Taiwan has officially banned government agencies from using DeepSeek AI, citing security risks and concerns over potential data exposure to China. The move strengthens previous guidance, which only advised against its use.
Premier Cho Jung-tai announced the decision after a cabinet meeting, stressing the importance of safeguarding national information security. Officials raised fears over possible censorship on DeepSeek and the risk of sensitive data being transferred to China.
The digital ministry had initially stated on Friday that government departments should avoid the AI service but did not explicitly prohibit it. The latest announcement formalises the ban, aligning with Taiwan’s broader approach to restricting Chinese technology.
Authorities in several other countries, including South Korea, France, Italy, and Ireland, have also scrutinised DeepSeek’s handling of personal data.
Young people in Guernsey are being offered a free six-week course on AI to help them understand both the opportunities and challenges of the technology. Run by Digital Greenhouse in St Peter Port, the programme is open to students and graduates over the age of 16, regardless of their academic background. Experts from University College London (UCL) deliver the lessons remotely each week.
Jenny de la Mare from Digital Greenhouse said the course was designed to “inform and inspire” participants while helping them stand out in job and university applications. She emphasised that the programme was not limited to STEM students and could serve as a strong introduction to AI for anyone interested in the field.
Recognising that young people in Guernsey may have fewer opportunities to attend major tech events in the UK, organisers hope the course will give them a competitive edge. The programme has already started but is still open for registrations, with interested individuals encouraged to contact Digital Greenhouse.
Norwegian-founded startup Tana has raised $25 million to fuel its AI-powered productivity platform, which has already drawn significant attention with a waitlist of over 160,000 users. The company’s software uses AI to streamline task management, automatically capturing, organising, and acting on information from meetings, notes, and conversations. With an approach reminiscent of object-oriented programming, its ‘Supertag’ feature transforms unstructured data into actionable insights.
Led by Tola Capital, the latest funding round brings Tana’s valuation to $100 million, with backing from investors such as Lightspeed Venture Partners and Northzone. Angel investors include notable tech figures like Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen and Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi, highlighting the growing interest in AI-driven workplace tools. The startup, headquartered in Palo Alto with operations in Norway, is spearheaded by ex-Googlers Tarjei Vassbotn and Grim Iversen, the latter having worked on the now-defunct Google Wave.
Tana integrates with multiple workplace tools like Zoom and is designed to evolve as it processes more data, aiming to address long-standing challenges in productivity software. While currently best suited for tech-savvy professionals, the founders believe their AI knowledge graph will reshape how businesses handle information in the future. Investors are betting on Tana’s long-term vision, with some already using the platform to manage their own operations.
A trial in Sutton is using AI sensors to monitor the well-being of vulnerable people in their homes. The system tracks movement, temperature, and appliance usage to identify patterns and detect unusual activity, such as a missed meal or a fall. The initiative aims to allow individuals to live independently for longer while providing reassurance to their loved ones.
Margaret Linehan, 86, who has dementia, is one of over 1,200 residents using the system. She described it as a valuable safety net, helping alert her family if something is amiss. Her daughter-in-law, Marianne, can check an app to monitor activity and receive alerts. On one occasion, when Margaret got up for a cup of tea in the middle of the night, the system notified her son, highlighting its ability to detect unexpected behaviour.
The AI-powered technology, which does not use cameras or microphones, has already detected over 1,800 falls in the past year, enabling rapid responses from care teams. Sutton Council is trialling the system as part of a wider government initiative exploring AI’s role in improving public services. Experts hope the technology will revolutionise social care by providing proactive support while ensuring people’s privacy and independence.
Chinese internet users have been captivated by the DeepSeek AI app, which has gained immense popularity since its launch during the Lunar New Year holiday. Users have explored its predictive and analytical capabilities, with some posing questions on politics, economics, and even personal matters. For example, law professor Wang Jiangyu asked how China should respond to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, receiving a comprehensive seven-point answer that included potential new tariffs on US industries and other strategic moves. The model’s detailed responses have impressed users, though it censors certain politically sensitive topics, such as questions about Xi Jinping or the Tiananmen Square protests.
DeepSeek’s low-cost yet powerful AI has made waves in the tech sector, surpassing ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple App Store. The Hangzhou-based startup has become a source of national pride, with users sharing personal experiences, such as using the app to predict their fortunes or interpret dreams. This surge in popularity has drawn attention to the company’s rapid growth, and its founder, Liang Wengfeng, has emerged as a pop culture figure.
Despite its success, DeepSeek’s claims about the minimal cost of training its latest AI model—less than $6 million in computing power—have raised scepticism among some experts. Nevertheless, the platform’s effectiveness has prompted comparisons to the billions invested by US tech giants in AI development. The app’s rapid rise has also led to investigations by authorities in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, and several European nations, over concerns about its handling of personal data.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son announced on Monday that he has agreed with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to establish a joint venture in Japan, called SB OpenAI Japan, to offer AI services to corporate clients. This venture will be jointly owned by OpenAI and a company set up by SoftBank and its telecoms arm. In addition, SoftBank will pay $3 billion annually to integrate OpenAI’s technology across its group companies.
