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UCL spinout bags £10M to make AI ‘super brains’ for 100x faster LLM training
Oriole Networks, a UCL spinout, has raised £10mn in seed funding to build AI “super brains” that promise to accelerate the training of Large Language Models (LLMs). Founded in 2023 by UCL scientists, the startup has developed a new method that harnesses the power of light to connect thousands of AI chips. This results in a network of chips, where the power of each individual GPU is combined to form a “super brain.” According to James Regan, CEO at Oriole Networks, this “enables the direct connection of a very large number of nodes enabling it to function as a single…This story continues at The Next Web
Oriole Networks, a UCL spinout, has raised £10mn in seed funding to build AI “super brains” that promise to accelerate the training of Large Language Models (LLMs). Founded in 2023 by UCL scientists, the startup has developed a new method that harnesses the power of light to connect thousands of AI chips. This results in a network of chips, where the power of each individual GPU is combined to form a “super brain.” According to James Regan, CEO at Oriole Networks, this “enables the direct connection of a very large number of nodes enabling it to function as a single…
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Scientists think ‘collective AI’ will resemble Star Trek’s Borg — only nicer (hopefully)
Leading computer scientists have unveiled a vision of “collective AI” that resembles Star Trek species the Borg. Researchers from MIT, Yale, and Loughborough University explained the concept in a study published this week in Nature Machine Intelligence. The paper describes separate AI units continuously acquiring new knowledge and skills. They would then share the information across a network. Together, the collective would turn their insights into mutual benefits. Multiple skills, ideas, and applications would then evolve incrementally. As a result, the network would rapidly learn to complete new tasks and respond to changes. Transformative technologies would then emerge. Cybersecurity systems, for instance,…This story continues at The Next Web
Leading computer scientists have unveiled a vision of “collective AI” that resembles Star Trek species the Borg. Researchers from MIT, Yale, and Loughborough University explained the concept in a study published this week in Nature Machine Intelligence. The paper describes separate AI units continuously acquiring new knowledge and skills. They would then share the information across a network. Together, the collective would turn their insights into mutual benefits. Multiple skills, ideas, and applications would then evolve incrementally. As a result, the network would rapidly learn to complete new tasks and respond to changes. Transformative technologies would then emerge. Cybersecurity systems, for instance,…
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1.5M UK jobs now at risk from AI, report finds
Some 11% of job tasks in the UK are currently at risk of AI replacement, a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found. In the worst case scenario, this translates to a loss of 1.5 million jobs — without any GDP gains. IPPR’s analysis showed that the impact is mostly evident on routine cognitive tasks, such as database management, as well as organisational and strategic tasks, such as inventory management or scheduling. Back-office, entry-level, and part-time jobs are the ones mostly exposed, with employees on medium and low wages being at the greatest risk. IPPR paints an…This story continues at The Next Web
Some 11% of job tasks in the UK are currently at risk of AI replacement, a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found. In the worst case scenario, this translates to a loss of 1.5 million jobs — without any GDP gains. IPPR’s analysis showed that the impact is mostly evident on routine cognitive tasks, such as database management, as well as organisational and strategic tasks, such as inventory management or scheduling. Back-office, entry-level, and part-time jobs are the ones mostly exposed, with employees on medium and low wages being at the greatest risk. IPPR paints an…
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This snowboard is made from paper — and it shreds like a dream
Professional freeride snowboarder Cody Bramwell carves through the deep white powder, left-right-left-right, down the mountainside. He’s snow surfing, a unique, bind-less style of snowboarding invented in Japan in the 1980s. Rather than focusing on speed and tricks, snow surfing is about finding the flow of the mountain, keeping speed through flat sections and becoming one with the terrain. The sport is best practised in fresh, uncompressed powder, as opposed to crowded ski slopes. It’s fitting then that the board Bramwell is riding was made in a way that has minimal impact on the pristine nature snow surfing depends upon. Instead…This story continues at The Next Web
Professional freeride snowboarder Cody Bramwell carves through the deep white powder, left-right-left-right, down the mountainside. He’s snow surfing, a unique, bind-less style of snowboarding invented in Japan in the 1980s. Rather than focusing on speed and tricks, snow surfing is about finding the flow of the mountain, keeping speed through flat sections and becoming one with the terrain. The sport is best practised in fresh, uncompressed powder, as opposed to crowded ski slopes. It’s fitting then that the board Bramwell is riding was made in a way that has minimal impact on the pristine nature snow surfing depends upon. Instead…
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Gocycle releases first pics of F1-inspired folding cargo ebikes
London-based Gocycle, founded by Richard Thorpe, a former industrial designer at McLaren, has released the first images of its new range of folding cargo ebikes. Gocycle, best known for its sleek folding ebikes, first announced its move into the cargo bike market back in February, along with some shiny 3D renders of two models — the CXi and the more premium CX-plus. “Right now all we have is a promise and a bunch of image renders, not even photographs of a real bike,” wrote The Verge at the time. Well, for all the sceptics out there, these images confirm the…This story continues at The Next Web
London-based Gocycle, founded by Richard Thorpe, a former industrial designer at McLaren, has released the first images of its new range of folding cargo ebikes. Gocycle, best known for its sleek folding ebikes, first announced its move into the cargo bike market back in February, along with some shiny 3D renders of two models — the CXi and the more premium CX-plus. “Right now all we have is a promise and a bunch of image renders, not even photographs of a real bike,” wrote The Verge at the time. Well, for all the sceptics out there, these images confirm the…
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5 steps to building an ESG-responsible software startup
