Qualcomm launches AI R&D centre in Vietnam
Its researchers will focus on advancing generative and agentic AI solutions across smartphones, personal computers, XR (extended reality), automotive and IoT applications, it said in a statement.
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Business Times
27 minutes ago
- Business Times
Trivial AI use can have devastating climate consequences
THE future of humanity, we are told, will be irrevocably shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). That same future is also under existential threat from global warming and its disastrous consequences – a threat that is being exacerbated by the unthinking use of AI. Of course, there are many powerful and life-changing uses for AI, from cancer research to predictive data analytics. Perhaps the most widespread use today, however, is arguably the most trivial: generative AI (GenAI), not least in the form of large language models (LLMs) that spit out text based on spotting linguistic patterns, rather than engaging with meaning. Even if one sets aside the legal and ethical issues surrounding GenAI models and their use of copyrighted material, their meteoric rise has had regrettable practical consequences. Some have decried how LLMs encourage intellectual laziness, with students or entry-level employees outsourcing what used to be fundamental work, and thus never developing the required skills: understanding and summarising information, or turning rough ideas into polished text. Due to the looseness of the term 'AI', LLMs are also drawing attention – and perhaps resources – away from more useful forms. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up At an SG60-themed conference on Tuesday (Jul 29), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that not all AI applications are equally useful, saying: 'Most of us use AI the way we use Google – that is not exactly the best way to use AI or to harness the potential of AI.' He stressed that LLMs are just one small part of AI, with other areas having far more potential. Even as Singapore encourages broad-based adoption of AI, the country must 'think equally hard about applying technologies like AI in a meaningful and deliberate manner that creates jobs for Singaporeans', he said. The climate cost For those with no attachment to the old-fashioned notion of thinking for oneself, the widespread use of GenAI might not be an issue. The true problem is that trivial GenAI use exacts a real environmental cost, for often dubious gains. Take Grok, the GenAI model created by X, formerly known as Twitter. Since late 2024, the data centre powering this LLM has made headlines for guzzling electricity and water, polluting nearby waterways and emitting greenhouse gases. And this is just one of many resource-hungry data centres that are crucial for powering AI models. Such facilities consume high amounts of water and electricity to keep their servers cool and running. In the current climate crisis, the proliferation of data centres might seem almost profligate. Even as nations try to cut emissions and energy use, every ChatGPT query adds to the carbon burden. Of course, as with anything else, AI use should be subject to cost-benefit analysis. Many data centres may be supporting truly meaningful work: AI applications that reap concrete gains, for companies or for the government. When smart factories use data analytics to reduce energy consumption and cut waste, for instance, the gains from doing so should more than offset the cost of powering such AI tools. In contrast, it is depressing to consider the carbon cost of the trivial GenAI queries that are being made en masse each day. And even when AI use is purported to improve productivity, we should question the real savings being achieved. Is the time saved in getting ChatGPT to produce a corporate-speak e-mail, for instance, really worth the resources burned?
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Microsoft in advanced talks for continued access to OpenAI tech, Bloomberg reports
Microsoft is in advanced talks for a deal that would give the Windows maker continued access to critical OpenAI technology in the future, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the negotiations. The companies have discussed new terms that would allow Microsoft to use OpenAI's latest models and technology even if the ChatGPT maker declares it has achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI that surpasses human intelligence, the report said. A clause in OpenAI's current contract with Microsoft will shut the software giant out of some rights to the startup's advanced technology when it achieves AGI. Negotiators have been meeting regularly, and an agreement could come together in a matter of weeks, Bloomberg News reported. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Microsoft declined to comment. OpenAI needs Microsoft's approval to complete its transition into a public-benefit corporation. The two have been in negotiations for months to revise the terms of their investment, including the future equity stake Microsoft will hold in OpenAI. Last month, the Information reported that Microsoft and OpenAI were at odds over the AGI clause. OpenAI is also facing a lawsuit from Elon Musk, who co-founded the company with Sam Altman in 2015 but left before it surged in popularity, accusing OpenAI of straying from its founding mission — to develop AI for the good of humanity, not corporate profit. Microsoft is set to report June-quarter earnings on Wednesday, with its relationship with OpenAI in the spotlight, as the startup turns to rivals Google, Oracle and CoreWeave for cloud capacity.
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Microsoft in advanced talks for continued access to OpenAI tech, Bloomberg News reports
Microsoft is in advanced talks for a deal that would give the Windows maker continued access to critical OpenAI technology in the future, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the negotiations. The companies have discussed new terms that would allow Microsoft to use OpenAI's latest models and technology even if the ChatGPT maker declares it has achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI that surpasses human intelligence, the report said. A clause in OpenAI's current contract with Microsoft will shut the software giant out of some rights to the startup's advanced technology when it achieves AGI. Negotiators have been meeting regularly, and an agreement could come together in a matter of weeks, Bloomberg News reported. Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. OpenAI needs Microsoft's approval to complete its transition into a public-benefit corporation. The two have been in negotiations for months to revise the terms of their investment, including the future equity stake Microsoft will hold in OpenAI. Last month, The Information reported that Microsoft and OpenAI were at odds over the AGI clause. OpenAI is also facing a lawsuit from Elon Musk, who co-founded the company with Sam Altman in 2015 but left before it surged in popularity, accusing OpenAI of straying from its founding mission — to develop AI for the good of humanity, not corporate profit. Microsoft is set to report June quarter earnings on Wednesday, with its relationship with OpenAI in the spotlight, as the startup turns to rivals Google, Oracle and CoreWeave for cloud capacity.
