Microsoft strengthens UAE AI infrastructure

Microsoft has announced a strategic investment to enable in-country data processing for Microsoft 365 Copilot in the UAE. The service will be available to qualified UAE organisations in early 2026, hosted in Microsoft’s Dubai and Abu Dhabi cloud centres for secure, local AI processing.

The move aligns with the UAE’s ambition to become a global AI hub, supported by initiatives such as the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI.

Government leaders emphasise that in-country AI infrastructure strengthens trust, cyber resilience, and innovation across ministries and public entities.

Collaboration with the UAE Cybersecurity Council (CSC) and the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) ensures Microsoft 365 Copilot complies with national AI policies and data governance standards.

Local processing cuts latency, protects data, and supports regulated environments, allowing government stakeholders to adopt AI securely.

Microsoft and its strategic partner G42 International highlight the initiative’s broader impact on the UAE’s digital economy. The project could create 152,000 jobs and train one million UAE learners in AI by 2027, supporting a secure and innovative digital future.

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OpenAI and Broadcom unite to deploy 10 gigawatts of AI accelerators

The US firm, OpenAI, has announced a multi-year collaboration with Broadcom to design and deploy 10 gigawatts of custom AI accelerators.

The partnership will combine OpenAI’s chip design expertise with Broadcom’s networking and Ethernet technologies to create large-scale AI infrastructure. The deployment is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and be completed by the end of 2029.

A collaboration that enables OpenAI to integrate insights gained from its frontier models directly into the hardware, enhancing efficiency and performance.

Broadcom will develop racks of AI accelerators and networking systems across OpenAI’s data centres and those of its partners. The initiative is expected to meet growing global demand for advanced AI computation.

Executives from both companies described the partnership as a significant step toward the next generation of AI infrastructure. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said it would help deliver the computing capacity needed to realise the benefits of AI for people and businesses worldwide.

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan called the collaboration a milestone in the industry’s pursuit of more capable and scalable AI systems.

The agreement strengthens Broadcom’s position in AI networking and underlines OpenAI’s move toward greater control of its technological ecosystem. By developing its own accelerators, OpenAI aims to boost innovation while advancing its mission to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits humanity.

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Vodafone and Samsung expand Open RAN deployment across Europe

Samsung Electronics has been chosen by Vodafone as a primary partner to deploy virtualised RAN and Open RAN networks in Germany and several European countries. The agreement builds on previous collaborations and represents one of the largest Open RAN projects in Europe.

Germany will serve as the first and main market, with thousands of sites planned, including a full deployment in Wismar by early 2026. The rollout will expand across Europe over five years, beginning with a live site already operating in Hannover.

Samsung will provide its virtualised RAN solutions supporting 2G, 4G and 5G, as well as O-RAN compliant radios, Massive MIMO equipment and AI-powered management tools. The company will also integrate its CognitiV Network Operations Suite to improve performance, efficiency and automation.

Partners such as Dell Technologies, Intel and Wind River will contribute hardware and cloud platforms to ensure interoperability and large-scale integration.

Vodafone’s Chief Network Officer Alberto Ripepi said Open RAN is essential for building flexible, future-ready networks and expanding connectivity across Europe.

Samsung’s Networks Business President Woojune Kim highlighted the project as a major step in developing software-based and autonomous networks designed for the AI era. Both companies view the partnership as a means to advance digital transformation and enhance network efficiency.

The collaboration also promotes energy efficiency and shared infrastructure. Samsung’s AI Energy Saving Manager will monitor traffic to reduce power consumption during low-use periods. The company’s radio systems will support RAN sharing, helping operators cut costs and deliver consistent coverage.

Analysts consider Vodafone’s decision a validation of Samsung’s leadership in open and virtualised network technology.

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AI remakes the future of music

Asia’s creative future takes centre stage at Singapore’s All That Matters, a September forum for sports, tech, marketing, gaming, and music. AI dominated the music track, spanning creation, distribution, and copyright. Session notes signal rapid structural change across the industry.

The web is shifting again as AI reshapes search and discovery. AI-first browsers and assistants challenge incumbents, while Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot race on integration. Early builds feel rough, yet momentum points to a new media discovery order.

Consumption defined the last 25 years, moving from CDs to MP3s, piracy, streaming, and even vinyl’s comeback. Creation looks set to define the next decade as generative tools become ubiquitous. Betting against that shift may be comfortable, yet market forces indicate it is inevitable.

Music generators like Suno are advancing fast amid lawsuits and talks with rights holders. Expected label licensing will widen training data and scale models. Outputs should grow more realistic and, crucially, more emotionally engaging.

Simpler interfaces will accelerate adoption. The prevailing design thesis is ‘less UI’: creators state intent and the system orchestrates cloud tools. Some services already turn a hummed idea into an arranged track, foreshadowing release-ready music from plain descriptions.

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‘AI City Vizag’ moves ahead with ₹80,000-crore Google hyperscale campus in India

Andhra Pradesh will sign an agreement with Google on Tuesday for a 1-gigawatt hyperscale data centre in Visakhapatnam. Officials describe the ₹80,000-crore investment as a centrepiece of ‘AI City Vizag’. Plans include clean-energy integration and resilient subsea and terrestrial connectivity.

The campus will deploy Google’s full AI stack to accelerate AI-driven transformation across India. Infrastructure, data-centre capacity, large-scale energy, and expanded fibre converge in one hub. Design targets reliability, scalability, and seamless links into Google’s global network.

