Advertising is set to be introduced within the free ChatGPT service, signalling a shift in how the platform will be monetised as its user base continues to expand rapidly. The move reflects OpenAI’s plans to turn widespread adoption into a sustainable revenue stream.
The company confirmed that ad testing will begin in the coming weeks, with sponsored content shown at the bottom of relevant ChatGPT responses. OpenAI said advertisements will be clearly labelled and separated from organic answers.
ChatGPT now serves more than 800 million users globally, most of whom currently access the service at no cost. Despite the high valuation, the company has continued to operate at a loss while expanding its infrastructure and AI capabilities.
Advertising represents OpenAI’s latest effort to diversify income beyond paid subscriptions and enterprise services. Sponsored recommendations will be shown only when products or services are deemed relevant to the user’s ongoing conversation.
The shift places OpenAI closer to traditional digital platform business models, raising broader questions about how commercial incentives may shape conversational AI systems as they become central gateways to online information.
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A new ‘Strict Account Settings’ mode introduced by WhatsApp aims at users who face heightened digital security risks, including journalists and public-facing figures targeted by sophisticated cyber attacks.
The feature automatically applies the platform’s most restrictive privacy controls, limiting how the app functions by blocking attachments and media from unknown contacts and tightening account permissions.
Strict Account Settings can be enabled through the Privacy and Advanced settings menu and will roll out gradually to users over the coming weeks, according to the company.
WhatsApp said the update builds on its default end-to-end encryption framework, designed to ensure private conversations remain protected both online and in person.
The company has also strengthened its security infrastructure by deploying Rust behind the scenes to reduce vulnerabilities linked to spyware and malicious exploits.
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The renewable energy sector in Australia encounters new challenges as major tech companies establish AI data centres across the country. Projects once planned to export solar power internationally are now influenced by domestic energy demands.
Sun Cable, supported by billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest, aimed to deliver Australian solar energy to Singapore via a 4,300-kilometre sea cable. The project symbolised a vision for Australia to become a leading exporter of renewable electricity.
The rapid expansion of AI facilities is shifting energy priorities towards domestic infrastructure. Tech companies’ demand for electricity is creating new competition with planned renewable export projects.
Energy policy decisions now carry broader implications for emissions, the national grid, and Australia’s role in the global clean energy market. Careful planning will be essential to balance domestic growth with long-term renewable ambitions.
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Audi is expanding the use of AI in production and logistics by replacing local factory computers with a central cloud platform. The Edge Cloud 4 Production enables flexible, networked automation while reducing hardware needs, maintenance costs, and improving IT security.
AI applications are being deployed to improve efficiency, quality, and employee support. AI-controlled robots are taking over physically demanding tasks, cloud-based systems provide real-time worker guidance, and vision-based solutions detect defects and anomalies early in the production process.
Data-driven platforms such as the P-Data Engine and ProcessGuardAIn allow Audi to monitor manufacturing processes in real time using machine and sensor data. These tools support early fault detection, reduce follow-up costs, and form the basis for predictive maintenance and scalable quality assurance across plants.
Audi is also extending automation to complex production areas that have traditionally relied on manual work, including wiring loom manufacturing and installation. In parallel, the company is working with technology firms and research institutions such as IPAI Heilbronn to accelerate innovation, scale AI solutions, and ensure the responsible use of AI across its global production network.
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CoreWeave’s long-running partnership has deepened with NVIDIA to accelerate AI infrastructure deployment, including ambitious plans for multi-gigawatt AI factory capacity by 2030.
As part of the agreement, the US company is investing $2 billion in CoreWeave through the purchase of Class A common stock, signalling strong confidence in the company’s growth strategy and AI-focused cloud platform.
Both companies aim to deepen alignment across infrastructure, software and platform development, with CoreWeave building and operating AI factories using NVIDIA’s accelerated computing technologies and early access to upcoming architectures such as Rubin, Vera CPUs and BlueField systems.
The collaboration will also test and integrate CoreWeave’s AI-native software and reference designs into NVIDIA’s broader cloud and enterprise ecosystem, while NVIDIA supports faster site development through financial backing for land and power procurement.
Executives from both firms described the expansion as a response to surging global demand for AI computing, positioning large-scale AI factories as the backbone of future industrial AI deployment.
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France has unveiled a new push to reduce Europe’s dependence on US and Chinese technology suppliers, placing digital sovereignty back at the centre of the EU policy debates.
