Weekly Tech Recap: Sarvam AI to lead India's LLM effort, buyers line up for Chrome and more
With tech updates pouring in throughout the week, keeping up with everything can feel overwhelming.To keep the readers updated, we have compiled the Weekly Tech Recap, where we break down the top five tech stories you need to know.
From India's push to develop a homegrown LLM to major tech companies lining up to buy Chrome, here's a look at this week's biggest tech stories.
At the remedy hearing in the US government's historic antitrust case against Google, many of the company's competitors made clear their intentions to buy the Chrome browser.
Notably, in the same case last year, Judge Amit Mehta found Google to be an illegal monopoly in the search market. The DOJ now wants Google to sell its Chrome browser, share some of the data it collects to generate search results and ban the company from paying to be the default search engine on different devices.
The list of companies lining up to buy Chrome includes ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Perplexity AI and even Yahoo. While Perplexity and ChatGPT are likely to use Chrome to extend the reach of their AI offerings, Yahoo wants to get its search engine in the hands of more users.
OnePlus has launched its latest compact phone in China, the OnePlus 13T, with a smaller 6.32-inch AMOLED LTPO display compared to the 6.82-inch panel on the flagship OnePlus 13. The smaller form factor also results in a weight loss to around 185 grams, despite a thickness of 8.15mm.
Meanwhile, leaks suggest that the Chinese smartphone maker is planning to launch the new 'mini' phone with 'OnePlus 13s' branding in India.
Ahead of the launch of the upcoming device, OnePlus has also commissioned a survey from Counterpoint Research, which shows a definite demand for compact phones in India. According to the survey, 68% of users said there is a lack of good compact phone alternatives in the market, while 88% said they would buy a compact phone if it performed as well as a larger flagship.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), led by Ashwini Vaishnaw, has selected Sarvam AI to build India's first sovereign large language model (LLM) under the IndiaAI Mission. According to the homegrown AI startup, the new foundation model will be capable of reasoning, designed for speech, fluent in Indian languages and will be deployed on a large scale.
Saravam AI will receive 4086 H100 GPUs for 6 months to build an indigenous model from scratch, the Bengaluru-based startup told Mint.
"We are confident that Sarvam's models will be competitive with global models," IT minister Vaishnaw said on Saturday.
Over the past few years, Google - much like most of Silicon Valley - has shown a single-minded focus on developing new AI models and implementing them more closely with its existing offerings. The tech giant has already added Gemini to most of its suite of apps, such as Gmail and Google Photos, and has announced plans to replace Google Assistant with an AI voice assistant by the end of this year.
While some reports had suggested that Google was planning to bring Gemini to smartwatches, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed these speculations during the company's Q1 earnings call, saying, 'We're upgrading Google Assistant on mobile devices to Gemini, and later this year we'll upgrade tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches.'
Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis has predicted that the new AI models could not only help cure diseases, but might even lead to the end of all diseases. Hassabis's statement soon received an unexpected show of support from rival and Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas, who called him a "genius".
Speaking during the CBS' 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, April 20, Hassabis said, 'So on average, it takes, you know, ten years and billions of dollars to design just one drug. We can maybe reduce that down from years to maybe months or maybe even weeks. Which sounds incredible today, but that's also what people used to think about protein structures. And it would revolutionise human health, and I think one day maybe we can cure all diseases with the help of AI.'
First Published: 27 Apr 2025, 04:48 PM IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Apple's growing list of problems clouds AI reboot
It says something about Apple's current status that its trailing position in artificial intelligence isn't the company's biggest problem. It might seem to be next week, though. Investors are glum ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off Monday. The stock has slid 20% since the first of the year, which is the worst run the shares have experienced ahead of the company's WWDC event since at least 2010. Apple's big tech peers now use their own annual developer events almost exclusively to tout their progress in AI. But Apple's conference this year is expected to mainly demonstrate how far behind the company is in what is considered a once-in-a-generation technological shift. The Apple Intelligence service introduced at last year's conference is still a work in progress, and the Siri digital assistant is still awaiting a promised AI makeover. That won't be coming next week, at least based on a rare admission Apple made three months ago that its planned Siri upgrade was taking longer than expected. 'Apple will be much more cautious about overpromising and will refrain from showing features that aren't yet ready for prime time," Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson predicted in a report Thursday. But AI is only one of the significant problems Apple is facing now. Tariffs threaten the profit margins of the company's hardware business. And the president of the U.S. is openly pressuring Apple to effectively undo its two-decade-old business model of exclusively producing its devices overseas. Then there is services, which drive an outsize portion of Apple's bottom line. Legal challenges hang over the fees the company earns from app developers, as well as the payments it receives from Google to make the search engine the default option on Apple's devices. Those fees and payments together comprise a substantial part of Apple's services arm that generates annual gross profit margins of 74%—twice the margins the company's device business commands. 'We caution that Apple has material risks to its revenue growth, margins, and valuation multiple," Needham analyst Laura Martin wrote in a report on Wednesday, where she downgraded the stock to a 'hold" rating. Against the risk of tariffs, App Store fee reductions and the loss of Google payments, Apple's slow start in AI seems almost a minor worry. The company hasn't been marketing Apple Intelligence as a premium service that would cost users extra—a notable contrast to the approach of Microsoft and Alphabet's Google, which are charging money for most of the generative AI tools sold to their customers. But Apple needs to give customers more reasons to buy its devices, and upgrade them more frequently. Its flagship iPhone business has been in a rut, with revenue growth relatively flat over the past two years and expected to be flat again for the current fiscal year ending in September. The lack of new AI offerings is expected to weigh on the next cycle as well, with Wall Street expecting iPhone revenue growth of only 3% in fiscal 2026, according to FactSet estimates. 'We believe that, for this stock to work, it must have the catalyst of an iPhone replacement cycle, which we do not foresee in the next 12 months," Needham's Martin wrote in her report. Apple has a lot of very loyal customers—more than 2.35 billion active devices make up its installed base—who won't necessarily bail over a single piece of missing software. But the company that disrupted the smartphone market could be disrupted itself if generative AI creates a new class of devices that obviate the need for a touch screen slab in everyone's pocket. OpenAI just nabbed Jony Ive, the famed Apple designer who crafted the original versions of most of Apple's current product line, as part of an ambition to eventually ship 100 million 'AI companions." The first devices are expected to come out next year. The famously secretive Apple could very well spring some of its own surprises by then. But it will have to do so while juggling its global supply chain and deftly navigating the legal challenges to its App Store fees and Google payments. Apple isn't even officially a party to the Google case, which might limit its options to shape the outcome. Apple's slow start in AI is a problem, but compared to its other challenges, at least it is more under its control.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Google Messages is getting major update to improve photos and videos browsing
Google Messages is getting a handy update to make looking through photos and videos easier. Instead of jumping back to the chat each time, you'll soon be able to swipe through media smoothly. You can swipe left or right to see newer or older files and even react with emojis or reply directly. This swipe feature works in a similar way to how it does on apps like WhatsApp, where moving through photos and videos feels quick and easy. Google hasn't rolled it out to everyone yet, but the feature has already been seen in a test version of the app. But there is more on the way. Google is also working on a new media section that shows all shared content in one place. If you're looking for an old video or photo in a long chat, you won't have to scroll endlessly. Instead, you can go to this new section from the chat details screen and find all your media listed together. This is much like what WhatsApp and Telegram already offer. These updates are part of Google's bigger plan to improve Messages. Over the past few years, it has introduced Rich Communication Services or RCS, which adds features like typing indicators and read receipts. However, even with RCS, many users still prefer other apps. That's why Google is slowly adding more tools to make Messages more useful and up to date. Features like swipe browsing and a dedicated media overview section are making the app much easier to use. While these updates may seem minor, they can significantly improve the experience for people who rely on the app daily. If you use Messages regularly to keep in touch with friends and family, these additions will help make your conversations more organised and simpler to navigate. Over time, these improvements could change how smoothly you interact with photos and videos in your chats, making the app feel more polished and user-friendly.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
India will need 50L new CAs by 2050, says ICAI president
Vadodara: By 2050, India will require 50 lakh new chartered accountants (CAs) to support its rapidly expanding economy, said Charanjot Singh Nanda, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), on Friday. Nanda was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day national conference titled 'Veda Excellence', hosted by the Vadodara branch of ICAI's Western India Regional Council in collaboration with the Anand and Bharuch branches. "Currently, India has around 4.85 lakh registered CAs. With economic growth, the demand for qualified professionals will increase significantly," Nanda said. Highlighting ICAI's digital initiatives, he said the institute has provided students free access to ChatGPT and launched CA-GPT, an AI-powered tool that sources answers exclusively from ICAI's internal resources. "This tool has been widely appreciated for aiding professionals in areas like accounting, auditing, and taxation," he noted. Responding to the move by company secretary and cost accountant bodies seeking inclusion of their members in the definition of 'accountants', Nanda maintained that tax and other audits should remain the domain of CAs, as they are best equipped and trained for these responsibilities. Nanda also announced the launch of a certificate course on artificial intelligence — AI for CAs (Level 1) — aimed at helping professionals adapt to emerging technologies. The second level of the course will be launched soon, he added. The two-day conference in Vadodara will cover eight sessions, including those on technical and non-technical topics like direct and indirect taxes, capital market, and even work-life balance. Around 650 participants from across the country are participating in the conference. Vadodara: By 2050, India will require 50 lakh new chartered accountants (CAs) to support its rapidly expanding economy, said Charanjot Singh Nanda, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), on Friday. Nanda was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day national conference titled 'Veda Excellence', hosted by the Vadodara branch of ICAI's Western India Regional Council in collaboration with the Anand and Bharuch branches. "Currently, India has around 4.85 lakh registered CAs. With economic growth, the demand for qualified professionals will increase significantly," Nanda said. Highlighting ICAI's digital initiatives, he said the institute has provided students free access to ChatGPT and launched CA-GPT, an AI-powered tool that sources answers exclusively from ICAI's internal resources. "This tool has been widely appreciated for aiding professionals in areas like accounting, auditing, and taxation," he noted. Responding to the move by company secretary and cost accountant bodies seeking inclusion of their members in the definition of 'accountants', Nanda maintained that tax and other audits should remain the domain of CAs, as they are best equipped and trained for these responsibilities. Nanda also announced the launch of a certificate course on artificial intelligence — AI for CAs (Level 1) — aimed at helping professionals adapt to emerging technologies. The second level of the course will be launched soon, he added. The two-day conference in Vadodara will cover eight sessions, including those on technical and non-technical topics like direct and indirect taxes, capital market, and even work-life balance. Around 650 participants from across the country are participating in the conference. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
