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News
Google Is Searching for an Answer to ChatGPT
Google has launched Gemini 2.5, an advanced AI model with enhanced reasoning abilities, aiming to outperform competitors like OpenAI. This move is part of Google’s effort to maintain its leadership in search, especially as generative AI tools like ChatGPT gain popularity. However, challenges persist; early versions of Google’s AI search faced criticism for inaccuracies, such as suggesting users eat glue or rocks. Despite these hurdles, Google continues to innovate, integrating AI to provide more accurate and efficient search results.
Genetic testing company 23andMe declares bankruptcy
23andMe, a well-known genetic testing company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to ongoing financial struggles and privacy concerns. Co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki has resigned but remains on the board and plans to bid on the company’s assets during the bankruptcy process. The company has reported debts exceeding $214.7 million and assets totaling $277.4 million. Despite these challenges, 23andMe assures customers that data privacy will be maintained.
A Trump H-1B crackdown could hit Big Tech hard, with Amazon suffering most
U.S. President Donald Trump’s mixed signals on the H-1B visa program may challenge Amazon, which has led in H-1B approvals since 2020, securing at least 9,265 visas in 2024. As U.S. tech giants expand and require more IT talent, they increasingly depend on these visas. However, recent policy changes demand more evidence from employers, adding complexity to the hiring of skilled foreign workers.
Italian newspaper says it has published world’s first AI-generated edition
Il Foglio, an Italian daily newspaper, has published the world’s first edition entirely produced by artificial intelligence. In this four-page supplement, AI handled everything: writing, headlines, quotes, and summaries. Journalists’ roles were limited to asking questions and reviewing the AI’s responses.
Step Aside, Novo Nordisk. This Is Europe’s No. 1 Company Now.
Novo Nordisk, once Europe’s top company, has been overtaken by SAP. Novo’s stock fell 1.3%, lowering its market value to about $337.79 billion. In contrast, SAP’s shares rose 1.3%, increasing its value to $339.47 billion. Novo’s 41% stock drop over the past year is linked to a declining weight-loss drug market, while SAP benefits from increased AI investments boosting its cloud services.
Berkshire Hathaway employee wins $1 million in Warren Buffett’s March Madness bracket challenge
A FlightSafety International employee, part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, won the company’s $1 million March Madness bracket challenge. This marks the first grand prize winner since the contest began nearly a decade ago. The winner correctly predicted 31 of 32 first-round NCAA men’s basketball games, including 29 consecutive correct picks. Eleven runners-up each received $100,000.
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek just released the latest version of their enormous DeepSeek v3 model
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has released DeepSeek-V3-0324, an updated version of their large language model. This model, totaling 641 GB, is now available under the MIT license. Early tests show it runs over 20 tokens per second on a 512GB M3 Ultra Mac Studio using 4-bit quantization, reducing its size to 352 GB. Benchmarks indicate a significant performance boost, scoring 55% on aider’s polyglot test, making it the second-best non-reasoning model after Sonnet 3.7.
Tesla’s China rival BYD’s sales surged 29% last year, topping $100B
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD achieved a record revenue of 777.1 billion yuan ($107 billion) in 2024, surpassing Tesla’s $97.7 billion for the same period. This 29% increase from the previous year was driven by a 40% rise in sales of battery electric and hybrid vehicles. BYD sold approximately 4.3 million vehicles in 2024, including 1.76 million battery electric cars, nearly matching Tesla’s sales figures. The company’s net profit also grew by 34% to about 40 billion yuan ($5.6 billion), exceeding analyst expectations.
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Book
Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son
Masayoshi Son is the founder of SoftBank, who likens his investment strategies to the conquests of historical figures like Genghis Khan. Son’s vision involves creating a vast, interconnected business empire through aggressive investments in diverse technologies. The book discusses the implications of such expansive ambitions, comparing them to historical empire-building and considering their impact on modern economies.