Introducing Mistral-Large on Azure in partnership with Mistral AI – Microsoft

The AI industry is undergoing a significant transformation with growing interest in more efficient and cost-effective models, emblematic of a broader trend in technological advancement. In the vanguard is Mistral AI, an innovator and trailblazer. Their commitment to fostering the open-source community and achieving exceptional performance aligns harmoniously with Microsofts commitment to develop trustworthy, scalable, and responsible AI solutions.

Today, we are announcing a multi-year partnership between Microsoft and Mistral AI, a recognized leader in generative artificial intelligence. Both companies are fueled by a steadfast dedication to innovation and practical applications, bridging the gap between pioneering research and real-world solutions.

Build intelligent apps at enterprise scale with the Azure AI portfolio

This partnership with Microsoft enables Mistral AI with access to Azures cutting-edge AI infrastructure, to accelerate the development and deployment of their next generation large language models (LLMs) and represents an opportunity for Mistral AI to unlock new commercial opportunities, expand to global markets, and foster ongoing research collaboration.

We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with Microsoft. With Azures cutting-edge AI infrastructure, we are reaching a new milestone in our expansion propelling our innovative research and practical applications to new customers everywhere. Together, we are committed to driving impactful progress in the AI industry and delivering unparalleled value to our customers and partners globally.

Microsofts partnership with Mistral AI is focused on three core areas:

Introducing Mistral Large, our most advanced large language model (LLM)

In November 2023, at Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft unveiled the integration of Mistral 7B into the Azure AI model catalog accessible through Azure AI Studio and Azure Machine Learning. We are excited to announce Mistral AIs flagship commercial model, Mistral Large, available first on Azure AI and the Mistral AI platform, marking a noteworthy expansion of our offerings. Mistral Large is a general-purpose language model that can deliver on any text-based use case thanks to state-of-the-art reasoning and knowledge capabilities. It is proficient in code and mathematics, able to process dozens of documents in a single call, and handles French, German, Spanish, and Italian (in addition to English).

This latest addition of Mistral AIs premium models into Models as a Service (MaaS) within Azure AI Studio and Azure Machine Learning provides Microsoft customers with a diverse selection of the best state-of-the-art and open-source models for crafting and deploying custom AI applications, paving the way for novel AI-driven innovations.

We have tested Mistral Large through the Azure AI Studio in a use case aimed at internal efficiency. The performance was comparable with state-of-the-art models with even better latency. We are looking forward to exploring further this technology in our business.

After exploring Mistral Large during its early access period, weve been impressed by its performance on medical terminology. As we continue to innovate in healthcare, were open to collaborations that can help us and our partners grow together. Mistral AI represents an exciting opportunity for mutual advancement in artificial intelligence, both in France and internationally.

The Mistral AI models have been crucial in enhancing productivity and collaboration at CMA CGM. Their advanced capabilities have significantly improved the performance of our internal personal assistant, MAIA. Employees are now able to quickly access and engage with information like never before. We are confident that Mistral AI on Azure is the right choice to support our employees and drive innovation across our organization.

Microsoft is committed to supporting global AI innovation and growth, offering world-class datacenter AI infrastructure, and developing technology securely to empower individuals with the skills they need to leverage AI effectively. This partnership with Mistral AI is founded on a shared commitment to build trustworthy and safe AI systems and products. It further reinforces Microsofts ongoing efforts to enhance our AI offerings and deliver unparalleled value to our customers. Additionally, the integration into AI Studio ensures that customers can utilize Azure AI Content Safety and responsible AI tools, further enhancing the security and reliability of AI solutions.

Visit the Mistral Large model card and sign in with your Azure subscription to get started with Mistral Large on Azure AI today. You can also review the technical blog to learn how to use Mistral Large on Azure AI. Visit Mistral AIs blog to get deeper insights about the model.

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Introducing Mistral-Large on Azure in partnership with Mistral AI - Microsoft

Ax-3 astronaut snaps dizzying photo of ISS’s jam-packed interior – Space.com

A new view from inside the International Space Station captures a dizzying number of experiments underway in orbit.

European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt recently shared a photo he took while floating in the microgravity environment of the orbiting lab's Destiny module. Destiny is the International Space Station's primary research laboratory and is therefore home to a wide range of experiments and studies.

In the photo, which Wandt shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Jan. 25, the walls of the Destiny module are lined with various pieces of equipment and cords strung about to keep all of the tools tethered. Wandt's legs and feet can also be seen floating in the foreground of the photo due to the weightlessness astronauts experience inside the spacecraft.

