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☆ The Latest Tech Caught in the U.S.-China Trade War: Lasers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Heather Somerville | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hesai Group , a Shanghai-based maker of laser sensors used for next-generation vehicles, celebrated a Nasdaq stock offering in February that was heralded by some as a comeback for Chinese listings in the U.S.Less than nine months later, Hesai has become an example of how the U.S.-China battle over technology is roiling the business world. Its stock is down more than 50%, and the company is on the back foot, hiring lobbyists and defending its reputation.

Persons: Hesai Organizations: Hesai, Nasdaq, U.S . Locations: Shanghai, U.S, China

☆ Ford, Hyundai turn to Italian casting machine maker IDRA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Giulio Piovaccari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The OL 9000 CS gigapress machine is pictured at the IDRA group plant in Travagliato, Italy, October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Giulio Piovaccari Acquire Licensing RightsTRAVAGLIATO, Italy, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Idra, an Italian aluminium casting machine maker and Tesla supplier (TSLA.O), has added Ford (F.N), Hyundai (005380.KS) and a European company to its customer base as more carmakers explore this manufacturing technique. The source said IDRA was also about to sign a supply contract for two 9,000 presses with a premium automaker in Europe, its first with a European group. Six gigapresses are now emerging as the standard for an annual production of 500,000 vehicles, the source added. IDRA has so far signed orders for 25 presses, with 21 already produced and shipped, including to leading 'Tier 1' parts makers.

Persons: Giulio Piovaccari, Tesla, gigapresses, IDRA Organizations: REUTERS, Hyundai, Ford, Thomson Locations: Travagliato, Italy, European, Travalgiato, Brescia, Europe, Austin, Texas

☆ AMD to acquire AI software startup as it seeks to catch up with Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Advanced Micro Devices announced Tuesday it will acquire Nod.AI, an open-source artificial intelligence software startup, to expand the chipmaker's AI software operations. Nod.AI, or Nod Labs, builds open-source technologies "for future AI systems," according to the startup, and it mainly specializes in reinforcement learning, a type of system that "learns" via trial and error. During the same period, AMD reported a revenue decline of 18% but still beat analysts' estimates for sales and profit. Prior to founding Nod in 2013, Anush Elangovan, the startup's CEO, was part of the first Chromebooks team at Google and a lead engineer at Cisco. AMD and Nod.AI did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Persons: Boppana, Anush Elangovan, Harsh Menon, Nod's, Kitty Hawk, Larry Page Organizations: Micro Devices, Nod, Nvidia, AMD, Nod.ai, Google, Cisco, Nod Labs, Bluetooth, Menlo Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Apple, Samsung

☆ AMD to acquire AI software startup in effort to catch Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Max A. Cherney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - AMD said on Tuesday it plans to buy an artificial intelligence startup called Nod.ai as part of an effort to bolster its software capabilities. In its race to catch rival chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) plans to invest heavily in the critical software necessary for the company's advanced AI chips. Through more than a decade of work, Nvidia has built a powerful advantage in the AI chip market through the software it makes, and the software developer ecosystem. AMD has vowed to invest in and build a unified collection of software to power the various chips the company makes. Earlier this year, AMD created the AI group that will house the Nod.ai acquisition, Peng said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Victor Peng, Nod.ai, Peng, Boppana, Max A, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, AMD, Nvidia, Devices, Reuters, Artificial Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, San Francisco

☆ Meta's Responsible AI team shrinks amid layoffs and restructuring, even as the company goes all-in on AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Meta in 2020 officially formed the Responsible AI (RAI) team with about 30 members of staff. Over the last year, the group's numbers have dwindled, according to five people familiar with the company and its AI work. A shrinking of the RAI team comes at a time when AI has become a global phenomenon . The Responsible AI team was restructuredJerome Pesenti, who was vice president of Meta's AI group, including the RAI team, left last summer and founded his own AI company Sizzle AI. Compliance is important work as RAI workers try to keep Meta's AI work in line with upcoming rules and regulations .

