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‘GenAI Requires Cultural Fluency Like Humans’

For LLM-based systems to reach a world-wide audience, they need to achieve the type of cultural fluency that comes instinctively to humans….reports Asian Lite News

In the coming years, culture will play a crucial role in how generative Ai is designed, deployed and consumed, Amazon CTO Dr Werner Vogels has said.

Large language models (LLMs) trained on culturally diverse data will gain a more nuanced understanding of human experience and complex societal challenges in 2024.

“This cultural fluency promises to make generative AI more accessible to users worldwide,” Vogels said during the AWS ‘re: Invent’ conference here.

For LLM-based systems to reach a world-wide audience, they need to achieve the type of cultural fluency that comes instinctively to humans.

In a paper published earlier this year, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrated that even when an LLM was provided with a prompt in Arabic that explicitly mentioned Islamic prayer, responses were generated that recommended grabbing an alcoholic beverage with friends, which isn’t culturally appropriate.

According to Vogels, a lot of this has to do with the training data that’s available.

“Common Crawl, which has been used to train many LLMs, is roughly 46 per cent English, and an even greater percentage of the content available — regardless of language — is culturally Western (skewing significantly towards the United States),” he noted.

In the past few months, non-Western LLMs have started to emerge: Jais, trained on Arabic and English data, Yi-34B, a bilingual Chinese/English model, and Japanese-large-lm, trained on an extensive Japanese web corpus.

“These are signs that culturally accurate non-Western models will open up generative AI to hundreds of millions of people with impacts ranging far and wide, from education to medical care,” the Amazon CTO emphasised.

Just as humans learn from discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas, LLMs need similar opportunities to expand their perspectives and understand culture.

According to him, two areas of research will play a pivotal role in this cultural exchange.

One is reinforcement learning from AI feedback (RLAIF), in which a model incorporates feedback from another model.

In this scenario, different models can interact with each other and update their own understandings of different cultural concepts based on these interactions.

“Second is collaboration through multi-agent debate, in which multiple instances of a model generate responses, debate the validity of each response and the reasoning behind it, and finally come to an agreed upon answer through this debate process. Both areas of research reduce the human cost it takes to train and fine-tune models,” Vogels noted.

As LLMs interact and learn from each other, they will gain more nuanced understandings of complex societal challenges informed by diverse cultural lenses, he added.

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Telegram announces 11 new features to boost messaging

Users can also access Similar Channels from a channel’s profile…reports Asian Lite News

Encrypted messaging platform Telegram has rolled out 11 new features to enrich communication for over 800 million of its monthly active users.

To simplify channel discovery, users now have access to a list of similar public channels upon joining a channel. This feature is driven by automatic selection based on similarities in subscriber bases, making it easier for users to find content aligned with their interests, the company said in an update.

Users can also access Similar Channels from a channel’s profile.

“Users now have the power to amplify the reach of stories from friends and favourite channels with just two taps. The option to add extra content such as text, audio, or video comments enhances the storytelling experience. Reposting is restricted to stories visible to ‘Everyone,’ ensuring privacy protection,” said Telegram.

When posting a story, you can now add a video message to supply commentary or simply make a face. These messages can be resized, moved around the screen, and placed along the time axis, providing limitless creative possibilities for users to express themselves

Telegram Premium users now have access to even more customisation options such as “Profile Colours” which allows users to set a unique colour combination with logos for their profiles.

While anyone can set custom wallpapers for individual chats, Premium users can now extend their personalisation to both sides of the conversation.

“The voice-to-text feature, once exclusive to Premium users, is now available to all users. With the ability to convert up to 2 messages per week into text, this feature facilitates quick understanding of audio content or even translation in different languages,” Telegram informed.

Channels with story-posting capabilities can now access detailed statistics, including views, shares, and reactions.

“Channel admins now have a revamped interface for managing reactions. Channels can include custom emoji in addition to standard reactions, allowing for a more personalized and engaging user experience,” said the company.

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Google rolling out bulk select feature in Gmail for Android, iOS

You can also copy charts from the Google Sheets app on all iOS devices and paste them externally as images or within the same spreadsheet as a duplicate chart…reports Asian Lite News

Google is rolling out a bulk select feature in the Gmail mobile app on Android and iOS devices. The feature is available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.

“We’re introducing a feature that enables you to bulk select a batch of messages in the email thread-list with one tap using the Gmail app on Android and iOS devices,” the company said in an update.

