Nvidia leads AI chip wars

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✨ Today in the Metaproof Daily

💾 Nvidia leads AI chip wars

🇪🇺 Big Tech out? EU seeks to be front and center of metaverse

🩺 Google’s medical AI chatbot now in the real world

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Nvidia leads AI chip wars

Reminiscent of the server war between Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel a decade ago, Nvidia stands to command at least 90% of market share in the AI chip market, with AMD poised for 2nd place.

A 3rd-party assessment of the two chip giants’ previous-gen AI chips, namely the MI250 and the A100, shows AMD’s hardware is about 80% as fast as Nvidia’s, with the latter expected to have “a substantial advantage in AI performance and share” in terms of superior speed and ecosystem.

Hanlin Tang, CTO of AI startup MosaicML, said: "For most [machine learning] chip companies out there, the software is the Achilles heel of it. Where AMD has done really well is on the software side."

Intel as an AI chip contender isn’t to be left behind, as it’s building a multi-thousand-chip cluster internally based on its Gaudi AI accelerator, which is touted to be a potentially bigger competition for Nvidia down the road.

Earlier this year, Nvidia made high-profile pronouncements around new, faster, high-end AI chips, asserting its dominance in the highly lucrative space amid the boom of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.

Big Tech out? EU seeks to be front and center of metaverse [Link]

In the continuing saga of regulatory attempts for the metaverse, the European Commission seeks to take the lead in the metaverse and prevent Big Tech from dominating the nascent space as Meta, Microsoft, and Apple develop metaverse products that give them an unfair advantage over smaller players.

The EU foresees that an open and interoperable metaverse will exceed $887.9B (800B euros) by 2030, from estimates of $30B (27B euros) last year.

According to the body, it’s imperative to:

• Bring together creators, media companies, and others to create an industrial ecosystem, establish regulatory sandboxes for testing out the metaverse, and launch skills development programs and virtual public services.

• Address the risks regarding privacy or disinformation, making sure “web 4.0 becomes an open, secure, trustworthy, fair and inclusive digital environment for all.”

Google DeepMind CEO sheds light on Google’s AI shuffle [Link]

Google merged DeepMind with its operations earlier this year to enhance its AI capabilities and counter competition, forming Google DeepMind. The integration aims to combine DeepMind's AI apps for games and simulations with Google Brain's generative AI tools.

A circulated memo from a Google engineer highlights the challenges of maintaining a competitive edge in AI amid the integration. Demis Hassabis, DeepMind's co-founder, confirms its authenticity and presents alternative ideas on Google's competitive edge.

The debate within Google revolves around the impact of open-source models on AI advancements, considering competition from OpenAI and Microsoft.

Hassabis has expressed his ambition to build AGI and emphasized the need to address associated risks and regulations, previously joining other notable figures in signing a statement calling for the mitigation of AI risks globally.

Discussions also involve challenges like labor displacement in creative industries and the emergence of low-paid data classification tasks for AI training in countries such as Kenya and India.

Google’s medical AI chatbot now in the real world

Google's new AI tool Med-PaLM 2 is now being tested at renowned institutions like the Mayo Clinic.

An enhanced version of PaLM 2, the language model powering Google's Bard, the tool is deemed valuable in regions with limited access to healthcare professionals, surpassing general chatbots for healthcare conversations.

