Category: Artificial intelligence

  • Qualcomm Unveils High NPU Scores for Snapdragon X Elite

    Qualcomm Unveils High NPU Scores for Snapdragon X Elite

    Qualcomm recently revealed remarkable benchmark results on May 28th, highlighting the AI capabilities of their Snapdragon X Elite processor’s Hexagon NPU. The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100's NPU achieved a score of 1787 in the UL Procyon AI test, far outstripping its competitors: the M3 (898 points) and Ultra 7 155H (480 points).

    Significant Efficiency Gains

    Qualcomm asserts that the Hexagon NPU operates with much lower power consumption than its rivals. Specifically, it shows a 22% reduction compared to the M3 and a 31% enhancement over the Ultra 7 155H.

    Qualcomm has awarded the Snapdragon X Elite the title of “highest NPU performance per watt,” indicating an energy efficiency that is 2.6 times better than the M3 and an astonishing 5.4 times better than the Ultra 7 processor. Although these tests were carried out on Qualcomm reference designs and particular laptops, the results underscore the X Elite’s potential for efficient AI processing.

    Real-World Application Potential

    Qualcomm also demonstrated the GIMP + Stable Diffusion 1.5 raw image processing capabilities of the Snapdragon X Elite. In this scenario, the NPU provided 3 times the speed compared to the Core Ultra 7 155H, suggesting its promise for practical applications.

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  • Gmail on Android to Soon Get Google Gemini Integration

    Gmail on Android to Soon Get Google Gemini Integration

    Gmail on Android might soon be receiving an intelligent boost with the potential integration of Google's Gemini AI. This insight comes from trusted sources who have delved into the app’s code, discovering a concealed Gemini button.

    Gemini Could Enhance Gmail Functionality

    Pressing this button might introduce a range of beneficial AI features within Gmail. Envision Gemini summarizing extensive emails, picking out essential points, or even composing draft responses on your behalf. Such capabilities align with features already accessible to Google Workspace subscribers.

    AI's Limitations and Human Touch

    Though summarizing existing content is a strong suit of AI, it’s crucial to remember that AI isn't infallible. There’s always a slight possibility that Gemini could overlook significant information due to misinterpretations.

    When it comes to emails that are truly critical, human involvement remains indispensable. Unlike AI, humans grasp the context and subtleties of our email interactions, transcending mere word probability analysis.

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  • Meizu 21 Flyme AIOS Testing Starts: Enhanced AI Features

    Meizu 21 Flyme AIOS Testing Starts: Enhanced AI Features

    Meizu has initiated the internal testing phase for its Flyme AIOS for the Meizu 21 series devices today. Owners of all three variants – Meizu 21, Meizu 21 PRO, and Meizu 21 Note – can now explore the new features by signing up for the internal beta within System Updates in the Settings menu. However, some users have reported issues with the registration channel for Flyme AIOS, with some being unable to register for the internal testing.

    Flyme AIOS Features

    The latest build introduces several AI-driven features, such as AI document summarization, Call Assistant, AI note-taking, and more. Let's delve into each feature.

    AI Document Summarization: This feature can swiftly summarize a document and allows users to pose questions based on the summary, responding with information from the document. It also works with English documents and can translate them into Chinese in real-time.

    Drag and Drop: This functionality enables you to easily copy or move files between different locations.

    Call Assistant: This feature offers real-time call translation, recording and summarizing calls, and even generates to-do lists from your conversations.

    Task Script: Task Script helps you manage daily tasks by recommending script settings based on your habits and providing voice output for the scripts.

    AI Note-Taking: This tool assists you in jotting down meeting agendas, OKRs, developing strategies, and more.

    Live Chat: It supports various professional conversation scenarios, including interviews and consultations.

    Additionally, the new update includes support for web page summarization and AI search, which provide summaries along with sources for further information on the topic.

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  • Honor Launches AI OS to Enhance User Experience & Privacy

    Honor Launches AI OS to Enhance User Experience & Privacy

    Honor made its debut today at VivaTech, one of Europe’s largest tech and innovation events. During the keynote, HONOR introduced its innovative approach to on-device AI and unveiled its pioneering Four-layered AI Strategy.

    Additionally, Honor announced forthcoming Gen-AI experiences with Google Cloud, set to appear on its anticipated smartphones, promising to enhance user experiences in exciting ways. Here are the details…

    Introducing Honor’s Four-Layer AI Architecture

    During the keynote, HONOR presented its Four-Layer AI Architecture, emphasizing its strategic focus on integrating AI into MagicOS. This architecture consists of distinct layers.

