Digital cooperation Archives | Page 212 of 219

Arm terminates Qualcomm chip agreement ahead of trial

Arm Holdings is cancelling a key architectural license agreement with Qualcomm, escalating the legal dispute between the two companies. According to a Bloomberg News report, Arm has given Qualcomm a 60-day notice to terminate the agreement, which allows Qualcomm to design chips using Arm’s intellectual property. The two tech giants have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2022 when Arm sued Qualcomm for not renegotiating the license after its acquisition of chip startup Nuvia.

Qualcomm criticised Arm’s decision, calling it a ‘desperate ploy’ to disrupt the upcoming trial, which is set to begin in December. Qualcomm claims its rights under the agreement will be upheld and accuses Arm of anti-competitive behaviour. The dispute could impact shipments of laptops using Qualcomm’s chips, including Microsoft’s Copilot+ devices, and potentially reverse Qualcomm’s acquisition of Nuvia.

Despite the tensions, some analysts expect the companies to reach a settlement before the trial. A legal victory for Arm could have significant consequences for Qualcomm and its partners.

AI could help Alex Van Halen finish unreleased songs

Alex Van Halen is exploring AI to complete unreleased Van Halen music left unfinished by his late brother Eddie. The drummer revealed that while the band has a vault of material, many tracks are incomplete and lack vocals. He hopes AI can analyse Eddie’s guitar style to generate new solos.

Alex has reached out to OpenAI, seeking their help in recreating his brother’s signature playing patterns. He envisions using AI-generated guitar parts alongside vocals from Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, despite not having spoken to the singer in decades. Completing the project could take years.

Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in 2020, left a significant legacy in rock music. His son Wolfgang, who toured with Van Halen, has said there is no chance of a reunion, preferring not to play the band’s music without his father.

AI is already playing a role in the music industry. Randy Travis, who lost his singing ability after a stroke, recently released a song with AI-generated vocals, recreating his voice through advanced technology. The success of that project offers hope for similar ventures, including Alex’s plans for Van Halen’s unfinished work.

Google DeepMind’s AI may ease culture war tensions, say researchers

A new AI tool created by Google DeepMind, called the ‘Habermas Machine,’ could help reduce culture war divides by mediating between different viewpoints. The system takes individual opinions and generates group statements that reflect both majority and minority perspectives, aiming to foster greater agreement.

Developed by researchers, including Professor Chris Summerfield from the University of Oxford, the AI system has been tested in the United Kingdom with more than 5,000 participants. It was found that the statements created by AI were often rated higher in clarity and quality than those written by human mediators, increasing group consensus by eight percentage points on average.

The Habermas Machine was also used in a virtual citizens’ assembly on topics such as Brexit and universal childcare. It was able to produce group statements that acknowledged minority views without marginalising them, but the AI approach does have its critics.

Some researchers argue that AI-mediated discussions don’t always promote empathy or give smaller minorities enough influence in shaping the final statements. Despite these concerns, the potential for AI to assist in resolving social disagreements remains a promising development.

Meta unveils Movie Gen in collaboration with Blumhouse

Meta, the owner of Facebook, announced a partnership with Blumhouse Productions, known for hit horror films like ‘The Purge’ and ‘Get Out,’ to test its new generative AI video model, Movie Gen. This follows the recent launch of Movie Gen, which can produce realistic video and audio clips based on user prompts. Meta claims that this tool could compete with offerings from leading media generation startups like OpenAI and ElevenLabs.

Blumhouse has chosen filmmakers Aneesh Chaganty, The Spurlock Sisters, and Casey Affleck to experiment with Movie Gen, with Chaganty’s film set to appear on Meta’s Movie Gen website. In a statement, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum emphasised the importance of involving artists in the development of new technologies, noting that innovative tools can enhance storytelling for directors.

This partnership highlights Meta’s aim to connect with the creative industries, which have expressed hesitance toward generative AI due to copyright and consent concerns. Several copyright holders have sued companies like Meta, alleging unauthorised use of their works to train AI systems. In response to these challenges, Meta has demonstrated a willingness to compensate content creators, recently securing agreements with actors such as Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, and John Cena for its Meta AI chatbot.

Meanwhile, Microsoft-backed OpenAI has been exploring potential partnerships with Hollywood executives for its video generation tool, Sora, though no deals have been finalised yet. In September, Lions Gate Entertainment announced a collaboration with another AI startup, Runway, underscoring the increasing interest in AI partnerships within the film industry.

Bain and OpenAI to develop AI solutions for key industries

Bain & Company announced it is expanding its partnership with OpenAI to offer AI tools like ChatGPT to its clients. The firms previously formed a global alliance to introduce OpenAI technology to Bain’s clients, and the consultancy has now made OpenAI platforms, including ChatGPT Enterprise, available to its employees worldwide.

