Alibaba starts selling Quark S1, its first smart glasses powered by its Qwen AI models, for ~$537 in China, and plans to release international versions in 2026 (Bloomberg)

The Sequence Opinion #762 discusses the ongoing competition between the US and China in the open-source AI sector, highlighting the strategic implications of trillion-parameter models. The article emphasizes the importance of open models in shaping the future of artificial intelligence and the geopolitical landscape surrounding it.

Tidalwave has successfully raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Permanent Capital. The company utilizes AI agents to automate the checking of mortgage documents and provide real-time multilingual feedback to borrowers, addressing the challenges faced by non-native English speakers in the mortgage process.

Alibaba and ByteDance are reportedly training their latest large language models (LLMs) in Southeast Asian data centers to gain access to Nvidia's AI chips, a strategic move to circumvent U.S. export restrictions. This shift highlights the growing trend of Chinese tech companies seeking alternative locations for AI development amid geopolitical tensions.

Dell Technologies Inc. and HP Inc. have issued warnings about potential memory-chip supply shortages in the upcoming year, attributing this to the surging demand driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. This situation reflects the increasing reliance on AI technologies across various sectors, which is expected to strain supply chains.

Dell has raised its outlook for AI server shipments, indicating a positive trend in demand for its products, while HP has announced plans to cut up to 6,000 jobs by 2028 as part of a restructuring effort focused on artificial intelligence. This juxtaposition highlights the contrasting fortunes of two major players in the technology sector.

The Pentagon has identified Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Baidu Inc., and BYD Co. as companies that provide aid to the Chinese military, as stated in a letter to Congress dated October 7. This classification comes amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China regarding technology and military cooperation.

BMW, GM, and various startups are innovating electric vehicle (EV) motors to reduce reliance on rare-earth materials, a critical component in current EV technology. This shift involves securing alternative supplies outside of China and exploring new motor and magnet technologies that minimize or eliminate rare-earth usage.

Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics has secured a multimillion-dollar contract to deploy humanoid robots at select Chinese border crossings, aimed at guiding travelers and managing crowds during peak times. This trial project marks a significant step in integrating advanced robotics into public service roles.