All images courtesy of Asya Marakulina, shared with permissionAsya Marakulina Sculpts Poignant Ceramic Portraits of Demolished HomesJanuary 22, 2025ArtSocial IssuesKate MothesPrior to the 20th century, apartment buildings and row houses were often built with shared walls between adjoining properties. Intrigued by these aging structures, Vienna-based artist Asya Marakulina began cataloging examples she first noticed on walks around her former home in St. Petersburg, Russia.Since houses in the 19th century were built without gaps between them, when one house is torn down, the neighboring house often bears traces of the demolished one, Marakulina tells Colossal. These remnants of decor, plumbing, and other signs of human habitation form the basis of her ongoing ceramic series, There Was a Home.When Marakulina moved to Vienna, she noticed a similar phenomenon in the remains of older buildings that had been demolished there, too. Fragments of floor still clung to the walls and the outlines of painted or papered rooms were suddenlysomewhat uncomfortablyexternal. The ease of a warm interior and its associated domesticity was upended.What touches and affects me the most in images of ruined houses are the traces of wallpaper, tiles, and childrens rooms, which suddenly become visible to the entire street, the artist says, sharing that the sight evokes a deep sadness. These spaces were never meant to be seen in such a way.Marakulina likens houses to the bodies of living organisms, imbued with emotions, memories, and layered histories. The ceramic cross-sections take on a portrait-like quality, capturing straightforward views of multistory edifices that are simultaneously immediate and intimate. Maybe thats why these images captivate me so much because a part of someones inner, domestic life is suddenly turned inside-out and put on public display, she says.The houses in There Was a Home are typically drawn from real buildings, photographs of which she captures herself or finds on the internet. Marakulina also considers the impacts of war and is profoundly moved by the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where thousands of homes have been destroyed and their inhabitants killed or displaced. The half-standing homes simultaneously represent lives lost and the hope of one day being able to rebuild.Rather than straightforward copies of the buildings she encounters, Marakulina takes liberties with wall colors, sometimes adding graffiti or words she sees on the streets or derives from the news. She scores the clay to create the textures of tile and concrete or delineate lintels and former doorways. The resulting reliefs become collage-like, merging locations and motifs.If youre in Belgium, you can see the artists work in Ceramic Brussels, which opens today and continues through January 26. In London, Marakulina created a site-specific installation for a solo show at The Smallest Gallery in Soho, which continues through mid-February, and later that month, she will exhibit with Vienna Collectors Club. Find more on the artists website and Instagram.Next article

Back in the pre-internet days of the early 1990s, retail loyalty programmes were prehistoric (Green Shield stamps anyone?) until Tesco teamed up with plucky startup Dunnhumby. It leveraged the limited computing power around at the time to create a tech-based operation behind the Tesco Clubcard that reinvented loyalty and pioneered the field of customer insight.Clubcard might be preparing to celebrate its 30-year anniversary on 13 February 2025, but the loyalty scheme is still having a major impact and continues to set the agenda. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy recently hit the headlines when he suggested the company could harness artificial intelligence (AI) alongside data from Clubcard to prompt recommendations to shoppers about making healthier choices.I can see it nudging you over time, saying: Ive noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily allowance. I would recommend you substitute this, this and this, Murphy stated at a retail conference.Such was the impact of Dunnhumby, then a little-known independent company, that its ground-breaking, data-driven approach very quickly propelled Tesco to become the UKs leading grocery business, overtaking its major rivals, including then-market leader Sainsburys.The business was founded by Edwina Dunn and Clive Humby after they had both worked at CACI on spatial targeting systems that led to the creation of a site location modelling tool. This involved mashing up CACIs Acorn a geo-demographic segmentation of residential neighbourhoods in the UK with census data. This combination determined that neighbourhoods were different and that the people living in them made different buying decisions.The lightbulb moment came when we considered that if this is good on census data, which is 10 years old, then just imagine what we could learn from customer data, says Dunn. Our idea was to analyse the customer data [from tills] and build it onto Acorn.Sounds good. But it was a hard sell because, at the time, data was not quite the thing it is today and computing was still in its infancy. Simon Hay, former CEO of Dunnhumby, says the company was really pushing the capabilities of the technology it was using, which he recalls was DEC AlphaServer kit the most powerful microprocessor at the time.We were doing analysis on machines that people did not think it was possible to make it work on and data was thrown away at that time because it was expensive to store. IT was monolithic, he says.At the time that Dunnhumby was working with its early customers, which included Booker Cash & Carry, Mercury Communications and Lotus Software, Tesco was experimenting with its fledgling Clubcard in a handful of stores. Hay says the retailer was bereft of insight on the impact of the nascent loyalty programme. Dunnhumbys data-driven approach very quickly propelled Tesco to become the UKs leading grocery business