Amazon has introduced AI-powered Shopping Guides to help customers navigate its vast product selection more efficiently. Starting Thursday, the guides will cover over 100 different product types, offering key information such as trusted brands, use cases, and popular features to simplify decision-making. The goal is to speed up the shopping process by consolidating research into an easy-to-navigate format.
The AI guides will not only focus on larger purchases like TVs or appliances but will also assist with everyday items such as dog food and running shoes. By using generative AI technology, Amazon aims to refine the search process and reduce the overwhelming number of choices shoppers face. Each guide is updated regularly through Amazon’s AI platform, Bedrock, ensuring users get the most current and relevant information.
Available first in the US via Amazon’s mobile apps and web, the AI Shopping Guides will appear during search suggestions and through personalised browsing prompts. Amazon also plans to expand the feature across more product categories in the coming months.
Three scientists, David Baker, John Jumper, and Demis Hassabis, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on proteins. Baker, an American professor at the University of Washington, was recognised for his innovations in computational protein design. At the same time, Hassabis and Jumper, both from Google DeepMind, were honoured for their advancements in predicting protein structures using AI. Their research has opened new doors in drug development and other scientific fields.
Today the world discovered who had been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Hassabis and Jumper, through their AI model AlphaFold2, achieved a breakthrough by predicting the structure of nearly all known proteins. The advancement has broad applications, including a better understanding of antibiotic resistance and even designing enzymes to break down plastics. Baker, meanwhile, focused on creating entirely new proteins that can be used to tackle global challenges such as climate change and emerging diseases.
The Nobel Prize, considered among the highest honours in science, comes with a reward of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.1 million). Hassabis expressed his excitement about the recognition, calling it surreal and thanking his colleagues. The award highlights the growing importance of AI and machine learning in scientific innovation.
Baker, who was caught off guard by the announcement, explained how his work in protein design has been driven by the goal of solving critical global problems. His research into creating new proteins has already led to developments in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and nanotechnology, opening the door to future solutions in other areas.
The recognition marks the second Nobel Prize this week for research involving AI, underlining AI’s transformative role in science. During the prestigious Nobel banquet in Stockholm, the laureates will receive their medals from the Swedish king in December.
MediaTek is reportedly collaborating with NVIDIA to develop a new AI processor, which is expected to be manufactured using 3nm technology and is slated for tape-out later this month. This move comes alongside MediaTek’s recent launch of its Dimensity 9400 smartphone chipset, indicating the company’s ambition to diversify its product lineup. The new AI processor is projected to enter mass production by late 2025 and aims to fill a gap in the market for Windows-on-Arm devices, especially given the comparatively weaker graphics performance of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite.
The new chip is expected to work alongside NVIDIA’s GPU, aiming at major laptop brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus as potential clients. Priced at approximately $300, this processor signifies MediaTek’s move into the AI PC sector, marking a significant shift from its usual collaborations with AMD. However, MediaTek has previously partnered with NVIDIA, notably in their recent unveiling of automotive SoCs that incorporate NVIDIA technology, highlighting their mutual interest in enhancing AI capabilities.
As the AI landscape evolves, MediaTek’s partnership with NVIDIA could bolster its position in a competitive market, especially given NVIDIA’s dominance in AI processors. This collaboration underscores MediaTek’s strategic shift and opens avenues for innovative products in the AI-driven technology sector.
Roli, the London-based company known for its innovative musical products, has introduced the Airwave system, designed to make learning the piano easier by integrating AI and hand-tracking technology. Airwave works with Roli’s existing keyboards, utilising 3D cameras to track hand movements, providing a personalised and immersive learning experience. This system, compatible with Roli’s Seaboard and the newly rebranded Piano M, aims to simplify piano lessons while enhancing creativity.
Airwave’s key feature combines light-up keys and hand-tracking, giving users real-time feedback on their playing. The system is powered by Roli Music Intelligence (MI), an AI platform trained on large language models. Users can interact with the system through voice commands for tips, chord help, and access to complete songs, making it a versatile educational tool.
Beyond education, Airwave also caters to musicians seeking creative expression. The system allows players to manipulate sounds and instruments through gestures, much like a conductor. Priced at $299, Airwave is available for preorder.
Adobe announced it will introduce a free web-based app in 2025 to help creators of images and videos get proper credit for their work, especially as AI systems increasingly rely on large datasets for training. The app will enable users to affix ‘Content Credentials,’ a digital signature, to their creations, indicating authorship and even specifying whether they want their work used for AI training.
Since 2019, Adobe has been developing Content Credentials as part of a broader industry push for transparency in how digital media is created and used. TikTok has already committed to using these credentials to label AI-generated content. However, major AI companies have yet to adopt Adobe’s system, though Adobe continues to advocate for industry-wide adoption.
The initiative comes as legal battles over AI data use intensify, with publishers like The New York Times suing OpenAI. Adobe sees this tool as a way to protect creators and promote transparency, as highlighted by Scott Belsky, Adobe’s chief strategy officer, who described it as a step towards preserving the integrity of creative work online.
US scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work in machine learning, which has significantly contributed to the rise of AI. This emerging technology is praised for its potential to revolutionise areas such as scientific research and administrative efficiency but has also raised concerns about its impact on humanity, including fears of being outsmarted by machines.
Hinton, widely recognised as a pioneer in AI, gained attention last year when he resigned from his role at Google to speak more openly about the potential dangers of the technology. From California, he acknowledged the dual-edged nature of AI, emphasising its advantages in areas such as healthcare while also warning about its possible risks. He voiced concerns over the uncertain capabilities and limitations of AI, reflecting similar worries expressed by Hopfield.
Hopfield, a professor emeritus at Princeton University, developed an associative memory model designed to reconstruct data patterns. He pointed out that complex systems can display behaviours that are not easily predictable based on their fundamental components. Both he and Hinton stressed the need for caution in response to the rapid advancements in AI technology.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences acknowledged their contributions for applying principles of physics to create methods that are foundational to modern machine learning. They will split a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million) for their work, which has significant implications for science, engineering, and daily life.
Duos Technologies Group, through its subsidiary Duos Edge AI, has entered a strategic partnership with Accu-Tech to expand the deployment of edge data centres across the US. This collaboration aims to meet the rising demand for faster data processing and improved connectivity in underserved areas.
With Accu-Tech’s established distribution network, Duos Edge AI plans to accelerate the rollout of its advanced computing solutions. President Doug Recker sees this as a key moment in providing critical technology to local communities. The growing edge computing market, expected to reach $43.4 billion by 2027, highlights the importance of this venture.
CEO Chuck Ferry emphasises the alignment between Duos’ vision and the need for innovative infrastructure to support local businesses. By partnering with Accu-Tech, Duos ensures both reliable installation and efficient operation of its edge data centres.
The first edge data centres are expected to be operational by Q4 2024. The collaboration is set to improve connectivity and optimise performance, bringing advanced technology to underserved regions across the country.
Foxconn is constructing the world’s largest facility in Mexico for bundling Nvidia’s GB200 superchips, a crucial component of Nvidia’s upcoming Blackwell computing platform. The Taiwanese electronics giant, known for assembling Apple’s iPhones, has been capitalising on the surge in demand for AI technology by manufacturing servers designed for AI processing.
Nvidia has already started shipping samples of its Blackwell chips and expects substantial revenue from these in the coming months. Foxconn executives highlighted the enormous demand for Nvidia‘s Blackwell platform, with many industry players seeking to adopt this next-generation AI computing technology.
The manufacturing plant in Mexico will have substantial capacity, building on Foxconn’s existing investments in the country. The company’s production capabilities are equipped with advanced liquid cooling technologies necessary for supporting AI servers, ensuring they meet the growing needs of the AI sector.
In addition to its focus on AI, Foxconn is diversifying its operations by expanding into the electric vehicle market. The company plans to leverage its technological expertise to become a leading EV contract manufacturer, producing vehicles under its Foxtron brand while helping automakers with manufacturing.
A study conducted by UC San Francisco found that ChatGPT, when applied in emergency care, often recommends unnecessary treatments such as X-rays and antibiotics. It also admits patients who don’t require hospitalisation. Despite its strengths in certain areas, the AI model struggles to match the accuracy of a human doctor in more complex decision-making.
Researchers discovered that while ChatGPT can excel in simpler tasks like determining which patient is sicker, it tends to overprescribe when faced with real emergency cases. ChatGPT-4 performed 8% worse than resident doctors, while version 3.5 was 24% less accurate. These overprescriptions could lead to unnecessary treatments, increased healthcare costs, and strain on resources.
The research highlighted that the AI models are influenced by their internet training, often erring on the side of caution by recommending medical consultations. Although this approach is appropriate for general safety, it can be problematic in emergency settings, where unneeded treatments can harm patients. More refined frameworks are needed before AI can reliably assist in EDs.
Researchers are working on better ways for AI to evaluate clinical information in emergency care. A balance must be found between preventing serious oversight and avoiding excessive medical interventions.
Vodafone has announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Google in a ten-year deal worth over a billion dollars. This agreement aims to introduce Google’s generative AI-powered devices to customers in Europe and Africa, capitalising on the 5G network. The collaboration will also promote the Android ecosystem in these regions.
Vodafone intends to extend the availability of Google’s AI-powered Pixel devices, enhancing customer access to innovative technology. By 2025, the company will begin offering Google One AI Premium subscription plans, which include advanced features such as Gemini Advanced.
In addition to customer-focused advancements, this multinational telecommunications company will use Google Cloud’s AI platform for enterprise-level applications. The integration of AI will streamline operations and enhance services within the company.
Google remains in fierce competition in the AI sector, vying against other major tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. The partnership with Vodafone strengthens its position in this fast-evolving market.
