US exempts several consumer electronics from Trump’s import tariffs
Washington, United States -- The Trump administration has exempted a raft of consumer electronics from its punishing import tariffs --...
Business
Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI
The belief that human-or-better intelligence -- often called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) -- will emerge from current machine-learning techniques fuels...
Science
World Economic Forum
Art and culture retain power to humanize the Intelligent Age, says WEF’s Fowler
Davos, Switzerland -- In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, the World Economic Forum's Arts and Culture...
- I see talent emerging in the MENA region, UAE especially. Saudi Arabia is extremely exciting at the moment with the focus they're placing on culture, Fowler said.
- The UAE is extremely forward-thinking. They absolutely have a finger on the pulse when it comes to technology and how technology can be integrated into everyday life.
World Economic Forum
Tech Mahindra’s Ram Ramachandran: MEA, India key to shaping future in multipolar world
Davos, Switzerland -- The Middle East, Africa, and India have an important role and influence in shaping the evolving world order...
- The representation accorded to the Middle East, Africa, and India at Davos shows the growing promise of the region towards global world order, he said.
- We are going to see innovation happening from the Middle East outwards, which has never happened earlier, Ramachandran said.
World Economic Forum
Risks are interconnected, need collaborative solutions, says WEF’s Mark Elsner
Davos, Switzerland – Mark Elsner, Head, Global Risks Initiative, World Economic Forum sat with TRENDS during WEF’s summit in Davos...
- The Global Risks Report 2025, with insights from over 900 experts, identifies state-based armed conflict as the most immediate risk for 2025.
- The report was circulated ahead of the Davos meeting, which serves as a platform for advancing dialogue, cooperation, and partnerships.
Geostrategy
Norway nears 100% goal of all-electric cars
By comparison, the share of electric cars in Europe was just 13.6 percent in the full-year 2024, a decline for...
- A total of 9,343 new cars were sold in January, of which 8,954 were all-electric, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said.
- Of the 50 most-sold models, only two were non-electric, the first of which came in 33rd place, the OFV said.
World Economic Forum
Maori-led AI initiative can revolutionize language preservation, says Peter-Lucas Jones
Davos, Switzerland -- Peter-Lucas Jones, a Kaitaia native, who has been listed in the prestigious Time100 AI 2024 List, was...
- Peter-Lucas Jones, a Time100 AI 2024 List honoree, discussed AI's role in preserving the Te Reo Maori language at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
- His team at Te Hiku Media developed Te Reo Maori natural language processing tools and an automatic speech recognition model.
World Economic Forum
Readying for jobs of tomorrow: WEF’s Till Leopold stresses upskilling
Davos, Switzerland -- In the next five years, millions of jobs will be created. Governments, employers, and education institutions, therefore,...
- The key report findings highlighted that there will be 78 million new job opportunities by 2030 but urgent upskilling is needed to prepare workforces.
- The fastest-growing skills by 2030 will include technological skills alongside human skills, such as cognitive skills and collaboration.
World Economic Forum
Lithium-sulfur batteries will transform energy storage, says Lyten’s Horvath
Lyten, a Silicon Valley-based company, is revolutionizing the energy storage market with its groundbreaking lithium-sulfur battery technology. These batteries offer...
- Lithium-sulfur batteries are about half the weight of a lithium-ion batteries, but they have twice the energy density.
- These batteries work better in heat and, therefore, will be better suited to tropical countries that are expected to grow at a much faster pace.
Geostrategy
Samsung reshuffles leadership amid challenge in AI chips
Seoul, South Korea - Samsung Electronics reshuffled its leadership on Wednesday as it looks to gain an edge in the production...
- On Wednesday it tapped vice-chairman Jun Young-hyun to lead its memory business and appointed Han Jin-man as the new boss of the chip foundry division
- The reshuffle aims to "strengthen the company's growth and future competitiveness, focusing on the semiconductor business", Samsung said in a statement
Business
TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally
San Francisco, United States - TikTok on Thursday began letting all marketers on its platform use an artificial intelligence-powered tool for...
- The news came with word that Getty Images will make its stockpile of pictures and video available to TikTok's AI‑powered video generation tool called Symphony Creative Studio
- Brands will be able to use Getty's licensed images and videos to create AI-generated ads, including marketing messages featuring characters resembling real people
Drought forces Big Tech to rethink thirsty LatAm data centers
A prolonged drought in much of South America has forced tech giants Google and Amazon to rethink their plans for...
- Plans for a US$200 million data center project needed a cooling system that would consume 1.85 billion gallons of water yearly
- Google said the new facility would use air cooling technology, reducing its water use to a minimum
US exempts several consumer electronics from Trump’s import tariffs
Washington, United States -- The Trump administration has exempted a raft of consumer electronics from its punishing import tariffs --...
Business
Company News
Latest News
Smart cities lead GCC’s IoT boom: NEOM and Smart Dubai in focus
IoT applications are transforming critical sectors such as transportation, where connected vehicles improve traffic management, utilities where smart grids enhance...
Economy
Tech and sustainability drive Singapore’s smart tourism vision
To realize its vision for “smart tourism”, Singapore Tourism Board is leveraging cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and...
Interview
AI’s US$19.9tn contribution: Insights from Tealium on digital economy’s future
By 2030, every dollar spent on AI-powered solutions is expected to generate US$4.60 in economic value, according to global analyst...
Interview
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Interview
Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder...
- By 2050, the population of the world’s cities is expected to double from the World Bank’s current estimate of 4.4 billion people.
- Modern citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with urban living characterized by overcrowding, noise pollution, environmental challenges, poor infrastructure, inadequate responses.
Science
Japan puts world’s most accurate clock on sale for $3.3 million
The "Aether clock OC 020" is so precise that it would take 10 billion years for it to deviate by...
- Shimadzu is aiming to sell 10 of its clocks over the next three years and hopes its customers will use them to advance scientific research.
- Known as a "strontium optical lattice clock", it is 100 times more accurate than caesium atomic clocks, the current standard for defining seconds.
Analysis
The future is already here
Humanity is on a tech-fueled trajectory. Data and informed predictions are inspiring, showing how AI is reshaping economies, smart cities...
- The global travel and tourism industry is projected to contribute over $15 trillion annually to the world economy by 2030.
- By 2035, 60% of the city traffic and emissions can be reduced thanks to shared autonomous electric vehicles.