Machine learning expert Ian Goodfellow has reportedly joined Alphabet’s subsidiary DeepMind after leaving Apple because of the company’s return-to-work policy.
Goodfellow had been with Apple for nearly three years, having joined the company’s Special Projects Group in April 2019. According to Bloomberg, Goodfellow is now joining Google’s DeepMind team as an individual contributor.
However, there is not much information available currently on which role Goodfellow will serve in DeepMind. Goodfellow is also referred to as the father of general adversarial networks (GAN), which can be used to create deepfake videos. This new addition to DeepMind’s team will help the company develop better solutions.
The fact that he left the firm is significant for Apple, given it presently operates a number of artificial intelligence and machine learning-based technologies, such as FaceID. According to a Tweet from Zoë Schiffer, Goodfellow mentioned, “I believe strongly that more flexibility would have been the best policy for my team.
Apple had previously adopted a work-from-home strategy for its staff to be safe in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak. Last month, Apple employees returned to their offices under a hybrid home/office work policy, capping off a two-year-long working from home.
Though Apple has allowed some of its employees to work remotely, Goodfellow was not one of the lucky ones.
Global eCommerce giant Amazon launches its new Smart Commerce program in India to help small businesses grow.
The new initiative of Amazon will drastically help local retailers in digitization and increase their footprint in the eCommerce retail industry.
The announcement was made during the firm’s flagship online summit Amazon Sambhav on 18th March 2022. Amazon Sambhav 2022 is a two-day virtual summit that brings together senior government officials, senior Amazon executives, and thought leaders for in-depth discussions on accelerating India’s digital advancement.
According to the company, Smart Commerce is a new initiative that aims to turn local retailers into Digital Dukaans and help the government meet its goal of digitizing 10 million small enterprises by 2025.
Stores can now expand their businesses with Smart Commerce, digitizing their offline operations, providing enhanced in-store shopping experiences to walk-in customers, and creating their own online storefronts to service customers directly.
Amit Agarwal, SVP, India and Emerging Markets at Amazon, said, “Today, we are excited to launch Smart Commerce that will enable any store to truly become a digital dukaan and serve customers with the best of Amazon no matter where they are – in their physical store, directly through their own online storefront, or on Amazon.in.”
He further added that they are only getting started, but they’re on track to digitize one crore of small enterprises by 2025.
Amazon is all set to release its first set of solutions under the Smart Commerce program in the coming weeks. Apart from digitizing stores across India, Amazon has also pledged to generate nearly 2 million jobs in the country.
“We are humbled to share that we have already digitized over 4 million small businesses and local stores, are on track to enable $5 billion in cumulative exports, and have created over 1.16 million direct and indirect jobs in India, including 135K new jobs added in the last one year,” said Manish Tiwary, Country Manager, India Consumer Business, Amazon India.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has started a program to better understand the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern war fields.
Two NATO companies have taken this initiative as a step to improve the organization’s technology capabilities and have an advantage over its enemies.
The NATO Science and Technology Organization and the NATO Communications and Information Agency have brought together more than 80 AI professionals, researchers, and academics from the United States and other NATO member countries for the strategic “horizon scanning” project.
The event was launched in the Netherlands in the presence of NATO Chief Scientist Dr. Bryan Wells and NCI Agency General Manager Ludwig Decamps.
Bryan Wells said, “AI is one of the key emerging and disruptive technologies identified by NATO as vital for the maintenance of its technological edge. By working together, the STO and the NCI Agency are able to bring together global experts to ensure the very best scientific expertise is available to advise NATO and its Allies and Partners on the latest scientific trends in this area.”
He further added that the importance of The Hague as a global focal point for providing a broader understanding of all AI challenges was reinforced by last week’s conferences.
According to NATO, its Horizon Scanning strategic project uses Theodore von Kármán’s foundational premise to bring armies and scientific personnel closer to improve collective knowledge and understanding.
Moreover, the AI experts also went to the NCI Agency’s Data Science and AI labs in The Hague to see how AI can be trained on NATO data to solve the Alliance’s challenges.
“The Hague is home not only to many high-tech industries but also to several international organizations, such as NATO and the UN, which are working to develop AI responsibly, for the greater good,” said Saskia Bruines, the Deputy Mayor of the City of The Hague.
CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, has said that the company is planning to increase its salary budget drastically.
