Today, Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton delivered a sobering message in Stockholm, predicting superintelligence could surface within 5 to 20 years. Despite celebrating his Nobel Prize in Physics for pioneering machine learning, Hinton lamented not addressing AI safety sooner. He stressed urgent regulation on lethal autonomous weapons, likening it to banning chemical arms. On a lighter note, Hinton plans to donate part of his winnings to Indigenous water projects and support neurodiverse youth—proving he's as compassionate as he is brilliant.

Google DeepMind's GenCast, trained on 40 years of ECMWF data, outperforms traditional ENS forecasts 97.2% of the time for 15-day predictions. Running in just eight minutes on a single TPU v5, GenCast excels at predicting extreme weather and offers probabilistic forecasts. Set to integrate with Google Search and Maps, it’s also open-source for researchers. While not yet perfect—cyclone intensity remains tricky—John Wheeler hints AI could soon give human forecasters a run for their money.

Elon Musk's AI venture, xAI, has triumphantly raised $6 billion, soaring its valuation to over $40 billion. With backing from 97 investors, including Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz, xAI is racing to build 'Colossus,' the world's largest supercomputer in Memphis, in just 122 days. The facility aims to house a million GPUs for their Grok chatbot, challenging ChatGPT and Gemini. Meanwhile, Tesla stocks get a boost, proving Musk’s multitasking isn’t just rocket science.

SpaceX clinched a Pentagon deal to bolster Ukraine's internet by adding 2,500 Starlink terminals to its Starshield network, reaching a total of 3,000 by 2025. Starshield's encrypted, hack-resistant communication is vital amid conflict, though U.S. lawmakers are investigating Russian misuse rumors. Part of the Space Force’s Proliferated Low Earth Orbit program and backed by $40M funding, this expansion leverages existing infrastructure to ensure secure connectivity—keeping Ukraine connected and hopefully keeping the cyber gremlins at bay.

CSIRO's latest GenCost report reveals nuclear power in Australia could cost up to six times more than renewables, with estimates ranging from $163/MWh to $264/MWh compared to $120/MWh for renewables. The agency also warns nuclear plants would take at least 15 years to build, likely finishing post-2040, far behind political promises. Despite Coalition claims, CSIRO maintains that 'firmed' solar and wind remain Australia's most cost-effective energy solution.

On December 9, 2024, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope delivered its closest images yet of quasar 3C 273, located 2.5 billion light-years away in Virgo. The breathtaking photos reveal mysterious blobs and an L-shaped filament, suggesting small galaxies are tangoing their way into a supermassive black hole. Scientists are buzzing with excitement, eyeing the James Webb Space Telescope for deeper insights. Who knew black holes could be such galactic party crashers?

SoundHound AI's stock skyrocketed by 600% in 2024, driven by breakthroughs in voice recognition across fast-food and automotive sectors. Q3 revenue soared 89% to $25M, with ambitions to double sales by 2025. Despite being pegged as the top AI stock for next year, its lofty 64x sales valuation has investors howling with caution. Partnering with giants like Stellantis and serving over 10k U.S. restaurants, SoundHound sings a promising tune—just watch for the pitch bends.

At Ant Group’s 20th anniversary on Dec 8, 2024, Jack Ma made his first public appearance since the 2020 IPO halt, sharing insights on AI's transformative potential in fintech. Ant has restructured under Chinese regulations, launched AI-driven apps like Zhixiaobao, and expanded Alipay+ to support 30+ global e-wallets, connecting 88M merchants. Recent profit jumps highlight maturity and resilience. Ma’s optimistic vision underscores Ant’s commitment to innovation and global growth.

Nvidia continues to reign supreme in AI accelerators with up to 95% market share and a Q2 2023 data center revenue of $13.5B, thanks to powerhouse chips like the H100. However, its sky-high valuations might spook investors. Enter AMD, with its MI300X GPU powering Microsoft Azure and a doubled Q1 2024 data center revenue. At a more wallet-friendly price, AMD could be the underdog worth betting on in the booming $138B AI market by 2028.