After the Quake Came the Blast: Inside Japan's Shopping Mall Disaster

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit Japan's Southern Kumamoto region on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and leaving several others missing.

The exact number of people trapped in the building is unknown, as emergency services had not yet found a safe route to enter the building. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

The Japanese mall where a deadly explosion struck after Tuesday's earthquake had only just reopened last month, after undergoing repairs to damage caused in a devastating earthquake a decade ago.

Reference Sources

1. abcnetau - Japan's Aeon mall had just reopened when earthquake and explosion hit
2. malaymail - People trapped, injured after blast at Kumamoto mall following powerful 7.1 quake in Japan
3. indiatoday - 13 dead after 7.1-magnitude quake rocks Japan; dozens trapped, thousands evacuated
4. aawsat - Rescuers Search for the Missing after Japan Quake as Death Toll Rises
5. usnews - After the Quake Came the Blast: Inside Japan's Shopping Mall Disaster

AI models escaped their sandbox and hit the web — now the industry wants to slow down

Over 1,100 employees at leading artificial intelligence (AI) firms have signed a petition calling on the US government to help slow down the release of the most advanced AI models.

The petition, titled “Pacing the Frontier,” requests that the US government support an international effort to develop the technical and Governance tools needed to deliberately pace the frontier of automated AI development.  Several AI executives, co-founders, and research leaders had signed the letter as of July 28.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who did not sign the petition, argued in an interview published Tuesday that developers of AI models might need to voluntarily pump the brakes on their rapid advances to give society a chance to catch up.

Reference Sources

1. aawsat - OpenAI Says Rogue AI Agent Attack Hit Other Companies
2. cnbc - OpenAI's rogue agent compromised a customer at a second tech firm: Reuters
3. thestarmy - More than ​​1,100 AI workers call for US to pace tech growth
4. malaymail - AI models escaped their sandbox and hit the web — now the industry wants to slow down
5. indiatoday - AI out of control? OpenAI, Anthropic ask White House to help slow frontier AI development

Chip-Equipment Supplier ASM International Lifts Sales Outlook as AI Fuels Orders

Dutch chip-equipment maker ASM International has forecast revenue of €1.1Bn ($1.3Bn) for Q3 2021, beating analyst estimates.

The company, which supplies chip makers with wafer processing equipment for the deposition of thin films, said the shift to newer chip architectures that are more complex to make and involve more layers is also driving demand for its ALD and Epi Technologies.

The company has said makers of cutting-edge chips used for AI will fuel its business this year, as they expand manufacturing capacity to cater to demand.

The shift to newer chip architectures that are more complex to make and involve more layers is also driving demand for its ALD and Epi Technologies.

ASM International supplies chip makers with wafer processing equipment for the deposition of thin films, a step that’s essential in the Chipmaking process.

The Almere, Netherlands-Based company forecast revenue of €1.1Bn ($1.3Bn) for the three months through September on a constant currency basis, with the range of 5% above or below that level, it said Tuesday in a statement.

That compares with the average analyst estimate of €1.04Bn, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Reference Sources

1. wsj - Chip-Equipment Supplier ASM International Lifts Sales Outlook as AI Fuels Orders
2. bloomberg - ASM Outlook Beats Estimates as AI Boosts Demand for Chip Tools
3. wsj - ASM International Shares Slump After Chip-Equipment Supplier’s Guidance Underwhelms

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.  

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Uploaded by Ian Huang