Anoushka George

Tag: tech

  • Matrices in Artificial Intelligence

    When people think about AI, they usually think of ChatGPT, self-driving cars, or robots. However, behind all of this intelligence is something that may seem boring at first, matrices. Even though they just look like grids of numbers, they are actually one of the most important tools in AI. They help machines process information, recognize patterns, and make decisions.

    Simply put, a matrix is a set of numbers arranged in rows and columns. Here’s an example of a simple 4×4:

    How AI Uses Matrices:

    Storing and Processing Data: to deal with large amount of data, AI models use matrices to help organize it

    • Ex: Images are made up of tiny pixels, and each pixel has a brightness value. These values can be stored in a matrix, allowing AI to analyze the image and see patterns

    Editing and Transforming Images: AI uses a type of matrices, transformation matrices, to move, rotate, or stretch images while keeping everything else aligned

    • Ex: In Instagram or Snapchat filters, transformation matrices are used to make sure the filter stays in place even when you move your head.

    Neural Networks and Matrix Multiplication: Neural networks are essentially the “brains” of AI, and they reply on matrix multiplication to process information.

    • Ex: Every connection between neurons (small units in AI models), are stored in a matrix. When AI learns, it’s basically just adjusting the values to improve accuracy.

    Understanding Language: AI chatbots do not just memorize words, instead they use matrices to predict what word should come next. Every word in a sentence can be converted into a vector, a type of matrix, and AI compares these to form possible responses

    • Ex: When you are using ChatGPT and it gives you possible questions to ask as you are typing, it is using vector matrices to predict what you are asking.

    Why do Matrices Matter?

    They are the foundation of AI! Every single time you use Google Translate, scroll through your FYP on TikTok, use a Snap or Instagram filter, or talk to a chatbot, you’re using AI powered matrices!

    Resources

    Labelbox. “Inside the Matrix: A Look into the Math Behind AI.” Labelbox Blog, 12 Sept. 2023, https://labelbox.com/blog/inside-the-matrix-a-look-into-the-math-behind-ai/.

    “Matrices and Matrix Arithmetic for Machine Learning.” GeeksforGeeks, https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/matrices-and-matrix-arithmetic-for-machine-learning/.

    “What Types of Matrix Multiplication Are Used in Machine Learning? When Are They Used?” Data Science Stack Exchange, 30 July 2020, https://datascience.stackexchange.com/questions/75855/what-types-of-matrix-multiplication-are-used-in-machine-learning-when-are-they.

    “Image Transformation Using Matrix.” Pixls.us Discussion, 15 Aug. 2022, https://discuss.pixls.us/t/image-transformation-using-matrix/30786.

  • February’s Technological Breakthroughs

    February was a month full of technological advances and challenges, especially in quantum computing, AI, and cybersecurity.

    Amazon’s Ocelot Quantum Chip

    With the help of AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud division, Amazon was able to release its first quantum computing chip, named “Ocelot”. This prototype looks to address challenges in quantum computing, especially correcting errors and scalability. The Ocelot chips uses “cat qubits,” to suppress qubit bit-flip errors, which ultimately reduces the overall errors in quantum systems. This development puts Amazon next to other tech giants like Microsoft and Google, who are also taking big leaps in the quantum computing field.

    Microsoft’s Majorana 1 and Google’s Willow Chips

    Microsoft released its “Majorana 1” chip, and Google introduced its “Willow” chip, both signaling significant strides in quantum computing. Both chips use quantum physics to process information in a completely new way, underscoring the growing interest and investment in quantum computing from big companies.

    Google’s Gemini 2.0 Pro

    Google made AI advancements following the release of Gemini 2.0 Pro, which introduces even more AI benefits, including enhanced capabilities and user experiences. This update brings a larger context window, allowing over 1 million tokens to be processed at once, making it highly efficient. The Gemini mobile app now includes Deep Research, a features that allows users to go deeper into topics with AI assistance, summarizing research papers, and generating insights almost immediately. Gemini 2.0 Pro is also able to analyze text, images, and even videos.

    Cybersecurity Concerns

    With AI models gaining more power, many concerns regarding security and data are rising. Reports show that almost 45% of AI breaches in the past year are coming from malware in public models. Also, government agencies are now facing scrutiny over how AI systems access and store private data. As AI becomes used more in daily life, it’s necessary to balance innovation with security.

    February was a transformative month for technology, and I’m sure there will be many more advancements in the next month.

    Resources:

    Nellis, Stephen. “Amazon Unveils Quantum Chip, Aiming to Shave Years off Development Time.” Arizona Digital Free Press, 3 Mar. 2025, arizonadigitalfreepress.com/amazon-unveils-quantum-chip-aiming-to-shave-years-off-development-time/. 

    19, Written by Catherine Bolgar                Published      February, et al. “Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Chip Carves New Path for Quantum Computing.” Microsoft, 19 Feb. 2025, news.microsoft.com/source/features/innovation/microsofts-majorana-1-chip-carves-new-path-for-quantum-computing/. 

    Sekhon, Gianetan Singh. “Microsoft Majorana 1 vs Google Willow.” Medium, Medium, 25 Feb. 2025, medium.com/@gianetan/microsoft-majorana-1-vs-google-willow-0c000c098007. 

    “Gemini 2.0 Pro.” Google DeepMind, deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/pro/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025. 

    Michelle Moore, PhD. “Top Cybersecurity Threats [2025].” University of San Diego Online Degrees, 23 Jan. 2025, onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/top-cyber-security-threats/.