- AI Middle of Us
- Posts
- AI News Today: Vultr’s Sky-High Valuation: $333M Up, 3.5B Down!
AI News Today: Vultr’s Sky-High Valuation: $333M Up, 3.5B Down!
Stay updated with the latest advancements, tools, and resources in the world of AI
Mohsen Khani
December 19, 2024
AI News Today: Top 5 Highlights
Titles
1.Vultr’s Sky-High Valuation: $333M Up, 3.5B Down!
2.China’s AI Chip Makers Sneak Past the UK: How Did They Do It?
3.MIT’s High-Rise Chips: How High Can We Go?
4.Lara Ozkan: MIT’s Next Big Thing in the UK!
5.MIT Grads: Are They Just Smarter, or Do They Have a Plan?
Cloud AI Startup Vultr Raises $333 Million at $3.5 Billion Valuation
Explanation: AMD’s investment is part of how the chip giant plans to make a dent in the artificial intelligence chip market dominated by Nvidia
Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices and hedge fund LuminArx Capital Management raised $333 million for a growth financing round for cloud startup Vultr, a sign of the hot demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Why It Matters: Vultr’s massive funding highlights the explosive demand for AI infrastructure, positioning the startup as a major player in the cloud computing and AI space. With AMD’s investment, the company could challenge the dominance of Nvidia in the AI chip market, potentially reshaping the landscape for AI-powered technologies.
Reading Time: 5
Chinese AI chip firms blacklisted over weapons concerns gained access to UK technology
Explanation: Chinese engineers developing chips for artificial intelligence that can be used in “advanced weapons systems” have gained access to cutting-edge UK technology, the Guardian can reveal.
Described by analysts as “China’s premier AI chip designers”, Moore Threads and Biren Technology are subject to US export restrictions over their development of chips that “can be used to provide artificial intelligence capabilities to further development of weapons of mass destruction, advanced weapons systems and hi-tech surveillance applications that create national security concerns”.
Why It Matters: The access that Chinese AI chip firms gained to UK technology despite US export restrictions raises significant national security concerns. It underscores the global competition for cutting-edge AI technologies, and how geopolitics can shape the future of artificial intelligence and military applications.
Reading Time: 4
MIT engineers grow “high-rise” 3D chips
Explanation: The electronics industry is approaching a limit to the number of transistors that can be packed onto the surface of a computer chip. So, chip manufacturers are looking to build up rather than out.
Why It Matters: MIT’s development of 3D chips with stacked transistors could revolutionize AI hardware by dramatically increasing computational efficiency. This breakthrough could pave the way for more powerful AI systems capable of handling complex tasks, fueling advancements in everything from healthcare to autonomous vehicles.
Reading Time: 7
Lara Ozkan named 2025 Marshall Scholar
Explanation: Lara Ozkan, an MIT senior from Oradell, New Jersey, has been selected as a 2025 Marshall Scholar and will begin graduate studies in the United Kingdom next fall. Funded by the British government, the Marshall Scholarship awards American students of high academic achievement with the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in any field at any university in the U.K. Up to 50 scholarships are granted each year
Why It Matters: Lara Ozkan’s selection as a Marshall Scholar is a testament to MIT’s role in nurturing top-tier talent. This scholarship will allow her to advance her studies and contribute to global research, exemplifying the importance of academic excellence and international collaboration in solving the world’s most pressing challenges.
Reading Time: 6
3 Questions: Tracking MIT graduates’ career trajectories
Explanation: Deborah Liverman, executive director of MIT Career Advising and Professional Development, offers a window into undergraduate and graduate students’ post-graduation paths.
Why It Matters: Tracking MIT graduates’ career trajectories reveals insights into the pathways to success in today’s competitive job market. Understanding what drives their post-graduation success can help shape education and career advice for the next generation of innovators, making this research valuable for both students and employers.
Reading Time: 4
Top 5 Trending AI Tools
portals by ply A platform for creating AI-powered customer service portals to enhance user experience.
Pollo.ai An AI tool for simplifying document editing within Google Workspace to boost productivity.
Athina A collaborative platform for teams to build, test, and monitor AI features efficiently.
Pointer An AI tool that automates and improves document editing in Google Workspace.
Reforged Labs An AI-powered platform that creates video ads for mobile game studios using competitor insights.
Prompt
Comprehensive AI Software Launch Plan
Prompt: “Develop a comprehensive project plan for the launch of a new AI-based software product, including timelines, key milestones, resource allocation, risk management strategies, and stakeholder communication. Ensure that the plan includes measurable success metrics for each phase of the project”
E-commerce Post-Launch
Prompt: “Create a detailed post-launch project management strategy for monitoring the performance of a newly released e-commerce platform. Include steps for gathering user feedback, managing ongoing improvements, tracking KPIs, and ensuring the alignment of the platform with business goals over the next 12 months”
2 Notable Speeches
1. Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize Speech: He discussed the rapid advancements in AI, focusing on neural networks’ impact on industries and the risks of AI surpassing human intelligence.
2. House Judiciary Committee’s AI Report: A report raised concerns about the federal government’s involvement in AI development, particularly its potential to suppress free speech and the need for oversight.
Quick Hints about AI
Everything else you need to know today
Market Watch: While the Dow has been down, AI stocks like Tesla are still seeing growth. Keep an eye on market trends for opportunities in AI tech investments.
Funding Surge: Databricks secured $10B in funding, signaling growing investor interest in AI-powered analytics. Look for similar AI startups with strong growth potential.
Creative AI Tools: Platforms like Writer’s Palmyra Creative are revolutionizing content generation. Explore new AI tools to enhance creativity and break free from traditional writing patterns.
Ethical AI Content: Startups like Moonvalley are prioritizing ethical content creation. Consider using AI tools that ensure all generated media is ethically sourced and aligns with your values.
Personalized AI Models: Midjourney’s new features allow for personalized content creation based on your aesthetic. Customize your own AI tools to match your unique style and vision.
Job Board
Responsibilities: Develop a deep understanding of the advertising ecosystem at an individual request level and exploit this knowledge to enhance web security measures.
Location: Mountain View, CA, USA; Redmond, WA, USA
Responsibilities: Conduct research, develop proof of concepts, design technical solutions, and optimize AI-powered automation processes within the healthcare sector.
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
AI Training Resources
1-Coursera’s AI For Everyone by Andrew Ng
The Rundown: This course focuses on understanding AI without requiring coding skills. It introduces the basics of AI concepts and how they’re used in real-world applications.
Step-by-step:
1. Understand AI concepts and terminology.
2. Explore the societal and business impacts of AI.
3. Learn how to implement AI in business strategies.
2 - Google AI’s Machine Learning Crash Course
The Rundown: This course covers the fundamentals of machine learning with TensorFlow, providing hands-on experience in building ML models.
Step-by-step:
1. Learn basic machine learning concepts.
2. Understand how to build and train machine learning models.
3. Implement models using TensorFlow.
5 Custom GPT Ideas
1-Astrology Birth Chart GPT: Expert astrologer GPT that needs your birth info to answer queries.
2-Python: A highly sophisticated GPT tailored for Python.
3-SQL Expert: SQL expert for optimization and queries.
4-Song Maker: Create music using musical theory. Discover essential songwriting tips to compose music and create songs. This GPT can produce chord progressions, musical notes, song lyrics, soundtracks and album covers.
5-Universal Primer: The fastest way to learn anything hard.