Daily Tech News 5 September 2024

Top Story

Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, has raised $1 billion for his new company, Safe Superintelligence. (Reuters) (archive site)

What is the company planning?
"It's important for us to be surrounded by investors who understand, respect and support our mission, which is to make a straight shot to safe superintelligence and in particular to spend a couple of years doing R&D on our product before bringing it to market," [CEO Daniel] Gross said in an interview.
Okay, but what is the company planning?
Sutskever said his new venture made sense because he "identified a mountain that's a bit different from what I was working on."
Okay, but what-
Gross said they spend hours vetting if candidates have "good character", and are looking for people with extraordinary capabilities rather than overemphasizing credentials and experience in the field.
What-
"One thing that excites us is when you find people that are interested in the work, that are not interested in the scene, in the hype," he added.
Yes, but-
Sutskever was an early advocate of scaling, a hypothesis that AI models would improve in performance given vast amounts of computing power. The idea and its execution kicked off a wave of AI investment in chips, data centers and energy, laying the groundwork for generative AI advances like ChatGPT.
Okay, but-
Sutskever said he will approach scaling in a different way than his former employer, without sharing details.
Great.
"Everyone just says scaling hypothesis. Everyone neglects to ask, what are we scaling?" he said.
WHAT ARE YOU SCALING?
"Some people can work really long hours and they'll just go down the same path faster. It's not so much our style. But if you do something different, then it becomes possible for you to do something special."
Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently.

Tech News

Elon Musk says he's a free speech absolutist, but he obeys the law. (The Verge)

What a villain.
In a remarkably stupid decision, NaNoWriMo - the National Novel Writing Month, where participants try to complete a novel in a month as an exercise to get into the habit of writing - has embraced generative AI. (Ars Technica)

It's like practicing sewing by buying clothes at Walmart.
Intel has scrapped its 20A (2nm) process for Arrow Lake. (Tom's Hardware)

Intel has just announced Lunar Lake, manufactured at TSMC. But that's a single design with 8 cores (4P/4E) and only suitable for thin-and-light laptops.

Arrow Lake will be the matching desktop lineup, and high-end and low-end laptop chips as well. The desktop chips are likely still on track - those were planned to make made at TSMC - but the laptop chips are probably derailed into next year.

Disclaimer: Multi-track drifting!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 First?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:04 AM (omVj0)

2 Evening and morning to all the early risers and late toilers throughout the AoSHQ Empire!

I survived my ghastly work reception yesterday. The Big Boss showed up, bigger than mine, and so none of us dared slide out until he left. I entertained myself by talking with a young couple from Chile; the female half had just arrived in town that afternoon. I speak Espanol un poco y muy lentamente, and their English was terrific. They asked me about Mardi Gras beads, among other topics.

Anyway, enough sleep, and now some coffee. What's doing here?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:05 AM (omVj0)

3 Mornin' Pixy, Wolfus, and the rest of the Horde when they get here.

Coffee, bacon, and eggs next.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at September 05, 2024 04:06 AM (O7YUW)

4 Maybe AI can compensate for the rapidly increasing percentage of people who are bug f'in crazy.

Posted by: pawn at September 05, 2024 04:12 AM (QB+5g)

5 w00t

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 04:12 AM (64Zez)

6 As I said on a thread yesterday, I age miraculously backward every morning. Get up feeling like I'm 80; coffee, maybe a pipe, or a workout, and whaddaya know, I feel nearly 50 again. Amazin'.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:12 AM (omVj0)

7 >>>Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently.

It's a living!

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 04:22 AM (64Zez)

8 >>>NaNoWriMo - the National Novel Writing Month, where participants try to complete a novel in a month as an exercise to get into the habit of writing

Anna Puma does that--I think?

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 04:24 AM (64Zez)

9 Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently.

