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Investments in generative AI startups reached $3.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024

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Is OpenAI worth $100B?

Not everyone seems to be convinced about the return on investment in generative artificial intelligence. But many investors do, judging by the latest data from funding tracker PitchBook.

According to PitchBook, in the third quarter of 2024, VCs invested $3.9 billion in generative AI startups across 206 deals. (Not counting OpenAI’s $6.6 billion round). $2.9 billion of this financing went to U.S.-based corporations across 127 deals.

Big winners in the third quarter included coding assistant Magic ($320 million in August), enterprise search provider Glean ($260 million in September) and business intelligence company Hebbia ($130 million in July). Chinese company Moonshot AI raised $300 million in August, and Sakana AI, a Japanese startup focused on scientific discoveries, closed a $214 million tranche last month.

Generative AI, a broad cross-section of technologies that features text and image generators, coding assistants, cybersecurity automation tools and more, has its detractors. Experts query the reliability of this technology and – in the case of generative artificial intelligence models trained without permission on copyrighted data – its legality.

However, VCs are effectively betting that generative AI will gain a foothold in large and profitable industries and that the challenges it faces now is not going to impact its long-term development.

Perhaps they’re right. AND The Forrester report predicts 60% of generative AI skeptics will use this technology – consciously or unconsciously – for tasks starting from summarization to creative problem solving. This is a rather rosier result than Gartner’s forecast earlier this 12 months that 30% of generative AI projects can be abandoned after proof of concept by 2026.

“Large customers are deploying production systems that use startup tools and open source models,” Brendan Burke, senior emerging technology analyst at PitchBook, told TechCrunch in an interview. “The latest wave of models shows that new generations of models are possible that can excel in scientific domains, data mining and code execution.”

An enormous obstacle to the widespread adoption of generative AI is the enormous computational requirements of the technology. Bain analysts project in a recent release test that generative AI will drive corporations to construct gigawatt data centers – data centers that devour 5 to twenty times more energy than the average data center today – putting strain on an already strained labor and electricity supply chain.

There is already a requirement for data center power powered by generative AI extension life of coal power plants. Morgan Stanley estimates that if this trend continues, global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 could possibly be thrice higher than they might be without the development of generative AI.

Several of the world’s largest data center operators, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Oracle, have announced investments in nuclear power to offset growing demand for non-renewable energy. (In September, Microsoft announced that it will draw power from the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.) But it could take years before these investments bear fruit.

Investment in generative AI startups shows no signs of slowing down – negative externalities be damned. ElevenLabs, the viral voice cloning tool, is reportedly searching for to lift $3 billion in funding, while Black Forest Labs, the company behind the notorious X image generator, is reportedly in talks for a $100 million funding round.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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US medical device giant Artivion says hackers stole files during a cybersecurity incident

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Artivion, a medical device company that produces implantable tissue for heart and vascular transplants, says its services have been “disrupted” resulting from a cybersecurity incident.

In 8-K filing In an interview with the SEC on Monday, Georgia-based Artivion, formerly CryoLife, said it became aware of a “cybersecurity incident” that involved the “compromise and encryption” of information on November 21. This suggests that the corporate was attacked by ransomware, but Artivion has not yet confirmed the character of the incident and didn’t immediately reply to TechCrunch’s questions. No major ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Artivion said it took some systems offline in response to the cyberattack, which the corporate said caused “disruptions to certain ordering and shipping processes.”

Artivion, which reported third-quarter revenue of $95.8 million, said it didn’t expect the incident to have a material impact on the corporate’s funds.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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It’s a Raspberry Pi 5 in a keyboard and it’s called Raspberry Pi 500

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Manufacturer of single-board computers Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer keyboard device with higher specs. Named Raspberry Pi500This successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is just as powerful as the present Raspberry Pi flagship, the Raspberry Pi 5. It is on the market for purchase now from Raspberry Pi resellers.

The Raspberry Pi 500 is the simplest method to start with the Raspberry Pi because it’s not as intimidating because the Raspberry Pi 5. When you take a look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you do not see any chipsets or PCBs (printed circuit boards). The Raspberry Pi is totally hidden in the familiar housing, the keyboard.

The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is you could connect a mouse and a display and you are able to go. If, for instance, you’ve got a relative who uses a very outdated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace the old PC tower for many computing tasks.

More importantly, this device brings us back to the roots of the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational applications. Over time, technology enthusiasts and industrial customers began using single-board computers all over the place. (For example, when you’ve ever been to London Heathrow Airport, all of the departures and arrivals boards are there powered by Raspberry Pi.)

Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the roots of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization. It’s the right first computer for college. In some ways, it’s a lot better than a Chromebook or iPad because it’s low cost and highly customizable, which inspires creative pondering.

The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase over the Raspberry Pi 400.

Only UK and US keyboard variants will probably be available at launch. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts will probably be available soon. And when you’re in search of a bundle that features all the things you would like, Raspberry Pi also offers a $120 desktop kit that features the Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power adapter, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.

In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced one other recent thing: the Raspberry Pi monitor. It is a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that’s priced at $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors available on the market, this launch is not as noteworthy because the Pi 500. However, for die-hard Pi fans, there’s now also a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option available.

Image credits:Raspberry Pi

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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Apple Vision Pro may add support for PlayStation VR controllers

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Vision Pro headset

According to Apple, Apple desires to make its Vision Pro mixed reality device more attractive for gamers and game developers latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The Vision Pro was presented more as a productivity and media consumption device than a tool geared toward gamers, due partly to its reliance on visual and hand controls moderately than a separate controller.

However, Apple may need gamers if it desires to expand the Vision Pro’s audience, especially since Gurman reports that lower than half one million units have been sold to this point. As such, the corporate has reportedly been in talks with Sony about adding support for PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers, and has also talked to developers about whether they may support the controllers of their games.

Offering more precise control, Apple may also make other forms of software available in Vision Pro, reminiscent of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Photoshop.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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