After clicking the select all icon, a batch of messages will be selected, enabling people to easily perform email actions such as deleting multiple messages or marking them as “read”.

“This feature is available now on Android devices and is rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on iOS devices,” said the company.

You can also copy charts from the Google Sheets app on all iOS devices and paste them externally as images or within the same spreadsheet as a duplicate chart.

“In addition, you can modify text formatting using the contextual toolbar in Sheets when a keyboard is attached to iOS tablets,” said Google. This feature is also available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.

“We’re excited to announce a new featured app category in the Marketplace: Admin managed. These Enterprise apps can be installed only by a Google Workspace administrator for their organisation,” said the company.

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WhatsApp testing new feature that lets you search by username

The feature is presently under development and it will be available in a future update of the app…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature, which will allow you to search for users by their username on Android.

As shown in the screenshot shared by WABetaInfo, the search bar will allow users to search for other users by their username,

This new update will enhance the process of connecting and improve privacy by eliminating the need to share personal phone numbers.

The report noted that the choice to configure a username is totally optional, and users will always have control over this feature as they can remove their current username at any time.

“Users will be able to connect with others without necessarily disclosing their phone numbers. This is particularly beneficial for those who wish to maintain a level of anonymity or control over their personal information,” the report said.

The feature is presently under development and it will be available in a future update of the app.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp has launched a secret code feature for millions of users, an additional way to protect sensitive chats on its platform.

With a secret code, the users will be able to set a unique password different from what they use to unlock their phones to give their locked chats an extra layer of privacy.

“Rolling out secret code to Chat Lock on WhatsApp so you can protect your chats with a unique password. Now you can set your locked chats to only appear when you type the secret code in the search bar, so no one can unintentionally discover your most private conversations,” Meta Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said on his WhatsApp Channel.

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2023: The Electrifying Year for India’s Two-Wheeler EV Segment

The companies also refunded the cost of chargers to their customers as that has to be provided as part of the vehicle and can’t be charged separately…reports Asian Lite News

The year 2023 could be termed as electrifying and eventful for the Indian electric vehicle (EV) industry.

While the industry saw good volume growth, it also saw several government actions, mainly in the two wheeler segment that showed the darker side of the industry, said industry officials.

“Despite unfavourable government actions such as unexpected FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles II (FAME II) subsidy reduction/exhaust of state subsidies/penalties for FAME non-compliance for e2W and lack of payment security mechanism for eBus, EV industry continue to see higher penetration of about 100 basis points (bps) in 2W, 3W and passenger vehicles (PV), though slower-than-expected at start of year,” Mumuksh Mandlesha, Research Analyst, Anand Rathi Institutional Equities told IANS.

According to Mandlesha, consolidation in the EV two wheeler segment can be seen as many new and small players affected by penalties levied by the central government for wrongfully claiming subsidies violating local sourcing norms under the FAME II scheme.

During the year, the Central government had issued notice to several electric two wheeler manufacturers asking them to refund about Rs 500 crore as undue subsidy claims — using imported components and claiming subsidy as local components.

The companies also refunded the cost of chargers to their customers as that has to be provided as part of the vehicle and can’t be charged separately.

“In 2023, the EV industry experienced unprecedented growth and innovation. Our EV company saw remarkable strides in battery technology, driving increased range and efficiency. Government incentives worldwide further fuelled consumer adoption, leading to a surge in EV sales,” Ayush Lohia, CEO, Lohia Auto Industries Ltd told IANS.

“Collaborations within the industry intensified, fostering breakthroughs in charging infrastructure 2023 was a pivotal year for sustainable mobility. We overcame challenges, witnessed heightened public awareness, and played a pivotal role in shaping a cleaner, greener future,” he added.

Lohia said the company has not received notices from the Central government for FAME II norms violation.

The company rolls out electric two and three wheelers.

According to H.S. Bhatia, Managing Director, Kelwon Electronics & Appliances, the competition is intensifying with the number of EV manufacturers growing.

Kelwon Electronics is India Licensee partner for South Korean Daewoo and plans to make e-bikes and other products with the latter’s technology.

“Also governments around the world are continuously supporting EV adoption with incentives and policies hence in the year 2024 we are expecting the Global EV sales to reach 26 million units in 2024 and 50 million units by 2027,” Bhatia added.

