Samsung plans to integrate generative AI (GenAI) into over 200 million smartphones by the end of the year, coinciding with the launch of its latest foldable phones and wearable devices. The company’s head of mobile business, Tim Roh, highlighted the use of Samsung’s Galaxy AI, which offers various productivity and creative features.
The tech giant is adopting a hybrid strategy, blending cloud computing with on-device processing to make this advanced technology accessible to more users. This approach requires sophisticated hardware, prompting Samsung to develop lightweight AI algorithms, a field in which they already lead the competition. Roh emphasised the necessity of optimising hardware to enhance AI capabilities while managing cloud costs.
Samsung’s R&D centres in Noida and Bengaluru are crucial in developing these AI features. Roh acknowledged the importance of the Indian market and Samsung’s collaboration with local partners to strengthen infrastructure and supply chains. While AI service monetisation is still under review, Samsung remains committed to enhancing user experiences and maintaining a competitive edge.
AI software designed to create multilingual tutorial videos for foreign workers in Japan has been launched. Tokyo-based Studist Corp developed ‘Teachme AI’ to help companies produce instructional videos quickly and efficiently.
Teachme AI can translate text into 20 different languages, including Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Bengali. This innovation aims to support businesses as the number of foreign workers in Japan rises, addressing labour shortages and an ageing population.
The software significantly reduces editing times, automatically dividing footage into chapters with subtitles. During a demonstration, a 30-minute video with Thai explanations was created in just 15 minutes, impressing users with its efficiency.
Google’s Gemini AI has been discovered scanning PDF files on Google Drive without user consent, sparking concerns over AI safety and privacy. Senior Advisor Kevin Bankston revealed that the AI generated a summary of a private tax return without permission, raising significant privacy issues.
Bankston shared his struggles to disable the feature, which continued to operate despite attempts to find the correct controls. The difficulty in managing Gemini’s integration in Google Drive has led to questions about Google’s handling of user data and privacy settings.
Google previously assured users that Workspace data would not be used to train AI or target ads. However, this incident has raised doubts about data hygiene and privacy.
Bankston’s experience suggests that prior participation in Google Workspace Labs might have influenced Gemini’s behaviour, highlighting the need for better user control and consent as AI technology advances.
A recent study has revealed that AI chatbots pose significant risks to children, who often view them as lifelike and trustworthy. Dr Nomisha Kurian from the University of Cambridge calls for urgent action to prioritise ‘child-safe AI’ in the development of these technologies.
Kurian’s research highlights incidents where AI chatbots provided harmful advice to children, such as Amazon’s Alexa instructing a child to touch a live electrical plug and Snapchat’s My AI giving tips on losing virginity.
These cases underscore the ’empathy gap’ in AI, where chatbots fail to respond appropriately to children’s unique needs and vulnerabilities.
The study proposes a 28-item framework to help developers create safer AI by working closely with educators and child safety experts. Kurian argues that AI has great potential if designed responsibly, but proactive measures are essential to protect young users.
Pittsburgh-based startup Skild AI has emerged from stealth mode with a $300 million funding round led by Jeff Bezos’ fund and Japan’s Softbank Group. Founded by Carnegie Mellon University professors Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta, the company aims to build a ‘general-purpose brain’ for robots.
Skild AI’s AI model, trained on more data than its competitors, can be retrofitted to existing hardware. Pathak highlighted the model’s unparalleled capabilities across various robots and tasks, indicating its potential to transform automation in real-world environments.
With applications in household tasks and industrial work, Skild AI’s technology promises to reduce robot costs and address labour shortages. The company, now valued at $1.5 billion, is hiring engineers from top tech firms and Carnegie Mellon University.
According to a Reuters report, the fairly new OpenAI project, Strawberry, is set to create giant waves in the research industry. The project, which some claim could be a renamed version of the company’s project Q* from last year, has been tagged as potentially having capabilities to navigate the net to conduct deep research.
The company’s representative confirmed to the news agency that the reasoning ability of their models will invariably improve with time. Just last Tuesday, employees of OpenAI were treated to a demo of a model with human-like reasoning capabilities. The meeting came on the heels of the negative commentary the company has faced for placing a gag order on employees for publicly exposing the dangers its innovations can potentially pose to humanity.
Earlier in July, employees sent a seven-page letter to the US Security Exchange Commission (SEC) chair, Gary Gensler, detailing what they deem as risks OpenAI’s projects can pose to humans. The letter was tinged with urgency as the agency was advised to take swift and aggressive action against the company for violating current regulations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the leading producer of advanced chips for AI applications, is set to report a 30% rise in second-quarter profit on Thursday, driven by soaring demand. The world’s largest contract chipmaker, which counts Apple and Nvidia among its clients, has seen its stock—and the broader Taiwan market—reach record highs. Last week, TSMC’s American Depositary Receipts surpassed a trillion-dollar market value.
For the quarter ending 30 June, TSMC is expected to announce a net profit of T$236.1 billion ($7.25 billion), a significant increase from the T$181.8 billion reported in the same period last year. The company recently reported a substantial rise in second-quarter revenue, exceeding market expectations. Analysts like Li Fang-kuo from President Capital Management Co. anticipate a strong third-quarter outlook for all of TSMC’s products.
TSMC is heavily investing in expanding its production capacity, including spending $65 billion on three new plants in Arizona. However, the majority of its manufacturing will remain in Taiwan. The company is expected to maintain its capital expenditure guidance for this year at $28 billion to $32 billion, with 70% to 80% allocated to advanced technologies. KGI Securities’ Chu Yen-min suggests TSMC raise its capital spending due to favourable market conditions, which could further boost its stock price and support the broader market.
Why does this matter?
TSMC, often called the ‘sacred mountain protecting the country’ for its crucial role in Taiwan’s economy, remains a dominant player in the semiconductor industry despite challenges from Intel and Samsung. The AI boom has significantly increased TSMC’s stock price, which has surged 75% this year, outpacing the 33% gain in the broader market.
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.
Kernel, a New York City startup founded by Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Steve Ells, features a unique dining experience using robotic technology to prepare plant-based meals. A robotic arm flips burger patties while a conveyor belt moves dishes along the assembly line. Human staff then add finishing touches and package the meals for customer pick-up.
Initially, Kernel’s industrial look and robotic processes confused diners, leading Ells to temporarily close the restaurant in early July for a brief redesign. The goal was to make the space more inviting by adding seating, pictures, warmer colours, and softer lighting to better signal that it serves food.
The revamped Kernel now aims to blend advanced technology with a welcoming atmosphere, ensuring that diners feel comfortable and clearly understand the innovative dining experience on offer. This approach combines efficiency with a human touch, setting a new standard for the future of food service.
Wiz, founded in Israel and now headquartered in New York, is known for its cloud-based cybersecurity solutions powered by AI. With about $350 million in revenue in 2023 and serving 40% of Fortune 100 companies, Wiz has quickly become one of the fastest-growing software startups globally. Recently, Wiz raised $1 billion in a funding round, valuing the company at $12 billion.
The potential acquisition comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of large tech companies under President Joe Biden‘s administration. Despite the investigation, the technology sector has seen a surge in mergers and acquisitions, with tech deals jumping over 42% year-on-year to $327.2 billion in the first half of the year. Alphabet’s interest in Wiz follows its decision not to pursue a takeover of online marketing software company HubSpot.
