Cloud computing

Dutch government criticised over reliance on Microsoft cloud

Despite privacy concerns and parliamentary criticism, the Dutch Tax Administration will move much of its digital workplace to Microsoft’s cloud. State Secretary Eugène Heijnen told lawmakers that no suitable European alternatives met the technical, legal, and functional requirements.

Privacy advocates warn that using a US-based provider could put compliance with GDPR at risk, especially when data may leave the EU. Concerns about long-term dependency on a single cloud vendor have also been raised, making future transitions costly and complex.

Heijnen said sensitive documents would remain on internal servers, while cloud services would handle workplace functions. Employees had complained that the current system was inefficient and difficult to use.

The Court of Audit reported earlier this year that nearly two-thirds of the Dutch government’s public cloud services had not been properly risk-assessed. Despite this, Heijnen insisted that Microsoft offered the most viable option.

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AI platforms barred from cloning Asha Bhosle’s voice without consent

The Bombay High Court has granted ad-interim relief to Asha Bhosle, barring AI platforms and sellers from cloning her voice or likeness without consent. The 90-year-old playback singer, whose career spans eight decades, approached the court to protect her identity from unauthorised commercial use.

Bhosle filed the suit after discovering platforms offering AI-generated voice clones mimicking her singing. Her plea argued that such misuse damages her reputation and goodwill. Justice Arif S. Doctor found a strong prima facie case and stated that such actions would cause irreparable harm.

The order restrains defendants, including US-based Mayk Inc, from using machine learning, face-morphing, or generative AI to imitate her voice or likeness. Google, also named in the case, has agreed to take down specific URLs identified by Bhosle’s team.

Defendants are required to share subscriber information, IP logs, and payment details to assist in identifying infringers. The court emphasised that cloning the voices of cultural icons risks misleading the public and infringing on individuals’ rights to their identity.

The ruling builds on recent cases in India affirming personality rights and sets an important precedent in the age of generative AI. The matter is scheduled to return to court on 13 October 2025.

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AWS expands tech skills programme to Tennessee

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is expanding its Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance to Tennessee, making it the sixth US state to join the initiative. The partnership with the Nashville Innovation Alliance targets middle Tennessee’s rising demand for AI and cloud computing talent.

Between 2020 and 2023, tech job postings in the region increased by 35 percent, with around 8,000 roles currently open.

The programme will link students from local universities with employers and practical learning opportunities. Courses will be modernised to meet industry demand, ensuring students gain relevant AI and cloud expertise.

Local leaders emphasised the initiative’s potential to strengthen Nashville’s workforce. Mayor Freddie O’Connell stressed preparing residents for tech careers, while AWS and the Alliance aim to create sustainable pathways to high-paying roles.

The Tech Alliance has already reached 62,000 learners globally and engaged over 780 employers. Tennessee’s expansion aims to reach over 1,000 residents by 2027, with further statewide growth planned to boost Nashville’s role as a southeastern tech hub.

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Oracle systems targeted in unverified data theft claims, Google warns

Google has warned that hackers are emailing company executives, claiming to have stolen sensitive data from Oracle business applications. The group behind the campaign identifies itself as affiliated with the Cl0p ransomware gang.

In a statement, Google said the attackers target executives at multiple organisations with extortion emails linked to Oracle’s E-Business Suite. The company stated that it lacks sufficient evidence to verify the claims or confirm whether any data has been taken.

Neither Cl0p nor Oracle responded to requests for comment. Google did not provide additional information about the scale or specific campaign targets.

The cl0p ransomware gang has been involved in several high-profile extortion cases, often using claims of data theft to pressure organisations into paying ransoms, even when breaches remain unverified.

Google advised recipients to treat such messages cautiously and report any suspicious emails to security teams while investigations continue.

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Samsung joins OpenAI for AI data centre push

Samsung Electronics, alongside OpenAI, has signed a letter of intent to collaborate on AI data centre infrastructure. The partnership leverages Samsung’s expertise in semiconductors, cloud services, and shipbuilding. Combining these strengths aims to accelerate advancements in global AI technology.

Samsung Electronics will provide energy-efficient DRAM for OpenAI’s Stargate, meeting a projected demand of 900,000 wafers monthly. Advanced chip packaging and heterogeneous integration further enhance Samsung’s ability to deliver tailored semiconductor solutions for AI workflows.

Samsung SDS will design and operate Stargate AI data centres while offering enterprise AI services, including ChatGPT integration for Korean businesses. Meanwhile, Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries will explore floating data centres to address land scarcity and reduce emissions.

Signed in Seoul, the agreement positions Samsung to support Korea’s ambition to rank among the top three AI nations globally. Broader adoption of ChatGPT within Samsung’s operations will also drive workplace AI transformation.

