Foundations by Axented
AI model predicts Alzheimer’s using MRI brain volume changes, Cybervergent raises $3M, OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 while uninstallations surge after U.S. Department of Defense AI deal.
Table of Contents:
AI | Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 with major upgrades for reasoning and professional tasks
AI model predicts Alzheimer’s using MRI brain volume changes with nearly 93% accuracy
ChatGPT uninstallations surge after U.S. Department of Defense AI deal
VC | Startup & Funding
Cybervergent raises $3 million to expand AI-driven compliance platform across Africa
City Detect raises $13M Series A
HI | Hardware & Infrastructure
AI cloud firm Iren orders 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs for large-scale data centers
Banking & payments services disrupted after Amazon UAE data centers hit in drone strikes
OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 with major upgrades for reasoning and professional tasks
OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.4, a new AI model designed to improve reasoning, coding, and complex professional tasks.
The release includes variants such as GPT-5.4 Thinking for deeper reasoning and GPT-5.4 Pro for demanding workloads, along with a context window of up to one million tokens through the API.
According to OpenAI, the model reduces hallucinations by roughly 33% compared with earlier versions and performs strongly on benchmarks related to knowledge work and computer use. The update also expands tool-use capabilities, allowing the model to integrate external resources more efficiently.
Source: Interesting Engineering
AI model predicts Alzheimer’s using MRI brain volume changes with nearly 93% accuracy
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute developed a machine-learning system that analyzes MRI scans to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease with 92.87% accuracy.
The model examined volume measurements across 95 brain regions using 815 MRI scans from patients with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s.
It identified significant shrinkage in regions including the hippocampus, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex as key indicators of disease progression. The researchers say the approach could help enable earlier diagnosis and guide treatment strategies.
Source: Medical Xpress
ChatGPT uninstallations surge after U.S. Department of Defense AI deal
ChatGPT uninstallations reportedly rose by 295% following news of OpenAI’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, which drew criticism from some users concerned about military applications of AI.
The agreement involves using AI systems to support defense operations, prompting backlash among individuals opposed to such uses.
Despite the spike in removals, analysts note that overall ChatGPT adoption remains strong across businesses and consumers. The response highlights ongoing debate over the role of advanced AI systems in government and military contexts.
Source: Techputs
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Cybervergent secures $3M seed funding to expand AI-driven compliance platform in Africa
Cybervergent has raised $3 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered regulatory compliance platform across African markets. The platform helps organizations automate compliance monitoring, risk assessments, and cybersecurity management using machine-learning tools.
The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development, expand its market reach, and grow its team. Demand for automated compliance solutions is increasing as businesses across Africa face more complex regulatory and data protection requirements.
Source: Tech Africa News
City Detect raises $13M in Series A
Startup City Detect has developed an AI platform that analyzes video from city cameras to identify safety hazards, vandalism, and sanitation problems in real time.
The system can detect issues such as illegal dumping, graffiti, damaged infrastructure, and suspicious activity, allowing municipal workers to respond more quickly.
By integrating with existing camera networks, the technology aims to reduce operational costs and improve city service efficiency. Several municipalities are currently testing the system as part of broader smart-city initiatives.
Source: Tech Crunch
AI cloud firm Iren orders 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs for large-scale data centers
AI cloud provider Iren has agreed to purchase 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs to expand infrastructure for large-scale artificial intelligence workloads. The chips will be deployed across new and existing data centers to support enterprise AI training and inference.
The order reflects surging demand for advanced GPU capacity driven by generative AI development. It also highlights increasing competition among cloud providers to secure high-performance hardware needed to run next-generation AI systems.
Source: Data Center Dynamics
Banking & payments services disrupted after Amazon UAE data centers hit in drone strikes
Escalating tensions involving Iran have raised concerns about drone attacks targeting infrastructure near major cloud data centers in the United Arab Emirates. Security analysts warn that facilities supporting companies such as AWS could face indirect risks if regional conflict spreads.
Although no major cloud disruptions have occurred, companies are reviewing contingency plans and strengthening physical security measures. The situation highlights the potential vulnerability of critical digital infrastructure during geopolitical conflicts.
Source: CNBC
Foundations is written by the Axented team.
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