Bhatia said the future demand trend will be a shift in favour of four wheelers from two wheelers as the former will become more affordable.

“Also, I’m seeing the growth in the commercial EV segment as businesses are switching to EVs to reduce their operating costs and emissions. Another trend would be growth in the new battery technologies as it has the potential to make EVs even more affordable and practical,” Bhatia said.

As battery prices continue to fall, EVs will become more affordable and accessible to Indian consumers. With continued government support, growing market demand, and expanding infrastructure, India can achieve its target of 30 per cent EV penetration by 2030, he added.

According to Mandlesha, the EV penetration will continue to improve over the medium to long term due to government thrust and strong global investments happening towards EV technologies which would reduce costs. The electric two wheelers and passenger vehicles can log 40-50 per cent CAGR growth ahead.

In fact today in India, all the vehicle makers and ancillaries are more focusing on two/three wheeler and bus segments as they believe it would be the first few segments where penetration grows faster, Mandlesha added.

The declining cost of EVs, advancements in technology, and a growing number of manufacturers entering the market contribute to a favourable environment. However, challenges such as limited charging infrastructure and concerns about battery life still exist.

Overall, India is making significant strides, and with continued support and infrastructure development, the country is poised for widespread EV adoption, Lohia said.

Queried about the dependence on government subsidies for selling EVs, Bhatia said the industry will eventually become less reliant on government subsidies as battery technology continues to improve, the cost of EVs is expected to come down.

Government subsidies are not needed when 20-25 per cent of the total new vehicle sales are accounted for by EVs. By that time the supply chain would have been established and the economy of scale will bring down prices. By encouraging battery swapping, the cost of the electric vehicle can be brought down and adaptation can happen much faster, Lohia added.

“The scrapping of subsidies could impact companies heavily dependent on it for competitiveness. We foresee the need to recalibrate our pricing strategy, enhance operational efficiency, and intensify marketing efforts to maintain market share,” hr remarked.

Citing a study by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK), Suyash Gupta, Director General of Indian Auto LPG Coalition, said drawing on a life cycle and total cost of ownership analysis, the manufacturing, use and scrapping of battery electric vehicles or BEVs causes 15-50 per cent more greenhouse gases than hybrid and conventional engine cars.

So, accounting for the manufacturing processes involved, the usage of batteries through their lifetime and their dismantling phases, EVs are responsible for more emissions than conventional and hybrid vehicles, Gupta said.

With the government’s recent announcement on cutting down on the demand subsidy for EVs under FAME II, the indications are that a slower and more cautious policy approach to EV adoption is likely to prevail in the coming months and years, Gupta said.

According to him, the constraints related to charging infrastructure, development of an indigenous value chain, and the prohibitive costs of transition and persisting range anxiety on the part of the consumers are possibly making the government take a step back.

Apart from the Central government, industry officials want the state governments to lend a strong supporting hand for EV penetration while appreciating the current measures.

For a comprehensive 360 degree support, the states can work on all related actions like incentives for manufacturing, retrofitting, setting up of charging stations, special electricity tariff for charging stations, said Bhatia.

According to the industry officials, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Chandigarh have good policies for EVs.

“Maharasthra, Delhi and Gujarat have attractive EV policies which included direct purchase subsidies. In certain states like Maharashtra subsidies have exhausted which should have continued for more longer period,” said Mandlesha.

One interesting aspect is that the traditional petrol powered two wheeler makers like TVS Motor, Bajaj are gradually increasing their market share with a steady approach.

The one major plus point is that they have an existing country wide service network which will be leveraged for EVs whereas the pure play electric two wheeler makers have to set up the network ground up.

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Microsoft to invest $3.2 bn in UK to drive future AI growth

Since then, the UK regulator waved through a restructured version of Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, putting Britain back in Microsoft’s favour…reports Asian Lite News

Microsoft’s plan to pump 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) into Britain over the next three years, its single largest investment in the country to date, will underpin future growth in artificial intelligence (AI), the UK government said.

Britain, where the economy is forecast to be sluggish in the coming years, is pushing for private investment to help fund new infrastructure, particularly in growth industries like AI.

The funding, first announced at a summit hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, will more than double Microsoft’s datacentre footprint in Britain, providing the infrastructure crucial for new AI models to work.

“Today’s announcement is a turning point for the future of AI infrastructure and development in the UK,” Sunak said in a statement on Thursday.

