Welcome to the newest edition of FindBiometrics’ AI update. Here’s the latest big news on the shifting landscape of AI and identity technology:
Microsoft has backpedaled on Recall, a new Windows feature that records everything users do on their computer, after an outcry from the cybersecurity community. When it ships, Recall will be inactive by default, and users will have to activate Windows Hello – the platform’s biometric authentication system – in order to enable it.
Nvidia unveiled its next-generation chip, “Rubin”, even before its Blackwell AI chip has started shipping. The surprise announcement indicated that the forthcoming chip will be more energy efficient, and will ship in 2026. Nvidia stock gains followed, eventually making the company more valuable than Apple, a $3 trillion company.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s sales for May increased 30 percent, to about $7.1 billion, helped along by booming demand for AI chips. TSMC has an exclusive deal to manufacture Nvidia’s most advanced AI processors, and also makes semiconductors for Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), not to mention Apple.
AMD has unveiled a new chip of its own. The MI325X AI accelerator will launch in Q4 of this year, and AMD says it will have twice the memory capacity and 1.3 times the bandwidth of Nvidia’s current H200 processor. It will be followed by an MI350 chip series in 2025 and an MI400 series in 2026.
SoftBank has partnered with Sharp on a planned AI data center in Osaka that will leverage infrastructure related to the latter’s LCD panel production. They expect construction to start this autumn, with the data center to begin operations next year.
xAI is preparing to develop a giant AI supercomputer in Memphis. Elon Musk’s AI firm has been working on a plan with city officials since March, and it’s not yet clear how much the project will cost or how many jobs it might create. xAI recently closed a $6 billion funding round that valued the startup at $24 billion.
Pika has raised $80 million in a new funding round that valued the company at $700 million. The startup specializes in AI-generated video. According to PitchBook data, VC investment in AI and machine learning companies amounted to $25.9 billion in Q1 of 2024, compared to $21.7 billion in Q1 of last year.
The chatbot’s take: We asked GPT-4o to elaborate on the risks of Recall:
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June 7, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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