Molly Wood discusses company's efforts to decarbonize LA before 2028 Olympics. Tesla's latest earnings and AI training speed-up efforts are explored. Tech news includes EV market competition and failed attempts to replace floppy disks. Risks and benefits of DNA data sharing are discussed. Molly Wood's work and show details are mentioned.
NVIDIA developed robots trained using their advanced algorithm that outperformed human-written training programs, resulting in significant improvements in robot performance.
The Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI) aims to decarbonize LA before the 2028 Olympics by electrifying 80% of vehicles and generating renewable energy, working towards sustainable practices alongside the LA28 committee.
Deep dives
Robots are being trained to perform various tasks
NVIDIA has developed robots that can perform a variety of tasks, such as spinning pens, opening drawers, using scissors, and catching a ball. These robots were trained using the NVIDIA Eureka platform, powered by GPT-4. The large language model evaluated the robot's simulations and reinforced improvements, significantly reducing the training time. NVIDIA found that their algorithm was 80% more effective than human-written training programs, leading to a 50% improvement in robot performance.
Los Angeles aims to decarbonize and electrify for the 2028 Olympics
The Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI) has set ambitious goals to decarbonize Los Angeles and make it more sustainable by the 2028 Olympic Games. LACI aims to electrify 80% of the city's cars and trucks and generate renewable energy to offset the footprint of the games. They have already made progress, with 25% electric vehicle adoption and efforts to rollout light and heavy-duty truck electrification. Although not officially affiliated with the Olympics, LACI is working with the LA28 committee to encourage sustainable practices during the games.
Tesla's missed earnings and the challenges of EV competition
Tesla recently announced its earnings, missing both earnings and sales estimates. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, warned that the Cybertruck, set to launch in November 2023, won't see positive cash flow for over a year. The company's CFO mentioned cost-cutting efforts, which received mixed reactions. The EV market has become increasingly competitive, with other automakers adopting the North American charging standard used by Tesla's Superchargers. Moreover, investors are concerned about Tesla's potential shift towards lower margins and the challenge of high interest rates impacting their business.
The risks and benefits of sharing DNA data
The discussion around DNA data security and privacy continues as companies like Promethease offer services to sequence and report on one's DNA data. While individuals can download and delete their data from certain providers, trust in these companies' data deletion practices becomes a crucial factor. The benefits of accessing personalized information about health risks and considerations can outweigh the risks if one can trust the providers to follow through on data deletion. However, there's always the lingering question of how much trust can be placed in these companies to safeguard personal DNA data.
Molly Wood explains one company is looking to decarbonise LA before the 2028 Olympic Games. We explore Tesla’s latest earning results. And we share the latest efforts to speed up AI training.
Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Molly Wood, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe.