Figure AI, the robotics company aiming to build the first commercially viable humanoid worker, recently announced it secured a staggering $675 million in funding from some of the biggest names in tech and venture capital, including Jeff Bezos, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), OpenAI, and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). Now valued at $2.6 billion, the San Jose, California-based startup is in talks with United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) to integrate its humanoid robots into the global shipping g
Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model inspired by neural oscillations in the brain, with the goal of significantly advancing how machine learning algorithms handle long sequences of data.
AI often struggles with analyzing complex information that unfolds over long periods of time, such as climate trends, biological signals, or financial data. One new type of AI model called “state-space models” has been designed specifically to understand these sequential patterns more effectively. However, existing state-space models often face challenges—they can become unstable or require a significant amount of computational resources when processing long data sequences.
To address these issues, CSAIL researchers T. Konstantin Rusch and Daniela Rus have developed what they call “linear oscillatory state-space models” (LinOSS), which leverage principles of forced harmonic oscillators—a concept deeply rooted in physics and observed in biological neural networks.
China conducted a secret weapon test that has caught the US intelligence community off guard. Back in August, China lit up the sky when it tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, which travels faster than the speed of sound. The global shipping supply crisis might affect Christmas, thanks in part to China’s power shortage. And a man in Jiangsu Province takes drastic measures after his daughter fails to solve a math problem correctly. Watch this episode of China Uncensored for that and more of this week’s China news headlines.
Jack ma’s dirty secret | power struggle rips ant financial • jack ma’s dirty secret | power strugg…
China’s POWER SHORTAGE could cause economic collapse • china’s POWER SHORTAGE could cause ec…
Al is advancing faster than ever, and World is building the infrastructure to ensure humanity stays at the center of it.
At this year’s event, held in San Francisco, Alex Blania and Sam Altman unveiled the next chapter in World’s mission:
To create proof of personhood at global scale, safeguard human identity in the age of Al, and expand access to a privacy-preserving financial ecosystem built for everyone.
- World’s US launch — Next-gen Orb and Orb Mini — World ID partnerships with Razer and Match — World App 4.0 — World Card with Visa — Path to full decentralization.
AI is advancing faster than ever, and World is building the infrastructure to ensure humanity stays at the center of it.
A research team from the Skoltech AI Center proposed a new neural network architecture for generating structured curved coordinate grids, an important tool for calculations in physics, biology, and even finance. The study is published in the Scientific Reports journal.
“Building a coordinate grid is a key task for modeling. Breaking down a complex space into manageable pieces is necessary, as it allows you to accurately determine the changes in different quantities—temperature, speed, pressure, and so on,” commented the lead author of the paper, Bari Khairullin, a Ph.D. student from the Computational and Data Science and Engineering program at Skoltech.
“Without a good grid, calculations become either inaccurate or impossible. In physics, they help model the movement of liquids and gases, in biology, tissue growth and drug distribution, and in finance, they predict market fluctuations. The proposed approach opens up new possibilities in building grids using artificial intelligence.”
Human cyborgs are individuals who integrate advanced technology into their bodies, enhancing their physical or cognitive abilities. This fusion of man and machine blurs the line between science fiction and reality, raising questions about the future of humanity, ethics, and the limits of human potential. From bionic limbs to brain-computer interfaces, cyborg technology is rapidly evolving, pushing us closer to a world where humans and machines become one.
Andreessen Horowitz’s Anjney Midha argues that the US has no choice in terms of how it approaches the artificial intelligence race with China: “We must win.”
Speaking with Semafor’s Reed Albergotti at Semafor’s World Economy Summit on Wednesday, Midha, who is a general partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm, said that US AI companies should double down on driving growth rather than stifle innovation over concerns of potentially harmful use cases. People all over the world will choose to use American AI tools, so long as they’re the best available.
“This is why a billion people in India still use WhatsApp. It was invented in Silicon Valley,” Midha said.
Q: 🤖 What are Kirk’s predictions for Tesla’s robotaxi rollout? A: Kirk predicts at least 1 million robotaxis on the road by end of 2026, with potential for 2–5 million by end of 2027.
Q: 🦾 When does Kirk expect Tesla to sell Optimus robots to third parties? A: Kirk expects Optimus sales to third parties in the second half of 2026.
Q: 💰 What is the estimated rental price for Optimus robots? A: Kirk estimates Tesla will rent Optimus robots for $110,000-$120,000 per year.
Market and Economic Predictions.
Q: 💹 What economic environment does Kirk predict for late 2024? A: Kirk predicts a booming economic environment by Q4 2024, driven by the AI revolution and productivity increases.
Cybersecurity researchers have unearthed a new controller component associated with a known backdoor called BPFDoor as part of cyber attacks targeting telecommunications, finance, and retail sectors in South Korea, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Egypt in 2024.
“The controller could open a reverse shell,” Trend Micro researcher Fernando Mercês said in a technical report published earlier in the week. “This could allow lateral movement, enabling attackers to enter deeper into compromised networks, allowing them to control more systems or gain access to sensitive data.
The campaign has been attributed with medium confidence to a threat group it tracks as Earth Bluecrow, which is also known as DecisiveArchitect, Red Dev 18, and Red Menshen. The lower confidence level boils down to the fact that the BPFDoor malware source code was leaked in 2022, meaning it could also have bee adopted by other hacking groups.
Dr. Aubrey de Grey reveals why reversing aging may be easier than slowing it down in this mind-expanding conversation that challenges conventional wisdom about human longevity. The renowned biomedical gerontologist outlines his damage repair approach that’s gaining mainstream scientific acceptance after initial skepticism.
The financial landscape of longevity research has dramatically transformed, with billions flowing into the space. Dr. de Grey provides an insider’s assessment of major players including HEvolution (Saudi-backed), Altos Labs (Bezos-funded), Calico (Google-funded) and Retro Biosciences (Sam Altman’s venture), offering candid insights about which approaches show the most promise and why Google’s Calico has struggled despite substantial resources.
Regulatory innovation emerges as a crucial accelerator for progress. Montana’s groundbreaking expansion of Right to Try legislation now allows anyone to access treatments that have passed FDA safety trials, while special economic zones like Prospera in Honduras are creating regulatory environments specifically designed for biomedical innovation. These developments could create the competitive pressure needed to modernize traditional regulatory structures worldwide.
At the LEV Foundation, Dr. de Grey is conducting a thousand-mouse study combining four different damage repair interventions in middle-aged mice, aiming for a full year of life extension—far beyond the four months typically achieved. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on dietary modifications, this ambitious project incorporates advanced cell and gene therapies that target multiple forms of age-related damage simultaneously.
Looking forward, Dr. de Grey offers his characteristic probabilistic prediction: a 50–50 chance of reaching \.