Son’s involvement with OpenAI is deepening, with reports indicating that SoftBank plans to invest between $15 billion and $25 billion in the company. SoftBank is also committing $15 billion to Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle to build AI capacity in the US. Son’s support for OpenAI follows a period of retrenchment for the investment giant, but he is reasserting his influence in the tech sector after setbacks in SoftBank’s tech portfolio.
In the context of rising competition, China’s DeepSeek has prompted some investors to question the immense funds being poured into US-based AI companies. However, Altman believes global demand for AI computing power will continue to surge. Son and Altman also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday to discuss further developments.
EssilorLuxottica announced on Monday that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Nuance audio glasses, a groundbreaking product that combines hearing solutions with prescription eyewear. Nuance will be available in the US and Italy in the first quarter of this year, with a planned launch in France, Germany, and the UK by mid-2025.
Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri described the Nuance glasses as more than just a combination of two medical devices, calling them “entirely new smart glasses” that are both innovative and accessible. The company aims to provide this life-changing technology to the 1.25 billion people worldwide who suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss.
This launch marks a significant step for EssilorLuxottica as it expands its offerings beyond traditional eyewear, seeking to improve the lives of those with hearing impairments by making hearing solutions more readily available and convenient.
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, is shaking up the ΑΙ landscape by offering technology at a significantly lower cost compared to US competitors like OpenAI. Hemanth Mandapati, CEO of German startup Novo AI, recently switched to DeepSeek’s chatbot services, noting that the transition was quick and easy, and the cost savings were substantial. Mandapati reported that DeepSeek’s pricing was five times lower than what he was paying, with no noticeable difference in user performance. Analysts estimate that DeepSeek’s prices are 20 to 40 times cheaper than OpenAI’s, making it an attractive option for many startups.
The rise of DeepSeek is seen as a potential game-changer, particularly in Europe, where tech startups have struggled to compete with their US counterparts due to limited funding. Some believe DeepSeek’s low-cost offerings could democratise AI and help level the playing field with major tech companies. However, concerns about DeepSeek’s data practices, particularly regarding the potential copying of OpenAI’s data or censorship of Chinese content, have raised regulatory questions across Europe.
Despite scepticism around the actual cost of DeepSeek’s training and data usage, the company has garnered significant attention, especially after its model topped the productivity app rankings on the Apple App Store. Industry leaders argue that this shift in pricing could spark a broader movement in AI, with smaller companies gaining more access to advanced technologies without needing large budgets. This could foster innovation across the sector, although major corporations remain cautious due to security and integration concerns.
As the cost of AI continues to fall, competition is intensifying. For example, Microsoft recently made OpenAI’s reasoning model available for free to users of its Copilot platform. While price is becoming a dominant factor in AI adoption, industry experts suggest that trust and security certifications will still play a critical role for larger businesses when choosing their AI partners.
Voice cloning startup ElevenLabs has raised $180 million in a Series C funding round, tripling its valuation to $3.3 billion. Co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Iconiq Growth, the funding round also saw participation from new investors like NEA and World Innovation Lab, alongside increased support from existing backers such as Sequoia Capital and Salesforce Ventures. The company aims to leverage the new funding to enhance its research into expressive voice AI, develop new products, and expand its tools for developers and businesses.
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in London, ElevenLabs specialises in AI-generated voices that replicate various languages, accents, and emotions. The startup’s technology has already found applications in publishing and gaming, with partnerships including The New Yorker and Cloud Imperium Games. In 2024, ElevenLabs broadened its product offerings to include speech generation, voice design, sound effects, and AI-driven dubbing across 32 languages.
CEO Mati Staniszewski, who co-founded the company with Piotr Dabkowski, described the funding as a significant step towards making voice interactions more natural and effortless. With a total of $281 million raised so far, ElevenLabs is poised to play a leading role in the rapidly growing generative AI sector.
Goldman Sachs has named Daniel Marcu, a former Amazon executive, as its global head of AI engineering and science. Marcu, who previously led Amazon’s AGI division, brings over 30 years of experience in academia, start-ups, and multinational corporations. He joins a team of technology experts at Goldman, including Marco Argenti, the bank’s Chief Information Officer and a fellow Amazon alumnus.
The Wall Street bank has been heavily investing in AI to modernise its technology infrastructure, boost productivity, and enhance its engineering capabilities. CEO David Solomon recently highlighted the use of AI in transforming operations during the company’s quarterly earnings call. As part of its AI initiatives, Goldman has introduced a generative AI assistant, GS AI, to approximately 10,000 employees, with plans to expand access to all knowledge workers by the end of the year.
In his new role, Marcu will oversee the development of AI platforms and products, working alongside Rahul Sharma, head of GS AI platform engineering, and Bing Xiang, head of AI research. Marcu’s extensive background, which includes two decades at the University of Southern California and the Information Sciences Institute, positions him to lead Goldman’s ambitious AI agenda as the bank continues to innovate in the competitive financial technology space.
