US AI company Anthropic’s expansion into India has triggered a legal dispute with a Bengaluru-based software firm that claims it has used the name ‘Anthropic’ since 2017. The Indian company argues that the US AI firm’s market entry has caused customer confusion. It is seeking recognition of prior use and damages of ₹10 million.
A commercial court in Karnataka has issued notice and suit summons to Anthropic but declined to grant an interim injunction. Further hearings are scheduled. The local firm says it prefers coexistence but turned to litigation due to growing marketplace confusion.
The dispute comes as India becomes a key growth market for global AI companies. Anthropic recently announced local leadership and expanded operations in the country. India’s large digital economy and upcoming AI industry events reinforce its strategic importance.
The case also highlights broader challenges linked to the rapid global expansion of AI firms. Trademark protection, brand due diligence, and regulatory clarity are increasingly central to cross-border digital market entry.
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The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that WhatsApp can challenge an EDPB decision directly in European courts. Judges confirmed that firms may seek annulment when a decision affects them directly instead of relying solely on national procedures.
A ruling that reshapes how companies defend their interests under the GDPR framework.
The judgment centres on a 2021 instruction from the EDPB to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission regarding the enforcement of data protection rules against WhatsApp.
European regulators argued that only national authorities were formal recipients of these decisions. The court found that companies should be granted standing when their commercial rights are at stake.
By confirming this route, the court has created an important precedent for businesses facing cross-border investigations. Companies will be able to contest EDPB decisions at EU level rather than moving first through national courts, a shift that may influence future GDPR enforcement cases across the Union.
Legal observers expect more direct challenges as organisations adjust their compliance strategies. The outcome strengthens judicial oversight of the EDPB and could reshape the balance between national regulators and EU-level bodies in data protection governance.
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Elon Musk’s move to integrate SpaceX with his AI company xAI is strengthening plans to develop data centres in orbit. Experts warn that such infrastructure could give one company or country significant control over global AI and cloud computing.
Fully competitive orbital data centres remain at least 20 years away due to launch costs, cooling limits, and radiation damage to hardware. Their viability depends heavily on Starship achieving fully reusable, low-cost launches, which remain unproven.
Interest in space computing is growing because constant solar energy could dramatically reduce AI operating costs and improve efficiency. China has already deployed satellites capable of supporting computing tasks, highlighting rising global competition.
European specialists warn that the region risks becoming dependent on US cloud providers that operate under laws such as the US Cloud Act. Without coordinated investment, control over future digital infrastructure and cybersecurity may be decided by early leaders.
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Advertising inside ChatGPT marks a shift in where commercial messages appear, not a break from how advertising works. AI systems have shaped search, social media, and recommendations for years, but conversational interfaces make those decisions more visible during moments of exploration.
Unlike search or social formats, conversational advertising operates inside dialogue. Ads appear because users are already asking questions or seeking clarity. Relevance is built through context rather than keywords, changing when information is encountered rather than how decisions are made.
In healthcare and clinical research, this distinction matters. Conversational ads cannot enroll patients directly, but they may raise awareness earlier in patient journeys and shape later discussions with clinicians and care providers.
Early rollout will be limited to free or low-cost ChatGPT tiers, likely skewing exposure towards patients and caregivers. As with earlier platforms, sensitive categories may remain restricted until governance and safeguards mature.
The main risks are organisational rather than technical. New channels will not fix unclear value propositions or operational bottlenecks. Conversational advertising changes visibility, not fundamentals, and success will depend on responsible integration.
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The European Commission has warned Meta that it may have breached EU antitrust rules by restricting third-party AI assistants from operating on WhatsApp. A Statement of Objections outlines regulators’ preliminary view that the policy could distort competition in the AI assistant market.
The probe centres on updated WhatsApp Business terms announced in October 2025 and enforced from January 2026. Under the changes, rival general-purpose AI assistants were effectively barred from accessing the platform, leaving Meta AI as the only integrated assistant available to users.
Regulators argue that WhatsApp serves as a critical gateway for consumers AI access AI services. Excluding competitors could reinforce Meta’s dominance in communication applications while limiting market entry and expansion opportunities for smaller AI developers.
Interim measures are now under consideration to prevent what authorities describe as potentially serious and irreversible competitive harm. Meta can respond before any interim measures are imposed, while the broader antitrust probe continues.
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The ambitions of the EU to streamline telecom rules are facing fresh uncertainty after a Commission document indicated that the Digital Networks Act may create more administrative demands for national regulators instead of easing their workload.
The plan to simplify long-standing procedures risks becoming more complex as officials examine the impact on oversight bodies.
