Crunch Time for Apple ????
Apple AI Race, Claude Alexa, Hello Wonder, X TV App, xAI Colossus
???TLDR
In this week’s What’s Appening, we cover the report that Apple is preparing to invest in OpenAI. An admission it’s lagging in the AI race? Our own testing of iOS 18.1 suggests so. We also have news on X coming to your television, a new AI browser for kids, Midjourney’s foray into hardware, and the largest AI training model, aptly named Colossus. Also, be sure to check out our App, Stat, and brand new Quote of the Week!
???Our Top Take
???? Apple – Talks Held for Major Investment in OpenAI
Apple is behind in the AI race. We have been underwhelmed by our tests of iOS 18.1. Sure, it does okay for summarizing and reading back web articles, but it’s clearly behind ChatGPT in conversational ability. Next week, it’s crunch time for Apple as it unveils new iPhones, but Apple Intelligence will not be ready in time. It’s a stark contrast with Google, which has put Gemini into everything, including its new flagship Pixel 9. This latest news suggests the longer-term solution is becoming part owner of OpenAI, with Apple perhaps grabbing some of the magic that bolstered Microsoft in recent years. In other news of traditional Big Tech leaning on AI startups, Amazon has tapped Anthropic’s Claude to power its new AI Alexa devices, saying its own proprietary AI models just wouldn’t cut it. #AIBuddies Read more here.
????Poll: Can Apple Recover to Compete in the AI Race?
???Meanwhile at 3Advance
??? What’s Appening? Our Podcast is Back!
We’ve got some exciting news—What’s Appening: Adventures in Apps and AI is returning next week, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off this new season! Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the show, this season is packed with fresh insights, engaging conversations, and the latest in tech, AI, and app development. You won’t want to miss what we have in store!
Make sure you’re subscribed on your favorite platform (Spotify, Amazon, Apple, YouTube) so you can catch every episode as soon as it drops. We’ll let you know right here too. ??
???App of the Week: ElevenLabs Reader App
AI Text-to-speech is taking off in a big way, solving a problem for everyone from the visually impaired to those of us who like to listen to an article rather than read it. ElevenLabs Reader App – now on global release – allows you to listen to articles, PDFs, newsletters (this one!), emails, and everything in between. You can choose a customized voice, even a licensed celebrity voice – James Dean, for example – and listen in 32 languages. The app is completely free (for now) on iOS (and Android) so check it out today, before Apple hits it a sucker punch with iOS18. ??
???Stat of the Week: 100K GPUs
???? xAI – Colossus AI Training Model Goes Online
xAI now claims to have the world’s largest AI training system in the Colossus cluster. It clocks in at 100K H100 and will double to 200K in a few months. What do those numbers mean? Essentially, it refers to the number (cluster) of Nvidia GPUs. Google’s cluster is reportedly 90K, OpenAI’s 80K, so we tip our hats to Elon Musk and his AI division. #ClusterMusk Read more here.
领英推荐
????Other Stories
?? X Is Coming to Your Living Room. The X TV App is now live in beta on various TV app stores (not Apple TV, though). Exclusive content, news, and events without any ads, X says. More here.
???? But No X in Brazil. X has been banned in Brazil since Saturday, and the Supreme Court upheld that ban last night. The row is over free speech, disinformation, and abuse. Details here.
?? Earn More with AI? Klarna has claimed that AI helped it reduce its staff levels. The good news for those who stayed? The buy-now-pay-later company says it can pay them more. More here.
?? Say Hello to this New Browser. Hello Wonder, founded by ex-Amazon and Google alumni, thinks it can use AI to make a browser that finally solves web safety for kids. Story here
??? A Journey Into AI Hardware. AI hardware can be tricky – see Humane AI Pin and Rabbit r1 for evidence. MidJourney is undeterred, though, and has plans for a suite of AI gadgets. More here.
?? CrowdStrike Lawsuits Begin. We knew this wouldn’t go away. Despite the generous offer of $10 gift cards for those hit by the CrowdStrike outages, a wave of legal action has begun. More here.
???Quote of the Week:
“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-Founder and Venture Capitalist
Get insightful quotes (and our take for founders) by following on social below.
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