[29th September 2024] Interesting Things I Learnt This Week

 1. Google says it’s made a quantum computing breakthrough that reduces errors - Google researchers have made a breakthrough in quantum error correction, which could pave the way for useful quantum computers. The main challenge in quantum computing has been the high error rate of the hardware, which prevents them from executing long and useful algorithms. The new research demonstrates that it is possible to add components to reduce these errors, which was previously thought to be impossible due to engineering limitations. This bolsters the idea that error correction is a viable strategy for building a useful quantum computer.

My Take: While these advancements may seem incremental, they are crucial for the development of quantum computers. However, it’s important to avoid overhyping their implications, as was the case with the early hype surrounding GenAI being AGI. Despite this, the progress made with GPTs represents a significant leap forward in the field of AI. Similarly, these recent breakthroughs in quantum computing are a major milestone, but they do not mean that quantum computers are immediately accessible to everyone. Instead, they are small steps in the long journey towards building widely available quantum computers. We should celebrate these achievements without losing sight of the challenges ahead. I hope we soon see some of these quantum computers in action outside of research laboratories and in real-world data centers.


2. Why Microsoft made a deal to help restart Three Mile Island - Three Mile Island Unit 1, a nuclear power plant that was shut down in 2019, is set to reopen. Microsoft has signed a deal to purchase all of the plant's electricity for the next 20 years. This deal highlights the growing energy demand of Big Tech and the potential for a nuclear resurgence.

My Take: Just when we thought we were moving away from dangerous and unstable nuclear technology towards more sustainable renewable energy sources, we find ourselves heading in the opposite direction. The insatiable energy demands of AI and the tech industry’s pursuit of rapid growth may be driving a resurgence of nuclear power. This is a troubling development, given the significant efforts made to transition to more efficient and environmentally friendly solar and wind power. I hope Microsoft’s decision to restart nuclear power remains an isolated incident rather than a harbinger of things to come.


3. TRAI’s new whitelisting directives see 3000 business entities approving URLs - The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated that businesses whitelist URLs in their messages and register message templates on the DLT platform. Over 3000 entities have complied with these directives. TRAI has also instructed telecom companies to block messages with non-whitelisted URLs and to ensure traceability of business messages.

My Take: TRAI’s decision to implement this new regulation is a positive step towards curbing large-scale scams. While it may not eliminate all scams, it could significantly reduce their prevalence. However, it remains to be seen if there will be any unintended consequences of this change. In recent times, scammers have been increasingly targeting individuals through WhatsApp. It would be beneficial if WhatsApp could develop more effective filters to prevent these scams from reaching users. Additionally, I commend Airtel for their proactive approach to combating spam with the Airtel IQ SpamShield initiative. However, these measures will only be effective if there is also a strong deterrent in the form of strict prosecution of scammers and spammers. Without adequate enforcement, these efforts will be like putting a bandage on a broken leg.


4. GenAI Agents: Comprehensive Repository for Development and Implementation - This repository serves as a comprehensive resource for learning, building, and sharing GenAI agents, ranging from simple conversational bots to complex, multi-agent systems.

My Take: I found some very interesting agents architectures and code in this Github repo. I was searching for GenAI for music and stumbled upon this. Yet to actually look at all of them but they all seems very interesting to me, I hope you find them interesting too. The Jupiter Notebooks provided are very descriptive and excellent learning material from my initial reading.

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