Microsoft and Oracle have announced an extended partnership to enhance Bing’s conversational search capabilities, which have recently become available to the public. This collaboration involves the integration of Microsoft’s Azure AI with Oracle’s Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Supercluster, a service bolstered by Nvidia GPUs and launched as part of Oracle’s foray into generative AI, focusing on the development of large language models (LLMs).
The OCI Supercluster’s capabilities are set to augment Microsoft’s inferencing of AI models, a process crucial for the continuous optimization of Bing’s conversational searches. Inferencing allows AI systems to make predictions or draw conclusions based on their learned information. The Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure plays a pivotal role in this process, enabling Microsoft to utilize services like Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to manage OCI Compute resources at a scale necessary for Bing’s growing conversational search demands.
The infrastructure required for Bing’s conversational search is substantial, necessitating thousands of compute and storage instances and tens of thousands of GPUs operating in unison over a multiterabit network. This requirement underscores the computational intensity and sophistication needed for real-time, accurate search result analysis.
In September, the partnership deepened with Oracle, integrating its database hardware and software within Microsoft Azure data centers. This strategic move allows direct access to Oracle’s database services via Azure, hosted on OCI, providing enhanced services to customers.
However, Microsoft is currently navigating security issues. Hackers recently exploited a vulnerability by posting a fraudulent Ledger Live app on the Microsoft app store, resulting in the theft of 16.8 bitcoins (BTC). Blockchain analyst ZachXBT highlighted additional losses of $180,000 across Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain (BSC), bringing the total to $770,000. The transactions, totaling 38 inbound BTC between October 24 and November 5, were traced as the hacker attempted to launder the stolen funds through multiple wallets.
The incident has raised questions about the approval processes for applications within the Microsoft store, especially since Ledger Live is a critical application for users to manage their cryptocurrency assets. This breach is part of a larger trend of increased cryptocurrency hacks, as evidenced by a recent attack on OnyxProtocol, resulting in losses worth approximately $2.1 million.
