Good Morning! Intel has introduced new 5th Gen Xeon and Core Ultra processors optimized for artificial intelligence applications, Google has integrated its powerful Gemini Pro AI model into its Vertex AI platform for developers, and MongoDB has confirmed a data breach impacting some customer information contained in its corporate systems.

— Forrest Knight & Meghanadh Vasireddy

Intel Unveils New AI Chip

Intel has introduced its latest processors, the 5th Gen Intel Xeon and Intel Core Ultra, optimized for artificial intelligence (AI) applications in data centers and PCs. The announcement occurred at the "AI Everywhere" event in New York City, signaling Intel's commitment to the expanding AI market.

The 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors for data centers integrate AI acceleration into each core, delivering a 21% average performance gain for general compute performance and enabling a 36% higher average performance per watt across various customer workloads. These new processors are expected to make AI services more cost-effective, quicker, and more private than utilizing cloud-based services.

The Intel Core Ultra processors, manufactured using a 7-nanometer process technology, feature a built-in "neural processing unit" for efficient AI acceleration. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger predicts that AI-based PCs will constitute 80% of PC sales by 2028. These AI PCs are currently available from select U.S. retailers.

Intel's new processors will compete with semiconductor products from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia. Additionally, the company showcased the Intel Gaudi 3 AI accelerator for the first time.

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Google Unveils Gemini Pro Integration

Google has announced the integration of Gemini Pro, its most capable and general AI model, into Vertex AI, its end-to-end platform for machine learning. This move is set to help developers to build new and differentiated agents that can process information across text, code, images, and video.

Gemini Pro, part of Google's Gemini AI model, comes in three sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano. It is designed to be multimodal, meaning it can seamlessly understand and operate across different types of information. With the integration into Vertex AI, developers can now deploy and manage these agents to production, automatically evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of agent responses, and monitor and manage them.

Developers can access Gemini Pro via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio, a free, web-based developer tool. When it's time for a fully-managed AI platform, Vertex AI allows customization of Gemini with full data control and benefits from additional Google safety, privacy, and data governance and compliance.

Google plans to make Gemini Pro part of Google Workspace in early 2024, where it will work to enable real-time collaborations with humans. For example, a user can be writing an email and request Google AI to help them with it, providing predictive text with contextual understanding.

The Gemini Pro API is now available in public preview on Vertex AI. Developers can try the Gemini Pro API at no cost until its general availability, after which there will be a charge. This integration is a significant step in Google's efforts to simplify AI for developers and businesses, making it more accessible and efficient to build AI applications.

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MongoDB Data Breach - Customer Info Compromised

In a recent cybersecurity incident, MongoDB, a leading database software company, confirmed that its corporate systems were breached, leading to the exposure of customer data. The company detected suspicious activity on its network on December 13, 2023, and immediately activated its incident response process.

The compromised corporate systems contained customer names, phone numbers, and email addresses, among other account metadata. System logs for one customer were also accessed. However, MongoDB stated that it found no evidence of unauthorized access to MongoDB Atlas clusters, which is separate from the corporate systems.

MongoDB's Chief Information Security Officer, Lena Smart, has advised customers to be vigilant for social engineering and phishing attacks, activate phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regularly rotate their MongoDB Atlas passwords. The company is still investigating the incident and will provide updates as the investigation progresses.

This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the potential risks associated with data breaches. It serves as a reminder for all individuals and businesses to ensure their data is protected and to stay vigilant against potential cyber threats.

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Youtube Spotlight

The Dev Platform is ALMOST Done!! - Dev Startup Day 11

In this update, the Dev Notes platform has undergone a complete design overhaul, with changes to the layout, navigation, and user profile pages. The platform will feature curated content mirroring the newsletter, with a focus on programming, computer science, and software development news. The creator also plans to implement a unique post structure and personal notes to encourage discussion and engagement.

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