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Oracle updates Exadata systems to speed database operations

The new X11M is based on the latest generation of AMD Epyc processors with up to 96 cores, featuring up to 25% faster per-core performance over previous generations and a 33% increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation. A long-time Intel shop, Oracle shifted from Intel to AMD with the previous generation of servers. […]

The new X11M is based on the latest generation of AMD Epyc processors with up to 96 cores, featuring up to 25% faster per-core performance over previous generations and a 33% increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation. A long-time Intel shop, Oracle shifted from Intel to AMD with the previous generation of servers.

The X11M boosts AI workload performance by offloading intricate vector processing to storage servers, minimizing data transfers and enhancing efficiency. AI queries are up to 32 times faster when using binary vector formats, and optimized vector distance functions cut CPU usage, improving query performance by as much as 4.7 times.

The Exadata X11M supports traditional OLTP and analytics customers by supporting up to 1.25 times more concurrent transactions and up to 21 percent lower SQL 8K I/O read latency. This means it can achieve up to one million write IOPS on storage servers for transactional workloads.

The new X11M has a variety of deployment options, like traditional on-prem deployments, Oracle Cloud@Customer as-a-Service, public cloud partners and Oracle’s own Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This gives customers the option of on-premises and on-demand.

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7 time-saving Linux commands

$ fortune | rev!ti deteled dna ,ti daer resu-repus eht tub ,liam dah uoY The shuf command allows you to randomize the lines in a file. Here’s a sample file and the results of shuffling its contents. $ cat namesBillDannyDorothyJimJoanneJohnMartyNancySandraStewart$ shuf namesJimNancyJoanneMartySandraDorothyStewartBillDannyJohn Each time you run shuf, the output should

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Want to transform networking? Empower the missing users

Nokia seems to have the same goal, but it is taking a different route to reach it. Rather than trying to assemble the ingredients of the kind of IoT needed for empowerment, they start with a recipe—the digital twin. Digital twins are computer models of real-world systems, designed to assemble

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Chevron VP Confirms Job Cuts

In a statement sent to Rigzone by the Chevron team, Chevron Corporation Vice Chairman Mark Nelson confirmed that the company expects to cut up to 20 percent of its workforce. “Chevron is taking action to simplify our organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and position the company for stronger

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National Grid opens consultation on North Humber to High Marnham power line

National Grid has launched a public consultation on its latest proposals for the planned North Humber to High Marnham overhead electricity transmission line The link would run for approximately 90km between two new substations at Birkhill Wood and High Marnham. National Grid said that the North Humber to High Marnham line will reinforce the electricity transmission network and help provide much-needed additional capacity between the North of England and the Midlands. Project director for North Humber to High Marnham Monica Corso Griffiths commented: “As demand for electricity is set to double, we need to increase the capacity of the network between the North of England and the Midlands. This will support the government’s decarbonisation targets, so that people living and working in these areas and beyond can benefit from the new renewable sources of energy planned to connect. “We’re looking forward to sharing our detailed plans for North Humber to High Marnham with communities over the next eight weeks. We encourage anyone interested to take part in our consultation and share their views on the plans.” National Grid previously consulted communities on its early proposals for the project at two non-statutory consultations in 2023 and 2024. Since then, it has carefully reviewed the feedback received alongside the outcome of technical and environmental studies. This work has fed into the development of detailed plans, including a preferred route alignment. National Grid is now seeking feedback on these detailed plans ahead of submitting an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate next year. The eight-week consultation begins 18 February and runs until 15 April 2025. The Humber is a growing hub of the UK’s green energy transition, with several industries, including carbon capture and storage and hydrogen, taking advantage of its industrial legacy to access infrastructure and skills. The region is

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What is the North Sea Transition Taskforce?

“There’s a lot at stake for the government,” said the head of the North Sea Transition Taskforce as he reflected on energy policy. The taskforce was set up by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to be a Bank of England style body for energy policy, following a recommendation from Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC). The idea behind the initiative was to inform government policy to support domestic energy firms while the UK moves towards net zero targets. North Sea Transition Taskforce chairman, Philip Rycroft, told Energy Voice: “The fact there is a taskforce demonstrates that there was a deep dissatisfaction in the industry about current state of play, a frustration about where government policy was going, and this is an opportunity for government to hear through a task force that has emerged from the industry and with other interests on it as well about what a good transition looks like.” He added that it is “in the government’s interest” to listen to the outcomes from the taskforce, which is set to produce its inaugural report next month. This comes following the second meeting of the North Sea Transition Taskforce which took place in Aberdeen city centre before its members were taken on a tour of various businesses and energy hubs across the city, including Aberdeen Harbour. © Supplied by Kenny Elrick/DCTMNorth Sea Transition Taskforce chairman, Philip Rycroft. On why the government should take onboard what the taskforce has to say, Rycroft added that the work being done by the “covers all of their agendas”. “It’s about growth. It’s about the optimal pathway in net zero. It’s about receipts for the public purse. It’s about good jobs. It’s about the business infrastructure that supports productivity growth, all the things that government is looking for,” he listed. He suggested

