The News Feed

Category: Featured

  • Perplexity Buys Read.cv, a Social Media Platform, to Boost Professional Networking

    Perplexity Buys Read.cv, a Social Media Platform, to Boost Professional Networking

    In a major move to grow its presence in professional networking, AI-driven search engine Perplexity has announced it is buying Read.cv. The announcement was made on January 17, 2025, and shows Perplexity’s commitment to improving user connections and making knowledge more accessible.

    End of an Era for Read.cv

    Read.cv was known as a simple and creative platform for professionals to share their work, projects, and achievements. Starting today, the platform will begin shutting down. Users have until May 16, 2025, to save their data, including profiles and messages, using a built-in data export tool. The team at Read.cv described the closure as “bittersweet,” reflecting on their platform’s focus on creativity and curiosity.

    New Beginnings with Perplexity

    Both companies view the acquisition as a perfect fit for their goals. Read.cv shared in a farewell blog post, “We’ve long admired Perplexity and believe great things happen when the world’s knowledge is made more open and accessible.” Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, expressed excitement about welcoming Read.cv’s design and engineering teams to work on shared goals of exploration and innovation using AI.

    Backed by investors like Jeff Bezos and NVIDIA, Perplexity aims to combine AI with social innovation. This acquisition could help the company create new ways for professionals to connect and collaborate.

    Reactions and Future Outlook

    The news has brought mixed feelings from Read.cv users and the tech world. Many feel sad to see the platform close, but some are hopeful about the new possibilities. “It’s sad to see Read.cv sunset, but the merger with Perplexity could bring exciting new features for professionals,” commented one user online.

    While Perplexity has not shared exact plans for how Read.cv’s features will be used, they have hinted at new ideas for improving professional networking with AI tools.

    About the Companies

    Perplexity: An AI-powered search engine focused on providing accurate answers and valued at $9 billion. It is supported by major investors like Jeff Bezos and NVIDIA.

    Read.cv: A platform created by Andy Chung, a former designer at Facebook and Mozilla, known for emphasizing creativity in professional profiles.

    This acquisition highlights the growing importance of AI and user-focused design in shaping how professionals connect and share online.

  • Apple Stops AI-Generated News Summaries After Generating  Fake Headlines

    Apple Stops AI-Generated News Summaries After Generating  Fake Headlines

    Apple has temporarily stopped using its AI-powered feature that creates summaries for news and entertainment notifications. This decision comes after the technology made errors, leading to the spread of incorrect information.

    What Happened?

    The issue began when Apple’s AI misrepresented a news story. For example, a BBC article about a high-profile murder case was incorrectly summarized. The AI summary falsely claimed that Luigi Mangione, a person involved in the case, had taken his own life. However, this was not true according to the actual news.

    Changes in the Latest Update

    Apple has made several changes with the release of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta updates:

    • Italicized Text: AI-generated summaries will now appear in italics, so users can easily identify them.
    • User Control: Users can now turn off these summaries for specific apps directly from their Lock Screen.
    • Beta Warning: A new message warns users that the feature is still in beta and might not always be accurate.

    Apple’s Plan for Improvement

    Apple has promised to fix the issues and bring back the feature when it is more reliable. This is part of its larger effort to improve its AI system, known as Apple Intelligence.

    Why It Matters

    This incident shows the challenges of using AI for important tasks like summarizing news. Mistakes in such cases can lead to misinformation. By pausing the feature, Apple is showing responsibility in addressing these challenges and ensuring better accuracy in the future.

    Broader Implications

    Apple’s decision has started a bigger conversation about the role of AI in news, the risks of misinformation, and the importance of transparency when using AI in everyday products.

  • AWS Announces $5 Billion Investment in Mexico and New Cloud Region

    AWS Announces $5 Billion Investment in Mexico and New Cloud Region

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) has revealed plans to invest $5 billion in Mexico over the next 15 years and has launched a new AWS Mexico (Central) Region to meet the growing demand for cloud services in Latin America. This major move aims to boost Mexico’s digital infrastructure, create jobs, and support economic growth.

    About the New AWS Region

    The AWS Mexico (Central) Region, located in Querétaro, includes three Availability Zones. It offers businesses faster cloud services with low latency and ensures data can be securely stored in Mexico, supporting local regulations for data storage and privacy.

    Economic Benefits

    • $10 Billion to Mexico’s GDP: The new AWS region is expected to contribute significantly to Mexico’s economy over the investment period.
    • Job Creation: AWS projects an average of 7,000 full-time equivalent jobs annually through its supply chain during construction and operations.

    Focus on Sustainability

    The new data centers will be air-cooled, avoiding the use of water in their daily operations. This aligns with AWS’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

    AWS is also investing in local talent development, including a $300,000 AWS InCommunities Fund to support community projects in the region.

    Expanding Cloud Services in Latin America

    The AWS Mexico (Central) Region is the company’s second in Latin America, after the AWS South America (São Paulo) Region. The new region helps businesses in Mexico comply with data localization laws and offers faster, more reliable cloud services to industries like government, education, and tech startups.

    Statements from Leaders

    Prasad Kalyanaraman, AWS VP of Infrastructure Services, said, “This new AWS Region will place Mexico at the center of AI and machine learning innovation.”

    Raquel Buenrostro, Mexico’s Economy Minister, added, “Cloud services are essential for driving digital and economic transformation in our country.”

    A Boost for Mexico’s Tech Ecosystem

    The expansion has been welcomed by major AWS clients in Mexico, such as Banco Santander Mexico, BBVA, and Cinepolis, who will benefit from reduced latency and enhanced data residency options.

    Global Growth Plans

    AWS now operates 105 Availability Zones in 33 regions worldwide. Future expansions include new regions in Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

    This strategic investment highlights the growing importance of Latin America’s digital market and reinforces AWS’s commitment to innovation and economic growth in the region.

    Links

    https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/new-aws-region-in-mexico-is-in-the-works

  • Microsoft to Invests $80 Billion in AI-Enabled Data Centers in 2025

    Microsoft to Invests $80 Billion in AI-Enabled Data Centers in 2025

    In a bold move to solidify its position in the burgeoning artificial intelligence landscape, Microsoft announced plans to invest a staggering $80 billion in AI-enabled data centers globally this year. This massive investment underscores the company’s commitment to powering the development and deployment of advanced AI models and cloud-based applications.

    Over half of this substantial investment will be directed towards building data centers within the United States, reflecting Microsoft’s strategic focus on maintaining American leadership in AI. The company emphasized the critical role of robust infrastructure in driving AI innovation, stating that continued progress hinges on significant investments in both public and private sectors.

    Recognizing the transformative potential of AI while acknowledging the potential economic disruptions, Microsoft called upon the incoming Trump administration to bolster government support for AI research. The company urged increased funding for the National Science Foundation and universities, emphasizing the need to foster a skilled workforce capable of harnessing the power of AI.

    Furthermore, Microsoft highlighted the intensifying global competition in AI, emphasizing the need for a proactive US strategy to ensure American AI technologies dominate the international market. The company views this as a race against other global powers, particularly China, and stressed the importance of swift and decisive action to maintain US leadership in this critical domain.