galaxy S24 smartphones, introduced in January.

March 1, 2024September 12, 2025

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

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

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!

February 23, 2024September 12, 2025

S&P 500 hit new all-time high and Nasdaq closing in on record

The S&P 500 surged to a new all-time high on Thursday 22nd February 2024

Microchip maker Nvidia reported much stronger-than-expected quarterly results, lifting tech sector and markets higher.

S&P 500

The S&P 500 gained just over 2% to close at 5087, notching its best day since January 2023. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.96% for its best day since February 2023, closing at 16041 and ever closer to its all-time high.

Nasdaq

The tech-heavy index is very close now to its all-time closing high of 16,057.44.

Dow

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 456 points to surpass 39000 for the first time ever and close at a new high of 39069.

Other tech names were also higher. Meta and Amazon gained about 3.9% and 3.5%. Microsoft and Netflix each advanced more than 2%.

Nvidia driving tech gains

Shares of Nvidia climbed around 16% to an all-time high after the company said total revenue rose a massive 265% from a year ago.

Nvidia, which has become one of the largest U.S. companies by market capitalization, also forecast another stellar revenue gain for the current quarter.

February 2, 2024September 12, 2025

Happy days on Wall Street for BIG tech companies

It was a good day of earnings for Big Tech companies.

Three of the Magnificent 7 results dominated the headlines: Meta, Amazon and Apple. Nasdaq and S&P 500 gained in ‘after the bell’ trading. This after a punishing day for Alphabet and Microsoft, despite good results.

Nasdaq 100 closed at: 17344 but climbed above 17500 in after-hours trading.

Wall Street seemed impressed with Meta’s results.

Meta platforms Inc. One year chart

The results show Meta’s online ad business continues to recover well from a terrible 2022.
Sales in the Q4 jumped 25% year on year.
Expenses decreased 8% year over year to $23.73 billion.

Amazon

Investors also enjoyed Amazon’s earnings, which easily topped Wall Street’s predictions. The ecommerce giant also provided a strong positive outlook. The stock jumped 7% in extended trading.

Amazon.com Inc. One year chart

Q4 was a record-breaking Holiday shopping season in the U.S. and closed out a robust 2023 for Amazon. Amazon has much planned for 2024.

Apple

But Apple didn’t benefit from the same treatment despite posting strong results.

Apple Inc. One year chart

Apple also exceeded estimates, reporting revenue growth for the first time in a year. But shares slid more than 2% in extending trading after it posted a 13% decline in sales in China.

Apple’s outlook suggesting weak iPhones sales may have also disappointed investors.

January 31, 2024September 12, 2025

Neuralink implants brain tech device in human for the first time

Elon Musk’s neurotech startup Neuralink implanted its device in a human for the first time on Sunday 28th January 2024, and the patient is ‘recovering well,‘ the entrepreneur said in a post on X, on Monday 29th January 2024.

The company is developing a brain implant that aims to help patients with severe paralysis control external technologies using only neural signals.

Neuralink began recruiting patients for its first in-human clinical trial in the autumn after it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct the study back in May 2023, according to a blog post.

Musk, in an X post on Monday 29th January 2024 said that Neuralink’s first product is called Telepathy.

If the technology functions well, patients with severe degenerative diseases such as motor neurone disease could someday use the implant to communicate or access social media by moving cursors and typing with their minds.