Artificial intelligence

Tencent sees strong Q1 growth as gaming rebounds, AI ads boost sales

Tencent Holdings, China’s largest tech company by market capitalisation, reported a 13% year-on-year revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by strong growth in gaming and AI-powered advertising.

The company posted revenue of 180 billion yuan ($24.97 billion) for the quarter ending March 31, surpassing analysts’ expectations of 174.6 billion yuan. Net profit reached 47.8 billion yuan, slightly below the forecast of 52.2 billion yuan, according to LSEG data.

Tencent’s domestic gaming revenue surged 24% to 42.9 billion yuan, while international gaming revenue rose 23% to 16.6 billion yuan. Key titles driving the growth included Dungeon & Fighter Mobile and Delta Force.

Advertising revenue climbed 22% year on year, helped by the rollout of AI-driven ad tech upgrades, delivering more targeted and efficient marketing tools across platforms.

The company’s Fintech and Business Services division, which covers cloud services, loans, and wealth management, also grew 16% to 27.6 billion yuan.

Tencent continues to invest heavily in AI. In March, the company said it would devote a low double-digit share of its 2025 revenue to AI-related capital expenditures. That follows 39 billion yuan spent on AI in Q4 2024.

Its proprietary large language model, Hunyuan, received a public release as version T1 in March. Tencent also became the first major Chinese firm to integrate technology from DeepSeek, a fast-rising AI startup.

DeepSeek’s models now power features within Tencent’s core services, including WeChat and its AI assistant, Yuanbao.

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NatWest hit by 100 million cyber attacks every month

NatWest is defending itself against an average of 100 million cyber attacks each month, according to the bank’s head of cybersecurity.

Speaking to Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee, Chris Ulliott outlined the ‘staggering’ scale of digital threats targeting the bank’s systems. Around a third of all incoming emails are blocked before reaching staff, as they are suspected to be the start of an attack.

Instead of relying on basic filters, NatWest analyses every email for malicious content and has a cybersecurity team of hundreds, supported by a multi-million-pound budget.

Mr Ulliott also warned of the growing use of AI by cyber criminals to make scams more convincing—such as altering their appearance during video calls to build trust with victims.

Police Scotland reported that cybercrime has more than doubled since 2020, with incidents rising from 7,710 to 18,280 in 2024. Officials highlighted the threat posed by groups like Scattered Spider, believed to consist of young hackers sharing techniques online.

MSP Rona Mackay called the figures ‘absolutely staggering,’ while Ben Macpherson said he had even been impersonated by fraudsters.

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are now working together to tackle online crime. Meanwhile, Age Scotland warned that many older people lack confidence online, making them especially vulnerable to scams that can lead to financial ruin and emotional distress.

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AI hallucination at center of Anthropic copyright lawsuit

Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude chatbot, has been ordered by a federal judge to respond to allegations that it submitted fabricated material—possibly generated by AI—as part of its defense in an ongoing copyright lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2023 by music publishers Universal Music Group, Concord, and ABKCO, accuses Anthropic of unlawfully using lyrics from over 500 songs to train its chatbot. The publishers argue that Claude can produce copyrighted material when prompted, such as lyrics from Don McLean’s American Pie.

During a court hearing on Tuesday in California, the publishers’ attorney claimed that an Anthropic data scientist cited a nonexistent academic article from The American Statistician journal to support the argument that Claude rarely outputs copyrighted lyrics.

One of the article’s alleged authors later confirmed the paper was a ‘complete fabrication.’ The judge is now requiring Anthropic to formally address the incident in court.

The company, founded in 2021, is backed by major investors including Amazon, Google, and Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced crypto executive convicted of fraud in 2023.

The case marks a significant test of how AI companies handle copyrighted content, and how courts respond when AI-generated material is used in legal proceedings.

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Netflix’s ad-supported tier hits 94M users with big upgrades on the way

At its May 14 Upfront presentation in New York, Netflix unveiled a major expansion of its advertising strategy, highlighting the growth of its ad-supported tier, which now reaches over 94 million monthly active users globally.

Amy Reinhard, Netflix’ president of advertising, introduced the Netflix Ads Suite, a proprietary advertising platform now live in the US and Canada, with rollout to EMEA next week and all 12 ad-supported markets by June.

‘By controlling our own ad tech, we’ll be able to deliver newer tools, better measurement, and more creative formats,’ said Reinhard.

The Ads Suite offers enhanced data integration, allowing advertisers to match their first-party data with Netflix audiences via LiveRamp or directly. Netflix also announced partnerships with Experian and Acxiom, as well as a ‘clean room’ environment for secure data collaboration.

Netflix is also launching its own first-party measurement tools, beginning with brand lift metrics that link ad exposure to shifts in consumer perception and behaviour.

Reinhard also previewed AI-driven ad formats coming in 2026, including interactive midrolls and pause screens. These new formats will allow for personalised overlays, calls to action, and second screen engagement tailored to individual viewers.

