Blog

Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024: Powering Thailand’s digital future 

by

Taking place in Bangkok, this convention offers a unique opportunity to explore Thailand’s explosive growth in the data center market and its positioning as ASEAN’s Digital Hub.

The event, which will take place on November 14, 2024, at Centara Grand, Bangkok, will feature keynotes, panel discussions, and networking opportunities focused on Thailand’s latest trends in cloud computing, data center services, and digital infrastructure.

Participants will gain valuable insights into Thailand’s digital economy boom, investment opportunities, and the role of technology in transforming the country into a pivotal player in Asia’s digital landscape.

Why attend the Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024?

The convention offers numerous reasons to attend, including:

Gain insights from 22+ speakers and industry experts
Network with 1,133+ attendees, including 47% key decision-makers and end-users
Explore the latest trends in AI, cloud computing, and data center operations
Learn about government support and policies for digital infrastructure investment
Discover opportunities in Thailand’s rapidly growing data center market

Who should attend? 

The Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024 is designed for a diverse audience of professionals, including:

Data center operators and investors
Cloud service providers
IT infrastructure managers
Government officials involved in digital economy initiatives
Cybersecurity experts
Sustainability and energy efficiency professionals
Technology vendors and solution providers

Featured sessions and speakers from Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024

The event boasts an impressive lineup of sessions and speakers, including:

Keynote: “Thailand’s Digital Economy Boom: Assessing Investment Opportunities and Government Support in Digital Infrastructure”
Panel: “Expert Industry Analyst Outlook on Demand for Data Centers 2024 – 2027”
Keynote: “Data Center Construction Suggestions in the AI Era” by Michael Lim, Director, Strategic Marketing, CTO Group, ZTE Corporation
Keynote: “Transforming Data Centers for a Sustainable Future: Lessons from Global Best Practices” by Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Panel: “AI and Cloud Computing – Ahead or Behind in Thailand?” featuring Elton Chew, George Papas, and Dr. Non Arkaraprasertkul
Keynote: “Enabling a Sustainable and Resilient Future: Innovations in Datacenter Solutions and the Impact of AI Trends” by Atitaya Surapunthu, Schneider Electric
Keynote: “Building a Data Center that is AI SuperCloud ready” by Thailand Internet & Cloud Providers Association (TICPA)
Fire-Side Chat: “Fortifying Thailand’s Cybersecurity” with Virag Thakkar, Thai Union Group PCL.
Closing Panel: “Charting the Course – Next Steps for Thailand’s Data Center Future” featuring Paul Lee, CHINT GLOBAL

Key details about the event 

Mark your calendars and prepare to be part of this groundbreaking convention:

Date: November 14, 2024
Venue: Centara Grand, Bangkok
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tickets: Available on the event website here

The event will conclude with Sundown Networking Drinks from 3:40 PM to 5:00 PM, providing additional opportunities for attendees to connect and discuss the day’s insights.

Visit the official Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024 website to secure your spot, view the full agenda, and explore sponsorship opportunities.

The post Thailand Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024: Powering Thailand’s digital future  appeared first on DailyAI.

UAE’s AI ambitions face crucial test in White House talks

by

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan will travel to Washington on Monday for a landmark meeting with US President Joe Biden.

This is the first-ever UAE presidential visit to the US capital in seven years, and AI is at the forefront of discussions as the oil-rich Gulf nation seeks to reinvent itself as an AI powerhouse.

The UAE’s AI push, spearheaded by Abu Dhabi-based firm G42, has raised eyebrows in Washington. 

G42, chaired by UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, recently unveiled “Jais,” touted as the world’s most advanced Arabic large language model. However, the company’s past ties with Chinese company Huawei set off alarm bells in the US.

“AI and new changes in cloud computing are going to change the way the world looks,” says Anwar Gargash, Sheikh Mohamed’s diplomatic adviser. “We cannot let this sort of wave of technological breakthroughs pass by us.” 

For the UAE, AI isn’t just about staying technologically relevant – it’s about economic survival in a post-oil world.

However, US export restrictions imposed in 2022 have thrown a wrench in the UAE’s AI aspirations. The Biden administration added Gulf states to a list of countries facing limitations on importing advanced US-made AI chips, citing concerns about technology leaks to China. 

This slowed the UAE’s AI projects, adding urgency to Sheikh Mohamed’s mission.

The UAE is now pivoting towards US tech partnerships. Microsoft’s recent $1.5 billion investment in G42 signals growing US interest in the Emirates’ AI ecosystem. G42 has also announced a partnership with US chip manufacturer Nvidia for a weather forecasting initiative.

Yet, these moves have intensified scrutiny from US lawmakers. Republican politicians have requested an intelligence assessment of the Microsoft-G42 deal, worried about potential exports of restricted AI chips. 

