Samsung is reportedly exploring new phone designs tailored for generative AI applications. Roh Tae-moon, president of Samsung’s Mobile Experience unit, stated that upcoming ‘AI phones’ will look ‘radically different’ from current models. These new devices are expected to be more mobile, incorporating additional sensors and larger screens.
Roh revealed that a significant portion of Samsung’s mobile phone research and development is now focused on these AI-driven phones. Although specific designs were not disclosed, the goal is to move beyond the traditional slim rectangular form that has dominated the market since the iPhone’s debut.
The shift towards AI integration in phones follows Samsung’s introduction of the ‘Galaxy AI’ system, enhancing existing features and adding new tools for users. This move is part of a broader industry trend, with major players like Apple and Google also incorporating AI into their devices.
Competitors have tried to launch AI-specific devices with unique designs, but these have not gained mainstream success. Products like the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI were criticised for poor performance and battery life, highlighting the challenges in creating functional AI-driven smartphones.
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is in discussions with Broadcom and other chip designers about developing a new AI chip. This move aims to address the shortage of expensive graphic processing units required for developing its AI models, such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, and DALL-E3.
The Microsoft-backed company is hiring former Google employees who developed the tech giant’s own AI chip and plans to create an AI server chip. OpenAI is exploring the idea of making its own AI chips to ensure a more stable supply of essential components.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has ambitious plans to raise billions of dollars to establish semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Potential partners for this venture include Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, and Samsung Electronics.
A spokesperson for OpenAI mentioned that the company is having ongoing conversations with industry and government stakeholders to enhance access to the infrastructure needed for making AI benefits widely accessible.
In a pioneering move, a technology company, Google, contracts with a broadcasting company to cover the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. NBC Universal, the official broadcast agency of the Olympic Games in the US, collaborates with the tech giant and Sports Committees to attract younger audiences and those who have grown accustomed to viewing short clips online.
How it is intended to work is sports commentators will use Google’s Gemini AI to narrate competitions, generate recaps, as an assistant to anchors, answer questions posed online and equip them with the content of informed research, and even entertain audiences.
Currently, Google’s AI overviews are used to provide synopses to queries posed in Google searches. These give ready-made short responses to questions posed by users without directing them to third-party websites via links.
Grok, Elon Musk’s AI model available on the X platform, encountered significant issues in accuracy following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The AI model posted incorrect headlines, including one falsely claiming Vice President Kamala Harris had been shot and another wrongly identifying the shooter as an antifa member. These errors stemmed from Grok’s inability to discern sarcasm and verify unverified claims on X.
After announcing plans to develop TruthGPT, Elon Musk has promoted Grok as a revolutionary tool for news aggregation, leveraging real-time posts from millions of users. Despite its potential, the incident underscores Grok’s limitations, particularly in handling breaking news. The model’s humorous design can also be a drawback, leading to the spread of misinformation and confusion.
The reliance on AI for news summaries raises concerns about accuracy and context, especially during critical events. Former Facebook public-policy director Katie Harbath emphasized the need for human oversight in providing context and verifying facts. The incident with Grok mirrors challenges faced by other AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which includes disclaimers to manage user expectations.
ANPD’s decision arose from concerns over Meta’s use of personal data to train its AI systems without users’ explicit consent. The agency warned of ‘serious and irreparable damage’ to the rights of data subjects and imposed a daily fine of 50,000 reais for non-compliance. Meta expressed disappointment, stating that the decision is a setback for innovation and AI development in Brazil.
The controversy in Brazil reflects broader global challenges for tech companies navigating stringent data privacy laws. In regions like the European Union, similar regulatory hurdles have forced Meta and other tech giants to pause their AI tool rollouts. Human Rights Watch highlighted risks associated with personal data in AI training, noting how personal photos, including those of Brazilian children, have been misused in image datasets, raising significant privacy and ethical concerns.
Meta’s response aligns with its recent actions in Europe, where it withheld its AI models due to regulatory uncertainties. This situation underscores the tension between advancing AI technologies and adhering to evolving data protection regulations.
