Last fall, a bit of nerdy controversy arose around AI chip startup NovuMind when the company announced its first low-power chip for processing neural networks. The company claimed that its patented design could natively process 3-D tensor data far more efficiently than other designs that require pre-processing the 3D tensors into 2D matrices. NovuMind portrayed its advantages in low-resolution and high-resolution environments, while typical (Resnet 50) benchmarks target medium resolution algorithms common in datacenters (where NovuMind has a smaller advantage). Now, recent customer wins and trial deployments may provide the trump card in the debate. Let's take a look at the company, its first product, and some case studies that seem to bear out NovuMind's dramatic performance/watt claims.

Editor's note: Before continuing, you may first want to read part 1 of this in-depth overview here. NovuMind and Numenta were the only AI companies we visited during this Silicon Valley trip, but even though we were only there for a limited time, we were still able to gain some insights on the developmental trends of AI and deep learning. After Dr. Wu departed from Baidu, he founded the startup NovuMind to focus on deep learning and AI technologies. I accompanied TalkingData's CEO Leo Cui, Mr. Che Pingjue, and Beijing GZT Network Technology's Vice Chairman, Mr. Li Yangshong on their visit to NovuMind. Leo is an excellent go player (ranked at amateur 5-dan).

The Go contest between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo, Google DeepMind's Go-playing computer program, was broadcast across South Korea. Scrambling to respond to the success of Google DeepMind's world-beating Go program AlphaGo, South Korea announced on 17 March that it would invest 863 million (1 trillion won) in artificial-intelligence (AI) research over the next five years. The commitment includes an already-budgeted 138.8 billion won for 2016; if the rest is spread evenly over the following four years, it represents a 55% increase in annual funding for AI. The windfall includes money for the founding of a high-profile, public–private research centre with participation from several Korean conglomerates, including Samsung, LG Electronics and Hyundai Motor, as well as the technology firm Naver, based near Seoul. "Thanks to the'AlphaGo shock', we have learned the importance of AI before it is too late" The timing of the announcement indicates the impact in South Korea of AlphaGo, which two days earlier wrapped up a 4–1 victory over grandmaster Lee Sedol in an exhibition match in Seoul.

South Korea, well known for its IT infrastructure, is promising 3.5 trillion won ( 3 billion) in funding from the public and private sectors to develop artificial intelligence for corporate and university AI projects. South Korea's President Park Geun-hye assembled leaders across the country's tech industry and senior government officials in Seoul last week to announce plans to invest the amount over the next five years. It appears to be largely a reaction to the phenomenal performance of Google's algorithm AlphaGo in an historic AI-versus-human game in Seoul earlier this month, which captured the South Korean media's imagination. "Above all, Korean society is ironically lucky, that thanks to the'AlphaGo shock' we have learned the importance of AI before it is too late," the president told local reporters assembled for the meeting, describing the game as a watershed moment of an imminent "fourth industrial revolution". It also calls for the private sector to match the public sector's commitment with 2.5 trillion won ( 2.14 billion).

The Go contest between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo, Google DeepMind's Go-playing computer program, was broadcast across South Korea. Scrambling to respond to the success of Google DeepMind's world-beating Go program AlphaGo, South Korea announced on 17 March that it would invest 863 million (1 trillion won) in artificial-intelligence (AI) research over the next five years. It is not immediately clear whether the cash represents new funding, or had been previously allocated to AI efforts. But it does include the founding of a high-profile, public–private research centre with participation from several Korean conglomerates, including Samsung, LG Electronics and Hyundai Motor, as well as the technology firm Naver, based near Seoul. "Thanks to the'AlphaGo shock', we have learned the importance of AI before it is too late" The timing of the announcement indicates the impact in South Korea of AlphaGo, which two days earlier wrapped up a 4–1 victory over grandmaster Lee Sedol in an exhibition match in Seoul.