Meta Buys Microchip Startup Rivos to Boost AI Capabilities

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is acquiring a privately held microchip startup called Rivos in an effort to boost its internal semiconductor development and gain more control over its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. This move comes as part of Meta’s aggressive capital expenditures on AI, which total $600 billion over the next three … Read more

Experts Say AI “Sentience” Claims Are Probably Just Illusions

People around the world are talking to artificial intelligence chatbots like never before. Some users believe these bots have become conscious, even sentient beings. But experts say this is unlikely. They think it’s just a model creating responses based on what it’s been trained on. When a user asked an OpenAI chatbot how it felt, … Read more

Nvidia’s Market Value Drops Amid AI Competition

Nvidia’s stock price fell as its massive market value slipped below $4.5 trillion on Wednesday. This comes after one of Nvidia’s key customers, Meta, accelerated its development of competing artificial intelligence (AI) chip technology, reducing demand for Nvidia’s products. Source: https://www.barrons.com/articles/nvidia-stock-price-ai-chips-10584ac9

Defense Stocks Fall Less than Expected in Shutdown

Defense stocks are declining due to the government shutdown, but not as much as expected. Analysts say that some defense contractors may face pressure, but day-to-day operations on major weapons platforms will remain unchanged. The main impact is likely to be on the government contracting process, which will come to a halt. Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp500-nasdaq-lower-us-government-shutdown-dollar-falls-gold-up-adp-data/card/defense-stocks-are-down-with-the-shutdown-but-by-less-than-the-market-nejiB8aCC2KhqPuGJ76X?mod=mw_FV

Corteva Shares Plummet 9.11% Amid Crop Tech Shift

Corteva, the maker of seeds resistant to pests and weeds, announced it’s separating from its parent company Dow, citing independence for farmers as the main reason. This change affects supplies of chemicals used to control weeds and pests. Source: https://www.wsj.com/business/corteva-to-spin-seed-business-into-separate-company-e81ebefa

Is Chatbot Consciousness Possible?

Artificial intelligence has become so advanced that “we’re now creating beings,” says Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prize winner. As AI chatbots mimic human-like conversations, some users believe they might be conscious too. However, experts warn that intelligence and consciousness are not the same thing. Some researchers think that if an AI system can reason and … Read more

US Government Shutdown Enters 15th Year Over Healthcare Disagreement

A 15th US government shutdown has begun due to a disagreement between President Donald Trump’s Republican party and congressional Democrats. Here’s what sparked the standoff: **What Democrats Want** Democrats are using their limited power in Congress to push for healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They want to make permanent tax breaks available … Read more

NBCUniversal Cookie Policy Explained Simply

NBCUniversal uses cookies (small files on your computer or device) and other tracking technologies on its websites, apps, and services. Here’s how it works: **What are Cookies?** Cookies are small text files that help us understand what you want to see on our website. They can be first-party (we put them there) or third-party (our … Read more

US Government Shutdown Enters Critical Stage

The US government shutdown has entered its critical stage as negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over healthcare subsidies continue. The White House threatens new measures, while congressional leaders dig in. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs, and President Trump’s support is crucial to any potential deal. Source: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/white-house-lawmakers-float-ideas-for-ending-government-shutdown-a5f137ab