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Chin-Hong said the variant is a so-called recombinant of two other strains — KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 — meaning that genetic information was exchanged between them to form a third strain, XEC, Chin-Hong said. Is the XEC variant more contagious? Chan School of Public Health, said there’s no evidence yet that the XEC variant is much more transmissible than what’s currently circulating. The variant is closely related to KP.2, the strain targeted by the updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Bright, however, cautioned that clinical data is ultimately needed to determine how well the updated vaccines work against the XEC variant.

Persons: “, ”, Peter Chin, ” XEC, we’re, Rick Bright, Hong, Bill Hanage, ” Hanage, It’s, XEC, Hanage, “ It’s, Marc Johnson, Johnson, There’s, ” Chin, ” Johnson, ” Bright Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, University of California, Biomedical, Research, Development Authority, Department of Health, Human Services, CDC, Harvard, of Public Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Pfizer, Moderna Locations: United States, San Francisco, Europe, Chin, U.S, Chan, Germany, Netherlands, France

☆ Read the note CEO Sam Altman sent to OpenAI staff announcing another 2 big exits
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Sarah Gray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But Zoph confirmed his departure, posting a note to X saying he decided to leave OpenAI. And The Verge's Kylie Robison posted on X that McGrew had left the company. When Mira informed me this morning that she was leaving, I was saddened but of course support her decision. For the past year, she has been building out a strong bench of leaders that will continue our progress. Mira, Bob, Barret, and Mark will be there.

Persons: OpenAI, Zoph, Kylie Robison, McGrew, Altman, Mira, Bob, Barret, Mark, Jakub, Josh Achiam, Kevin, Srinivas, Matt Knight, Matt, Josh, Sam Organizations: Research, Mission Locations: OpenAI

Read previewNew details about Sean "Diddy" Combs' Miami mansion were uncovered as part of his bond hearing this week. The legal team also noted that Combs satisfied the $18.8 million mortgage on the Star Island home in August, anticipating criminal charges. AdvertisementOther homes on the island go for even more than the $48.5 million Combs' home was appraised at. Comparable sales listed in the appraisal report for Combs' Miami mansion. Besides the Star Island home, he owns a mansion in Los Angeles that he recently put on the market for $61.5 million.

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Marc Agnifilo, Agnifilo, David LEFRANC, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Alex Rodriguez, Gloria, Emilio Estefan, Forbes, Sean John, Andy Warhol, Jean, Michel Basquiat Organizations: Service, feds, Business, Miami, singer's, Research, Miami -, Star, Advanced Research, Bad Boy Records, Cîroc, Diageo, Combs Enterprise, Combs Locations: Miami, Miami - Dade, cabanas, Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Los Angeles

☆ America's X-37B vs. China's Shenlong: Top space planes and their shadowy role in orbital war
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Jeremy Webster/US Air ForceX-37BA space plane is a reusable spacefaring craft that can maneuver in space independently and also fly and glide within Earth's atmosphere. The most well-known space planes are the American Space Shuttle and the Soviet Buran. The program is surrounded in such extreme secrecy that there are no known images of the space plane in its current form. Though the exact start date is unknown, academic models of a Chinese space plane were reported as far back as 2000. AdvertisementOne of the most impactful possible uses of the space planes is as anti-satellite assets.

Persons: —, Jeremy Webster, NASA's, Timothy Kirchner, NASA foresees, Wang Jiangbo, Paul Hennessy, NurPhoto, Shenlong, spaceplanes, Nick Hague, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Business, Kennedy Space Center, Landing, US Air Force, American Space Shuttle, Soviet, Space Shuttle, NASA, Boeing, US Defense Department, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, United States Air Force Space Command, Orbital, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Atlas V, U.S . Space Force, . Air Force, Space Force, Force, Getty, Cape Canaveral Air Force, China Aerospace Science, Technology Corporation, US Department of Defense, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Modern, Institute Locations: United States, China, U.S, Xinhua, US, India, Russia, West

☆ Mercury could have an 11-mile underground layer of diamonds, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

This mechanism, the researchers say, can not only give us more insight into the secrets hidden below Mercury’s surface, but on planetary evolution and the internal structure of exoplanets with similar characteristics. Mercury owes its gray surface to the widespread presence of graphite, which is a form of carbon. Also known as the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging mission, it gathered data about the planet’s geology, chemistry and magnetic field, before the spacecraft ran out of fuel and impacted the surface. “However, some lavas at the surface of Mercury have been formed by melting of the very deep mantle. “Only future missions to the planet Mercury will tell whether these predictions were correct.

