Infosys and Microsoft are expanding their collaboration to drive the global adoption of generative AI and Microsoft Azure. The partnership is set to enhance customer experiences and increase the value of their technology investments across various industries such as finance, healthcare, and telecommunications.
Infosys, an early adopter of GitHub Copilot, currently has over 18,000 developers who have generated more than seven million lines of code through the tool. The company has also launched a GitHub Centre of Excellence to support AI and Cloud solutions like Infosys Topaz, Cobalt, and Aster, aimed at transforming business operations globally.
Customers will have access to a variety of solutions through Azure Marketplace, allowing them to benefit from their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). Microsoft’s Chief Partner Officer, Nicole Dezen, highlighted the potential of this collaboration to drive AI innovation and improve employee and customer experiences.
The growth of AI developer productivity could potentially add over $1.5 trillion to the global GDP by 2030, with GitHub Copilot playing a key role in boosting efficiency. More than one million developers and 20,000 organisations have adopted GitHub Copilot to date.
Amazon is introducing new technologies designed to speed up deliveries and online shopping decisions. Announced on Wednesday, the company’s Vision Assisted Package Retrieval system will be installed in 1,000 electric delivery trucks starting next year. This system uses cameras and LED projectors to guide delivery workers to the correct packages, cutting down the time needed for each delivery.
Amazon also enhances its shopping experience with AI software to help customers make faster and more informed purchasing decisions. The software provides detailed information and product recommendations, from electronics to pet supplies, reducing the need for extensive research. These tools aim to improve customer satisfaction by making the buying process more efficient.
In addition, Amazon plans to open smaller warehouses attached to Whole Foods locations to offer a broader range of products not carried in-store. The first hybrid stores will open in Pennsylvania next year, allowing customers to order items like soft drinks alongside their grocery purchases for a seamless checkout experience.
The All England Club has announced that Wimbledon will replace line judges with AI technology from 2025. This decision marks the end of a 147-year tradition, as the courtside presence of immaculately dressed line judges has long been a staple of the event. AI technology, already in use at the US Open since 2020, is set to fully automate line calls, leaving the future of more than 300 line judges uncertain.
Many officials have expressed disappointment, with chair umpire Richard Ings calling it a ‘sad but inevitable day’. While the shift to AI offers undeniable precision, there are concerns about the loss of the human element in the sport. Ings highlighted that certain decisions, like not-ups or crowd disruptions, will still require human oversight, even though automated systems will handle line calls.
The move to Electronic Line Calling (ELC) has raised worries about the future of officiating, particularly for smaller tournaments. The cost of implementing AI technology, estimated at £100,000 per court, could deter officials from smaller events that lack the budget. Organisers of Wimbledon acknowledge the importance of tradition but emphasise the advantages of the change.
Despite the transition, some aspects will remain unchanged. Chair umpires will continue to lead matches, but the courts will look and feel different without the line judges who once shared the stage. Wimbledon’s decision follows a similar switch at Queen’s Club and adds to growing concerns about officiating’s future direction.
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.
Schools in Liverpool are trialling AI to reduce teachers’ marking workload and help personalise lessons. The initiative, supported by a partnership between Century Tech and Mayor Steve Rotheram, aims to give teachers more time for other tasks while improving educational outcomes.
Runnymede St Edwards Primary in West Derby has already adopted the AI tool for three years, offering insights into how it can tailor homework based on students’ strengths and weaknesses. Year Six pupil Noah explained how the platform adjusts tasks according to each pupil’s needs, balancing focus areas like science and maths.
The AI system also marks the homework, freeing teachers from hours of manual grading. It generates detailed reports on pupils’ abilities, providing educators with crucial information on where extra attention is needed.
Mayor Rotheram hopes the scheme will address the city’s lagging educational standards, with plans for a national rollout. Improving students’ skills in key subjects like English and maths at an early stage could help avoid costly interventions later.
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.
