While we’re approaching Women in Payments Symposium for EMEA next week, and Alibaba already unveiled a ChatGPT rival, here is a summary of some of the most interesting and relevant stories from the this week, covering topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, drones, driverless cars and more. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business owner, or just curious about what’s happening in the digital sphere, we hope you’ll find something useful and informative in this weekly news roundup.
AI could destroy humanity or save it
One of the most intriguing stories of this week was about the future of AI and its potential impact on humanity. Ian Hogarth, an investor and entrepreneur, argued that AI could either destroy us or save us, depending on how we design it and what values we instil in it. He suggested that we should create a “God AI” that would learn by itself and have a benevolent goal for humanity, such as maximising happiness or minimising suffering. He also warned that if we fail to do so, we might end up with a “Devil AI” that would be hostile to us or indifferent to our fate.
Twitter bans several news organisations over misinformation
Several news organisations have been silent on Twitter for more than a week after a hacker group threatened to leak their data. The hacker group, called Babuk, claimed to have stolen 1 TB of data from the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg and other media outlets. The group demanded a ransom of $70 million in bitcoin to prevent the data from being published. The news organizations have not confirmed or denied the breach and have not posted any tweets since December 6. The hacker group has also been silent since December 9, raising questions about the credibility of their claims and the status of the negotiations.
Drones for SWAT teams
Another story that caught our attention was about a 23-year-old who became a centimillionaire with his drone company. Ryan Walsh is the founder and CEO of Valkyrie, a startup that makes drones for SWAT teams and other law enforcement agencies. His drones are equipped with cameras, speakers, lights, and sensors that can help officers in dangerous situations. Walsh said that his drones can save lives, reduce injuries, and improve efficiency. He also said that he plans to expand his business to other sectors, such as firefighting, construction, and agriculture.
Didi developing driverless taxis
Didi, the Chinese ride-hailing giant, is developing its own driverless taxis. The auto major announced that it is working on a new autonomous driving platform called Didi Gemini, which will power its self-driving vehicles. Didi said that it plans to roll out its driverless taxis in 2025 in China and other markets. Didi also said that it aims to make its autonomous driving technology more affordable, accessible, and scalable.
AWS launches bedrock Generative AI service
The fourth story we want to share was about AWS launching a new generative AI service called Bedrock. Bedrock is a cloud-based service that allows users to create realistic synthetic data, such as images, text, audio, and video. Bedrock uses deep learning models to generate data that can be used for training AI systems or testing applications. Bedrock also offers tools for data labelling, quality control, and privacy protection. AWS said that Bedrock can help users overcome data challenges, such as scarcity, bias, cost, and compliance.
Alphabet’s CapitalG leads $100 million round in AI startup AlphaSense
Alphabet’s CapitalG is leading a $100 million round in AI startup AlphaSense. AlphaSense is a company that provides an AI-powered search engine for business professionals. AlphaSense uses natural language processing and machine learning to analyse millions of documents from various sources, such as financial reports, news articles, transcripts, and research papers. AlphaSense helps users find relevant information faster and easier than traditional search engines.
UK phones will sound an emergency test alarm on April 23
The UK government said that it will test a new emergency alert system on April 23. The system will send loud alarms to mobile phones in case of emergencies. It will use cell broadcast technology to send alerts without relying on text messages or apps. The system will also allow users to opt out of receiving alerts if they wish. The government said that the system will help warn people about imminent threats, such as floods, fires, terrorist attacks, or public health emergencies.
Google reveals its newest AI Supercomputer
Google is revealing its newest AI supercomputer. Google said that it has built a new supercomputer called ExaScale-1 (ES1), which claims to beat Nvidia’s previous record for the world’s fastest AI system. Google said that ES1 can perform 1.3 exaflops of AI calculations per second, which is equivalent to 1.3 quintillion operations per second. Google said that ES1 will be used for its own research and development projects, as well as for its cloud customers who need high-performance computing.
Theranos Scandal: Elizabeth Holmes to start prison term this month
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, a failed blood-testing startup, will start her 11-year prison sentence this month after losing her appeal. She was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for deceiving investors who believed in her technology. Holmes had two children with her partner William Evans before and after her trial. She will report to a prison in Texas, while her co-conspirator Ramesh Balwani will report to a prison in California.
A week full of innovation
That’s it for this week’s news roundup! We’ve covered some of the most interesting and important stories in the world of AI, from the future of God AI to the latest developments in driverless taxis, generative AI, and AI startups. We hope you enjoyed reading and learned something new.
Here are some questions to spark your curiosity and discussion:
– What do you think of the idea of God AI? Do you agree with Ian Hogarth that we should create a benevolent AI that can guide humanity?
– How do you feel about drones being used by SWAT teams? Do you think they are a useful tool for law enforcement or a potential threat to privacy and civil rights?
– Would you ride in a driverless taxi? What are some of the benefits and challenges of developing and deploying autonomous vehicles?
– Have you tried AWS Bedrock or Titan LLMs? What are some of the use cases and applications of generative AI that interest you?
– Which AI startup do you find the most impressive or promising? What are some of the problems or opportunities that AI can solve or create in your industry or domain?
– How did you react to the UK emergency test alarm? Do you think it’s a good idea to have a nationwide alert system for emergencies or disasters?
– How do you compare Google’s new AI supercomputer to Nvidia’s? What are some of the implications and impacts of having faster and more powerful AI hardware?
– What are your thoughts on the Theranos case and Elizabeth Holmes’ verdict? Do you think she deserves to go to prison or not?
We’d love to hear from you! Please share your opinions and insights in the comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on AI news, trends, and tips. Thank you for reading!
