Wed. 09/11 – Mistral Goes Multimodel; And An AI Model Mystery · Tech Brew Ride Home summary

Key takeaways

Mistral's Pixel 12B showcases advanced multimodal capabilities, indicating progress in AI technology.
Meta's data scraping practices raise serious ethical and privacy concerns, particularly in Australia.
The PS5 Pro offers significant graphical improvements, though its pricing and lack of bundled disk drive have sparked debate.
Growing acceptance of stablecoins might transform aspects of the international banking system.
The controversy surrounding Schumer's AI model emphasizes the importance of transparency and verification in AI developments.

Summary

Mistral's Multimodal Breakthrough

Mistral has launched its first multimodal AI model, Pixel 12B. This substantial model, containing 12 billion parameters and accessible on GitHub and Hugging Face, showcases capabilities for analyzing images alongside text. Built on Mistral's earlier text models, the Pixel 12B aims to perform tasks akin to other multimodal giants like OpenAI’s GPT-4, enabling advanced image captioning and object counting. Nevertheless, details surrounding its licensing remain unclear.

Meta's Data Scraping Revelation

In a startling admission, Meta revealed it has been scraping the public data of every adult Facebook user in Australia, utilizing this information to enhance its AI training processes with no option for users to opt out. The situation was scrutinized during an inquiry, revealing that while European users were offered opt-out options due to privacy laws, Australian users were not given this choice. Meta defended its actions, citing the need for extensive data to develop powerful AI tools.

PlayStation 5 Pro Unveiled

Sony announced the PS5 Pro, offering enhanced graphics capabilities and faster memory at a price of $700. Interestingly, the new console does not include a disk drive, which must be purchased separately for an additional fee. Early impressions suggest improved gameplay experiences, particularly in graphical fidelity and rendering speed, making it a compelling option for dedicated gamers despite its cost.

The Rise of Stablecoins

Recent discussions highlight the potential for stablecoins to play a pivotal role in the international financial system, aiding in efficient transactions. Notably, stablecoin payments in Singapore surged to nearly $1 billion, reflecting a growing acceptance among businesses. This raises intriguing questions about whether stablecoins could eventually complement or replace parts of traditional banking.

AI Model Controversy

A significant controversy has arisen around Matt Schumer and his AI model, Reflection 70B, which has been accused of fraud over its underwhelming performance when tested against claims of being cutting-edge. Following accusations and growing skepticism from the community, Schumer issued an apology but failed to clarify the discrepancies in model performance, leaving questions about transparency and reliability in AI development.

Show notes

Mistral goes multimodal for the first time. Meta admits to scraping the data of every adult Australian. The details on the new PS5 Pro. Wouldn’t it be wild if, through stablecoins, crypto BECOMES the banking system instead of replacing it. And a weird mystery in AI land.
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Links:

Mistral releases Pixtral 12B, its first multimodal model (TechCrunch)

Facebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user's public photos and posts to train AI, with no opt-out option (ABC News)

The $700 PS5 Pro doesn’t come with a disc drive (The Verge)

Exclusive Hands-On: I Played Sony's All-New PS5 Pro (CNET)

Americans used record 100 trillion megabytes of wireless data in 2023 (Reuters)

Payments in Singapore With Stablecoins Rise to Almost $1 Billion (Bloomberg)

Reflection 70B model maker breaks silence amid fraud accusations (VentureBeat)