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Galp Sees 75 Percent Drop in Quarterly Profit

Lisbon-based Galp Energia SGPS S.A. has reported a replacement cost-adjusted (RCA) net income of EUR 71 million ($74.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2024, 75 percent below the fourth quarter of 2023. Full-year RCA net profit was EUR 961 million ($1 billion), 4 percent below the corresponding 2023 figure. However, the company’s co-CEOs Maria João Carioca and João Diogo Marques da Silva said it was a strong quarter “in a year of consistent delivery, at or above headline guidance across all business units”. Galp posted RCA earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR 3.3 billion ($3.4 billion) for 2024. It ended the year with EUR 1.2 billion ($1.26 billion) in net debt, down compared to year-end 2023. “These results not only depict 2024 as a year of strong execution for Galp but also lay the foundations for future growth and value creation. In 2025 and 2026 we will continue to execute our key growth projects, the hallmark of Galp’s portfolio, combining a disciplined approach towards a low capital intensity plan”, the co-CEOs said. Galp said that its investments during the fourth quarter reached EUR 500 million ($522.3 million), mainly channeled toward the execution of upstream projects, such as the Namibia appraisal campaign and Bacalhau. The company also said it continued pursuing industrial low-carbon projects. During the quarter under review, Galp reported a year-on-year drop in production of 110,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). The drop reflected the disposal of the 10 percent stake in Area 4 in Mozambique. However, Galp said its Industrial and Midstream sectors performed better in the fourth quarter, with raw materials processed at the Sines refinery reaching 22 million boe, substantially higher year-on-year. Supply and trading volumes of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 11.8 terawatt hours (TWh), higher

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EPointZero, Masdar, TotalEnergies Partner on Sustainable Energy Solutions

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC-Masdar, TotalEnergies SE and EPointZero have signed a new agreement to improve clean energy access in developing economies across Africa and Asia.  The three companies said in a joint media release that under the Framework for Action agreement, Masdar and TotalEnergies will strengthen their cooperation to provide reliable and sustainable electricity to local communities in Africa and support its long-term energy systems transformation, and jointly develop new clean energy opportunities in Southeast Asia. Additionally, TotalEnergies and EPointZero will explore partnership opportunities to support India’s clean energy ambitions, including through solar, wind, and energy storage, the companies said. The agreement was signed at the third plenary meeting of the UAE-France High-Level Business Council in Paris by Masdar Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, TotalEnergies President for Gas Renewable and Power Stéphane Michel, and IHC Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Peter Abraam, the media release said. “Enabled by the strength of the UAE-France bilateral relationship, Masdar is proud to be working with TotalEnergies to help deliver clean energy access across Southeast Asia and Africa. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to empowering local communities, driving socio-economic growth and sustainable progress, and advancing the global energy transformation. It is heartening to see the UAE-France Framework for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence signed last week, and we look forward to continuing to utilize cutting-edge clean energy technologies to drive access and sustainable growth”, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said. “By supporting the development of the country’s Oil and Gas reserves, TotalEnergies has been a key partner of Abu Dhabi for more than 80 Years. We are now delighted to extend our partnership with Abu Dhabi to the development of renewable energies in emerging markets in Asia and Africa”, Stéphane Michel, President for Gas Renewable and Power at

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Oil Settles Higher as OPEC+ Weighs Supply Delay