Persons: ”, Bernard Charlier, it’s, Yanhao Lin, ” Charlier, Lin, Charlier, —, Giuseppe “ Bepi ”, Sean Solomon, Solomon, landers, ” Solomon, BepiColombo, Manley, Felipe González, González, ” González, “ Organizations: CNN, Mercury, University of Liège, NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Mysterious, Center for, Science, Technology, Research, Nature Communications, MESSENGER, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Columbia University, ESA, University of California Locations: Mercury, Belgium, Beijing, Italian, Giuseppe “ Bepi ” Colombo, New York City, Berkeley

☆ Huge US military 'Manta Ray' sea drone spotted on Google Earth at California naval base
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A US military uncrewed underwater vehicle can be seen on Google Earth at a naval base in California. The giant "Manta Ray" sea drone completed water testing in early 2024. AdvertisementThe US military's giant "Manta Ray" sea drone has been spotted on Google Earth at a naval base in California. Satellite images show the drone at Naval Base Ventura County in Oxnard, close to Los Angeles. Footage of the drone taken during water testing earlier this year was also recently shared by manufacturer Northrop Grumman on YouTube.

Persons: Ray, Northrop Grumman, — Organizations: Google, Service, Naval Base, YouTube, Defense Department's Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Business Locations: California, Naval Base Ventura County, Oxnard, Los Angeles

☆ Is Delaying Menopause the Key to Longevity?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In March, the first lady, Jill Biden, announced a new White House women’s health initiative that highlighted a seemingly obscure research question: What if you could delay menopause and all the health risks associated with it? The question comes from a field of research that has started to draw attention over the last few years, as scientists who study longevity and women’s health have come to realize that the female reproductive system is far more than just a baby-maker. The ovaries, in particular, appear to be connected to virtually every aspect of a woman’s health. Once that happens, a woman enters menopause, which accelerates her aging and the decline of other organ systems, like the heart and the brain. While women, on average, live longer than men, they spend more time living with diseases or disabilities.

Persons: Jill Biden, ”, Renee Wegrzyn, “ It’s Organizations: House, Advanced Research, Agency for Health Locations: midlife

☆ The US Air Force says the military's new dogfighting AI fighter jet pilot is making 'dramatic' advances from one test to the next
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewLast month, two US Air Force fighter jets battled in the skies above California in an intense dogfight. AdvertisementCol. James Valpiani, Air Force Test Pilot School commandant, provides final points of instruction to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall during his visit to Edwards Air Force, California, May 2. But throughout all of this, the AI pilot, named Hivemind, has been maturing quicker than expected. The X-62 Variable In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) flies in the skies over Edwards Air Force Base, California, Aug. 26, 2022. Footage from the real-world test of a dogfight between an AI-controlled fighter and a manned fighter.

Persons: —, James Valpiani, Frank, Kendall, Valpiani, Frank Kendall, It's, Ryan Tseng, Tseng, Air Force Frank Kendall, James West Tseng, Ryan Hefron, Hefron, Kyle Brasier, Giancarlo Casem Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Air Force, Defense, Research, Business, An Air Force, Air, Edwards Air Force Base, U.S . Air Force, Edwards Air Base, United States Air Force, Edwards Air Force, DOD, DARPA, Shield, Aircraft, USAF, Israel Defense Forces, DoD Locations: California, Calif, China, Gaza

☆ Why 4 new bird flu developments have experts worried about the virus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewBird flu is flying wild, and it has many infectious disease experts more worried now than ever. The H5N1 avian influenza virus has killed tens of millions of birds across the planet and more than 40,000 sea lions and seals. Most people seem to have very little chance, if any, of catching H5N1 avian influenza right now. Jim Vondruska/ReutersBut infectious disease experts are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus could make a sustained jump into humans and start spreading among us. This virus is a leading candidate for the next pandemic, and four developments in the past month have experts worried.

