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15 Apr 202627 Shawwal 1447 AH

My bets on open models, mid-2026

We are at a pivotal moment to see if open models can keep pace with closed labs. The clear answer is no, as the capability gap between models is becoming increasingly complex. This dynamic is intertwined with funding for open models, who builds them, and techniques that enable fast-following. The capability gap is a key signal amid complex forces shaping supply and demand. Demand for open models is high, with many individuals, organizations, and sovereigns seeking them, while supply is dictated by economics. The question of which business strategies support releasing open models remains open.

Models

15 Apr 202627 Shawwal 1447 AH

Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS: the next generation of expressive AI speech

The company has launched its latest audio model featuring granular audio tags. These tags provide users with enhanced control over AI-generated speech, allowing for more expressive audio outputs. This model marks a significant advancement in audio processing and user experience. The tags improve the accuracy of speech generation by allowing greater control over tone and rhythm. This development is crucial amid increasing competition in the AI audio space and opens new applications in gaming and entertainment.

Infrastructure

15 Apr 202627 Shawwal 1447 AH

Rethinking AI TCO: Why Cost per Token Is the Only Metric That Matters

Traditional data centers have evolved from mere data storage and retrieval to becoming AI production facilities, with AI output as the primary goal. This shift necessitates a reevaluation of the economic factors related to AI infrastructure, including total cost of ownership. Organizations continue to overly emphasize maximum chip specifications and computing costs, leading to a mismatch between inputs and outputs. Cost per token represents the total cost of producing each delivered token, typically expressed as cost per million tokens.

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What I’ve been building: ATOM Report, post-training course, finishing my book, and ongoing research

What impact will the ATOM Report have on open language model investments?

Business

Workflow Automation vs. Orchestration: Architectural Differences That Matter at Scale

14 Apr 202626 Shawwal 1447 AH

Business

14 Apr 202626 Shawwal 1447 AH

Workflow Automation vs. Orchestration: Architectural Differences That Matter at Scale

Workflow automation focuses on individual tasks, while orchestration manages multiple tasks. Automation is effective for simple processes like sending notifications and updating records, but it faces limitations in monitoring and coordination, making it less suitable for complex operations. In contrast, orchestration acts as a central control unit that oversees automated tasks across various domains, providing better coordination among processes. It allows for more effective error handling, making it ideal for operations that require comprehensive monitoring and service coordination.

Agents

Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6: Powering real-world robotics tasks through enhanced embodied reasoning

13 Apr 202625 Shawwal 1447 AH

Agents

13 Apr 202625 Shawwal 1447 AH

Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6: Powering real-world robotics tasks through enhanced embodied reasoning

Gemini Robotics has launched version 1.6 of its system, focusing on enhancing spatial reasoning and multi-view understanding. This update includes advanced technologies that improve robots' ability to interact effectively with their environments, allowing for more precise execution of complex tasks. Version 1.6 is the result of extensive research and development, tested across various scenarios to ensure effectiveness. New algorithms enable robots to analyze data from multiple angles, facilitating better real-time decision-making.

Models

The inevitable need for an open model consortium

11 Apr 202623 Shawwal 1447 AH

Models

11 Apr 202623 Shawwal 1447 AH

The inevitable need for an open model consortium

Percy Liang, a professor at Stanford University, discussed the Marine project, which aims to create fully open models. There is a trend towards forming a consortium of companies to finance a core set of open models, although the timeline for this is unclear. Neutron, a subsidiary of Nvidia, represents an effort to fund this direction within a single wealthy company. Recent months have seen significant changes in open model labs, with prominent figures leaving companies like Quora and Ai2. These shifts are not surprising, as the cost of keeping pace with advancements in artificial intelligence is rising.

Agents

National Robotics Week — Latest Physical AI Research, Breakthroughs and Resources

10 Apr 202622 Shawwal 1447 AH

Agents

10 Apr 202622 Shawwal 1447 AH

National Robotics Week — Latest Physical AI Research, Breakthroughs and Resources

During National Robotics Week, NVIDIA showcased advancements in integrating AI into the physical world, significantly impacting industries like agriculture and manufacturing. Key announcements at GTC included the introduction of open models like NVIDIA Isaac GR00T, which enable robots to understand natural language and perform complex tasks using vision language action reasoning. Additionally, the open-source physics engine Newton 1.0 was released, providing a reliable foundation for accurate robot manipulation.

Governance

Claude Mythos and misguided open-weight fearmongering

9 Apr 202621 Shawwal 1447 AH

Governance

9 Apr 202621 Shawwal 1447 AH

Claude Mythos and misguided open-weight fearmongering

This week, the Claude Mythos model was announced, showcasing strong capabilities, particularly in cybersecurity. However, this has sparked a backlash against open-weight models, with concerns that digital infrastructure isn't ready for an open version, potentially enabling attacks from multiple parties. Historically, open models were deemed dangerous when OpenAI withheld GPT-2 weights in 2019 and released GPT-4 in 2023. The current narrative conflates various unknowns into a broad policy recommendation that could undermine cybersecurity readiness.

Business

New Future of Work: AI is driving rapid change, uneven benefits

9 Apr 202621 Shawwal 1447 AH

Business

9 Apr 202621 Shawwal 1447 AH

New Future of Work: AI is driving rapid change, uneven benefits

The New Future of Work 2025 report reveals how artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace. It notes that organizations treating AI as a collaborative partner are reaping the most significant benefits. Over the past five years, changes in work dynamics have been documented, but this year's shift appears to be more pronounced. The report emphasizes that AI not only accelerates workflows but also influences creativity, decision-making, collaboration, and learning processes. Research indicates that individuals are using AI in uneven ways, resulting in varied creative experiences.