Microsoft has introduced a new chat service, Copilot Chat, allowing businesses to deploy AI agents for routine tasks. The service, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, enables users to create AI-driven assistants using natural language commands in English, Mandarin, and other languages. Tasks such as market research, drafting strategy documents, and meeting preparation can be handled for free, though advanced features like Teams call transcription and PowerPoint slide creation require a $30 monthly Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.
With increasing pressure to generate returns on its substantial AI investments, Microsoft is betting on a pay-as-you-go model to drive adoption. The company is expected to spend around $80 billion on AI infrastructure and data centres this fiscal year. Following concerns about Copilot’s adoption, Microsoft has been pushing its AI tools more aggressively, offering businesses greater flexibility in using AI for automation.
In a move towards greater AI autonomy, Microsoft previously introduced tools allowing customers to create self-sufficient AI agents with minimal human input. Analysts suggest that such innovations could offer a simpler path to monetisation for tech companies, making AI-driven automation more accessible and scalable.
Hong Kong’s ESR Group and US-based CloudHQ are collaborating on a $2 billion data centre campus in Osaka, Japan. The project will provide 130 megawatts of data centre capacity, completed in three phases, with the first phase delivering 25 MW by June 2025.
Rising demand for AI has driven a surge in data centre investments, attracting real estate managers, private equity firms, and global investors seeking opportunities in the expanding market.
The collaboration aligns with ESR’s strategy to enhance its data centre solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. Diarmid Massey, CEO of ESR Data Centres, expressed confidence in the market’s growth potential in Japan and beyond.
Australia’s Macquarie has agreed to acquire a 15% stake in Applied Digital’s high-performance computing business and invest up to $5 billion in its AI data centres. The investment comes as AI-driven demand for computing infrastructure continues to surge, with companies racing to develop and train advanced models. Shares of Applied Digital surged by around 20% following the announcement.
Macquarie’s asset management division will initially invest $900 million in a data centre campus in North Dakota, with the potential for an additional $4.1 billion over the next 30 months. Applied Digital plans to use the funding to repay debt and recover over $300 million of its previous equity investment. The company’s CEO, Wes Cummins, stated that the deal provides the necessary capital to build and operate data centres with high power demands.
Applied Digital’s stock has more than tripled over the past two years, reflecting growing investor confidence in AI infrastructure. The deal follows Microsoft‘s announcement of an $80 billion investment in AI data centres for fiscal 2025. Applied Digital is set to release its second-quarter financial results after the market closes on Tuesday.
Polygon Labs has partnered with Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, to bring blockchain and Web3 capabilities to its extensive infrastructure. Serving over 450 million users, Jio plans to integrate Polygon’s technology to enhance its applications and services, creating seamless access to Web3 innovations without exposing users to its complexities.
Jio Platforms CEO Kiran Thomas expressed enthusiasm for exploring the vast potential of Web3 to deliver exceptional digital experiences. Meanwhile, Polygon CEO Marc Boiron noted the collaboration is already live on the network, reflecting significant strides for blockchain adoption in India. The development has also boosted confidence within the Polygon community, with its native token, POL, rising over 5% in response.
Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, has a strong history of technological innovation, from revolutionising India’s 4G sector to exploring blockchain’s potential in energy trading. Akash Ambani, Mukesh Ambani’s eldest son, has also championed blockchain and cryptocurrency, hinting at further blockchain-driven projects from the telecom giant.
Disappointment and confusion swept across TikTok users in the United States as news broke that ByteDance, the app’s Chinese owner, plans to shut down the platform for its 170 million US users by Sunday. The move comes in response to a federal ban requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US assets by January 19 due to national security concerns. While some users hold out hope for a last-minute reprieve, many are preparing for the worst.
Content creators, many of whom have built careers and followings on TikTok, expressed frustration and sadness. Some vowed to boycott rival platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X, while others scrambled to save their content. True crime creator Amber Goode, from Colorado, criticised the government for “playing with us,” while other users shared instructions on migrating to alternative platforms, including China-based apps like RedNote.
TikTok has maintained that it does not and would never share US user data with China, arguing that the ban violates First Amendment rights. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, users attempting to open the app on Sunday will be redirected to a shutdown information page. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly exploring executive actions to delay the ban, but the outcome remains uncertain.
The shutdown has sparked mixed emotions globally, with some international users relieved that American social media issues may no longer dominate their feeds. However, for US creators like Ishpal Sidhu, who stands to lose her livelihood, the uncertainty has cast a shadow over what was once a thriving platform.
