4 Things industry 4.0 -- March 4th, 2024

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Alright folks don't forget to spring forward this Sunday, March 10th, because daylight savings time is upon us in the US! Yes, it means we're all going to lose an hour of precious sleep, but let's make sure our meetings don't start an hour late because of it. Adjust those clocks and maybe brew an extra cup of coffee to tackle the week ahead. We'll continue to provide you with the latest rundown of news and trends.

Amazon's $1B Leap into AI and Robotics

Amazon is strategically investing $1 billion in start-ups that blend artificial intelligence (AI) with robotics, aiming to revolutionize its logistics network for enhanced delivery efficiency and safety. This move aims to streamline operations and improve customer experience but also solidify Amazon's commitment to leading in automation and innovation, setting new industry standards while ensuring a safer working environment for its associates.

Intel's Altera Eyes AI Market Expansion

Intel's newly independent programmable chip unit, now named "Altera, an Intel company," is targeting the artificial intelligence market as a significant growth opportunity, according to CEO Sandra Rivera. Rivera highlighted the versatility of Altera's chips for AI tasks, filling a niche between custom and general AI chips. With an uncertain market size, Rivera suggests the potential is larger than estimated, emphasizing Altera's role in various stages of the AI workflow. The company's Agilex chips are produced by Intel Foundry, with future productions aiming for "friends and family" pricing advantages.

Figure's $675M Funding Boosts Humanoid Robotics with OpenAI Collaboration

Figure, a pioneering company in humanoid robotics, has successfully raised $675 million at a valuation of $2.6 billion, with investments from tech giants like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and notable figures such as Jeff Bezos through Bezos Expeditions. This funding round also marks a significant collaboration between Figure and OpenAI to develop advanced AI models for humanoid robots, aiming to accelerate commercial deployment. The investment will be allocated towards AI training, manufacturing, expanding engineering teams, and enhancing the robots' capabilities, leveraging Microsoft Azure for AI infrastructure. This collaboration represents a major step towards integrating embodied AI in practical applications.

Apple Halts Electric Car Project Titan

Apple has reportedly discontinued its long-rumored electric car project, known as "Project Titan," marking the end of its ambitious venture into the automotive industry. The project's shutdown reflects the real-world challenges Apple faced in entering a market dominated by established automakers and evolving technologies. Despite the initial promise, the decision is a reminder of the complexities and competitive pressures within the electric vehicle sector.

Industry 4.0 Highlights

Cencora Cyberattack Leads to Data Theft 

Pharmaceutical giant Cencora announced a cybersecurity incident where unauthorized access led to data exfiltration from its IT systems. The company, a key player in pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare solutions, is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to assess the impact. Despite the breach, Cencora has taken steps to secure its systems and is evaluating the potential effects on its operations and finances. The breach's specifics, including the perpetrators or the exact nature of the stolen data, remain under investigation. 

Autonomous Trucks Enter Fast-Food Logistics with Kodiak Robotics and Martin Brower Partnership

Kodiak Robotics has launched a new delivery route for Martin Brower, hinting at a future where fast-food logistics may involve autonomous trucks. This collaboration, having already completed 600 trips since 2022, aims for driverless operations by the end of the year, starting with safety drivers between Dallas and Oklahoma City. Kodiak's technology promises enhanced delivery efficiency and safety, offering a solution that combines long-haul autonomy with local human-driven distribution to fast-food chains like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A. This venture represents a significant advancement in integrating autonomous trucks into critical supply chains.

Hugging Face Vulnerability Risks AI Model Security 

Cybersecurity researchers discovered a vulnerability in the Hugging Face platform's Safetensors conversion service, potentially enabling supply chain attacks by allowing attackers to hijack user-submitted models. This flaw could lead to unauthorized changes to any repository by masquerading as the conversion bot, posing significant risks to the integrity and security of machine learning models hosted on the platform. The issue underscores the challenges in securing AI ecosystems against malicious actors. 

GitHub Copilot Enterprise: Revolutionizing Developer Productivity with AI 

GitHub Copilot Enterprise is now generally available, offering a tailored AI assistant that enhances developer productivity by integrating organizational knowledge directly into the coding process. This advanced tool enables developers to quickly understand both public and private codebases, ensuring consistent coding practices across teams and accelerating the code review process. With features like conversational AI for personalized coding assistance and the ability to access and apply organizational best practices, GitHub Copilot Enterprise is set to redefine software development, making it more efficient and collaborative. For more details, you can read the full announcement on GitHub's blog.

Learning Lens

Empowering AI Security with PyRIT: A Tool for Red Teaming Generative AI Models

The Python Risk Identification Tool for Generative AI (PyRIT) offers an automated framework to assess the robustness of Large Language Model (LLM) endpoints against various harm categories, including fabrication, misuse, and prohibited content. Developed by the AI Red Team, it aims to streamline AI Red Teaming tasks, allowing professionals to concentrate on complex challenges while providing a baseline for model performance against harm categories. PyRIT is utilized by Microsoft to refine product security, including defenses against prompt injection attacks.

For further details, tutorials, and demos on PyRIT, Microsoft Learn and the project documentation are valuable resources. To learn how to utilize PyRIT for enhancing AI security, click here. 

Byte-Sized Brilliance

On This Day in Automotive History:

On March 4, 1902, the American Automobile Association (AAA) was established in Chicago, Illinois, by nine motor clubs with 1,500 members, aimed at advocating for better roads and highways suitable for automobiles. Today, AAA has grown significantly, serving over 60 million members across North America, offering services such as roadside assistance, travel planning, and insurance, reflecting its substantial role in enhancing the driving experience and safety for motorists.

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