Selling snake oil at a premium.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 05, 2024 04:27 AM (mH6SG)

10 NaNoWriMo - the National Novel Writing Month, where participants try to complete a novel in a month as an exercise to get into the habit of writing

Anna Puma does that--I think?
Posted by: m at September 05, 2024

***
If I tried that, it would be like running a marathon. In my major running days I always steered clear of that -- running for four or more hours straight would have utterly cured me of exercising; from boredom if nothing else. This marathon writing session concept suggests the same. And I am sure the end result, from me anyway, would be unreadable.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:30 AM (omVj0)

11 You could use the NaNoWriMo to get *started* on a novel project, though, as long as you don't try to finish in 30 days. If you ended up with, say, 60 pages of decent copy, two a day, you'd have a great start and would have established the habit of writing every day.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:32 AM (omVj0)

12 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at September 05, 2024 04:46 AM (ntk8v)

13 It's like practicing sewing by buying clothes at Walmart.

Most of Walmart clothes are poorly made crap so learning to sew on them would be useful.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at September 05, 2024 04:49 AM (ntk8v)

14 Rain expected today and tomorrow; I'll make sure to park on the (slightly) higher side of the street at work. I've lost one car to flooding and that was plenty.

Two more days to struggle through. Ah well.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 04:49 AM (omVj0)

15

🚨 Tulsi Gabbard

https://is.gd/1Rkfaq

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 05, 2024 04:51 AM (RKVpM)

16 Good morning, good people. A particularly nice soft early fall morning in the Adirondacks, nothing even hinting at foliage color here in this area. First year of someone else doing leaf removal due to losing the recycling facility for disposal of leaves, grass clippings & other yard waste.

Assholes.

Posted by: IRONGRAMPA at September 05, 2024 04:52 AM (hKoQL)

17 What is the company planning?

A lot of meetings. Lunch meetings, team building sessions, maybe a week or two at a executive resort to really really plan their next step.

Then, declare bankruptcy.

Posted by: Bruce at September 05, 2024 05:05 AM (zWMSe)

18 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 05, 2024 05:06 AM (hoCmQ)

19 15

🚨 Tulsi Gabbard

https://is.gd/1Rkfaq
Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 05, 2024 04:51 AM (RKVpM)

Good one! She's so very well-spoken.

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 05:28 AM (64Zez)

20 Ilya Sutskever is an AI of Kamala Harris.

Posted by: Dan Patterson at September 05, 2024 05:34 AM (53Rs7)

21 G'mornin' everyone!

49 degrees, mostly clear, light airs, they mumble and handwave about a chance of rain later.

all for it; saves me watering the garden.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 05:34 AM (UWgy2)

22 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at September 05, 2024 05:37 AM (dg+HA)

23 Anyone else having intermittent "Server not found" problems this morning getting to AoSHQ?

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at September 05, 2024 05:39 AM (O7YUW)

24
pre-dawn greetings
severely underslept this morning
to be fair I went to bed at 8 last night
getting old blows
'youth is wasted on the young'

Posted by: Don Black at September 05, 2024 05:39 AM (/7KEl)

25 "Scaling". Oh, no! FISH PUNS INCOMING!

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at September 05, 2024 05:42 AM (PiwSw)

26 The Suzuki Sutskever was a two person ATV that would operate on compressed natural gas. Considered too expensive to manufacture, impractical to maintain and facing daunting regulatory hurdles, even in the overly permissive South American and Oceania markets, it never got past the concept stage.

Posted by: Car nerd at September 05, 2024 05:47 AM (dg+HA)

27 "Scaling". Oh, no! FISH PUNS INCOMING!
Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at September 05, 2024

***
"Scaliest gathering I'd ever attended."
( -- Bertie Wooster)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 05:47 AM (omVj0)

28 "Scaling". Oh, no! FISH PUNS INCOMING!

Please, no.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 05, 2024 05:50 AM (mH6SG)

29 On local "news" this am, it's possible the owner of my apartment complex will finally have to start paying taxes. He's a "minister" (term used loosely) and his ministry- corporation has been tax-exempt. Now, if taxes are applied, one of two things will happen: He'll sell the place (which he's been trying and failing to do), and the new owners will increase the rent; or he won't sell it, and he'll increase the rent to cover the taxes.

Maybe some of the Section Eight and other scumbags will leave.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 05:51 AM (omVj0)

30 Bertie Wooster had some good lines, no kidding.

all the world looks better with a cup of coffee in hand.
(Bertie would say tea, of course ...)