In Ukraine, several startups are advancing AI systems to enhance drone operations, aiming to gain a technological edge in the ongoing conflict. These AI-enabled drones are designed to tackle increasing signal jamming by Russian forces and operate in larger groups, revolutionising modern warfare. The development includes visual systems for target identification, terrain mapping for navigation, and complex programs enabling drones to work in interconnected swarms.
One notable company, Swarmer, is creating software that links drones into a network, allowing for instant decision implementation across the group, with human intervention limited to green-lighting automated strikes. CEO Serhiy Kupriienko explained that AI can manage hundreds of drones, whereas human pilots struggle with more than five. The system, called Styx, directs reconnaissance and strike drones, both aerial and ground-based, with each drone planning its own moves and predicting the behaviour of others in the swarm.
The need for AI drones is increasing as Electronic Warfare (EW) systems disrupt signals between pilots and drones. AI-operated drones could significantly improve hit rates, countering the current drop in strike success due to jamming. The goal is to develop affordable AI targeting systems that can be deployed en masse along the extensive front line, potentially using low-cost computers like the Raspberry Pi. Such advancements could significantly enhance Ukraine’s military capabilities in the ongoing conflict, as seen with their use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition services.
Google France CEO Sébastien Missoffe highlighted Google’s infrastructure, data expertise, and long-term AI approach as key factors that will support CMA CGM’s growth. CEVA Logistics, CMA CGM’s logistics arm, will utilise Google’s AI-based management tools to enhance volume and demand forecasting, improving operational planning at its warehouses.
The partnership extends to CMA CGM’s media arm, which holds stakes in French private broadcaster M6 and recently acquired BFM TV. The media division aims to develop tools to help journalists synthesise and translate documents, generate media snippets for social networks, and digitise archives for research purposes. This collaboration underscores the growing trend of leveraging AI to address challenges across various industries, similar to the partnership between Airbus and Agrimetrics in agronomy.
A recent survey conducted by Nikkei Research for Reuters shows a significant divide among Japanese companies regarding AI adoption. Of the 250 firms that responded, 24% have integrated AI into their operations, while 35% plan to do so. However, 41% have no plans to implement the technology, highlighting varying levels of enthusiasm for AI across corporate Japan. Key motivations for adopting AI include addressing workforce shortages, reducing labour costs, and accelerating research and development.
Despite Japan’s initially laid back approach to AI regulation, several obstacles hinder AI adoption, including employee anxiety over potential job losses, lack of technological expertise, high capital expenditure, and concerns about AI’s reliability. Cybersecurity also emerged as a critical issue, with 15% of respondents experiencing cyberattacks in the past year and 9% reporting attacks on their business partners. To enhance cybersecurity, 47% of firms outsource their defence, while 38% rely on in-house specialists.
The survey also touched on the controversial topic of Japan’s surname law, which mandates that spouses use the same surname. Half of the respondents support changing the law, a move prompted by the Keidanren business lobby’s recent appeal to the government. Supporters argue that the current system undermines individual dignity and freedom, particularly for women, while opponents believe separate surnames could weaken family bonds. Only 14% of firms believe the change would boost employee morale, and 10% think it would aid hiring efforts, with the majority expecting no significant impact on business.
Chinese companies have access to the much coveted Nvidia AI chips through their access to online cloud services owned by Google and Microsoft. The two American tech giants and other international companies rent to Chinese firms operating off-shore Nvidia-powered servers to power their data centres.
These and several other cloud service providers, including several AI startups, offer such services to companies across the globe. However, cloud service providers are based in more than just the US. Many operate out of Asia and Europe.
China’s access to these advanced AI semiconductors is noteworthy as the industry continues to benefit from an upswing, and the Biden administration continues to pressure local companies to ensure they uphold export regulations in place, targeting the ban on China.
The US Department of Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, lamented the security risk China’s access to these chips poses to national security and promised to do more to prevent companies from skirting the legislation.
Senator Chuck Grassley’s office provided the letter to Reuters, stating that OpenAI’s policies appear to prevent whistleblowers from receiving due compensation for their protected disclosures. The whistle-blowers have requested that the SEC fine OpenAI for each improper agreement and review all contracts containing NDAs, including employment, severance, and investor agreements. OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
