The role of storage in the ‘virtuous AI data cycle’

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The role of storage in the ‘virtuous AI data cycle’

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As new infrastructure emerges to train artificial intelligence programs and offer new services, important implications arise around how to store this insight.

With AI creating new data and making existing data more valuable, a cycle quickly emerges, where increased data generation leads to expanded storage needs.

This fuels further data generation — forming a “virtuous AI data cycle.”

Understanding this AI data cycle is important for organizations looking to access the power of AI and leverage its capabilities.

The AI data cycle is a six-stage framework. The first focuses on collecting existing raw data and storage. Data here is collected and stored from various sources, and the analysis of the quality and diversity of collected data is critical — setting the foundation for the next stages.

For this stage of the cycle capacity enterprise hard disk drives (eHDDs) are recommended, as they deliver the highest capacity per drive and lowest cost per bit.

The next stage is where data is prepared for intake and the analysis from the previous stage is processed, cleaned and transformed for training.

To accommodate this stage, data centers are implementing upgraded storage infrastructure — such as fast data lakes — to support data for preparation and intake.

Here, high-capacity solid-state drives are needed to enhance existing HDD storage or to create new all-flash storage systems.

Then comes the training of AI models to make accurate predictions with training data. This happens on high-performance supercomputers — requiring specialized and high-performance storage to operate efficiently.

High-bandwidth flash storage and low-latency optimized eSSDs are designed to meet the specific needs of this stage.

Next, inference and prompting involves creating a user-friendly interface for AI models. This includes an application programming interface (API), dashboards and tools that combine context to specific data with end-user prompts.

With AI creating new data and making existing data more valuable, a cycle quickly emerges, where increased data generation leads to expanded storage needs.

Peter Hayles

Then, AI models will integrate into internet and client applications without needing to replace current systems, meaning that maintaining current systems alongside new AI computing will require further storage.

Here larger, faster SSDs are required for AI upgrades in computers, and higher-capacity embedded flash devices are required for smartphones and Internet of Things systems.

The AI inference engine stage follows, where trained models are deployed into production environments to analyze new data and generate new content or provide real-time predictions. The engine’s level of efficiency is critical to achieve quick and accurate AI responses.

To ensure comprehensive data analysis, significant storage performance is required. High-capacity SSDs can be used for streaming or to model data into inference servers based on scale or response time needs, while high-performance SSDs can be used for caching.

Finally, the new content is generated, with insights produced by AI models and then stored. This stage feeds back into the data cycle, driving continuous improvement by increasing the value of data for training or to be analyzed by future models.

The generated content will be stored in enterprise hard drives for datacenter archives and in both high-capacity SSDs and embedded flash devices for AI edge devices.

By understanding these six stages of the AI data cycle and having the right tools in place, businesses can better sustain the technology to perform internal business functions and capitalize on the benefits AI offers.

Today’s AI uses data to produce text, video, images and other interesting content. This continuous loop of data consumption and generation accelerates the need for performance-driven and scalable storage technologies for managing large AI datasets and re-factoring complex data efficiently, driving further innovation.

Demands for storage are significantly increasing as its role becomes more prevalent. Access to data, the efficiency and accuracy of AI models, and larger, higher-quality datasets will increasingly become important.

Additionally, as AI becomes embedded across nearly every industry, partners and customers can expect to see storage component providers tailor products to each stage of the AI data cycle.

• Peter Hayles is the product marketing manager for hard disk drives at the US computer manufacturer and data storage company Western Digital

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico

Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico
Updated 6 min 13 sec ago
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Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico

Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico
  • “Vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House,” Biden said. “He’s a true danger to, not just Latinos but to all people. Particularly those who are in a minority in this country”

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden took a swipe against Donald Trump’s supporters on Tuesday as he reacted to the Republican presidential nominee’s weekend rally at Madison Square Garden, which was overshadowed by crude and racist rhetoric.
In a call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden responded to a comic at Trump’s rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Biden’s initial comments were garbled.
“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. Well, let me tell you something, I don’t, I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know, the Puerto Rico where I’m fr — in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent honorable people,” he said.
The president then added: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”
In referring to Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” Biden’s tone was at odds with the message that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is seeking to present as she aims to cast a broad appeal, including to disaffected Republicans. Just minutes after Biden’s comments, Harris spoke from the Ellipse in Washington, vowing to be a president who would unite the country.
“I pledge to be a president for all Americans,” said Harris, who is Biden’s vice president.
Republicans quickly highlighted Biden’s remark. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio interrupted Trump’s rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to recount what happened.
““Moments ago Joe Biden stated that our supporters, our patriots, are garbage,” Rubio said. ”He’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country.”
Some prominent Democrats also began to distance from Biden’s comments. Speaking on CNN, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he would “never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”
The comments recalled then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton dismissing Trump supporters during a 2016 fundraiser in New York by saying that half would fit into a ” basket of deplorables.”
Clinton later called that characterization “grossly generalistic.” But it became a defiant rallying cry for many Trump backers who said the insult encapsulated the elitist attitudes of Clinton and the Democrats.
With Election Day now just a week off, Biden has worked to maintain relevance, furiously promoting his administration’s accomplishments while Harris in her race against Trump.
But his efforts to remain in the political spotlight might not always be so helpful for the top of the Democratic ticket he’s now promoting. That’s because, while Harris has been sharply critical of Trump for months, repeatedly calling him “unstable” and “unhinged” and even suggesting that he was ” fascist,” she has been careful not to decry his supporters.
In fact, the vice president has campaigned extensively with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and other former GOP elected officials — hoping to woo conservative crossover voters. The Democratic convention — and Harris ads — have highlighted the stories of everyday Americans who talked about having voted for Trump in the past but now say they are supporting the vice president.
On Tuesday’s call, Biden also said that Trump “doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community” and urged rejection of the former president even as Trump’s campaign says its support is rising among Hispanics, particularly men.
“Vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House,” Biden said. “He’s a true danger to, not just Latinos but to all people. Particularly those who are in a minority in this country.”