    At the foundational level, Cross-device and Cross-OS AI form the base of an open ecosystem, allowing the sharing of computing power and services among various devices and operating systems.

    Building upon this, the Platform-level AI layer facilitates a personalized operating system, enabling intent-based human-computer interaction and personalized resource allocation.

    The third layer, App-level AI, is set to introduce a wave of innovative, generative AI applications that aim to transform user experiences.

    At the top, the Interface to Cloud-AI services layer offers users easy access to extensive cloud services while prioritizing privacy protection, creating a comprehensive and future-forward AI experience.

    Four-Layer AI Architecture for On-Device AI

    As part of MagicOS 8.0, Magic Portal is the industry’s first intent-based UI, which understands user behavior and simplifies complex tasks into single-step processes.

    Currently, Magic Portal supports 100 top applications across seven scenarios, including travel, productivity, messaging, search, entertainment, shopping, and social media. There are plans to expand usage scenarios to provide even more seamless and intelligent AI experiences in the future.

    As part of HONOR’s Four-Layer Architecture, the company aims to integrate advanced Gen-AI experiences, powered by Google Cloud, into its forthcoming smartphones, promising to deliver enhanced privacy protection alongside new levels of intelligence and innovation.

    Revolutionizing Portrait Experience with HONOR 200 Series

    Honor also revealed that their upcoming HONOR 200 Series will feature a new AI-powered Portrait experience, inspired by the iconic Studio Harcourt. This feature uses AI to replicate the studio’s distinctive lighting and shadow effects, producing professional-quality portraits.

    The process involves nine distinct steps, ensuring flawless results with every shot. The HONOR 200 Series is set to launch in Paris on June 12, powered by MagicOS 8.0, which will also be available for the HONOR Magic V2 and HONOR 90 devices, making AI technology accessible to a broader audience.

    The Human-AI Synergy: Smart Devices for a Better Future

    Honor hosted a panel discussion featuring Dr. Justine Cassell, discussing the future of multimodal interaction in smart devices. The talk highlighted the benefits of on-device AI, which offers personalized recommendations while retaining privacy by keeping data on the device.

    Dr. Cassell pointed out that humans interact multimodally, using verbal language, nonverbal cues, and paraverbal elements. This trend indicates a future where multimodally-sensitive AI will be adopted on smartphones.

    HONOR’s focus on human-centric design aims to merge the advantages of different devices through AI-powered cross-device integration. This method enables unified user intent recognition, providing tailored recommendations and suggestions based on a comprehensive understanding of user behavior across multiple devices.

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  • Microsoft Phi-3-Vision Model Enhances Mobile Image Analysis

    Microsoft Phi-3-Vision Model Enhances Mobile Image Analysis

    Microsoft is broadening its Phi-3 series of small language models with the launch of Phi-3-vision. Unlike its counterparts, Phi-3-vision isn’t limited to text processing — it’s a multimodal model capable of analyzing and interpreting images as well.

    The model excels at object recognition in images

    This 4.2 billion parameter model is optimized for mobile devices and excels at general visual reasoning tasks. Users can pose questions to Phi-3-vision about images or charts, and it will provide insightful answers. While it isn’t an image generation tool like DALL-E or Stable Diffusion, Phi-3-vision is exceptional at image analysis and comprehension.

    Expansion of the Phi-3 family

    The introduction of Phi-3-vision follows the release of Phi-3-mini, the smallest model in the Phi-3 family with 3.8 billion parameters. The complete family now consists of Phi-3-mini, Phi-3-vision, Phi-3-small (7 billion parameters), and Phi-3-medium (14 billion parameters).

    Emphasis on smaller models

    This emphasis on smaller models highlights a growing trend in AI development. Smaller models require less processing power and memory, making them perfect for mobile devices and other resource-constrained settings. Microsoft has already achieved success with this strategy, as its Orca-Math model has reportedly outperformed larger competitors in solving math problems. Phi-3-vision is currently available in preview, while the rest of the Phi-3 series (mini, small, and medium) can be accessed through Azure’s model library.

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  • iOS 18: Notification Summaries & AI Photo Editing Report

    iOS 18: Notification Summaries & AI Photo Editing Report

    Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is scheduled for June 10. As expected, the tech giant from Cupertino will unveil the next-generation software for its products, including iPhones and iPads. The primary highlight of the event is anticipated to be iOS 18, which is rumored to incorporate AI features. In his latest update, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shed light on the AI functionalities that the new operating system might introduce for iPhones.

    iOS 18 to Feature On-Device AI Capabilities

    According to Gurman’s newsletter, iOS 18 will include a notification summarization tool that can condense notifications, news articles, and transcribe voice memos. Siri is also expected to receive enhancements for a more conversational tone. As a result, the upcoming software version will emphasize proactive intelligence to assist users in their daily lives. Additionally, the report suggests that Apple might introduce AI-based photo editing tools and improvements to the Calendar app.

