This Week in AI: Big Shots and Big Developments

Alright, folks, gather round and lend an ear - we've got some chatter to share about the past week's happenings in the grand world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Now, if you're wondering why we're yapping about this - here's the scoop. AI is like that new kid on the block who's shaking things up, catching eyes, and turning heads. From changing how we work and play, to even influencing stock markets (wild, right?), AI's fingerprints are all over the place.

Now, this past week was no different. Big tech companies – we're talking the Microsofts and Adobes of the world – are pushing the envelope, inventing new ways to weave AI into our daily digital tapestry. On the other side of the playground, social media apps are hopping on the AI bandwagon too, with new features designed to keep you scrolling till your thumbs ache.

We're looking at you, TikTok.

And let's not forget our beloved search engines and web browsers. They're getting a fresh coat of AI paint to make sure you find exactly what you need, when you need it (or maybe even before you know you need it).

But it's not all just bells and whistles - some folks are raising eyebrows at how these new developments might play out. For instance, are we okay with an AI doing our jobs, or creating a deluge of eerily real-looking fake images? Not to mention, a talking tool that can understand over 4,000 languages - impressive, but is it a little too much?

As we delve into these top tech news topics, we'll be looking at what's new, what's exciting, and what might just give us pause. So whether you're a techie with a thirst for the latest gadgets, a business owner wondering how AI can give you an edge, or just someone who likes to stay informed - stick around. You might just find what you're looking for.

Oh, and one more thing – Nvidia is heading for the moon, racing towards the $1tn club. Why? Well, folks can't get enough of AI, and Nvidia makes the chips that make AI possible. So, Nvidia's playing in the big leagues now.

And there you have it, last week's top tech news all wrapped up. The story? AI's shaking things up in ways we can't even imagine. Buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride!

Today:

How NVIDIA Created The Chip Powering The Generative AI Boom

Nvidia, the big kahuna of chipmakers, crafted a beast of a chip called the H100 in 2022. Cost ya a pretty penny—$40,000 to be exact. Seemed like a bad call, especially with companies tightening their belts due to inflation. Then along came ChatGPT from OpenAI, and boy did it change the game.

CEO Jensen Huang calls it an "aha moment". Like a hungry crowd suddenly craving what you're serving. The H100 was the only thing on the menu that could feed the surge in generative AI—AI that whips up text, images, and content faster than a New York minute. Huang described the H100 as "the world's first computer [chip] designed for generative AI." Big talk, but the numbers don't lie.

Suddenly, everyone and their grandma wanted a piece of that chip. Nvidia's sales went through the roof, hitting $11bn, and its market cap jumped up by $184bn in a single day. Let's just say they're knocking on the door of a $1tn valuation.

H100 is built on Nvidia's new Hopper architecture, named after programming whizz Grace Hopper. Timing couldn't have been better for Nvidia. Production scaled up right as ChatGPT was stealing the show. But the demand is a whole different ball game, with bigwigs like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google lining up, causing the H100 to be scarcer than hen's teeth.

Elon Musk, himself a buyer of these chips, quipped that getting hold of these GPUs is "considerably harder to get than drugs", and that's "not really a high bar in San Francisco". Musk highlighted the sky-high cost of creating generative AI systems, requiring a cool $250mn for server hardware.

The H100 isn't just any chip. It's an "accelerator", designed for data centers, packed with 80 billion transistors, which is five times more than what's in the latest iPhones. The price tag is twice as much as its predecessor, the A100, but early birds swear the H100 packs at least three times the punch.

Nvidia didn't just pull this rabbit out of a hat. It goes back to its Cuda software in 2006, which repurposed GPUs to accelerate other workloads beyond graphics. Then, around 2012, AI discovered Nvidia.

Hopper was the first to be fine-tuned for "transformers"—the AI approach used by OpenAI's chatbot. Nvidia was in the right place at the right time, seeing the future before others and betting big. While Nvidia currently has the upper hand, rivals like Google and Intel are hot on their trail.

Wall Street is drunk on Nvidia's success, but it's still a high-stakes game. As chip consultant Jay Goldberg points out, “the AI market for semis looks set to remain a winner takes all market for Nvidia” — at least for now.

