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Lightspeed AI Computing Made Possible With a New Chip

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Lightspeed AI Computing Made Possible With a New Chip

To do the intricate math required for AI training, experts at the University of Pennsylvania have created a new microprocessor that runs on light waves rather than electricity. With this technology, computers could process information at a much faster rate and use less power overall.

The silicon-photonic (SiPh) chip design is the first to combine the technology of the silicon-photonic (SiPh) platform—which uses silicon, the inexpensive, abundant element used to mass-produce computer chips—with the groundbreaking research of H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor and Benjamin Franklin Medal Laureate Nader Engheta on manipulating materials at the nanoscale to perform mathematical computations using light—the fastest possible means of communication.

One path toward creating computers that surpass the capabilities of current chips—which are largely built on the same ideas as chips from the early days of the computing revolution in the 1960s—is the interaction of light waves with matter.

Taking advantage of the fact that Aflatouni’s research group has pioneered nanoscale silicon devices, “we decided to join forces,” adds Engheta.

Their objective was to create a platform that could carry out vector-matrix multiplication, a fundamental mathematical operation used in the construction and operation of neural networks, the type of computer architecture that underpins modern artificial intelligence systems.

According to Engheta, “you make the silicon thinner, say 150 nanometers,” but only in certain places, as opposed to using a silicon wafer of uniform height. Without the use of any additional materials, those height variations offer a way to regulate how light travels through the chip. This is because the height variations can be distributed to cause light to scatter in particular patterns, enabling the chip to execute mathematical operations at the speed of light.

Aflatouni says that this design is already ready for commercial applications and could be modified for use in graphics processing units (GPUs), the demand for which has increased dramatically with the widespread interest in creating new artificial intelligence systems, due to the limitations imposed by the commercial foundry that produced the chips.

“They can adopt the Silicon Photonics platform as an add-on,” says Aflatouni, “and then you could speed up training and classification.”

The chip developed by Engheta and Aflatouni offers advantages in terms of privacy in addition to speed and energy efficiency: Future computers equipped with such technology will be nearly impenetrable since multiple computations can occur concurrently, eliminating the need to keep sensitive data in working memory.

“No one can hack into a non-existing memory to access your information,” says Aflatouni.

Vahid Nikkhah, Ali Pirmoradi, Farshid Ashtiani, and Brian Edwards from Penn Engineering are the other co-authors.

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Microsoft Expands Copilot Voice and Think Deeper

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Microsoft Expands Copilot Voice and Think Deeper

Microsoft is taking a major step forward by offering unlimited access to Copilot Voice and Think Deeper, marking two years since the AI-powered Copilot was first integrated into Bing search. This update comes shortly after the tech giant revamped its Copilot Pro subscription and bundled advanced AI features into Microsoft 365.

What’s Changing?

Microsoft remains committed to its $20 per month Copilot Pro plan, ensuring that subscribers continue to enjoy premium benefits. According to the company, Copilot Pro users will receive:

  • Preferred access to the latest AI models during peak hours.
  • Early access to experimental AI features, with more updates expected soon.
  • Extended use of Copilot within popular Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The Impact on Users

This move signals Microsoft’s dedication to enhancing AI-driven productivity tools. By expanding access to Copilot’s powerful features, users can expect improved efficiency, smarter assistance, and seamless integration across Microsoft’s ecosystem.

As AI technology continues to evolve, Microsoft is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation, ensuring both casual users and professionals can leverage the best AI tools available.

Stay tuned for further updates as Microsoft rolls out more enhancements to its AI offerings.

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Google Launches Free AI Coding Tool for Individual Developers

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Google Launches Free AI Coding Tool for Individual Developers

Google has introduced a free version of Gemini Code Assistant, its AI-powered coding assistant, for solo developers worldwide. The tool, previously available only to enterprise users, is now in public preview, making advanced AI-assisted coding accessible to students, freelancers, hobbyists, and startups.

More Features, Fewer Limits

Unlike competing tools such as GitHub Copilot, which limits free users to 2,000 code completions per month, Google is offering up to 180,000 code completions—a significantly higher cap designed to accommodate even the most active developers.

“Now anyone can easily learn, generate code snippets, debug, and modify applications without switching between multiple windows,” said Ryan J. Salva, Google’s senior director of product management.

AI-Powered Coding Assistance

Gemini Code Assist for individuals is powered by Google’s Gemini 2.0 AI model and offers:
Auto-completion of code while typing
Generation of entire code blocks based on prompts
Debugging assistance via an interactive chatbot

The tool integrates with popular developer environments like Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and JetBrains, supporting a wide range of programming languages. Developers can use natural language prompts, such as:
Create an HTML form with fields for name, email, and message, plus a submit button.”

With support for 38 programming languages and a 128,000-token memory for processing complex prompts, Gemini Code Assist provides a robust AI-driven coding experience.

Enterprise Features Still Require a Subscription

While the free tier is generous, advanced features like productivity analytics, Google Cloud integrations, and custom AI tuning remain exclusive to paid Standard and Enterprise plans.

With this move, Google aims to compete more aggressively in the AI coding assistant market, offering developers a powerful and unrestricted alternative to existing tools.

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Elon Musk Unveils Grok-3: A Game-Changing AI Chatbot to Rival ChatGPT

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Elon Musk Unveils Grok-3: A Game-Changing AI Chatbot to Rival ChatGPT

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has unveiled its latest chatbot, Grok-3, which aims to compete with leading AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and China’s DeepSeek. Grok-3 is now available to Premium+ subscribers on Musk’s social media platform x (formerly Twitter) and is also available through xAI’s mobile app and the new SuperGrok subscription tier on Grok.com.

Advanced capabilities and performance

Grok-3 has ten times the computing power of its predecessor, Grok-2. Initial tests show that Grok-3 outperforms models from OpenAI, Google, and DeepSeek, particularly in areas such as math, science, and coding. The chatbot features advanced reasoning features capable of decomposing complex questions into manageable tasks. Users can interact with Grok-3 in two different ways: “Think,” which performs step-by-step reasoning, and “Big Brain,” which is designed for more difficult tasks.

Strategic Investments and Infrastructure

To support the development of Grok-3, xAI has made major investments in its supercomputer cluster, Colossus, which is currently the largest globally. This infrastructure underscores the company’s commitment to advancing AI technology and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.

New Offerings and Future Plans

Along with Grok-3, xAI has also introduced a logic-based chatbot called DeepSearch, designed to enhance research, brainstorming, and data analysis tasks. This tool aims to provide users with more insightful and relevant information. Looking to the future, xAI plans to release Grok-2 as an open-source model, encouraging community participation and further development. Additionally, upcoming improvements for Grok-3 include a synthesized voice feature, which aims to improve user interaction and accessibility.

Market position and competition

The launch of Grok-3 positions xAI as a major competitor in the AI ​​chatbot market, directly challenging established models from OpenAI and emerging competitors such as DeepSeek. While Grok-3’s performance claims are yet to be independently verified, early indications suggest it could have a significant impact on the AI ​​landscape. xAI is actively seeking $10 billion in investment from major companies, demonstrating its strong belief in their technological advancements and market potential.

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