Sharp Teams Up with KDDI to Convert Sakai Factory into AI Data Center
On June 3, it was announced that Sharp is partnering with KDDI to transform its soon-to-be-closed Sakai factory into an AI data center through a joint venture. This facility will leverage NVIDIA's Blackwell GPUs. Last month, Sharp confirmed that its subsidiary, Sakai Display Products, known for manufacturing large LCD panels, will cease operations by the end of September. With this move, Sharp, Japan’s sole producer of TV panels in China, will conclude its TV panel production in Japan.
JD Addresses Concerns over Publishing Industry Relations
On June 1, “MOTIE has completely stopped deliveries to JD” gained traction online after comments from MOTIE Group CEO Shen Haobo, who called for a boycott against JD. He accused JD of disregarding MOTIE’s concerns and pressuring them into low-price promotions. In response, a JD representative clarified on social media that their initiatives for the 618 sales event are not meant to challenge publishers. They consider themselves allies committed to providing quality books and fair pricing, affirming JD’s legal pricing autonomy over self-operated books and a willingness to share profits with consumers.
Siri Upgrade Pushed to 2025
On June 1, prominent Apple analyst Mark Gurman reported that Apple is developing a substantial upgrade for Siri to enhance natural and intelligent interactions. However, this advanced version will not debut with the iOS 18 launch at WWDC on June 11 due to technical challenges. The anticipated upgrade is now scheduled for 2025, promising improved response generation that will better understand user needs and seamlessly integrate contacts, businesses, schedules, locations, and dates.
NVIDIA Introduces AI Model Inference Microservice (NIM)
On June 2, at Computex, NVIDIA launched its new AI model inference service, NVIDIA NIM. This service enables the global community of 28 million NVIDIA developers to deploy AI models across cloud platforms, data centers, or workstations within minutes, significantly cutting down development time from weeks to mere minutes, ideal for creating applications like copilots or ChatGPT chatbots.
iFLYTEK Set to Launch New AI Model
On June 2, iFLYTEK announced on its interactive platform that its AI model, iFLYTEK Spark V4.0, is currently training to match GPT-4's capabilities and is expected to launch by the end of June 2024. Additionally, the company is developing a product intended to compete with GPT-4o.
Ant Group Launches Independent Computing Division
On June 1, Ant Group established Zhejiang Ant Computing Technology Co., Ltd., an independent entity dedicated to confidential computing. This company focuses on providing products and services that enhance reliable data circulation across clouds and endpoints at a low cost. Wei Tao, Ant Group VP and Chief Technology Security Officer, serves as chairman, with Wang Lei from the privacy computing division taking the CEO role. Ant recently presented its "Hiding Cloud" confidential computing platform at the 2024 Digital China Construction Summit and plans to launch related offerings this year.
Neuralink Gains FDA Approval for Brain Chip Surgery
On June 2, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Neuralink's application, enabling the implantation of a brain chip into a second test subject. This approval also addresses challenges encountered with the first subject, allowing for deeper implantation of the device’s micro-wires to reduce risks such as wire detachment.
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