By the TensorMax editorial team
· Drawing from sources across the AI industry
Today's top story
research paper
Keith Thomas, a 42-year-old man from New York, was paralyzed from the chest down in a swimming accident in 2020.
Why it matters. The development of a brain-computer interface by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has enabled a paralyzed man to feed himself and drink from a cup, with an 86% increase in strength in his right arm and 62% in his left after 35 weeks of training. This technology has the potential to restore movement and sensation to millions of people worldwide who are affected by spinal cord injuries, and its impact could be significant for the medical research community and patients alike.
Keith Thomas, a 42-year-old man from New York, was paralyzed from the chest down in a swimming accident in 2020. He was unable to lift his arms off his wheelchair, but after undergoing surgery to implant electrodes in his brain and months of training with a brain-computer interface, he was able to move his limbs again. The interface, developed by researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, part of Northwell Health, not only helped Thomas move his arms and hands but also sent signals back to his brain to recreate the sensation of touch. Thomas was able to feel his sister's hand and the fur on his pet dog, and even regained some hand functions and sensations that remained even when the system was switched off. The technology uses electrodes implanted into Thomas's brain to detect when he wants to move his arms, and pressure sensors on his hand, fingers, and thumb detect contact with objects and send signals back to his brain to simulate the feeling of touch. After 35 weeks of training, Thomas's strength in his right arm increased by 86%, and his left arm by 62%. He was able to independently scratch his nose and wipe his face, and even handle delicate items such as egg shells. The researchers also developed a technique called cortical mirroring to improve Thomas's sense of touch, which involved recording his brain activity while he imagined being touched and then stimulating sensory regions of his brain with the same patterns. The results of the study were published in Nature Medicine, and the researchers are encouraged by the progress made by Thomas, with the gains still present after more than two years. However, further trials involving more patients are needed to determine how well the technology works for patients with different spinal cord injuries.
More from today
product launch
Why it matters. The launch of Starlink V3 is a strategic stake in the space-based internet market, with the potential to increase bandwidth by approximately 2 orders of magnitude, significantly enhancing the capabilities of satellite-based communication systems. This substantial boost in bandwidth capacity will likely have a major impact on the industry, with Starlink poised to cement its position as a leader in the global satellite internet market. With this increased capacity, Starlink V3 is expected to support a wide range of applications, from high-speed internet services to emerging technologies such as autonomous systems and IoT devices.
product launch
$6,500
Why it matters. OpenAI's strategic stake in the consumer hardware market is significant, with the company poised to launch its first hardware product, a portable smart speaker with AI capabilities, potentially in 2027, following a $6.5 billion investment in io Products, which could put it in direct competition with Apple, Amazon, and Google, with over 400 former Apple employees already on board to accelerate the development of its AI devices.
product launch
Why it matters. The commercial launch of Neuracle Medical Technology's brain-computer interface, NEO, marks a significant milestone in the neurotech industry, with China beating Neuralink to the commercial finish line by choosing a more modest device that rests on the brain's surface rather than piercing it, and getting it approved, insured, and into a patient in just four months, with the device already approved by China's National Medical Products Administration in March and covered by local commercial health insurance.
funding event
$188B
Why it matters. Databricks' $188bn valuation in a Coatue-led funding round marks a significant milestone, with the company's valuation nearly trebling in just 18 months. This strategic round, which includes a $3bn investment from Coatue, not only tops up Databricks' balance sheet but also allows early staff and backers to take some money off the table without the scrutiny of a public listing. The high valuation is a testament to the company's substantial business, which includes a platform for building AI applications on corporate data and revenue growth of over 65%.
funding event
$60
Why it matters. SoftBank's plan to raise up to $60bn in fresh debt is a strategic stake in its bet on OpenAI, with the Japanese conglomerate aiming to term out its short-dated borrowing into longer and calmer debt. This move signals an ambition to borrow at a pace the group has never attempted, with SoftBank having already issued roughly $7.8bn of bonds during 2026 so far. The purpose of this debt raise is to support Masayoshi Son's pledge of more than $60bn to OpenAI, deployed in $10bn tranches, with the second closing on 1 July under a bridge facility and a third due in October.
funding event
$3B
Why it matters. Saronic's announcement of a $3 billion greenfield shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, marks a significant strategic stake in the AI industry, with the company expecting to create up to 10,000 direct jobs over the next decade. This investment is a substantial commitment to the development of autonomous shipbuilding, with the initial yard capable of building ships up to 850 feet long and a planned annual shipbuilding capacity of roughly 2 million gross tons. The project's success could have far-reaching implications for the industry, potentially disrupting traditional shipbuilding methods and cementing Saronic's position as a leader in autonomous shipbuilding.
Catch up quick
-
AWS users experience massive billing errors, with forecasted amounts reaching up to $3 billion
-
Markets have lost roughly $300 billion in SaaS valuations over the past 18 months due to AI disintermediation fears
-
Russia expands its Arctic presence with 42 icebreakers, while the US has only one heavy icebreaker, the Coast Guard's Polar Star.
-
Xi Jinping calls for global AI governance framework and international cooperation in AI development
-
EU orders Google to open Android AI system to rivals
-
Apple surpasses Nvidia as world's most valuable company with a market value of $4.88 trillion
-
Moonshot releases Kimi K3, China's largest open-weight AI model
-
Moonshot AI releases Kimi K3, a powerful new AI model that tops Arena's frontend coding leaderboard
-
Apple accuses OpenAI of stealing industrial secrets, launches legal offensive
-
Oversight Board study finds top AI models from Anthropic, DeepSeek, Google, Meta, OpenAI, and xAI are stifling political speech, with a 34% refusal rate for requests about restrictive countries
-
Researchers from the Center on Long-Term Risk introduce Inoculation Adapters, a method to improve selective generalization of capabilities in AI models, outperforming existing methods like inoculation prompting and fine-
-
Mozilla reports open-source AI models have reached parity with closed models in certain capabilities, with a 3.3% capability gap remaining
-
Mozilla reports 50x decrease in GPT-4-class inference cost over 36 months, from $20 to $0.40 per 1M tokens
-
Open Source Society University offers a free self-taught education in Computer Science
-
Japanese stocks, led by Kioxia Holdings, plummet as AI deleverage concerns grow, with Nikkei average briefly diving 4,100 points
Also on the desk
What landed, what bounced.Hit reply with one story from today that landed for you and one that bounced. Two sentences is plenty.
|
|