Researchers at the University of Manchester and The Christie Cancer Hospital have received a £5.9 million grant from Cancer Research UK to use AI in cancer treatment. The funding will support a project that simulates clinical trials to test the effectiveness of radiotherapy on ‘virtual’ patients, created using real-life data. This innovative approach aims to make cancer research faster, safer, and more cost-effective than traditional large-scale clinical trials.
The virtual trials will focus on patient-specific genetics and tumours, with a particular emphasis on comparing new proton beam therapy with conventional radiotherapy for lung cancer. AI will allow researchers to test treatments more quickly than through traditional trials involving real patients. This initiative is part of Cancer Research UK’s push to advance radiotherapy research, with Manchester being one of only seven centres of excellence in the UK to receive funding for this work.
Martin Storey, a lung cancer survivor who benefited from radiotherapy in a clinical trial, expressed his support for the project, saying that AI-driven trials could help more people survive cancer. Storey, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, believes that the use of AI could accelerate treatment advancements and improve outcomes for future patients.
Researchers in the UK are exploring how AI could lead to new treatments for children with brain tumours. With around 420 children diagnosed annually, the team at the Cancer Research UK Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence in Cambridge is focused on improving survival rates, especially for those with the most aggressive forms of the disease, who currently have a low likelihood of survival beyond a year.
Dr Elizabeth Cooper, one of the researchers, noted that children’s brain tumours differ from adult tumours due to the ongoing development of the brain in children, which may explain why treatments like immunotherapy, effective in other cancers, have limited success with brain tumours. Dr Cooper highlighted that the brain has its own unique immune system, but scientists have yet to fully understand how to harness it for treatment.
Led by co-director Prof. Richard Gilbertson, the team is also working to develop new drugs that are less harmful to young patients. With a substantial grant, the centre plans to use AI to build digital models of complex brain tumours. These models will allow the team to conduct virtual trials, aiming to identify more effective and less toxic treatment options than traditional methods like radiotherapy, which can cause severe side effects in children.
NTT DATA and Google Cloud have partnered to accelerate the adoption of cloud-based data analytics and generative AI solutions across the Asia Pacific region. By combining NTT DATA’s industry expertise and client base with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge technologies, the partnership aims to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance agility for enterprises.
Specifically, the collaboration focuses on co-developing industry-specific solutions for sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector. A new NTT DATA Google Cloud Business Unit will also be created to focus on joint solutions in data analytics, GenAI, applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and SAP on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
The expansion also involves enhancing internal expertise, as NTT DATA plans to certify at least 1,000 more engineers in the APAC region and provide advanced training to its teams to ensure successful solution delivery. With global public cloud spending projected to grow significantly, the partnership aims to capture the increasing demand for cloud services and AI-driven solutions.
The goal is to grow NTT DATA’s cloud business in APAC by more than 10 times over the next three years. By combining NTT DATA’s digital transformation portfolio with Google Cloud’s advanced technologies, the collaboration is set to drive modernisation in AI, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity, offering businesses secure and efficient solutions to accelerate their digital transformation.
Tenstorrent, a Silicon Valley startup founded by veterans from Apple and Intel, has secured a deal with the Japanese government to train up to 200 Japanese chip designers over the next five years. This partnership, announced on Tuesday, includes a $50 million investment shared between Tenstorrent and Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Centre. It is part of Japan‘s initiative to revitalise its semiconductor industry, which has seen a significant decline since its dominance in the 1980s.
Central to this revitalisation effort is Rapidus, a government-backed contract chipmaker aiming to begin mass production of advanced semiconductors by 2027. To support Rapidus’s goals, the collaboration with Tenstorrent focuses on creating future customers by educating Japanese engineers in the US about chip design. Starting in April 2025, these engineers will work closely with Tenstorrent’s experienced team, including industry veterans who have worked on Apple chips.
The agreement allows Tenstorrent to retain the chip designs created during the training, which will utilise RISC-V, an open chip design architecture. Upon returning to Japan, the engineers will be equipped to leverage their new knowledge to develop their own RISC-V designs, further contributing to the growth of Japan’s semiconductor capabilities. Tenstorrent’s Chief Customer Officer, David Bennett, emphasised that Japan’s proactive investments reflect its commitment to taking control of its technological future.
Kioxia, backed by Bain Capital, announced on Tuesday that it anticipates a 2.7-fold increase in demand for flash memory over the next five years, fueled by the surge in AI. After facing significant challenges in the memory chip market, the company is preparing to expand production capacity at its new facility in Kitakami, located in Iwate prefecture, north of Tokyo. Although production at this facility was initially scheduled to start last year, it has been postponed until autumn 2025.
The chipmaker, formerly known as Toshiba Memory, has experienced significant changes, including its separation from the troubled Toshiba Corporation under Bain’s leadership. Kioxia continues to manufacture chips in Yokkaichi, Mie prefecture and recently commenced sample shipments of its latest NAND flash memory. The growing demand for AI is driving investments in server technology and is expected to rejuvenate interest in smartphones and PCs.