Although Tesco was initially unconvinced by Dunnhumbys overtures, it soon changed its mind. A fateful episode occurred when Grant Harrison from Tesco marketing heard Humby speak at a conference and reference the tool he had built to analyse big data.It was fortuitous, and we were given some data from Clubcard and told to let him know what we found in it, recalls Dunn. Tesco had created the idea of Clubcard in nine stores we didnt invent it, we made it work.The experimentation with Tesco sales data took place in 1994 over a three-month stretch, from which Dunnhumby concluded that people returned to stores more often and bought more when they were rewarded with money-off promotions. The real big breakthrough came when it presented the findings to the Tesco board. Then chairman Lord MacLaurin famously declared: What scares me is that you know more about my customers after three months than I know after 30 years.It was then all systems go as the starting gun was rapidly fired on the roll-out of Clubcard to all Tesco stores. The commitment to do something so big is lost today. For the 13 February 1995 launch, they printed 16 million Clubcards, closed every store the weekend before to dress it up with Clubcard [promotional materials], put people in all the stores to sign up members, and there was national TV advertising, says Dunn.The impact on the business was monumental. In the first year after Clubcards launch, Tesco overtook Sainsburys, and in less than three years, the loyalty programme had helped double the companys grocery market share. It was all incremental business and we calculated that over the next 10 years Clubcard and Dunnhumby made an extra 60bn of sales for Tesco, she says.Read more about retail techFrom age verification to catching criminals, how are retailers using facial recognition technology to push forward their businesses?The terms dynamic pricing and surge pricing are often conflated, leaving retailers battling against misconceptions and angry consumers as they use technology to implement price flexibility across their stores.In these early days, only very modest amounts of data were being used. For analysing the overall number of Tesco shoppers on a Saturday, for example, a 1% sample would be sufficient for satisfactory results, whereas looking at a single store would require 10%, according to Hay.Dunn concurs: It was just [analysing] some of the data some of the time. Wed get an overnight stream by polling all of the stores [transaction data]. We could only analyse groups of products weekly and on 10% of the data. We could look at frozen versus fresh and soft drinks versus carbonated. We could not analyse to the detail of Coke versus Pepsi. It was only modest, but some knowledge is an advantage. It had not been done before.A vital component of Clubcard was the money-off vouchers and promotional offers posted to its millions of members. By 1997, Hay says these personalised coupons were down to a one-to-one level because of the in-depth segmentation that Dunnhumby was able to undertake. Customers would be in various segments, and Venn diagrams across these would determine the specific vouchers and promotions they each received.Crucial to the success of the vouchers was the involvement of the major brand owners that were benefiting greatly from the insights. Interestingly, Dunn reveals they were very much focused on driving brand switching away from their rivals: Coke wanted us to coupon Pepsi buyers. We said they could only send promotions to their existing customers. We had a big fight over this and today its still in CPG [Consumer Packaged Goods] DNA to brand switch.Clubcard was not solely restricted to the marketing function within Tesco. Hay says the insights derived from the data have very much driven strategic thinking within the business. It led to the launch of the Finest own-label range, for example, which is currently worth an impressive 2bn in annual sales. Clubcard has also helped with deciding on store locations, the creation of the Metro convenience format, Tesco Bank, Tesco Mobile and the online business.The hard data helped allay fears, bust myths and move the business away from gut instinct decision-making. The assumption was that online would cannibalise store sales, but we showed it was incremental sales and that it attracted new customers. Our IP showed it as a growth strategy, recalls Hay.In 2001, Tesco became an investor in Dunnhumby, rather than simply a client, when it took a 53% stake. It went on to increase this to 84% in 2006. This was a boost to the co-founders, but the downside was a reluctance by Tesco rivals to work with Dunnhumby. Id never bet against Tesco to deliver with AI Edwina Dunn, co-founder of DunnhumbyThe solution was to go international and seek retail clients overseas. Helping this important move was the decision to sell its data (initially just from Tesco) to the CPG providers. Dunnhumby created an analytics platform (The Shop) that enabled them to analyse the customer data themselves with customers personal details hidden which could be sold to them.This became 80% of the companys revenues as Dunnhumby tapped into the global scale of the top CPGs in the primary markets. Only 12 countries represent the majority in terms of revenues and profits of the market share in fast-moving consumer goods products. It was an objective to obtain their data.Dunn recalls that the logistics of data crunching became increasingly easier as the underlying technology advanced. The business was soon crunching 100% of the data and the frequency of the reports it could produce was increased to daily. Marketing could be long term, but which sales were hurt by competitors pricing meant there was a need for daily analysis. The tech galloped ahead. We could also deal with all the data down to the EAN [European Article Number] for each individual product, she says.When the Dunnhumby co-founders stepped back in 2011, Dunn says there was a fall-off in the disruptive