Persons: —, Jim Vondruska, That's, Dr, Monica Gandhi, Bird, WHO —, Christopher Dye, Dye, David L, Ryan, Gandhi, Tayfun, Rick Bright, Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz, Richard Webby, Jude, Talita, Lima Freitas, Amanda Perobelli, Marko Geber, Terry Chea, they've Organizations: Service, CDC, Business, Global Medicine, University of California, Health Organization, WHO, University of Oxford, Boston Globe, Getty, US Department of Agriculture, Anadolu Agency, The Telegraph, Biomedical, Research, Development Authority, AP, Centre, Studies, Reference Laboratory, World Organization for Animal Health, Vaccines, University of Pennsylvania Locations: Luz, Monee , Illinois, San Francisco, Australia, Kolkata, India, New Mexico, New York, St, Michigan, Campinas, Brazil

☆ Bird flu is rampant in animals. Humans ignore it at our own peril
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Then, three healthy ferrets were placed in the same enclosures with three of the sick animals. These animals could touch, nose and lick the sick animals, and all of them became ill.Next, the CDC tested airborne transmission by putting three healthy ferrets into an enclosure where they could breathe the same air as sick animals but couldn’t touch them. In her lab, ferrets with previous exposures to seasonal flu strains didn’t get as sick when exposed to new flu viruses compared to those with no prior exposure to seasonal strains. How much help we might get from past exposures to flu viruses is difficult to predict, however, which is why vaccination would still be important to tune up our immunity. They never spread the virus to any of the other animals in the facility — including themselves.

Persons: Mark Naniot, Naniot, “, ”, It’s, Jeremy Farrar, Jesse Bloom, Fred Hutch, ” Naniot, Naniot hadn’t, Scott Weese, Weese, there’s, Covid, Rick Bright, Sanjay Gupta, Bright, Erin Sorrell, Zahl, Seema Lakdawala, hasn’t, ” Bright, Dr, Richard Webby, Jude Children’s, “ It’s, Ducks, Michael Osterholm, “ I’ve, he’s Organizations: CNN, Swiss Army, World Health Organization, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, University of Guelph, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Research, Development Authority, CNN Chief, Bright Global Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Getty, Emory University, STAT, Administration, Strategic Preparedness, USDA, Jude Children’s Research, Infectious Disease, University of Minnesota, CNN Health Locations: Wisconsin’s, United States, Seattle, Canada, Texas, Vadso, Finnmark, Norway, AFP, Finland, St, Wisconsin

☆ Australia and US unveil undersea drones Ghost Shark and Manta Ray
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ghost Shark and Manta Ray protect the undersea realm. Ghost Shark and Manta Ray are the names of prototype uncrewed underwater vehicles – UUVs or drones – introduced recently by Australia and the United States respectively. But when Australia unveiled Ghost Shark last month, it called the prototypes “the most advanced undersea autonomous vehicles in the world.”The first Ghost Shark prototype, "Alpha," was co-developed by the Defence Science and Technology Group, Navy and Anduril Australia. Like the Orca, the Manta Ray hasn’t come together as quickly as Ghost Shark. Its program began in 2020 and DARPA didn’t give a goal for the Manta Ray – or some variant of it – to join the US fleet.

Persons: Ray, Manta Ray, Rodney Braithwaite, ” Shane Arnott, Anduril’s, ”, Tanya Monro, Emma Salisbury, “, ” Salisbury, Chris Brose, Northrop, Manta, Northrop Grumman, ” Kyle Woerner, Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray hasn’t, Manta Ray –, –, Salisbury, Sutton Organizations: South Korea CNN, Marvel, Defence Science, Technology Group, Navy, Anduril, Government Defence, Australian Defense Ministry, “, US Navy, Boeing, Pentagon, Advanced Research Products Agency, DARPA, Research Projects Agency, Northrop Grumman, Manta, Defense, Research, Agency, US, U.S . Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Australia, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Kyiv, Swiss, Anduril Australia, Geostrategy, Southern California, Maryland, California, China, UUVs, Beijing, Canada, France, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, Sutton

☆ The US military's massive unmanned 'Manta Ray' submarine cleared its first sea test
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Drones like the Manta Ray can function like a torpedo, mine, or small submarine. AdvertisementA US military submarine that looks like a giant metal manta ray and is currently under development passed its first major test at sea. Related storiesOne photograph of the Manta Ray shows it sitting adjacent to a support boat, and another shows it with people standing on top of it. AdvertisementDARPA program manager Dr. Kyle Woerner (right) talks with a member of the Northrop Grumman team while standing atop the Manta Ray vehicle. AdvertisementUS Navy Sailors launch an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from an 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boat.