Microsoft’s plan comes despite comments by its president Brad Smith in April that a decision by the country’s antitrust regulator that went against the US company put the tech industry’s confidence in Britain at risk.

Since then, the UK regulator waved through a restructured version of Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, putting Britain back in Microsoft’s favour.

“Microsoft is committed as a company to ensuring that the UK as a country has world-leading AI infrastructure,” Smith said in the statement released as he hosted finance minister Jeremy Hunt at a datacentre being constructed in north London.

As part of the deal announced on Thursday, Microsoft will bring more than 20,000 of the most advanced Graphics Processing Units to Britain, tech which is key to machine learning and developing AI, the government statement said.

The investment includes a training plan to help ensure Britons have the skills they need to build and work with AI, it added.

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‘Digital Awareness Crucial Against Cybercrimes’

Rajput said India is currently experiencing a “technological golden age”, with a growing number of skilled professionals and a supportive government policy framework with initiatives like the BharatNet project and the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan fuelling the rapid growth in digitisation…reports Asian Lite News

ITC Ltd Corporate Affairs President Anil Rajput said collective efforts from all stakeholders – individuals, businesses and the broader community and digital awareness – are key to combat cyber crimes.

Rajput made the remark during an address at the plenary track 1 of the three-day international conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime and cybersecurity in New Delhi, which began on Wednesday (November 29).

“Digital revolution has not only created vast opportunities for success, but has also given rise to a dirty world of cyber criminals who exploit vulnerabilities for personal gains. For many years now, India has been experiencing a surge in cyber incidents, ranging from financial fraud and data breaches to identity theft and sophisticated hacking attacks.

“Phishing attacks, where individuals are tricked into revealing sensitive information have become alarmingly common. Our financial system also faces threats from online fraud and ransomware attacks, jeopardising the hard-earned money of millions,” said Anil Rajput, who is also FICCI CASCADE Chairman.

During the conference, the experts are brainstorming over a raft of issues in the cyberworld, including how enterprises, policymakers and financial institutions can help build a secure ecosystem for all stakeholders.

Speaking on the rapid strides made by digitisation in the country, Rajput said: “In 2015, the government launched the Digital India programme, which aimed at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Under this programme, the government launched several initiatives to promote digital literacy, digital infrastructure, and digital services.

“One of the key initiatives under Digital India was the Aadhaar programme, which provides a unique identification number to every citizen of India. This programme has made it easier for people to access government services and has helped the government to plug leakages in the delivery of subsidies and other welfare measures.

“India’s digital economy has also been driven by the private sector, with several startups and established players investing heavily in the sector. The country’s startup ecosystem is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with several unicorns emerging in recent years. In addition, our IT sector has also been a major contributor to the digital economy, with Indian IT firms providing services to clients across the world.”

“Digital revolution has not only created vast opportunities for success, but has also given rise to a dirty world of cyber criminals who exploit vulnerabilities for personal gains”

Rajput said India is currently experiencing a “technological golden age”, with a growing number of skilled professionals and a supportive government policy framework with initiatives like the BharatNet project and the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan fuelling the rapid growth in digitisation.

“As a result of all these initiatives, more than half of Indians, 759 million citizens, are active internet users and access the internet at least once a month, according to a joint report by industry body IAMAI and market data analytics firm Kantar. The report also states that the active internet base in India is expected to grow to 900 million by 2025.

“Urban India, with approximately 71 per cent internet penetration, witnessed only 6 percent growth, with much of the overall gain in numbers coming from rural India, which witnessed 14 per cent growth rate over the past one year. It is estimated that 56 per cent of all new internet users in India will be from rural India by 2025. According to RBI data, UPI transactions have witnessed a 428 per cent surge, roaring from 2.9 lakh crore in July, 2020 to 15.33 lakh crore in July, 2023. Such has been the unbelievable adoption and progression of digitalisation in our country,” said Rajput.

Rajput, however, also warned about the dangers emanating from nefarious entities looking to exploit the loopholes to launch cyber attacks and causing damage to organisations, government entities and individuals.

“There are various kinds of cyber-attacks and these include Malware, Ransomware, Phishing, Denial-of-Service attack, Man-in-the-Middle attack, Spyware, Trojan Horse and the list is unending. If we look at the big cyber-attacks that impacted India, then the names of Operation Shady Rat (2010), which targeted several Indian government organisations, thereby, compromising sensitive data and networks comes to mind. Operation Red October (2012) was a cyber espionage campaign which targeted Indian government entities and diplomatic missions and resulted in the theft of classified information.

