RISKY BUSINESS: China Turns Away From Nvidia — Blunder in the Making?
BREAKING overnight from South China Morning Post:
Chinese authorities have informally advised local companies to use domestic-made artificial intelligence (AI) chips over those from Nvidia, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as alternative suppliers on the mainland look to catch up with the US tech giant.
While there is no official ban on Nvidia’s China-tailored H20 graphics processing unit (GPU), the sources said mainland AI chip users have been informed to prioritise deployment of local alternatives, including those developed by Huawei Technologies.
chips exempt from green regs
Reuters, in The Columbus Dispatch:
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation that will exempt some U.S. semiconductor manufacturing facilities from federal environmental reviews that are receiving government subsidies.
hello future, it’s me kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. your one-stop shop for markets, tech and the future. The day is 281. The year is 2024. The planet is Earth. And we’ve got a new moon! Keep reading… my name is Kevin Cirilli. Connect with me on LinkedIn….
Back to the future…
O’BRIEN’s RADAR —> GAMBLING ON A.I. WITH THE VIKINGS?
TECH TWIST: CAN AI PREDICT AN NFL UPSET? With my husband's Minnesota Vikings starting their season at 4-0 for the first time since 2016, one might wonder if AI will miscalculate their next game, or their season final record. SportsLine's self-learning AI, however, remains undeterred by the Vikings' surprising start to the season. It’s currently generating predictions against the spread, over-under, and money-line picks for every NFL game based on historical performance and opponent strength. Week 5 betting odds indicate the AI is keeping a close eye on the Vikings-Jets game in London. Will AI's wisdom outpace human intuition when it comes to those tight betting lines? How will AI incorporate the Vikings' disappointing 8-8 finish to the 2016 season in its predictions? Only time will tell. Source: CBS Sports.
AI-POWERED CASINOS: IS GAMING TOO PERSONAL? Mohegan Sun, an American casino, owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe, is diving into AI, bringing a fresh "spin" to how they engage with gamblers. Partnering with Gaming Analytics, they’re using AI to better understand player preferences and increase reactivation—bringing players back to the table after they’ve stepped away. The casino giant expects AI will optimize operations, unlock new insights into player behavior and help boost engagement at its Connecticut and Pennsylvania properties...it sounds to me like the odds are shifting even more to the house. Source: Hartford Business.
— FRIEND OR FOE? AI could be great as a tool for spotting problem gamblers and encouraging responsible play, but...it could also be used to nudge people into betting more than they can afford to lose. The same tech that tailors gaming experiences could easily fuel addictive behaviors if not handled ethically. As research shows, AI-driven personalized ads might tempt players into risky behavior. So, the big question is: will AI be a game-changer for good, or will it push some over the edge? Source: Responsible Edge.
— Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mary O'Brien led cyber for the Joint Chiefs, the first female to hold the position. She is a leading national voice on cyber-security and artificial intelligence. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
mini-moons
Starting last week, the Earth’s gravitational pull captured asteroid 2024 PT5 and it’ll be our mini moon until 11:43 a.m. EST on November 25, 2024. Source: Earth.com.
Source: TomorrowsWorldToday.com
speaking of mini-moons…
space watch
BY BRIG. GEN. (RET.) DAMON FELTMAN
SPACE LAUNCHES SKYROCKET… LITERALLY. Last week, I mentioned that space biopharma company, Varda, had its second in-space manufacturing satellite completed by RocketLab. A reminder, Varda’s first satellite was flown in 2023-2024, and demonstrated in-space manufacturing of HIV/AIDS therapeutic ritonavir.
— SPACE FLIGHTS BOOMING… BUT ARE REGULATORS BOTTLENECKING INNOVATION? This week, Varda CEO Will Bruey penned an op-ed for Payload outlining challenges the FAA faces with its current process for licensing rocket launches and re-entries. According to Bruey, license applications have increased 1,500% over the past decade with no indication of slowing. Bruey wrote:
Just a little over a decade ago, roughly 60 rockets launched over the course of a year—about the same number of planes that take off daily from Napa Valley Airport. Next year, that’s expected to balloon five times that amount, to over 300 launches—the same number of planes that take off every day from LAX.
