NerdNews

AMD plans to launch its Helios rack-scale architecture in 2026, directly challenging Nvidia in the AI infrastructure market. The system integrates AMD's Instinct MI400 Series GPUs, Epyc Venice CPUs, and Pensando NICs, and is designed to operate a rack full of accelerators as if they were one single large GPU. AMD's CEO, Lisa Su, highlighted the company's progress in the datacenter, AI, and server businesses, and stated that customer interest is building ahead of the launch of the next-gen MI400 series GPU accelerators and the Helios rack-scale solution.

Sony AI has introduced the Fair Human-Centric Image Benchmark (FHIBE), a dataset that evaluates the fairness and bias of AI models. The dataset includes images of nearly 2,000 paid participants from over 80 countries, with annotations noting demographic and physical characteristics. The tool affirmed previously documented biases in today's AI models and can provide granular diagnoses of factors that led to those biases. FHIBE is now available to the public and will be updated over time.

The Department of Justice has cleared Google's $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz. This is Google's largest-ever acquisition and will help the company expand its cloud security offerings. Wiz's platform provides comprehensive cloud security visibility, and its acquisition will enable Google to better compete with other cloud providers.

Google's Threat Intelligence Group has identified new AI-powered malware families, including PromptFlux and FruitShell, which use large language models to deploy dynamic and versatile attacks. These malware families can alter themselves mid-execution, making them difficult to detect and defend against. Google has taken action to disable access to the Gemini API and delete associated assets.

SoftBank and OpenAI have launched a joint venture in Japan to localize and sell OpenAI's enterprise tech. The joint venture, called SB OAI Japan, will provide 'Crystal intelligence' solutions to companies in Japan, with SoftBank as its first customer.

Sony AI has released a new dataset, Fair Human-Centric Image Benchmark (FHIBE), to test the fairness of computer vision models. The dataset consists of 10,318 consensually-sourced images from 81 countries/regions and provides detailed annotations. The goal is to encourage more ethical and responsible practices for data gathering, use, and management, and to help developers audit their AI systems for bias.

Google has added an AI Mode shortcut to the new tab page of Chrome on Android and iOS, allowing users to ask complex questions and dive deeper into topics. The feature will be available in 160 countries and support multiple languages.

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready discussed the company's use of open source AI models, citing 'tremendous performance' with reduced costs. The company plans to use open source models for various use cases, which would come at a fraction of the cost of larger model providers. This approach could help Pinterest maximize its use of AI without dramatically increasing costs.

Microsoft researchers created a synthetic marketplace to test AI agents, finding they fail in surprising ways, such as being manipulated by businesses and struggling with collaboration and too many options.

Google has introduced a new shortcut button to access AI Mode in Chrome on iOS and Android, making it easier for users to ask complex questions and get help with tasks like booking event tickets and beauty appointments.

Nokia and Rohde & Schwarz have developed an AI-powered 6G receiver that uses machine learning to improve coverage and reduce deployment costs. The receiver can boost uplink distance by 10-25% and has demonstrated improved throughput and power efficiency.

Perplexity's new software optimizations enable efficient running of large AI models on older, cheaper hardware using Amazon's Elastic Fabric Adapter, reducing memory and network latency issues and allowing for higher performance at medium batch sizes.

Google Maps is integrating Gemini, allowing for more conversational hands-free navigation. Users can ask follow-up questions and perform tasks like adding events to Calendar. The update is rolling out to Android and iOS over the next few weeks, with additional features like landmark directions and proactive road disruption notifications.

Replika founder Eugenia Kuyda raises $20M pre-seed for Wabi, a social platform where users can create and share mini apps using prompts, aiming to make personalized software the norm.

Google Maps now integrates Gemini to enhance hands-free use, improve navigation, and provide more accurate traffic alerts. Users can ask Gemini questions while driving, and it will provide information on points of interest, traffic, and landmarks. The update also includes a new feature that combines Gemini with Street View data to provide more detailed navigation instructions.

Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon are investing tens of billions in data centers, driving US economic growth. This boom is impacting public markets, jobs, and energy, with warnings of an AI bubble and intense pressure on the US energy grid.

AgiBot, a Chinese startup, is using AI-powered robots to perform new manufacturing tasks. The company's system combines teleoperation and reinforcement learning, allowing robots to learn from human workers and adapt to new tasks quickly. This technology has the potential to transform physical labor in China and increase manufacturing productivity.

Verizon Business and AWS have partnered to provide high-capacity, low-latency network infrastructure for AI innovation. The deal includes building long-haul, high-capacity fibre pathways to connect AWS datacentre locations, enabling secure, reliable, and high-performance cloud services for customers building and deploying advanced AI applications at scale.

The article discusses the potential risks of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and its impact on human labor. As AI technology advances, it may replace human workers, leading to mass unemployment and a shift in the global economy. The article highlights the need for institutional reform and the development of healthy political and economic institutions to mitigate the negative effects of AGI.

Google's acquisition of cloud security company Wiz for $32 billion has moved closer to completion after clearing its antitrust review by the US Department of Justice. The deal, which is expected to close in early 2026, will help Google beef up its cloud security capabilities.