IBM Releases New AI Models for Businesses as GenAI Competition Heats up

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of IBM logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of IBM logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
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IBM Releases New AI Models for Businesses as GenAI Competition Heats up

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of IBM logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of IBM logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)

IBM released the latest version of its artificial intelligence models catered towards businesses on Monday, looking to capitalize on the surge in enterprises adopting generative AI technology.

"Granite 3.0" models will be made open-source, similar to other versions in IBM's Granite family of AI models. This approach differs from rivals such as Microsoft that charge customers for access to their models.

In turn, IBM offers a paid tool called Watsonx that helps run models inside data centers after they have been customized.

Some variants of the new Granite models are available starting Monday for commercial use on the Watsonx platform. A selection of these models will also be available on Nvidia's stack of software tools that enable businesses to incorporate AI models.

The new Granite models were trained using AI chip leader Nvidia's H100 graphics processor units (GPUs), said Dario Gil, IBM's director of research.



Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets China's IT Minister During Beijing Visit

FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook gives a presentation as Apple holds an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, Sept. 9, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook gives a presentation as Apple holds an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, Sept. 9, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo
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Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets China's IT Minister During Beijing Visit

FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook gives a presentation as Apple holds an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, Sept. 9, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple CEO Tim Cook gives a presentation as Apple holds an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US, Sept. 9, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo

Apple CEO Tim Cook met on Wednesday with China's Minister for Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong during a visit to Beijing this week, the ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, Jin told Cook that he hoped Apple would continue to deepen its presence in China, increase investment in innovation, grow with Chinese companies and share the dividends of high-quality development, the statement showed.
The trip is Cook's second to China this year. His posts on the X-like Weibo social media platform showed he visited an organic farm and toured ancient neighborhoods with artists including local photographer Chen Man, Reuters reported.
China is the world's biggest smartphone market where, in recent quarters, the iPhone maker has been losing market share to domestic rivals. Apple began China sales of its latest smartphones on Sept. 20, the same day local champion Huawei launched a rival handset. The new iPhones got off to a strong start with sales rising 20% in the first three weeks of launch compared with the year-earlier model, showed data from researcher Counterpoint.
However, overall iPhone sales in China fell 2% on year during the three-week period due to declining sales of older models and increased competition with Huawei's Mate and Pura series, Counterpoint said.