Persons: Manta Ray, —, Northrop Grumman, Ray, Kyle Woerner, Dr, Woerner, John Paul Kotara II, UUVs Organizations: Drones, Service, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Manta, Northrop, Northrop Grumman, Research, Agency, US Navy, Navy, Navy Sailors, Force Locations: Southern California, Iran, Yemen, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Google's 'fastest-growing' moonshot that spun out into an AI earbuds startup aims to ship its first product this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewA team inside X, Google's moonshot factory, was working on a revolutionary hearing device, Business Insider reported in 2021. A few months later, Wolverine's lead, Jason Rugolo, spun the project out of Alphabet and formed a startup named Iyo. Rugolo says the company plans to ship its first product by the end of this year. Rugolo told BI he hired Kraft for a stint at Google X to work on what would become Iyo. Iyo isn't the first X project to fly from Alphabet's nest, and it probably won't be the last.

Persons: —, Google's, Jason Rugolo, Rugolo, Iyo, Lockheed Martin, Sergey Brin, Noah Kraft, Kraft, we're, X Organizations: Service, Business, Lockheed, Horizons Ventures, US, ARPA, Research Projects Agency, Energy, Google, Doppler Labs, Spotify, TED, Wolverine, BI

☆ NASA and Nokia are taking 4G into space
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

That’s the shared vision of NASA and Nokia, who have partnered to set up a cellular network on the Moon to help lay the building blocks for long-term human presence on other planets. A SpaceX rocket is due to launch this year — the exact date has yet to be confirmed — carrying a simple 4G network to the Moon. The 4G network unit is being built by Nokia’s Bell Labs using a range of off-the-shelf commercial components. Images of ice — transmitted back to the lander and then Earth in near real-time via the cellular network — would be a world-first. NASA selected Bell Labs as part of its Tipping Point initiative, a series of partnerships with companies to develop technologies for future missions that puts them in prime position for key roles in the future space economy.

Persons: ” Walt Engelund, Shackleton, Engelund, Artemis —, ”, ” Thierry Klein, ” Klein Organizations: CNN, NASA, Nokia, SpaceX, Technology, Nokia’s Bell Labs, Nokia Bell Labs, Bell Labs, US Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Bell Labs Solutions Research, Nokia Bell

☆ The US military is keeping it secret who won the real-world dogfight between a human pilot and an AI flying an F-16 fighter jet
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US military won't say who won the dogfight between an AI-controlled F-16 and a human fighter pilot. Back in 2020, AI smoked a seasoned Air Force F-16 pilot 5-0 in simulated dogfights. The AI-controlled fighter jet, called the X-62A Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft, is a modified version of an F-16. Back in August 2020, AI won a simulated dogfight against a human operator 5-0. #AI successfully pilots fighter jet ✈️.#ICYMI @deptofdefense artificial intelligence agents successfully pilot a fighter jet making AI history!

Persons: they'd, —, Ryan Hefron, James Valpiani, Luke, Hefron, Valpiani, @officialafmc, hsfgaw0kVx —, we've Organizations: Air Force, Service, DARPA, Edwards Air Force Base, US Defense, Research Projects Agency, US Air Force, Falcons, 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Key West, US Navy, hsfgaw0kVx — Edwards Air Force Base Locations: California, Ariz, Florida, Fla, @afresearchlab, @EdwardsAFB

☆ Atlas, a Humanoid Robot From Boston Dynamics, Is Leaping Into Retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Atlas, the humanoid robot that dazzled followers for more than a decade with its outdoor running, awkward dancing and acrobatic back flips, has powered down. On Wednesday, Boston Dynamics, the company that created it, announced the arrival of the next generation of humanoid robots — a fully electric robot (also named Atlas) for real-world commercial and industrial applications. For anyone worried about what would happen to the hydraulic bipedal machine (a robot home? A spokesman, Nikolas Noel, said that retirement would mean that the Atlas would move to its “robot retirement home,” which is to say that it would be “sitting in our office lobby museum” with other decommissioned robots. The old Atlas was used to research full-body mobility and to explore what was possible in robotics, Mr. Noel said.

Persons: Nikolas Noel, Noel Organizations: Boston Dynamics, Defense, Research Projects Agency, Pentagon

☆ Can Xerox’s PARC, a Silicon Valley Icon, Find New Life with SRI?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( John Markoff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Can Xerox’s PARC, a Silicon Valley Icon, Find New Life with SRI? 1974 A key part of PARC office of the future vision is a network to tie office systems together. The PARC laboratory, set in the foothills just south of Stanford, is now largely empty, hosting less than 100 researchers, far from a peak of almost 400. Mr. Parekh said that the stage was now set for a second leap forward in the way humans interacted with computers. “This is our annuity for the future for investing in research,” Mr. Parekh said.

