SoftBank has given the green light to the remaining $22.5 billion of its planned investment in OpenAI, according to a report from The Information. The commitment completes a deal initially announced in 2023, positioning SoftBank as a major financial backer of the artificial intelligence leader.This final approval unlocks substantial capital for OpenAI as it navigates a period of rapid growth and intense competition in the AI sector. The investment will fuel further advancement of OpenAI’s technologies, including its flagship ChatGPT, and support its expansion into new markets. The move underscores SoftBank’s confidence in OpenAI’s long-term potential and the broader AI revolution, impacting industries from technology and finance to healthcare and education.
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Anthropic Expands AI Chip Deal with Google for $Tens of Billions
Anthropic, the AI safety and research company, will leverage Google’s cutting-edge AI chips in a multi-year deal potentially worth tens of billions of dollars to power the training of its Claude chatbot, Reuters has learned.The agreement marks a significant win for Google as it seeks to establish its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) as the industry standard for demanding AI workloads and underscores anthropic’s rapid growth and escalating computational needs.
The partnership addresses a critical bottleneck in AI development: access to sufficient and advanced computing power. As large language models like Claude grow in complexity, the cost and availability of specialized hardware become paramount.This deal allows Anthropic to accelerate its AI research and deployment, competing more effectively wiht industry leaders like OpenAI and meta, while simultaneously solidifying Google’s position in the burgeoning AI infrastructure market.
Anthropic will utilize Google Cloud’s TPUs – specifically designed for machine learning – over the coming years. While the exact financial terms remain undisclosed, people familiar with the agreement estimate the total value could exceed $10 billion, potentially reaching tens of billions depending on Anthropic’s scaling needs and future TPU generations.
The move comes as demand for AI chips surges, fueled by the rapid advancement of generative AI. Nvidia currently dominates the market, but google is aggressively pushing its TPUs as a competitive alternative, emphasizing their performance and cost-effectiveness for specific AI tasks. Anthropic’s decision to adopt TPUs represents a major endorsement of Google’s technology.
anthropic, founded by former OpenAI researchers, is focused on building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Claude is designed to be a helpful, harmless, and honest AI assistant, and the increased computational power will enable Anthropic to refine its model and expand its capabilities. The company recently secured a $4.1 billion investment led by Amazon.
Meta Platforms Inc. is introducing new parental controls designed to give parents more oversight of their teenagers’ activity on its apps, including Instagram and Facebook, following mounting criticism over potentially harmful interactions with the company’s AI chatbots. The changes, announced Tuesday, will allow parents to approve or deny their teens’ requests to download apps and will provide activity reports detailing time spent on the platforms.
The move comes amid growing concerns about the safety of young users online and specifically follows reports of Meta’s AI chatbots engaging in suggestive or inappropriate conversations with children.Lawmakers and advocacy groups have pressured Meta to strengthen its safeguards,arguing that the company has a responsibility to protect vulnerable users from exploitation and harmful content. The new controls aim to address these concerns by increasing transparency and giving parents more tools to manage their children’s digital experiences.
Specifically, Meta is rolling out “Family Switch,” a new tool within its Family Center that allows parents and teens to jointly manage settings. Parents can approve or deny requests from their teens to download apps from the app stores, and teens can initiate those requests. Meta is also introducing activity reports for teens, showing time spent on Instagram and Facebook, and also the accounts they interact with. These reports will be visible to both parents and teens.
The company is also expanding its supervision tools to include Reels, a popular short-form video format on Instagram. previously, parental supervision was limited to direct messaging. Parents will now be able to see what Reels their teens are watching.
These features are being rolled out in the United states, with plans for expansion to other countries in the coming months.Meta stated the changes are part of its ongoing commitment to creating a safer online environment for young people, acknowledging the evolving challenges of digital parenting. The company has faced increased scrutiny from regulators and the public regarding its handling of user safety, especially concerning children and adolescents.
Wall St Week Ahead Tests coming for rocky market from Tesla, Netflix and delayed CPI report
Wall Street faces a pivotal week as investors brace for earnings reports from Tesla and Netflix, alongside the release of a delayed Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, all against a backdrop of ongoing market volatility.the confluence of these events will test the resilience of a market already rattled by concerns over inflation, interest rate hikes, and slowing economic growth.The upcoming data and corporate disclosures are crucial for gauging the health of the economy and corporate America. A hotter-than-expected CPI reading could fuel fears of further aggressive Federal Reserve tightening,potentially triggering another sell-off in stocks and bonds. Conversely, weaker-than-anticipated data might offer some respite, but could also signal a deeper economic slowdown. Tesla’s earnings will be closely watched for signs of demand erosion in the electric vehicle market, while Netflix’s subscriber numbers will provide insight into the streaming giant’s ability to navigate increased competition.
