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Amazon steps up AI race with $4-B Anthropic investment
Amazon said on Monday it would invest up to $4 billion in AI firm Anthropic, as the online retail giant steps into an AI race dominated by Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. The success of OpenAI's ChatGPT, a chatbot released last year that is able to generate poems, essays and other works with just a short prompt, has led to billions being invested in the field. Amazon had already announced it aimed to soup up its Alexa voice assistant with generative AI, which the firm said would allow users to have smoother conversations. San Francisco-based Anthropic is seen as a leader in the field and has its own chatbot, Claude, a competitor to ChatGPT. "We have tremendous respect for Anthropic's team and foundation models, and believe we can help improve many customer experiences, short and long-term, through our deeper collaboration," said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. The giant firms and wealthy investors of Silicon Valley have poured money into artificial intelligence as they seek to find a killer application to justify the interest. ChatGPT's instant success threw much of the focus onto chatbots and sparked imitators and rivals, not least from Google with its Bard chatbot. Chinese titans Tencent and Baidu have also launched bots they claim can rival ChatGPT. 'Transformation' promise But Monday's deal between Anthropic and Amazon is potentially less significant in the chatbot world and more important in the race to develop chips to power AI. Anthropic agreed to use Amazon's chips to develop its next models and the two firms said they would collaborate on developing the next set of chips. All firms in the space are looking to wean themselves off the chips made by market leader NVIDIA, said Nick Patience, lead AI research analyst at S&P Global Market. "It'll be difficult for anyone to make a dent in the next 12 to 18 months," he told AFP, but tie-ups like Monday's Amazon deal could help change the picture over five years. Anthropic also agreed to use Amazon Web Services cloud infrastructure -- the data centers that store and process data on a vast scale -- for "mission critical workloads". Amazon said it would take a "minority ownership position" in the AI firm, which has already raised more than $1 billion since it was set up in 2021. The statement promises that "Claude", which is the name of Anthropic's chatbot and its model, will help AWS customers "of all sizes to develop new generative AI-powered applications to transform their organisations". The deal intensifies competition between Amazon and Google, which had earlier opened its cloud services to Anthropic and invested $300 million to acquire 10 percent of the company. AI models require huge computing power so AI firms rely on data centers provided by the likes of AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. As tech giants push their own AI ambitions, they have been increasingly looking at tie-ins with smaller AI firms -- Microsoft leading the way with a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI. The post Amazon steps up AI race with $4-B Anthropic investment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Microsoft profits soar, key cloud business slows
Microsoft's quarterly profits soared, the company said Tuesday, as its big push into artificial intelligence seemed to be bearing fruit but growth in its key cloud computing business slowed. An earnings statement reported that net profit for Microsoft was $20.1 billion in the April to June period, up 20 percent year-on-year and above expectations. The company posted $56.2 billion in sales for the quarter, which also beat expectations. Even though its share price slipped in after-hours trading, the 48-year-old tech titan remains the world's second most valuable company after Apple, with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion. Microsoft shares had lifted off last week when the company said it would charge $30 extra per user to turbocharge its Microsoft 365 product -- which includes Word, Excel, and Teams -- with AI powers. This was an extra boost to a stellar year for Microsoft, whose big gamble on AI has so far been rewarded with a share price hike of about 45 percent this year. The heart of the company's activity is the Azure cloud service, which competes with Amazon's AWS and Google Cloud to offer businesses their computing needs. Demand for cloud computing slowed after a historic surge during the pandemic, and Microsoft and its rivals hope that the extra computing demands needed for AI will revive sales. The tech giant said Azure and other cloud services saw revenue growth of 26 percent year-over-year, down slightly from the previous quarter. Microsoft began 2023 with an announcement that it had entered into a close relationship with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The Redmond, Washington-based company swiftly integrated ChatGPT's powers into its Bing search engine, breathing new life into a product that has been unable to compete with Google. Microsoft has also pressed on with its big move to expand beyond its popular Xbox video game console by buying Activision Blizzard for $75 billion. The deal has faced major regulatory scrutiny over competition concerns, but after an effort by US authorities to block the deal failed in court, the move looks likely to succeed. The post Microsoft profits soar, key cloud business slows appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Esquire adopts Oradian cloud core banking platform to scale business 10x in 5 years
Esquire Financing Inc., has adopted Oradian’s advanced cloud-native core banking system to realize its ambitions for MSMEs across the Philippines......»»
Meta challenges OpenAI and Google with open-source AI
Facebook owner Meta on Tuesday released a new and free-of-charge version of its artificial intelligence model, making a play against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Google. OpenAI and Google have developed impressive large language models that serve as the foundations of the ChatGPT and Bard chatbots, which have drawn excitement with their capabilities to mimic human creativity and expertise. Meta, meanwhile, has avoided releasing generative AI products straight to the consumer and instead developed LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI), a language model specifically developed for researchers so that they could perfect it. Crucially, Llama is open-source, meaning that its inner workings are available to all to be tinkered with and modified, unlike the headline-grabbing AIs developed by OpenAI and Google. Those models, including OpenAI's world-leading GPT-4, are closed and propriety, with the clients that use them denied access to their programming code or detailed answers as to how their data is handled. "Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. "It also improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can scrutinize it to identify and fix potential issues," he added. The stress on safety also underlines a divergence from OpenAI's models, which have caused alarm by generating false information or by going off the rails in chatbot interactions. The new, more powerful version of Meta's model, called LLaMA 2, would be available to any business for download or through Microsoft's Azure cloud service in a special partnership with the Windows maker. The Microsoft tie-in comes on top of that company's major partnership with OpenAI, signaling Microsoft is attempting to diversify its AI offerings with products that put businesses in more control of their data and software. Microsoft, which has been the most aggressive big tech player to enter the AI market, saw its share price skyrocket on Tuesday when it said it would be charging $30 per user, per month for an AI-enhanced version of Microsoft 365, its office platform. This would be a significant price hike for its business customers and could potentially lead to a vast increase in revenue for Microsoft if AI is seen as a necessary cost going forward. The post Meta challenges OpenAI and Google with open-source AI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Esquire adopts Oradian cloud core banking platform to scale business 10x in 5 years
Esquire Financing Inc., has adopted Oradian’s advanced cloud-native core banking system to realize its ambitions for MSMEs across the Philippines......»»
Steve Aoki, JJ Lin collab on ‘The Show’
Steve Aoki, two-time Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist, producer and DJ, has joined forces with chart-topping international sensation JJ Lin to create a stellar new track, “The Show.” The single is the first release from FLUXGEN, a new partnership between Steve Aoki and 88rising. “The Show” presents a colorful music video filmed in Singapore and directed by Edgar Estevez (Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj, French Montana, Doja Cat, Wiz Khalifa) and Jon Primo of Blank Square. In the video, Aoki and JJ Lin find themselves amid an array of dancers and glowing visuals inspired by the vibrancy of Singapore. The video ends with fireworks above the Singapore skyline, boasting the ultimate party vibe. The jellyfish seen in the video were also designed based on the jellyfish of the legendary S.E.A. Aquarium. Several scenes used AI-generated textures which were created using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. JJ Lin’s popularity soared throughout Asia with his consistent release of award-winning chart toppers throughout his illustrious career of 20 years, making him one of the most sought-after artists worldwide. Steve Aoki, who centers every one of his artistic endeavors on creativity and community, is also known for his relentless touring and global following, taking the stage more nights of the year than not. He is also a Guinness World Record holder as the “Most Traveled Musician in One Year,” a title he has held since 2012. The post Steve Aoki, JJ Lin collab on ‘The Show’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ONE Championship, Microsoft partner to further accelerate, reinvent the digital fan experience
Singapore -- The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), and Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) today announced a strategic partnership to harness the Microsoft cloud, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, to transform digital fan experiences and enhance collaboration for employees. Microsoft is now ONE’s preferred cloud and data services provider, powering its digital transformation and accelerating innovation across all touchpoints......»»
Lalamove empowers aspiring women entrepreneurs to start their small businesses in PangNegosyo program
Lalamove, a leading on-demand delivery platform, has launched the Panalong PangNegosyo program for its thousands of women partner drivers to give out a business-starter package to three lady riders or drivers......»»
Braving the Heat
BRAVING THE HEAT. Workers install a platform in front of the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City on Monday, 25 March 2024. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that the city's heat index reached 43 degrees Celsius at 1 p.m. the same day. The platform is in preparation for Easter Sunday's "Salubong" mass. MindaNews photo.....»»
Gundam series, Ultraman film coming this year
Streaming platform Netflix had fans excited after teasing what anime content it has in store for 2024, including a new "Mobile Suit Gundam" series and an "Ultraman" movie......»»
The Daily Guardian: Windows feature left unupdated for 30 years
Microsoft’s Windows 11 still features a dialog box that was created almost 30 years ago, revealing the fascinating story behind its origin. Dave Plummer, a.....»»
ICT spending in AsPac reaches $1.3 trillion in 2023
Information and communications technology spending in Asia and the Pacific reached the $1.3 trillion mark in 2023, as companies increased their investments on automation and cloud to survive and thrive in the digital era......»»
China blocks use of Intel and AMD chips in government computers – report
The procurement guidance also seeks to sideline Microsoft Windows and foreign-made database software in favor of domestic options, a Financial Times report says.....»»
Kyiv, Lviv under Russian air attack; missile violates Polish airspace
'The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow and stayed there for 39 seconds,' Poland's armed forces says on the social media platform X.....»»
Agoda Unveils Asia’s Top 9 Nature Destinations
To mark the launch of Eco Deals 2024, Agoda’s flagship US$1 million partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the digital travel platform has compiled a list of some of Asia’s favored nature destinations across Asia, based on searches made on Agoda in January 2024. Enric Casals, Vice President of Southeast Asia, Agoda, […].....»»
Microsoft Stock Surges with AI PCs and Copilot News
Microsoft made waves in the tech world today as it announced its first AI-powered PCs at a digital event. The new devices, the Surface Pro.....»»
Shaira Moro pumalag sa body-shamers: ‘Sa chubby mo makikita ang ganda!’
NANANATILING “unbothered” ang binansagang Queen of Bangsamoro Pop na si Shaira Alimudin o mas kilala sa stage name na Shaira Moro. Ito ay sa gitna ng kinakaharap niyang copyright issue sa viral song na “Selos.” Magugunita na naging usap-usapan ang pagtsugi ng nasabing kanta sa mga streaming platform dahil sa umano’y pagkopya ng tunog at.....»»
CLI allots higher capex, partners with Japan firm
Cebu Landmasters Inc. is hiking its capital spending to P14.5 billion this year as it gears up for growth and expansion following a strong financial performance in 2023......»»
Grab tests DriveYourCar service
Ride-hailing giant Grab Philippines is testing the viability of a new service that allows customers with vehicles to hire a driver for almost P2,000 for 12 hours......»»
Addressing the Philippines’ 2024 Threat Landscape: Kaspersky Launches KUMA Platform
To help Filipino businesses and organizations stay safe in cyberspace while embracing digitalization, Kaspersky announces today the launch of Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), its integrated software solution that includes a set of functions for security information and event monitoring and management. The Philippines is expected to continue its double-digit growth towards $35B […].....»»