nature of the business. Hay became CEO of the business and recognises there was undoubted value in Tesco owning the business, but acknowledges its harder to be a disruptor when you are in the family.Although Dunn holds some reservations about Dunnhumbys power to still set the agenda within Tesco, she remains very positive about the prospects of these combined forces as AI increasingly impacts on all elements of the retail landscape. This is underpinned by her belief that Tesco has some of the best data in the market. Referring to Murphys AI comments, she says: Id never bet against Tesco to deliver with AI.This represents a powerful legacy for Dunn, Humby, Hay and the many other people who have contributed to the Dunnhumby story. This is made all the more powerful by Dunns view that despite the 30 years of pioneering work undertaken by Dunnhumby in delivering incredible value from data, many companies still have very weak datasets, seriously diminishing their prospects of leveraging any value from AI in the future.There is much to play for in retail, and Dunnhumby and Clubcard continue to put Tesco at the forefront of data-based activities in the sector.

whyframeshot - stock.adobe.comNewsElon Musk distances himself from Trumps Stargate AI missionJust a few days into Donald Trump presidency and there appears to be a disagreement brewing around funding of OpenAI and the Stargate ProjectByCliff Saran,Managing EditorPublished: 22 Jan 2025 12:49 Billionaire Elon Musk, who is seen as US president Donald Trumps right-hand man, has openly criticised the new US administrations Stargate AI project, which is being driven by OpenAI and Softbank.Trump unveiled the Stargate Project as part of a roll of measures to kickstart his presidency with support from tech giants. The project is run as a new company which intends to invest $500bn over the next four years building new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the US.Musk has previously been highly critical of OpenAI, a company he co-founded with the current CEO, Sam Altman, in 2015. The pair fell out over OpenAIs decision to operate as a non-profit entity.In March 2023, Musk launched a rival called xAI. In this latest post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: They dont have any money. This has raised questions among his followers as to why the man who made significant donations to support the Republican partys campaign to win the US elections in November is not supporting the initiative.In spite of Musks initial comment, it appears that there is plenty of funding behind the Trump administrations plans to develop sovereign AI capabilities based on OpenAI. SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and MGX are putting up the initial funding for the project. The technology firms supporting the project are Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle and OpenAI.The work on the first AI Stargate Project datacentre begins with a $100bn datacentre facility in Texas. Trumps goal is to demonstrate US AI leadership, which has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of American jobs and generate economic benefit. The project is also being positioned to support the re-industrialisation of the United States and provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies.Microsoft, which has plunged billions into supporting OpenAI, said collaboration on the Stargate Project builds on its existing OpenAI partnership. OpenAI will continue to increase its consumption of Azure as OpenAI continues its work with Microsoft with this additional compute to train leading models and deliver great products and services, it posted in a blog.OpenAI has now partnered with Microsoft rival Oracle and is set to work alongside Nvidia on building and operating the new Stargate Project computing system.According to analyst firm Constellation Research, the most significant part of the Stargate Project announcement is changes to the existing exclusivity agreement between Microsoft and OpenAI. Microsoft has a right of first refusal and has approved OpenAIs ability to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models. What this means, according to Constellation Research, is OpenAI will be using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, as well as Microsoft Azure.In what appear as a preemptive move to avoid criticism that Stargate Project may waterdown its existing OpenAI partnership, on which it has built an entire AI business, Microsoft said: The key elements of our partnership remain in place for the duration of our contract through 2030, with our access to OpenAIs intellectual property, our revenue sharing arrangements and our exclusivity on OpenAIs APIs all continuing forward.Specifically, it said that the company will continue to have rights to OpenAI IP, inclusive of model and infrastructure, for use within our products such as Copilot. Moreover, the OpenAI application programming interface (API) will remain solely an Azure feature, which runs on Azure and is available through the Azure OpenAI Service.Read more OpenAI storiesOpenAI faces backlash for its Economic Blueprint for US: The document lays out steps for the future regarding AI technology. Some call the move self-serving and another piece of the vendor's strategy to win the AI race.OpenAI o1 explained: Everything you need to know: OpenAI's o1 models, launched in December 2024, enhance reasoning in AI and excel in complex tasks, such as generating and debugging code.In The Current Issue:Can the UK government achieve its ambition to become an AI powerhouse?A guide to DORA complianceDownload Current IssueData engineering - Alteryx: Investing for scale with an eye on value CW Developer NetworkData engineering - Nutanix: All engineering starts with infrastructure CW Developer NetworkView All Blogs

At Unpacked, Samsung is expected to announce what's next for its Galaxy AI initiative and S series of handsets, which means this is your last chance to reserve preorders.

