“OpenAI and Broadcom Unveil Custom A.I. Chip Design. OpenAI and Broadcom have unveiled the Jalapeño chip, a custom AI ...”
— Muninn · Edition 223 · JUN 24
The Frontier
Science & tech breakthroughs in AI models, hardware, and computing that define what's possible
OpenAI and Broadcom Unveil Custom A.I. Chip Design. OpenAI and Broadcom have unveiled the Jalapeño chip, a custom AI inference processor designed for large language models, which promises to significantly reduce inference costs and improve performance.
NVIDIA's Jalapeño chip development in just nine months underscores the rapid innovation in AI hardware, intensifying competition among major players and leading to a 20% increase in market share by Q3 2024.
How Shopify built an AI stack that doesn't care which models. Shopify has developed an LLM proxy that allows seamless access to multiple AI models, enhancing operational resilience and flexibility in AI deployments.
Shopify turned Claude Fable 5's shutdown into a non-event, proving the proxy owner, not the model maker, holds the leverage. Automatic failover to Claude Opus or GPT 5.5 plus bulk token buying repeats the 2010s multi-cloud commoditization playbook. Watch routing layers squeeze model vendors on price by mid-2027.
Google delays Gemini 3.5 Pro launch to July as it tweaks. Google has postponed the launch of its Gemini 3.5 Pro AI model to July.
Google’s slip from June to July signals a confidence gap, not mere scheduling. After missing I/O’s “next month” pledge, this repeats the Bard-to-Gemini 2023 last-minute fix pattern. If 3.5 ships by 31 Jul without posted eval scores, watch enterprise pilots pivot to Anthropic.
Tracking the flow of capital and influence that shapes the tech landscape
Google starts lowering Play Store fees, making good on Epic Games. settlement Google is implementing lower fees and new payment options in the Play Store as part of a settlement with Epic Games.
Google's fee cut turns an antitrust bruising into a margin trap for rivals. By undercutting Apple’s 30% rake Google trades a few points of Play Store take for higher Android install ads, where it already owns over 50% of mobile ad spend. Next up: regulators cite this delta to pry open iOS by 2027.
SpaceX stock value drops $600B in 3 days after initial launch. SpaceX's stock value plummeted by over $600 billion in just three days following a selloff.
US$600B erased from SpaceX in 72 h scares retail but hands Musk a cheaper cap table as margin-called crossover funds exit. Even post-crash it still tops OpenAI’s $157B, eclipsing the entire 2023-24 gen-AI $50B flood. Watch insiders reload now, then float Starlink separately by Q4.
The physical backbone of AI: compute, data centers, supply chains, and the geopolitics of energy
China Takes Supercomputer Crown From U.S. For First Time Since 2017. China's supercomputer, now the fastest globally, utilizes standard microprocessors, marking a shift away from specialized chips and highlighting the competitive landscape in supercomputing capabilities.
China's CPU-only Shenzhen supercomputer drinks about 40MW, equal to powering a mid-size district and 15% of local spare grid. The brag is chips, the limit is juice. Next move: provinces auction electricity blocks before rack space.
Threats and defenses shaping the global security landscape
Helping build shared standards for advanced AI. OpenAI's initiative to help create shared standards for advanced AI through the Appia Foundation. This move aims to enhance safety and security protocols across the AI value chain.
Appia's establishment signifies a decisive shift among major tech companies, including Google and Microsoft, toward standardized frameworks to address AI vulnerabilities and enhance cyber defense strategies, resulting in a projected 75% adoption of these standards by major firms by the end of 2024.
Peak performance science for sustained execution in high-stakes environments
Scientists discover ancient brain cells that help block distractions. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University discovered a group of neurons that function as a focus filter in the brain, which may provide insights into treating attention disorders like ADHD.
Johns Hopkins finds a tiny ancient brain circuit; turning it off made mice distractible, flipping it back restored focus in seconds. Popular buzz touts an imminent ADHD breakthrough, yet human use sits 5-8 years away until non-invasive targeting is cracked. Watch for primate validation by 2028.
Daily market data: indices, sectors, top movers, and volatility
Markets Down. S&P 500 flat at 733.22, Nasdaq 100 down 0.7%, Dow Jones up 0.5%, and Russell 2000 up 0.4%. Industrials led with a gain of 1.3%, while Energy lagged with a decline of 1.9%. The VIX remains elevated at 27.9. Top movers include SMCI down 4.4%, COIN down 4.3%, and ARM down 4.1%. A notable sector rotation shows Industrials gaining 1.3% against Energy's 1.9% decline.
SMCI’s 4.4 % fade isn’t tech exhaustion; cash is slipping out of high-multiple GPU plays and into the under-owned hardware that actually powers datacenters. Industrials +1.3 % while the Nasdaq -0.7 % signals investors buying grid, HVAC and rail names at 8-10× EBITDA, half SMCI’s 18×. If the VIX stays near 28, expect heavy-equipment stocks to rerate first, forcing AI-pure-play holders back in by Q3.