🖥️ Tech Futures #20

Happy Monday 👋

AI is revolutionizing chip design by automating complex tasks, optimizing layouts, and enhancing productivity. This shift could lead to more efficient chips and democratize access to chip design technology. China banned exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the U.S., citing national security concerns, and escalating trade tensions following recent U.S. technology export restrictions. The AyahQ and Lisk Foundation have partnered to promote blockchain development in Africa, focusing on enhancing technology accessibility and fostering innovation. A Chinese hacking group, Salt Typhoon, breached eight telecom companies globally, exploiting vulnerabilities for espionage and raising significant security concerns. Meta plans to invest over $10B  in a subsea cable connecting the US, South Africa, India, and Australia, enhancing global connectivity.

What's new?

HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveals industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

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⚙️ Artificial Intelligence

🤖 AI Designing Its Chips. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now capable of designing its computer chips, indicating that human intelligence is becoming a limiting factor in the advancement of AI technology.

💻 Amazon Unveils Ambitious AI Platform: Amazon Nova. Amazon unveiled Amazon Nova, a bold vision for AI. The platform offers multimodal models and unmatched accessibility.

🖥️ Google Unveils New Generative AI Models Veo and Imagen 3. Google Cloud unveiled two new generative AI models called Veo and Imagen 3 on its Vertex AI platform.

💾 Semiconductors

💽 China Bans Export of Critical Minerals to the US as Trade Tensions Escalate. China banned exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the U.S., escalating trade tensions and impacting semiconductor supply chains, amid ongoing technology rivalry and national security concerns.

📀 AWS Unveils Trainium2 Chips for Large Language Models. Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the general availability of its Trainium2 (T2) chips for training and deploying large language models. AWS also revealed plans for Trainium3 chips in late 2025.

💡 Amazon to Offer AI Chips and Models Beyond Nvidia. Amazon, the e-commerce and cloud computing giant, announced plans to offer a variety of AI models and semiconductors beyond Nvidia's offerings.

⚡ Blockchain

🤝 Building Africa's Blockchain Future: AyaHQ and Lisk Foundation Partnership. AyaHQ and the Lisk Foundation have formed a partnership to accelerate the development of blockchain solutions in Africa.

🚨 Cybersecurity

🔌 Chinese Salt Typhoon Hacked 8+ Telecoms to Steal US Citizens Data. A Chinese hacking group, Salt Typhoon, breached eight telecom companies worldwide, exploiting vulnerabilities for espionage. The attacks targeted networks in the US, Canada, and other countries, raising security concerns. 

🖨️ Nozomi Networks and Advens Deliver Cybersecurity Services to Critical Infrastructure. Nozomi Networks and Advens have partnered to enhance cybersecurity for critical European infrastructure, providing advanced OT and IoT security solutions, including threat detection and risk management services.

📞 Communication and Networking

📠 Meta Wants to Build a $10B Subsea Cable Spanning the World. Meta plans to invest over $10B  in a subsea cable connecting the US, South Africa, India, and Australia. The project aims to enhance its services and support underserved regions, with details expected in 2025. 

🌐 Nokia and Ooredoo Oman to Build an Advanced AI-Ready Network by 2025. Nokia and Ooredoo Oman partnered to deploy an AI-driven DWDM network. This initiative aims to enhance Oman’s connectivity, supporting data centers and cloud applications while positioning the country as a regional telecommunications hub.

🕹️ Robotics and Automation 

🏢 South Korea Becomes The First Country to Fill 10% of the Workforce With Robots. South Korea replaced over 10% of its industrial workforce with robots, leading the world in robot density, driven by investments to address a shrinking labor force and enhance various industries.

💻 Quantum Computing

🏮 Indian Minister Urges Israel-India Quantum Computing Startup Partnerships. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Science and Technology,  urged Israeli startups to partner with Indian startups in the quantum computing sector.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

With reskilling and upskilling playing a key role in closing workforce gaps, HolonIQ is now tracking these impactful initiatives shaping the tech industry. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🧑‍💻 PwC India and Masters' Union Partner on AI and ESG Skills. PwC India has partnered with Masters' Union to provide students with practical skills in AI, emerging technologies, ESG, and healthcare. This year-long collaboration integrates industry expertise with advanced business education, preparing students for corporate success in rapidly advancing fields. The initiative emphasizes hands-on learning, aiming to ensure a seamless transition from academia to professional life in an increasingly digital global landscape.

🖥️ Binance Partners with AltSchool Africa to Close Digital Skills Gap. Binance collaborates with AltSchool Africa to provide 500 scholarships, empowering young Africans with skills in software engineering, cybersecurity, and digital content creation. The initiative includes mentorship and career support, addressing Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital skills deficit, where only 2% of the workforce possesses the necessary expertise. This effort aims to equip students for global tech careers, aligning with Binance’s commitment to fostering an inclusive digital economy across the continent.

🏢 Scotland Launches Digital Advisory Group to Boost Public Sector Skills. The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Digital Academy established the Digital Capability Advisory Group (DCAG) to enhance tech skills across Scotland’s public and third sectors. DCAG will lead efforts in digital capability development, advocate for best practices, and foster collaboration on resources and funding, aligning with Scotland’s Digital Strategic Plan to optimize services and drive efficiency nationwide.

HolonIQ has also launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Tech Deals

💵 Amazon Invests $4B in AI Company Anthropic. Amazon announced a $4B investment in Anthropic, an AI company co-founded by Dario and Daniela Amodei. This is Amazon's second investment in Anthropic.

💴 Nvidia Helps Cloud Computing Firm Nebius Raise $700M. Dutch cloud computing company Nebius raised $700M from investors, including Nvidia, to expand its cloud computing services.

💶 Tenstorrent Raises $693M in Series D Funding Round. Tenstorrent, a Canadian-founded and US-based AI hardware company, closed a $693M Series D funding round from investors including Samsung and Jeff Bezos, valuing the company at $2.6B.

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