✋ US Restricts AI Chips

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Hey TEDchats Fam!

Happy Wednesday! Remember when you tried to sneak cookies from the cookie jar and were caught red-handed? Well, imagine being a tech giant like Nvidia, thinking you've outsmarted the game, only to find out the game has changed. Let's dive into the twists and turns of the AI industry, where every move can reshape the global playing field.

👀 SNEAK PEEK

🚨FEATURE STORY

Nvidia's Export Dance: A Chip Too Far?

In a world where the race for AI supremacy gains momentum, a new set of U.S. rules throws a spanner in the works for Nvidia's expansion plans. But what does this mean for the future of global AI trade?

How to Work Around U.S. Restrictions

Nvidia, a behemoth in the AI industry, boasts a valuation soaring beyond $1 trillion. Its chips, especially the H100, are highly sought after, fueling the AI boom. However, last year's restrictions put a damper on Nvidia's ambitions, preventing the sale of the H100 to China. Their response? Introducing the less advanced H800 (read more), a savvy move to circumvent the U.S.'s constraints.

When Workarounds Fail…

Just when Nvidia believed they had found a workaround with their H800 chip, the U.S. tightens the noose further. The new rules explicitly block the export of this chip, and its sibling, the A800, to China. This is a significant blow, as these chips were Nvidia's strategy to maintain a foothold in the lucrative Chinese market.

The Department of Commerce justified these restrictions as a means to "increase effectiveness of controls and further shut off pathways to evade restrictions". Their primary concern is the potential threat posed by People's Republic of China (PRC) military modernization. The Department further added that “export controls are a powerful national security tool, and the updates released today build on our ongoing assessment of U.S. national security and foreign policy concerns” (read more).

What Does This Mean for the Future of AI Trade?

Nvidia, while compliant with the regulations, remains optimistic. They believe in the global demand for their products and don't anticipate any significant financial impact in the near future. On the other hand, the Semiconductor Industry Association warns against unilateral controls, highlighting the risk of driving overseas customers away (read more).

With rising tensions in the tech trade arena, the AI industry stands at a crossroads. While companies like Nvidia adapt and pivot, the larger question looms: How will global AI trade dynamics shape up in an era of heightened geopolitical rivalries? Will the quest for AI dominance lead to more collaboration or further divisions? Only time will tell.

🍕 QUICK BITES

NYC Mayor's AI Voice:

NYC Mayor Eric Adams turns to artificial intelligence for multilingual automated calls, known as robocalls, causing a stir among critics. While many residents are surprised to hear Adams "speak" in languages such as Spanish, Yiddish, and Mandarin, critics claim it's misleading. Adams counters by emphasizing the importance of reaching all New Yorkers in their native tongues. "I have to be able to speak to people in the languages that they understand", he states, highlighting his commitment to inclusive communication (see more).

Meta’s New Mixed Reality:

Following the release of the Meta Quest 3 headset, early adopters took to the streets, showcasing the device's capabilities outside the confines of their homes. Videos have emerged of users wearing the device, referring to it as “mixed reality”, while navigating bustling events like New York Comic-Con or making ordinary trips to local cafes in San Francisco. What's noteworthy is the device's full-color, low-latency passthrough video, which allows users to engage with their surroundings seamlessly. However, this tech immersion is not without its challenges. Concerns over privacy and the ethics of recording in public without consent have resurfaced, reflecting the skepticism that once surrounded Google Glass users, who were then infamously labeled as "Glassholes".

Defending Reality:

Reality Defender, a pioneering startup in the realm of deepfake detection, has successfully raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. Founded by former Goldman Sachs VP Ben Colman, among others, the firm is on a mission to stay at the forefront of deepfake detection techniques. As deepfakes become increasingly sophisticated, with a reported threefold rise in video deepfakes this year alone, Reality Defender's advancements are more crucial than ever. They're not only working on enhancing their detection algorithms but also proactively preparing for emerging AI content generation threats. The goal? To protect the integrity of media and counter the damaging effects of deceptive AI-generated content.

🧰 AI TOOLBOX 

🤯 MIND SPARK

AI Predicts Earthquake Aftershocks: AI models can effectively forecast seismic activity following earthquakes, outperforming conventional models (read more).

Dojo Supercomputer to Train Tesla's Self-Driving AI: Even though details are limited, Tesla is still building its Dojo system to train neural nets for full self-driving capability (read more).

AI-Designed Batteries Charge Faster? AI systems can automate and accelerate discovery of better performing batteries, including faster charging batteries (read more).

🎨 AI ART

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