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 05:51 AM (UWgy2)

31 https://tinyurl.com/mr3rp6b9

The Dust of God's feet. A reflection on Psalm 8:1-9 and Nahum 1:3. The devotional is followed by a prayer and a prayer focus.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 05, 2024 05:52 AM (QSZkz)

32 And local weather mavens are saying that after this rain, through Saturday, we should see a little drying and cooling. Not much -- highs of 84 or so -- but that's better than 95.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 05:52 AM (omVj0)

33 Story behind the classic hymn, "How Great Thou Art"

https://tinyurl.com/4s3hxsys

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 05, 2024 05:55 AM (QSZkz)

34 The wife of the first black mayor of this city has died, and they are touting her as a "civil rights icon." He himself passed away on Christmas Eve years ago, in the '80s I think -- and not at home with her, but at his mistress's apartment. . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at September 05, 2024 05:56 AM (omVj0)

35 NaNoWriMo adopts AI assistance with writing?

Great, everyone will start writing like John Updike or John Scalzi.

Posted by: Anna Puma at September 05, 2024 05:57 AM (t+U2o)

36 Daniel Jose Older? For once that idiot is right.

Who is Daniel Jose Older? Older's greatest claim to fame is being a comic book writer who writes homosexual fan-fic and calls it Star Wars.

Posted by: Anna Puma at September 05, 2024 06:01 AM (t+U2o)

37 >>>Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently.

Such is the way of most tech venture funding.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at September 05, 2024 06:04 AM (i24o9)

38 Wolfus

The objective of trying to write 50,000 words is to get the writer to simply write and finish a story. Instead of getting stuck with the 'write a few sentences, get annoyed, rewrite, annoyed again, rewrite, ad infitum' and never finish.

Does it always produce anything? No. But this is how Golden Isis started. In NaNoWriMo and me crossing the 50k finish line with it. It still took time to edit and rewrite afterwards, but the basic story was done in a month.

Posted by: Anna Puma at September 05, 2024 06:06 AM (t+U2o)

39 >>>Elon Musk says he's a free speech absolutist, but he obeys the law.

I call bullshit. Limiting freedom of reach for ideas you disagree with and unequal application of "rules" are anathema to free speech.

The guy is a fraud in this department.

Better than Dorsey? Yeah, OK, sure. Low bar.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at September 05, 2024 06:07 AM (i24o9)

40 Happy Thursday

Posted by: rhennigantx at September 05, 2024 06:09 AM (gbOdA)

41 Not sure what to think of Elon. As we have seen, there are two sides to every coin. The lines between the good guys and the bad guys have become blurred. Who knows?

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 05, 2024 06:13 AM (mH6SG)

42 Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently.

Selling snake oil at a premium.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 05, 2024 04:27 AM (mH6SG)

Russian snake oil is particularly effective.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at September 05, 2024 06:17 AM (i24o9)

43 well, he wrested Twitter from the Left, and set it free

props for that, at least

Posted by: Don Black at September 05, 2024 06:19 AM (/7KEl)

44 "Scaling investors' money into your pockets, apparently. "

Same as it ever was.

Posted by: AshevilleRobert at September 05, 2024 06:20 AM (fv27Y)

45 Wooster joke:

"Uh, yes, there are these three deaf chaps on a train, and it stops at Wembley."
*irrelevant crosstalk*
"Anyway, there it is at Wembley, and one of the chaps says, "Is this Wembley?" and the other one says, "No, it's Thursday!" "

It's been a favorite of mine for many years.

the above is from the TV series, the version he tells to (I think) Sir Roderick Spode (in the book) is better, but ...

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 06:21 AM (UWgy2)

46 AP News:

A sister of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz says she doesn’t recognize the people wearing “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” T-shirts in a photo that is making the rounds on social media. It turns out they are distant cousins. ...
“The family in the picture are the descendants of Francis Walz, who was brother to Tim Walz’s grandfather,” ... “They’re all Walzes and spouses.”

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 06:22 AM (64Zez)

47 But NaNoWriMo was hell bent on going Leftist for years. During Trump and Wuhan Flu, the TDS went full bloom.

And in past years they relaxed the objective so that writers could set their own word goals. No longer was 50k words required to win.

