The Download: Shaking up neural networks, and the rise of weight-loss drugs
December 20, 2024

The Download: Shaking up neural networks, and the rise of weight-loss drugs

Networks programmed directly into computer chip hardware can recognize images faster and use less energy than the traditional neural networks that power most modern artificial intelligence systems. That’s according to work presented at a leading machine learning conference in Vancouver last week.

Neural networks from GPT-4 to stable diffusion are built by wiring together perceptrons, which are highly simplified simulations of the neurons in our brains. Large numbers of perceptrons are very powerful, but they also consume a lot of energy.

Part of the problem is that perceptrons are just software abstractions—running a perceptron network on a GPU requires translating that network into a hardware language, which takes time and effort. Building a network directly from hardware components can save significant costs. One day, they could even be built directly into chips used in smartphones and other devices. Read the full story.

——Grace Huggins

Drugs like Ozempic now account for 5% of U.S. prescriptions

what’s new? American doctors write billions of prescriptions every year. However, in 2024, one drug stood out – the “miracle drug” known as a GLP-1 agonist. As of September, one in 20 adult prescriptions was for one of these drugs, according to health data company Truveta.

Big picture: Data shows that people who get prescriptions for these drugs are younger, whiter, and more likely to be women. In fact, women are twice as likely as men to get a prescription. However, not everyone who takes these drugs ends up taking them. In fact, half of the new prescriptions for treating obesity are not being met. Read the full story.

2024-12-20 13:10:00

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *