🌍Taiwan’s 7.4 Earthquake and its Tech Impact.

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This is what is going on today team,

Taiwan’s earthquake impact on the tech world, The MAD Revolution and progress, AI video Generators, and some Coding AI tools. Hope you enjoy this edition.

• 📰 News and Trends.

• Taiwan’s 7.4 Earthquake and its Tech Impact.

• The 2024 Machine Learning, AI, and Data (MAD) Revolution.

• AI Video Generator Sora Has Some Competition.

• Publications I am currently reading and recommending

• 🧰 AI Tools (Code)

📰 AI News and Trends

• NYT to launch AI-based narrations (LinkedIn)

• Microsoft is working on an Xbox AI chatbot (TheVerge)

• Top musicians among hundreds warning against replacing human artists with AI (Axios)

• Replit launches new product in the race for AI coding assistants (Semafor)

• EU and US set to announce joint working on AI safety, standards & R&D (TC)

• Venture Firms Are Using AI to Identify and Close Deals (WSJ)

🌐 Other Tech news

• Tesla delivered 386,810 vehicles globally in the first quarter, missing estimates but regaining the BEV crown over BYD.

• FCC to vote to restore net neutrality rules, reversing Trump (Reuters)

• Silk Road Bitcoin Worth $2B Moved by U.S. Government: On-Chain Data (CoinDesk)

• Alaska will try to use a robot to scare wildlife from around an airport (TheVerge)

• Sam Altman gives up control of OpenAI Startup Fund, resolving unusual corporate venture structure (TC)

• Blink to Generate Power for Smart Contact Lenses (IEEE)

Taiwan’s 7.4 Earthquake and its Tech Impact

A severe earthquake in Taiwan, particularly hitting Hualien County, led to over 200 aftershocks, including a ~7.4 magnitude quake. This caused buildings to partially collapse, triggered landslides, and resulted in several fatalities. The community showed resilience, with efforts to aid recovery quickly underway. I have personally experienced several earthquakes in Latin America and California and they are very scary as they come when you least expect and can cause irreparable damages. We hope for the rapid recovery of the region, for no more casualties, and for no more aftershocks. Taiwan's history of seismic activity has prompted significant improvements in earthquake preparedness, including enhanced building codes and early warning systems, aimed at reducing disaster impact.

The earthquake in Taiwan presents major challenges to the global semiconductor industry, crucially affecting companies with significant operations there due to possible disruptions in manufacturing, infrastructure damage, and supply chain delays. This can lead to significant financial losses and worsen global chip shortages. Key players like TSMC, Foxconn, ASUS, Acer, and MediaTek face potential impacts depending on the damage extent and recovery speed. Micron Technology, with its critical DRAM and NAND production facilities in Taiwan, also risks production halts and infrastructure damage.

Key tech and chip companies based out of Taiwan include:

• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC): The world's largest contract chipmaker, playing a pivotal role in the global supply chain for semiconductors used in smartphones, computers, and many other electronic devices.

• Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.): A leading electronics contract manufacturer, known for assembling Apple's iPhones among other consumer electronics.

• ASUS (Asustek Computer Inc.): A multinational computer and phone hardware and electronics company.

• Acer Inc.: A multinational corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, including desktop and laptop PCs.

• MediaTek: A major chip manufacturer that provides chips for wireless communications, High-definition television, handheld mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers, navigation systems, consumer multimedia products, and digital subscriber line services as well as optical disc drives.

The earthquake's impact on these companies depends on the severity of damage to their facilities, the duration of production halts, and the efficiency of recovery efforts. TSMC, for instance, briefly evacuated workers and assessed the impact on their operations, highlighting the delicate balance between maintaining production and ensuring safety. The precision needed in chip manufacturing means any disruption can globally affect electronics availability and industry supply chains, underscoring the importance of preparedness and swift recovery strategies.

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📰 Publications I am currently reading and recommending:

• Daily Income Trader - Trading Strategies and Tips.

• Rare Mints - Crypto, Stocks, Business, Tech, and Investing.

• 1-Minute Question - Based on Neuroscience Science Practices to rewire your brain for success.

• How Brands Win - Distills the strategies behind great brands. And gives you actionable insights for your business.

The 2024 Machine Learning, AI, and Data (MAD) Revolution

While evaluating the machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and data (collectively MAD) ecosystem, we find that the industry stands at an unprecedented juncture of growth and innovation. The 2024 MAD landscape by Matt Turck reveals an ecosystem that has matured from niche to mainstream, signaling a paradigm shift with profound implications beyond technical and business domains, extending into societal, geopolitical, and human existential realms.

A Decade of Transformation

Over a decade, the MAD landscape has witnessed exponential growth, from a mere 139 companies in 2012 to an astounding 2,011 in 2024. This growth reflects massive waves of company creation and funding, driven initially by the data infrastructure cycle and more recently by the ML/AI wave, particularly with the advent of Generative AI.

Structural Evolution Across the Ecosystem

The 2024 landscape has adapted to the rapid advancements and structural shifts within the ecosystem. Key changes include the introduction of new categories like "AI Observability," "AI Developer Platforms," and "AI Safety & Security," acknowledging the burgeoning activity in AI enablement. Moreover, the explosion of AI companies, particularly in the Generative AI space, necessitated the most structural adjustments, reflecting the dynamic nature of the industry.

Themes for 2024: A Glimpse into the Future

The MAD landscape for 2024 explores 24 themes, from the distinction between structured and unstructured data to the implications of Generative AI on business intelligence (BI) and analytics. It addresses questions surrounding the Modern Data Stack's vitality, the potential for consolidation in data infrastructure, and the competitive dynamics between data infra giants. Furthermore, it delves into emerging areas like AI agents, Edge AI, and the contemplation of AI's impact on venture capital and the consumer sector.

The Financial Landscape: Funding, M&A, and IPOs

In a tale of two markets, AI stands distinct with a significant capital concentration in foundational model developers like OpenAI and Anthropic. While overall funding has faltered, AI has seen a surge in corporate investment. The M&A market, however, remains subdued, with anticipation of increased activity as the market matures. Despite a general lull in IPOs, the success of companies like Klaviyo and Reddit highlights the market's appetite for MAD-related ventures.

Conclusion: On the Brink of a New Era

We are at the cusp of a new era in technology. The sector's evolution from its nascent stages to a mainstream powerhouse signifies the critical role of data, AI, and machine learning in shaping the future. As the landscape continues to evolve, it heralds a period of boundless opportunities and challenges, reinforcing the notion that we are indeed just getting started on this transformative journey.

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AI Video Generator Sora Has Some Competition.

Alex Mashrabov, the former Snap AI chief, has introduced Higgsfield AI, a direct competitor to OpenAI's Sora video generator. Higgsfield's app, Diffuse, enables users to create videos from text descriptions or selfies, aiming to make advanced video creation accessible beyond the realm of well-funded professionals to everyday users and marketers. This innovation is a game-changer, offering a mobile-first, user-friendly platform for on-the-go content creation, signaling a significant shift in the generative AI landscape.

The significance lies in the democratization of AI-powered video production, potentially reshaping content creation and social media marketing by providing powerful tools to a wider audience.

🧰 AI Tools

Code

• GitHub Copilot - GitHub Copilot uses the OpenAI Codex to suggest code and entire functions in real-time, right from your editor.

• OpenAI Codex - An AI system by OpenAI that translates natural language to code.

• Ghostwriter - An AI-powered pair programmer by Replit.

• Amazon CodeWhisperer - Build applications faster with the ML-powered coding companion.