A Google study has found accuracy issues with Med-PaLM 2, but it performed well in reasoning, consensus-based answers, and comprehension. Customers testing the tool will have full control over their encrypted data to address privacy concerns.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• EA is developing a game based on the Marvel Comics hero Black Panther. (Link)

• Amid the regulatory turmoil faced by the crypto space, blockchain gaming dominates web3. (Link)

• Reports have it that Sony is considering porting Roblox to PlayStation systems for which the video game publisher had previously voiced concerns about its impact on “child safety” on the platform. (Link)

• London-based Sandbox Group has licensed the blue ’80s icons in a new learning app called The Smurfs—Educational Games, launching in Q4. (Link)

• The Volley app, from the eponymous creator of voice AI games, rolls outs Jeopardy! as its first offering on Roku. (Link)

• Rumble Racing Star is a Mario Kart-alike with web3 elements and monetizable elements like earning and trading in-game digital assets. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• As fast fashion faces growing pressure to cut waste, Zara owner Inditex will look to recycling and sustainably farmed crops to reduce its eco impact by 2030. (Link)

• Now in fashion: Moveworks on Microsoft Teams is a next-gen bot that uses conversational AI to improve employee productivity. (Link)

• Fashion group URBN plans to integrate AI via a next-gen merchandise planning solution in its digital transformation journey. (Link)

• Chinese luxury fashion and beauty sales are expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels, reaching $131B by 2027. (Link)

• Saks activates window displays, branded merchandise, and digital initiatives for Warner Bros. studio’s 100th anniversary. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• SimWin Sports launches a new virtual fantasy football league fusing fantasy sports, esports, and NFTs, rife with virtual teams in action round-the-clock for immersive fan experiences. (Link)

• Check out how this AI-powered chessboard is giving a centuries-old game a 21st-century upgrade. (Link)

• Prada teams up with China’s women’s national soccer team in a series of collaborations with Chinese female athletes - while cutting ties with several celebrity brand ambassadors over major scandals. (Link)

• In Saudi Arabia, an AI company sponsors the Al-Ahli football club. (Link)

• Virtuagym adds to its fitness and wellness tech solutions the Virtuagym AI Coach, which can create tailored workouts for users. (Link)

• Chyron launches the new Chyron LIVE 1.4m, an AI-based instant replay tool that creates highlights for rapid playback in live soccer production. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Krapopolis, the highly anticipated blockchain-backed animated series created by Dan Harmon, will premiere on Sept 24. (Link)

• Drake’s voice could be saved by blockchain-infused AI. (Link)

• The increasing expense of live performances and the demand for virtual events will drive the re-emergence of virtual concerts. (Link)

• India welcomes its first regional AI news anchor Lisa. (Link)

• Users can now use their avatars to answer and make video calls on Instagram and Messenger. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Thirsty for some sweet digital assets? Global convenience store franchise 7-Eleven launches free Slurpee NFTs. (Link)

• The GLoW3 Artist Programme picks 4 artists to feature at a cutting-edge London exhibition launching on International Women's Day in 2024. (Link)

• The AI art revolution: A catalyst for the NFT market decline? (Link)

• Digital Projection masters the art of immersion at Mucha exhibition. (Link)

• Might this be the 1st AI-powered art creation and NFT trading platform that empowers users to be an artist and claim ownership over a chain? (Link)

• Starbucks and Micah Johnson drive the Aku NFT project. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Beijing is now home to half of China-developed AI models as more tech talent and investments head to the nation’s capital. (Link)

• Amazon touts its low-cost cloud computing in the generative AI race. (Link)

• Bill Gates backs mining tech startup GeologicAI, which targets creating robotic geologists to mine lithium for electric vehicles. (Link)

• Checkout.com launches Identity Verification, a video-based AI that verifies customers in under 120 seconds. (Link)

• Discord bans AI-generated child sex abuse material and teen dating. (Link)

• Shutterstock expands its deal with OpenAI to build generative AI tools. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Prolific raises $32M to train and stress-test AI models using its network of 120K people. (Link)

• MetaVerseBooks partners with Pixel Canvas, enabling global brands to deploy photo-realistic metaverse worlds. (Link)

• Gamercraft secures $5M in funding to expand AI-powered competitive gaming ecosystem. (Link)

• Prompt engineering startup Vellum.ai raises $5M as demand for generative AI services scales. (Link)

• Giza raises $3M pre-seed to bring AI to web3 smart contracts. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

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