Speaking in Paris, France’s minister for AI and digital affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, presented initiatives to expose and address the structural reliance on non-EU technologies across public administrations and private companies.
Central to the strategy is the creation of a Digital Sovereignty Observatory, which will map foreign technology dependencies and assess organisational exposure to geopolitical and supply-chain risks.
The body, led by former Europe minister Clément Beaune, is intended to provide the evidence base needed for coordinated action rather than symbolic declarations of autonomy.
France is also advancing a Digital Resilience Index, expected to publish its first findings in early 2026. The index will measure reliance on foreign digital services and products, identifying vulnerabilities linked to cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
Industry data suggests Europe’s dependence on external tech providers costs the continent hundreds of billions of euros annually.
Paris is using the initiative to renew calls for a European preference in public-sector digital procurement and for a standard EU definition of European digital services.
Such proposals remain contentious among member states, yet France argues they are essential for restoring strategic control over critical digital infrastructure.
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Microsoft has unveiled Maia 200, a next-generation AI inference accelerator built to boost performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness at scale. Built on TSMC’s 3-nanometre process, the chip boosts speed, efficiency, and memory throughput for advanced AI models.
The new accelerator will power Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure across Azure, Microsoft Foundry, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, including workloads for OpenAI’s latest GPT-5.2 models.
Internal teams will use Maia 200 for synthetic data generation and reinforcement learning, accelerating AI development. Maia 200 is being rolled out in Microsoft’s US Central data centre region, with further deployments planned across additional global locations.
A preview version of the Maia software development kit is also being released, offering developers access to PyTorch integration, optimised compilers, and low-level programming tools to fine-tune AI models across heterogeneous computing environments.
The system introduces a redesigned networking and memory architecture optimised for high-bandwidth data movement and large-scale inference clusters.
Microsoft says the platform delivers significant improvements in performance per dollar, scalability, and power efficiency, positioning Maia 200 as a cornerstone of its long-term AI infrastructure strategy.
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Gmail experienced widespread email filtering issues on Saturday, sending spam into primary inboxes and mislabelling legitimate messages as suspicious, according to Google’s Workspace status dashboard.
Problems began around 5 a.m. Pacific time, with users reporting disrupted inbox categories, unexpected spam warnings and delays in email delivery. Many said promotional and social emails appeared in primary folders, while trusted senders were flagged as potential threats.
Google acknowledged the malfunction throughout the day, noting ongoing efforts to restore normal service as complaints spread across social media platforms.
By Saturday evening, the company confirmed the issue had been fully resolved for all users, although some misclassified messages and spam warnings may remain visible for emails received before the fix.
Google said it is conducting an internal investigation and will publish a detailed incident analysis to explain what caused the disruption.
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Rising transatlantic tensions have reignited concerns over Europe’s heavy reliance on US Big Tech, exposing vulnerabilities across cloud services, AI, and digital infrastructure.
European lawmakers are increasingly pushing for homegrown alternatives, warning that excessive dependence on a small group of foreign providers threatens economic resilience, public services, and technological sovereignty.
European Parliament data shows over 80 percent of the EU’s digital products and infrastructure come from outside the bloc, with US firms dominating cloud and AI.
Officials warn the concentration increases geopolitical, cyber and supply risks, driving renewed efforts to boost Europe’s digital autonomy and competitiveness.
Initiatives such as Eurostack and rising open-source investment aim to build digital independence, though analysts say real sovereignty could take a decade and vast funding.
While policymakers accept that full decoupling from US technology remains unrealistic, pressure is mounting for governments and public institutions to prioritise European solutions and treat digital infrastructure as a strategic asset.
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The European Union has proposed new cybersecurity rules aimed at reducing reliance on high-risk technology suppliers, particularly from China. In the European Union, policymakers argue existing voluntary measures failed to curb dependence on vendors such as Huawei and ZTE.
The proposal would introduce binding obligations for telecom operators across the European Union to phase out Chinese equipment. At the same time, officials have warned that reliance on US cloud and satellite services also poses security risks for Europe.
Despite increased funding and expanded certification plans, divisions remain within the European Union. Countries including Germany and France support stricter sovereignty rules, while others favour continued partnerships with US technology firms.
Analysts say the lack of consensus in the European Union could weaken the impact of the reforms. Without clear enforcement and investment in European alternatives, Europe may struggle to reduce dependence on both China and the US.
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