This Week in AI: Regulation Ramp Up, Intel and AI Chips, FTC Probe

This week in artificial intelligence (AI) news, regulation is ramping up as policymakers aim to ensure safe and responsible AI development. Meanwhile, tech giants like Intel, AMD, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia face increased scrutiny from the FTC and DOJ.

AI Regulation Ramps Up

As AI weaves its way into daily life, policymakers are intensifying efforts to regulate the technology. Illinois recently passed bills to combat AI-generated child pornography and protect individuals’ likenesses from nonconsensual use in commercial applications. California, home to 32 of Forbes’ top 50 global AI companies, has taken the lead with State Sen. Scott Wiener’s Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act. At the federal level, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) appointed Sivaram Ghorakavi as its first chief AI officer to oversee the agency’s use of AI and ensure compliance with President Biden’s executive order mandating safe and responsible AI development across government agencies.

Intel’s Latest Chips Aim to Democratize AI

Intel has unveiled its Xeon 6 processor and Gaudi accelerators, designed to make AI more accessible and affordable for businesses of all sizes. The Xeon 6 chips offer energy efficiency and high core counts, while the Gaudi accelerators provide a price-performance advantage compared to competitors. Intel’s partnerships with Microsoft, Acer and Asus emphasize its commitment to bringing AI technologies to market. By making AI more attainable, Intel aims to drive innovation across industries and contribute to the broader evolution of computing. The increased availability of AI tools and resources is expected to spur the development of novel applications and use cases.

AMD Unveils AI Chips

AMD has introduced a range of AI chips at Computex, including the Ryzen AI 300 series for laptops and the Ryzen 9000 series for desktops. CEO Lisa Su declared AI the company’s top priority, citing its transformative potential across industries. AMD has formed partnerships with Microsoft, HP, Lenovo and Asus in collaborative efforts to harness AI in personal computing. With plans for data center chips and new “Zen 5” architecture, AMD aims to compete with rivals Nvidia and Intel in the rapidly evolving AI chip market.

AI Enhances Video Consumption

Artificial intelligence is changing the way users consume and engage with online videos. Researchers at MIT and IBM have developed an AI method that helps viewers navigate directly to the most relevant parts of a video, saving time and optimizing the viewing experience. Companies like Video Summarizer AI and Mindstamp use AI to provide interactive and multilingual summaries, increasing learning productivity and accessibility. In the eCommerce space, Amazon Live’s FAST Channel on Prime Video and Amazon Freevee highlights the potential for AI to combine entertainment and shopping by allowing viewers to interact with TV content on their mobile devices.

FTC and DOJ Probe Tech Giants

The AI arms race may have just hit a speed bump. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) are launching antitrust investigations into Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia, CNBC confirms. The feds want to know if these AI powerhouses are playing fair. The stakes are high, with the AI market set to top $1 trillion in the next decade. The FTC will investigate ChatGPT creator OpenAI and Microsoft, while the DOJ will look into Nvidia. As tech titans like Google, Amazon and Meta scramble to stay ahead, these probes could shake up the AI landscape.

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