The move means that people who don't want to use Apple's AI tech will need to manually disable it.

Today's workforce is struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation. Now is the time to start planning and skilling the workforce for tomorrow's technology.

President Donald Trump, joined by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announce the groundbreaking $500 ... [+] billion Stargate AI Project, an initiative set to revolutionize America's artificial intelligence infrastructure and solidify its global leadership.Getty ImagesThe tech world is abuzz with the announcement of the Stargate AI Project, an ambitious $500 billion initiative unveiled by President Donald Trump on January 21, 2025just one day after his regal inauguration ceremony, which saw the attendance of many of the worlds top tech leaders. This visionary effort aims to transform Americas artificial intelligence infrastructure, positioning the nation as a global leader in AI innovation. However, the projects successor its failurerests squarely in the details. From addressing power supply challenges to developing a skilled workforce and ensuring strong governance, the path forward is certainly complex but full of untapped opportunities.What Is StargateAnd What Isnt It?Lets clear up any confusion: Stargate is not about intergalactic wormholes or the CIAs psychic experiments of the 1980s that shared the same name. It has nothing to do with science fiction or Cold War parapsychology. Think less aliens, more algorithms.At its core, the Stargate AI Project is a groundbreaking partnership between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, aiming to build a network of state-of-the-art data centers that will shape the future of AI development. The initiative begins with a $100 billion investment in its first phase, scaling to $500 billion over four years. The goal? To power cutting-edge AI innovations while creating over 100,000 new jobs, establishing the U.S. as the global leader in AI infrastructure and development.The Power Problem: Where Will The Energy Come From?AI infrastructure doesnt run on hopes and dreamsit runs on electricity, and staggering amounts of it. Each proposed Stargate data center is expected to consume at least 50 megawatts of power. With 10 data centers already in development, starting in Texas, the sheer energy demands pose a significant challenge.Grid And Infrastructure Strain: Scaling power delivery to the remote or underserved areas where data centers may be built will require extensive infrastructure upgrades. While Texas remains the premier hub for data center infrastructure talent and boasts a business-friendly climate with a thriving tech ecosystem, its grid operator, ERCOT, is already under significant strain. Stargates energy needs could push the grid to its breaking point, highlighting the need for robust investment and planning. The project also raises a critical question: will local and state governments adjust regulations to facilitate streamlined energy expansion? Proactive policies will be essential to ensure the grid can support the additional load without delays or bottlenecks.Energy Gaps: The U.S. energy grid is stretched thin in many regions, and the constant, massive power demands of AI systems present a formidable challenge. While renewables like solar and wind remain part of the discussion, their intermittent nature makes them less viable as primary energy sources for facilities requiring round-the-clock power. The key question is whether regulatory and financial incentives will be enacted to accelerate grid enhancements and support consistent power delivery. Without such measures, delays in energy availability could derail the projects aggressive timelines.The Nuclear Question: Nuclear power stands out as a stable, high-capacity solution to Stargates energy needs, offering unparalleled reliability compared to other sources. However, the involvement of SoftBanka Japanese company shaped by the legacy of the Fukushima nuclear disastercomplicates the equation. Cultural and corporate hesitations around nuclear energy must be addressed strategically. Balancing SoftBanks reservations with the undeniable advantages of nuclear power will require careful negotiation, but it remains a solution too significant to ignore in the long-term energy strategy for Stargate.Stargates energy demands will push the boundaries of current infrastructure, requiring careful coordination between private companies, local authorities, and regulators. Whether the system can scale to meet this needor whether red tape and resistance will slow