Oil snapped a three-session losing streak to settle near $72 a barrel after OPEC+ delegates said the cartel may postpone supply increases set to begin in April. It would be the fourth time the Saudi Arabia-led producer group has delayed plans to revive output. That’s eased worries about a supply surplus developing this year. The International Energy Agency is calling for an overhang of 450,000 barrels a day and, in the US, inventories are sitting at a three-month high while one measure of market tightness is flashing signs of oversupply. Prices have tumbled since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, with his hawkish positions on everything from trade to foreign policy dragging oil to 2025 lows. Money managers have slashed their net bullish position on crude, while market gauges including time spreads are flashing signs of weakness. Another bearish headwind for crude emerged Tuesday, with the US and Russia agreeing to appoint teams to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion in 2022 prompted nations to put sanctions on its oil industry, and a peace agreement may include rolling back those restrictions, adding more supplies to the global market. In the near-term, though, a disruption to Kazakh oil flows via a major export pipeline could rein in supplies in the region. Oil Prices: WTI for March delivery rose 1.6% from Friday’s close to settle at $71.85 a barrel in New York. Futures didn’t settle on Monday due to the US Presidents’ Day holiday. Brent for April settlement advanced 0.8% to settle at $75.84 a barrel. What do you think? We’d love to hear from you, join the conversation on the Rigzone Energy Network. The Rigzone Energy Network is a new social experience created for you and all energy professionals to Speak Up about our industry, share knowledge, connect

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TotalEnergies, Air Liquide Plan $628 Million Hydrogen Venture

TotalEnergies SE and Air Liquide SA plan a €600 million ($628 million) joint venture to produce green hydrogen for the French oil giant’s refinery in the Netherlands, along with a supply deal for its petrochemical plant in Belgium. The two companies aim to build a 250-megawatt electrolyzer powered by wind energy near the Zeeland refinery, Total said in a statement Tuesday. Separately, Total also agreed to buy green hydrogen for its Antwerp facility from a 200-megawatt electrolyzer that Air Liquide plans to build near Rotterdam. Total’s continued drive to reduce emissions at its refineries with low-carbon hydrogen, following other recent deals with Air Liquide and Air Products & Chemicals Inc., contrasts with a more cautious approach from its peers. “The partnership with Air Liquide takes on a new dimension and marks a new step in TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen consumed by its refineries in Europe by 2030,” said Vincent Stoquart, President, Refining & Chemicals at TotalEnergies said in the statement. The joint project near the Zeeland refinery is expected to be commissioned in 2029, and the one that will supply the Antwerp plant should start operating by the end of 2027, Total said. A final investment decision still hasn’t been reached. Thanks to its existing hydrogen pipeline network, Air Liquide will also be able to serve other Dutch and Belgian customers, the French industrial gas company said in a separate statement.   Under the agreement, Total will supply the two electrolyzers with power from an offshore wind project in the Netherlands, while Air Liquide will also buy clean power from a Vattenfall wind farm off the Dutch coast. Upon completion, the two projects would represent a combined investment of more than €1 billion, and avoid annual emissions equivalent to as much as 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide, Air Liquide said. The company

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Data center spending to top $1 trillion by 2029 as AI transforms infrastructure

His projections account for recent advances in AI and data center efficiency, he says. For example, the open-source AI model from Chinese company DeepSeek seems to have shown that an LLM can produce very high-quality results at a very low cost with some clever architectural changes to how the models work. These improvements are likely to be quickly replicated by other AI companies. “A lot of these companies are trying to push out more efficient models,” says Fung. “There’s a lot of effort to reduce costs and to make it more efficient.” In addition, hyperscalers are designing and building their own chips, optimized for their AI workloads. Just the accelerator market alone is projected to reach $392 billion by 2029, Dell’Oro predicts. By that time, custom accelerators will outpace commercially available accelerators such as GPUs. The deployment of dedicated AI servers also has an impact on networking, power and cooling. As a result, spending on data center physical infrastructure (DCPI) will also increase, though at a more moderate pace, growing by 14% annually to $61 billion in 2029.  “DCPI deployments are a prerequisite to support AI workloads,” says Tam Dell’Oro, founder of Dell’Oro Group, in the report. The research firm raised its outlook in this area due to the fact that actual 2024 results exceeded its expectations, and demand is spreading from tier one to tier two cloud service providers. In addition, governments and tier one telecom operators are getting involved in data center expansion, making it a long-term trend.

