White House rolls out ‘concrete safeguard’ policies for federal AI
Washington, US - "Concrete safeguards" for government use of artificial intelligence were announced by the White House on Thursday, as it...
Geostrategy
Business
Dubai RTA awards US$95m contract to upgrade ticketing system
DUBAI, UAE - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract to upgrade the existing nol (card-based ticketing...
- The aim is upgrade the existing card-based ticketing system to an account based ticketing system, aligning with the top global practices.
- It seeks to develop a flexible and 100 percent scalable digital infrastructure, ensuring 100 percent fintech integration in mobility solutions.
Business
SIB, Noqodi sign agreement
The Noqodi platform will enable digital payments.
- This pact aims to improve digital and electronic payment offerings available to SIB's corporate and individual business customers.
- SIB's business clients will gain access to a broader range of digital payment solutions for seamless fee payments across various products.
Business
Cisco identifies major AI trends for 2024
DUBAI, UAE – Developments in Artificial intelligence (AI) have been impacting businesses, governments and economies across the world. Advancements in...
- The Cisco index focuses on what organizations can do to adopt AI in 2024.
- It also says how innovators can leverage that technology to remain competitive.
Business
Vodafone Qatar 2023 profit up
The 2023 net profit of Vodafone Qatar increased to $148 million.
- Vodafone Qatar’s net profit for the nine months ending September 2023 reached US$107 million.
- This reflects a growth of 17.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022, mainly driven by higher EBITDA.
Business
Hub71-backed ABHI to set up global headquarters in Abu Dhabi
DUBAI, UAE - With support from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Hub71-backed ABHI, an embedded finance platform founded in...
- ABHI is working with Abu Dhabi Investment Office as it scales up its operations to capture growth opportunities in emerging markets.
- ADIO provides a range of support to the FinTech company, including incentives and connections to the Abu Dhabi ecosystem.
Business
Mac computers could reach new glory due to AI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Forty years after igniting a PC revolution, Apple's Mac is stronger than ever and could reach new...
- Macs became the preferred choice for Apple fans along with artists, film makers and other creative professionals.
- Apple has been making inroads in business, getting help from iPhone lovers using their smartphones for work.
Arts & Culture
AI and death: Sundance films grapple with our digital afterlife
Park City, United States -- Artificial intelligence promises to make death "optional," as the technology learns to perfectly emulate our personalities,...
- The filmmakers found themselves empathizing with the customers after hearing their tragic stories of bereavement.
- Western society is terrible at dealing with grief, they said, and technology can appear to fill the gap left by religion for many.
Business
Healthcare industry globally faces data hacking threat
DUBAI, UAE - In an age where data is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, the industry faces an escalating threat...
- The IBM Cost of Data Breach Report reveals that in 2023 the average global cost of healthcare data breach reached $10.93 million.
- In the Middle East, the cost implications of data breach reached $9.18 million in 2023, above the regional average across all sectors.
World Economic Forum
In Davos, AI excitement persists but fears over managing risks
A recent IMF report said AI would affect nearly 40 percent of jobs around the world, and some 60 percent...
- Over the course of the week, more than 3,000 policy makers, business executives, academics and innovators discussed some of the world's most pressing issues at the annual meet.
- The Forum announced it will hold a special meeting, hosted by Saudi Arabia, on “Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development” on 28-29 Apr 2024 in Riyadh.
Business
Google CEO says more layoffs are likely this year
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned employees that more layoffs are in store at the search engine...
- Google laid off around 12,000 people this time last year, about six percent of its workforce, in the face of inflation and rising interest rates.
- The company confirmed it is eliminating "a few hundred" positions from its global ad team, amid a push to use AI for efficiency and creativity.
Company News
Du, Samsung ink agreement
Business
Latest News
Abu Dhabi launches technology investment company MGX
ABU DHABI, UAE – The Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) announced on Monday the creation of MGX, a...
Business
Cryptocurrency Ether witnesses meteoric rise since launch
NEW YORK, US – Bitcoin has captured the limelight in recent weeks as it surged to a new record high, yet...
Business
Italy begins probe into OpenAI’s new video tool Sora
ROME, ITALY – The European country's data protection watchdog - Italian Data Protection Authority - said on Friday it has launched...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Science
Scientists launch hub to channel quantum power for good
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Scientists will work to channel the huge emerging power of quantum computers for the common good at a...
- Quantum computing combines advances in scientific understanding of the subatomic world with leaps in information theory.
- The first commercial quantum computers are still believed to be up to a decade away.
Geostrategy
Facebook, Instagram services restored after widespread outages
More than half a million users across the globe reported issues earlier in the day, with many saying they were...
- A Meta Spokesman said the issue was resolved for "everyone who was impacted"
- Facebook is the world's largest social media platform with three billion active users
Australian media hits back as Facebook scraps news deals
Meta said on Friday it would scrap the Facebook News tab in Australia and would not renew deals with news...
- News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said Meta's decision put hundreds of jobs at risk and would expose Australians to more scams and misinformation
- "Australia must not surrender its leadership in being a country that is prepared to stand up to tech giants," he said in comments to one of the company's newspapers