What’s New Today: Biren’s AI Chips Get Boost with Tencent-Backed Partnership
Fast-Track Insights: Perplexity Eyes New Funding Round at $9 Billion Valuation
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest tech headlines making waves today. From Biren’s AI Chips Get Boost to CCI Recruitment, let’s dive into the top tech stories of the day.
Biren Technology, a Chinese AI chip start-up, has significantly enhanced the performance of its hardware for training large language models (LLMs) through a collaboration with Tencent-backed Infinigence AI. This partnership boosted the training capacity of Biren's GPUs by nearly 100%, addressing challenges faced by Chinese AI start-ups in accessing sufficient compute resources, particularly from US-based Nvidia. Infinigence provides on-demand computing through its cloud platform, Infini AI, which integrates chips from multiple suppliers, including Nvidia, AMD, Huawei, and others. Biren's GPU cluster was added to Infini AI, further advancing AI model development in China.
Perplexity, a California-based AI search startup, is raising $500 million in a new funding round, valuing the company at $9 billion. The round is led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), which also holds a board seat. This follows a $73.6 million Series B funding in January, which valued Perplexity at $520 million. The rapid rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has spurred investor interest in AI startups, with large language models (LLMs) requiring significant capital. Perplexity is backed by major investors, including Jeff Bezos and Nvidia.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is inviting applications for various positions under its 2024 recruitment drive, including Professional Staff (Director, Joint Director, Deputy Director) and Admin Staff (Assistant Director, Office Manager, Private Secretary, Jt. Director). A total of 22 vacancies are available across these roles. The selected candidates will receive monthly salaries ranging from Rs. 44,900 to Rs. 2,16,600, depending on the position.
It is commendable that CureMetrix is the first company to propel women’s healthcare to the heights of artificial intelligence. The company’s policies, products, and AI healthcare innovations aim to improve disease diagnosis detection and enhance cancer surveillance. Knowing the importance of ensuring thorough examination of mammograms, the company has also rendered AI in women’s healthcare tools that are FDA-approved to assist radiologists in identifying culprits of abnormal mammograms.
A dormant Bitcoin wallet, inactive for nearly 12 years, recently came to life when 235 BTC (worth $17.43 million) was transferred to the Kraken exchange. The transfer, which took place on the same day Bitcoin reached a new high, suggests the holder might intend to sell the assets, as such transfers are often seen as a signal of liquidation. The BTC had been dormant since March 2013, when Bitcoin's price was under $100. Over the years, Bitcoin has surged to over $75,000, becoming a widely recognized financial asset with a market cap of nearly $1.5 trillion. Despite the transfer to Kraken, the investor still holds 125.55 BTC ($9.31 million) in the original wallet. It remains uncertain whether the remaining BTC will be sold or if the investor will disappear again for years.