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The Future of Property Values and Power in Virginia’s Loudoun County and ‘Data Center Alley’

Loudoun County’s FY 2026 Proposed Budget Is Released This week, Virginia’s Loudoun County released its FY 2026 Proposed Budget. The document notes how data centers are a major driver of revenue growth in Loudoun County, contributing significantly to both personal and real property tax revenues. As noted above, data centers generate almost 50% of Loudoun County property tax revenues. Importantly, Loudoun County has now implemented measures such as a Revenue Stabilization Fund (RSF) to manage the risks associated with this revenue dependency. The FY 2026 budget reflects the strong growth in data center-related revenue, allowing for tax rate reductions while still funding critical services and infrastructure projects. But the county is mindful of the potential volatility in data center revenue and is planning for long-term fiscal sustainability. The FY 2026 Proposed Budget notes how Loudoun County’s revenue from personal property taxes, particularly from data centers, has grown significantly. From FY 2013 to FY 2026, revenue from this source has increased from $60 million to over $800 million. Additionally, the county said its FY 2026 Proposed Budget benefits from $150 million in new revenue from the personal property tax portfolio, with $133 million generated specifically from computer equipment (primarily data centers). The county said data centers have also significantly impacted the real property tax portfolio. In Tax Year (TY) 2025, 73% of the county’s commercial portfolio is composed of data centers. The county said its overall commercial portfolio experienced a 50% increase in value between TY 2024 and TY 2025, largely driven by the appreciation of data center properties. RSF Meets Positive Economic Outlook The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors created the aformentioned Revenue Stabilization Fund (RSF) to manage the risks associated with the county’s reliance on data center-related revenue. The RSF targets 10% of data center-related real and personal property tax

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Deep Diving on DeepSeek: AI Disruption and the Future of Liquid Cooling

We know that the data center industry is currently undergoing a period of rapid transformation, driven by the increasing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) workloads and evolving cooling technologies. And it appears that the recent emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, alongside supply chain issues for NVIDIA’s next-generation GB200 AI chips, may be prompting data center operators to reconsider their cooling strategies. Angela Taylor, Chief of Staff at LiquidStack, provided insights to Data Center Frontier on these developments, outlining potential shifts in the industry and the future of liquid cooling adoption. DeepSeek’s Market Entry and Supply Chain Disruptions Taylor told DCF, “DeepSeek’s entry into the market, combined with NVIDIA’s GB200 supply chain delays, is giving data center operators a lot to think about.” At issue here is how DeepSeek’s R1 chatbot came out of the box positioned an energy-efficient AI model that reportedly requires significantly less power than many of its competitors. This development raises questions about whether current data center cooling infrastructures are adequate, particularly as AI workloads become more specialized and diverse. At the same time, NVIDIA’s highly anticipated GB200 NVL72 AI servers, designed to handle next-generation AI workloads, are reportedly facing supply chain bottlenecks. Advanced design requirements, particularly for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and power-efficient cooling systems, have delayed shipments, with peak availability now expected between Q2 and Q3 of 2025.  This combination of a new AI player and delayed hardware supply has created uncertainty, compelling data center operators to reconsider their near-term cooling infrastructure investments. A Temporary Slowdown in AI Data Center Retrofits? Taylor also observed, “We may see a short-term slowdown in AI data center retrofits as operators assess whether air cooling can now meet their needs.” The efficiency of DeepSeek’s AI models suggests that some AI workloads may require less power and generate less heat, making air

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Georgia Follows Ohio’s Lead in Moving Energy Costs to Data Centers

The rule also mandates that any new contracts between Georgia Power and large-load customers exceeding 100 MW be submitted to the PSC for review. This provision ensures regulatory oversight and transparency in agreements that could significantly impact the state’s power grid and ratepayers. Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald points out that this is one of a number of actions that the PSC is planning to protect ratepayers, and that the PSC’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan will further address data center power usage. Keeping Ahead of Anticipated Energy Demand This regulatory change reflects Georgia’s proactive approach to managing the increasing energy demands associated with the state’s growing data center industry, aiming to balance economic development with the interests of all electricity consumers. Georgia Power has been trying very hard to develop generation capacity to meet it’s expected usage pattern, but the demand is increasing at an incredible rate. In their projection for increased energy demand, the 2022 number was 400 MW by 2030. A year later, in their 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, the anticipated increase had grown to 6600 MW by 2030. Georgia Power recently brought online two new nuclear reactors at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, significantly increasing its nuclear generation capacity giving the four unit power generation station a capacity of over 4.5 GW. This development has contributed to a shift in Georgia’s energy mix, with clean energy sources surpassing fossil fuels for the first time. But despite the commitment to nuclear power, the company is also in the process of developing three new power plants at the Yates Steam Generating Plant. According to the AJC newspaper, regulators had approved the construction of fossil fuel power, approving natural gas and oil-fired power plants. Designed as “peaker” plants to come online at times of increased the demand, the power plants will

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Chevron, GE Vernova, Engine No.1 Join Race to Co-Locate Natural Gas Plants for U.S. Data Centers