READ THE ARTICLE ON FINANCIAL TIMES.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s view of generative AI’s hyper growth

Our main man Jensen Huang, the big cheese of NVIDIA, just gave a chinwag about how this 'generative AI' is turning the tech industry into a veritable gold rush. And he's doing better than a pig in slop, with NVIDIA's stock shooting up like a bottle rocket.

Seems the recent earnings report had Wall Street doing the happy dance. That report beat the pants off the forecast, and now NVIDIA’s hovering just shy of a $1 trillion valuation. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Most of the loot is flowing in from the data center. Revenue for the first fiscal quarter was down 13% from last year, but the data center was lighting it up with a record $4.28 billion, up 14% from last year.

When asked about whether the broader economy was about to see some action, Huang coolly brushed it off. He reckons it’s the AI boom that's stirring the pot. There’s gold in them thar hills, and folks are starting to see how they can stake their claim.

But what about these big language models like ChatGPT? Are they costlier than a gilded lily? Nah, says Huang, they’re no big deal. He reckons it’s just like building a chip, which he's been doing for donkey's years.

With the rapid increase in demand, could there be a potential shortage on the horizon? Well, Jensen said the shortage might pinch for a bit but he’s expecting it to smooth out real quick-like.

On the gaming front, there was a bit of a dip compared to last year. But Jensen ain't worried. He's seeing a bounce back from previous quarters and he's jazzed about this generative AI business which he says is the new kid on the block for creatives.

So, in a nutshell, NVIDIA's on a roll and generative AI is the talk of the town. That's the skinny, folks. Stick around for more tech scoops hotter than a stolen tamale.

READ THE ARTICLE ON VENTUREBEAT.

A Leaked Amazon Sales Playbook Lays Out How Companies In Every Industry Can Use Generative AI

Amazon's got a whole new game plan and it's all about "generative AI" - basically, a type of artificial intelligence that can create new stuff, not just regurgitate what it's been fed. This bit of news came out because some folks managed to get a peek at an internal document that's all about this.

Amazon is betting the farm that nearly all businesses out there are gonna be needing this AI stuff. They're seeing dollar signs in industries from car-making to healthcare, retail to Uncle Sam's own operations. It's as if they're saying, "If you got a pulse and a business, you'll be needing this!"

To put it simply, generative AI is like your very own supercharged brainstorming buddy, who's able to whip up all sorts of new ideas or suggestions to make your life easier. You've probably seen this in action with that chatterbot, ChatGPT, or other gizmos that help you search the web more easily or work smarter.

But, according to Amazon, that's just the tip of the iceberg. They're saying this AI could help with big-ticket stuff like coming up with new drugs or even keeping our country safe. Big names like the Congressional Research Service, Hyundai, and Siemens are already jumping on this bandwagon.

So there you have it. It's a brave new world out there, folks, and if Amazon has its way, we'll all be swimming in generative AI before we can say "Alexa, what's the weather today?"

READ THE ARTICLE ON BUSINESS INSIDER.

Sam Altman shares his optimistic view of our AI future

OpenAI's head honcho, Sam Altman, is touring Europe, talking about AI, making friends with government bigwigs, and chatting with tech newbies. Picture this: Sam, sitting pretty at Station F in Paris, waxing lyrical about the AI future.

He recently chewed the fat with France's big man, Emmanuel Macron. They were spitballing about the balance between regulation and letting AI blossom. Sam's been hopping from one country to another like a rabbit on a caffeine rush. Why? He wants a break from the tech echo chamber of the Bay Area.

Sam is jazzed about the current state of AI. It's not a one-trick pony anymore – it's good at a bunch of things. Education, in particular, might be in for a big makeover. He's also proud as a peacock about how AI models like GPT are making everyone's jobs easier.

But Sam isn't blind to the elephant in the room – regulation. He's warned before that heavy-handed European regulation could have OpenAI packing their bags. He backtracked on Twitter, but he's still emphasizing the need for a workable balance.