Related: International Space Station at 20: A photo tour

The Destiny module has 24 equipment racks, which support various studies related to health, safety and humans' quality of life. The space station offers researchers a unique opportunity to conduct experiments in the absence of gravity, thus allowing them to better understand humans and the world in which we live.

"An astronaut's perspective," Wandt wrote in the X post. "How does this photo make you feel: relaxed, stressed, giddy or wanting to rearrange everything?"

Wandt launched to the space station on Jan. 18 as part of Axiom Space's Mission 3 (Ax-3). Joined by mission specialist Alper Gezeravc of Turkey, commander and former NASA astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra (who has dual U.S. and Spanish citizenship), and mission pilot and Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, Ax-3 carries Axiom's first all-European crew.

The four Ax-3 astronauts are living and working in orbit for up to two weeks. They are tasked with over 30 experiments spanning various fields in science and technology aimed at propelling advancements in human spaceflight and contributing to enhancing life on Earth.

While some may see Wandt's photo and think the inside of the module appears a bit cluttered without the force of gravity to hold all of the equipment neatly in place, others may feel relaxed by the idea of floating weightless through space. However, despite the apparent disorganization, astronauts are trained to maintain a high standard of cleanliness, to ensure the safety and functionality of the space station.

So, the question remains: How does this photo make you feel?

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Ax-3 astronaut snaps dizzying photo of ISS's jam-packed interior - Space.com

Sweden seeks to tighten NATO’s grip in Baltic Sea with 2 new submarines – POLITICO Europe

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KARLSKRONA, Sweden Theyve been on the drawing board for more than a decade, but in the heart of a vast assembly hall in a shipyard on the Baltic Sea coast, Swedens two new A26 attack submarinesare finally coming together.

Set for launch in 2027 and 2028, the 66-meter-long diesel-electric subs, named Blekinge and Skne after two Swedish counties, are designed to patrol NATOs eastern reaches under the Baltic Sea, tracking and countering Moscows maritime moves amid ever worsening relations between Russia and Europe.

The two are Swedens first new subs to be built since the mid-1990s and will join four older vessels in the Nordic states fleet.

We have a long history of building submarines, said Mats Wicksell, the head of Kockums, a business area of Swedish military equipment manufacturer Saab which is building the A26s. But this is still a big step forward for us.

The looming Swedish launches underscore a nascent subsea renewal in Northern Europe, where the Norwegian navy recently ordered four new submarines from Germanys ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The Netherlands has received bids from TKMS, Saab Kockums and Frances Naval Group to build four submarines, while Denmark, which disposed of its fleet in 2004, recently suggested itmightreverse that move.

This expansion will partially bridge the gap to NATOs biggest European fleets, which are set for slight growth this decade, according to a report by Swedens Defense Research Agency. Six new French Barracuda class submarines are entering service and two further Type 212 subs will join an existing German fleet of six. The U.K.s fleet of Astute class submarines will total seven by the end of the decade and the Italian Todaro class submarines eight.

The European upgrades come amid a Russian PR drive about additions to its own fleet. In December, President Vladimir Putin posed on the dockside at Russias White Sea submarine production hub at Severodvinsk alongside two new vessels, the Krasnoyarsk and Emperor Alexander the Third.

The Russian navy will have 50 submarines in 2030, according to the Swedish report.

The U.S. submarine fleet is set to shrink slightly in numerical terms to 57 by 2030, but the continued introduction of the new Virginia class will serve to maintain and even widen America's technological advantage over its rivals during the same period, the Swedish report said.

Visited on a recent weekday, the Saab shipyard in the southern Swedish naval town of Karlskrona was humming with activity.

The partially built Blekinge was shrouded in scaffolding, while metal workers prepared further steel hull sections for highly skilled welders to later stitch together into a whole capable of withstanding blasts from mines and impact with the seabed. In another area, electricians threaded seemingly endless reams of wiring into high-tech interiors.

For Sweden, the long delayed new submarines they were initially supposed to enter service in 2018 and 2019 will be a shot in the arm in a rapidly deteriorating security environment.

Sweden has seenincursionsby an unidentified submarine in its territorial waters as well as explosions crippling the Russian-built Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in its maritime exclusive economic zone in 2022 and the severing of a subsea communications cable linkto Estoniain 2023.