Persons: it's, Mark Zuckerberg's, Meta, Zuckerberg, They're, Jerome Pesenti, Mike Schroepfer, Andrew, Boz, Bosworth, Pesenti, Esteban Arcaute, Kali Hays Organizations: Meta, RAI, Facebook, Social, Twitter Locations: khays@insider.com, @hayskali

Built using AI technology, Eternity is one of the latest South Korean acts pushing the boundary between real and virtual entertainment. And she’s a natural-born actress.”Video Ad Feedback Are AI-powered virtual bands the future of K-pop? Using deepfake and motion capture technology, Pulse9 then produced the band’s first music video (to accompany the ironically titled track “I’m Real”) in 2021. Metaverse EntertainmentMetaverse Entertainment used AI technology to generate faces, merging the features and hairstyles deemed most desirable into four final characters. The music video for MAVE’s first single, “Pandora,” has already racked up 25 million views on YouTube since its release in January.

Persons: “, ”, Ji, Zae, Pulse9, Lil Miquela, “ I’m, Lee Soo, Netmarble, Metaverse, Kang Sung, MAVE’s, Pandora, Kang, Siri, ” Kang, ” Eternity's, — they’re Organizations: CNN, Pulse9, YouTube, South, SM Entertainment, Metaverse Entertainment, SM, Kakao Entertainment, Entertainment, Wall Street, Park Locations: “, South Korean, ”, Indonesian

☆ Inside the consulting industry's race to become AI rainmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Big consulting companies are racing to add to their offerings around artificial intelligence. That's the bet consulting companies have been making as they rush to build out their generative AI offerings. To help companies figure out how to use AI, the consulting giants are racing to scoop up companies that specialize in the technology. Consulting firms' push to bulk up on AI comes as many workers are worried that AI bots will snatch their jobs . That same month, Deloitte introduced a set of services called Quartz AI to help clients use technology like GenAI.

Persons: —, they're, OpenAI's ChatGPT, They're, Sawhney, ChatGPT, Steve Chase, he's, Chase, EY EY, EY, PwC PwC, PwC, Shannon Schuyler, Bain, BCG Organizations: Service, Accenture, McKinsey, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Deloitte, LinkedIn, Fortune, KPMG, Microsoft, KPMG US, Bain Bain & Company, Boston Consulting, OpenAI, Deloitte Deloitte, Nvidia, QuantumBlack, QuantumBlack Labs Locations: Mexico

☆ Intel plans to IPO programmable chip unit within three years; stock rises after hours
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Intel said it will treat its programmable chip unit as as a standalone business, with an aim to spin it out through an IPO in the next two to three years. Intel's Programmable Solutions Group will have its own balance sheet as it heads toward independence. The move also highlights the strong demand in the semiconductor industry for field programmable gate arrays, or FPGAs. Intel's FPGAs are sold under the Agilex brand. Intel doesn't break out PSG sales yet, but said in July that the unit had three record quarters in a row, offsetting a slump in server chip sales.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Sandra Rivera, Patrick Gelsinger, Gelsinger Organizations: Intel Corporation, Senate Commerce, Science, Innovation, Russell, Intel, Programmable Solutions, Center, PSG, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Lattice Semiconductor, AMD, Intel's Data Locations: Mobileye

☆ US adds three Chinese companies to forced labor entity list involving Uyghurs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The United States has added three Chinese companies to the forced labor entity list involving Uyghurs, according to a government posting on Tuesday, as part of an effort to eliminate forced labor practices the U.S. supply chain. The action targets Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile Co, Ltd; Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile Co. Ltd, and Xinjiang Zhongtai Group Co. Ltd, according to the post. A 2021 law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List (UFLPA), prohibits U.S. imports that are either produced in Xinjiang or by companies identified on the list, unless the importer can prove the goods were not produced with forced labor. The list identifies entities working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to recruit and transport Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of the region. U.S. officials believe Chinese authorities have established labor camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, China.

