Google Invests $17B, Acquires Wyoming Data Center Site

Key Takeaways

• Google acquired Crusoe's Wyoming data center site following a $17 billion investment announcement, partnering with Tallgrass Energy, Black Hills Energy, American Electric Power and Related Digital.
• ASUS showed the NUC ProArt 11 with an Intel Core i9 processor and 64GB RAM alongside AI servers using NVIDIA V100S GPUs at a Taiwan workshop.
• Florida community associations face challenges as residents flood boards with ChatGPT and Gemini-generated messages, prompting calls for reasonable rules.
• Uber's Quanton achieved up to 5.5 times faster Spark write speeds and 8.5 times faster at 141 vCPUs compared with open source Spark.
• Boeing uses AI-powered drones with Automated Damage Detection Software to inspect C-17 aircraft and reduce work on elevated platforms.
• Researchers found broad attribution language appears in 31.9 percent of AI responses while explicit URLs appear in only 1.33 percent, affecting how users verify information.
• French President Macron will host European AI practitioners on November 9 for a Global Tech Thinkers security briefing.
• BCG experts say banks must choose a few metrics to measure AI value rather than chasing adoption alone.
• Historians say AI cannot produce historically accurate films but may aid archaeology by finding patterns in large databases.
• Windsor Public Library will offer an introductory AI class on November 9 covering AI history, everyday uses and chatbots.

Uber tests Quanton and sees 5.5 times faster Spark writes

Uber Engineering ran lab tests comparing Quanton with open source Spark for writing data. Quanton delivered up to 5.5 times faster write speeds on Hudi and Iceberg workloads. The test used synthetic data on Kubernetes with Spark 3.5.9 and Hudi 1.1.1. Uber also found that lower cluster resources widened Quanton's advantage, with 8.5 times faster performance at 141 vCPUs.

Boeing uses AI drones to inspect C-17 aircraft

Boeing's Advanced Aircraft Inspection program uses camera-equipped drones to photograph C-17 aircraft exteriors. Its Automated Damage Detection Software scans the images for possible damage like corrosion and lightning strikes. Technicians review the findings before any final decisions are made. Boeing says the method can shorten inspections and reduce risky work on elevated platforms.

Macron hosts specialists for AI security briefing

French President Emmanuel Macron will host European AI practitioners and researchers on November 9. The gathering is part of the Global Tech Thinkers initiative. It is led by the French foreign ministry with support from intelligence services. The meeting will focus on AI security topics.

Banks seek real value from AI investments

Kirti Choudhary and Vikram Sivakumar from BCG discussed AI investments with American Banker editor Chana Schoenberger. They said banks are now focused on measuring value rather than just adopting AI. Banks look at financial results, customer relationships, employee satisfaction and control performance. The experts noted there is no single perfect metric, so banks must choose a few and move forward with action.

AI cannot make historically accurate films but can aid archaeology

Elon Musk used his AI tool Grok Imagine to create a version of Homer's Odyssey he called historically accurate. Historians say AI would still need to invent missing details because archaeological records are incomplete. The authors believe AI can help archaeology by finding patterns in large databases. They suggest a better AI tool would clearly show what is known, inferred or only plausible.

AI changes how residents interact with community associations in Florida

Florida condominium and homeowners associations are adapting to increased AI use by residents. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini help owners understand policies and communicate with boards. However, some owners send too many AI-generated messages, overwhelming volunteer directors and managers. Boards can adopt reasonable rules to manage records access and meeting participation. Florida law gives association boards authority to set rules for how often and when owners can inspect records.

Google buys Wyoming data center site from Crusoe

Google acquired Crusoe's data center site in southeast Wyoming. The purchase came one day after Google announced a $17 billion investment in the project. Google will build its first Wyoming data center in partnership with Tallgrass Energy, Black Hills Energy, American Electric Power and Related Digital. Crusoe completed site selection, government approvals and power strategy for the project.

Windsor Library hosts introductory AI class

Windsor Public Library will offer an introductory artificial intelligence class on November 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bert Sirkin will teach the course covering AI history, everyday uses and chatbots. The program is designed for older adults but is open to teens and adults. No technology expertise is required, and registration is required by 6:30 p.m. on November 9.

Study examines how users check AI-generated answers

Researchers studied 489,283 assistant-user response pairs from ShareChat and WildChat. They found that broad attribution language appears in 31.9 percent of responses while explicit URLs appear in only 1.33 percent. Uncertainty cues slightly encouraged users to check information rather than challenge it. The study shows that verification depends on the type of question and conversation history.

ASUS highlights AI hardware at Taiwan workshop

ASUS held an AI workshop for system integrator partners in Taiwan. The company showcased the NUC ProArt 11 with an Intel Core i9 processor and 64GB of RAM for content creators. ASUS also presented AI servers equipped with NVIDIA V100S GPUs for business AI workloads. The event highlighted ASUS advancements in AI technology and its position in the hardware market.

Sources

• Uber finds 5.5x Spark write gain in lab test
• Boeing uses AI drones to improve C-17 aircraft inspections
• France • Macron gathers specialists for Elysée briefing on AI security
• Why banks are searching for value in AI investments
• AI won’t ever make a historically accurate film – but it could help archaeology create better stories
• AI can even affect how you deal with your community association. Here’s how
• Google acquires Wyoming data center site from AI infrastructure firm Crusoe
• Windsor Library To Offer Introductory Artificial Intelligence Class
• Signals, Evidence, and Context: User Scrutiny in Real-World LLM Conversations
• ASUS stock: AI workshop spotlights NUC, ProArt and AI servers