The AI industry has seen significant developments in recent times, with companies like Huawei developing powerful AI chips to rival Nvidia's H100 chip. The US restrictions on exporting AI chips to China have led to an increased focus on domestic chip development. Meanwhile, Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has questioned the idea that scaling AI will necessarily make it smarter, emphasizing the need for a more world-based training approach. Microsoft is expanding its agentic AI capabilities, introducing a free and secure AI chat interface, and providing prebuilt agent frameworks. However, the development of AI-powered PCs is facing challenges. On a positive note, North Dakota state workers have received AI training, and partnerships like the one between Vectra AI and CrowdStrike are providing comprehensive detection and response to smaller security teams. The AI video generation technology is also advancing, with various generators being compared and tested. Furthermore, companies like Anthropic are forming councils to examine the economic implications of AI development, and startups like Glacier are raising funds to scale their AI-powered recycling robots.
Key Takeaways
- Huawei is developing a powerful AI chip called the Ascend 910D to rival Nvidia's H100 chip.
- Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, believes that scaling AI won't necessarily make it smarter.
- Microsoft is expanding its agentic AI capabilities to help customers achieve more.
- The development of AI-powered PCs is facing challenges despite the hype.
- North Dakota state workers have received AI training through a Microsoft initiative.
- Vectra AI has partnered with CrowdStrike to launch a joint offering for SMB and midmarket security teams.
- AI video generation technology is advancing, with various generators being compared and tested.
- Anthropic has created an Economic Advisory Council to examine the economic implications of AI development.
- Glacier has raised $16 million to scale its AI-powered recycling robots across the US.
- The US restrictions on exporting AI chips to China have led to an increased focus on domestic chip development.
Huawei Develops AI Chip
Huawei has developed a powerful AI chip called the Ascend 910D to rival Nvidia's H100 chip. The company is poised to start testing the chip and has approached local tech firms to receive the first batch of sample chips by late May. Huawei hopes its chip will be more powerful than Nvidia's and is also shipping earlier models to customers. The development comes as the US has imposed restrictions on the export of certain AI chips to China, and Beijing has encouraged Chinese AI developers to increase purchases of domestic chips.
Huawei Creates AI Chip
Huawei is developing a new AI chip called the Ascend 910D to compete with Nvidia's H100 series. The company has been reaching out to other Chinese firms to find test partners and hopes its chip will rival Nvidia's. The development comes after the US imposed restrictions on the export of certain AI chips to China, which has left a void in the Chinese AI market.
Meta Scientist Questions AI Scaling
Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, says that scaling AI won't necessarily make it smarter. LeCun argues that training AI on vast amounts of data won't lead to superintelligence and that the focus should be on creating AI systems that can learn new tasks quickly and understand the physical world. He believes that the industry's focus on scaling is misguided and that a more world-based training approach is needed.
Microsoft Expands Agentic AI
Microsoft is expanding its agentic AI capabilities to help customers achieve more. The company believes that agents, copilot, and human ambition can deliver real AI differentiation. Microsoft has introduced Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, which provides a free, secure, and enterprise-ready AI chat interface. Customers are building custom agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio, and the company is offering prebuilt agent frameworks such as Sales Agent.
AI PC Development Lags
Microsoft and Apple are struggling to deliver on their AI PC promises. Despite the hype, AI-powered PCs are not living up to expectations, and the industry is facing challenges in developing and implementing AI technology.
North Dakota State Workers Gain AI Skills
Nearly 70 North Dakota state workers have received AI training through a Microsoft initiative. The training was provided by gener8tor, a global venture and skilling firm, and was part of Microsoft's TechSpark program. The workers learned how to use artificial intelligence and developed ideas for implementing AI in state government, including a chatbot and a research assistant.
Vectra AI Partners with CrowdStrike
Vectra AI has expanded its partnership with CrowdStrike to launch a new joint offering for SMB and midmarket security teams. The offering combines Vectra AI's network detection and response capabilities with endpoint protection powered by the CrowdStrike Falcon cybersecurity platform. The partnership aims to provide comprehensive detection and response to smaller security teams without requiring large in-house teams or complex procurement processes.
Best AI Video Generators Compared
A comparison of AI video generators, including Google's Veo 2, OpenAI's Sora, Runway, and Adobe's Firefly, has been conducted. The generators were tested on various prompts, including a scene from Jurassic Park and a Bond film. The results showed that each generator has its strengths and weaknesses, and that AI video generation is still a developing technology.
Anthropic Forms AI Council
Anthropic has created an Economic Advisory Council to examine the economic implications of artificial intelligence development. The council is composed of distinguished economists who will advise the company on AI's effect on labor markets, economic growth, and socioeconomic systems. The council's members include experts from top universities and institutions, and will provide input on areas where Anthropic can expand its research.
Glacier Raises Funds for AI Recycling Robots
Glacier has raised $16 million in a Series A funding round to scale its AI-powered recycling robots across the US. The company's robots can sort 45 items per minute using computer vision and smart robotic arms. The funding round was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund, with participation from Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund and other existing investors.
Sources
- China-based Huawei to test AI chip aiming to rival Nvidia: Report
- Huawei aims to take on Nvidia's H100 with new AI chip
- Meta's chief AI scientist says scaling AI won't make it smarter
- How agentic AI is driving AI-first business transformation for customers to achieve more - The Official Microsoft Blog
- AI-powered PCs lag behind big promises
- ND state workers gain AI skills via Microsoft connection
- Vectra AI Expands Partnership with CrowdStrike to Launch Offering for SMB and Midmarket Security Teams
- The Best AI Video Generators (and How They Compare to Each Other)
- Anthropic Forms Council to Explore AI’s Economic Implications
- Amazon-Backed Glacier Raises $16 Million for AI-Powered Recycling Robots