The Unprecedented Surge of AI by Big Tech

Eight Significant AI Moves from Tech Giants in July

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has always been a key area of interest for Big Tech, but the recent surge of activity in this field is unprecedented. Having been in Silicon Valley for over two decades, I can confidently say that the current focus and energy directed towards AI is unlike anything I've seen before.

In July alone, and the month isn't even over yet, we've witnessed a series of significant AI-related developments from major tech companies, all within this week:

1. Google: Sergey Brin, one of the founders, has returned to Google to help lead AI initiatives. Also, I’ve been granted access to Google's generative search this week.

2. Apple: Rumors are circulating that Apple is working on its own Foundational Model, rumored to be called AJAX. (Bloomberg)

3. Meta/Facebook: The social media giant launched Llama2, an open-source project. Why? developer onboarding, set industry standards, and prepare for their own LLM with community approval.

4. NVIDIA: The tech company has thrown its weight behind Inflection AI, contributing to the creation of the world's second-largest supercomputer with 22k chips.

5. Microsoft: The software titan has invested in Inflection AI (along with NVIDIA) and backed Llama2, demonstrating a clear strategic focus on AI.

6. Twitter/Musk: A new AI project, X.ai, was announced, adding to the growing list of AI initiatives backed by Elon Musk.

7. Amazon: The e-commerce behemoth is expected to launch the Titan Foundational Model soon, in addition to Bedrock and the Gen AI cohort in SF debuts this coming week.

8. Salesforce: Salesforce announced the launch of Einstein GPT, its AI platform, signaling a renewed commitment to AI, my friend Clara leads AI, and shares on LInkedin.

These developments are not isolated events but part of a larger trend. Big Tech's focus on AI is not just about creating smarter products and services. It's about shaping the future of technology and, by extension, the world.

Whoever achieves Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) first will have a significant advantage in the coming decades if not century.

What’s up in my world? a few things…

In August, I’ll be announcing my new exciting direction in the AI space. I’m hosting the SF Llama Lounge Aug 24, for AI startups, over 300 are registered and a private online community will launched for attendees. On Sept 20th, I’m hosting the SF Llama Lounge, partnered with Techcrunch Disrupt. I also continue to attend about 3 AI events per week in SF bay area, find me on Twitter or Linkedin to get more insights.