Concerns are growing among telecom authorities and BEREC, which may need to adjust to new reporting duties and heightened scrutiny. The additional requirements could limit regulators’ ability to respond quickly to national needs.
Policymakers hoped the new framework would reduce bureaucracy and modernise the sector. The emerging assessment now suggests that greater coordination at the EU level may introduce extra layers of compliance at a time when regulators seek clarity and flexibility.
The debate has intensified as governments push for faster network deployment and more predictable governance. The prospect of heavier administrative tasks could slow progress rather than deliver the streamlined system originally promised.
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AI dominated this year’s World Economic Forum, with debate shifting from experimentation to execution. Leaders focused on scaling AI adoption, delivering economic impact, and ensuring benefits extend beyond a small group of advanced economies and firms.
Concerns centred on the risk that AI could deepen global inequality if access to computing, data, power, and financing remains uneven. Without affordable deployment in health, education, and public services, support for AI’s rising energy and infrastructure demands could erode quickly.
Geopolitics has become inseparable from AI adoption. Trade restrictions, export controls, and diverging regulatory models are reshaping access to semiconductors, data centres, and critical minerals, making sovereignty and partnerships as important as innovation.
For developing economies, widespread AI adoption is now a development priority rather than a technological luxury. Blended finance and targeted investment are increasingly seen as essential to fund infrastructure and direct AI toward productivity, resilience, and inclusion.
Discussions under the ‘Blue Davos‘ theme highlighted how AI is embedded in physical and environmental systems, from energy grids to oceans. Choices on governance, financing, and deployment will shape whether AI supports sustainable development or widens existing divides.
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China’s market regulator has fined several companies for impersonating AI services such as DeepSeek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, citing unfair competition and consumer fraud. The cases form part of a broader crackdown on deceptive practices in the country’s rapidly expanding AI sector.
The State Administration for Market Regulation penalised Shanghai Shangyun Internet Technology for running a fraudulent ChatGPT service on Tencent’s WeChat platform. Regulators said the service falsely presented itself as an official Chinese version of ChatGPT and charged users for AI conversations.
In a separate case, Hangzhou Boheng Culture Media was fined for operating an unauthorised website offering so-called ‘DeepSeek local deployment’. The site closely replicated DeepSeek’s branding and interface, misleading users into paying for imitation services.
Authorities said knock-off DeepSeek mini-programmes and websites surged in early 2025, involving trademark infringement, brand confusion, and false advertising. Regulators described the enforcement actions as a deterrent aimed at restoring order in the AI marketplace.
The regulator also disclosed penalties in other AI-related cases, including unauthorised access to proprietary algorithms and the use of AI calling software for scams. China is simultaneously updating antitrust rules to address emerging risks linked to algorithm-driven market manipulation.
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Chinese regulators have tightened controls on digital assets by banning the unauthorised issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins overseas. The move extends existing restrictions to tokenised financial products linked to China’s currency and reinforces state control over monetary instruments.
In a joint notice, the People’s Bank of China and seven other agencies said no domestic or foreign entity may issue renminbi-linked stablecoins without approval. Authorities warned that such tokens replicate core monetary functions and could undermine currency sovereignty.
The rules also cover blockchain-based representations of real-world assets, including tokenised bonds and equities. Overseas providers are prohibited from offering these services to users in China without regulatory permission.
Beijing reaffirmed that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether have no legal tender status. Facilitating payments or related services using such assets remains illegal under China’s financial laws.
The measures align with China’s broader strategy of restricting private digital currencies while advancing the state-backed digital yuan. Officials have recently expanded the e-CNY’s role by allowing interest payments to encourage wider adoption.
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European lawmakers remain divided over whether AI tools that generate non-consensual sexual images should face an explicit ban in the EU legislation.
The split emerged as debate intensified over the AI simplification package, which is moving through Parliament and the Council rather than remaining confined to earlier negotiations.
Concerns escalated after Grok was used to create images that digitally undressed women and children.
The EU regulators responded by launching an investigation under the Digital Services Act, and the Commission described the behaviour as illegal under existing European rules. Several lawmakers argue that the AI Act should name pornification apps directly instead of relying on broader legal provisions.
Lead MEPs did not include a ban in their initial draft of the Parliament’s position, prompting other groups to consider adding amendments. Negotiations continue as parties explore how such a restriction could be framed without creating inconsistencies within the broader AI framework.
The Commission appears open to strengthening the law and has hinted that the AI omnibus could be an appropriate moment to act. Lawmakers now have a limited time to decide whether an explicit prohibition can secure political agreement before the amendment deadline passes.
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