TSMC Pledges $100b US Investments Over Next Four Years

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Anthropic raises $3.5 billion, tripling valuation to $61.5 billion - AI startup Anthropic secures significant funding to enhance model development and expand globally. [Financial Times].

Banks provide $2 billion loan for 100-acre AI data center in Utah - Developers secure substantial funding for a massive AI-focused data center, reflecting growing infrastructure demand. [The Wall Street Journal].

Stability AI and Arm enable on-device generative audio for smartphones - Partnership brings high-quality audio generation directly to mobile devices without internet connectivity. [Stability AI].

Google's Gemini now allows video-based queries - New features enable users to interact with AI using videos and on-screen content. [TechCrunch].

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Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian joins Frank McCourt's TikTok acquisition bid - Ohanian becomes strategic adviser in a bid to acquire TikTok from ByteDance. [New York Post].

TikTok projects $77 billion in sales from TikTok Live, lawsuit claims - Legal filings reveal ambitious revenue targets for TikTok's livestreaming feature by 2027. [Bloomberg].

UK investigates TikTok and Reddit over children's data practices - British authorities examine how these platforms handle minors' personal information. [Reuters].

YouTube renews efforts to compete with Amazon as all-video hub - The platform strategizes to expand its video services and challenge competitors. [The Information].

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Stanford launches STORM: A new AI research initiative - Stanford introduces the STORM project, aiming to advance AI research and applications. [Stanford University].

Google introduces Data Science Agent in Colab with Gemini - New tool simplifies data analysis tasks using AI capabilities within Google Colab. [Google Developers Blog].

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California senator introduces new AI bill to protect whistleblowers - Legislation aims to safeguard employees at AI labs and promote ethical practices. [TechCrunch].

🎱 Random

LA Times to display AI-generated political ratings on opinion pieces - The newspaper plans to use AI to assess and label political leanings in its opinion content. [The Guardian].

🔌 Plug-Into-This

TSMC Pledges to Spend $100B on US Chip Facilities

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced a $100 billion investment to expand its semiconductor manufacturing presence in the United States.

• 5 More Facilities Planned in Arizona: This plan includes constructing five new facilities in Arizona, comprising three chip fabrication plants and two advanced packaging sites, along with a research and development center. This initiative is in addition to TSMC's previous $65 billion commitment to U.S. operations.

• Economic Impact: The expansion is expected to create between 20,000 and 25,000 high-paying jobs, bolstering the local economy and strengthening the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.

• Government Incentives: The U.S. government has supported TSMC's investment through initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act, which provided a $6.6 billion grant to TSMC's Arizona subsidiary, aiming to stimulate further investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

• Geopolitical Considerations: This expansion aligns with U.S. efforts to reduce dependency on foreign-made semiconductors, addressing national security concerns amid global supply chain vulnerabilities.

• Operational Challenges: TSMC has acknowledged higher operational costs in the U.S. compared to Taiwan, citing factors such as construction expenses and labor availability, which may impact profit margins.

🌵 Good thing Arizona’s cactuses don’t need much water already, right? 5 water-hungry data centers in the scorching Arizona desert is just what they need 🤣 — at least there will be plenty of jobs created. This news is likely timed for release alongside the beginning of Trump’s trade wars, aimed to bolster hopes of the long promised (but probably unrealistic) resurgence of American industrial preeminence amidst the coming economic pain.

Deutsche Telekom Unveils AI Phone Integrating Perplexity Assistant

Deutsche Telekom has announced its forthcoming AI Phone, designed to operate without traditional apps by leveraging the Perplexity Assistant for voice-controlled tasks. Users will be able to perform actions such as booking taxis, reserving tables, translating languages in real-time, and managing communications through voice commands. The AI Phone is scheduled for release in the second half of 2025.

• Integrated AI Services: Beyond the Perplexity Assistant, the AI Phone will feature services from Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart, enhancing functionalities like object recognition, content creation, and personalized image editing.

• Magenta AI Platform: Deutsche Telekom's "Magenta AI" platform will offer these AI tools to all customers via the MeinMagenta app, ensuring accessibility even without the new AI Phone.

• User Accessibility: The Perplexity Assistant can be activated directly from the lock screen or by double-tapping the power button, streamlining user interaction.

• Voice-Centric Interaction: The AI Phone emphasizes voice commands for a seamless user experience, reducing reliance on manual app navigation.

• Market Introduction: Following its initial concept reveal at MWC 2024, the AI Phone is moving from vision to reality, with availability expected later this year.

📱 The “AI Phone” is sort of a siren call from this AI boom — we know it’s coming, but will it be the end of smartphones, or just another version of the established form that we are used to already? Perplexity will no doubt be quite pleased to jump into this vertical, in any case.

Microsoft Introduces Dragon Copilot: An AI Assistant for Healthcare

Microsoft has unveiled Dragon Copilot, an AI-driven assistant tailored for clinical environments, offering functionalities such as voice dictation and ambient listening to streamline healthcare workflows.

• Enhanced Clinical Documentation: Dragon Copilot transcribes and organizes patient-physician interactions in real-time, reducing administrative burdens on healthcare professionals.

• Ambient Listening Capabilities: The assistant passively captures relevant clinical information during consultations, ensuring comprehensive and accurate patient records.

• Integration with Existing Systems: Designed to seamlessly integrate with electronic health record (EHR) systems, Dragon Copilot facilitates efficient data management and retrieval.

• Voice Command Functionality: Healthcare providers can utilize voice commands to navigate records, input data, and access patient information, enhancing operational efficiency.

• Data Security Measures: Microsoft emphasizes robust data privacy and security protocols within Dragon Copilot to protect sensitive patient information.

🩺 The introduction of Dragon Copilot will be interesting to watch as we inevitably move towards AI-enhanced healthcare. The stated aim is to improve patient care by reducing administrative tasks for clinicians — which should be more agreeable to healthcare providers nervous about using AI to make high-risk decisions.

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