Persons: Doina Chiacu, Karen Freifeld, Susan Heavey Organizations: United, Foundation Textile Co, Wool, Co ., Xinjiang Zhongtai, Labor, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, U.S, China, Beijing

☆ Rifle, fur hat, drones: North Korea's Kim returns with gifts from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he boards his train at a railway station in the town of Artyom outside Vladivostok in the Primorsky region, Russia, September 17, 2023. Following are some of the items he is bringing back to the "friendship" museum, where gifts received by the North's three generations of leaders are kept. GIFTS FROM RUSSIAAfter his summit with Russian President Putin, Kim received a Russian-made rifle "of the highest quality," according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Kim received a fur hat from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Vladivostok, where he inspected Russian nuclear bombers, fighter jets equipped with hypersonic missiles and a warship. And Comrade Kim Jong Un liked it,” Matsegora said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Oleg Kozhemyako, Sergei Shoigu, Alexander Matsegora, It’s, Kim Jong Un, ” Matsegora, Yuri Gagarin, Kim Il Sung, Jimmy Carter, Francois Mitterrand, Michael Jordan, Madeleine Albright, Fidel Castro, Propaganda, Kim Dae, Kim Jong Il, Chung, yung, Jack Kim, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian, North, TASS, Moscow, WHO, U.S, Hyundai, Hyundai Group, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia, Russia's Primorsky Krai, Rights SEOUL, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Russia's, Khasan, North Korea, Paris, North, Cuban, South, North Korean, Seoul, Melbourne

☆ Kia revealed yet another awesome-looking electric SUV — and it's headed to China first
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kia unveiled its latest electric SUV. The Kia EV5. The Kia EV5. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Kia EV5. The Kia EV5.

Persons: Kia, Tesla, Kia EV6, Kia Kia hasn't, hasn't Organizations: Kia, Hyundai Locations: China

☆ Fact Check-Photos of Florida sunburn competition are fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence of a sunburn contest in Florida, and photos from a so-called extreme sunburn competition in online posts are not authentic. Examples of online posts on Aug. 3 and 4 sharing photos of people with burns from an “extreme sunburn competition in Florida” can be seen (here) and (here). The “Cursed AI” Facebook group notes in its description that content on the page is AI-generated (here). Reuters has contacted the account that posted the photos in the Cursed AI group for comment. The photos were shared on a Facebook page made for AI-generated content, and there is no evidence of such a sunburn competition in Florida.

Persons: Read Organizations: Reuters Locations: Florida

☆ Amazon CEO Andy Jassy now has 16 direct reports. See the growing and evolving list here, including a newly promoted executive from Alexa.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently expanded his group of direct reports. Jassy has added at least 8 new executives to his direct reports since becoming CEO in 2021. Amazon recently created a new AI group that reports to CEO Andy Jassy. In his 2 years since becoming CEO, Jassy has added or replaced at least 8 executives in his top leadership team. (Jassy's direct reports are different from the S-team, a group of more than two dozen most senior decision-makers at Amazon).

Persons: Andy Jassy, Rohit Prasad, Prasad, Doug Herrington, Adam Selipsky, Brian Olsavsky, Jassy, There's, Dave Clark, Jay Carney, Jeff Blackburn, James Hamilton, Mike Hopkins, Eric Remling, Beth, Dave Limp, David Zapolsky, Drew Herdener, WW Communications Eric Rimling, Paul Kotas, Peter Krawiec, Alexa Stacey Pistole, Steve Boom, Steve Schmidt, Eugene Kim Organizations: Amazon, Alexa, Business, Amazon Studios, Amazon Devices, WW Amazon, WW Communications, Amazon Video, Corporate Locations: It's

☆ Leaked org chart reveals the 58 top leaders and engineers at Google DeepMind as it races to surpass OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In April, Google made a dramatic move to face down the threat from Microsoft and OpenAI: it combined its AI research team, Brain, with DeepMind. By fusing it with its central AI unit, Google sent an unambiguous message that it was pulling out all the stops to supercharge its work in AI. Insider obtained internal org charts that reveal the new power structure of Google DeepMind. Hassabis oversees around 2,450 full-time employees, the majority of which are Google DeepMind employees. Dean, who previously oversaw all of Google's AI unit, has moved from his management position into the new role of Chief Scientist, reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai.