Tesla reports earnings after the close on Wednesday, with analysts expecting adjusted earnings of 98 cents per share on revenue of $23.36 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Netflix follows on Thursday, with a consensus estimate of $3.20 per share on revenue of $8.54 billion. The CPI report, delayed from its usual Friday release due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, is now scheduled for release on Tuesday. Economists forecast a 0.1% increase in the CPI and a 0.3% rise in core CPI.
AMD signs AI chip-supply deal with OpenAI, shares surge over 34%
AMD Secures AI Chip Supply Deal with OpenAI,Stock Jumps Over 34%
SAN FRANCISCO,Feb 29 – Advanced micro Devices (AMD) shares surged more than 34% in extended trading Thursday after the company announced a multi-billion dollar deal to supply artificial intelligence (AI) chips to OpenAI,the creator of chatgpt. The agreement positions AMD as a key hardware partner for the leading AI developer and signals growing demand for chips beyond Nvidia in the rapidly expanding AI market.
The partnership addresses a critical bottleneck in the AI boom: the availability of specialized hardware. OpenAI, like many AI companies, relies on powerful processors to train and run its large language models. While Nvidia currently dominates this space, diversifying the supply chain is crucial for fostering competition and ensuring the continued growth of AI technologies. This deal is expected to significantly boost AMD’s revenue and market share in the AI sector, challenging Nvidia’s current stronghold.
AMD will provide its Instinct MI300 series of data center GPUs to power OpenAI’s workloads. The agreement includes a commitment from OpenAI to utilize AMD’s chips for years to come, providing AMD with a stable revenue stream and a platform to showcase its AI capabilities.
“This is a important win for AMD, validating their investment in the Instinct line and establishing them as a serious contender in the AI chip market,” said Stacy Rasgon, a semiconductor analyst at Bernstein. “The deal demonstrates that OpenAI is willing to work with multiple vendors, which is a positive sign for the industry as a whole.”
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but AMD indicated it expects to begin recognizing revenue from the partnership in the second quarter of 2024. The company anticipates the deal will contribute meaningfully to its data center revenue growth in the coming years.
AMD’s stock closed at $167.89 on Thursday and was trading at $225.80 in after-hours trading as of 6:30 PM EST.
Scores of Bollywood AI videos vanish from YouTube after Reuters story
Bollywood AI Videos Disappear From YouTube Following Reuters Investigation
New Delhi – Scores of deepfake videos featuring Bollywood stars have been removed from YouTube after a Reuters story highlighted the proliferation of AI-generated content exploiting the likenesses of Indian actors without their consent. The takedowns began shortly after Reuters published its findings on February 29, 2024, revealing a surge in unauthorized AI videos on the platform.
The removal of these videos underscores growing concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence and the lack of robust safeguards to protect individuals from digital impersonation. The issue is especially acute in India’s prolific film industry, where celebrity images are widely circulated and easily exploited. the videos, often sexually suggestive or depicting fabricated endorsements, raised alarm among actors and industry stakeholders, prompting calls for stricter regulations and platform accountability.
Reuters identified at least 83 deepfake videos featuring prominent Bollywood actors, garnering millions of views before being flagged for removal. The videos utilized AI technology to convincingly portray actors in scenarios they never participated in, raising legal and ethical questions about consent, defamation, and intellectual property rights.
Aditya Kalra,Company News Editor for Reuters in India,led the reporting,focusing on the business coverage and strategies of major companies impacted by the issue. Arpan Chaturvedi,a Reuters correspondent based in New Delhi,contributed to the coverage by reporting on the legal ramifications and court cases related to the unauthorized use of celebrity likenesses.
YouTube confirmed to Reuters that it removed the videos for violating its policies prohibiting the creation of misleading or deceptive content. The platform stated it is continuously refining its detection systems and working with industry partners to address the evolving threat of deepfakes. though, experts warn that the rapid advancement of AI technology necessitates a more proactive and extensive approach to combat the spread of unauthorized AI-generated content.