Good morning! This is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
On this day, 14 years ago, Barnes and Noble introduced their inaugural Nook e-reader, aiming to rival the Amazon Kindle launched two years prior.
Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:
🌪️ Stability AI in turmoil
🤖 DeepMind’s AI has found more new materials in a year than scientists have in centuries
🫠 Elon Musk says ‘go f*ck yourself’ to advertisers leaving X
🥸 Meta shuts down thousands of fake Facebook accounts spreading polarizing political content
⏳ Nvidia boss says achieving US chip independence could take up to 20 years
💺 Microsoft to take non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board
🌪️ Stability AI in turmoilLINK
Stability AI, the British AI startup known for creating the Stable Diffusion image generator, is exploring the possibility of a sale following increased pressure from investors due to concerns over its financial stability and management issues under CEO Emad Mostaque. The company, which achieved a valuation of $1 billion following a significant funding round, is in preliminary talks with several potential buyers, though there is no immediate deal on the horizon. Internal tensions at Stability AI have escalated, partly due to Mostaque's leadership style, which has led to the departure of several senior managers and financial strains, evidenced by the company spending millions monthly while earning significantly less in revenue.
🤖 DeepMind’s AI has found more new materials in a year than scientists have in centuriesLINK
DeepMind's AI has identified over 2.2 million new materials in a single year, 45 times more than the number discovered in the entire history of science. Among these, 381,000 materials are predicted to be stable, crucial for advancements in technologies like semiconductors, batteries, and supercomputers. This breakthrough, achieved using the GNoME tool, represents a significant leap in material science, potentially revolutionizing various high-tech industries.
🫠 Elon Musk says ‘go f*ck yourself’ to advertisers leaving XLINK
Elon Musk told advertisers boycotting his platform to 'go f*ck yourself' after they paused spending due to his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk criticized advertisers for what he sees as blackmail, warning that their boycott could lead to the platform's downfall, which he promises to document. Despite apologizing for a previous controversial comment, Musk continues to face scrutiny for posting content linked to conspiracy theories and the platform's struggle to manage hate speech.
🥸 Meta shuts down thousands of fake Facebook accounts spreading polarizing political contentLINK
Meta removed 4,789 fake Facebook accounts from China that spread polarizing U.S. political content while impersonating Americans.
The fake accounts used real political content to promote division rather than spreading false stories.
The operation serves as a warning of foreign interference ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
⏳ Nvidia boss says achieving US chip independence could take up to 20 yearsLINK
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang estimates it might take up to 20 years for the United States to achieve independence in the semiconductor supply chain. This timeframe exceeds the U.S. government's initial expectation of a decade, as outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Huang's prediction takes into account the complex global dependencies in chip manufacturing, despite significant U.S. investments in the semiconductor industry.
💺 Microsoft to take non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's boardLINK
Microsoft now holds a non-voting seat on OpenAI’s board, enhancing the partnership between the two following a $13 billion investment.
Despite recent turmoil, OpenAI retained all employees, with CEO Sam Altman and other key leaders maintaining their positions.
Bret Taylor, among other notable figures, joins a new board to strengthen OpenAI's corporate governance, with Taylor planning to step down once stabilization is achieved.
Other news you might like
SpaceX acquires parachute company for $2.2M, because it turns out space-rated parachutes are very hard.LINK
Amazon's new AI image generator Titan adds an 'invisible watermark' to tackle deepfake misinformation, with usage restricted to AWS customers.LINK
Microsoft President Brad Smith dismisses imminent AGI, stresses on implementing AI safety measures.LINK
Airbnb’s silent killer: 19 carbon monoxide deaths in 10 years, but detectors still aren't required.LINK
Meta aligns with EU rules to launch Threads in Europe this December, potentially boosting its 73 million user base significantly.LINK
Google reverses its decision to block Canadian news, agreeing to pay $100 million CAD annually, under new agreement terms with Canada's government.LINK
EVs experience 79% more issues, plug-in hybrids 146% more, compared to traditional vehicles, with Asian brands leading in reliability.LINK
Black Basta ransomware group amassed over $100 million through 'double extortion' attacks, often involving a 'ransomware-as-a-service' model.LINK
Bitcoin mining can boost renewable energy profits, potentially fostering a greener economy and energy surplus reinvestment, suggests Cornell research.LINK
Developers find machine learning projects excessively time-consuming, with nearly half abandoning significant portions due to the intricate setup and time costs, despite open source helping reduce these issues.LINK
Want to get the latest news differently? Find us on:
See you tomorrow for a new dose of ☕️ Techpresso!
-min.png){kind=small}
