🤖 AI News for December 31, 2024
Technical Tuesday: Code Review
Today’s Insights
Microsoft’s December 2024 Patch Tuesday highlights critical vulnerabilities with active exploits in the wild. Meanwhile, robotics and quantum computing dominate investment headlines, showing immense potential for transformation across industries.
🔑 Key Updates: Microsoft Patch Tuesday
- Total vulnerabilities patched: 70
- Critical vulnerabilities: 16
- Zero-day actively exploited: CVE-2024-49138
Affected Products
This Patch Tuesday addresses vulnerabilities in:
- Windows OS
- Azure Cloud Services
- Microsoft Office
- Visual Studio
- Exchange Server
- SQL Server
- .NET Framework
Vulnerability Breakdown
| Category | Quantity | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Code Execution | 30 | Critical: 16, Important: 14 |
| Elevation of Privilege | 27 | Important: 27 |
| Information Disclosure | 7 | Important: 7 |
| Denial of Service | 5 | Important: 5 |
| Spoofing | 1 | Important: 1 |
Highlighted Vulnerability
CVE-2024-49138: A Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege vulnerability.
- Impact: Attackers can escalate privileges to gain SYSTEM-level access.
- Status: Actively exploited in the wild.
📋 Action Items
- Patch immediately to address CVE-2024-49138 and other critical vulnerabilities.
- Use intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploit attempts.
- Perform post-patch vulnerability scans to confirm successful remediation.
- Consider segmenting networks to isolate critical systems during patching.
🤖 Special Feature: 2024 Rounds for Startups Developing Robots to Do Human Work
Robotics startups focused on replacing or augmenting human labor raised significant funding in 2024. These companies are innovating across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and household automation.
| Organization Name | Money Raised (USD) | Funding Type | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figure | $675,000,000 | Series B | General-purpose humanoid robots for unsafe or undesirable jobs. |
| Physical Intelligence | $400,000,000 | Series A | Modular “robot brains” for multi-task adaptability. |
| Skild AI | $300,000,000 | Series A | AI models for diverse robotic applications. |
| The Bot Company | $150,000,000 | Seed | Household robotics for domestic tasks. |
| Nimble Robotics | $106,000,000 | Series C | Robotics for e-commerce and logistics automation. |
| Bright Machines | $106,000,000 | Series C | Flexible robotics for manufacturing. |
| Path Robotics | $100,000,000 | Series D | AI-powered welding and metal fabrication robots. |
| Collaborative Robotics | $100,000,000 | Series B | Practical “cobots” for manufacturing and healthcare. |
| 1X | $99,940,255 | Series B | Advanced robotics integrating AI for precise tasks. |
| Carbon Robotics | $70,000,000 | Series D | Autonomous farming and agricultural robots. |
| Botrista Technology | $65,000,000 | Series C | Automated beverage production systems. |
| Bear Robotics | $60,000,000 | Series C | Food service and hospitality robots. |
| Pickle Robot | $50,000,000 | Series B | AI-powered warehouse logistics robots. |
| Mytra | $50,000,000 | Series B | Industrial automation and logistics. |
Sector Insights
- Labor Shortages: Robotics startups aim to address gaps in labor markets, particularly unsafe and undesirable jobs. For example, Figure targets over 10 million such jobs in the U.S. alone.
- Early-Stage Focus: Most companies remain in early funding stages, indicating substantial room for growth and innovation.
Related Reading:
🔗 Crunchbase: The Year of Humanoid Robots
🌐 Market Spotlight: Quantum Computing Takes Off
Quantum Stock Performance
2024 saw remarkable growth in quantum computing stocks, driven by advances in hardware and increased government interest.
| Stock | Growth | Key Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) | +1,786% | NASA contract for optimization tech. |
| Rigetti Computing (RGTI) | +1,647% | Speculation and advances in quantum hardware. |
Major Catalyst
Alphabet’s Willow Quantum Chip, capable of solving problems previously deemed computationally impossible, sparked renewed enthusiasm in the sector. Government contracts, including NASA’s collaboration with QUBT, added legitimacy to the field.
Sector Outlook
While speculative excitement has driven growth, the commercialization of quantum computing remains a long-term endeavor.
Learn more: 🔗 Yahoo Finance: Quantum Computing in 2024
🧩 Looking Ahead
The convergence of cybersecurity, robotics, and quantum computing highlights the dynamic nature of today’s tech landscape. As we move into 2025, vigilance in patching vulnerabilities, coupled with strategic investments in transformative technologies, will shape the future.
Stay secure and inspired,
The Coffee Jesus Team