Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu have made only limited progress in meeting their renewable energy goals, according to a recent Greenpeace East Asia report. The sector’s power consumption is expected to surge due to growing demand for AI and cloud services, prompting calls for more robust action against climate change.
The report tracked the renewable energy use of top 25 cloud providers and data centre operators in China. Although Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu led in renewable energy procurement and carbon reduction measures, significant disparities remain across the industry. Only five companies reported annual renewable energy ratios exceeding 10%, a notable increase from just one company in 2022.
Despite these advances, only eight companies have committed to 100% renewable energy use by 2030, and only six have set carbon neutrality goals for their direct and indirect emissions. Greenpeace stressed the need for the tech sector to rapidly expand renewable energy consumption to meet the projected 160% increase in power demand for data centres by 2030, driven by AI development.
Recent research from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has uncovered significant insights into the capabilities of large language models (LLMs). The study found that while LLMs excel in familiar scenarios, they struggle with novel tasks, raising questions about their true reasoning abilities versus reliance on memorisation.
The researchers compared LLMs’ performance on common tasks to hypothetical scenarios that deviated from their training data. For instance, models like GPT-4 showed proficiency in arithmetic using base-10 but faltered with other number bases, indicating a lack of generalisable addition skills. The pattern was consistent across various tasks, including spatial reasoning and chess, where models performed no better than random guessing in unfamiliar settings.
Lead author Zhaofeng Wu emphasised the importance of these findings, noting that as AI becomes more integrated into society, it must handle diverse scenarios reliably. The study’s insights aim to inform the development of more adaptable and robust future LLMs. The team plans to expand their research to include more complex and varied tasks, further exploring AI’s limitations and improving interpretability.
Supported by the MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab, the MIT Quest for Intelligence, and the National Science Foundation, the study was presented at the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL).
Researchers from the Universities of East Anglia, Sheffield, and Leeds have developed an AI model to examine heart images from MRI scans. The model uses a four-chamber plane view to quickly and accurately determine the size and function of the heart’s chambers.
Dr Pankaj Garg from UEA’s Norwich Medical School stated that while manual MRI analysis can take up to 45 minutes, the AI model performs the task in just a few seconds.
The study used data from 814 patients at Sheffield and Leeds hospitals to train the AI model, with additional testing on 101 patients from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals.
Unlike previous studies, this model was trained on diverse data from multiple hospitals and scanner types, providing a comprehensive analysis of all four heart chambers. Dr Hosamadin Assadi from UEA highlighted the model’s potential to improve diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes.
Future research will focus on testing the AI model with larger patient groups from different hospitals and scanner types. The study was a collaboration between several universities and NHS trusts, supported by the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship.
Lee Saedol, once the world’s top Go player, experienced a turning point in 2016 when he was defeated by AlphaGo, an AI program developed by Google’s DeepMind. This unexpected loss highlighted the significant advancements in AI, showcasing its ability to master complex tasks previously considered exclusive to human expertise.
AlphaGo’s victory over Lee, an 18-time world champion, demonstrated AI’s potential to achieve superhuman proficiency in skills such as Go, a game known for its complexity and strategic depth. The match, which garnered global attention, revealed the profound impact AI could have on various fields beyond board games.
Following his defeat, Lee Saedol retired, acknowledging that AI had fundamentally changed the nature of Go. Now, at 41, he urges others to familiarise themselves with AI technology to avoid being unprepared for its widespread implications. He lectures about AI, emphasising its growing influence and the need for society to adapt.
Despite his initial shock, Lee remains engaged with the Go community, writing books and founding a Go academy for children. He frequently discusses AI’s future impact on his family, particularly its influence on job markets and everyday life, underscoring the importance of choosing careers resilient to AI advancements.
Microsoft has made a significant leap forward in AI speech generation with its VALL-E 2 text-to-speech (TTS) system. VALL-E 2 achieves human parity, meaning it can produce voices indistinguishable from real people. The system only needs a few seconds of audio to learn and mimic a speaker’s voice.
Tests on speech datasets like LibriSpeech and VCTK showed that VALL-E 2’s voice quality matches or even surpasses human quality. Features like ‘Repetition Aware Sampling’ and ‘Grouped Code Modeling’ allow the system to handle complex sentences and repetitive phrases naturally, ensuring smooth and realistic speech output.
Despite releasing audio samples, Microsoft considers VALL-E 2 too advanced for public release due to potential misuse like voice spoofing. This cautious approach aligns with the wider industry’s concerns, as seen with OpenAI’s restrictions on its voice technology.
While VALL-E 2 represents a significant breakthrough, it remains a research project for now. The development of AI continues apace, with companies striving to balance innovation with ethical considerations.
Personalised medicine company Spesana and Imidex, developer of computer-aided detection technology, have announced a strategic partnership to explore AI’s impact on lung cancer detection. The collaboration will combine Imidex’s VisiRad XR detection algorithm and Spesana’s medical data platform to study the detection rates of lung nodules and masses in existing chest x-rays.
The clinical trial aims to quantify how many additional lung masses can be identified, identify at-risk patients for clinical trials, and evaluate the use of liquid biopsies resulting from nodule detection. Carla Balch, CEO of Spesana, envisions early lung cancer detection leading to earlier treatment and better patient outcomes.
