Top stories today:

1. Mistral launches ‘Large’ LLM, still worse than GPT-4
2. Google Gemini AI image tool to be relaunched in “next couple of weeks”
3. Zoom’s revenue +3% to $1.15B in Q4, with operating margin at 14.7%
4. Supreme Court appears skeptical of anti-content moderation laws

0. Data and calendar

1. Mistral launches ‘Large’ LLM, still worse than GPT-4, as company gets $16M investment from Microsoft

Mistral Large underperforms GPT-4 (and likely Gemini Ultra) on Mistral’s own benchmarks:

• 1+ years behind OpenAI, as GPT-4 was launched on March 14, 2023.

• Cost ~$22M to train, vs. “much more than” $50M-$100M for GPT-4.

• Could be signaling a plateau in LLM quality, as GPT-4 Turbo and Gemini Ultra have also failed to significantly improve upon GPT-4.

• Chat.mistral.ai launched in beta, with a waitlist required.

• Microsoft will provide Mistral models to its Azure customers.

• Investing $16M in Mistral, and the EU is already investigating it.

OpenAI continues to be seen as the leader in LLMs, according to prediction markets, followed by Google

2. Google Gemini AI image tool to be relaunched in “next couple of weeks”

Google Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis said so at MWC Barcelona 2024:

• AI could bring in new devices like glasses to follow the smartphone in 5+ years, according to Hassabis.

Alphabet stock was -4.5% amid Gemini’s failure to accurately create historical images and heavy criticisms of bias

4. Zoom’s revenue +3% to $1.15B in Q4, with operating margin at 14.7%

A huge gap between GAAP and non-GAAP results remains as Zoom had $521M in stock-based compensation expense in Q4:

• $1.5B stock buyback beginning in Q4.

• Zoom stock was +10% after hours.

5. Supreme Court appears skeptical of anti-content moderation laws

• SCOTUS heard arguments for 4 hours on 2 Republican-backed laws that would restrict the editorial discretion of social media websites.

• The laws sought to prohibit companies from moderating conservative speech online. Both are on hold awaiting Supreme Court ruling.

• Chief Justice Roberts suggested the 1A mostly applies to governments: “The First Amendment restricts what the government can do. What the government’s doing here is saying ‘you must do this, you must carry these people – you’ve got to explain if you don’t. That’s not the First Amendment.”

• June: a final decision is expected.

6. Interesting videos, posts, and memes

• Disclaimer: we’re indirect investors in Figure.

7. Other headlines

AI

• China’s Moonshot AI raises $1B at $2.5B.

• Japan, U.S. startup working together on designing AI chips.

• Microsoft Copilot now offers specific GPTs for recipes, workouts.

• U.S. using AI to help find airstrike targets in Middle East: Pentagon.

Tech

• Meta plans to show Orion smart glasses at Connect.

• Shein considers London IPO amid U.S. resistance.

• Intuitive Machines’s lunar craft sends last photos before battery ends.

• Expedia to lay off ~9% of staff, eliminating 1,500 employees.

• Workday’s revenue +17 YoY to $1.92B in Q4.

• Unity’s revenue +35% to $609M, stock -19% on weak guidance.

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Tech & law

• Alibaba discloses Beijing ownership in 12+ business units.

• SpaceX denies claim it is withholding access in Taiwan.

• EU begins investigation of Apple over removal of web apps.

Biotech

• Yuva Bio raises $7.5M seed, launches mitochondrial therapy for hair loss.

• FDA advisory committees won’t be going away with incoming reforms.

Business

• Boeing hit by tough FAA report over safety culture.

• FTC sues to block another merger: $25B Kroger-Albertsons.

• $1B donation to Einstein College of Medicine to offer free tuition.

• Don Lemon settles with CNN for $25M.

Crypto

• Do Kwon to miss start of SEC civil fraud trial.

• Stablecoin market cap hits $140B, highest since 2022.

• Founders Fund co-leads $27M round for modular blockchain Avail.

• Craig Wright’s former lawyers say emails shared by wife are fake.

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U.S. politics

• Partial shutdown starts this weekend without House deal.

• Trump, Biden to travel to Texas border on Thu.

• Trump appeals $454M judgment in NY civil fraud case.

  • Aims to delay federal trials until after election.

World

• Cease-fire as early as Mon.: Biden.

• Houthis continue to fire missiles, shot down by U.S.

• Navalny associate: prisoner exchange in “final stages” before death.

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