In a nutshell, Sam is a high-octane optimist. He believes big tech breakthroughs (like nuclear fusion) are on the horizon to tackle climate change. And while he knows AI isn't a bed of roses, he's convinced the pros massively outweigh the cons. Sam's rallying for a global regulatory framework similar to those in place for nuclear and biotech fields.

As for OpenAI's roadmap? They're working on making their AI models better, smarter, faster - the whole nine yards. And competition doesn't ruffle Sam's feathers. He's all for a bit of friendly rivalry, as long as it doesn't compromise safety.

Lastly, Sam sees AI as a tool to empower humans, not replace them. The idea that AI will make us jobless is a load of hogwash, in his opinion. It can help journalists dig deeper and make their work more meaningful.

In Sam's eyes, AI and society will co-evolve. It's not about AI taking over; it's about finding how we can make it work for us. And that's Sam's Europe trip in a nutshell. As they say, watch this space.

READ THE ARTICLE ON TECHCRUNCH

5 Ways To Use AI To Generate Passive Income

Well, AI isn't just for the likes of Elon Musk anymore. It's breaking out of sci-fi movies and waltzing right into our homes. It's becoming a nifty little helper that can fetch you a pretty penny in passive income.

• Bloggin': They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but nowadays, AI might be mightier than both. Your blog could be a golden goose. You put in some sweat to churn out posts, and then sit back while ad clicks or product sales fill up your piggy bank. AI can help you out here - while it's not ready to nab a Pulitzer, it can whip up decent, readable content for your blog.

• Reading Customers Like a Book: If you own a business, AI's your new best buddy. It gobbles up data like candy, so the more customer info you feed it, the better. AI can crunch those numbers and predict what your customers will do next - who's gonna buy, who's gonna fly. You get the customers and their info, AI does the hard work, you both cash in.

• Ads, Baby, Ads: Advertising is like a cash cow you can milk from your couch. Profit can come from clicks or new customers intrigued by your stellar ad content. AI can be the little elf in the workshop, churning out catchy ad copy and targeting the right folks.

• Sell Your Data: Now, this might sound a little Big Brother-y, but you can make a buck by selling your data. Lots of companies will shell out for your info. Just make sure they're the good guys, with strong data protection and privacy standards.

• There's an App for That: Got some tech-savvy? Try building an app. You could earn from initial sales, in-app purchases, or ad clicks. This one might require a team, but if you've got a killer idea and some skills (or know someone who does), your app might just be the next big thing.

So, if you're looking to make some extra dough without breaking a sweat, AI might be the way to go. Who knows, maybe one day it'll even start replacing some jobs... but let's not think about that for now.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.

Not Just Nvidia: These Are the Other Big Winners in the AI Chip Biz

This pandemic? It's been a heck of a mess, but boy, has it spurred some innovation. AI, the current hot ticket, has not just revived the tech industry but given it a serious shot of adrenaline. And it ain't just about software anymore. We're talking serious hardware bucks.

NVIDIA, that old GPU powerhouse, has seen its stock soar like an eagle after taking a pretty nasty fall. Politics, chip crisis, and good ol' COVID-19 landed a triple whammy, but now, it's back on its feet and showing no signs of slowing down.

But wait, there's more. It ain't all about NVIDIA. Other folks are cashing in on this AI boom too. We've got AMD, second fiddle to nobody, seeing their shares nearly double. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), the world's biggest chip factory, is up almost 40% and laughing in the face of that chip crisis. Then there's Micron, the memory and storage kingpin, with their shares up 47%.

And let's not forget the software guys. That AI explosion has been good for them, too. Meta, formerly Facebook, is getting fat on AI after ditching its metaverse dreams, with a share price increase of 116%. Microsoft, thanks to OpenAI and ChatGPT, has seen a 40% increase, wiping out last year's losses. Alphabet, Google's big daddy, has its own AI successes, launching Bard and upping their game. Their shares are up 40%, closing in on their record high.

In short, the AI wave is here, and it's paying dividends – literally. Folks investing in these companies? They're grinning all the way to the bank.

READ THE ARTICLE ON YAHOO! FINANCE.