Persons: DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, There's, Hassabis, Eli Collins, Bard chatbot, Zoubin Ghahramani, Jeff Dean, Koray, Google's, Dean, Sundar Pichai, Emanuel Taropa Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Brain, Research, Technology, Gemini, General Intelligence

☆ North Korea: "No intention to examine" Hyundai Group chief's bid to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - North Korea has no intention to "examine" South Korea's Hyundai Group chief's plan to visit the North's Mount Kumgang, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been seeking to visit North Korea in August and submitted applications to South Korea's unification ministry, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official at the ministry. Hyundai's late founder, Chung Ju-Yung, was born in North Korea. Mount Kumgang is on North Korea’s east coast near the demilitarised zone separating the two countries. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

Persons: Kumgang, Hyun Jeong, Chung, Yung, Yoon Suk, Heekyong Yang, Sandra Maler, William Mallard Organizations: Korea's Hyundai, Hyundai, DPRK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, North Korea’s, Kaesong, Pyongyang

☆ In-car radar could save children from tragic hot car deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

His two-year-old boy, Thomas, asked to ride in the “big boy seat,” the child safety seat his older brother usually rode in, the one right behind the driver’s seat. Thomas died strapped into his safety seat, as his small body was simply overcome by the heat. Cestia’s truck had a rear seat reminder but, he said, he somehow didn’t notice it when he got to work. He bought his daughter a child safety seat with a heat sensor on the buckle that alerts him if she’s buckled in and it’s getting too hot. And he also listens for the rear seat reminder and habitually checks the backseat.

Persons: Tyler Cestia, Thomas, ” Tyler Cestia, “, ”, David Muscat, Cestia, Rollins, she’s, it’s, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, GMC, Volvo, Hyundai MOBIS, Hyundai Group, Continental, Hyundai Locations: Louisiana, South Korea, Muscat

☆ Australia's unemployment rate needs to rise to curb inflation - top c.banker
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 20 (Reuters) - Australia's unemployment rate needs to rise to help contain inflation and avoid higher interest rates and a deep recession, a top central banker warned on Tuesday, after data showed little loosening in a still drum-tight labour market. Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Deputy Governor Michelle Bullock said the jobless rate would need to rise to about 4.5% from the current rate of 3.6% to bring the economy back into balance, a rate still well below pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, Bullock also warned that if inflation were to become entrenched in people's expectations, that would mean higher rates and a larger rise in unemployment. "A deep and long-lasting recession would be likely, which would mean a substantial rise in the unemployment rate." Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong & Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michelle Bullock, Bullock, Stella Qiu, Jacqueline Wong, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of Australia, Ai Group, Thomson Locations: Newcastle

☆ Yacht maker’s Italy pivot shows the way for Prada
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese-owned yacht maker Ferretti is testing uncharted waters. Prada shares have been trading exclusively in the Asian financial centre since the company’s 2011 initial public offering. For Ferretti, Hong Kong has provided a helpful springboard. Ferretti shares trade at 12 times expected net earnings of 78 million euros this year, lower than Milan-listed rival Sanlorenzo’s (SNL.MI) 15 times multiple. In Hong Kong many shares still exist as physical certificates; these are traded electronically only after being deposited in a centralised system.

Persons: Ferretti, Riva speedboats, Prada, Miuccia Prada, Patrizio, Alberto Galassi, Sanlorenzo’s, Lorenzo Bertelli, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Hollywood, Weichai Group, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Weichai, Ferretti International Holding SpA, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Milan, Italy, China, China’s

☆ Microsoft is sprinkling OpenAI everywhere to try and keep software makers interested in its platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article MSFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTMicrosoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella speaks to attendees at Microsoft's Build conference in Seattle on May 23, 2023. "Every layer of the software stack is going to be changed forever and no better place to start than the actual developer stack," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during his Build keynote address on Tuesday. It's crucial for third-party developers to enrich Microsoft's own software properties, such as the Microsoft 365 productivity software bundle. Greg Brockman, OpenAI president and co-founder, and Kevin Scott, Microsoft chief technology officer, speak onstage at Microsoft's Build conference in Seattle on May 23, 2023. WATCH: Microsoft Build 2023 unveils plugins and products that incorporate A.I.

