Google Adds SandboxAQ's Quantitative AI Models to Cloud Offerings

The logo of Google is seen outside Google Bay View facilities during the Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, US August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File photo
The logo of Google is seen outside Google Bay View facilities during the Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, US August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File photo
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Google Adds SandboxAQ's Quantitative AI Models to Cloud Offerings

The logo of Google is seen outside Google Bay View facilities during the Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, US August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File photo
The logo of Google is seen outside Google Bay View facilities during the Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, US August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File photo

Quantum startup SandboxAQ said its large quantitative models (LQMs) will be available on Google Cloud, the company told Reuters on Tuesday, as cloud providers look to AI tech to fuel growth.

LQMs are designed to handle large-scale numerical datasets, perform complex calculations and statistical analysis, and can be used to develop sophisticated financial models or to automate trading strategies.

The partnership will make it easier for enterprises to use Google Cloud to develop its LQMs and deploy them, allowing Sandbox, a firm spun off from Google-parent Alphabet in 2022, to expand the distribution of its platform to a larger pool of potential customers.

"More than 80% of the economy is run by math and quantitative relationships. And that's where quantitative AI really shines, and it's very complementary to language models," CEO SandboxAQ, Jack Hidary said.

This is the first time Sandbox will have its models available on a third-party platform.

The Palo Alto-based startup secured $300 million in a funding round last month, boosting its valuation to $5.6 billion and was backed by investor firms including Fred Alger Management, T. Rowe Price, and Breyer Capital.

SandboxAQ said its models are used in sectors such as life sciences, financial services and navigation.

Google has been intensifying its efforts in quantum computing and announced in December that it had made significant progress by developing a new generation of quantum chips, overcoming a major challenge in the field.

Microsoft also touted the potential of quantum computing earlier this month and unveiled its "Quantum Ready program", while Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang said the technology's practical use was likely two decades away.



Britain to Introduce Digital Driving Licences this Year

A gaggle of geese stop traffic on The Mall as they cross the road in front of Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
A gaggle of geese stop traffic on The Mall as they cross the road in front of Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
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Britain to Introduce Digital Driving Licences this Year

A gaggle of geese stop traffic on The Mall as they cross the road in front of Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo
A gaggle of geese stop traffic on The Mall as they cross the road in front of Buckingham Palace, in London, Britain October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

Britain will introduce digital driving licences later this year in a push to use data to transform public services, the government said on Tuesday.

The licence will be held in a new GOV.UK digital wallet on smartphones and it will enable users to easily prove their age when buying age-restricted items as well as proving a right to drive.

Security features built into smartphones like facial recognition will ensure digital documents are secure even if a device is lost, the government said.

Other credentials issued by the government such as veteran cards and criminal record checks will be added by the end of 2027, it said, while physical documents would also remain available, according to Reuters.

The wallet will come alongside a government app, due this summer, that will make using services like applying for childcare or reporting a lost passport easier.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said the GOV.UK wallet would mean that every letter or identity document received from the government could be issued virtually.

"For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they're entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before," he said.

"Crucially, it also opens huge opportunities to make interacting with public services much easier by putting people in control of their own data."

A government review published on Tuesday said the full digitisation of public services could result in more than 45 billion pounds ($55 billion) a year of savings and productivity benefits.

Digital driving licences already exist in Australia, Denmark, Iceland and in some US states.