The Caffeinated Code: Weekly Tech Brew - Antitrust, Autonomous Vehicles, AI, & Orca 2

Welcome, humans.☕

What to decode:

• 🚀 EU Expands Antitrust Probes in Online Food Delivery

• 💥 Hyundai and Motional's Leap into Autonomous Vehicles

• 👥 AI21 Labs Thrives Amidst AI Industry Upheavals

• 🔍 The OpenAI Fiasco: A Catalyst for Change in the AI Industry

• 🧠 Microsoft's Orca 2: Small Language Models with Enhanced Reasoning

Read time: 4 minutes

🚀 EU Expands Antitrust Probes in Online Food Delivery

European Union regulators are ramping up investigations into Glovo and Delivery Hero for potential breaches of competition laws. This intensification follows a series of unannounced inspections and broadens the probe to include agreements and information exchanges that may restrict business practices.

Amidst a digital economy that demands fairness, these actions signify a major shift in the enforcement of antitrust laws in the EU.

💥 Hyundai and Motional’s Leap into Autonomous Vehicles

In a landmark collaboration, Hyundai Motor Group and Motional announce the development of the IONIQ 5 robotaxi, blending the future of mobility with cutting-edge technology.

This venture marks a significant step in commercializing autonomous vehicles, setting the stage for a new era in transportation. With plans to roll out in the U.S. by 2024, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi symbolizes the rapid evolution of the automotive industry.

👥 AI21 Labs Thrives Amidst AI Industry Upheavals

In the wake of tumultuous times at OpenAI, AI21 Labs, a generative AI startup, secures a notable $53 million in funding. Competing with major players like OpenAI, AI21 Labs' success in raising capital amidst industry chaos highlights the dynamic nature of the AI landscape.

This development reflects both the competitiveness and the opportunities that exist within the AI sector.

🌐 China’s Tightening Grip on Internet Freedom

In a concerning trend, popular anti-censorship tools like Clash for Windows are vanishing in China, underscoring the state's stringent control over internet access.

This crackdown on tools designed to circumvent online censorship reflects the ongoing battle for internet freedom in China and raises questions about the future of digital rights in the country.

🔍 The OpenAI Fiasco: A Catalyst for Change in the AI Industry

Recent events at OpenAI, including high-profile leadership changes, have sparked discussions about the future of AI development. This tumult at OpenAI could be a turning point, leading to more diversified and open AI initiatives.

The incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with centralized control and the importance of having a variety of voices and approaches in the AI industry.

🧠 Microsoft's Orca 2: Small Language Models with Enhanced Reasoning

Microsoft Research introduces Orca 2, a language model with advanced reasoning abilities. Orca 2 demonstrates that smaller models can achieve capabilities typically found only in much larger models.

The development of Orca 2 involved training with a highly tailored synthetic dataset, enabling the model to learn various reasoning techniques and choose different solution strategies for different tasks. This advancement represents a significant step in AI, showing the potential of smaller models to perform complex reasoning tasks.

That's all for now!

As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time. 🫡☕