Persons: Steve Jobs, Jobs, Apple’s Lisa, IBM’s Thomas J, “, ”, Eric Schmidt, Google’s, Bernardo Huberman, Mr, Huberman, Douglas Engelbart, Siri, Bill Duvall, Charley Kline, CALO, David Parekh, Parekh, SIRI, Curtis Carlson, Charles Simonyi, Jan Vandenbrande, Research Jan Vandenbrande, Johan De Kleer, San Organizations: Xerox’s PARC, SRI, Palo, Palo Alto Research, PARC, Mr, Xerox, SRI International, Stanford Research Institute, Xerox Dover, Xerox Corporation, T’s Bell Laboratories, Watson Research Center, Bay, “ PARC, of America, Machine, UCLA, Pentagon, Apple, Macintosh, Research Projects Agency, Microsoft, Windows, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Research Locations: Palo Alto, Stanford’sy, Stanford, Silicon, Menlo Park, Los Angeles, Calif, San Francisco, San Jose

☆ Vast reserves of clean hydrogen fuel could be hiding beneath our feet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trillions of tons of lightweight, energy-dense hydrogen gas may be hidden deep underground. Those natural reservoirs, known as geologic hydrogen, could be a fruitful carbon-free fuel source. Oil and gas giants BP and Chevron have joined a consortium to study geologic hydrogen. That's when an oil and gas company assessed a mine that had exploded in Mali and found it was full of hydrogen gas. In the US, two long stretches of this rock are a promising place to look for hydrogen reserves, and efforts are already underway.

Persons: Bill Gates, Geoffrey Ellis, Joe Biden's, didn't, Ellis, John Barrasso, Evelyn N, Wang, Pete Johnson Organizations: Service, United Airlines, BP, Chevron, US, Energy, Natural Resources, Business, Research Projects Agency, ARPA Locations: Alberta, Canada, Mali, Kansas, Ontario, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, France, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Albania, Albania's, Tirana, GENT

☆ Saudi Arabia goes big in Davos as it looks to become a top AI tech hub for the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A pop-up showcasing Saudi Arabia's Neom development features among the most prominent on the Davos promenade in 2024. But Saudi Arabia is keen to capture some of the limelight, and talent, from its neighbor on the Arabian Peninsula — an ambition laid bare on the Davos Promenade this year. "He's driving entrepreneurship, he's diversifying the economy ... And there are a lot of people that are really interested in working in Saudi Arabia," said Bremmer. "In the Emirates and in Saudi Arabia, you have millions of people that need upskilling, particularly Saudi Arabia which has a much larger population," Hidary said. Hidary, who was recently in Saudi Arabia, says that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are looking at countries like Singapore and Israel that have supported start-ups and are driven by technology.

Persons: Mohammed al, Jadaan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Ian Bremmer, he's, Bremmer, Jamal Khashoggi, King Abdullah, KAUST, Harri Jarvelainen, Vera Futorjanski, Futorjanski, Israel Jack Hidary, Hidary, — CNBC's Karen Gilchrist Organizations: Saudi, CNBC, United Arab, prince's, —, Economic, Al, U.S, Eurasia Group, MBS, World Bank, Research Technology Centers, King, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, UCLA, Riyadh's, Center, AI Research, AI, Artificial Intelligence Authority, Veritas Ventures, Emirates Locations: Davos, CNBC DAVOS, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Neom, Saudi, Riyadh, China, Istanbul, UAE, Singapore, Israel, Emirates

☆ Nvidia Triples Quarterly Revenue, but Sales in China Are a Concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Don Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A start-up driving the artificial intelligence revolution may be in turmoil, but the semiconductor supplier propelling its innovations seems to be getting only stronger. On Tuesday, Nvidia continued its string of blistering quarterly earnings reports, driven by stellar sales for A.I. Microsoft uses thousands of those chips to handle calculations for OpenAI, the generative A.I. Nvidia said revenue for its third quarter, which ended in October, tripled from a year earlier to $18.1 billion, while profit surged nearly fourteenfold, to $9.2 billion. The sales figure was nearly $2 billion higher than the company had predicted in August and much higher than analysts expected.

