My LLM Cutoff Is 1930

Apple reported impressive Q2 earnings, with sales surpassing estimates and a forecast for strong Q3 growth driven by popular products like the iPhone 17 and the MacBook Neo. Despite some supply chain constraints, particularly affecting memory and processors, Apple is optimistic about future sales and is preparing for a leadership transition with John Ternis taking over as CEO in September. The company also announced significant share buybacks and dividend increases, with notable growth in the China market contributing to its success.

Amazon launched a new AI-powered feature called 'Join the Chat,' which allows customers to ask questions about products and receive conversational, audio-based responses. This tool aims to enhance the shopping experience by providing detailed insights through a natural conversation, supplementing Amazon’s existing AI tools like 'Hear the Highlights.' The feature currently works with select products in the US, integrating customer reviews and product information efficiently.

The US Senate unanimously passed a rule banning senators from trading on prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, addressing concerns over insider trading and the potential for market manipulation related to political and military events. High-profile incidents, including a senator and a military officer involved in insider trading, have heightened calls for stricter regulation. Both Kalshi and Polymarket expressed support for the legislation, emphasizing their commitment to industry standards.

During a court trial, Elon Musk indicated that his AI lab, xAI, may have used OpenAI's models for training through a process called distillation, which involves creating smaller, faster models that mimic larger ones. Musk acknowledged that such practices are common across AI companies, though OpenAI has taken steps to protect against model distillation for strategic reasons. This exchange highlights ongoing industry concerns about intellectual property and model security.

Intel's stock surged by 114% in April, its best month ever, driven by a combination of strong earnings, increased demand for CPUs from major cloud providers, and strategic investments like the US government’s stake via the Chips Act. The company’s focus on manufacturing and its upcoming 14A process technology, along with partnerships with Elon Musk's companies, have positioned Intel as a key player in AI hardware. Despite past struggles, Intel now appears to be on a significant recovery trajectory.

The weekend long read investigates what happens when language models are trained exclusively on data before 1930. Researchers are exploring whether such models can predict future events or rediscover scientific theories like General Relativity. This highlights ongoing efforts to understand the limitations and potential of historical data in building predictive AI systems.