IBM has announced plans to develop next-generation computing architectures by integrating quantum computers with high-performance computing, a concept it calls quantum-centric supercomputing.
The company is working with AMD to build scalable, open-source platforms that combine IBM’s quantum expertise with AMD’s strength in HPC and AI accelerators. The aim is to move beyond the limits of traditional computing and explore solutions to problems that classical systems cannot address alone.
Quantum computing uses qubits governed by quantum mechanics, offering a far richer computational space than binary bits. In a hybrid model, quantum machines could simulate atoms and molecules, while supercomputers powered by CPUs, GPUs, and AI manage large-scale data analysis.
Arvind Krishna, IBM’s CEO, said the approach represents a new way of simulating the natural world. AMD’s Lisa Su described high-performance computing as foundational to tackling global challenges, noting the partnership could accelerate discovery and innovation.
An initial demonstration is planned for later this year, showing IBM quantum computers working with AMD technologies. Both companies say open-source ecosystems like Qiskit will be crucial to building new algorithms and advancing fault-tolerant quantum systems.
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Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has faced repeated changes to its political orientation, with updates shifting its answers towards more conservative views.
xAI, Musk’s company, initially promoted Grok as neutral and truth-seeking, but internal prompts have steered it on contentious topics. Adjustments included portraying declining fertility as the greatest threat to civilisation and downplaying right-wing violence.
Analyses of Grok’s responses by The New York Times showed that the July updates shifted answers to the right on government and economy, while some social responses remained left-leaning. Subsequent tweaks pulled it back closer to neutrality.
Critics say that system prompts, such as short instructions like ‘be politically incorrect’, make it easy to adjust outputs, but also leave the model prone to erratic or offensive responses. A July update saw Grok briefly endorse a controversial historical figure before xAI turned it off.
The case highlights growing concerns about political bias in AI systems. Researchers argue that all chatbots reflect the worldviews of their training data, while companies increasingly face pressure to align them with user expectations or political demands.
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Pakistan plans to roll out AI-driven cybersecurity systems to monitor and respond to attacks on critical infrastructure and sensitive data in real time. Documents from the Ministry for Information Technology outline a framework to integrate AI into every stage of security operations.
The initiative will enforce protocols like secure data storage, sandbox testing, and collaborative intelligence sharing. Human oversight will remain mandatory, with public sector AI deployments registered and subject to transparency requirements.
Audits and impact assessments will ensure compliance with evolving standards, backed by legal penalties for breaches. A national policy on data security will define authentication, auditing, and layered defence strategies across network, host, and application levels.
New governance measures include identity management policies with multi-factor authentication, role-based controls, and secure frameworks for open-source AI. AI-powered simulations will help anticipate threats, while regulatory guidelines address risks from disinformation and generative AI.
Regulatory sandboxes will allow enterprises in Pakistan to test systems under controlled conditions, with at least 20 firms expected to benefit by 2027. Officials say the measures will balance innovation with security, safeguarding infrastructure and citizens.
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Apple is moving forward with its integrated approach to AI by testing an internal chatbot designed for retail training. The company focuses on embedding AI into existing services rather than launching a consumer-facing chatbot like Google’s Gemini or ChatGPT.
The new tool, Asa, is being tested within Apple’s SEED app, which offers training resources for store employees and authorised resellers. Asa is expected to improve learning by allowing staff to ask open-ended questions and receive tailored responses.
Screenshots shared by analyst Aaron Perris show Asa handling queries about device features, comparisons, and use cases. Although still in testing, the chatbot is expected to expand across Apple’s retail network in the coming weeks.
The development occurs amid broader AI tensions, as Elon Musk’s xAI sued Apple and OpenAI for allegedly colluding to limit competition. Apple’s focus on internal AI tools like Asa contrasts with Musk’s legal action, highlighting disputes over AI market dominance and platform integration.
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Walmart has unveiled four AI agents to ease the workloads of shoppers, employees, and suppliers. The tools, revealed at the company’s Retail Rewired event, include Marty for suppliers, Sparky for customers, an Associate Agent for staff, and a Developer Agent.
The retailer is leaning on AI as inflation, tariffs, and policy pressures weigh on consumer spending. Its agents cover payroll, time-off requests, merchandising, and personalised shopping recommendations.
Sparky is set to eventually handle automatic reordering of staples, aiming to simplify everyday restocking for households.