Persons: Sam Altman Organizations: Nvidia, Microsoft

of OpenAI, the leader in commercializing generative A.I. By Monday, he had not only been fired by his board — he had also joined Microsoft, the start-up’s biggest backer. A recap:OpenAI’s board fired Altman for not being “consistently candid.” Greg Brockman, another co-founder, was stripped of his chairman title and quit. Talks to bring Altman back broke down, with OpenAI’s board eventually naming Emmett Shear, the former C.E.O. (Some OpenAI employees workers wrote on X that “OpenAI is nothing without its people,” posts that Altman liked.)

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, Greg Brockman, OpenAI —, —, Emmett Shear, Mira Murati, Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Elon Musk, Geoffrey Hinton Organizations: Microsoft, up’s, OpenAI Locations: OpenAI, ChatGPT

At issue is RISC-V, pronounced "risk five," an open-source technology that competes with costly proprietary technology from British semiconductor and software design company Arm Holdings (O9Ty.F). RISC-V can be used as a key ingredient for anything from a smartphone chip to advanced processors for artificial intelligence. The RISC-V technology came from labs at the University of California, Berkeley, and later benefited from funding by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Its executives said in August they believe RISC-V will speed up chip innovation and transform the tech industry. Jack Kang, vice president of business development at SiFive, a Santa Clara, California-based startup using RISC-V, said potential U.S. government restrictions on American companies regarding RISC-V would be a "tremendous tragedy."

Persons: Florence Lo, Joe Biden's, Marco Rubio, Mark Warner, Mike Gallagher, Biden, Michael McCaul, McCaul, " Rubio, Warner, Jack Kang, Kang, Kevin Wolf, Akin Gump, Barack Obama, Wolf, Max A, Cherney, Stephen Nellis, Will Dunham, Kenneth Li Organizations: REUTERS, U.S ., Arm Holdings, Republican, Democratic, Reuters, Commerce Department, People's, CCP, Chinese Communist Party, House Foreign Affairs, of Industry, Security, Commerce, University of California, Pentagon's Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, HUAWEI, Huawei Technologies, Qualcomm, Google, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, People's Republic of China, Communist China, Swiss, Berkeley, United States, SiFive, Santa Clara , California, San Francisco

☆ ICON to partner with US govt agency to test COVID vaccine candidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Vials labelled "VACCINE Coronavirus COVID-19" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed U.S. flag in this illustration taken December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Icon Plc FollowBioNTech SE FollowModerna Inc Follow Show more companiesSept 13 (Reuters) - Contract research firm ICON Plc (ICLR.O) said on Wednesday it is partnering with the U.S. government for a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates. As part of the collaboration with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, ICON will conduct a mid-stage trial of 10,000 participants to assess the efficacy of a next generation COVID-19 vaccine relative to currently available shots. The U.S. agency will select the vaccine candidate for the trial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech (22UAy.DE) and Moderna (MRNA.O) that target the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the virus.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Pratik Jain, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Shounak Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Research, Development Authority, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Moderna, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ The U.S. government is investing $22 million into developing surveillance clothing that includes shirts, pants, and underwear that can record video and audio
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The federal government has a $22 million surveillance clothing program, according to The Intercept. The initiative will develop shirts, pants, socks, and underwear that can record audio and video. In other words, funding moonshots like underwear that's as stretchable and washable as normal underwear, but can also record your every move. Some are worried, though, that the SMART ePANTS program could lay the groundwork for more invasive forms of surveillance. She added, "now suppose SMART ePANTS detects a chemical on your skin — imagine where that can lead."

Persons: Dawson Cagle, Cagle, Annie Jacobsen, they're, IARPA Organizations: Apple, Oura, Textile Systems, SMART, Intercept, Smart, National Intelligence, Intelligence, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, SMART ePANTS, United, TSA

☆ Biden launches AI competition to tackle cybersecurity challenges — and hackers are being offered $20 million in prize money to compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden has called for a nationwide AI challenge to help protect critical US software. The challenge will kick off in spring 2024 and there will be cash prizes for the top five teams. The announcement was made in a White House press statement and comes as rapid advances in AI bring both benefits and security challenges. The top five teams that can design the best AI systems to address national cybersecurity issues will get a share of the £20 million on offer as prize money. Earlier this summer, White House officials invited the CEOs of those companies, among others, to explain how they planned to tackle thorny safety concerns around rapid AI development.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, OpenAI Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Service, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Biden, Black Hat, White Locations: Wall, Silicon, Las Vegas

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