This is a step of the company in its effort to retain talents in the organization and prevent them from quitting. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has revealed intentions to “nearly double” the company’s budget for employee raises and increase the range of stock compensation given to some employees by at least 25%.
Additionally, Nadella said that the company intends to pay more salary to mid-career stage employees and also for workers employed at particular locations. Microsoft made the announcement as its fiscal year comes to a close on June 30.
A Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC, “People come to and stay at Microsoft because of our mission and culture, the meaning they find in the work they do, the people they work with, and how they are rewarded.”
The spokesperson further added that this increased investment in global compensation indicates their continuous commitment to providing employees with a highly competitive experience. Sources claim that Microsoft is raising annual stock ranges by at least 25% for employees at level 67 and below.
While bigger companies like Microsoft are giving a hike to their employees, several others choose to lay off their workforce to cut down company running costs. In a recent incident, Netflix laid off 150 employees claiming it to be a step to compensate for the loss it had taken after losing 200,000 subscribers.
Datarobot also fired nearly 7% of its workforce to cut back company costs. The company addressed the employees in an email, mentioning that the layoffs were a result of the startup’s extensive hiring strategy and changing market conditions in the technology industry.
The world’s most popular electric vehicle manufacturing company, Tesla, announces its plans to host its second Artificial Intelligence Day on 19th August 2022.
This announcement was made by the company’s CEO and the world’s richest man Elon Musk. According to Musk, the recently announced event will reveal “many cool updates” for the customers. Many upcoming products or projects in the pipeline will be revealed to us during Tesla’s AI Day event.
This began last year when the firm organized its first Tesla AI Day event, which was broadcast live on YouTube for the common public to watch. One of the biggest disclosures made during the Tesla AI Day regarding the company’s Tesla Bot.
Recently, Musk said that he plans to sell the artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot Tesla Bot by 2023. Other significant announcements in the first Tesla AI Day included the launch of the D1 chip, project Dojo, etc.
Considering last year’s event, the expectation for the second Tesla AI day is high. Tesla enthusiasts expect updates regarding the company’s self-driving technology and other ongoing projects during the event.
Recently, Google also conducted its Google I/O 2022 event that is available to watch on YouTube. Many new Google products such as Pixel 6a, Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Watch, and others were unveiled during the event.
Online video streaming platform Netflix lays off 150 employees to cut back costs as the company witnesses a loss in this subscription base.
Recently, Netflix lost more than 200,000 global subscribers and forecasted another 2 million this period, forcing the company to make the hard decision of laying off its employees. The recent layoffs represent nearly 2% of Netflix’s workforce in the country.
According to sources, more layoffs might soon follow. “Our slowing revenue growth means we also have to slow our cost growth as a company. So sadly, we are letting around 150 employees go today, mostly US-based,” mentioned Netflix in a statement.
The statement further added that these changes are primarily motivated by business demands rather than individual performance, making them particularly difficult because the organization does not want to say goodbye to such wonderful employees.
Last month the company also fired multiple employees who were working on the company’s new fan-focused website, Tudum. Most of the fired employees were hired from reputed organizations over the past few months.
The quote from one of the CEOs is pure doublespeak. They're firing employees to cut down on their spending, and blaming customers sharing passwords as the reason why they're losing money, and not them spending exorbitant amounts on productions. https://t.co/zClJaRUnLQ
— Carolyn Hinds – Petite Possee🇧🇧 (@CarrieCnh12) May 17, 2022
Twitteratis flooded the microblogging platform with their opinion after this news was revealed. A user wrote, “The quote from one of the CEOs is pure doublespeak. They’re firing employees to cut down on their spending, and blaming customers sharing passwords as the reason why they’re losing money, and not them spending exorbitant amounts on productions.”
Moreover, that company’s stock price has dropped more than 70% from its November 2021 intraday high of $700.99. Recently, AI technology and ROI enablement services providing startup Datarobot also laid off nearly 7% of its entire workforce as a step to reduce company costs.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) announces its plans to introduce multiple new-age subjects such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning (ML), and data science in ICSE and ISC curricula.
This decision has been made to introduce students to these subjects at an early age to help them grow their careers in those fields.
The council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, to design a curriculum for students of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th standards.
Chief Executive and Secretary of CISCE, Gerry Arathoon, said, “The students will appear in exams with these new subjects in Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) in 2025 and in Indian School Certificate (ISC) in 2026.”