Alcaraz and Tsitsipas reach 3rd round at Paris Masters but Rublev loses temper and match

Alcaraz and Tsitsipas reach 3rd round at Paris Masters but Rublev loses temper and match
Updated 19 min 39 sec ago
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Alcaraz and Tsitsipas reach 3rd round at Paris Masters but Rublev loses temper and match

Alcaraz and Tsitsipas reach 3rd round at Paris Masters but Rublev loses temper and match
  • The four-time Grand Slam champion is looking for his fifth title of the year and next plays either 15th-seeded Ugo Humbert or American qualifier Marcos Giron
  • Holger Rune — who beat Djokovic in the 2022 final — advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matteo Arnaldi

PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz overcame some rusty moments on his serve to beat Nicolas Jarry 7-5, 6-1 and reach the third round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday.

The second-seeded Spaniard was troubled by Jarry’s strong forehand at times. The Chilean broke his serve in the ninth game and held for 5-5. But Jarry double-faulted in his next service game to lose the first set.

“It was a little bit complicated, really happy to get through the first set,” Alcaraz said. “I have to get used to the speed of the court. It’s really fast for me.”

Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game of the second set with an ace and broke for a 4-1 lead with a crisp forehand winner.

Serving for the match, Alcaraz saved another break point with an ace to make it deuce and won the next two points, clinching victory when the erratic Jarry’s two-handed backhand clipped the net and went out.

“He’s a really dangerous player on these courts,” the 21-year-old Alcaraz said. “I’m super happy to win here.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion is looking for his fifth title of the year and next plays either 15th-seeded Ugo Humbert or American qualifier Marcos Giron.

“It’s been a great year so far,” said Alcaraz, who won major titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Tenth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 6-4 to stay in contention to reach the season-ending ATP Finals for the top eight players. It is being held in Turin, Italy, next month.

Seventh-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, started well before losing 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4 to unseeded Australian Jordan Thompson.

In an earlier second-round match, sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev lost two tiebreakers and his temper as his hopes of qualifying for the Finals took a hit.

Rublev lost 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) to Francisco Cerundolo and was so frustrated at one point in the second set that he smashed his racket against his left knee at least seven times in succession and made it bleed.

The Russian player held the eighth and final qualifying place in the race for the Finals and could be overtaken by rivals.

US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz became the fifth player to qualify for the Finals. The big-serving American reached the season-ending tournament for the second time in three years. The indoor event takes place from Nov. 10-17.

Fritz joined US Open champion Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev in the field.

Sinner pulled out of the Paris Masters on Monday, citing a virus. The Italian player is guaranteed to finish the year as No. 1. He was the second high-profile player to pull out following seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

In remaining first-round play, Holger Rune — who beat Djokovic in the 2022 final — advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matteo Arnaldi.

No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur beat Mariano Navone 7-5, 6-1 to stay in outside contention for Turin, while No. 12 Hubert Hurkacz lost 6-1, 6-3 to Alex Michelsen.

US Open semifinalist Jack Draper won 7-5, 6-2 against Jiri Lehecka; American Ben Shelton beat Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3, and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard hit 28 aces in defeating US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Fresh from his title in Basel, Mpetshi Perricard next plays Karen Khachanov and will look to add to his 512 aces.

Frenchman Arthur Fils also progressed by edging Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6 (5), 6-4 and next faces Jan-Lennard Struff.

But veteran Richard Gasquet, who plans to retire after next year’s French Open, lost 6-3, 6-4 to Zizou Bergs.


Amorim says future ‘hasn’t been decided’ as Man United show interest in Sporting Lisbon coach

Amorim says future ‘hasn’t been decided’ as Man United show interest in Sporting Lisbon coach
Updated 23 min 16 sec ago
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Amorim says future ‘hasn’t been decided’ as Man United show interest in Sporting Lisbon coach

Amorim says future ‘hasn’t been decided’ as Man United show interest in Sporting Lisbon coach
  • Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth €10 million ($10.8 million) in his contract
  • The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim said Tuesday his future “hasn’t been decided yet” amid interest from Manchester United.

