Your Biannual Tech News Update!
It has been a strong year in tech. With Artificial Intelligence and generative AI taking the central stage through the year, there have been advancements, bans, announcements and so much more. Every Techie and non-Techie has had 1 word answer on what’s new in the world, chatGPT. It feels like the LLM model has taken over our world in a blink. Technology this year has been tyrannised by AI. OpenAI’s chatGPT and Google’s Bard weren’t the only names conquering tech. Every small-big company has been harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to enhance their products. Canva, a popular design platform introduced magic, Github introduced Copilot X powered by the advanced GPT-4 model. Adobe has unveiled Firefly AI, an art generator. Microsoft is integrating AI into its Microsoft 365 suite. Mercedes-Benz is bringing ChatGPT into cars. JPMorgan Chase Unleashes IndexGPT for investment advisory power. Companies that have not picked AI in some form or the other, are considered outdated now.
But we have seen the most positive effect on Nvidia, the graphics processors and chip manufacturing company. Nvidia stocks nearly triples in 2023 and became the world’s first chipmaker and the ninth company in the world to hit the $ 1 trillion market cap. On a closer look, we see the computers that power generative AI run on powerful chips called graphics processing units (GPUs) — of which 80% are produced by Nvidia.
With great AI power, comes great data risks.
Yes, with great AI power, comes great data risks. Here are some surface issues that were seen with introduction of these Large Language Model (LLM) chatbots:
- Over 100,000 ChatGPT accounts were breached and sold on the dark web.
- Italy put a ban on OpenAI’s chatbot over noncompliance of General Data Protection Regulation. The ban was lifted later after data privacy improvements.
- China is making arrests over fake news generated by ChatGPT
- Experienced lawyers have been caught submitting chatGPT generated fake legal references in the courtroom.
- Stanford University researchers recently concluded that no current large language models (LLMs) used in AI tools like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Bard are compliant with the European Union (EU) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act.
- Most companies, including the torchbearer of AI like Google, are warning its own staff about using company data in these chatbots.
- Launch of Google Bard in Europe was delayed over privacy concerns.
Sam Altman, the face of openAI, is calling this change the most important step for humans and technology. Seeing the revolution it is bringing while disrupting every domain, it’s hard to disagree. The problem is weighing the balance between the advantages and disadvantages of this new world.
In another big news this year, SpaceX attempted to launch its integrated Starship vehicle, the largest rocket ever built. Initially planned to be launched on April 17, the first attempt was scrapped less than 10 minutes before the scheduled launch. The second attempt, 4 days later, got the spacecraft off the launchpad only to fly 4 minute before exploding. Although building up to the launch, the leadership repeatedly stressed on the experimental nature of the launch. They believed any result that involved Starship getting off the launchpad would be considered a success. NASA’s mission Artemis 3 is scheduled in December 2025, but to carry out the mission successfully, SpaceX’s Starship has to hold it’s end of the bargain and successfully carry out a number of Starship launches amongst other tasks. NASA has recently shared its concerns over delay predicted in mission Artemis 3 due to SpaceX’s failures.
In the hardware space, we saw the launch and announcement of several foldable phones including Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, OnePlus, Google Pixel Fold, OPPO Find N2 Flip and a promise to focus more on foldable phones. However, none of these phones yet have come up with a way obliterate the crease on the screen when unfolded. It is too early to bet on the future of the smart phones. Presently, they are expensive and new for an average user to buy. Apple, which claims 20% of the smartphone industry, is not yet planning on jumping on the foldable phone boat. VR headsets however, are another story. In the 2023 WWDC, along with iOS17, macOS Sonoma and MacBook Air 15 inch, we also so the launch of Apple Vision Pro. It’s competing VR headset, Meta’s Quest Pro is priced at almost 1/3rd of Apple Vision Pro but we can only judge the performance once it hits the store in early 2024.
In the parallel gaming world, the sales statistics for Sony’s Play Station 5 have been unbeatable. Their sales exceeded the combined sales of the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X consoles in Q1. PS5 sold 6.95 million units accounting for 50% in the global console market with a year-on-year increase of 178.1%.
Microsoft’s ambitious $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a gaming company, faced a setback when a US judge granted the Federal Trade Commission’s request to block the deal. The European Commission, on the other hand, has given its approval for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The fight to seal the biggest deal of its kind the gaming industry has ever seen has started trial in a federal court. Read more about the story here.
The gaming world took another hit, when the organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) officially canceled the 2023 event. Once considered a landmark on the gaming industry’s yearly calendar, the cancelation isn’t a surprise given the withdrawal of big names like Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Sega. In almost all cases, little reason was given for the withdrawal with only vague promises of future updates through alternative channels. Given that virtual showcases are more cost-effective alternative, the world is indeed going digital in all aspects whether we like it or not.
In 2023, technology witnessed remarkable advancements with AI taking center stage. From the integration of AI in various industries and products to significant acquisitions and breakthroughs in gaming and space exploration, the year marked a significant leap forward in innovation and the continued transformation of our digital landscape.
So cheers to surviving in this new digital era.
