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Category: finance – Page 36

New research maps 14 potential evolutionary dead ends for humanity and ways to avoid them

Humankind on the verge of evolutionary traps, a new study: …For the first time, scientists have used the concept of evolutionary traps on human societies at large.

For the first time, scientists have used the concept of evolutionary traps on human societies at large. They find that humankind risks getting stuck in 14 evolutionary dead ends, ranging from global climate tipping points to misaligned artificial intelligence, chemical pollution, and accelerating infectious diseases.

The evolution of humankind has been an extraordinary success story. But the Anthropocene—the proposed geological epoch shaped by us humans—is showing more and more cracks. Multiple global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, , , financial crises, and conflicts have started to occur simultaneously in something which scientists refer to as a polycrisis.

Humans are incredibly creative as a species. We are able to innovate and adapt to many circumstances and can cooperate on surprisingly large scales. But these capabilities turn out to have unintentional consequences. Simply speaking, you could say that the human species has been too successful and, in some ways, too smart for its own future good, says Peter Søgaard Jørgensen, researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University and at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere program and Anthropocene laboratory.

7 A-Rated Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in November

Investors are always looking for the next great breakthrough in technology. As computers are indispensable tools for managing everything from finance to healthcare and smart cities, it only makes sense to look at the next stage of development and A-rated quantum computing stocks.

Quantum computing is still in its early stages, but companies are already making inroads. Zapata surveyed executives at 300 companies with revenues of $250 million and computing budgets over $1 million. Of those, over two-thirds spent more than $1 million annually to develop quantum computing applications.

Quantum computer stocks represent companies trying to revolutionize cryptography, optimization, drug discovery and artificial intelligence. It holds promise for solving complex problems currently infeasible for classical computers due to their exponential time requirements.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wants to build AI “superintelligence”

OpenAI plans to secure further financial backing from its biggest investor Microsoft as the ChatGPT maker’s chief executive Sam Altman pushes ahead with his vision to create artificial general intelligence—computer software as intelligent as humans.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Altman said his company’s partnership with Microsoft’s chief executive Satya Nadella was “working really well” and that he expected “to raise a lot more over time” from the tech giant among other investors, to keep up with the punishing costs of building more sophisticated AI models.

Microsoft earlier this year invested $10 billion in OpenAI as part of a “multiyear” agreement that valued the San Francisco-based company at $29 billion, according to people familiar with the talks.

Mercedes-Benz launches first EV charging hub in US with 400kW piles from ChargePoint

Eleven months after sharing plans to develop and implement a new series of EV charging hubs across North America, Mercedes-Benz, with the help of ChargePoint, has opened its very first location in the US, complete with a driver lounge and powered using 100% renewable energy.

This past January, Mercedes-Benz announced plans for the new network of fast charging hubs during a press conference at CES alongside its new partner, ChargePoint.

At the time, we learned that both MN8 Energy and Mercedes-Benz would finance and jointly operate the network of over 400 planned charging hubs, becoming home to over 2,500 ChargePoint DC fast charging piles across the US and Canada.

Warren Buffett Is Expected To Rake In Over $6 Billion In Dividends In The Next Year

Warren Buffett, the venerated investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is set to amass over $6 billion in dividend income in the coming year, with a significant portion of this windfall emanating from just three stocks. This substantial income stream underscores the effectiveness of Buffett’s investment strategy, one that favors profitability and long-term value.

Buffett’s predilection for dividend-bearing stocks isn’t just a matter of preference; it’s a testament to his investment acumen. Among his top dividend earners, Bank of America Corp BAC stands out, with expected dividend earnings of approximately $991.5 million. A leading financial institution, BofA has thrived in the higher interest rate environment, seeing a substantial increase in its net-interest income.

Running thousands of LLMs on one GPU is now possible with S-LoRA

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Fine-tuning large language models (LLM) has become an important tool for businesses seeking to tailor AI capabilities to niche tasks and personalized user experiences. But fine-tuning usually comes with steep computational and financial overhead, keeping its use limited for enterprises with limited resources.

To solve these challenges, researchers have created algorithms and techniques that cut the cost of fine-tuning LLMs and running fine-tuned models. The latest of these techniques is S-LoRA, a collaborative effort between researchers at Stanford University and University of California-Berkeley (UC Berkeley).

Scientists shed new light on critical issue facing battery components in EVs: ‘The whole field has been misled’

“We found that the electrolyte reacting with the cathode surface leads to the increased crack formation,” Manthiram said in the lab report.

The UT team reports that reversible cracking happens during battery operation. But, the electrolyte is working its way into those openings, removing oxygen from the cathode, and solidifying the cracks, per the UT report.

To help visualize the problem, the experts likened this process to a river eroding its banks. And, in their opinion, the electrolyte’s impact on the cathode’s surface is the main cause for the degradation.

JPMorgan Switches On Programmable Payments Using Blockchain Tech

One of the most high-profile blockchain systems in traditional banking has added a new feature that lets companies shift cash automatically.

JPMorgan Chase & Co’s JPM Coin now allows clients to program their accounts by plugging in a set of key conditions, enabling them to move funds to cover overdue payments and margin calls. Further down the line, it may help them seize on differences in exchange rates.

Germany’s Siemens AG used the system this week, configuring its accounts to transfer money to fill potential shortfalls, Naveen Mallela, head of Coin Systems at JPMorgan’s blockchain division Onyx, said in an interview.

BlueNoroff hackers backdoor Macs with new ObjCShellz malware

The North Korean-backed BlueNorOff threat group targets Apple customers with new macOS malware tracked as ObjCShellz that can open remote shells on compromised devices.

BlueNorOff is a financially motivated hacking group known for attacking cryptocurrency exchanges and financial organizations such as venture capital firms and banks worldwide.

The malicious payload observed by Jamf malware analysts (labeled ProcessRequest) communicates with the swissborg[.]blog, an attacker-controlled domain registered on May 31 and hosted at 104.168.214[.]151 (an IP address part of BlueNorOff infrastructure).