This week’s Cyber Pulse Mid-Week Briefings cover Australia’s new Cyber Security Bill, rising ransomware claims, Zscaler's AI-driven platform growth, and cyber threats from East Asia, including Chinese influence operations, North Korean tech theft, and costly global data breach claims.
Visa boosts AI fraud detection with Featurespace acquisition, lifting its stock; Experian expands Latin American security by acquiring ClearSale; Booz Allen shares cyber expertise at Singapore International Cyber Week; Torq secures $70M for global growth; SentinelOne and Okta shine in top awards.
With OpenAI’s shift to a $157 billion for-profit model, CEO Sam Altman maintains its mission to "benefit humanity." However, as investors seek high returns and Altman stands to gain equity, doubts arise over who truly benefits from OpenAI’s growth—society or its shareholders?
Microsoft Set To Unveil Its Vision For AI PCs At Build Developer Conference
Microsoft's Build conference will showcase AI in Windows, featuring tools like Copilot. With Google's Gemini AI and OpenAI's GPT-4o, Microsoft aims to stay ahead in AI, drive PC upgrades, and introduce AI PCs with Neural Processing Units (NPUs).
This event provides Microsoft an opportunity to showcase its latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
One of Microsoft’s distinct advantages is its ownership of Windows, which commands a massive PC user base.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted this during a keynote, stating, "2024 will mark the year when AI becomes a first-class part of every PC".
The company already integrates its Copilot chatbot assistant in the Bing search engine and offers it as a premium feature in its Office productivity software. Now, users will learn how AI will be embedded in Windows, transforming the capabilities of new AI PCs.
Google's & Open AI Advancements
Just days before Microsoft’s conference, Google’s I/O event unveiled its most powerful AI model yet, demonstrating how its Gemini AI will enhance both computers and phones.
"Our advancements with Gemini signify a new era of intelligent, personalised computing" Google CEO Sundar Pichairemarked.
The search giant also revealed "GEMS" - its answer to OpenAI's custom AI models that can be finetuned for specialised tasks like being a "yoga bestie or calculus tutor."
With Gemini being deeply integrated into Google Workspace, Chrome, and even Search itself , one thing is clear: Google is going all-in on a future where AI assistants become our primary way of interacting with computers.
"Imagine being able to summarise a 500-page report with a single prompt or generate insightful visualisations from complex datasets," saidSundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. "Gemini 1.5 Pro empowers users to accomplish more in less time, unlocking new levels of productivity."
Prior to Google’s event, OpenAI announced its new GPT-4o model. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasised the transformative potential of their new model, stating, "GPT-4o sets a new standard for what AI can achieve, and we’re just scratching the surface".
Microsoft’s Strategic Position
As OpenAI’s lead investor, Microsoft’s Copilot technology is based on OpenAI’s models. The challenge for Microsoft is maintaining its prominent position in AI while also boosting PC sales, which have seen a downturn following the pandemic-induced upgrade cycle.
"We remain bullish on the PC market recovery due to positive customer feedback and recent upward revisions to notebook ODM builds" Erik Woodring, a Morgan Stanley analyst, noted in a recent report.
Gartner reported a 0.9% increase in PC shipments in the last quarter, marking a slight recovery from a multi-year slump. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood noted, "Demand for PCs was slightly better than expected," during the company’s quarterly earnings call.
AI Driving PC Upgrades
New AI tools from Microsoft could incentivize both enterprise and consumer customers to upgrade their ageing computers. Bernstein analysts wrote, "While Copilot for Windows does not directly drive monetization, it should increase Windows usage, customer stickiness, and likely search revenue".
A key addition to AI PCs is the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), designed to handle AI tasks beyond the capabilities of traditional CPUs.
While Microsoft has not detailed the offline capabilities of AI PCs, examples from Google’s Pixel 8 Pro show potential uses like summarising and transcribing recordings and recommending text responses.
Intel’s latest Lunar Lake chips with NPUs are expected by late 2024, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip mid-year, and AMD’s latest Ryzen Pro this quarter.
Apple has been using NPUs for years, with its new M4 chip expected to debut in the next round of Macs.
Windows On Arm
Qualcomm, unlike Intel and AMD, offers Arm-based chips, which boast longer battery life and thinner designs.
Microsoft’s Build conference will discuss thenext generation of Windows on Arm, emphasising how Windows operates on Qualcomm chips compared to Intel and AMD versions.
The AI Arms Race Expands
Microsoft will also host sessions like “AI Everywhere” to explore accelerating generative AI models on cloud-based devices.
An “Azure AI Studio” session will delve into how developers can create their own Copilot chatbots, potentially transforming how companies interact with their employees.
As the AI arms race continues, Microsoft’s strategic moves in integrating AI with its vast PC ecosystem could set new benchmarks in the industry, positioning the company as a pivotal player in the future of intelligent computing.
Visa boosts AI fraud detection with Featurespace acquisition, lifting its stock; Experian expands Latin American security by acquiring ClearSale; Booz Allen shares cyber expertise at Singapore International Cyber Week; Torq secures $70M for global growth; SentinelOne and Okta shine in top awards.
With OpenAI’s shift to a $157 billion for-profit model, CEO Sam Altman maintains its mission to "benefit humanity." However, as investors seek high returns and Altman stands to gain equity, doubts arise over who truly benefits from OpenAI’s growth—society or its shareholders?
Swiss Post strengthens its digital security with the acquisition of Open Systems, while Second Front Systems and Picus Security secure major funding for expansion. Intezer, EasyDMARC, and RunSafe scale up in cybersecurity, and the UK claims the top spot in CyberTech investment in Europe for H1 2024.
Google is investing $1 billion in Thailand to expand AI and cloud infrastructure, while Meta is setting up manufacturing for its Quest 3S in Vietnam. Both moves position Southeast Asia as a key player in the global AI arms race, with tech giants racing to dominate the region’s digital economy.