AI’s race to transform the world before the money runs out
Never has so much cash flowed into a new technology as is pouring into AI, eclipsing the sums splurged on railways or the internet when those technological revolutions sucked in capital. Cumulative spending globally on data centers alone could top $30 trillion by 2050, according to a projection by PwC, almost matching the value of
Amazon vows $1B for data center towns
Amazon on Friday pledged more than $1 billion over five years for US communities that host its data centers, the latest tech giant seeking to win over residents increasingly hostile to the AI-fueled construction boom. The “Built Together” program, unveiled by Amazon Web Services chief Matt Garman in a 3,000-word blog post, will fund free
Apple says it will flag AI requests for Mac data
Apple said on Friday that it plans to change its Mac operating system to make it more obvious when AI agents ask to access all of the data on Macs. Some users have criticized Meta’s Muse, an AI agent capable of carrying out complex tasks like canceling unused subscriptions or haggling for better prices. These
AI content ‘lacks the spark’ of human-made art
As artificial intelligence adoption grows around the world, Pope Leo XIV says “it is becoming urgent” to distinguish anything made by machines from human art. In May, Leo wrote his first encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), calling for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather
Amazon to pay over $8 million to settle lawsuit over slow deliveries
Amazon has reportedly reached a settlement with the District of Columbia to resolve a lawsuit over allegations that the online retail giant provided slower delivery timelines to residents living in the city’s lower-income communities. The resolution arrives as government authorities intensify scrutiny over the company’s extensive freight, fulfillment and last-mile logistics operations nationwide.Under the negotiated
Nvidia’s bet that its chips can finance the AI boom
Nvidia’s mammoth financing plan has opened a debate on Wall Street about how much its advanced chips and the infrastructure around them are worth. The answer for banks and investors seems to be: Not as much as Nvidia thinks. Some lenders want higher guarantees than the company had originally outlined, even for Nvidia’s industry-leading AI
Anthropic targets mega-IPO
Anthropic is seeking to go public as soon as the middle of November, according to sources familiar with the matter, after the artificial intelligence model maker pushed back plans to list. The firm behind Claude could start formal marketing for its initial public offering as soon as the week of Nov 9, putting it in
Five universities in Hong Kong rank in the top 100
Five public universities in Hong Kong have ranked in the top 100 of a renowned British publication’s latest global league table, as part of a trend described as a “historic realignment” of academic prowess from West to East. The University of Hong Kong remained the city’s highest-ranked tertiary institution, holding onto 33rd place from the
AI is taking over the painstaking work of Silicon Valley’s most-coveted engineers
These engineers specialize in using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) Nvidia’s software for programming its AI chips, known as GPUs to write code that can run AI as efficiently as possible. The jobs are coveted because compute costs are massive; engineers who can squeeze the most value from a chip can save companies millions. CUDA
Google launches Guided Vision for Gemini Live
Google has announced that it is rolling out Guided Vision in Gemini Live for all compatible Android smartphones, introducing a voice-forward, real-time visual interpretation tool engineered for individuals who are blind, have low vision, or need intuitive visual help in daily life. Developed in collaboration with the accessibility community and previewed earlier this month alongside