State approval came via the State Investment Promotion Board led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Government estimates forecast average annual GSDP gains of ₹10,518 crore in 2028–2032. About 1,88,220 jobs a year, plus ₹9,553 crore in Google Cloud-enabled productivity spillovers, are expected.

The agreement will be signed at Hotel Taj Mansingh in New Delhi. Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Ashwini Vaishnaw will attend with Chief Minister Naidu. Google executives Thomas Kurian, Bikash Koley, and Karan Bajwa will represent the company.

Delivery will rely on single-window clearances, reliable utilities, and plug-and-play, renewable-ready infrastructure, led by the Economic Development Board and ITE&C. Naidu will invite the Prime Minister to ‘Super GST – Super Savings’ in Kurnool and the CII Partnership Summit in Vizag on 14–15 November.

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Grok to get new AI video detection tools, Musk says

Musk said Grok will analyse bitstreams for AI signatures and scan the web to verify the origins of videos. Grok added that it will detect subtle AI artefacts in compression and generation patterns that humans cannot see.

AI tools such as Grok Imagine and Sora are reshaping the internet by making realistic video generation accessible to anyone. The rise of deepfakes has alarmed users, who warn that high-quality fake videos could soon be indistinguishable from real footage.

A user on X expressed concern that leaders are not addressing the growing risks. Elon Musk responded, revealing that his AI company xAI is developing Grok’s ability to detect AI-generated videos and trace their origins online.

The detection features aim to rebuild trust in digital media as AI-generated content spreads. Commentators have dubbed the flood of such content ‘AI slop’, raising concerns about misinformation and consent.

Concerns about deepfakes have grown since OpenAI launched the Sora app. A surge in deepfake content prompted OpenAI to tighten restrictions on cameo mode, allowing users to opt out of specific scenarios.

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Quantum innovations promise faster, cleaner, more efficient technologies

The Nobel Prize in Physics has spotlighted quantum mechanics’ growing role in shaping a smarter, more sustainable future. Such advances are reshaping technology across communications and energy.

Researchers are finding new ways to use quantum effects to boost efficiency. Quantum computing could ease AI’s power demands, while novel production methods may transform energy systems.

A Institute of Science Tokyo team has built a quantum energy harvester that captures waste heat and converts it into power, bypassing traditional thermodynamic limits.

MIT has observed frictionless electron movement, and new quantum batteries promise faster charging by storing energy in photons. The breakthroughs could enable cleaner and more efficient technologies.

Quantum advances offer huge opportunities but also risks, including threats to encryption. Responsible governance will be crucial to ensure these technologies serve the public good.

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Satellite images and AI reveal hidden mining footprints worldwide

Researchers are using satellite imagery and AI modelling to map global mining activity and close critical data gaps. Transition minerals, such as lithium and copper, are vital for renewable technologies but often come from ecologically sensitive regions, raising concerns about both environmental and social impacts.

Project lead Victor Maus from the Vienna University of Economics and Business said many new projects overlap with areas of high biodiversity or Indigenous lands. Over half of transition mineral resources are on or near Indigenous or subsistence farming territories, according to earlier studies.

Previous mapping efforts have struggled to document small-scale and informal mining, which remains unregulated despite its impact. Maus’s team compared satellite images of 120,000 square kilometres of mine footprints with the S&P Capital IQ Pro database and found over half missing.

To close these gaps, the team is creating a mining database under the EU-funded Mine the Gap initiative. By combining multispectral, radar, and hyperspectral imagery with AI, they aim to monitor land use, waste generation, and environmental degradation.

Experts say the database could support policymakers and increase transparency. Maus emphasised that global reporting standards are crucial for enhancing accountability and informing decisions on managing the environmental and social impacts of mining.

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ID data from 70,000 Discord users exposed in third-party breach

Discord has confirmed that official ID images belonging to around 70,000 users may have been exposed in a cyberattack targeting a third-party service provider. The platform itself was not breached, but hackers targeted a company involved in age verification processes.

The leaked data may include personal information, partial credit card details, and conversations with Discord’s customer service agents. No full credit card numbers, passwords, or activity beyond support interactions were affected. Impacted users have been contacted, and law enforcement is investigating.

The platform has revoked the support provider’s access to its systems and has not named the third party involved. Zendesk, a customer service software supplier to Discord, said its own systems were not compromised and denied being the source of the breach.

Discord has rejected claims circulating online that the breach was larger than reported, calling them part of an attempted extortion. The company stated it would not comply with demands from the attackers. Cybercriminals often sell personal information on illicit markets for use in scams.

ID numbers and official documents are especially valuable because, unlike credit card details, they rarely change. Discord previously tightened its age-verification measures following concerns over the misuse of some servers to distribute illegal material.

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Google invests €5 billion to boost Belgium’s AI infrastructure

The US tech giant, Google, has announced a €5 billion investment in Belgium to strengthen its AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years.

A plan that includes major expansions of its Saint-Ghislain data centre campuses and the creation of 300 full-time jobs.

The company has also signed agreements with Eneco, Luminus and Renner to develop new onshore wind farms and supply the Belgian grid with clean energy.

Alongside the infrastructure push, Google will fund non-profits to deliver free AI training for low-skilled workers, ensuring broader access to digital skills.

By deepening its presence in Belgium, Google aims to bolster the country’s technological and economic future. The initiative marks one of Europe’s largest AI infrastructure investments, reflecting growing competition to secure leadership in the continent’s digital transformation.

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