This week in artificial intelligence (AI) news, regulation is on the rise as policymakers seek to ensure safe and responsible AI development, while tech giants including Intel, AMD, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia face increased scrutiny from the FTC and DOJ.
AI regulations to be strengthened
As AI becomes more prevalent in everyday life, policymakers are working to better regulate AI technology. Illinois recently passed a bill to combat AI-generated child pornography and protect against the non-consensual use of individuals’ likenesses for commercial purposes. California, home to 32 of Forbes’ top 50 AI companies in the world, is taking a lead role with state Senator Scott Wiener’s Safe and Secure Innovation for Cutting-Edge Artificial Intelligence Models Act. At the federal level, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has appointed Sivaram Golacavi as the agency’s 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 chip aims to democratize AI
Intel unveiled its Xeon 6 processors and Gaudi accelerators, designed to make AI more accessible and affordable for businesses of all sizes. The Xeon 6 chips are energy efficient and have higher core counts, while the Gaudi accelerators offer better price-performance ratios than competing products. Intel's collaborations with Microsoft, Acer, and Asus underscore the company's commitment to bring AI technology to market. By making AI more accessible, Intel aims to drive innovation across industries and contribute to the broader evolution of computing. Increasing availability of AI tools and resources is expected to spur the development of new applications and use cases.
AMD unveils AI chip
At Computex, AMD unveiled a range of AI chips, including the Ryzen AI 300 series for laptops and the Ryzen 9000 series for desktops. CEO Lisa Su declared AI a top priority for the company, citing its potential to transform entire industries. AMD has partnered with Microsoft, HP, Lenovo and ASUS in joint efforts to bring AI to personal computing. With plans for datacenter chips and a new “Zen 5” architecture, AMD aims to compete with rivals Nvidia and Intel in the rapidly evolving AI chip market.
AI enhances video viewing
Artificial intelligence is changing the way users watch and engage with online videos. Researchers at MIT and IBM have developed AI techniques that allow viewers to navigate directly to the most relevant parts of a video, saving time and optimizing the viewing experience. Companies such as Video Summarizer AI and Mindstamp are using AI to provide interactive, multilingual summaries to make learning more productive and accessible. In the e-commerce space, Prime Video's FAST Channel and Amazon Freevee on Amazon Live highlight the potential of AI to combine entertainment and shopping by allowing viewers to interact with TV content on their mobile devices.
FTC and DOJ Investigate Big Tech
The AI arms race is finally showing signs of slowing down. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have opened antitrust investigations into Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia, CNBC confirmed. The federal government wants to know if these AI giants are playing fair. With the AI market expected to exceed $1 trillion over the next decade, the stakes are high. The FTC will investigate ChatGPT developer OpenAI and Microsoft, while the DOJ will investigate Nvidia. These investigations could shake up the AI landscape as tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta fight to stay ahead.