“The Banking Trojan attacks (2013-14) unleashed malware attacks on multiple banks leading to financial losses and compromising customer data. In 2014 India’s critical infrastructure including power grids was targeted by a group known as Operation Crouching Yeti causing disruptions and raising concerns about national security.

“The Petya/NotPetya ransomware attacks of 2017 impacted several Indian organistions causing disruptions in shipping, logistics and manufacturing sectors. Recently, India’s premier and most reputed hospital AIIMS was rocked by two cyber-attacks (Malware attacks) in November, 2022 and June, 2023 leading to disruption of services and online based processes, and just a few days ago a major hospitality chain in India was seen struggling with a massive personal data breach of over 15 lakh users from its database.

“Just a couple of days back after the fallout of the recent case at public-sector lender UCO Bank involving erroneous money transfers, the Finance Ministry called for a meeting to discuss digital payment frauds, financial crimes and cybersecurity measures required to counter such activities. The government has over the years recognised the gravity of the situation and has taken steps to address cyber threats.

“The Information Technology Act, 2000 and the subsequent amendments provide a legal framework to combat cybercrime. Law enforcement agencies are also continually upgrading their capabilities to investigate and prosecute cybercriminals,” said Rajput.

Rajput reiterated that “we cannot afford to drop guard in the fight against cyber criminals as it is an emerging field and it is not the sole responsibility of the government to tackle this threat.”

“The fight against cyber crime requires the collective effort from all stakeholders- individuals, businesses and the broader community. We must prioritise digital literacy to empower citizens to recognise and protect themselves from online threats and the organisations must implement robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information and infrastructure.

“In this interconnected world, international cooperation is extremely important, and here, it is important to underscore, that cyber threats transcend borders and therefore collaboration with other nations is essential to track down and bring to justice all those who operate beyond one’s shores,” said Rajput.

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Microsoft on OpenAI Board, Altman Takes Charge

OpenAI’s new board consists of chair Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo, the only remaining holdout from the previous board….reports Asian Lite News

Sam Altman has officially returned to OpenAI as CEO after an intense drama earlier this month, with Microsoft getting a non-voting observer seat on the company’s board.

OpenAI’s new board consists of chair Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo, the only remaining holdout from the previous board.

Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI, with a 49 percent stake in the for-profit entity that the nonprofit board controls, reports The Verge.

In a memo to employees, Altman said that he harbours “zero ill will” towards Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist who was behind Altman’s ouster.

“While Ilya will no longer serve on the board, we hope to continue our working relationship and are discussing how he can continue his work at OpenAI,” Altman said in the memo.

“The fact that we did not lose a single customer will drive us to work even harder for you,” he told employees.

He said that OpenAI will advance research plan and further invest in its full-stack safety efforts.

“Our research roadmap is clear; this was a wonderfully focusing time. I share the excitement you all feel; we will turn this crisis into an opportunity! I’ll work with Mira (Murati) on this,” Altman said.

OpenAI board chair Taylor told employees that they are thrilled that “Sam, Mira and OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman are back together leading the company and driving it forward”.

“We will build a qualified, diverse board of exceptional individuals whose collective experience represents the breadth of OpenAI’s mission – from technology to safety to policy. We are pleased that this Board will include a non-voting observer for Microsoft,” he added.

Altman was earlier fired as CEO of OpenAI, the developer of AI chatbot ChatGPT, and the earlier board had said it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”

Later, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced to hire Altman and Brockman to help the company pursue its advanced AI dreams with a new vertical.

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Digital Inclusion in Focus at Bengaluru Tech Summit

Tech leaders, startups, investors, and research labs from 30 plus countries are taking part in the summit between November 29 to December 1….reports Asian Lite News

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the prestigious Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 on Wednesday.

Speaking after inaugurating the 26th edition of the tech summit, Siddaramaiah stated, “The digital divide is a reality we must address, ensuring that the benefits of technology reach every citizen, regardless of their background.

“We aim to bridge this gap through targeted initiatives, utilising the power of data and analytics to drive informed decision-making in governance. Beyond Bengaluru is a unique initiative in that direction with the primary focus of developing and enhancing ecosystems in regions beyond Bengaluru and bridging the digital divide.”