    Gurman further notes that Apple will rely on on-device processing for these AI features. The company is also contemplating offering AI services via the cloud, supported by Apple silicon chips in its data centers. However, the tech giant will not be announcing its proprietary chatbot at this time, as it is currently behind in the Gen AI space. Gurman hints that Apple could reveal a partnership with OpenAI at the WWDC, with the possibility of launching a deeply integrated chatbot later on.

    Potential Partnership with Google for Gemini AI

    Apple has also been in discussions with Google regarding the integration of Gemini AI into iOS 18, although no agreement has been finalized yet. Nonetheless, the company is poised to make its entry into the AI arena in the coming weeks. In addition to today’s report on AI features, previous reports indicated that iOS 18 might revamp some native apps and introduce changes to the home screen.

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  • ChatGPT Update: Analyze Excel Sheets, Import from Google Drive & OneDrive

    ChatGPT Update: Analyze Excel Sheets, Import from Google Drive & OneDrive

    OpenAI has elevated ChatGPT's data analysis features, simplifying data exploration and manipulation significantly. This enhancement optimizes workflows and provides instant data insights.

    Seamless Integration with Cloud Storage

    One of the most notable improvements is integration with cloud storage services. The need to download and upload files manually is now obsolete. ChatGPT allows direct access to data stored in Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, streamlining the entire process and enabling seamless work with cloud-stored documents.

    FILE PHOTO: OpenAI and ChatGPT logos are seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Enhanced Data Visualization

    Data visualization has received a substantial upgrade. ChatGPT now supports interactive table and chart views, letting users explore their data in real-time. These interactive visualizations offer a more intuitive grasp of the data, facilitating deeper insights.

    Customization of charts is another key feature. ChatGPT allows you to tailor the charts to meet your specific requirements, aligning them with your presentation or report. Once customized, these charts can be easily downloaded for seamless inclusion in your work.

    Advanced Data Handling

    The capabilities for data handling have also been substantially improved. Whether dealing with large datasets, cleaning messy data, or generating insightful charts, ChatGPT can manage these tasks effortlessly. This enhanced capability is powered by a new underlying model, enabling ChatGPT to tackle even the most complex data tasks with ease.

    Upcoming Innovations

    Concurrently, discussions about a new model named ADA V2, speculated to be GPT-4, have surfaced with the ChatGPT update. Users involved in the grayscale testing of this model have praised its robust coding features.

    OpenAI's rapid pace of innovation is evident. Just days after the GPT-4o reveal, significant advancements with both ChatGPT and ADA V2 are apparent. These innovations are swiftly transforming the data analysis field, with the potential for an even more powerful "GPT-5" on the horizon, sparking excitement.

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  • Microsoft Proposes Relocation for China AI Staff amid US-China Tensions

    Microsoft Proposes Relocation for China AI Staff amid US-China Tensions

    Microsoft has revealed a noteworthy relocation offer for its AI staff based in China. The company is providing these employees the option to move to countries such as the United States, Australia, and Ireland. This decision affects approximately 700 to 800 employees, primarily those working on machine learning in the Azure cloud computing division. A few of these employees might also have opportunities for international rotations.

    Relocation Decision Deadline

    Employees need to decide by June 7 whether to relocate or continue in their current roles within China. This initiative comes as Microsoft pauses new hiring in China, impacting its offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. Nevertheless, Microsoft reassures its continued commitment to its operations in China and other international markets.

    Geopolitical Context

    This relocation offer mirrors broader geopolitical issues, especially the intensifying US-China tech rivalry. AI technology has become a significant point of contention. The Biden administration is contemplating new restrictions on exporting proprietary AI models to China, adding to the existing limitations on Chinese firms’ access to advanced semiconductors and chip-making tools. Microsoft is navigating these tensions while continuing to pursue business for its AI services in mainland China and Hong Kong.

    Strategic Relocation

    Last year, Microsoft transferred some top AI researchers from China to a new lab in Vancouver, Canada. This lab is part of a global initiative to integrate talent from various countries, including China. The current relocation offer is seen as a strategic response to the ongoing trade and tech disputes between the US and China.

