Links for 2024-04-23
AI:
Microsoft announces Phi-3: A Highly Capable Language Model Locally on Your Phone https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.14219
“If the rise of LLMs caught you by surprise, here's your chance to get a preview of what's likely to be the next monumental jump in AI capabilities: LLM-backed agents that use software tools.” https://youtu.be/5drn2DO7gNY
The Landscape of Emerging AI Agent Architectures for Reasoning, Planning, and Tool Calling: A Survey https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11584
“Can AI rewrite our human genome? ⌨️🧬Today, we announce the successful editing of DNA in human cells with gene editors fully designed with AI.” https://www.profluent.bio/blog/editing-the-human-genome-with-ai (Paper: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.22.590591v1 and NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/technology/generative-ai-gene-editing-crispr.html [no paywall: https://archive.is/Rt3PH])
DeepMind's boss says Google's set to outspend everyone in AI, hinting at dropping over $100 billion into the tech. https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/17/google_deepmind_funding/
BLINK: Multimodal Large Language Models Can See but Not Perceive https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12390
“Twitter is inventing increasingly fanciful reasons why Meta's releasing models openly while Zuck gives the super straightforward, obvious-in-retrospect reason: Meta will spend > 100B on inference compute and if people make it 10% more efficient it will have paid for itself.” https://x.com/random_walker/status/1782469953054179692
Miscellaneous:
Superconducting loops may enable computers to retain and retrieve information more efficiently https://today.ucsd.edu/story/superconducting-loops
Contrary to previous assumptions, nerve cells in the human neocortex are wired differently than in mice. https://www.charite.de/en/service/press_reports/artikel/detail/when_thoughts_flow_in_one_direction/
A theory of natural selection, 5th century BC https://blog.edhagen.net/posts/2019-06-20-a-theory-of-natural-selection-5th-century-bc/
Politics:
Ukraine:
“Situation in Ocheretyne (Avdiivka axis)...one of the newly arrived brigades, the 115th Mech. Brigade, left its positions without permission, which led to a breakthrough by the Russians...Due to the incompetence of the brigade command and the cowardice of the soldiers, the soldiers of the 47th Mech. Brigade had to urgently engage in combat with the superior enemy forces...” https://x.com/GloOouD/status/1782520078170206310
“There is critically little air defense that can be used for short- and medium-range,” says one air defense officer. “That is why the reconnaissance UAVs of the Russians are quite free in our skies.” https://cepa.org/article/ukraines-frustrated-missile-guardians/
The UK will send more Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine as part of its single biggest military aid package to the country since Russia’s invasion. Britain is also sending more than 1,600 strike and air defense missiles. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-to-announce-largest-ever-military-aid-package-to-ukraine-on-visit-to-poland
“Russian storage situation is a lot more dire than I thought. Many bases are close to depletion and other still hold hundreds of armored vehicles, but they have been thoroughly cannibalized. I always feared I was a bit optimistic with my 1,5-2 years until depletion of Russian stored equipment estimate, but now I think I'm being a bit conservative.” https://x.com/Jonpy99/status/1782479780421444020
Norilsk Nickel to move copper smelter from Russia to China as sanctions bite https://www.ft.com/content/2ce8765f-10e4-46f3-b443-7ecc4f99d9a5 [no paywall: https://archive.is/VECE0]
“View from a Ukrainian drone as several M30A1 GMLRS rockets slam into a Russian S-300VM/S-400 radar station, each rocket detonating feet over the Russian group, sending hundreds of thousands of tungsten fragments into a Russian 9S19M High Screen radar and supporting vehicles.” https://x.com/Osinttechnical/status/1782775309122568296
“Strategic bombing from balloons? Ukraine is using low-cost balloon technology combined with modern electronics to bomb Russia. A few of these balloons crashed thus providing a better look. Note that the following photos are a mix from different crashes.” https://x.com/DanielR33187703/status/1782470406202593566
Russian Oligarchs' Role in Drone Manufacturing: Investigating Russia's Sanctions Evasion https://frontelligence.substack.com/p/russian-oligarchs-role-in-drone-manufacturing