Quantum Advantage.
Profound intelligence.
News Items is the most valuable newsletter out there. — Peggy Noonan.
1. IBM last week said its research shows “quantum advantage”—a point at which quantum computers perform computations beyond conventional ones—and that these results can be rigorously validated. The findings, which mark a step toward practical application of the nascent technology, were published in a trio of papers by IBM and its research partners. These include the University of Chicago, Japan’s RIKEN national research institute, and the quantum computing software firms Qedma, BlueQubit and Algorithmiq. “We’re in the quantum advantage era,” said Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research. “Scientists can trust it. Now it’s moving from people benchmarking the systems to using these for science to look at applications.” The news comes as the company races to show that its quantum computing business can be profitable. (Source: wsj.com)
2. Google DeepMind:
Today, we are introducing Gemini Robotics 2 - the intelligence layer powering the next generation of truly adaptable robots. As it takes its first literal steps, this major advance unlocks intelligent whole-body control, advanced dexterity, and multi-robot collaboration.
Gemini Robotics 2 enables robots to reason through every movement, unlocking a broad range of tasks. For example, it can enable a humanoid to walk, crouch, stretch, and manipulate objects to clean up a cluttered room. It can even team up with other robots to finish the job faster. And this profound intelligence can also run locally on-device while seamlessly adapting to entirely new robotic bodies in just a few hours. (Source: deepmind.google)
3. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. released its biggest ever AI model, claiming performance on par with global leader Anthropic PBC in the latest Chinese breakthrough to challenge US rivals. The new Qwen3.8-Max is built on 2.4 trillion parameters and ranks higher on several benchmarks than the headline-grabbing Kimi K3 from Moonshot that was recently unveiled. Alibaba shared results showing it delivering comparable or sometimes better scores than Anthropic’s Fable 5, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence model that was temporarily put under export controls by the US due to its advanced capabilities. (Source: bloomberg.com)
4. A version of Chinese startup DeepSeek’s flagship AI model is by far the least expensive to run on benchmark tests among well-known models globally and more than 100 times cheaper to run than Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5, according to a research firm. DeepSeek, which sources have said is preparing for a potential IPO, officially released its V4-Flash model on Friday, its latest attempt to regain momentum by doing what it is best known for - offering ultra-low-cost AI alternatives. San Francisco-based Artificial Analysis estimated V4-Flash's average cost at 3 cents per test, compared with 86 cents for Kimi K3 from Chinese rival Moonshot AI, $1.86 for OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol and $3.15 for Claude Fable 5. (Source: reuters.com)
5. The scope of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems has grown to include at least seven states and may be far wider, officials and experts warned, as the authorities raced to safeguard the nation’s water supply against an assault that increasingly appeared to be the work of Iran. While there were no indications that any water supply had been altered or made unsafe to drink, state and local officials throughout the country were on high alert for potential problems in vulnerable computers that are commonly used to monitor and adjust water quality, including chemical-treatment levels and water pressure. Minnesota first publicly reported the attacks, and now Michigan says its systems have also been targeted. The attack has little precedent, experts said, but has long been the stuff of nightmares and sensationalized Hollywood thrillers: an apparent cyberattack by a foreign power during a time of war that could, at least in theory, jeopardize the health and safety of Americans. (Source: nytimes.com)