progressremains one of the projects most critical questions.MORE FOR YOUTo succeed, Stargate must tackle these energy challenges head-on with bold solutions, proactive planning, and innovative partnerships. The stakes are high, and the ability to power this AI revolution will define whether Stargates vision becomes a reality.Workforce Challenges: Who Will Fill 100,000 Jobs?The promise of creating 100,000 new jobs is ambitious but raises significant questions in an already tight AI and data center labor market. Many of these roles require specialized skills in AI, engineering, and data center operationsskills that arent readily available at scale.To meet this challenge, Stargate must:Partner with Universities and Trade Schools: Collaborate with academic institutions to create targeted training programs for future employees.Upskill and Retrain Workers: Transition workers from other industries into tech roles with accelerated training programs.Tap New Markets: Build data centers in regions with untapped talent pools while addressing infrastructure needs in those areas.This isnt just about jobsits about a cultural shift. Stargates roles will demand hands-on teamwork, rapid execution, and a mission-first mindset, leaving little room for a lackadaisical work from home approach. For Stargate to succeed, its essential to retool the workforce, emphasize skills that align with on-site collaboration, and cultivate a culture of dedication and purpose. Now is the time to lean in and embrace the challenge.Governance And Execution: Whos Holding The Reins?A $500 billion initiative requires more than bold visionit demands strong leadership, flawless execution, and robust governance. Without swift and deliberate action, this could become one of Stargates most significant vulnerabilities.Leadership And Oversight: Masayoshi Son of SoftBank is slated to chair the project, bringing his renowned business acumen and experience with large-scale initiatives. However, he runs a vast conglomerate with numerous projects under his purview, and Stargate cannot be his sole full-time focus. To succeed, Stargate requires a dedicated executive team with the bandwidth to steer daily operations, make critical decisions, and adapt to challenges in real time. Furthermore, the project must establish an independent board of directors with the authority to manage competing priorities, enforce accountability, and provide impartial oversight. Leadership at this level isnt just about visionits about execution and governance at a scale that aligns with the stakes.OpenAIs Governance Questions: OpenAIs technical expertise is invaluable to Stargates mission, but the organization has faced criticism in the past for prioritizing speed over control. The stakes are too high for a move fast and break things approach. Stargate needs clear checks and balances to ensure governance lapses dont derail the project. This includes structured decision-making processes, well-defined roles, and strong collaboration among all stakeholders.Transparency And Trust: Managing a mix of public funds, private investments, and sensitive national infrastructure demands absolute transparency. Stargate must implement robust mechanisms for tracking progress, communicating milestones, and reporting outcomes. Equally important is maintaining public trust, which will be tested as challenges inevitably arise. Clear, consistent communication with all stakeholdersincluding the publicwill be critical to avoiding skepticism and ensuring continued support.Stargates success hinges on building a governance structure that is as bold as its ambitions. Strong leadership, independent oversight, and unwavering transparency will transform its potential into reality. Without them, this moonshot risks becoming another cautionary tale of overreach.Why Stargate Matters: The Bigger PictureAt its heart, Stargate is about ensuring the U.S. remains the epicenter of the AI revolution. Much like Sematech, headquartered in Austin, Texas, revitalized the U.S. semiconductor industry in the 1980s, or DARPA spearheaded transformative technologies like the internet, Stargate aims to lay the foundation for Americas long-term leadership in AI. These landmark initiatives demonstrated how bold, coordinated efforts could secure technological and economic dominanceand Stargate seeks to do the same for artificial intelligence. However, its impact extends far beyond technology:Economic Revitalization: Stargate promises to inject billions into local economies, creating over 100,000 jobs and driving significant infrastructure development across the country. By establishing