U.S. EYES NUCLEAR SPACE POWER PROGRAM: This week, the Association of Commercial Space Professionals (ACSP) hosted a Space Nuclear Policy Summit where industry and regulators discussed necessary steps to make space nuclear a viable commercial technology.
— WHY IT MATTERS: Long-duration missions to the moon and beyond will require higher performing power systems and rocket engines, and both the U.S. and China are actively pursuing space nuclear programs. Nuclear systems will provide power and heat for humans and systems to survive long lunar nights (14 Earth Days) and have much more efficient engine performance that greatly shortens travel time to Mars and beyond.
— MEET THE FUTURE: In the U.S., NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program has several projects with nuclear power technology, and NASA has partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to develop nuclear-based rocket engine technology. SOURCE: Astronomy, ACSP.
UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE’s VULCAN TAKES FLIGHT: On Friday, United Launch Alliance successfully launched the second test flight of its next-generation rocket, Vulcan. This was a critical flight in that it will enable Vulcan to become certified for national security launches, diversifying the family of rockets used for these missions and deepening U.S. assured access to space.
— BOOSTER ISSUES? This certification assumes the performance data from the flight comes back as planned; however, one known item that has to be reviewed is an anomaly with the booster rockets used during the flight. During the Friday mission, one of the boosters had a visible issue and both boosters were jettisoned some 20 seconds later in the flight profile than planned. Source: Space Flight Now.
-- Each week, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Feltman gives us a glimpse into our galaxy. Feltman was a career-long space operations officer, having commanded space units, led exercises and training at United States Space Command, and set budget and requirements priorities at Headquarters Space Force. Follow him on LinkedIn here.
flagging
SHOT: CNN to Launch Paywall in October Amid Declining Cable Revenues, via Subscription Insider.
CHASE: Star TV Anchors Are On Notice: You’re Not Getting a Raise, via WSJ.
the big mess: xi’s stimulus in communist china.
HOW IT’S PLAYING —> BBC: As communist China turns 75 can Xi fix its economy?… Bloomberg: Xi Warns of Obstacles Ahead in First Speech After Stimulus Plans… Business Insider: Even Xi Jinping admits China has a painful road ahead despite his new stimulus…
DIG DEEPER —> China’s Drive for Global EV Dominance and the Roadblocks It’s Facing, in Charts, via WSJ.
futures: china stocks overvalued?
Bloomberg reports:
The world-beating rally in Chinese stocks is failing to convince many global fund managers and strategists. Invesco Ltd., JPMorgan Asset Management, HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth, and Nomura Holdings Inc. are among those viewing the recent rebound with skepticism and waiting for Beijing to back up its stimulus pledges with real money. Some are also concerned many stocks are already reaching overvalued levels.
MONEY QUOTE, via Raymond Ma, Invesco’s chief investment officer for Hong Kong and Mainland China: “Because of this rally, some stocks have become really overvalued.”
Source: Bloomberg
quotable
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume criticized Germany’s planned tariffs against the Chinese Communist Party:
"Instead of punitive tariffs this should be about mutually giving credit for investments. Those who invest, create jobs and work with local companies should benefit when it comes to tariffs.”
The European Union is issuing tariffs against electric vehicles that are made in China… but Germany — the largest economy in the EU — is against the tariffs. It’s an area of divide in the EU’s toughest trade policies against the Chinese Communist Party in more than 10 years. Source: Reuters.
Created with TradingView
FLASHBACK, via Foreign Affairs: China’s real economic crisis. Why Beijing won’t give up on a failing model.
notable
AI accounts for only 5 to 10 percent of the share of data center energy consumption, the rest is quite literally every data input you use in daily life — like streaming The Sopranos.
Regardless, this instinct could soon realize itself - some analysts see it taking up to 50 percent of energy consumption in 2035, others see normal use still winning out in the medium term. Source: Axios.
— Ethan Garcia (LinkedIn)
bytes
(honestly they’re quite good today):
Jim Jordan subpoenas CISA director, via Punchbowl’s Ben Brody.
Collapse of national security elites' cyber firm leaves bitter wake | AP News
The Heavy Toll the Southeast Is Still Facing After Hurricane Helene
Want People to Embrace Public Health? Make It More Like Weather Forecasting
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