Executive Vice President Tomoharu Watanabe stated that the new Kitakami factory, set to come online next autumn, will provide the necessary capacity to meet increasing demand. In February, the Japanese government pledged up to $1.64 billion in subsidies to Kioxia and partner Western Digital to support capacity expansion at both the Yokkaichi and Kitakami facilities. Meanwhile, Bain Capital has cancelled plans for an initial public offering for Kioxia after investors expressed concerns about its valuation. Kioxia’s evolution is being closely watched as Japan aims to revitalise its once-dominant semiconductor industry.
Apple is set to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Siri and other iOS features, rolling out in December with iOS 18.2. Beta testers of iOS 18.2 have discovered an option in the Settings app allowing users to subscribe directly to ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI’s premium plan, for $20 a month. This move offers Apple users a streamlined way to access ChatGPT‘s advanced features, which include more capable AI models and additional voice and image options.
Free users of ChatGPT will still face some limitations, including restricted access to OpenAI‘s most advanced models and fewer image generations per day. However, OpenAI could see a surge in paid subscriptions from the partnership as Apple’s exposure could drive substantial user interest in ChatGPT Plus.
The specifics of the financial terms between Apple and OpenAI are unclear. Apple isn’t reportedly paying OpenAI directly, relying instead on enhanced exposure, though questions remain about any potential revenue sharing. Apple’s broader AI plans indicate it will also include models from other developers in future updates, possibly incorporating Google’s Gemini.
In the background, OpenAI is working to secure additional funding amidst a period of rapid change, including the departure of key executives and a recent $6.6 billion funding round, which Apple reportedly declined to join following unexpected shifts at OpenAI.
Apple has announced a substantial investment of up to $1.5B in satellite provider Globalstar to expand iPhone communication services, particularly in areas with limited network access. This new agreement follows Apple’s initial partnership with Globalstar in 2022, which enabled emergency messaging capabilities in remote locations. Under the deal, Apple will invest $1.1B in cash, secure a 20% stake in Globalstar for an additional $400M, and gain access to 85% of Globalstar’s network capacity.
Shares of Globalstar surged by over 30% following the news, while Apple’s stock dipped slightly as it forecasts modest revenue growth for the coming quarter. Globalstar indicated that a portion of Apple’s funding will help reduce its debt, further strengthening its infrastructure.
The collaboration between Apple and Globalstar highlights a growing trend of partnerships between tech and satellite companies aiming to provide seamless satellite-based connectivity to underserved regions. The deal is expected to finalise on Tuesday, paving the way for expanded services on future iPhone models.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, data management leaders advised AI-driven businesses to focus on incremental, practical applications rather than expansive, large-scale projects. Chet Kapoor, CEO of DataStax, stressed that AI’s effectiveness relies heavily on having robust, unstructured data at scale, but warned companies against rushing into overly ambitious initiatives. The discussion featured insights from Kapoor, Vanessa Larco of NEA, and Fivetran’s CEO George Fraser, all of whom advocated a targeted approach to data application in generative AI.
Rather than applying AI across all company functions immediately, Larco suggested that firms begin with well-defined objectives. Identifying relevant data is key, she said, and applying it selectively can avoid the pitfalls of costly errors. Companies looking to capitalise on AI should ‘work backwards’, focusing first on the issue to be solved and gathering the specific data required, Larco added.
Fraser underscored the importance of addressing current needs before planning for broader scaling. Many innovation costs, he pointed out, stem from projects that fail rather than those that succeed. His advice: ‘Only solve the problems you have today’.
Kapoor likened today’s generative AI era to the early days of mobile apps, emphasising that most AI projects are currently in exploratory stages. He believes next year will see transformational AI applications begin to shift company trajectories.
e& and ZTE have forged a significant strategic collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster innovation in the telecommunications sector amid current geopolitical challenges affecting technology adoption. The partnership is centred on developing energy-efficient and sustainable solutions for network infrastructure, addressing the growing global emphasis on environmental responsibility.
Additionally, they will design and develop advanced 5G and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) solutions while exploring innovative use cases for private networks to enhance connectivity and operational efficiency. Through shared insights and knowledge exchange, both organisations will promote leadership and collaborative learning, positioning themselves as responsible leaders in the industry while striving for net-zero emissions and inspiring further innovation.
Why does it matter?
The partnership emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for joint initiatives that enhance capabilities. By fostering a shared learning environment, both organisations can learn from each other’s successes and challenges, allowing for effective navigation of the rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. Their joint efforts aim to bolster technological development and pave the way for a more connected and sustainable future.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has urged South Korea’s SK Hynix to speed up the delivery of its next-generation HBM4 memory chips by six months, according to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Initially scheduled for the latter half of 2025, the HBM4 chips are in high demand as Nvidia’s GPUs require them for advancing AI technology. Nvidia, which holds a dominant share of the AI chip market, relies on SK Hynix’s high-bandwidth memory to support AI processing.
Facing growing competition from Samsung and Micron, SK Hynix is working to deliver its latest HBM3E chips this year, with plans to release improved 16-layer versions early next year. Samsung has also announced progress on a new supply deal and aims to roll out its HBM4 products by the second half of 2024.
Shares of SK Hynix surged 5.1% on the news, reflecting strong investor confidence in its strategic response to the booming demand for advanced memory technology.