Sweden reinstated conscription and remilitarized its strategically placed Baltic Sea of Gotland in the wake of Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since the Kremlins full scale attack on Ukraine in 2022, it has boosted defense spending by 30 percent between 2023 and 2024 and applied to join NATO.

In early January, the Swedish government and the head of its armytoldcitizens to prepare themselves for war.

Theplan tolaunch the A26s has been a key pillar in Stockholms claim that it cancontributeto NATOs military strength,and isnt applying to join the alliance solely to benefit from its mutual defense guarantees.

Since the accession to NATO of the Baltic States in 2004 and Finland last April, the alliance has faced a headache over how to protect maritime supply lines to those states and restrict access to Russia in the event of conflict with the Kremlin.

Carl Gyhlenius, a Swedish former submarine commander and now a planner for the countrys navy, said he felt that NATO was getting a missing jigsaw piece with Sweden's NATO accession delayed by foot-dragging from Turkey and Hungary.

The Baltic Sea is hard to deal with if you don't have the necessary experience, and the fact that another country is joining NATO which has this as its backyard, with that regional expertise, that should ease operational problems, Gyhlenius said.

The Baltic is widely seen as a tricky operating environment because its varying salt levels affect sonar. It is also shallow and heavily trafficked, which increases collision risk.

On a recent visit to Stockholm, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised Swedens defense industry saying it offered advanced technology across a range of branches addingthat the NATO accession of the Nordic statewill be a big advantagefor the alliance as it seeks to maintainits technological edgeoveritsrivals.

Swedens first submarine, called the Shark, was launched in 1904, and over the decades that followed the Swedish navyexpanded its underwater capabilities as part of its broader effort to mount a credible national defense as a neutral state betweenEast andWest.

Toward the end of the last century,Swedish engineers achieved a technical breakthrough with a system called air independent propulsion (AIP) which allowed Swedish submarines to operate for longer periods without surfacing, aiding their ability to evade detection.

Following the end of the Cold War, Sweden cut back on defense spending and its submarine program was largely on hold foradecade until 2010, when Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors announced a plan to build the A26.

Through this significant renewal, we are ensuring that the Swedish submarine fleet will continue to maintain the highest international class, he said. Modern submarines represent a significant obstacle to any actor who wants to use the Baltic Sea for anything other than peaceful shipping.

In the years since, the A26 project has been criticized for delays and cost overruns.

But its defenders say the wait and extra cost will be justified by the delivery of vessels tailor-made for Baltic Sea conditions at a time when control of that waterway is geopolitically vital.

In its promotional material, Saab notes that the dimensions of the A26 as well as its updated AIP system and new sonar-defeating hull design make it ideally suited to the Baltic.

It also has a new modular design, which will allow obsolete technology to be replaced with new systems more easily and a new portal toward the front of the boat will also allow easier interaction between the crew inside the vessel and divers or unmanned vessels operating outside, Saab says.

Kockums chief Wicksell said the A26 represents value for money because its combination of stealth and advanced weapons systems can help ward off foes and reduce the risk of a costly future conflict.

If I know there is something out there but I dont know where it is and I cant defend myself against it, that is a deterrent, he said.

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Sweden seeks to tighten NATO's grip in Baltic Sea with 2 new submarines - POLITICO Europe

Greece assumes command of permanent NATO naval force – Kathimerini English Edition

[Hellenic National Defense General Staff]

Greek Captain Fotis Paraskevas took over the command duties of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Maritime Group Two (SNMCMG2) with the handover ceremony taking place at the Naval Base La Spezia in Italy on Friday, as was announced by the Hellenic National Defense General Staff on Monday.

Italian Captain Ettore Ronco transferred the responsibilities to Captain Paraskevas aboard the General Support Ship HERACLES on Friday. The event was attended by NATO Rear Admiral Stefan D. Pauly.

Greeces involvement in SNMCMG2, one of NATOs two permanently activated naval forces for mine countermeasure operations, enhances its role in ensuring maritime safety, particularly in the Mediterranean region.

SNMCMG2 provides NATO with immediate operational response capability, specifically as part of the NATO Response Force (NRF), during periods of peace, crisis and tension. Command rotation occurs semi-annually among participating states.