CMO Marian Lee announced new co-branded campaigns with Wendy’s, Cheetos, and Booking.com tied to the return of Wednesday, promising advertisers the same creative treatment Netflix gives its own shows.

‘It’s all about bringing stories to life in ways none of us can do on our own,’ Lee said.

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Seattle startup ElastixAI raises $16 million for AI inference tech

A stealthy new AI startup in Seattle, ElastixAI, has raised $16 million to build technology that aims to reduce the cost and complexity of running large language models.

Rather than focusing on training, the company is developing an AI inference platform to optimise how these models operate, whether on cloud servers or edge devices. The funding round is led by Bellevue-based venture capital firm FUSE, with support from several others.

ElastixAI is led by CEO Mohammad Rastegari, formerly CTO of Xnor, a startup acquired by Apple in 2020. He co-founded the company with Saman Naderiparizi, also ex-Apple and Xnor, and Mahyar Najibi, who worked at both Apple and Waymo.

The team’s background in AI hardware and software gives them a unique edge in addressing challenges at a stage where AI models generate responses from trained data.

Instead of building a one-size-fits-all solution, the startup’s platform is designed for flexibility, allowing customers to fine-tune infrastructure to specific needs. ‘We saw a gap in delivering scalable and low-cost inference,’ said Rastegari.

The company remains in stealth but says its platform could serve both hyperscalers and enterprises looking to integrate AI into everyday operations.

With other players like Nvidia and Fireworks.ai competing in the inference space, ElastixAI may even count some of them as future customers.

Rastegari and Naderiparizi are also affiliate assistant professors at the University of Washington, and their startup reflects Seattle’s growing reputation as a hub for advanced AI development — a trend Apple has helped shape with several acquisitions in the region.

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DeepMind unveils AlphaEvolve for scientific breakthroughs

Google DeepMind has unveiled AlphaEvolve, a new AI system designed to help solve complex scientific and mathematical problems by improving how algorithms are developed.

Rather than acting like a standard chatbot, AlphaEvolve blends large language models from the Gemini family with an evolutionary approach, enabling it to generate, assess, and refine multiple solutions at once.

Instead of relying on a single output, AlphaEvolve allows researchers to submit a problem and potential directions. The system then uses both Gemini Flash and Gemini Pro to create various solutions, which are automatically evaluated.

The best results are selected and enhanced through an iterative process, improving accuracy and reducing hallucinations—a common issue with AI-generated content.

Unlike earlier DeepMind tools such as AlphaFold, which focused on narrow domains, AlphaEvolve is a general-purpose AI for coding and algorithmic tasks.

It has already shown its value by optimising Google’s own Borg data centre management system, delivering a 0.7% efficiency gain—significant given Google’s global scale.

The AI also devised a new method for multiplying complex matrices, outperforming a decades-old technique and even beating DeepMind’s specialised AlphaTensor model.

AlphaEvolve has also contributed to improvements in Google’s hardware design by optimising Verilog code for upcoming Tensor chips.

Though not publicly available yet due to its complexity, AlphaEvolve’s evaluation-based framework could eventually be adapted for smaller AI tools used by researchers elsewhere.

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Amazon launches end-to-end AI audiobook production for publishers

Amazon has announced the expansion of AI-generated audiobook narration through its Audible platform, offering publishers the option to convert books into audio using synthetic voices.

The company’s new tools include more than 100 AI-generated voices across English, Spanish, French, and Italian, with variations in accents and dialects. Publishers will be able to choose between two production workflows: a fully managed Audible-led process or a self-service option using the same underlying technology.

According to Amazon, the initiative aims to scale audiobook production and increase accessibility. Audible CEO Bob Carrigan said the company’s long-term goal is to support ‘every book in every language’ through its end-to-end AI production system.

Later in 2024, Amazon will begin beta testing AI-powered translation services for audiobooks.

The services will include text-to-text translation of manuscripts—with the option of either AI or professional narration—and speech-to-speech translation designed to preserve the original narrator’s voice and tone across languages.

Human linguists will be available to review translations for accuracy and cultural context. Amazon did not indicate whether the new AI tools would replace human narrators but positioned the offering as an additional option for publishers.

The expansion comes as generative AI continues to reshape content production workflows across the publishing and media industries.

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Data for Change: The PARIS21 Foundation

The Data for Change Foundation is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation with global ties to promote more, better, and equal data to enable evidence-based decisions and ensure no one is left behind. By fostering partnerships, empowering stakeholders, and leveraging technology, we aim to create a world where data enhances accountability and drives impactful, inclusive change. In close collaboration with PARIS21 (Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century), we strengthen national statistical systems (NSSs) to produce and use high-quality data for policymaking and monitoring progress. Our joint work helps countries build resilient, inclusive statistical capacities that adapt to evolving global data needs while ensuring all voices are represented.