“Nobody knows if this was my farewell match, or if there will be a farewell match,” Amorim said in quotes reported by Portugal’s sports daily A Bola after Sporting’s 3-1 win over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup quarterfinals.

Hours earlier, Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth €10 million ($10.8 million) in his contract.

The Portuguese champions said United “has shown interest” in paying that amount for Amorim.

United are looking to replace Erik ten Hag, who was fired on Monday with the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

Ten Hag was the 20-time English champions’ fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. United have not won the league since Ferguson’s departure.

The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season.

Sporting lead  the league this season, too, having won all nine of its games, bolstering Amorim’s reputation as one of Europe’s most talented coaches.

He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season and was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.

Amorim is a former Portugal midfielder who spent the majority of his club career at Benfica.

His contract at Sporting expires in 2026.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked earlier Tuesday if he thought Amorim has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.

“All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team (in the Champions League’s round of 16 in 2022), and the pressure was really, really good,” Guardiola said.

“I spoke with (current City player) Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese league and (in) the Champions League, (they have) the same points as us. So a high manager. I have the feeling that Man United, what I hear, that they are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager.”

Ten Hag’s assistant at United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, will take interim control of the team for Wednesday’s English League Cup match against Leicester at Old Trafford.


Climate change is making temperatures deadlier, food less reliable, experts warn

Climate change is making temperatures deadlier, food less reliable, experts warn
Updated 30 October 2024
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Climate change is making temperatures deadlier, food less reliable, experts warn

Climate change is making temperatures deadlier, food less reliable, experts warn
  • The study’s authors urged the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29, to direct climate finance toward public health

Climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, is raising temperatures to dangerous new heights, while also worsening drought and food security, a new report by doctors and health experts warned on Tuesday.
The record temperatures of 2023 — the hottest year on record — meant the average person experienced 50 more days of dangerous temperatures than they would have without climate change, according to the Lancet Countdown, an annual report based on work by dozens of experts, academic institutions, and UN agencies, including the World Health Organization.
Especially vulnerable are the elderly, with the number of heat-related deaths in people over 65 last year reaching a level 167 percent above the number of such deaths in the 1990s. Without climate change, researchers would have expected that number to rise by 65 percent from the 1990s, the report said.
“Year on year, the deaths directly associated with climate change are increasing,” said Marina Belén Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown.
“But heat is also affecting not just the mortality and increasing deaths, but also increasing the diseases and the pathologies associated with heat exposure,” she said.
For example, people who exercise outdoors are increasingly at risk, she said. Companies are facing limited capacity for working outdoors.
In fact, last year’s extreme heat cost the world an estimated 512 billion potential labor hours, worth hundreds of billions of dollars in potential income, the report said.
“Similar to what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is key workers who tend to be most exposed and unable to shield as easily during heatwaves, such as those working in one of our many hospitals without air conditioning, or outdoor construction workers,” said data scientist Nathan Cheetham at King’s College London in a statement. Cheetham was not involved in the study.
Climate change is also making food more unreliable, the authors warned.
With up to 48 percent of the world’s land area facing extreme drought conditions last year, the researchers said, about 151 million more people would be experiencing food insecurity as a result, compared with the years 1981-2010.
Extreme rainfall last year also affected roughly 60 percent of lands, unleashing floods and raising risks from water contamination or infectious disease.
The study’s authors urged the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29, to direct climate finance toward public health. The COP29 talks begin Nov. 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on countries to “cure the sickness of climate inaction” by slashing fossil fuel use and emissions in order “to create a fairer, safer, and healthier future for all.”


Canada alleges Indian minister Amit Shah behind plot to target Sikh separatists

Canada alleges Indian minister Amit Shah behind plot to target Sikh separatists
Updated 30 October 2024
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Canada alleges Indian minister Amit Shah behind plot to target Sikh separatists

Canada alleges Indian minister Amit Shah behind plot to target Sikh separatists
  • Canada in mid-October expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil

The Canadian government alleged on Tuesday that Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
The Indian government has dismissed Canada’s prior accusations as baseless, denying any involvement.
The Washington Post newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged Shah was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.
Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison said to a parliamentary panel on Tuesday that he told the US-based newspaper that Shah was behind the plots.
“The journalist called me and asked if it (Shah) was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Morrison told the committee, without providing further details or evidence. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Indian foreign ministry had no immediate comment.
India has called Sikh separatists “terrorists” and threats to its security. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India. An insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s killed tens of thousands.
That period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left thousands dead following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after she ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temple to flush out Sikh separatists.
Canada in mid-October expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
The Canadian case is not the only instance of India’s alleged targeting of Sikh separatists on foreign soil.
Washington has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York City.
The FBI warned against such a retaliation aimed at a US resident. India has said little publicly since announcing in November 2023 it would formally investigate the US allegations.
The accusations have tested Washington and Ottawa’s relations with India, often viewed by the West as a counterbalance to China.