Walmart is also investing in ‘digital twins,’ virtual replicas of stores that allow early detection of operational issues. The company says this technology cut emergency alerts by 30% last year and reduced refrigeration maintenance costs by nearly a fifth.
Machine learning is further being applied to improve delivery-time predictions, helping to boost efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Rival retailers are making similar moves. Amazon reported a surge in generative AI use during its Prime Day sales, while Google Cloud AI has partnered with Lush to cut training costs.
Analysts suggest such tools could reshape the retail experience as companies search for ways to hold margins in a tighter economy.
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China has pledged to rein in excessive competition in AI, signalling Beijing’s desire to avoid wasteful investment while keeping the technology central to its economic strategy.
The National Development and Reform Commission stated that provinces should develop AI in a coordinated manner, leveraging local strengths to prevent duplication and overlap. Officials in China emphasised the importance of orderly flows of talent, capital, and resources.
The move follows President Xi Jinping’s warnings about unchecked local investment. Authorities aim to prevent overcapacity problems, such as those seen in electric vehicles, which have fueled deflationary pressures in other industries.
While global investment in data centres has surged, Beijing is adopting a calibrated approach. The state also vowed stronger national planning and support for private firms, aiming to nurture new domestic leaders in AI.
At the same time, policymakers are pushing to attract private capital into traditional sectors, while considering more central spending on social projects to ease local government debt burdens and stimulate long-term consumption.
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OpenAI is preparing to build a significant new data centre in India as part of its Stargate AI infrastructure initiative. The move will expand the company’s presence in Asia and strengthen its operations in its second-largest market by user base.
OpenAI has already registered as a legal entity in India and begun assembling a local team.
The company plans to open its first office in New Delhi later this year. Details regarding the exact location and timeline of the proposed data centre remain unclear, though CEO Sam Altman may provide further information during his upcoming visit to India.
The project represents a strategic step to support the company’s growing regional AI ambitions.
OpenAI’s Stargate initiative, announced by US President Donald Trump in January, involves private sector investment of up to $500 billion for AI infrastructure, backed by SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle.
The initiative seeks to develop large-scale AI capabilities across major markets worldwide, with the India data centre potentially playing a key role in the efforts.
The expansion highlights OpenAI’s focus on scaling its AI infrastructure while meeting regional demand. The company intends to strengthen operational efficiency, improve service reliability, and support its long-term growth in Asia by establishing local offices and a significant data centre.
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SK Telecom has expanded its partnership with Schneider Electric to develop an AI Data Centre (AIDC) in Ulsan.
Under the deal, Schneider Electric will supply mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment, such as switchgear, transformers, automated control systems and Uninterruptible Power Supply units.
The agreement builds on a partnership announced at Mobile World Congress 2025 and includes using Schneider’s Electrical Transient Analyser Program within SK Telecom’s data centre management system.
It will allow operations to be optimised through a digital twin model instead of relying only on traditional monitoring tools.
Both companies have also agreed on prefabricated solutions to shorten construction times, reference designs for new facilities, and joint efforts to grow the Energy-as-a-Service business.
A Memorandum of Understanding extends the partnership to other SK Group affiliates, combining battery technologies with Uninterruptible Power Supply and Energy Storage Systems.
Executives said the collaboration would help set new standards for AI data centres and create synergies across the SK Group. It is also expected to support SK Telecom’s broader AI strategy while contributing to sustainable and efficient infrastructure development.
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Research and development spending will see a record 19.3 percent jump to 35.3 trillion won, with AI receiving the steepest increase. Planned AI expenditure of 10.1 trillion won marks a threefold rise over 2025 and includes procuring 15,000 high-performance GPUs.
Industrial policy funding will grow by 14.7 percent, while social welfare and defence allocations also rise by over 8 percent. The fiscal deficit is expected to widen to 4.0 percent of GDP, with the public debt ratio forecast to reach 51.6 percent.
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Estonia’s government-backed AI teaching tool, developed under the €1 million TI-Leap programme, faces hurdles before reaching schools. Legal restrictions and waning student interest have delayed its planned September rollout.
Officials in Estonia stress that regulations to protect minors’ data remain incomplete. To ensure compliance, the Ministry of Education is drafting changes to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act.
Yet, engagement may prove to be the bigger challenge. Developers note students already use mainstream AI for homework, while the state model is designed to guide reasoning rather than supply direct answers.
Educators say success will depend on usefulness. The AI will be piloted in 10th and 11th grades, alongside teacher training, as studies have shown that more than 60% of students already rely on AI tools.
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