Junko Yoshida

Discerning reality from the AI hype: This article came from my guest shot on the HCLSoftware podcast with Rob Cuddy, Colin Bell and Kristofer Duer. A really fun talk!

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The Token Wars of the chip startups. Why the fight for the fastest inference will influence the future of AI. „Today, Cerebras, SambaNova, and Groq are all delivering over 1,000 tokens per second, and the “token wars” have revved up considerably. At the end of August, Cerebras claimed it had launched the “world’s fastest AI inference” at 1,800 tokens per second, and last week Cerebras said it had beaten that record and become the “first hardware of any kind” to exceed 2,000 tokens per second on one of Meta’s Llama models. “ „AI models are quickly being used to power far more complex applications than just chat.“ Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman simplifies why: „Nobody’s going to build a business on an application that makes you sit around and wait“. A piece by Sharon Goldman at Fortune. https://lnkd.in/eMs7Pxux

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Arm's energy-efficient compute platform plays a vital role in cinematographer, Frederique Olivier's work. From her cameras and communication gear, to her drone, watch and smartphone -- most of her essential tools rely on Arm technology. These devices, like Frederique herself, must withstand long days in extreme conditions, making performance and endurance key to capturing powerful stories about our natural world. Learn more about how Arm enables this in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/grJXKyEA

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👀 This is as wild a story as I've read in a long time. #Deepfakes powered by #AI are coming this #election season, and main tools we have to detect them don't always work. So how do these deepfake detectors function? Go inside with Cat Zakrzewski, Pranshu Verma & Kevin Schaul, my colleagues The Washington Post.

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Toshiba is reaffirming its efforts to #EmbodiedAI with two new breakthroughs announced - hoping to implement it into some products by #2027! What is Embodied AI...think driverless #cars, #robotics and...read more to find out.

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At a time of widespread concerns about the safety, efficacy and economics of AI, venture capital pioneer Vinod Khosla is still all in. Yes, artificial intelligence will become capable of replacing a good deal of human labor, Khosla said in my column for this week. But that will push down the price of healthcare, education and other services. Many current forms of work will even be eliminated, but society will be able to create a more robust safety net than is possible today. “Most expertise in the world, whether you’re talking about structural engineers, oncologists, mental health therapists or primary care doctors, or journalists and teachers, that expertise will be near-free for all of us to access,” Khosla said during a conversation at Khosla Ventures in Menlo Park. About 80% of the work involved in 80% of jobs across the economy can be automated over time, according to Khosla. “So 64% of all jobs can be done by an AI,” he said. Over a 25- or a 50-year period, GDP growth has the potential to climb to 5%. During the second quarter of this year, by comparison, the economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.8%. “We will have in that excess GDP growth lots of room to take care of the people who will be adversely affected economically,” he said. “If medical services are a lot cheaper, if education services are near free, if eldercare becomes substantially cheaper—and today eldercare is a liability that’s looming for so many nations around the world at a level that people haven’t accounted for—the social safety net is much easier to construct,” said Khosla. Khosla isn’t alone in his outlook, of course—at least elements of it. Existing generative AI and other technologies have the potential to automate work that absorbs 60% to 70% of employees’ time today, consulting giant McKinsey & Company said in a June 2023 report, raising its estimate from roughly half of employees’ time in a pre-generative AI study. That potential won’t necessarily be fully realized anytime soon, though, given the effort it takes to integrate new technology and the need for that work to make economic sense and pass regulatory scrutiny. Perhaps 30% of today’s work hours might be automated by 2030, according to McKinsey Global Institute Partner Michael Chui, an author of the report. 

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#Technology and #network trends like #AI, #autonomous enterprises, ubiquitous networks, #XR, #IoT, and evolving regulation are explored in this #Pipeline magazine feature https://ow.ly/10ST50TNcLJ. Click to learn more about the top technology mega trends.

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Is #quantumcomputing being ignored by #venturecapital and M&A targets?According to #siliconvalley lawyers, Louis Lehot and André Thiollier, it should not. In their study they show that in 2022, nearly 5,000 patents were granted in quantum technology, with the US leading at 37% of the global total. By January 2024, the US had issued close to 16,000 patents in quantum technology, positioning itself at the forefront of this groundbreaking field. But quantum computing, they say, will also have its legal challenges. It will profoundly disrupt the legal system once it imports large scales efficiencies and speeds to processes, surpassing the capabilities of human intelligence, including that of the very best lawyers. Check out their article in - https://lnkd.in/gqgSvcgf #mergersandacquisitions #vc #techlaw #innovation #quantumcomputing #venturecapital

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Also worth noting in this report is the amount of published AI research being pumped out by various countries. While the US doesn't necessarily publish as much as China, the US research is generally sourced in more publications. #AI #Technology

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In recent years, the field of large language models (LLMs) has experienced rapid advancements, with new models emerging almost weekly. Prominent names in this arena include OpenAI’s GPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama, and Mistral. As this market continues to grow, it remains largely unregulated, though upcoming EU regulations are expected to introduce a degree of oversight by 2025. This lack of regulation, coupled with the fast-paced development of new models, poses challenges for users both individuals and businesses who struggle to identify which LLM best meets their needs. A significant issue is the transparency or lack thereof-regarding the training specifics of these models. Many providers do not disclose the datasets used in training or the energy consumption associated with processing user queries. This opacity complicates the decision-making process for potential users seeking reliable and efficient solutions. In my view, the European Union has an opportunity to implement fair regulations that would lead to standardization and enhance the quality of the services offered. Overall, the development of artificial intelligence presents an exciting vision for the future, and transparent legislation can help prevent abuses while fostering innovation. #LLM #AI #innovation