Many startups around the world will want to play their part in creating a more responsible business. But it can seem like an unattainable goal, with many regarding it as something to worry about after the business has reached a certain size. This is a mistake. Startups have every opportunity to take action now and build a long-term strategy in this area, tackling not just environmental issues, but the full range of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) areas that go into building a sustainable, responsible, and long-lasting business. The best way for a startup to begin the ESG journey and…This story continues at The Next Web
Many startups around the world will want to play their part in creating a more responsible business. But it can seem like an unattainable goal, with many regarding it as something to worry about after the business has reached a certain size. This is a mistake. Startups have every opportunity to take action now and build a long-term strategy in this area, tackling not just environmental issues, but the full range of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) areas that go into building a sustainable, responsible, and long-lasting business. The best way for a startup to begin the ESG journey and…
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UK says Chinese cyberattacks ‘part of large-scale espionage campaign’
The UK government has accused China of two malicious cyberattacks against the country’s democratic institutions and members of Parliament. Specifically, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has found that a Chinesestate-affiliated cyber actor, nicknamed Advanced Persistent Threat Group 31 (APT31), was almost certainly responsible for online reconnaissance activity in 2021, targeting the email accounts of MPs. The NCSC also deemed it highly likely that China state-backed actors were behind the data breach at the UK Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022. Paul Chichester, Director of Operations at the agency, characterised these activities as “indicative of a wider pattern of unacceptable…This story continues at The Next Web
The UK government has accused China of two malicious cyberattacks against the country’s democratic institutions and members of Parliament. Specifically, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has found that a Chinesestate-affiliated cyber actor, nicknamed Advanced Persistent Threat Group 31 (APT31), was almost certainly responsible for online reconnaissance activity in 2021, targeting the email accounts of MPs. The NCSC also deemed it highly likely that China state-backed actors were behind the data breach at the UK Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022. Paul Chichester, Director of Operations at the agency, characterised these activities as “indicative of a wider pattern of unacceptable…
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Netherlands devises €1B plan to keep ASML in the country
The Dutch government is reportedly finalising plans to inject at least €1bn in funding, in an agonised effort to keep ASML in the Netherlands. Rumours that the crown jewel of the Dutch tech ecosystem is considering relocation were unveiled by local newspaper De Telegraaf earlier in March. Citing anonymous sources, the paper said that the government set up a secret taskforce, dubbed “Operation Beethoven,” to alleviate ASML’s fears over the business climate in the Netherlands. Now, according to inside information from Dutch news agency NOS, the taskforce is going to allocate over €1bn for the development of Eindhoven, where ASML’s…This story continues at The Next Web
The Dutch government is reportedly finalising plans to inject at least €1bn in funding, in an agonised effort to keep ASML in the Netherlands. Rumours that the crown jewel of the Dutch tech ecosystem is considering relocation were unveiled by local newspaper De Telegraaf earlier in March. Citing anonymous sources, the paper said that the government set up a secret taskforce, dubbed “Operation Beethoven,” to alleviate ASML’s fears over the business climate in the Netherlands. Now, according to inside information from Dutch news agency NOS, the taskforce is going to allocate over €1bn for the development of Eindhoven, where ASML’s…
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ESA to build ChatGPT-style Earth observation digital assistant
The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced it will build a ChatGPT-style digital assistant to help humans better decode complex Earth observation data. Led by Φ-lab (Phi-Lab) — the agency’s Earth observation innovation and investment arm — the chatbot will be trained to understand human queries about the Earth and respond with human-like answers. The lab is due to kick off the project next month. Earth observation tools like satellites and weather stations gather vast volumes of data on our home planet every day. Most of this information is unlabelled, which makes it hard for traditional machine learning algorithms to…This story continues at The Next Web
The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced it will build a ChatGPT-style digital assistant to help humans better decode complex Earth observation data. Led by Φ-lab (Phi-Lab) — the agency’s Earth observation innovation and investment arm — the chatbot will be trained to understand human queries about the Earth and respond with human-like answers. The lab is due to kick off the project next month. Earth observation tools like satellites and weather stations gather vast volumes of data on our home planet every day. Most of this information is unlabelled, which makes it hard for traditional machine learning algorithms to…
This story continues at The Next Web
The European cities with the highest salaries for software developers
Becoming a software developer is a clever choice for anyone wanting to progress within the tech industry — you can work across varied industries from fashion to finance, analyse and solve complex issues, and have a genuine impact on user experience. Given that software development is necessary across so many sectors, the role also offers the chance to travel and test out the work environment across Europe. Software developers even come out on top of the list of the 10 most frequent occupations sought in online job advertisements according to Eurostat. But where in Europe can you find the most…This story continues at The Next Web
Becoming a software developer is a clever choice for anyone wanting to progress within the tech industry — you can work across varied industries from fashion to finance, analyse and solve complex issues, and have a genuine impact on user experience. Given that software development is necessary across so many sectors, the role also offers the chance to travel and test out the work environment across Europe. Software developers even come out on top of the list of the 10 most frequent occupations sought in online job advertisements according to Eurostat. But where in Europe can you find the most…
This story continues at The Next Web