“Our government is focused on building a seamless ecosystem that attracts investment, talent, and opportunities. We want Karnataka to be seen as the hub with an “end-to-end ecosystem” for innovating and growing businesses,” he stated.

Karnataka has been at the forefront of pioneering sector specific policies that have played a pivotal role in shaping our state’s trajectory towards progress. In 1997, we set a precedent by becoming the first state in the country to introduce a ground-breaking Information Technology Policy. Fast forward to today, and the IT sector stands as a cornerstone of our economy, contributing a substantial 25 per cent to our GDP, the CM explained.

Building on this legacy of innovation, Karnataka was also the pioneer in introducing a Biotech Policy in 2001. As we continue to champion advancements in biotechnology, I am thrilled to announce that a revised Biotech Policy is set to be unveiled at the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), he said.

“This vibrant industry has not only provided direct employment to over 12 lakh professionals but has also created a ripple effect, generating over 31 lakh indirect jobs. Karnataka’s share of software exports, nearly 40 per cent of the country’s total, solidifies its position as a global IT powerhouse,” Siddaramaiah stated.

The 26th Edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit is organised by Department of Electronics IT, BT, Software Technology Parks of India. The theme of the year is ‘Breaking Boundaries’.

Tech leaders, startups, investors, and research labs from 30 plus countries are taking part in the summit between November 29 to December 1.

ALSO READ: AWS bets big on GenAI

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AWS bets big on GenAI

AWS currently offers more than 150 different Graviton-powered Amazon EC2 instance types globally at scale, has built more than 2 million Graviton processors…reports Asian Lite News

Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Adam Selipsky on Tuesday unveiled a slew of new offerings, including a purpose-built chip for generative AI and ML training to boost GenAI adoption among enterprises of all sizes.

The AWS CEO said that 80 per cent of unicorns (companies with a valuation of $1 billion and above) run on their cloud globally and with GenAI, the innovation will only grow across companies of all sizes. The Cloud giant has been working with AI and ML offerings for more than 25 years.

Delivering the keynote at the company’s annual flagship ‘re: Invent’ conference here, Selipsky said that innovators across the world are relying on AWS to drive their businesses, including leading enterprises from leading financial service providers to automotive giants.

“We are constantly reinventing with GenAI. Companies of all sizes are in the early experimental stages with GenAI and are innovating for early-use cases with large language models (LLMs). We are offering a generative AI stack for enterprises,” he told a packed house here.

Selipsky unveiled the next generation of two AWS-designed chips — AWS Graviton4 and AWS Trainium2 — for a broad range of customer workloads, including machine learning (ML) training and generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Graviton4 provides up to 30 per cent better compute performance, 50 per cent more cores, and 75 per cent more memory bandwidth than current generation Graviton3 processors, delivering the best price performance and energy efficiency for a broad range of workloads running on Amazon EC2.

AWS currently offers more than 150 different Graviton-powered Amazon EC2 instance types globally at scale, has built more than 2 million Graviton processors, and has more than 50,000 customers—including the top 100 EC2 customers—using Graviton-based instances to achieve the best price performance for their applications.

At the event, the company announced three new serverless innovations across its database and analytics portfolio that make it faster and easier for customers to scale their data infrastructure to support their most demanding use cases.

Dr Swami Sivasubramanian, vice president of Data and Artificial Intelligence at AWS, said that the new serverless innovations “build on the foundation to make it easier for customers to scale to millions of transactions per second, quickly add capacity at a moment’s notice, and dynamically adapt workload patterns to optimize for performance and cost.”

The company also announced a new palm-scanning identity service that will allow companies to authenticate people when entering physical premises.

Called ‘Amazon One Enterprise,’ the service eliminates operational overhead associated with the management of traditional enterprise authentication methods, like badges and PINs, the company said during its ‘AWS re:Invent 2023’ event here.

The palm-recognition technology uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a palm signature that is associated with identification credentials like a badge, employee ID, or PIN.

“Amazon One Enterprise’s palm recognition technology is designed to deliver a highly accurate identification service that increases an organisation’s overall security, while offering seamless authentication management with lower operational overhead,” said Dilip Kumar, vice president of AWS Applications.

Amazon launched a new $195 devices that allow enterprise users to access virtual desktop environments, like Amazon WorkSpaces, over the internet. The devices are housed in Fire TV Cube hardware.

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