Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence group G42 on Tuesday launched what it calls a Digital Embassies framework and an operating model named Greenshield, aimed at allowing governments to deploy artificial intelligence while retaining legal authority and control over data and systems, even when infrastructure is located outside national borders. The initiative...
Meta, IBM tie up to develop AI
They will defend a collaborative method for AI's future.Tech titan Microsoft wins observer seat at OpenAI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given a seat on the startup's board. The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff on Wednesday that was later posted to the company's blog and included a list...Amazon releases AI chatbot
"Q" will be available only to the company's AWS cloud.
OpenAI staff threaten mass exodus to join ex-CEO Altman
In a fast-moving sequence of events, Altman, who was ousted by the board on Friday, has now been hired by Microsoft where he will take the lead in developing a new advanced AI research team. There was talk Monday that OpenAI is interested in Altman returning, and that he may...
Meta, TikTok challenge incoming EU digital market law
Brussels, Belgium - Tech giants Meta and TikTok are contesting the scope of an EU law that from March will set new rules on competition in the digital marketplace. The European Commission has designated 22 big online companies as "core platform services" to be subject to additional scrutiny and obligations under...Russia spreading disinformation on Middle East situation, says Microsoft
Paris, France - Russia has been spreading "disinformation" about the situation in the Middle East, the president of Microsoft said on Saturday, as tensions soar in the region due to the Israel-Hamas war. Brad Smith, Microsoft vice chair and president, was asked about the role of the US tech giant in...
OpenAI sees a future of AI ‘superpowers on demand’
Dreams of the benefits of generative AI -- along with fears of the technology's risks -- have been hot topics in the tech world since ChatGPT made its blockbuster debut a year ago. More than 2 million developers are building on the OpenAI platform, while more than 100 million people...
stc, Microsoft to collaborate
The aim is to advance digitalization in Saudi Arabia.
Alphabet and Microsoft see earnings rise on AI-infused cloud
Tech giant Microsoft said Tuesday its profits rose in the latest quarter, boosted by its strength in the closely watched cloud services segment. Google, like most big tech companies, saw its share price rise steeply in 2023 as investors expected AI to generate new revenue and open new markets.
Microsoft announces $3.2 billion investment in Australia
Details of the deal were outlined by bosses at the US tech giant and by Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who is on a four-day official visit to the United States. It represents Microsoft's largest investment in Australia in its 40-year history in the country, the company said in a...
DCT signs MoU with Microsoft to transform Abu Dhabi tourism
Dubai, UAE -- The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Microsoft have signed an MoU that enables innovation in key areas such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing and brings together both organizations’ capabilities and resources to enhance the tourist and cultural...
Dubai’s tech ambitions take center stage at GITEX Global
Dubai, UAE - Global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Zoom and Huawei are among more than 6,000 businesses displaying their latest advancements in fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, mobility and sustainability at the 42nd annual GITEX Global, the biggest tech event of the year. Spanning a five-day extravaganza, the...Meta technology chief defends tech titan’s AI strategy
The company launched AI-infused chatbots with personalities at the gathering, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts. It has been seen as lagging rivals like Microsoft and Google, which have pushed out generative AI products and invested heavily in the technology seen as a force...New update allows ChatGPT to use internet for fetching data
New York, US - The generative AI platform ChatGPT can now fetch data directly from the internet and gather up-to-date information in real-time, its creator OpenAI said, in a major milestone for the software. Until now, ChatGPT's responses to user queries were based on a vast database, which did not contain...
Meta putting AI in smart glasses, assistants and more
Zuckerberg made his announcements at the Connect developers conference at Meta's headquarters in Silicon Valley, the company's main annual product event. The event was the first in-person edition of Connect since 2019, before the pandemic, and announcements on generative AI were widely expected.Amazon to pour US$4bn into Anthropic
Its investment will heat up the race for dominance in AI.Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard makes popular games like "Call of Duty".Microsoft to offer OpenAI’s Dall-E 3 in Bing
Microsoft has bet big on AI, notably with a $10-billion envelope dedicated to its partnership with OpenAI, and is now trying to monetize this technology by integrating it into its products. The Redmond, Washington-based group also announced on Thursday that the Bing bot was now able to draw on previous...
US govt face Google in landmark antitrust lawsuit
Washington, US - A landmark case pitting the US government against Google over the dominance of the company's world-dominating search engine began in a Washington courtroom on Tuesday. "This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google will ever face meaningful competition in search," said Justice Department lawyer...Tencent claims new AI chat bot skills comparable to ChatGPT
Tencent on Thursday gave a live demonstration of Hunyuan Aide's capabilities, with the bot introducing itself in response to questions typed by an employee on a laptop, and solving a simple arithmetic problem. Vice-President Jiang Jie said at the livestreamed summit that the bot outperformed US-based Open AI's earlier model...
Microsoft gambles big on Hollywood-esque ‘Starfield’ video game
The ever-evolving game is the tech giant's bid to lock players into its Xbox subscription service after some eye-poppingly enormous investments in the gaming sector, which is worth $200 billion globally. A universe-spanning role-playing sci-fi game, "Starfield" is made by US studio Bethesda, which Microsoft bought as part of a...
Microsoft bows to EU competition concerns over Teams
In a bid to address the concerns, Microsoft will unbundle Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites in the European Economic Area and Switzerland from October 1, the company's vice president on European government affairs, Nanna-Louise Linde, said. Customers will now be able to buy the software without...
In China, Baidu leads public rollout of AI chatbots
China issued new regulations this month for the country's AI developers that maintain the government's tight control on information while allowing them to stay in the race with others. Baidu led several companies in rolling out AI chatbots on Thursday: SenseTime opened its service for registration, and two other firms...
