This Week I Learned - Week #45 2024

This Week I Learned - 

* How does ChatGPT-like system work? 

* AI storytelling is a pivotal shift in the creative process. 

* In July 2023, Google Labs unleashed NotebookLM, an AI assistant that chews through a buffet of up to 50 sources, from documents to YouTube videos and even whole books. It then cooks up summaries, dishes out study guides, and serves follow-up questions on a silver platter.  In September, a new feature was launched that transforms source material into a podcast so realistic, you'd think the AI hosts might just invite you over for coffee after the show.

* Mukesh Ambani - Jio is the largest data company in the world. Its volumes are equivalent to AT&T mobile and Verizon combined. Jio delivered approximately 16 exabytes of data in this year.

* Your bathroom geyser consumes only 2kW. It takes about five to 10 kilowatts (kW) to power a single rack of servers in a typical data centre, but a rack filled with advanced AI computing chips can demand well over 100 kilowatts. By one estimate, AI alone could use as much energy as Germany by 2026.

SMRs or Small Modular Reactors are defined as reactors producing less than 300MW of power, or roughly 7 million ‘units’ of electricity in a day. One ‘unit’ is the amount of electricity your 2kW bathroom geyser consumes in half an hour. As opposed to SMRs, large conventional nuclear power plants produce over 8,000MW.

* Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).

* BBC Climate Change explainer

* Till 2022, almost a quarter (23%) of Germany’s electricity at that time came from nuclear plants. In contrast, just 3.5% of India’s electricity is nuclear even today. India’s current crop of 23 conventional nuclear reactors produce a modest 7,425MW of electricity.

* Rolling out the red carpet for the Olympics might just be the jackpot for the economy, like France raking in a cool $12 billion from the 2024 Summer Games. Often, it's less of a revenue race and more like hosting expenses doing a high jump over the profits. It's like countries are playing budget bingo, and the numbers are always way off, soaring between a modest 2% to a whopping 352% over the guesstimates.  

* Small cars made up as much as 80% of Maruti’s sales as recently as 2019. Due to changing consumer preferences — the migration of demand towards SUVs and away from small cars, the market for entry-level small cars is not growing any more.

* The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation has voiced deep concerns about a troubling trend, where fast-moving consumer goods companies are allegedly utilising quick commerce and e-commerce platforms to offload near-expiry and slow-moving stock. AICPDF has urged the government to implement regulatory frameworks mandating clear expiry labeling on quick and e-commerce platforms, helping consumers make informed decisions. - NDTV Profit

* A staggering 40 countries were scheduled to hold elections in 2024. Our analysis shows that while India has maintained stability with PM Modi remaining in power for more than a decade, many other major nations — from the US and UK to Japan, Indonesia, and Taiwan — have seen political transitions. As PM, Modi has now seen three US presidents and six British prime ministers. - MoneyControl