Microsoft to spend $80B on AI

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📱 Apple Intelligence now requires almost double the iPhone storage it needed before

Apple Intelligence, introduced in iOS 18.1 and expanded in iOS 18.2, now requires 7GB of free storage per device (up from 4GB initially) due to the need for on-device AI model processing. This applies to iPhones, iPads, and Macs, totalling 21GB for users with all three devices.

The storage increase is driven by new AI features in iOS 18.2, with further expansions expected in upcoming updates like iOS 18.4, which may push the requirement to 10GB per device as Apple continues to enhance Siri and other AI functionalities.

Users cannot reduce the storage demand by disabling features, prompting recommendations to consider higher storage tiers when purchasing new Apple devices to accommodate future AI updates.

💰 Microsoft expects to spend $80 billion on AI-enabled data centers in fiscal 2025

Microsoft plans to spend $80 billion on building and expanding its AI-focused data centers during fiscal year 2025, reflecting its commitment to supporting the growing demand for AI services and cloud computing infrastructure.

This investment aligns with Microsoft's strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of generative AI technologies and integrate them into its Azure cloud platform, which has seen increasing adoption by businesses.

The move underscores Microsoft's ambition to strengthen its position in the competitive AI landscape, particularly against rivals like Google and Amazon, by ensuring robust infrastructure for advanced AI workloads.

🚖 On roads teeming with robotaxis, crossing the street can be harrowing

The increasing presence of robotaxis on city streets has created challenges for pedestrians, as these vehicles often display overly cautious or erratic behavior, such as stopping abruptly, hesitating unnecessarily, or misjudging pedestrian movements. This has made crossing streets more stressful and unpredictable for pedestrians.

Robotaxis are programmed to prioritize safety by avoiding collisions at all costs, but this hyper-cautious approach can lead to inefficiencies, such as blocking crosswalks or slowing down traffic. Pedestrians and autonomous vehicles are struggling to coexist smoothly, particularly in crowded urban environments.

Cities are facing difficulties in regulating and integrating robotaxis into their transportation systems. Policymakers and urban planners are working to address issues like pedestrian safety, traffic flow disruptions, and the broader implications of autonomous vehicle technology on public spaces.

🎶 Music Publishers Reach Deal With AI Giant Anthropic Over Copyrighted Song Lyrics

A trio of major music publishers suing Anthropic over the use of lyrics to train its AI system have reached a deal with the Amazon-backed company to resolve some parts of a pending preliminary injunction. U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee on Thursday signed off on an agreement between the two sides mandating Anthropic to maintain existing guardrails that prevent its Claude AI chatbot from providing lyrics to songs owned by the publishers or create new song lyrics based on the copyrighted material.

📜 How AI is unlocking ancient texts — and could rewrite history

AI is unlocking ancient texts previously thought unreadable, potentially revolutionizing historical research, according to a Nature article. Neural networks have successfully decoded burned Roman scrolls from Herculaneum, deciphered ancient Chinese oracle bones, and translated vast Korean royal archives.

In a breakthrough achievement, researchers used AI to reveal 16 columns of Greek philosophical text from a charred Herculaneum scroll that had been unreadable for 2,000 years. The technology could help scholars access hundreds more unopened scrolls from Herculaneum and other historical collections worldwide.

• 🍄 Pro-Luigi Mangione content is filling up social platforms - LINK

• 🚇 Chicago Transit Authority deactivates X social media accounts - LINK

• 🚫 US government says companies are no longer allowed to send bulk data to these nations - LINK

• 🍎 Apple CEO Tim Cook donates $1M to Trump's inauguration fund - LINK

• 🤖 Meta removes AI character accounts after users criticize them as ‘creepy and unnecessary - LINK

Influenza (Flu) Deaths per week in the US (through 2024, week 52)

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