cutting-edge data centers and fostering regional growth, it could transform areas previously overlooked by the tech industry into thriving economic hubs.Global Competition: As China aggressively invests in AI, Stargate represents Americas bold response to maintaining its technological edge. This isnt just about innovation; its about securing national security and economic strength. Winning the AI race is as much about geopolitical influence as it is about advancing technological capabilities, and Stargate positions the U.S. to lead the way.Transformational Applications: From healthcare breakthroughs, like personalized cancer vaccines, to advancements in national defense and cybersecurity, Stargates AI capabilities have the potential to redefine entire industries. These innovations could not only improve lives globally but also fortify critical infrastructure against evolving threats, ensuring the safety and prosperity of future generations.Stargate isnt just a projectits a mission. By anchoring Americas future in AI, it ensures the nation remains a leader in the technologies that will shape the 21st century and beyond. With the stakes this high, success is not just an optionits a necessity.The 4 Challenges AheadStargates vision is undeniably inspiring and deserves unwavering support, but its success depends on overcoming significantyet still surmountablehurdles. If left unaddressed, however, these challenges could become insurmountable, putting the entire project at risk.Energy Solutions: Meeting Stargates immense energy demands will require a careful balance of renewable sources, nuclear power, and substantial grid upgrades. Ensuring a stable and sustainable power supply is both complex and urgent, particularly in key regions like Texas, where the grid is already under strain. Proactive planning and streamlined regulations will be critical to avoid bottlenecks in energy delivery and to ensure the project can scale effectively.Workforce Development: Creating and training a workforce of 100,000 skilled professionals will demand unprecedented collaboration among industry leaders, academia, trade schools, and government agencies. Upskilling existing workers, transitioning talent from other sectors, and aligning educational programs with Stargates specific needs are essential to prevent labor shortages. This isnt just about finding workersits about equipping them with the skills required for hands-on, collaborative roles that will define this next chapter of AI innovation. Long-term commitment and innovative solutions will be key.Governance: Effective governance is non-negotiable. Leadership must be cohesive, transparent, and fully accountable, especially with multiple stakeholders like OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank involved. Balancing competing priorities, avoiding mismanagement, and maintaining public trust will be critical to keeping Stargate on track. A dedicated leadership team and independent oversight board are essential to ensure the project adheres to its goals and timelines while maintaining high standards of accountability.Competition: China isnt standing still. The nation has already surpassed the U.S. in AI patent filings and continues to make aggressive investments in research and infrastructure. Stargate must not only meet its ambitious objectives but also outpace global competitors who are equally determined to lead the AI revolution. This is a race with immense economic and geopolitical stakes, and complacency is not an option.Stargates success hinges on addressing these challenges head-on. The stakes are incredibly high, and the world is watching to see if this bold vision can navigate the complexities of execution. With strong leadership, a clear strategy, and decisive action, Stargate has the potential to secure Americas place at the forefront of the AI revolution.But time is of the essencethe longer these hurdles remain unresolved, the harder they will be to overcome. Stargates future depends on how quickly and effectively these challenges are tackled.A $500 Billion Bet on the FutureThe Stargate AI Project is a bold gamble to secure Americas place at the forefront of the AI revolution. If successful, it will transform the nations economy, technology, and global standing. But success hinges on solving massive challenges in energy, workforce, and governance.Will Stargate deliver on its promises or become a cautionary tale of overreach? That remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: in the race to define the future, the U.S. just went all in.The stakes couldnt be higher, and the world is watching.