Arathoon further added that the IHFC had provided its expertise to the CISCE to modernize present STEM courses in accordance with the government of India’s New Education Policy.
Earlier, CBSE also introduced similar subjects in its curriculum as part of its reforms to adhere to the country’s new Education Policy and nurture talent at a young age.
“The CISCE has always strived to provide its students with a wide variety of subject choices, catering to their interests and capabilities while also addressing the contemporary requirements. It is with this objective that the CISCE plans to introduce subjects like robotics and AI,” added Arathoon.
As leading institutions are developing the syllabus of these subjects, it can be said with little doubt that the courses will tremendously help students shape their careers in 21st-century technologies.
Ford Motor-backed autonomous driving startup Argo AI starts testing its new fleet of autonomous vehicles without the support of any onboard human driver on the streets of Miami and Austin.
The company had been testing its driverless cars in the cities over the last few years but with mandatory human drivers inside the vehicle to ensure public safety.
Argo AI mentioned that it also plans to commercialize this driverless vehicle service over the coming time. According to an Argo AI spokeswoman, Lyft Inc and Walmart Inc are both testing the technology in pilot programs.
Chief Executive at Argo AI, Bryan Salesky, said, “Argo is first to go driverless in two major American cities, safely operating amongst heavy traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists in the busiest of neighborhoods.”
He further added that they set out to tackle the most difficult miles to drive in many cities from the start, as that is where the density of customer demand is highest and where their autonomy platform is developing the intelligence needed to expand it into a viable business.
Apart from Argo AI, Alphabet’s self-driving technology developing subsidiary Waymo also showcased its new autonomous driving tech in the streets of San Francisco, United States. The demonstrated technology of Waymo allowed the company’s robotaxis to operate autonomously without the need for any human intervention or driver on board.
Argo AI’s driverless operations initially focused on providing employee transportation using an app developed internally. In addition to the United States, Argo AI has also been testing its self-driving technology on the streets of Europe using modified Ford and Volkswagen automobiles.
Similar developments can also be seen in China as Pony.ai received a license in the country to charge fees for its autonomous taxi services.
Google I/O is an annual developer conference held by Google in which the company announces the latest development in its technologies and the launch of new products. Over the past years, Google has introduced several groundbreaking innovations and products in its I/O event, and this year is no less. Technologies starting from language models to smart accessories were introduced in the Google I/O 2022 event. This article will cover all the significant announcements made at the Google I/O 2022 event that you need to know.
LaMDA 2 and AI Test Kitchen
LaMDA 2 (Language Model for Dialog Applications) is the second generation of LaMDA, built on a neural network architecture that Google Research invented and open-sourced in 2017. According to Google, LaMDA 2 is an artificial intelligence system designed for dialogue applications, which can understand millions of topics and generate natural conversations that never repeat generated texts. Moreover, the AI Test Kitchen application can effectively showcase what Google’s new LaMDA 2 can do. The app allows users to interact with and provide feedback on some of Google’s most recent AI technologies. Interested individuals can visit the official website of Google to check out the AI Test Kitchen.
Google offered a detailed presentation about its new Android 13 OS at the Google I/O 2022 event. According to the company, its new OS will come with more Material You personalizations, better security tools, a revised Google Wallet, and others. Moreover, Android 13 will have improved integration capabilities with Chromebooks, smart wearables, TVs, automobiles, and smart home devices. Android 13’s Beta 2 is available and will be officially launched later this year.
Google introduces its new Pixel 6a smartphone during the Google I/O 2022 event. The good news for Indian customers is that their phone is all set to hit the Indian market soon. However, the company is yet to announce the exact launch date for India. The United States variant will feature 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, a 6.1-inch FULL-HD+OLED display, and many new hardware and features. For instance, Google has powered its Pixel 6a device with its Tensor chip and Titan M2 security chip to further increase its privacy and security capabilities. Customers in the United States can start pre-ordering the device on 21st July 2022, which is priced at $449.
Google unveils its new 10-shade skin tone scale named Monk Scale to better identify bias in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. Google partnered with sociologist Ellis Monk of Harvard University, who studies colorism, to develop and launch the Monk Skin Tone Scale. The researchers found that the new Monk Skin Tone Scale better represents the skin color of the participants in the United States compared to other available skin tone scales in the market. Developers and researchers can share their feedback about Monk Skin Tone Scale to Google from its official website.