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Greece assumes command of permanent NATO naval force - Kathimerini English Edition

Luck and Cheating in Roman Gambling: The Die is Cast – The Collector

The ancient Romans had a complex relationship with gambling, involving both disapproval and widespread participation. Archaeological findings and written sources reveal that the preferred form of ancient Roman gambling was dice games. Roman dice possessed unique shapes due to the inherent asymmetry of the materials used and the Romans belief in divine intervention influencing random outcomes. Romans were also known for employing various cheating methods, including the use of loaded dice, which enabled players to manipulate the outcomes.

Six-sided playing dice, featuring numbers one to six marked on each side the same kind we still use today have been in use for over 4,000 years. They have been discovered at sites in Egypt, India, and Persia, but it appears that nowhere in the past were they as prevalent as in ancient Rome. Dice made of wood or bone have been unearthed at Roman sites across the former empire. Archaeological findings and written sources reveal that the Romans utilized them for both board games and gambling, which was a widespread indulgence among Roman citizens.

Gambling in Ancient Rome occupied a curious place in society. It was both disapproved of and enthusiastically embraced by the people. Undeniably, gambling held significant popularity among the ancient Romans. The act of gambling often took place in inns and taverns, which served as common venues for such activities. Archaeological findings from Pompeii have revealed depictions of dice, game pieces, symbols of wealth and good fortune, and terms commonly used in Roman dice games (Faris, 2012). These artifacts shed light on the prevalence of gambling in the Roman world.

Despite its widespread practice, some Romans strongly disapproved of gambling. Even in the face of their fellow Romans apparent addiction to it, figures like Cicero condemned gambling and those who partook in it. Educated and upper-class Roman writers of the late-republican and imperial periods largely viewed gambling as a wasteful pastime, and at its worst, a ruinous vice capable of tarnishing an individuals reputation and social standing.

Despite the prevailing view that aristocrats generally frowned upon gambling, there were notable exceptions within the ranks of the senators and Roman elite, who indulged in high-stakes gambling. However, for the majority of aristocratic elites, excessive gambling or public engagement in such activities was considered a potential source of legal and political corruption. The majority of aristocratic elites associated dice games with the lower classes, and they often connected them to hustlers and petty criminals.

It is worth noting that not all forms of gambling were illegal or disapproved of in Rome. Betting on sporting events, for instance, was an acceptable practice. However, the situation differed entirely when it came to dicing, which formed the core of a thriving industry within the Roman Empire. Backrooms of inns and taverns were frequently dedicated to gambling, which is evident from the numerous inscribed gaming boards and mosaics discovered in Rome, Pompeii, and various Italian and North African towns. Private homes or rented premises could also function as small-scale casino operations, providing spaces where money could be both won and lost.

Roman dice possess a curious feature that distinguishes them from other dice: their striking asymmetry. This distinctive characteristic has captured the interest of a pair of scholars from the University of California, Davis and Drew University. Close examination of these dice has unveiled a remarkable fact an astounding 90% of the dice discovered so far display (at least) are slightly flattened in shape. In fact, some of these dice deviate so significantly from the ideal cube that they more closely resemble parallelepipeds. This intriguing observation also holds practical implications, as the dice are more likely to land on their wider sides rather than the narrow ones when rolled.

How can we explain this intriguing phenomenon? The researchers find the simple explanation that the Romans lacked the advanced technology to produce a perfect cube unacceptable. After all, we are talking about a civilization that left us aqueducts and thousands of kilometers of paved roads, among other remarkable achievements. At the same time, they reject the hypothesis that Romans intentionally produced misshapen dice to manipulate the outcomes. Their explanation reveals the interplay between intentional and unintentional elements that influenced the curious shape of Roman dice.

The asymmetrical shape can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, the raw materials used, such as bone and antler, were inherently asymmetrical, resulting in objects that were longer across certain axes. While it was possible to grind or shave down the longer sides to create a true cube, this step was largely deemed unnecessary due to the second factor: the Roman view on probability.

In ancient Rome, the concept of probability, as we understand it today, was not prevalent among the average citizen. Instead, they believed that random outcomes were decisions made by gods like Fortuna, the personification of luck. From their perspective, if any of the numbers shown on the dice were equally influenced by the will of the gods, then each outcome would be considered equally likely. The shape of the dice, therefore, was not seen as the determining factor for the outcome; rather it was divine intervention.

As a result, the asymmetry of the dice did not hinder their overall function. Rolling dice served purposes beyond mere games; it was a means of communication or engagement with the gods. For instance, people would roll dice to seek guidance or gain insights into the outcome of future events. Moreover, players often believed that gods favoring them would influence the dice rolls to grant them victory or fortune.

