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- Tech companies spent $32,000,000,000
Tech companies spent $32,000,000,000
+ AI used to frame school principal!
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There’s a small mouse known as the ‘Kangaroo Mouse” that lives in the extremely dry conditions of the Nevada desert. Miraculously, it has adapted to get all the water it needs from food - meaning that despite the dry conditions, this little mouse never needs to take a sip of water.
TODAY:
Big Tech is spending big money on AI infrastructure.
Principal wrongfully accused of a recording made with AI.
Around the web: UK's new laws ban common passwords like '12345' to strengthen cybersecurity.
Osum lets you fast-track your market research!
AI INVESTMENT
2024 looks set to be a pivotal year for AI, and big tech is pouring millions into new data centres to fuel our thirst for AI.
Leading companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Google are heavily investing in data centre upgrades to support increasingly sophisticated AI technologies.
What you should know:
Top tech companies are heavily investing in data centre upgrades to handle complex AI tasks.
This surge in spending reflects past investment trends seen during the dot-com era, focusing on essential technologies over more conspicuous ones.
Firms are investing with a long-term perspective, aiming for both immediate improvements and the flexibility to adapt to future technological shifts.
This week alone, the tech giants disclosed spending over $32 billion on these infrastructure projects in the first quarter of the year, indicating a deep, ongoing commitment to AI.
Playing the long game
This investment strategy is reminiscent of the foundational technology investments during the 1990s dot-com boom.
Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is particularly aggressive, continuing to invest heavily despite some investor reservations.
On the other hand, Microsoft and Google are seeing significant benefits from their AI initiatives, with Microsoft's AI operations notably building up its cloud services.
Those self-lacing shoes will have to wait because boring old data centres are all the rage, for now.
Who do you think will benefit the most from the AI investment? |
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On This Day
29th April 1852 - The first edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus is published. The book is a pioneering effort in lexicography and remains widely used in English-speaking countries.
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DEEPFAKES
A Baltimore school has hit the headlines after a member of staff tried to frame the principal of the school using AI.
31-year-old athletics director Dazhon Darien was arrested for allegedly using AI to create a fake, offensive recording of the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert.
This incident caused a significant upset in the Baltimore community.
Forensic experts from the FBI and the University of California, Berkeley confirmed that the recording was AI-generated.
But why did he do it? Well, Principal Eiswert was investigating Darien for possible financial mismanagement - I think we found the motive.
What happened:
This case highlights the serious misuse of AI to create harmful content, raising legal and ethical questions.
The ability of law enforcement to determine the AI origin of the recording shows advances in digital forensic capabilities.
The incident has significantly affected the school community, showing the broader social effects of misusing technology.
Even schools aren’t safe from deepfakes
He used the school’s own network to access AI tools, which complicated the legal situation.
It also points to the challenges schools face with the increasing role of technology and highlights that public institutions need to lay down some guidelines on how AI can be used.
We can’t wait for the first AI true crime podcast!
Mindstream Picks
Russia plans to ban cryptocurrency circulation, possibly by September 1, as confirmed by top lawmakers.
Thousands of fans attended ESL One Birmingham in the West Midlands to watch professional video gamers compete.
China plans to launch three astronauts into low-Earth orbit for a six-month mission at the Tiangong space station.
Tesla has overcome regulatory hurdles in China, enabling progress for its self-driving software rollout, potentially boosted by Elon Musk's visit to the country.
Don’t Miss - The UK is implementing new laws to ban common and weak passwords such as 'admin' and '12345' to improve cybersecurity. These regulations also prevent the use of easily guessed passwords for new accounts, in response to significant cyber threats to smart devices at home. According to NordPass, the most common passwords in the UK recently included '123456' and 'password'.
AI Art
Image of the Day
Artwork submitted by Mindstream reader Roland S- “Ancient Egyptian artwork showing aliens”
Daily Image Prompt
Real life ninja turtles
We get a lot of submissions, but we do look at every single one! So please don’t hesitate to send us your art.
Yesterday’s Poll
“Can Google keep up this growth?”
Yes - this is the future of tech - 70% ✅
No - it's a one-off - 30%
Reader’s Opinions
“If Google stops acting like a robot, I'd have more hope for their future.”- jim@me
“Paying dividends and not being growth stocks is the future of tech.”- mbeale
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