Wes Bolsen, CEO of Imidex, highlighted that their FDA-cleared algorithm will improve the screening of potential lung cancer patients. The collaboration aims to equip healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies with tools to detect lung nodules earlier, optimising healthcare resources and improving patient outcomes.
Elon Musk’s grand vision of establishing a human colony on Mars is rapidly taking shape at SpaceX, where intensive planning efforts are underway alongside rocket development. Musk, driven by a lifelong fascination with Mars, has directed SpaceX teams to design everything from dome habitats to spacesuits capable of withstanding Mars’s harsh conditions. His ambitious timeline now targets having a million people living on Mars within the next 20 years, a drastic acceleration from earlier projections.
Musk remains undeterred despite the immense challenges—such as freezing temperatures, dust storms, and the need for artificial atmospheres. SpaceX’s Starship rocket, designed to transport humans to Mars, is central to these plans, with recent successful test flights marking crucial milestones. The company envisions Starship as a transportation vessel and a potential living space equipped with amenities like living quarters and recreational facilities, crucial for long-term habitation on the red planet.
Asimov’s Foundation series was part of the inspiration for making life/consciousness multiplanetary.
Being multiplanetary greatly extends the probable lifespan of civilization.
While Musk’s vision has sparked both admiration and scepticism, particularly given the complexities of Martian colonisation, SpaceX is forging ahead with concrete steps. Internal discussions include considerations on bioengineering, sustainable living through greenhouses, and even potential food sources like plant-based alternatives from Impossible Foods. Despite operational challenges and controversies, SpaceX continues to attract dedicated employees who share Musk’s belief in creating a multi-planetary civilisation.
Musk’s determination to secure humanity’s future on Mars remains resolute, setting SpaceX on a course that challenges conventional timelines and expectations in space exploration. While NASA projects a much later timeframe for human missions to Mars, Musk’s aggressive pursuit of his Martian dream underscores his relentless drive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in space travel and colonisation.
OpenAI has launched a five-tier system to measure its progress towards developing AI that can surpass human performance. The new classification aims to provide clearer insights into the company’s approach to AI safety and future goals. The system, unveiled to employees during an all-hands meeting, outlines stages from conversational AI to advanced AI that are capable of running an entire organisation.
Currently, OpenAI is at the first level but is approaching the second stage, called ‘Reasoners.’ That level represents AI systems that can perform basic problem-solving tasks comparable to a human with a doctorate but without additional tools. During the meeting, leadership showcased a research project involving the GPT-4 model, demonstrating new capabilities that exhibit human-like reasoning.
The five-tier framework is still a work in progress, with plans to gather feedback from employees, investors, and the board. OpenAI’s ultimate goal is to create artificial general intelligence (AGI), which involves developing AI that outperforms humans in most tasks. CEO Sam Altman remains optimistic that AGI could be achieved within this decade.
The Nigerian Government has announced the development of a locally-made blockchain called ‘Nigerium’, designed to secure national data and enhance cybersecurity. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is leading this initiative to address concerns about reliance on foreign blockchain technologies, such as Ethereum, which may not align with Nigeria’s interests.
NITDA Director General Kashifu Abdullahi introduced the ‘Nigerium’ project during a visit from the University of Hertfordshire Law School delegation in Abuja. He highlighted the need for a blockchain under Nigeria’s control to maintain data sovereignty and position the country as a leader in the competitive global tech landscape. The project, proposed by the University of Hertfordshire, aims to create a blockchain tailored to Nigeria’s unique requirements and regulatory framework.
The indigenous blockchain offers several advantages, including enhanced security, data control, and economic growth. By managing its own blockchain, Nigeria can safeguard sensitive information, improve cyber defence capabilities, and promote trusted transactions within its digital economy. The collaboration between the private and public sectors is crucial for the success of ‘Nigerium’, marking a significant step towards technological autonomy.
If successful, ‘Nigerium’ could place Nigeria at the forefront of blockchain technology in Africa, ensuring a secure and prosperous digital future. This initiative represents a strategic move towards maintaining data sovereignty and fostering innovation, positioning Nigeria to better control its technological destiny.
The UAE’s AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office, alongside the Mastercard Centre for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), have unveiled their inaugural ‘AI Challenge’. Aligned with the UAE Strategy for AI, this initiative aims to invigorate the country’s burgeoning AI sector and cultivate opportunities for AI-focused businesses and talent.
Saqr Binghalib, Executive Director of the AI Office in UAE, emphasised the government’s commitment to fostering partnerships with technology leaders and innovators. This collaboration aims to propel technological advancement, shape the future of AI, and reinforce the UAE’s global leadership in emerging fields.
J.K. Khalil, Division President, East Arabia at Mastercard, highlighted AI’s transformative potential across finance, business operations, and global interactions. The AI Challenge underscores Mastercard’s dedication to leveraging AI for positive impact and supporting the UAE’s vision to pioneer innovation in this domain.
The AI Challenge invites seed and Series A startups to propose innovative AI-driven solutions in areas such as cybersecurity, fintech, and productivity enhancement. Finalists will compete for a US$150,000 cash prize, access to Mastercard’s global resources, and enrolment in its acclaimed Start Path programme, aimed at accelerating startup growth through mentoring and global networking opportunities. Interested participants can register online by 25th August 2024 to participate in this groundbreaking initiative.