This Roman worldview allowed for a wide variety of dice shapes, as the concept of fate rather than probability dictated the outcomes. While we can now estimate probabilities statistically when analyzing a large number of dice rolls, individual throws remain unpredictable. This partly explains the continued popularity of gambling casinos today, despite the long-term odds being stacked against the individual player. For the Romans, producing an even probability of rolls across the numbers one through six, which is typically the main purpose of dice in modern gaming, was not the primary concern. Fate rendered each roll unpredictable, and the shape of the dice was not believed to be linked to specific outcomes. Most dice users were unaware of any connection between the frequency of particular numbers and the asymmetry of the dice they used.

However, as old as games of chance are, attempts to manipulate luck to gain an unfair advantage have existed for just as long. Historical evidence shows that even the Romans attempted to deceive the gods in various ways. There have been two well-known methods of cheating that have persisted throughout the centuries.

The first method involves using dice with two identical numbers on opposite sides. This clever trick allows a deceitful player to tilt the odds in their favor. For example, an unsuspecting opponent may not notice that the cheater gets sixes slightly more frequently than any other number, while never rolling ones. However, experienced gamblers quickly catch on to this scheme, making it less effective over time.

The second method employed by more cunning swindlers involved using weighted dice. By filling the dice with lead or other heavy materials, the cheater can ensure that a specific side of the dice carries more weight, resulting in that particular number being displayed more often than any other. Nevertheless, even this method becomes less effective after several games, as cautious gamblers become more observant and wary of such cheating tactics.

While attempts to cheat at games of chance have existed for centuries, both of these cheating methods have their limitations. Skilled and attentive gamblers can eventually detect these dishonest practices, making it increasingly difficult for cheaters to fool their opponents. However, as of recently, we know that there existed a third, much more sophisticated method of cheating that required specially manufactured dice. The presence of such dice demonstrates the extraordinary craftsmanship of the Romans in producing dice and it once again disproves the notion that the majority of dice were crudely made due to a lack of technology.

This particular type of dice came to light by a stroke of luck (or by the will of Fortuna) in 2000 when a group of Belgian schoolchildren embarked on an educational trip to a nearby Roman site. During their visit, a ten-year-old schoolgirl accidentally broke a bone-made dice, causing a mysterious grayish liquid, none other than mercury, to seep out. Although an interesting incident, this anecdote would have been forgotten if not for the efforts of a pair of Belgian archaeologists over twenty years later. They managed to unravel the secrets of this unusual dice. Through their research, they found that mercury dice, although rare, were present in various regions of Gaul and Germania during ancient times.

According to the authors, these dice served a similar purpose to the lead dice mentioned earlier, yet with one important difference. The mercury dice offered greater flexibility, enabling gamblers to enhance their odds of achieving any desired number. The trick was remarkably subtle, as the player merely needed to discreetly tilt the die to a specific side just before rolling it. For instance, when aiming for the number six, they would skillfully tip the die so that the mercury gracefully flowed toward the side displaying one. The liquid nature of mercury enabled them to reuse the same die for subsequent throws, adjusting it to show different numbers depending on their needs. This method of cheating was nearly impossible to detect which is another significant advantage over lead-filled dice.

What is particularly remarkable about these dice is the incredible precision required in their craftsmanship. The dice had to be carefully drilled and filled with mercury, ensuring they did not become noticeably heavier. The hole would then be closed using the same material. This entire process demanded the skills of experienced goldsmiths, along with precise instruments and hard-to-obtain materials. As a result, scientists conclude that each dice must have been worth a small fortune. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that most of these dice were discovered in former locations of Roman villas, where the wealthiest citizens resided.

If these findings are accurate, they reveal something else about the Romans: some of them likely gambled very large sums of money. Those willing to invest significant amounts in such an item would have done so only if they expected it to yield an even greater return. It appears that some Romans long ago managed to fulfill the alchemists dreams and discovered a way to turn mercury into gold. Fortuna may have favored the bold, but it is even more likely that she favored the rich.

Bibliography:

Eerkens, Jelmer W., de Voogt, Alex (2022). Why are Roman-period dice asymmetrical? An experimental and quantitative approach. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 14(134).

Faris, Suzanne B. (2012). Changing Public Policy and the Evolution of Roman Civil and Criminal Law on Gambling. UNLV Gaming Law Journal 3(2). 199219

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Luck and Cheating in Roman Gambling: The Die is Cast - The Collector