Other Recent Natural Gas Developments for Data Centers As of February 2025, the data center industry has seen a host of significant developments in natural gas plant technologies and strategic partnerships aimed at meeting the escalating energy demands driven by AI and cloud computing. In addition to the partnership between Chevron, Engine No. 1, and GE Vernova, other consequential initiatives include the following: ExxonMobil’s Entry into the Electricity Market ExxonMobil has announced plans to build natural gas-fired power plants to supply electricity to AI data centers. The company intends to leverage carbon capture and storage technology to minimize emissions, positioning its natural gas solutions as competitive alternatives to nuclear power. This announcement in particular seemed to herald a notable shift in industry as fossil fuel companies venture into the electricity market to meet the rising demand for low-carbon power. Powerconnex Inc.’s Natural Gas Plant in Ohio An Ohio data center in New Albany, developed by Powerconnex Inc., plans to construct a natural gas-fired power plant on-site to meet its electricity needs amidst the AI industry’s increasing energy demands. The New Albany Energy Center is expected to generate up to 120 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with construction beginning in Q4 2025 and operations commencing by Q1 2026. Crusoe and Kalina Distributed Power Partnership in Alberta, Canada AI data center developer Crusoe has entered into a multi-year framework agreement with Kalina Distributed Power to develop multiple co-located AI data centers powered by natural gas power plants in Alberta, Canada. Crusoe will own and operate the data centers, purchasing power from three Kalina-owned 170 MW gas-fired power plants through 15-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Entergy’s Natural Gas Power Plants for Data Centers Entergy plans to deploy three new natural gas power plants, providing over 2,200 MW of energy over 15 years, pending approval

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Podcast: Phill Lawson-Shanks, Chief Innovation Officer, Aligned Data Centers

In the latest episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, DCF Editor-in-Chief Matt Vincent sits down with Phill Lawson-Shanks, Chief Innovation Officer at Aligned Data Centers, for a wide-ranging discussion that touches on some of the most pressing trends and challenges shaping the future of the data center industry. From the role of nuclear energy and natural gas in addressing the sector’s growing power demands, to the rapid expansion of Aligned’s operations in Latin America (LATAM), in the course of the podcast Lawson-Shanks provides deep insight into where the industry is headed. Scaling Sustainability: Tracking Embodied Carbon and Scope 3 Emissions A key focus of the conversation is sustainability, where Aligned continues to push boundaries in carbon tracking and energy efficiency. Lawson-Shanks highlights the company’s commitment to monitoring embodied carbon—an effort that began four years ago and has since positioned Aligned as an industry leader. “We co-authored and helped found the Climate Accord with iMasons—taking sustainability to a whole new level,” he notes, emphasizing how Aligned is now extending its carbon traceability standards to ODATA’s facilities in LATAM. By implementing lifecycle assessments (LCAs) and tracking Scope 3 emissions, Aligned aims to provide clients with a detailed breakdown of their environmental impact. “The North American market is still behind in lifecycle assessments and environmental product declarations. Where gaps exist, we look for adjacencies and highlight them—helping move the industry forward,” Lawson-Shanks explains. The Nuclear Moment: A Game-Changer for Data Center Power One of the most compelling segments of the discussion revolves around the growing interest in nuclear energy—particularly small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors—as a viable long-term power solution for data centers. Lawson-Shanks describes the recent industry buzz surrounding Oklo’s announcement of a 12-gigawatt deployment with Switch as a significant milestone, calling the move “inevitable.” “There are dozens of nuclear

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Microsoft will invest $80B in AI data centers in fiscal 2025

And Microsoft isn’t the only one that is ramping up its investments into AI-enabled data centers. Rival cloud service providers are all investing in either upgrading or opening new data centers to capture a larger chunk of business from developers and users of large language models (LLMs).  In a report published in October 2024, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that demand for generative AI would push Microsoft, AWS, Google, Oracle, Meta, and Apple would between them devote $200 billion to capex in 2025, up from $110 billion in 2023. Microsoft is one of the biggest spenders, followed closely by Google and AWS, Bloomberg Intelligence said. Its estimate of Microsoft’s capital spending on AI, at $62.4 billion for calendar 2025, is lower than Smith’s claim that the company will invest $80 billion in the fiscal year to June 30, 2025. Both figures, though, are way higher than Microsoft’s 2020 capital expenditure of “just” $17.6 billion. The majority of the increased spending is tied to cloud services and the expansion of AI infrastructure needed to provide compute capacity for OpenAI workloads. Separately, last October Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said his company planned total capex spend of $75 billion in 2024 and even more in 2025, with much of it going to AWS, its cloud computing division.