In response, G42’s CEO Peng Xiao has pledged to phase out Huawei technology, stating, “We simply cannot do much more work with Chinese partners.”

Sheikh Mohamed and Biden are expected to hammer out a broad framework for US-UAE AI cooperation. Sources suggest the UAE wants to secure a “road map” ahead of the upcoming US election, hoping to lock in progress regardless of who occupies the White House come January.

The talks will also cover pressing issues like the Gaza conflict, Sudan, climate change, and clean energy. 

This push for AI dominance isn’t unique to the UAE. Flush with oil wealth, Middle Eastern nations are racing to build competitive AI industries. Gulf nations were among the biggest buyers of Nvidia chips last year.

Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wanted to strike deals with the UAE for an outlandish trillion-dollar chip manufacturing strategy, though we’ve heard little of it since.  

An analyst explained in August 2023, “The UAE wants to own and control its computational power and talent, develop their platforms, and remain independent from the influence of major players like the Chinese or the Americans. With the capital and energy resources at their disposal, they’re also attracting the top global talent.”

UAE’s AI minister Omar Sultan Al Olama reflects on past mistakes: “We over-regulated the printing press… The Middle East banned it for 200 years.” The region is determined not to repeat history with AI.

As Sheikh Mohamed makes his case in Washington, the stakes are high. Success could catapult the UAE to the forefront of global AI development, while failure might leave it languishing in a technological backwater. 

The outcome of Monday’s talks could shape not just the future of US-UAE relations, but the balance of technological power in the Middle East and beyond.

The post UAE’s AI ambitions face crucial test in White House talks appeared first on DailyAI.

Open Source Initiative disagrees with Meta on ‘open’ AI

by

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) has released an updated draft definition of what constitutes open-source AI and says Meta’s models don’t qualify despite the company’s claims.

Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about Meta’s commitment to what he says is open-source AI. However, while models like Llama 3.1 are less opaque than the proprietary models from OpenAI or Google, discussions in the OSI community suggest Meta is using the term loosely.

At an online public town hall event on Friday, the OSI discussed the criteria it believes a truly open-source AI model should conform to. The OSI refers to these criteria as “4 Freedoms” and says an open-source AI “is an AI system made available under terms and in a way that grant the freedoms to:

Use the system for any purpose and without having to ask for permission.
Study how the system works and inspect its components.
Modify the system for any purpose, including to change its output.
Share the system for others to use with or without modifications, for any purpose.”

To be able to modify an AI model, the OSI’s open AI definition says the weights and source code should be open, and the training data set should be available.

Meta’s license imposes some restrictions on how its models can be used and it has declined to release the training data it used to train its models. If you accept that the OSI is the custodian of what “open-source” means, then the implication is that Meta distorts the truth when it calls its models “open”.

The OSI is a California public benefit corporation that relies on community input to develop open-source standards. Some in that community have accused Mark Zuckerberg of “open washing” Meta’s models and bullying the industry into accepting his version rather than the OSI’s definition.

Chairman of Open Source Group Japan, Shuji Sado said “It’s possible that Zuckerberg has a different definition of Open Source than we do,” and suggested that the unclear legal landscape around AI training data and copyright could be the reason for this.

Open Source AI Definition – Weekly update September 23 https://t.co/flbb3yGCmx

— Open Source Initiative @osi@opensource.org (@OpenSourceOrg) September 23, 2024

Words matter

This might all sound like an argument over semantics but, depending on the definition the AI industry adopts, there could be serious legal consequences.

Meta has had a tough time navigating EU GDPR laws over its insatiable hunger for users’ social media data. Some people claim that Meta’s loose definition of “open-source AI” is an attempt to skirt new laws like the EU AI Act.

The Act provides a limited exception for general-purpose AI models (GPAIMs) released under open-source licenses. These models are exempt from certain transparency obligations although they still have to provide a summary of the content used to train the model.

On the other hand, the proposed SB 1047 California AI safety bill disincentivizes companies like Meta from aligning their models with the OSI definition. The bill mandates complex safety protocols for “open” models and holds developers liable for harmful modifications and misuse by bad actors.

SB 1047 defines open-source AI tools as “artificial intelligence model[s] that [are] made freely available and that may be freely modified and redistributed.” Does that mean that an AI model that can be fine-tuned by a user is “open” or would the definition only apply if the model ticks all the OSI boxes?

For now, the vaguery allows Meta the marketing benefits and room to negotiate some legislation. At some point, the industry will need to commit to a definition. Will it be defined by a big tech company like Meta or by a community-driven organization like the OSI?

The post Open Source Initiative disagrees with Meta on ‘open’ AI appeared first on DailyAI.

Google’s Open Buildings project maps urban expansion across the Global South

by

Google Research has released the Open Buildings 2.5D Temporal Dataset, a project that tracks building changes across the Global South from 2016 to 2023.

