5 things about AI you may have missed today: China warns US over ban; Nvidia’s AI chip price, and more

AI Roundup: Nvidia aims to compete with Huawei by selling its China-specific AI chip at a competitive price; China warned the US after it placed several Chinese firms on a list of PLA-aiding companies and more.

Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, February 1. (Pixabay)

AI Roundup: Several notable developments took place in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) today, February 1. After the US placed curbs on Chinese companies, a spokesperson in Beijing said that this move would “come back to bite them”. Meanwhile, a new Amazon Web Services report found that over a third of European businesses leveraged AI in 2023 to achieve their goals.

All this, and more in today's AI roundup.

1. China says curbs on its firms will haunt the US

After the Pentagon on Thursday placed several more Chinese companies on a list of organizations that have been accused of aiding the PLA, Beijing said that these curbs would “come back to bite them”. As per a Reuters report, amidst rising demand for AI chips, the US placed China's biggest chipmaker, Yangtze Memory Technologies, on the list. This move will not only see these companies face greater scrutiny but also prevent them from being eligible for any future US military contracts. China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, “These US actions violate principles of market competition and international economic and trade rules.”

2. Nvidia to compete with Huawei by selling AI chip at same price

Nvidia recently developed an AI chip specifically for China and is aiming to compete with Huawei by selling it at the same price. As per a Reuters report, the chip, called H20, has been designed for the country following the US's ban on AI chip exports. Citing two unnamed sources, the report states that distributors are advertising the Nvidia chip at a price of about 110000 Yuan, whereas Huawei's 910B is being sold for about 120000 Yuan.

3. Over a third of European businesses leveraged AI

Over a third of European businesses leveraged AI in 2023 to achieve their goals, a study by Amazon Web Services has found. As per a Reuters report, the survey was conducted by Strand Partners involving 16000 citizens and 14000 businesses. It found that 38 percent of the companies were experimenting with AI. Tanuja Randery, Managing Director at AWS, told Reuters, “Last year was pivotal; from Malmo to Milan, the accessibility of generative AI created an appetite for experimentation among consumers and businesses.”

4. WekaIO partners with NexGen Cloud to provide AI infrastructure

AI-native data platform company WekaIO on Thursday announced a partnership with sustainable infrastructure-as-a-service provider  NexGen Cloud to democratize AI. As per the release, this move will bring a high-performance infrastructure foundation underpinning its forthcoming AI Supercloud, as well as the on-demand services offered by Hyperstack, NexGen Cloud's GPUaaS platform.

5. Genpact announces multi-year engagement with Advantage Solutions

Global professional services firm Genpact on Thursday announced a new multi-year engagement with Advantage Solutions. As per the release, this partnership will combine Genpact's domain, process, and technology expertise, with Advantage Solutions' extensive industry experience, leading to competitive advantages and growth for global consumer goods companies. Genpact will make efforts to scale Advantage's commerce operations with its AI-enabled and experience-led digital transformation capabilities.

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