Digital activities

One of our flagship initiatives, the SME Data Boost, supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sub-Saharan Africa to build a robust data footprint. This project addresses the risk of SMEs being excluded from global trade due to missing or inadequate data, ensuring they can meet reporting requirements, remain competitive, and retain their place in global value chains. By equipping SMEs with essential tools and capabilities, the initiative fosters accountability and resilience within regional economies, helping them thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.

The Gender Data Lab (GDL) in Rwanda, launched in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), PARIS21, and the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), is another example of our commitment to digital transformation. The GDL seeks to revolutionise the collection, analysis, and use of gender-disaggregated data to bridge existing gaps and inform evidence-based policymaking. By consolidating data sources and applying advanced data science techniques, the GDL equips policymakers with actionable insights to design gender-responsive policies and programmes. This initiative represents a critical step toward achieving accountability and progress on gender equality targets, such as the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Rwanda’s Vision 2050. It also emphasises Rwanda’s leadership in ensuring accurate, accessible, gender data-informed decisions at all levels. Through its work, the GDL fosters an environment where interventions are tailored to address the unique challenges faced by women and men, driving inclusive and sustainable development.

Both the SME Data Boost and the GDL exemplify how our digital activities leverage technology and innovation to enhance access to critical data. These initiatives not only strengthen statistical capacities but also promote equitable access to the tools and insights needed to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

AI regulation & AI acts in LMICs

  • Addressing regulatory challenges and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to ensure ethical, transparent, and inclusive adoption of AI technologies.
  • Advocating for context-specific AI policies that balance innovation and accountability, ensuring that LMICs can leverage AI for development while safeguarding against risks such as bias, misinformation, and data privacy concerns.
  • Supporting the integration of AI governance frameworks that align with global AI acts and responsible AI principles, ensuring that developing regions are not left behind in digital policy discussions.

Sustainable development

Closing SDG data gaps through digital innovation

  • Promoting citizen-generated data (CGD) as a complementary source to official statistics, enabling more inclusive and granular data for monitoring SDG progress.
  • Advocating for the integration of digital and AI-driven tools into NSSs to improve data collection, processing, and utilisation in policymaking.
  • Addressing issues of data ownership, privacy, and trust in the use of digital tools for SDG monitoring, particularly in LMICs.

Digital tools

Citizen-generated data platforms (in planning)

In collaboration with partners in Africa, we are developing digital platforms that empower citizens to contribute real-time, localised data to close critical SDG data gaps.

SME Data Boost

A workstream designed to help SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa establish a strong data footprint, enabling them to participate in global trade, meet reporting requirements, and stay competitive in digital economies.

Gender Data Lab (GDL)

An initiative that leverages advanced data science techniques to improve gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis, supporting evidence-based gender policies in Rwanda.

Social media channels

LinkedIn @Dataforchange:theparis21foundation

YouTube @DataForChange

Contact @info@dataforchange.net

Android adds new scam protection for phone calls

Google is introducing new protections on Android devices to combat phone call scams, particularly those involving screen-sharing and app installations. Users will see warning messages if they attempt to change settings during a call and Android will also block the deactivation of Play Protect features.

The system will now block users from sideloading apps or granting accessibility permissions while on a call with unknown contacts.

The new tools are available on devices running Android 16 and select protections are also rolling out to older versions, starting with Android 11

A separate pilot in the UK will alert users trying to open banking apps during a screen-sharing call, prompting them to end the call or wait before proceeding.

These features expand Android’s broader efforts to prevent fraud, which already include AI-based scam detection for phone calls and messages.

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Audible and Spotify embrace AI to scale audiobook production

Audible, Amazon’s audiobook service, announced this week that it is partnering with publishers to convert print and e-books into AI-narrated audiobooks. The move is part of Audible’s strategy to expand its catalogue quickly as competition heats up with platforms like Apple and Spotify.

Using Amazon’s AI technology, Audible now offers publishers access to more than 100 synthetic voices across English, French, Spanish, and Italian, including various accents and dialects. More language options are expected to roll out over time.

Audible also revealed plans to launch a beta version of AI-powered translation services later this year. The tool will support both text-to-text and speech-to-speech translations from English into Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Publishers will be able to request professional linguists to review the AI translations for accuracy. Amazon began experimenting with synthetic narration in 2023, launching an invite-only virtual voice tool for self-published authors.

The tool enables authors to transform their e-books into audiobooks using AI-generated speech. Audible also allowed a group of voice actors to train AI models using their voices.

Currently, more than 50,000 titles on Audible are listed as being ‘Narrated By: Virtual Voice’, indicating strong adoption by authors who may lack the budget or resources for traditional audiobook production.

Still, the rise of AI narration has sparked debate within the publishing world. Critics argue that automated voices could compromise the emotional nuance and performance quality that listeners expect from professional narrators.

Audible’s chief rival, Spotify, is also investing in AI-powered audiobooks. In February, Spotify partnered with voice AI company ElevenLabs to accelerate audiobook production across its platform.

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