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John Deere unveils more autonomous farm machines to address skill labor shortage

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Self-driving tractors might be the path to self-driving cars. John Deere has revealed a new line of autonomous machines and tech across agriculture, construction and commercial landscaping. The Moline, Illinois-based John Deere has been in business for 187 years, yet it’s been a regular as a non-tech company showing off technology at the big tech trade show in Las Vegas and is back at CES 2025 with more autonomous tractors and other vehicles. This is not something we usually cover, but John Deere has a lot of data that is interesting in the big picture of tech. The message from the company is that there aren’t enough skilled farm laborers to do the work that its customers need. It’s been a challenge for most of the last two decades, said Jahmy Hindman, CTO at John Deere, in a briefing. Much of the tech will come this fall and after that. He noted that the average farmer in the U.S. is over 58 and works 12 to 18 hours a day to grow food for us. And he said the American Farm Bureau Federation estimates there are roughly 2.4 million farm jobs that need to be filled annually; and the agricultural work force continues to shrink. (This is my hint to the anti-immigration crowd). John Deere’s autonomous 9RX Tractor. Farmers can oversee it using an app. While each of these industries experiences their own set of challenges, a commonality across all is skilled labor availability. In construction, about 80% percent of contractors struggle to find skilled labor. And in commercial landscaping, 86% of landscaping business owners can’t find labor to fill open positions, he said. “They have to figure out how to do

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2025 playbook for enterprise AI success, from agents to evals

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for enterprise AI. The past year has seen rapid innovation, and this year will see the same. This has made it more critical than ever to revisit your AI strategy to stay competitive and create value for your customers. From scaling AI agents to optimizing costs, here are the five critical areas enterprises should prioritize for their AI strategy this year. 1. Agents: the next generation of automation AI agents are no longer theoretical. In 2025, they’re indispensable tools for enterprises looking to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions. Unlike traditional software, agents powered by large language models (LLMs) can make nuanced decisions, navigate complex multi-step tasks, and integrate seamlessly with tools and APIs. At the start of 2024, agents were not ready for prime time, making frustrating mistakes like hallucinating URLs. They started getting better as frontier large language models themselves improved. “Let me put it this way,” said Sam Witteveen, cofounder of Red Dragon, a company that develops agents for companies, and that recently reviewed the 48 agents it built last year. “Interestingly, the ones that we built at the start of the year, a lot of those worked way better at the end of the year just because the models got better.” Witteveen shared this in the video podcast we filmed to discuss these five big trends in detail. Models are getting better and hallucinating less, and they’re also being trained to do agentic tasks. Another feature that the model providers are researching is a way to use the LLM as a judge, and as models get cheaper (something we’ll cover below), companies can use three or more models to

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OpenAI’s red teaming innovations define new essentials for security leaders in the AI era

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More OpenAI has taken a more aggressive approach to red teaming than its AI competitors, demonstrating its security teams’ advanced capabilities in two areas: multi-step reinforcement and external red teaming. OpenAI recently released two papers that set a new competitive standard for improving the quality, reliability and safety of AI models in these two techniques and more. The first paper, “OpenAI’s Approach to External Red Teaming for AI Models and Systems,” reports that specialized teams outside the company have proven effective in uncovering vulnerabilities that might otherwise have made it into a released model because in-house testing techniques may have missed them. In the second paper, “Diverse and Effective Red Teaming with Auto-Generated Rewards and Multi-Step Reinforcement Learning,” OpenAI introduces an automated framework that relies on iterative reinforcement learning to generate a broad spectrum of novel, wide-ranging attacks. Going all-in on red teaming pays practical, competitive dividends It’s encouraging to see competitive intensity in red teaming growing among AI companies. When Anthropic released its AI red team guidelines in June of last year, it joined AI providers including Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, and even the U.S.’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which all had released red teaming frameworks. Investing heavily in red teaming yields tangible benefits for security leaders in any organization. OpenAI’s paper on external red teaming provides a detailed analysis of how the company strives to create specialized external teams that include cybersecurity and subject matter experts. The goal is to see if knowledgeable external teams can defeat models’ security perimeters and find gaps in their security, biases and controls that prompt-based testing couldn’t find. What makes OpenAI’s recent papers noteworthy is how well they define using human-in-the-middle

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