Technology

When Tech Giants Go Shopping

Published

9 years ago

June 18, 2014

Jeff Desjardins

When Tech Giants Go Shopping

So far, 2014 has been a big year for the tech industry in regards to acquisitions. But if you think that Facebook’s $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp was the largest, you’d be mistaken.

Acquisitions are a huge part of driving the tech industry forward. They bring in new ideas, fresh talent, proprietary technologies, and much more. For investors, an acquisition can mean big money, on both ends of a buyout. Take for example Comcast’s bid for taking over Time Warner Cable earlier this year, investors in Time Warner enjoyed a 6.8% jump in their stock value. These types of deals aren’t rare; just last year, there were 2,710 mergers and acquisitions in the tech industry.

The Big 4 of the tech world (Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google) all have made very important acquisitions, and some may even change the world. Take for example Google’s buyout of YouTube back in 2006. The video streaming site was purchased for $1.6 billion in stock. YouTube has come a long way from being famous for its entertaining gag videos like “Charlie Bit My Finger.” The platform has become a worldwide visual communication tool. It even played a role in liberating parts of the Arab world in the Arab Spring. Today, YouTube is estimated to be valued at $15 billion.

Perhaps the next big game changing acquisition will be one that wasn’t mentioned in the infographic: Apple’s purchase of Beats Electronics. Apple acquired Beats for a reported $3 billion. Some speculate it wasn’t to offer superior headphones to Apple’s clientele; rather, it was for Beats’ streaming service. There may be a shift in how modern music listeners enjoys their music. Apple’s iTunes’ sales have been slowly dwindling as of late, album sales are down 15% this year. The future may lie in subscription based streaming services, something Beats has a head start in.

We’re only half way through 2014 and we have already seen major players shake up the tech industry through mergers and acquisitions. I am sure that I’m not alone when I say I’m excited to see what’s in store for the remainder of the year.

Original infographic from: FinancesOnline.com

Related Topics:tech Big Tech Acquisition tech buyout tech merger stock merger stock payout big 4

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Technology

Infographic: Generative AI Explained by AI

What exactly is generative AI and how does it work? This infographic, created using generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT, explains it all.

Published

3 days ago

February 1, 2023

Nick Routley

Generative AI Explained by AI

After years of research, it appears that artificial intelligence (AI) is reaching a sort of tipping point, capturing the imaginations of everyone from students saving time on their essay writing to leaders at the world’s largest tech companies. Excitement is building around the possibilities that AI tools unlock, but what exactly these tools are capable of and how they work is still not widely understood.

We could write about this in detail, but given how advanced tools like ChatGPT have become, it only seems right to see what generative AI has to say about itself.

Everything in the infographic above – from illustrations and icons to the text descriptions⁠—was created using generative AI tools such as Midjourney. Everything that follows in this article was generated using ChatGPT based on specific prompts.

Without further ado, generative AI as explained by generative AI.

Generative AI: An Introduction

Generative AI refers to a category of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that generate new outputs based on the data they have been trained on. Unlike traditional AI systems that are designed to recognize patterns and make predictions, generative AI creates new content in the form of images, text, audio, and more.

Generative AI uses a type of deep learning called generative adversarial networks (GANs) to create new content. A GAN consists of two neural networks: a generator that creates new data and a discriminator that evaluates the data. The generator and discriminator work together, with the generator improving its outputs based on the feedback it receives from the discriminator until it generates content that is indistinguishable from real data.

Generative AI has a wide range of applications, including:

Images: Generative AI can create new images based on existing ones, such as creating a new portrait based on a person’s face or a new landscape based on existing scenery
Text: Generative AI can be used to write news articles, poetry, and even scripts. It can also be used to translate text from one language to another
Audio: Generative AI can generate new music tracks, sound effects, and even voice acting

Disrupting Industries

People have concerns that generative AI and automation will lead to job displacement and unemployment, as machines become capable of performing tasks that were previously done by humans. They worry that the increasing use of AI will lead to a shrinking job market, particularly in industries such as manufacturing, customer service, and data entry.

Generative AI has the potential to disrupt several industries, including:

Advertising: Generative AI can create new advertisements based on existing ones, making it easier for companies to reach new audiences
Art and Design: Generative AI can help artists and designers create new works by generating new ideas and concepts
Entertainment: Generative AI can create new video games, movies, and TV shows, making it easier for content creators to reach new audiences

Overall, while there are valid concerns about the impact of AI on the job market, there are also many potential benefits that could positively impact workers and the economy.

In the short term, generative AI tools can have positive impacts on the job market as well. For example, AI can automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, and help humans make faster and more informed decisions by processing and analyzing large amounts of data. AI tools can free up time for humans to focus on more creative and value-adding work.

How This Article Was Created

This article was created using a language model AI trained by OpenAI. The AI was trained on a large dataset of text and was able to generate a new article based on the prompt given. In simple terms, the AI was fed information about what to write about and then generated the article based on that information.

In conclusion, generative AI is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize several industries. With its ability to create new content based on existing data, generative AI has the potential to change the way we create and consume content in the future.