Another huge announcement made by Google during the I/O 2022 event is the Pixel Watch. Though the product’s rumors were around the corner for quite some time, Google enthusiasts were still stunned by the watch’s look as the company made it official. The smartwatch will be daring along with its flagship Pixel 7 device later this year and will feature Wear OS 3 and Fitbit integration. However, according to the latest sources, the watch will be powered by an outdated 10nm Exynos chipset, which is a setback for customers who were expecting top-of-the-line specs.
Increased Privacy
Google has introduced a new virtual card system in its Chrome browser with the motive of making online transactions more secure. “If you enroll a virtual card for Autofill, you can keep your actual card number hidden when you check out on merchant websites,” says Google. The feature will drastically help in reducing online sensitive data breaches leading to minimal monitory frauds. A virtual banking card will create its own sets of vital information, such as the card number, expiration date, and CVV, which will be different from that of the physical card. Users will be required to authenticate their identity by sending a verification SMS to their registered phone number using a code verification protocol.
Another major announcement in the Google I/O 2022 event is the launch of Pixel Buds Pro. With this launch, Pixel Buds Pro becomes the first audio product in Google’s portfolio to have active noise cancellation technology. Google said that the earbuds could last up to 7 hours with active noise cancellation turned on. Pixel Buds Pro will be available in four color options, namely Coral, lemongrass, fog, and charcoal.
Improved Google Assistant
Google Assistant will now be able to receive selected commands without the need for users to say, “Ok Google.” This is a massive addition to Google Home’s capabilities as users can easily assign commands like turning off lights or similar things by casually talking to the assistant. The feature named Look and Talk will be available on the company’s Google Nest Hub Max smart home device.
Mr. Royce Thomas, an industry veteran and a senior leader from the global data center, cloud technology and telecommunications industries has joined CtrlS as President and Chief Business Officer (CBO).
He comes with over 30 years of rich experience in global account management, strategic planning, channel development, business development, redefining business models, designing and selling solutions across enterprises and hyperscalers.
Mr. Royce joins CtrlS from Equinix, where he served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Global Account Management. Earlier, he held senior leadership roles at Level 3 Communications and Sprint.
As President and Chief Business Officer, Mr. Royce will work closely with the board and leadership team to craft the company’s growth vision and strategy for expansion into global markets, enhance the market share, bottom-line and establish CtrlS as a preferred choice of Fortune 500 global multinationals.
Mr. Royce Thomas, said, “I am excited to join CtrlS, Asia’s largest rated-4 hyperscale data center and a preferred choice of Fortune 500 global multinationals. It is my belief that my experience and expertise, when combined with the infrastructure, good-will, innovations, and brand trust enjoyed by CtrlS will pave the way for consolidation of market share across strategic regions around the globe. My passion for serving customers will serve our base and attract new customers, enhance market share, in addition to becoming a preferred service provider among hyperscalers, enterprises, and all mission-critical applications. I am eagerly seeking to meet customers and teammates as we work together to create value for all the stakeholders including employees in my role as President and Chief Business Officer”.
CtrlS is expanding its data center facilities across India rapidly and will be playing a key role in providing edge services across the country and the world. Today, the company is trusted by 60 of the Fortune 500 Global Multinationals including leading brands such as Exxon Mobil, Disney, Daimler Chrysler, Samsung, Sumitomo Corporation, SAP, Deloitte, BMW, Philips, FedEx, Uber, Vodafone, Bloomberg among others. The company is now extending its data center footprint to 5 million square feet powered by 1.2 GW of power.
Mr. Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Founder & CEO, CtrlS Datacenters, said, “Royce is a tall and respected leader in the industry, and I am delighted to welcome him to the CtrlS Family. As a President and Chief Business Officer (CBO), he will play a key role in expanding the CtrlS’ global footprint in strategic regions worldwide, introduce new and innovative service offerings, foster strategic global alliances, and usher in exponential growth for the company. Here’s wishing Royce the very best as he takes on the mantle to lead the team to greater heights with vision, vigor and new energy.”
Mr. Royce Thomas has a unique passion for India having traveled extensively in his early twenties and has kept abreast with the cultural, economic, and social developments over the last few decades. He is now eagerly looking forward to enabling digital transformation of business in the country.