This exceptionally detailed dataset offers a dynamic, year-by-year view of urbanization. It captures building construction, growth, and transformation across regions where such detailed data has long been scarce or nonexistent.

John Quinn, a software engineer at Google Research, explained why the project is important: “Not knowing where buildings are is a big problem for lots of practical reasons. If you’re creating services or vaccination campaigns or rescuing people after an emergency, this is an issue.”

The tool’s primary breakthrough is its ability to extract high-resolution insights from low-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. 

By analyzing up to 32 time-shifted images of the same location, the AI can detect structures far smaller than a single pixel, effectively overcoming the limitations of available imagery in many parts of the Global South.

Building density in 2023 based on Open Buildings 2.5D Temporal dataset data. Source: Google.

Beyond detection, the system estimates building heights with remarkable precision – within 1.5 meters on average.

This transforms flat satellite images into rich, multi-layered data, providing urban planners and humanitarian organizations with a powerful instrument for understanding population density and resource needs.

AI is transforming our approach to mapping land use globally.

A recent project by Aya Data in Ghana, for example. demonstrates the technology’s potential. They employed AI to analyze thousands of satellite images of South America, tracking changes in forests, urban areas, and agricultural land over several years.

The AI’s skill in detecting subtle changes, such as early signs of deforestation or new developments, informs real-world agriculture and conservation policies.

Beyond observing long-term shifts in the environment, AI enables researchers to detect and respond to immediate threats like illegal logging, wildlife poaching, and unauthorized changes in land use visible from satellite imagery.

Mapping the Global South

The term “Global South” typically refers to developing nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 

These regions, home to the majority of the world’s population, often face challenges in delivering high-quality healthcare, urban development, environmental conservation, and resource management.

Abdoulaye Diack, a program manager on the project, stated, “We want people in the global South making policy decisions to have the same tools available as the global North.” 

The dataset is already finding practical applications. In Uganda, the nonprofit Sunbird AI is leveraging this data for rural electrification projects.

WorldPop, based at the University of Southampton, is using it to refine global population estimates – critical information for planning everything from vaccination campaigns to disaster response.

WorldPop’s director, Professor Andrew Tatem, explained why this data is important: “Understanding where people live is vital for making sure that resources are distributed fairly and that no one is left behind in delivering services like healthcare.”

Google admits that the system has limitations. Persistent cloud cover can impede data collection in some of the world’s most humid regions, and very small structures may also elude detection. 

While not without limitations, the Open Buildings 2.5D Temporal Dataset showcases the powerful synergy between data democratization and AI.

It will yield valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and humanitarian organizations alike, helping them monitor and optimize the environment as land use continues to change at an unprecedented pace.

The post Google’s Open Buildings project maps urban expansion across the Global South appeared first on DailyAI.

Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 is top open-source model in math and coding

by

Alibaba released more than 100 open-source AI models including Qwen 2.5 72B which beats other open-source models in math and coding benchmarks.

Much of the AI industry’s attention in open-source models has been on Meta’s efforts with Llama 3, but Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 has closed the gap significantly. The freshly released Qwen 2.5 family of models range in size from 0.5 to 72 billion parameters with generalized base models as well as models focused on very specific tasks.

Alibaba says these models come with “enhanced knowledge and stronger capabilities in math and coding” with specialized models focused on coding, maths, and multiple modalities including language, audio, and vision.

Alibaba Cloud also announced an upgrade to its proprietary flagship model Qwen-Max, which it has not released as open-source. The Qwen 2.5 Max benchmarks look good, but it’s the Qwen 2.5 72B model that has been generating most of the excitement among open-source fans.

Qwen 2.5 72B instruct model math and coding benchmarks. Source: Alibaba Cloud

The benchmarks show Qwen 2.5 72B beating Meta’s much larger flagship Llama 3.1 405B model on several fronts, especially in math and coding. The gap between open-source models and proprietary ones like those from OpenAI and Google is also closing fast.

Early users of Qwen 2.5 72B show the model coming just short of Sonnet 3.5 and even beating OpenAI’s o1 models in coding.

Open source Qwen 2.5 beats o1 models on coding

Qwen 2.5 scores higher than the o1 models on coding on Livebench AI

Qwen is just below Sonnet 3.5, and for an open-source mode, that is awesome!!

o1 is good at some hard coding but terrible at code completion problems and… pic.twitter.com/iazam61eP9

— Bindu Reddy (@bindureddy) September 20, 2024

Alibaba says these new models were all trained on its large-scale dataset encompassing up to 18 trillion tokens. The Qwen 2.5 models come with a context window of up to 128k and can generate outputs of up to 8k tokens.

The move to smaller, more capable, and open-source free models will likely have a wider impact on a lot of users than more advanced models like o1. The edge and on-device capabilities of these models mean you can get a lot of mileage from a free model running on your laptop.

