Welcome to the newest edition of ID Tech’s AI update. Here’s the latest big news on the shifting landscape of AI and identity technology:
Amazon is in talks for another multi-billion dollar investment in Anthropic, following a $4 billion deal struck between the companies in 2023. Amazon is reportedly looking for one key provision in its new capital injection: it wants Anthropic to use its AI chips, running on Amazon Web Services, to train its AI models.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plans to halt production of its AI chips for China-based customers starting November 11. The company is trying to comply with U.S. sanctions, which prevent it from making AI chips using a seven-nanometer process or smaller for Chinese clients. The company has already been barred from doing business with certain Chinese tech companies unless it gets special permission from U.S. authorities.
Saudi Arabia is planning a $100 billion investment in its own AI technology hub. Dubbed “Project Transcendence”, it will support startups, data centers, and other infrastructure, with the broader aim of rivalling AI efforts in the United Arab Emirates. A key component is a partnership with Google, which will get somewhere between $5 billion and $10 billion.
Caitlin Kalinowski will lead OpenAI’s “robotics and consumer hardware” team. Kalinowski previously led the augmented reality glasses team at Meta. In a LinkedIn post, she explained that at OpenAI she will “help bring AI into the physical world and unlock its benefits for humanity.”
Robotics startup Physical Intelligence has raised $400 million in a funding round featuring OpenAI, Thrive Capital, Lux Capital, and Jeff Bezos. The startup is focused on developing foundational software for robots, and recently published a paper detailing how its software can enable robots to do things like fold laundry and bag groceries.
Japan-based chipmaker Kioxia has filed for an IPO, aiming to go public through the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December. The firm was previously owned by Toshiba, until it was acquired by a Bain Capital-led consortium six years ago. It pays Bain a 1 billion yen consulting fee each year, but it won’t have to do that anymore once it goes public.
France-based LightOn will be the first European generative LLM specialist to launch an IPO on the continent. LightOn is focused on providing AI software to businesses and the French government. The listing will value the company at around €50 million. It will begin trading as a public company on the Euronext Growth exchange toward the end of the month.
The South Korean government has announced new legislation to crack down on deepfake pornography. The proposed rules will toughen punishments for offenders, impose more regulations on social media platforms, and open the door to more undercover police work targeting such “digital sexual crimes,” as President Yoon Suk Yeol termed them.
The chatbot’s take: We asked Chat for a vibe check on LightOn, and it set us straight.
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November 8, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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