Italian startup iGenius has launched Colosseum 355B, a large language model built using the latest Nvidia technology, designed for industries with strict data protection and compliance needs. CEO Uljan Sharka highlighted the challenges that tight regulations pose for AI adoption in sectors like finance, heavy industry, and government, where data security is paramount.
Unlike major competitors like OpenAI, iGenius offers open-source AI models that allow companies to run the technology on their own infrastructure, ensuring that sensitive data remains in-house. The startup is already in talks with potential clients in the financial services and industrial sectors.
Sharka also traveled to Brussels to present the new model to the European Commission, aiming to gain regulatory approval and foster wider adoption in Europe’s heavily regulated markets.
Cannes is set to embrace cryptocurrency payments as part of its preparations for the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) in 2025. Mayor David Lisnard has announced training sessions for local merchants to adopt crypto payment systems, starting on 4 February at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The initiative will cover crypto integration’s technical, legal, accounting, and tax aspects, aligning with the city’s broader Web3 strategy.
To welcome EthCC attendees and tourists, Cannes will develop a “crypto-friendly” merchant map showcasing businesses that accept digital payments. EthCC, Europe’s largest Ethereum event, will take place from 30 June to 3 July 2025 and is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees. This provides local businesses a unique opportunity to connect with a global audience and enhance Cannes’ reputation as a premier destination for major events.
Whilst focused on boosting local commerce, Lisnard’s pro-crypto stance has stirred speculation about potential ambitions for the 2027 French presidential race. The move underscores Cannes’ commitment to blockchain and digital finance innovation, setting an example for other cities worldwide.
Google has entered into a significant deal to buy carbon credits from an Indian project that turns agricultural waste into biochar, a form of charcoal that removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil. This partnership with Indian supplier Varaha is one of the largest of its kind and marks Google’s first venture into India’s carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector. The tech giant plans to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon credits from the initiative through 2030, as part of its broader strategy to offset emissions.
Biochar, which can sequester CO2 for centuries, is seen as a promising, cost-effective solution for carbon removal, offering immediate scalability using existing technologies. Varaha will use waste from hundreds of smallholder farms in India to produce the biochar, which will also be distributed to farmers as an alternative to fertilisers. The project has the potential to store millions of tons of CO2 annually, with Varaha’s CEO, Madhur Jain, noting that India’s agricultural waste could generate enough biochar to store over 100 million tons of CO2 each year.
While carbon dioxide removal efforts like biochar are gaining traction, some experts caution that such solutions should not replace direct emissions cuts. There are also concerns about the long-term permanence of CO2 storage through biochar. However, Jain emphasised the urgent need to address global warming, stating that even temporary reductions in CO2 are critical in the fight against climate change. As the CDR market expands, it remains a key tool for companies like Google seeking to offset their environmental impact.
Dubai is set to add a 17-storey Crypto Tower to its skyline by 2027, with developers DMCC and REIT Development announcing that the building will be a hub for blockchain and crypto startups. The tower will feature office floors for crypto companies, incubators for blockchain projects, an AI innovation floor, a crypto club, and an NFT art gallery, all powered by blockchain technology. DMCC’s Ahmed Bin Sulayem emphasised that the Crypto Tower will showcase Web3’s future, ensuring transparency and ownership through blockchain.
The development follows the success of DMCC’s crypto centre in Uptown Tower, supporting the growing blockchain ecosystem in the region. Meanwhile, in Asia, a Bitcoin hotel is set to open in Tokyo in Q3 2025. Operated by Metaplanet, the hotel aims to become a hub for Bitcoin adoption, education, and community, featuring a Bitcoin gallery, art museum, and workspaces.
Global interest in crypto-linked buildings continues to rise, with other projects such as a Bitcoin hotel chain by IKAR Holdings and the ambitious Satoshi Island, designed as a blockchain-based city, in the works. However, progress on some high-profile projects, like Akon City in Senegal, has slowed.
China’s Commerce Ministry announced plans to investigate US government subsidies to its semiconductor sector following requests from China’s mature node chip industry. The ministry stated on Thursday that these subsidies, introduced under the Biden administration, allegedly provide American companies with an unfair competitive advantage in the global market.
According to the Chinese government, US firms have exported mature node chip products to China at reduced prices, causing harm to the interests of China’s domestic semiconductor industry. Beijing views these practices as a threat to its industry’s rights and competitive balance.
The investigation reflects rising tensions between the two nations over technology and trade, particularly as both seek to bolster their semiconductor sectors amid growing geopolitical competition.