Posted by: Anna Puma at September 05, 2024 06:23 AM (t+U2o)

48
What will make your AI better, faster, less expensive?

BAFFLEGAB!
It's Got Electrolytes!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 05, 2024 06:26 AM (xG4kz)

49 Listening to the readout of the Russian election interference indictments there were no explicable crimes that I could decipher. Also the websites the DOJ f**kwits were going on about are listed nowhere in the indictment.

So, here we go again, Russia, Russia, Russia.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 05, 2024 06:26 AM (XV/Pl)

50 >>>“They’re all Walzes and spouses.”

Walzes and spouses and bears. Oh, my.

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 06:27 AM (64Zez)

51 nanowrimo is november, innit?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 06:28 AM (UWgy2)

52 JJ is nood.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at September 05, 2024 06:28 AM (IUd0M)

53 AP News:

... the governor’s older brother, Jeff Walz of Freeport, Florida, ... said of his younger sibling: “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.” ... He told NewsNation that what he was referring to in his post by “stories” were from their childhood. ... “Nobody wanted to sit with him, because he had car sickness and would always throw up on us, that sort of thing” ...

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 06:30 AM (64Zez)

54 Fanny Willis' daughter Kinaya is pregnant. Is she married?

Posted by: I should know better than to ask, but... at September 05, 2024 06:31 AM (dg+HA)

55 from the NaNoWriMo article:

NaNoWriMo, known for its annual challenge where participants write a 50,000-word manuscript in November

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 06:31 AM (64Zez)

56
"Scaling". Oh, no! FISH PUNS INCOMING!

Please, no.
Posted by: Notorious BFDQ

Why build fish ladders when they have neither arms nor legs?

"Why, indeed?"

-- Michelle Fields

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 05, 2024 06:32 AM (xG4kz)

57
Fanny Willis' daughter Kinaya is pregnant. Is she married?
Posted by: I should know better than to ask, but...

The yearning for sweetcum is deeply implanted in her family, it seems

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at September 05, 2024 06:33 AM (xG4kz)

58 Not sure what to think of Elon. As we have seen, there are two sides to every coin. The lines between the good guys and the bad guys have become blurred. Who knows?

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 05, 2024 06:13 AM (mH6SG)

He's got a cadre of fanbois who shut off their brains when it comes to EM.

Dude could drop the raunchiest deuce right on ylthe lunchroom table, and they'd be out there singing its praises.

It's bizarre.

His Twitter platform is basically a bland form of old Twitter where algorithms replace the old leftist rainbow guards, and you are forced to self-censor or be suspended "temporarily" forever for a clear joke or uttering a particular word in a protected context, unless you are big enough to catch attention of someone at HQ.

And there are particular levels of protection over there, too.

I caught a auto-suspension in a Mollie Hemingway thread, once, where I was mocking the way those replying in a particular thread were replying. Something benign like "burn the witch."

Bamn! Auto-suspension. Self-censor, and it is only seven days. While the guy is selling his "free speech" "absolutism."

It's a running joke over there.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at September 05, 2024 06:34 AM (i24o9)

59 thank you, m

nice to catch my memory working right for once!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 07:52 AM (UWgy2)

60 59 thank you, m

nice to catch my memory working right for once!
Posted by: sock_rat_eez - they have been lying to us for decades at September 05, 2024 07:52 AM (UWgy2)

You'd think they could build it into the name! Like:

NovNaNoWriMo

Like Ocsober.

Posted by: m at September 05, 2024 08:14 AM (64Zez)

61 "I believe in free speech so long as it doesn't break the law." is meaningless nonsense. There is no universal "the law". In fact, "the law" in many places contradicts many other places. You don't even have to look at China or North Korea: enforcing UK speech laws means breaking US laws.

Which goes to a concept I've come around to a couple years ago, that "virtual spaces" have to be operated much the same as physical spaces. They can only be effectively in one country, and subject to one set of laws, at once without becoming disjointed and nonsensical.

Posted by: Cortillaen at September 05, 2024 07:43 PM (6kADi)

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