☆ Microsoft is bringing an A.I. chatbot to data analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft's cloud and artificial intelligence group, speaks at the Microsoft CIO Summit in Redmond, Washington, on Feb. 1, 2023. Microsoft 's hefty investment in artificial intelligence chatbots is finding its way into data analysis. For example, the data can be tapped in Synapse Data Science for collaborating on AI models and Power BI business intelligence software for building charts and dashboards. A single Copilot will be available for the tools in the Microsoft Fabric portfolio, which includes Data Factory, Synapse Data Engineering, Synapse Data Warehousing, Synapse Real-Time Analytics and a new monitoring tool called Data Activator, in addition to Power BI and Synapse Data Science, a Microsoft spokesperson said. He said that Copilot will be able to write formulas using Microsoft's Data Analysis Expressions language in Power BI.

Lidar technology is used for 3D mapping, navigation and object detection in various high-tech industries. Ouster's complaints said Hesai incorporated its digital lidar technology into the Shanghai-based company's sensors. Ouster accused Hesai's sensors of infringing five patents covering core aspects of its digital lidar technology. It asked the Delaware court for an unspecified amount of money damages and the ITC to bar imports of infringing Hesai products. Hesai settled a patent dispute with San Jose, California-based Velodyne Lidar Inc in 2020.

Despite a rebound in fundraising and block trading activity, year-to-date IPO volumes came in at their lowest level since 2019. Equity capital markets (ECM) advisers, however, are optimistic of a recovery in listing activity in the latter part of the year. In the United States, IPO volumes jumped more than 50% from the fourth quarter of 2022, but were still 11% down from the same period last year. IPOs briefly flickered back to life in February, as companies including solar tech firm Nextracker (NXT.O) and Chinese sensor maker Hesai Group (HSAI.O) pushed ahead with their listings. RECOVERY DELAYEDIn Europe, investment bankers said the market volatility spurred by the banking crisis is likely to affect the pipeline of deals.

☆ Leaked org chart shows the 15 most important leaders in Google's AI division as it races to catch Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Central to those efforts is its Research and AI group, led by senior vice president Jeff Dean. An internal org chart seen by Insider shows the 14 other leaders under Dean who drive Google's efforts to catch the sudden success of OpenAI. Jeff Dean, senior vice president, Google AI Thomas Samson/Getty ImagesReporting directly to Dean is Eli Collins, a VP leading work on Google's ChatGPT competitor, Bard. Collins also works on AI Test Kitchen, an app that gives select users access to some of Google's latest AI demos. Jay Yagnik, VP of research, oversees the biggest number of employees within Dean's organization.

OAKLAND, California, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. chip giant Intel Corp (INTC.O) said on Wednesday its first semiconductor for data center customers focused on power efficiency, Sierra Forest, would be delivered in the first half of next year, as it outlined a chip release schedule after prior delays. Intel still dominates the markets for PC and server processing chips, with a market share greater than 70%, tech research firm IDC has calculated. Intel said the next power-efficient chip, Clearwater Forest, would come to market in 2025. Rivera said that Intel was also working on building the Intel Developer Cloud with 256 Xeon chips and 512 Gaudi chips for artificial intelligence (AI) that would be available for AI developers to train and run new models. She said AI startups Hugging Face and Stable Diffusion were already using Intel chips.

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Meta, Rivian, WW International, KeyCorp and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WW International — Shares of company formerly known as Weight Watchers jumped as much as 17.6% in premarket trading after announcing a deal to acquire telehealth firm Sequence. The Wall Street firm said the aircraft's weight has raised questions and led him to wonder if the design is "overly aggressive." Its price target of $39 implies 24.5% upside from Monday's close. The Wall Street firm said there is a large unmet need for resistant hypertension treatment and said Mineralys has "potential best-in-class" data. The Wall Street firm said Hensai "outshines peers, with its superior scale and margin, and its strong project pipeline."

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