    The US has recently increased tariffs on several Chinese imports, including electric vehicles and semiconductors, further straining relations. In response, China has vowed to take measures to safeguard its interests. Despite these challenges, Microsoft’s long-term presence in China, dating back to 1992, highlights its commitment to maintaining operations in the region.

    As the tech industry adjusts to geopolitical changes, companies like Microsoft are making strategic decisions to ensure their operations and talent pools remain strong. The relocation offer to China-based AI employees is a part of these efforts, reflecting the intricate interplay of global business and international relations.

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  • Baidu’s Wenxin AI Gains Traction with Xiaomi, Lenovo, Vivo & NIO

    Baidu’s Wenxin AI Gains Traction with Xiaomi, Lenovo, Vivo & NIO

    Baidu, the Chinese technology behemoth, is making notable advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) through its Wenxin Big Model. The company’s latest financial report showcased positive financial outcomes and an increase in the adoption of its flagship AI product.

    Cost Efficiency Drives Growth: Baidu’s Affordable Wenxin Model Accelerates Adoption

    Despite modest year-on-year revenue growth, Baidu’s net profit saw a robust 22% rise. This improvement was partly due to the growing acceptance of Wenxin. Initially integrated with smartphones from China Samsung and Honor, Wenxin has now formed partnerships with major brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo.

    This development marks a significant leap for Baidu’s AI goals. Wenxin is expanding beyond smartphones, entering the personal computer (PC) market through a collaboration with Lenovo. Additionally, the electric vehicle (EV) sector is showing interest, with NIO becoming one of Wenxin’s partners.

    Li Yanhong, Baidu’s CEO and co-founder, believes that integrating Wenxin with smart devices paves the way for widespread adoption among a broader audience. This strategic initiative positions Baidu as a pivotal player in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure sector.

    Wenxin One Word 3.5: A Leap in Cost Efficiency

    Moreover, Baidu is focused on reducing Wenxin’s inference cost. The latest version, Wenxin One Word 3.5, offers an impressive 99% reduction in inference cost compared to version 3.0. This substantial decrease makes Wenxin more appealing to businesses exploring and creating AI-powered applications based on the Wenxin One Word platform.

    Li Yanhong underscores the transformative impact of generative AI in China. He foresees foundational models like Wenxin becoming a crucial part of essential infrastructure, seamlessly integrated into various aspects of daily life. Baidu’s dedication to affordability and efficiency with the Wenxin Big Model series is a strategic approach likely to unlock new opportunities for the company.

    With ongoing advancements and strategic collaborations, Baidu’s Wenxin Big Model is set to become a significant player in the Chinese AI arena. As the generative AI era progresses, Wenxin’s integration across diverse tech sectors has the potential to revolutionize how we interact with technology and navigate the digital world, providing a compelling alternative to existing solutions like ChatGPT.

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  • Xiaomi’s MiLM LLM Approved for Smartphones, Cars, and More Devices

    Xiaomi’s MiLM LLM Approved for Smartphones, Cars, and More Devices

    Xiaomi’s large language model (LLM), known as MiLM, has successfully completed the registration process for large models, as announced on the company’s Weibo account.

    With this milestone, Xiaomi indicates that MiLM is prepared for incorporation into its range of products, such as smartphones, smart home devices, and even Xiaomi automobiles. The announcement also hinted at the potential of expanding MiLM’s capabilities to a broader audience in the future.

    Benchmark Achievements

    MiLM made its public debut in August 2023 on benchmark platforms C-Eval and CMMLU, where it delivered impressive performance.

    The model secured the top position within its parameter category on the C-Eval leaderboard and ranked 10th overall. According to the project’s GitHub page, MiLM-6B, the specific variant in question, boasts 6.4 billion parameters.

    Subject-Specific Performance

    C-Eval’s subject-specific breakdown showcases MiLM-6B’s proficiency in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The model achieved high accuracy scores across all 20 STEM subjects, including metrology, physics, chemistry, and biology.

    While MiLM-6B shows strong performance in most liberal arts subjects, areas requiring “abstract thinking” like law, mathematics, programming, and probability theory appear to need further development.

    Social Sciences and Humanities

    In the realm of social sciences, MiLM-6B demonstrated good accuracy in eight out of ten subjects, with education and geography being the exceptions. As for the humanities, the model performs admirably in history and law, though the accuracy in other subjects is yet to be fully assessed.

    With MiLM-6B overcoming significant hurdles, it’s now set to be integrated into various Xiaomi products. Despite its varied performance across different subjects, it shows promise for enhancing user experiences in a wide range of applications.

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