In a nutshell: A new global survey commissioned by storage giant Seagate reveals that businesses anticipate their data storage needs will double within the next three years, driven largely by the adoption of AI and machine learning. The survey, which included over 1,000 businesses across various industries, found that a whopping 72% have already jumped on the AI train, with another 28% planning to deploy it within the next three years. The data deluge is mainly being handled by the cloud. The survey indicates that 65% of all AI-related data is already being stored in the cloud as of 2024, and that percentage is projected to climb to 69% by 2028 as more workloads shift off-premises.Among companies using over 100 petabytes of storage, 87% are storing their AI model training checkpoints in the cloud or a hybrid cloud/on-premises setup. These checkpoints, which allow models to pick up where they left off, are being generated at a blistering pace: 28% of companies said they create new checkpoints every single day, while 43% do it on a weekly basis. It's no wonder nearly half of the companies surveyed (46%) believe their existing storage methods won't be enough to quench AI's thirst for data in the coming years.Keeping all those checkpoints around is also becoming a priority. A full 90% of respondents said they believe retaining lots of historical training data leads to better AI outcomes over time. 32% of companies creating daily checkpoints are holding on to that data for over a year, while 29% keep it for 6-12 months.To try to get ahead of any data bottlenecks, businesses are embracing a variety of strategies: 61% are expanding their usage of scalable cloud storage solutions; 56% have implemented enhanced data management software; 55% have upgraded their on-prem infrastructure; and 49% are turning to data compression to squeeze more into their existing storage.With AI proving to be an exponential data multiplier, businesses have no choice but to make scaling storage capacity a top priority over the coming years. Of course, cloud will likely continue gobbling up more of the storage load, but it seems on-premises optimization and hybrid setups will remain essential too. // Related Stories

Something to look forward to: Microsoft introduced a proper search feature in its PC operating systems with Windows Vista. Despite undergoing several iterations over the years, Windows search functionality still lacks the basic ability to provide consistent, reliable results when searching for files, applications, or settings. Is this finally going to change? Windows Search has long been one of the least enticing features of modern Windows systems, and this has remained true for a very long time. Microsoft recently vowed to improve local search through the power of AI, claiming that AI will revolutionize search engines, web browsers, and nearly everything else in the coming years.The company has started to showcase how AI will enhance search, and unpaid Windows beta testers can now get a sneak peek at these improvements by installing the latest Insider Preview Build of Windows 11.Microsoft recently released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2992 (KB5050083) to the Dev Channel. One of the most notable changes introduced in this build is the improved Windows Search experience, which requires the 40+ TOPS NPU inside a Copilot+ PC system to perform its AI magic.According to Microsoft, finding documents, photos, or even system settings in Windows 11 will become significantly easier. The new OS build adds a "semantic indexing" layer on top of the traditional indexing feature, enabling users to perform search tasks in a conversational, prompt-like manner.Instead of searching for specific file names or exact keywords, users can now describe what they're looking for in their own words such as "bridge at sunset" for photos or even instruct the Settings app to perform tasks like changing the GUI theme. // Related StoriesCurrently, the AI-enhanced search is limited to local search, though Microsoft has plans to extend the feature to cloud storage and OneDrive. The feature will be gradually rolled out to Copilot+ PCs based on Snapdragon SoCs, with support for AMD and Intel-based systems planned for a later date.The new search supports a limited selection of widely used languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Similarly, the number of supported file formats is currently restricted to popular document and image types, such as: .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, .xlsx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, and .bmp.Users can customize Windows Search indexing settings through the Privacy & Security page in the Windows Settings app. There's even an "Enhanced" option to index the entire PC, though I've always advised against enabling system-wide indexing throughout my career in PC support.If you are looking for a powerful, fast, and reliable search solution and don't want to use AI, third-party tools like Everything effectively solved the "search problem" on Windows many years ago for me.

If youre looking for a TV subscription service, price and cost very well might be your biggest troubles. Sometimes offering hundreds of channels, the services can become quite expensive quickly. But, what if there was a different way? Sling provides a curated selection of channels that youre most likely to use, with base packages designed for customer profiles that watch either sports or news and other entertainment to get a better experience. In other words, you get what you want and dont pay for extra. The result is that Sling pricing is very competitive. Here, well compare it to some of the most popular alternatives YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, and Fubo to see how each service matches up. Go ahead and tap the button below to check Slings current price yourself, or keep reading to get the comparison pricing.Heres how each of the popular services compare:Sling is currently just $23 for your first month of either Sling Blue or Sling Orange, going up to $46 per month after that first month. Be sure to check if there is an ongoing Sling free trial as Sling deals and offers rotate.YouTube TV is $73 per month for your first 6 months, then goes up to $83 per month. Formerly, its base price was $73 per month, meaning the service has rising costs. It currently has a 10 day free trial.Hulu+Live TV is currently $83 per month in a package that includes ads.Fubo is currently $80 per month after a short free trial.Whats the secret for the much lower Sling cost? Both Sling Blue and Sling Orange share 24 channels (like the History channel, TNT, Cartoon Network, and CNN) that most people are likely to use, without the fluff. Then, the Orange and Blue plans differentiate user types. If you like news and entertainment you can get Sling Blue with MSNBC, FX, Discovery and 12 other such channels to suit your needs, whereas if you like sports you can get Sling Orange which comes with the ESPN channels and more sports goodies. In either case, youll only be paying $23 for the first month, so go ahead and tap the button below to begin using Sling.