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A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) identified the significance of #undersea cables and why they matter. It also explored the #vulnerability of cable systems and the potential for Chinese exploitation; and Russian threats to #underseainfrastructure. The CSIS report also prescribes recommendations to counter undersea great power competition. CSIS detailed that subsea fiber-optic cables are critical information and telecommunications technology (ICT) infrastructure that carry more than 95 percent of international data and are becoming a highly consequential theater of great power competition between the U.S., China, and other state actors such as Russia. As the backbone of global #telecommunications and the Internet, this infrastructure effectively facilitates daily personal use of the Internet and broader societal functions. In addition, sensitive government communications also rely extensively on subsea infrastructure. “While these communications are encrypted, they still pass through commercial internet lines as data traverses subsea infrastructure,” Daniel F. Runde, Erin Murphy, and Thomas Bryja wrote in a CSIS report. “Subsea cables carry a much larger bandwidth and are more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable than satellites; consequently, they have been credited with increasing access to high-speed internet worldwide, fueling economic growth, boosting employment, enabling innovation, and lowering barriers to trade.” #Criticalinfrastucture #Threatlandscape https://lnkd.in/giX9V3-v

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Do you - or your company - want a 101 on quantum? As an IBM Quantum Ambassador, I'd love to help! When I worked at the BBC, Nature, WIRED, or contributed at Quanta as a science and tech journalist, the main things I always cared about were scientific accuracy of my stories, me personally understanding what it was I was writing about, and my story making an impact. Every story mattered, especially longform features - and the feedback from the audience mattered just as much. Now, I am doing the same with quantum. It's an emerging technology, but incredibly promising, with a huge potential and a very realistic timeline. It's a technology that will make an impact - all of us just need to create the conditions for that to happen. As one of IBM's Quantum Ambassadors, my mission is to tell the world about quantum computing - reality minus the hype, where we are now, how the technology is maturing, and most importantly, ⚡what quantum can actually do for you⚡. So please, get in touch - and I'd be happy to set up a time for a presentation! #IBM #IBMquantum #quantumcomputing #innovation #tech

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Update on the PsiQuantum $940m taxpayer-funded deal from a late night Senate estimates session. It turns out the US-based tech firm was the only quantum computing company subjected to formal due diligence before the funding was awarded, despite another 21 (including Australian-based firms) going through a one-month expressions of interest program. Read the story on The Australian online or in the paper today. #quantumcomputing #australia #techinvestment #startups #governmentfunding #senateestimates Meghan Quinn King & Wood Mallesons Senator Andrew Bragg Deloitte Cameron Dick Ed Husic MP Anthony McGregor

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Fascinating report in the The Wall Street Journal Journal on how the global pressure exerted over Huawei a few years ago has seemingly pushed it closer to being the national champion it was often accused of being. The cold trade war between the US and China in recent years upended the order of things as we knew it (ever so briefly) and I’m not quite sure this is exactly what was envisioned by those seeking to exclude Huawei kit from western infrastructure, forcing far greater semiconductor manufacturing investment in China ahead of the current AI-driven boom we’re all experiencing and encouraging buy local campaigns that are most pronounced in the telco space. Going to be interesting to see whether there’s any movement in that if the reports are true that the White House plans to exempt its allies from expanded restrictions on exporting chipmaking gear to China and with Germany the latest nation to accuse Chinese state actors of cyberattacks targeting a government agency. Against that backdrop, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, New Zealand’s recent release of a report on how the Five Eyes nations see evolving risks to critical infrastructure over the past decade is quite stark in illustrating how different NZ is from its partners. One of the growing risks pointed out in that report is the increasingly integrated nature of infrastructure assets as a result of digital systems, which has heightened the threat of cascading failures across sectors in a time of intense national security concerns.  https://lnkd.in/gpJDyvww

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Fast or slow, open or closed, boom or doom? Billionaire investors of the internet era are now locked in a war of words and influence to determine whether AI’s future will be one of concentrated safety, or of unfettered advancement. “Winning the race for AI means economic power, which then lets you influence social policy or ideology," Vinod Khosla told Forbes. A must-read from Alex Konrad on the high-stakes debate: https://lnkd.in/eWd2aVEv The story published today, alongside Forbes' 2024 #MidasList of the world's best venture capital investors, which you can view in full here: https://lnkd.in/ewwtVBnW

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When the Trump administration blacklisted Huawei Technologies Co. in 2019, concerns over spying nearly wiped out the Chinese company's global smartphone business. However, with strong support from China's government, Huawei made a remarkable comeback and is now central to national efforts for technological independence from the West. This resurgence prompts questions about the effectiveness of US efforts in containing China's geopolitical rise. The competition between the two superpowers in areas like semiconductor design and artificial intelligence raises uncertainties about future dominance. Washington is considering strategies to engage US allies in a broader containment effort, including exploring further sanctions on Huawei and its Chinese partners. #Huawei #China #US #Technology #Geopolitics

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