Capacity development

Microsoft attracts tech pioneers to build the next era of AI

Some of the world’s most influential technologists (the creators of Python, Kubernetes, Google Docs, Google Lens, RSS feeds and ONNX) are now helping Microsoft shape the next era of AI.

Drawn by the company’s scale, openness to collaboration, and long-term investment in AI, they are leading projects that span infrastructure, productivity, responsible innovation and reasoning systems.

R.V. Guha, who invented RSS feeds, is developing NLWeb, a project that lets users converse directly with websites.

Brendan Burns, co-creator of Kubernetes, focuses on improving AI tools that simplify developers’ work. At the same time, Aparna Chennapragada, the mind behind Google Lens, now leads efforts to build intelligent AI agents and enhance productivity through Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Sarah Bird, who helped create the ONNX framework, leads Microsoft’s responsible AI division, ensuring that emerging systems are safe, secure and reliable.

Meanwhile, Sam Schillace, co-creator of Google Docs, explores ways AI can collaborate with people more naturally. Python’s creator, Guido van Rossum, works on systems to strengthen AI’s long-term memory across conversations.

Together, these innovators illustrate how Microsoft has become a magnet for the pioneers who defined modern computing, and they are now united in advancing the next stage of AI’s evolution.

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PayPay and Binance Japan unite to advance digital finance

PayPay, Japan’s top cashless payment firm and a SoftBank company, has acquired 40% of Binance Japan to unite traditional finance with blockchain innovation. The partnership merges PayPay’s 70 million users and trusted network with Binance’s digital asset expertise and global Web3 leadership.

Under the new alliance, Binance Japan users will soon be able to purchase cryptocurrencies using PayPay Money and withdraw funds directly into their PayPay wallets. The integration seeks to simplify digital trading and connect cashless payments with decentralised finance.

Executives from both companies highlighted the significance of this collaboration. PayPay’s Masayoshi Yanase said the deal supports Japan’s financial growth, while Takeshi Chino called it a milestone for everyday Web3 adoption.

The alliance is expected to accelerate Japan’s digital finance landscape, strengthening its role as one of the world’s most advanced economies in financial technology. By combining secure payments with blockchain innovation, PayPay and Binance Japan aim to build a seamless digital economy.

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Amazon launches Quick Suite for agentic AI in business

Amazon has launched Quick Suite, an AI-powered workspace that delivers fast insights and simplifies business operations. The platform gathers data from Slack, Salesforce, Snowflake, other databases, and the public internet, providing answers from single points to full research projects.

Quick Suite enables users to move seamlessly from insights to action, integrating with applications such as Salesforce, Jira, and ServiceNow. It automates tasks from daily routines, like responding to RFPs, to complex processes such as invoice handling, while keeping all data secure and private.

The platform is simple to deploy, with AWS administrators able to activate it in a few steps. New customers get a 30-day free trial for up to 25 users, with Quick Suite available in key AWS regions and expansion planned.

Quick Suite aims to enhance productivity and decision-making by combining AI-driven research, chat, and automation capabilities in one workspace, enabling businesses to act on insights faster than ever before.

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Google fights to bundle Gemini AI with Maps and YouTube

Google is seeking permission to bundle its Gemini AI application with long-standing services such as YouTube and Maps, even as US regulators press for restrictions to curb its dominance in search.

At a recent court hearing, Google’s lawyer John Schmidtlein told Judge Amit Mehta that tying Gemini to its core apps is vital to delivering a consistent AI experience across its ecosystem.

He insisted the courts should not treat the AI market as a settled domain subject to old rules, and claimed that neither Maps nor YouTube is a monopoly product justifying special constraints.

The government’s position is more cautious. During the hearing, Judge Mehta questioned whether allowing Google to require its AI app to be installed to access Maps or YouTube would give it unfair leverage over competitors, mirroring past practices that regulators found harmful in search and browser markets.

This moment frames a broader tension: how antitrust frameworks will adapt (or not) when dominant platforms seek to integrate generative AI across many services. The outcome could shape the future of bundling practices and interoperability in AI ecosystems.

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Intel unveils next-gen 18A processors with high performance and efficiency

Intel has revealed its next-gen client and server processors using Intel 18A, the most advanced US-made semiconductor node. The new Intel Core Ultra 3 (Panther Lake) and Xeon 6+ (Clearwater Forest) promise major performance and efficiency gains, with production already underway at Fab 52 in Arizona.

Panther Lake introduces a scalable multi-chiplet architecture for consumer and commercial AI PCs, gaming devices, and edge applications. It offers over 50% faster CPU and GPU performance, up to 180 TOPS for AI, and new robotics AI capabilities.

High-volume production begins later this year, with broad availability expected in January 2026.

Clearwater Forest is designed for hyperscale data centres, cloud providers, and telcos. Built entirely on Intel 18A, the Xeon 6+ processor offers up to 288 E-cores, a 17% IPC uplift, and improved density, throughput, and power efficiency.

It is set to launch in the first half of 2026.