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Microsoft evolves Sentinel into agentic defence platform

Microsoft is transforming Sentinel from a traditional SIEM into a unified defence platform for the agentic AI era. It now incorporates features such as a data lake, semantic graphs and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to enable intelligent agents to reason over security data.

Sentinel’s enhancements allow defenders to combine structured, semi-structured data into vectorised, graph-based relationships. With that, AI agents grounded in Security Copilot and custom tools can automate triage, correlate alerts, reason about attack paths, and initiate response actions, while keeping human oversight.

The platform supports extensibility through open agent APIs, enabling partners and organisations to deploy custom agents through the MCP server.

Microsoft also adds protections for AI agents, such as prompt-injection resilience, task adherence controls, PII guardrails, and identity controls for agent estates. The evolution aims to shift cybersecurity from reactive to predictive operations.

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Grok 4 launches on Azure with advanced reasoning features

Microsoft has announced that Grok 4, the latest large language model from Elon Musk’s xAI, is now available in Azure AI Foundry. The collaboration aims to deliver frontier-level reasoning capabilities with enterprise-grade safety and control.

Grok 4 features a 128,000-token context window, integrated web search, and native tool use. According to Microsoft, it excels at first-principles reasoning, handling complex tasks in science, maths, and logic. The model was trained on xAI’s Colossus supercomputer.

Azure says the model can analyse long documents, code repositories, and academic texts simultaneously, reducing the need to split inputs. It also incorporates external data for real-time responses, though Microsoft cautions that outputs should be verified against reliable sources.

The platform includes Azure AI Content Safety by default, and Microsoft stresses responsible use with ongoing monitoring. Pricing starts at $5.5 per million input tokens and $27.5 per million output tokens.

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Sora 2.0 release reignites debate on intellectual property in AI video

OpenAI has launched Sora 2.0, the latest version of its video generation model, alongside an iOS app available by invitation in the US and Canada. The tool offers advances in physical realism, audio-video synchronisation, and multi-shot storytelling, with built-in safeguards for security and identity control.

The app allows users to create, remix, or appear in clips generated from text or images. A Pro version, web interface, and developer API are expected soon, extending access to the model.

Sora 2.0 has reignited debate over intellectual property. According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has informed studios and talent agencies that their universes could appear in generated clips unless they opt out.

The company defends its approach as an extension of fan creativity, while stressing that real people’s images and voices require prior consent, validated through a verified cameo system.

By combining new creative tools with identity safeguards, OpenAI aims to position Sora 2.0 as a leading platform in the fast-growing market for AI-generated video.

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Calls for regulation grow as OpenAI and Meta adjust chatbots for teen mental health

OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots handle conversations with teenagers showing signs of distress or asking about suicide. OpenAI plans to launch new parental controls this fall, enabling parents to link accounts, restrict features, and receive alerts if their child appears to be in acute distress.

The company says its chatbots will also route sensitive conversations to more capable models, aiming to improve responses to vulnerable users. The announcement follows a lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT encouraged a California teenager to take his own life earlier this year.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is also tightening its restrictions. Its chatbots will no longer engage teens on self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or inappropriate topics, instead redirecting them towards expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls across teen accounts.

The moves come amid growing scrutiny of chatbot safety. A RAND Corporation study found inconsistent responses from ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude when asked about suicide, suggesting the tools require further refinement before being relied upon in high-risk situations.

Lead author Ryan McBain welcomed the updates but called them only incremental. Without safety benchmarks and enforceable standards, he argued, companies remain self-regulating in an area where risks to teenagers are uniquely high.

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Four new Echo devices debut with Amazon’s next-gen Alexa+

Amazon has unveiled four new Echo devices powered by Alexa+, its next-generation AI assistant. The lineup includes Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11, all designed for personalised, ambient AI-driven experiences. Buyers will automatically gain access to Alexa+.

At the core are the new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips, which feature AI accelerators, powering advanced models for speech, vision, and ambient interaction. The Echo Dot Max, priced at $99.99, features a two-speaker system with triple the bass, while the Echo Studio, priced at $219.99, adds spatial audio and Dolby Atmos.

The Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 introduce HD displays, enhanced audio, and intelligent sensing capabilities. Both feature 13-megapixel cameras that adapt to lighting and personalise interactions. The Echo Show 8 will cost $179.99, while the Echo Show 11 is priced at $219.99.

Beyond hardware, Alexa+ brings deeper conversational skills and more intelligent daily support, spanning home organisation, entertainment, health, wellness, and shopping. Amazon also introduced the Alexa+ Store, a platform for discovering third-party services and integrations.

The Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio will launch on October 29, while the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 arrive on November 12. Amazon positions the new portfolio as a leap toward making ambient AI experiences central to everyday living.

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