ChatGPT turns to business as popularity takes a tumble
ChatGPT Enterprise will be powered by GPT-4, OpenAI's highest performing model, much like ChatGPT Plus, the company's subscription version for individuals, but business customers will have special perks. The release came as ChatGPT is struggling to maintain the excitement that made it the world’s fastest downloaded app in the weeks...AI risks repeating social media mistakes, says Microsoft president
NEW DELHI, INDIA - Breakneck development of artificial intelligence risked repeating mistakes made by the tech industry at the start of the social media era, Microsoft president Brad Smith told a business forum on Friday. Rapid advancements in AI have stoked global alarm over the technology's potential for disinformation, misuse and...Bing, LinkedIn vow more ads transparency
It comes as EU rules on tech platforms enter into force.Facebook and Instagram users in Europe to have greater viewing control
One of the changes announced by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, includes giving European users of Facebook and Instagram the option to view different types of content not based on profiling, a requirement under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).Microsoft submits new Activision deal
A previous version of the acquisition deal was blocked.European Commission orders probe into Microsoft over Teams
Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Thursday announced an antitrust probe into Microsoft bundling its Teams communication app with its popular Office suite, on concerns it could be cutting out competitors. The investigation, to see whether the US software giant is "abusing and defending its market position" through the practice,...Meta posts big earnings
It posted a profit of US$7.8bn in the recently ended quarter.Microsoft, Google beat profit expectations
Tech titans announced better-than-expected earnings.
Tech titans promise watermarks to expose AI creations
Representatives from Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI were to join US President Joe Biden later Friday to announce the commitments, which include developing "robust technical mechanisms" such as watermarking systems to ensure that users know when content is AI-generated, according to a White House official. Worry that...
Security, trust: Tech titans promise watermarks on AI creations
Representatives from Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI were to join US President Joe Biden later Friday to announce the commitments, which include developing "robust technical mechanisms" such as watermarking systems to ensure that users know when content is AI-generated, according to a White House official.Microsoft, Activision gaming deal deferred
July 18 was the cut off point to finalize the $75bn deal.Chinese hackers breach mail accounts of US agencies: Microsoft
Microsoft did not identify the targets but a US State Department spokesperson said the department had "detected anomalous activity" and had taken "immediate steps to secure our systems."Google launches ChatGPT rival Bard in EU, Brazil
The US tech giant unveiled Bard in February but delayed its release in the European Union as the bloc plans to regulate artificial intelligence amid concerns about risks associated with the rapidly growing technology. The company said it would incorporate user feedback and take steps to protect people's privacy and data as...Meet EU ‘gatekeeper’ definition, say seven tech giants
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - Seven tech giants, including Amazon and Apple, have informed the European Union they meet the threshold to come under landmark new rules to curb their market dominance, Brussels said on Tuesday. The firms - Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok owner ByteDance, Facebook umbrella Meta, Microsoft and Samsung...
UN talks look to draw upon AI power and potential
The UN hopes to lay out a clear blueprint on the way forward for handling AI, as development of the technology races ahead the capacity to set its boundaries. The "AI for Good Global Summit", being held in Geneva on Thursday and Friday, will bring together around 3,000 experts from...
Gaming navigates financial woes amid inflation rise
The GCC gaming industry, bolstered by Saudi Arabia's $38 billion investment, is poised for significant growth that may make it a global leader by 2030, says an expert.
Vodafone, Microsoft ink pact
The two firms will offer AI Digital Contact Centre Platform.US judge pauses Microsoft’s $69 billion buyout of Activision
Judge Edward Davila said in a ruling that it "is necessary to maintain the status quo" while the court considers a longer term injunction on the purchase as requested by regulators at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A hearing was set for June 22 and June 23 in San Francisco...Twitter ‘chose confrontation’ over EU disinformation code
The European Commission announced May 27 that Twitter had decided to leave the code of practice, to which other major online platforms such as Google, Microsoft and TikTok continue to adhere.GCC feeds growing appetite for catering services
Rising disposable incomes, demand from businesses and events, online food delivery services, and increased tourism are driving the growth of Gulf catering services market.
Twitter withdraws from EU disinformation code
Twitter has decided to leave the EU's disinformation code, a voluntary pact that groups together the major social platforms, but "its obligations remain," EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted. Launched in 2018, the EU's code of practice on disinformation counts nearly three dozen signatories including Meta, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and...Meta sells Giphy at over $260m loss
Meta had purchased Giphy in May 2020 for $315 million.
UAE signs MoU with Microsoft, PwC to set up ‘centre for digital excellence’
Dubai, UAE-- The UAE has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to set up the "UAE Centre for Government Digital Excellence." The centre will look to support the government’s digital transformation, enabling government authorities to benefit from the best global practices and modern technologies to...Elon Musk says Microsoft broke its rules for developers
Twitter called on Microsoft to identify all Twitter content that has been in its control during the past two years; how it is stored and what has been done with it, according to the letter sent to Nadella. Microsoft confirmed receiving a letter from a law firm representing Twitter with...European Union backs Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard takeover
The deal is also under threat in the US, where last year the Federal Trade Commission launched a legal action to block it, one of Washington's biggest ever interventions to stop tech industry consolidation. Microsoft launched its bid for Activision Blizzard early last year to create the world's third biggest...LinkedIn closes China service, citing ‘fierce competition,’ cuts 700 jobs
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn was one of the few US technology companies to successfully operate a social media site in China, where the internet is heavily regulated and censored. The US firm once achieved a rapid rise in the country, benefiting from a culture of connections, or "guanxi", in which one's contacts...Microsoft expands artificial intelligence programs’ access to public
Risks from AI include its potential uses for fraud, with voice clones, deep-fake videos and convincing written messages. A range of experts in March urged a pause in the development of powerful AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe.
