Amazon unveils Alexa+ with Generative AI, promising seamless third-party integration
Amazon is set to roll out Alexa+, a next-generation update to its popular voice assistant powered by generative AI, with early access scheduled to begin in March.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the development of a new quantum computing chip, dubbed Ocelot, which it believes could shave up to five years off its timeline for building a commercially viable quantum computer.
The prototype, unveiled on Thursday alongside a peer-reviewed paper in Nature, represents a significant technological leap despite currently possessing only a fraction of the computing power required for a fully operational quantum system.
Quantum computers promise to perform calculations that would take conventional machines millions of years, potentially revolutionizing industries ranging from materials science to pharmaceuticals. However, the fragile nature of qubits—the fundamental building blocks of quantum computing—necessitates robust error correction mechanisms. Traditional industry estimates have held that around one million physical qubits are needed to produce a sufficient number of reliable logical qubits for practical computing tasks.
AWS’s Ocelot chip, however, employs an innovative "cat" qubit approach, inspired by Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment, which allows the system to yield one working logical qubit from just nine physical qubits. Oskar Painter, AWS Director of Quantum Hardware, explained that this breakthrough could eventually enable useful quantum computers to be built with only 100,000 physical qubits—a reduction by a factor of five to ten compared to conventional estimates.
Constructed using standard semiconductor techniques and the material tantalum, the current prototype serves as a proof-of-concept. Painter noted, “We hope to customize these techniques further, making improvements at the materials and processing levels that will simplify the underlying technology and accelerate our development timeline.”
The announcement comes as major industry players, including Google, Microsoft, and startup PsiQuantum, also make strides in the rapidly evolving field of quantum computing. AWS’s latest venture underscores its commitment to remaining at the forefront of quantum innovation as it races to transform theoretical promise into commercial reality.
In a groundbreaking study published in Cell on January 18, Chinese researchers have unveiled a novel cancer treatment that ingeniously disguises tumors as pig tissue, triggering the body’s immune system to mount a hyperacute rejection response against the cancer cells.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated on Thursday that purchasing U.S. weapons does not pose a security risk for his country, but emphasized the need for Europe to reduce its reliance on American defense systems. His comments come amid growing discussions within Europe.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia and Ukraine cease attacking each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days, the Kremlin said following a lengthy phone discussion between the leaders.
Mexican forces have dismantled a massive meth lab in Zacatecas, dealing a blow to a Sinaloa Cartel faction.
Chinese tech giant Tencent on Friday night launched the official version of its T1 reasoning model, marking a significant step in its bid to strengthen its foothold in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape.
AI is rapidly advancing and could soon handle tasks that typically take humans weeks to complete. A recent analysis shows that AI models are closing the performance gap, with the potential to transform industries by taking on complex, time-consuming projects more efficiently.
In the deserts of Namibia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, scientists have uncovered strange, organized tubes embedded in ancient marble and limestone, sparking speculation that they may be the work of long-extinct microbial life. These unexpected formations could not only redefine our understanding of life
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang forecasted a rapid arrival of humanoid robots in manufacturing, stating that widespread use in factory settings is likely within the next few years.
A massive, unanticipated disconnection of data centers in a 30-square-mile area outside Washington, D.C. has exposed a fresh vulnerability in America’s electrical grid, raising concerns that the rapid expansion of Big Tech’s energy-hungry facilities could trigger cascading outages.
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