The Download: a chip talent battle, and deflating AI hype
That is at present’s version of The Download, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the earth of know-how.
Samsung’s chip employees are leaping ship to rival SK Hynix
Lee, an engineer at Samsung’s semiconductor division, used to work late. However recently, he’s been clocking out on time and heading straight dwelling to work on his job utility for the chipmaker’s South Korean rival SK Hynix.
His colleagues are doing the identical. They really feel demoralized by the $476,000 bonus that SK Hynix is ready to pay its staff, flush with document earnings from making the high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM) chips that energy Nvidia’s AI accelerators. The determine dwarfs what chip employees at Samsung are set to obtain and is sparking an exodus.
Learn our story about why this fierce expertise struggle might assist decide who dominates the following era of AI chips.
—Michelle Kim
The AI Hype Index: Unsexy AI
Separating AI actuality from hyped-up fiction isn’t all the time straightforward. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a easy, at-a-glance abstract of what’s shaping the business proper now.
The newest version contains Meta’s creepy glasses, doom-mongering about AI and jobs, and (to some, oddly attractive?) robotic fingers. See the place all of it landed on this month’s index.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at present’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 OpenAI’s rogue agent compromised one other buyer
An unnamed shopper of an organization that gives AI infrastructure, referred to as Modal Labs. (Reuters $)
+ OpenAI referred to as the Hugging Face assault unprecedented. However we’ve been right here earlier than. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
2 Hugging Face has a nonconsensual deepfakes drawback
Researchers examined 9 of the highest picture enhancing fashions it hosts, and located seven will ‘nudify’ photographs of ladies. (Wired $)
+ The shock of seeing your physique utilized in deepfake porn. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
3 Traders are solely getting extra anxious about AI’s earnings potential
The numbers don’t add up, and perhaps they by no means will. (The Verge $)
+ A worldwide tech inventory sell-off intensified yesterday. (FT $)
+ Scores company Fitch says an AI market correction is now one of many greatest dangers dealing with the worldwide financial system. (The Next Web)
+ New real-world knowledge from Google reveals most duties at most jobs are unaffected by AI. (Ars Technica)
4 Moonshot desires superior Nvidia chips to coach its subsequent mannequin
The Chinese language AI agency already acquired entry to a few of them to coach its newest launch, referred to as Kimi 3. (The Information $)
+ Taiwan detained an Nvidia worker as a part of a probe into the alleged smuggling of AI chips into China.(Bloomberg $)
+ The Trump Administration has banned Chinese language humanoid robots. (Reuters $)
5 Minnesota has been blocked from banning prediction market platforms
It’s the most recent skirmish in a battle between states and the Trump Administration over this problem. (AP)
+ Right here’s how prediction markets incentivize climate knowledge sabotage. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
6 Apple is launching a tool leasing program
As the worldwide reminiscence scarcity worsens, the concept is that this may make your iPhone really feel extra inexpensive. (Quartz $)
+ Apple simply topped a $5 trillion valuation for the primary time. (FT $)
7 Some Substackers are complaining about its new AI detection device
Presumably those who’d choose to secretly proceed utilizing AI to jot down. (404 Media $)
8 Ebay needed to pay practically $50 million to settle a harassment go well with
Their staff threatened and despatched weird deliveries—together with cockroaches—for a pair of bloggers for years. (Bloomberg $)
9 A New York faculty simply rowed again on plans to deploy a robotic trainer
Sanity prevails, for as soon as. (NPR)
10 This startup desires to construct a greater microwave beep
I’d wish to request a sax solo for mine, please. (Gizmodo)
Quote of the day
“The federal government hopes to set a precedent that nobody has the best to privateness.”
—Samuel Tunick, an Atlanta resident, tells 404 Media why he thinks he’s dealing with costs after wiping his cellphone throughout a customs search.
One Extra Factor
AI coding is now all over the place. However not everyone seems to be satisfied.
Relying who you ask, AI-powered coding is both giving software program builders an unprecedented productiveness increase or churning out lots of poorly designed code that saps their consideration and units software program tasks up for critical lengthy term-maintenance issues.
The issue is correct now, it’s not straightforward to know which is true. Coding has been touted because the killer app for big language fashions, however after talking to greater than 30 builders, know-how executives, analysts, and researchers, MIT Know-how Evaluate discovered that the image shouldn’t be as simple because it may appear.
Right here’s what we discovered.
—Edd Gent
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line.)
+ Take a look at Moscow’s gorgeous subway stations.
+ This website allows you to create your personal little ‘fridge magnet’ model poems.
+ Look how lovely sand could be when it’s put underneath the microscope. Who knew?!
+ Can’t get sufficient of this bizarre pastel dreamcore aesthetic.