Bain is also setting up an OpenAI Centre of Excellence, managed by its own team, to further integrate AI solutions. The partnership will initially focus on developing custom solutions for the retail and healthcare life sciences industries, with plans for expansion into other sectors.

While Bain did not disclose financial details, around 50 employees will be dedicated to this collaboration, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft’s GenAI head Sebastien Bubeck departs for OpenAI

Sebastien Bubeck, Microsoft’s vice president of GenAI research, is leaving the company to join OpenAI, the AI startup behind ChatGPT. Microsoft has not provided details on the role Bubeck will assume at OpenAI but has confirmed it will continue its relationship with him through its backing of the company.

While Bubeck did not respond to requests for confirmation, Microsoft stated that he is departing to further his work on artificial general intelligence (AGI). Despite his exit, the majority of his team working on Microsoft’s smaller Phi large language models (LLMs) will stay on to continue their work.

This follows a series of recent departures from OpenAI, including longtime chief technology officer Mira Murati. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has denied that these exits are linked to any planned restructuring of the company.

Bubeck’s departure marks a significant shift in Microsoft’s AI research landscape but highlights ongoing collaboration with OpenAI, with whom it shares a deep investment in the future of AGI.

Japanese firms Rapidus and Denso push for shared chip design methods

Japanese companies Rapidus and Denso are set to collaborate on creating standardised design methods for advanced chips, which will be used in sectors such as AI and self-driving vehicles. The collaboration marks a significant step for Japan as it leads efforts to develop cutting-edge chip technology.

This is the first time Japanese firms have taken the lead in standardising chip design methods. The initiative is aimed at boosting Japan’s competitiveness in the global chip market, where competition is fierce and innovation is key.

Rapidus and Denso will encourage other companies to join in sharing their chip designs. The shared methods are expected to reduce development time and production costs, fostering a more efficient approach to chip manufacturing.

By creating common design practices, the companies hope to speed up the development of advanced chips, making them more affordable to produce and further solidifying Japan’s position in the tech industry.

OpenAI partners with Hearst to enhance ChatGPT

OpenAI has teamed up with Hearst Communications Inc. to incorporate content from its magazines and newspapers into the ChatGPT chatbot. This partnership, announced on Tuesday, enables Hearst to license material from well-known publications such as Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Elle, along with more than 40 newspapers for use in OpenAI’s products. The content will be displayed in ChatGPT with proper attribution, providing transparency and easy access to the original sources.

Jeff Johnson, President of Hearst Newspapers, highlighted the significance of including journalism from professional journalists in AI products as generative AI advances. He stated that this partnership enables Hearst’s trusted and curated content to enrich OpenAI’s offerings, resulting in more timely and relevant information.

OpenAI has been working to establish similar licensing agreements with a range of publishers, such as Condé Nast, News Corp., and Time magazine, to train its AI models and ensure access to authoritative information. Many of these agreements include commitments to provide news summaries with proper attribution. However, not all media outlets are on board; the New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in December, alleging the unauthorised use of its copyrighted articles. OpenAI has contested these claims, asserting that the newspaper is not presenting the full context of the situation.

International business leaders to gather at UK’s first investment summit

The British government is set to hold its first international investment summit on October 14, with top executives from companies such as Google, Wayve, and Brookfield Asset Management attending. The summit is aimed at encouraging foreign direct investment to stimulate economic growth, a key focus for Prime Minister Keir Starmer since taking office in July.

Sponsorship for the event comes from major corporations like Barclays, HSBC, and Lloyds, with notable speakers including Ruth Porat from Alphabet and Bruce Flatt from Brookfield. Despite some controversy, such as Elon Musk criticising the United Kingdom for not inviting him, the summit has drawn significant attention from the global business community.

The government emphasised that the event would strengthen partnerships between businesses and the UK, providing investors with the confidence needed to drive future growth. Prior to the summit, Starmer will convene the first Council of Nations and Regions to align regional leaders on investment and economic strategies.

In a significant step towards sustainability, the government announced a £21.7 billion investment in carbon capture projects, underlining its commitment to green initiatives ahead of the summit.

Italy considers strengthening digital tax despite US concerns

Italy is exploring ways to strengthen its digital services tax as part of its 2025 budget, according to officials. The tax, which currently generates around €400 million annually, targets large tech firms like Meta, Google, and Amazon. Proposed changes include expanding the number of companies affected or increasing the rate for those already taxed.

The potential move comes amid concerns of US retaliation, as Washington has previously threatened tariffs against European countries that implement unilateral digital taxes. Despite an earlier agreement that froze these threats, the US has not ruled out future action. Italy’s decision is driven by the need to increase fiscal revenue as the government prepares to widen its budget deficit and introduce tax cuts in 2025.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this week, with digital taxation expected to be a key discussion point. Meanwhile, Italy continues to push for global tax reforms, which have stalled due to international disagreements.