The smaller Qwen 2.5 model delivers GPT-4 level coding for a fraction of the cost, or even free if you’ve got a decent laptop to run it locally.

We have GPT-4 for coding at home! I looked up OpenAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@OpenAI GPT-4 0613 results for various benchmarks and compared them with @Alibaba_Qwen 2.5 7B coder.

> 15 months after the release of GPT-0613, we have an open LLM under Apache 2.0, which performs just as well.

> GPT-4 pricing… pic.twitter.com/2szw5kwTe5

— Philipp Schmid (@_philschmid) September 22, 2024

In addition to the LLMs, Alibaba released a significant update to its vision language model with the introduction of Qwen2-VL. Qwen2-VL can comprehend videos lasting over 20 minutes and supports video-based question-answering.

It’s designed for integration into mobile phones, automobiles, and robots to enable automation of operations that require visual understanding.

Alibaba also unveiled a new text-to-video model as part of its image generator, Tongyi Wanxiang large model family. Tongyi Wanxiang AI Video can produce cinematic quality video content and 3D animation with various artistic styles based on text prompts.

The demos look impressive and the tool is free to use, although you’ll need a Chinese mobile number to sign up for it here. Sora is going to have some serious competition when, or if, OpenAI eventually releases it.

The post Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 is top open-source model in math and coding appeared first on DailyAI.

The MarTech Summit London 2024: AI marketing in focus

by

This conference, taking place in London, offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest trends and innovations in marketing technology across the B2B and B2C sectors.

The event, which will take place November 12-13, 2024, at Convene 155 Bishopsgate, London, will feature insightful case studies, panel discussions, fireside chats, keynotes, and Q&As focused on the latest MarTech trends. 

With 400+ attendees, over 85% in senior leadership roles, the summit provides unparalleled learning and networking opportunities with CMOs, Heads, Directors, and more.

Attendees will acquire cutting-edge knowledge on MarTech advancements, real-world implementation strategies, and how technology is transforming marketing approaches and workflows across both B2B and B2C sectors.

Why attend The MarTech Summit London 2024?

There are numerous reasons for attending the MarTech Summit London 2024:

Explore five key themes across three stages over two days
Gain insights from 70+ speakers and industry experts
Network with 400+ attendees, including 85% senior management
Participate in discussion roundtables to share and gain diverse perspectives
Evaluate new technologies for your MarTech stack from leading service providers

Who should attend?

The MarTech Summit London 2024 is designed for senior-level executives in functions such as:

Marketing and technology
Customer experience (CX) and engagement
Brand loyalty and retention
Data and consumer insights
E-commerce marketing
Digital strategy
Omni-channel
Innovation
Social media
Content strategy and storytelling
CRM
Product marketing
Automation
Digital transformation and growth

Key speakers at the event

Some of the key speakers in the lineup include, but aren’t limited to:

Sivan Einstein, Industry Head – Omnichannel Retail, Google
Neil Robins, Head of Digital & Media, Kenvue
Cat Daniel, Senior Director, Growth & Engagement, Monzo
Sam Lewis-Williams, Head of Marketing Automation, Financial Times
Namita Mediratta, CMI Director, Beauty, EMETU, Unilever
Richard Jones, Director of eCommerce, Carlsberg
Kumar Amrendra, Head of Digital Marketing, Planning & Data Science, Sky
James Brindley-Raynes, Head of Digital Customer Journey, Maersk
Clive Head, Head of CRM and Loyalty, Santander UK
Marie Tyler, Global Customer Engagement Leader, Honeywell

Featured themes and topics from The MarTech Summit London 2024

The event features five main themes across three stages:

Day 1 – Plenary Room:

MarTech Trends (including Marketing Automation, AI in Marketing, Digital Transformation)

Day 2 – B2C Marketing Stage:

Customer Experience (including Omnichannel Personalisation, E-Commerce, Digital Customer Experience)
Data, Analytics & Insights (including First-Party Data, Customer Data Platform, Data Privacy & Security)

Day 2 – B2B Marketing Stage:

Sales Enablement (including Revenue Enablement, Sales Content Optimisation, Account-Based Marketing)
Demand Generation (including B2B Marketing Metrics, Precision Demand Marketing, Content Marketing)

Key details about the event

Mark your calendars and prepare to be part of this fantastic event:

Date: November 12-13, 2024
Venue: Convene 155 Bishopsgate, Second Floor, London EC2M 3YD
Tickets: Available on the event website here

Visit the official MarTech Summit London 2024 website to secure your spot, view the full agenda, and explore sponsorship opportunities. 

The post The MarTech Summit London 2024: AI marketing in focus appeared first on DailyAI.

Join Our Internship Program

Join Our Internship Program

Follow Us On Social Media

Facebook-f Instagram Youtube Linkedin-in