Intel 18A underpins at least three upcoming generations of client and server products, with key innovations including RibbonFET transistors, PowerVia backside power delivery, and Foveros advanced packaging.

Fab 52 further strengthens the company’s US manufacturing leadership, supporting domestic production and strategic supply chain resilience.

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Microsoft boosts AI leadership with NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 supercomputer

Microsoft Azure has launched the world’s first NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 supercomputing cluster, explicitly designed for OpenAI’s large-scale AI workloads.

The new NDv6 GB300 VM series integrates over 4,600 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs, representing a significant step forward in US AI infrastructure and innovation leadership.

Each rack-scale system combines 72 GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs, offering 37 terabytes of fast memory and 1.44 exaflops of FP4 performance.

A configuration that supports complex reasoning and multimodal AI systems, achieving up to five times the throughput of the previous NVIDIA Hopper architecture in MLPerf benchmarks.

The cluster is built on NVIDIA’s Quantum-X800 InfiniBand network, delivering 800 Gb/s of bandwidth per GPU for unified, high-speed performance.

Microsoft and NVIDIA’s long-standing collaboration has enabled a system capable of powering trillion-parameter models, positioning Azure at the forefront of the next generation of AI training and deployment.

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Harvard Medical School licenses health content to Microsoft’s Copilot

Harvard Medical School has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft, granting the company access to its consumer health content on diseases and wellness.

Under the deal, Microsoft will pay a licensing fee to Harvard. The partnership aims to enhance Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant by enabling it to provide medical advice that more closely aligns with what a user might receive from a healthcare professional.

So far, Copilot’s underlying models have been powered primarily by OpenAI. But this agreement is part of Microsoft’s broader push to diversify and reduce its dependence on OpenAI’s technology stack.

Dominic King, Microsoft’s vice president of health, has said the goal is for Copilot’s responses to health queries to more accurately reflect what a medical practitioner would say, rather than generic or superficial answers.

Microsoft declined to comment in detail, but the move strengthens Copilot’s differentiation in the health domain, arguably a high-stakes vertical area where accuracy and trustworthiness matter greatly.

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US greenlights Nvidia chip exports to UAE under new AI pact

The US has approved its first export licences for Nvidia’s advanced AI chips destined for the United Arab Emirates, marking a concrete step in the bilateral AI partnership announced earlier in 2025.

These licences come under the oversight of the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, aligned with a formal agreement between the two nations signed in May.

In return, the UAE has committed to investing in the United States, making this a two-way deal. The licences do not cover every project yet: some entities, such as the AI firm G42, are currently excluded from the approved shipments.

The UAE sees the move as crucial to its AI push under Vision 2031, particularly for funding data centre expansion and advancing research in robotics and intelligent systems. Nvidia already collaborates with Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in a joint AI and robotics lab.

Challenges remain. Some US officials cite national security risks, especially given the UAE’s ties and potential technology pathways to third countries.

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European Commission launches Apply AI and AI in Science strategies

Countries are racing to harness AI, and the European Commission has unveiled two strategies to maintain Europe’s competitiveness. Apply AI targets faster adoption across industries and the public sector, while AI in Science focuses on boosting Europe’s research leadership.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe must shape AI’s future by balancing innovation and safety. The European Commission is mobilising €1 billion to boost adoption in healthcare, manufacturing, energy, defence, and culture, while supporting SMEs.

Measures include creating AI-powered screening centres for healthcare, backing frontier models, and upgrading testing infrastructure. An Apply AI Alliance will unite industry, academia, civil society, and public bodies to coordinate action, while an AI Observatory will monitor sector trends and impacts.

The AI in Science Strategy centres on RAISE, a new virtual institute to pool and coordinate resources for applying AI in research. Investments include €600 million in compute power through Horizon Europe and €58 million for talent networks, alongside plans to double annual AI research funding to over €3 billion.

The EU aims to position itself as a global hub for trustworthy and innovative AI by linking infrastructure, data, skills, and investment. Upcoming events, such as the AI in Science Summit in Copenhagen, will showcase new initiatives as Europe pushes to translate its AI ambitions into tangible outcomes.

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EU strengthens AI in science with new strategy

The European Commission has launched the AI in Science Strategy to position Europe at the forefront of AI-driven research and innovation. RAISE, a virtual European institute, pools AI resources to support scientific research and advance capabilities across Europe.

The strategy aims to attract global talent, provide €600 million from Horizon Europe for computational power, and double annual AI investments to over €3 billion. These measures aim to ensure researchers and startups have access to the infrastructure needed for AI breakthroughs.

It also supports scientists in identifying strategic data gaps, gathering, curating, and integrating datasets essential for AI in science. By doing so, Europe seeks to create a robust, data-driven environment that accelerates innovation across disciplines.

The Apply AI Strategy is also being implemented to encourage AI adoption in key industries and public services. Together with the AI Act Service Desk and AI Continent Action Plan, these initiatives strengthen Europe’s goal to lead in scientific research and industrial AI adoption.

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