Nvidia reveals powerful AI GPUs
Plus Samsung teases its AI home robot
Chipmaker Nvidia **has announced a bundle of new AI-capable graphics cards as **CES 2024 kicks off.
Headlining the GPU lineup is the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which Nvidia claims can generate AI images 1.7 times faster than the previous generation GeForce RTX 3080 Ti chip; AI video rendering is also improved, coming in at 1.5 times quicker.
The 4080 SUPER is accompanied by the 4070 Ti SUPER and 4070 SUPER. Nvidia says the Tensor Cores across the lineup can handle up to 836 trillion operations per second.
If youâre wondering where youâll be able to get your hands on these chips, Nvidia says the likes of Samsung, Acer, Dell, ASUS, Razer, and others will be producing laptops featuring the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GPUs.
Nvidiaâs fresh GPU lineup will start rolling out later this month.
Why it matters: Nvidia is ostensibly ahead of the competition with both its professional and consumer-level GPUs. If the promises about its GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Series hold true, it could maintain that edge for a while yet.
**AMD **has announced what it says is the first-ever desktop chips featuring a neural processing unit (NPU). The Ryzen 8000G series silicon will run AI tasks on a PC without having to rely on a cloud connection.
Anyone with a skeptical eye might note that several of AMDâs rivals have already shown off NPU-enabled laptop chips, and **Appleâs **mobile and desktop M-series devices also feature dedicated neural processors. Still, AMD is still technically correct in that its chip is the first x86 processor to feature an NPU - which will surely matter to many consumers and manufacturers.
AMD says the Ryzen 8000G series will arrive on January 31.
Why it matters: On-device AI processing looks like it could be a significant trend this year.
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2024 marks a decade since the launch of the Amazon Echo, and while the smart home is cool and all, have you ever wondered where all the home robots are? Yeah, me too.
Samsung is inching closer to giving us that Jetsons life with Ballie, its AI-enabled robot that it promises will be able to watch your dog, manage your smart lights, and act as a mobile video projector. And if thatâs not enough, Ballie will be able to handle voice calls and text messages.
If all that sounds a little too good to be true, that might be because itâs currently just a concept device. Still, this is the second time that Samsung has shown Ballie off (the last time was CES 2020), but now with AI everywhere, it sure does feel like the time is right.
Whatever happens next with Ballie, Samsungâs teaser video certainly shows off how cool it could be if (when?) it becomes a real robot we can invite into our homes.
**Why it matters: **Itâs a cute robot. Isnât this what weâve all been waiting for?
The New York Times technology reporter Cade Metz has published a think-piece that aims to predict the progress of AI tools in 2024: In short, Metz projects that current AI tools will get even more powerful.
Metz says rapid advancements in AI will not only lead to more advanced multimodal chatbots (of which both OpenAIâs **ChatGpt and **Googleâs Bard are well on the march), but ultimately to more advanced robotics.Â
âThis year, AI will supercharge robots that operate behind the scenes,â posits Metz, suggesting âmechanical armsâ could soon be doing everything from folding shirts in a laundromat to sorting products in a warehouse.
There are also prophecies for how chatbots will interact with other tools: âResearchers are essentially transforming chatbots into a new kind of autonomous system called an AI agent,â notes Metz. âThat means the chatbots can use software apps, websites and other online tools, including spreadsheets, online calendars and travel sites. People could then offload tedious office work to chatbots. But these agents could also take away jobs entirely.â
Why it matters: As AI increasingly becomes a normal part of everyday life, there will be many novel uses, as well as greater potential for disruption.
