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Time Is Money

Mar 3, 2024 • 7 min read

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Elon Musk vs OpenAI
CENTCOM Activity

Week Recap:

U-Haul recently notified around 67,000 of its customers in the United States and Canada about a security breach where hackers used stolen login details to access a database containing personal information. This incident occurred on December 5 and was disclosed after a thorough investigation with cybersecurity experts. The breached system, which was used for managing reservations and customer details, exposed names, birth dates, and driver's license numbers, but importantly, did not compromise any financial data.
Apple has officially halted its electric vehicle project, effectively ending a decade-long initiative to break into the electric car market, according to a Bloomberg report. This decision puts a stop to what was one of Apple's most forward-looking endeavors. The internal announcement was made to the project's extensive team, which included over 2,000 staff members, by Apple's COO Jeff Williams and Kevin Lynch, the project's Vice President, signifying a major strategic shift within the company.
Zoom, a leading video chat software company, reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that exceeded analysts' expectations. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.22, higher than the forecasted $1.15, with revenue reaching $1.15 billion against an expected $1.13 billion. This performance represents a modest revenue growth from the previous year's $1.12 billion.
India is set to significantly enhance its nuclear energy output by adding 18 new nuclear reactors by 2032, as announced by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). This move will increase the nation's nuclear generation capacity by 13,800 MWe, raising the total to 22,480MWe and advancing India's standing in global nuclear energy production. Currently, nuclear power contributes 3.1% to India's electricity, with 22 reactors in operation.
The legal team representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the ex-CEO of FTX, has submitted a request to a federal court in New York for a sentence ranging from just over five years to six and a half years for their client. Bankman-Fried, who could face up to 110 years in prison following a conviction for various fraud and money laundering charges in November 2023, has been found guilty on several counts, including wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy charges.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia has entered into a significant five-year alliance with the ATP, the premier circuit for men’s professional tennis, marking a strategic and multifaceted collaboration aimed at enhancing the visibility and development of men's professional tennis globally. This collaboration, revealed last year, not only secures the PIF's involvement in the hosting of the Next Gen Finals, a prestigious tournament for players under the age of 21, extending through 2027, but also represents a broader commitment to the sport.
A Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX successfully deployed 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission's first stage booster, marking its 11th flight, had previously been used in several key missions, including CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, and five other Starlink launches.
On February 14, 2024, a milestone was achieved at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, when an MQ-9 Reaper was successfully landed using satellite control for the first time. This operation was a collaborative effort between the 50th Attack Squadron's Airmen and the Air National Guardsmen from the 163rd Attack Wing. The use of satellite control for landing represents a significant advancement over traditional methods that required more ground support and personnel.
Stripe has reached a $65 billion valuation following an agreement that permits its current and past employees to sell a portion of their shares. As part of this deal, Stripe, along with some investors, plans to purchase over $1 billion worth of stock from its employees.
The BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware group has publicly taken responsibility for a significant cyberattack on Optum, a subsidiary of the healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group (UHG), leading to substantial disruptions within the Change Healthcare platform. This platform is a critical payment processing network for over 70,000 pharmacies across the United States. According to BlackCat, the attack resulted in the theft of 6TB of data from Change Healthcare's systems, impacting a broad swath of the healthcare industry, including providers, insurance companies, and pharmacies.
Figure AI, a startup specializing in humanoid robots, has attracted a significant investment of $675 million from a group of heavyweight investors including OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Microsoft. The infusion of capital underscores the investors' confidence in Figure AI's mission to integrate advanced humanoid robots into the workforce.

Elon Musk vs OpenAI:

Elon Musk has initiated legal action against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of deviating from the organization's original altruistic mission by prioritizing financial gains over the welfare of humanity. Musk, who is among the wealthiest individuals globally and a co-founder of the AI entity responsible for ChatGPT, alleges that Altman has compromised OpenAI's founding principles by engaging in a financial arrangement with Microsoft.
The lawsuit, which was lodged in a San Francisco court on Thursday, argues that OpenAI's shift towards developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), a form of AI capable of understanding, learning, and performing tasks at a human level or better, is motivated by profit rather than societal good. According to the lawsuit, OpenAI has effectively become an opaque, closely held arm of Microsoft, the world's leading tech conglomerate, with its board's current direction focusing on perfecting AGI to enhance Microsoft's profitability, sidelining the broader interests of humanity.
Musk's filing begins by echoing his long-expressed view that AGI represents a significant risk to human existence, suggesting that while individuals like him perceive AGI as an existential hazard, others view it as a lucrative opportunity for gaining wealth and influence. The suit criticizes the pursuit of AGI by profit-driven entities like Google, branding it as an especially dire and harmful threat to human safety. This concern is amplified by fears shared by Musk and some tech leaders that AGI could potentially spiral out of human oversight, leading to actions that might jeopardize global safety.

CENTCOM Activity:

On March 2, 2024, the United States Central Command, in collaboration with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, successfully carried out a humanitarian airdrop mission in Gaza from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. local time. This mission aimed to deliver essential food supplies to civilians impacted by the conflict in the area. The operation involved aircraft from both the U.S. Air Force and the RJAF, specifically C-130 planes, along with Army Soldiers skilled in the aerial delivery of humanitarian aid.
These teams worked together to securely drop over 38,000 meals along Gaza's coastline, ensuring affected civilians could access the vital supplies. This initiative is part of the Department of Defense's broader effort to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Gaza's people, with plans underway for possible additional airdrop missions. In related efforts to enhance the delivery of aid into Gaza, strategies are being developed to increase the flow of assistance through land routes.
Additionally, on March 1, CENTCOM forces engaged in self-defense actions in the Red Sea region, targeting an Iranian-backed Houthi missile in Yemen poised to threaten U.S. aircraft. Later that day, a Houthi missile launched towards the Red Sea but caused no damage. On February 29, CENTCOM conducted defensive strikes against Houthi missiles and an unmanned aerial vehicle threatening U.S. and commercial maritime activity, underscoring the commitment to safeguard navigation and freedom in international waters.

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