AT&T has introduced a new initiative offering bill credits to customers affected by network outages, aiming to rebuild trust after a series of major service disruptions in 2024. The scheme, called AT&T Guarantee, will provide automatic credits to fibre customers experiencing outages of 20 minutes or more and wireless users facing at least an hour of disruption. The move follows a nationwide service failure last February, which lasted over 12 hours and blocked millions of calls, including thousands of emergency calls to 911.
The telecom industry has faced growing scrutiny over the reliability of its networks, with rivals such as T-Mobile and Verizon also experiencing significant outages. AT&T executives acknowledged that customer dissatisfaction had led to market share losses in recent years. In response, the company has invested over $140 billion in network improvements and nearly $1 billion in customer care and operations. The new guarantee is part of a broader effort to ensure dependable connectivity and restore consumer confidence.
Despite previous challenges, AT&T has maintained strong performance in customer satisfaction rankings, topping J.D. Power’s survey for business wireless service among large enterprises for three consecutive years until 2023. The company believes the new initiative will strengthen its position in the market by demonstrating a commitment to service reliability and customer compensation when expectations are not met.
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is strengthening its collaboration with a United States tech firm Valo Health to develop new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases using artificial intelligence and human data. The agreement, originally signed in 2023, has been expanded to cover up to 20 drug candidates, nearly doubling the initial scope of 11 treatments.
The expansion comes as Novo seeks to maintain its competitive edge in the booming obesity drug market, expected to be worth $150 billion in the next decade. A recent clinical trial for its weight-loss drug candidate, CagriSema, delivered underwhelming results, increasing pressure to develop a successor to its best-selling drug, Wegovy. Rival pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is also pushing forward with its own obesity treatments, intensifying the race for dominance in the sector.
Under the revised deal, Valo Health will receive up to $190 million in near-term payments and milestone payments of around $4.6 billion, significantly increasing its earnings potential compared to the original agreement, which offered up to $2.7 billion. Novo hopes the collaboration will lead to groundbreaking therapies that extend the health benefits of weight-loss drugs beyond obesity treatment.
San Francisco-based startup Based Hardware has unveiled Omi, a wearable AI assistant designed to improve productivity. Launched at the Consumer Electronic Show, the device responds to voice commands when worn as a necklace or can attach to the side of the head using medical tape, activating through a unique “brain interface.”
Unlike other AI gadgets that aim to replace smartphones, Omi is meant to complement existing devices. It can answer questions, summarise conversations, and manage tasks like to-do lists and meeting schedules. The startup’s founder, Nik Shevchenko, claims that Omi’s brain interface allows users to interact without saying a wake word by recognising mental focus. However, this feature has yet to be widely tested.
Based Hardware built Omi on an open-source platform to address privacy concerns. Users can store data locally and even develop their own apps for the device. Priced at $89, the consumer version will ship later in 2025, while a developer version is already available.
Omi enters a growing market of AI gadgets that have struggled to meet expectations. Shevchenko hopes Omi’s focus on practical productivity tools will set it apart, but the device’s success will likely depend on whether users embrace its experimental brain interface feature.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has introduced the ‘Supervisory Incubator for Distributed Ledger Technology’ to support banks in safely integrating distributed ledger technology (DLT). The initiative, announced during the FiNETech4 event, will provide banks with access to a dedicated HKMA team for guidance during live trials and early operations, focusing first on tokenised deposits.
The programme also aims to foster industry-wide growth by sharing best practices and conducting research to enhance understanding of DLT solutions. Arthur Yuen, HKMA deputy chief executive, emphasised the importance of creating a supportive environment for innovation, while Executive Director Carmen Chu highlighted the transformative potential of DLT, including real-time updates and autonomous reconciliation.
This move comes as Hong Kong strengthens its position in digital finance, with legislative proposals to add Bitcoin to national reserves and the approval of four additional licences for virtual asset trading platforms, bringing the total to seven.
Honeywell and NXP Semiconductors are expanding their partnership to develop AI-powered aviation technology, focusing on autonomous flying systems. The collaboration will integrate Honeywell’s Anthem avionics, a cloud-connected cockpit system, with NXP’s computing architecture to improve flight planning and management.
NXP’s autonomy architecture, originally designed for the automotive industry, will be adapted to enhance autonomous flying capabilities when combined with Anthem. No financial details were disclosed, but the agreement builds on a previous partnership centred on building management systems.
Interest in autonomous technology continues to grow, particularly in the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector. Vertical Aerospace, an eVTOL manufacturer, plans to test its VX4 aircraft using the Anthem system.
Apple has clarified that it has never sold data collected by its Siri voice assistant or used it to create marketing profiles. The statement, issued Wednesday, follows a $95 million settlement last week to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging that Siri had inadvertently recorded private conversations and shared them with third parties, including advertisers. Apple denied the claims and admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which could result in payouts of up to $20 per Siri-enabled device for millions of affected customers.
The controversy stemmed from claims that Siri sometimes activated unintentionally, recording sensitive interactions. Apple emphasised in its statement that Siri data is used minimally and only for real-time server input when necessary, with no retention of audio recordings unless users explicitly opt-in. Even in such cases, the recordings are solely used to improve Siri’s functionality. Apple reaffirmed its commitment to privacy, stating, ‘Apple has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone.’
This case has drawn attention alongside a similar lawsuit targeting Google’s Voice Assistant, currently pending in federal court in San Jose, California. Both lawsuits are spearheaded by the same legal teams, highlighting growing scrutiny over how tech companies handle voice assistant data.
Malaysia plans to leverage its strategic location and rising investments to establish itself as a hub for energy and semiconductor manufacturing, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli announced Thursday. The country is benefiting from political stability, economic growth, and a strong currency, distinguishing it from regional peers facing uncertainty.
Prime Minister Anwar highlighted Malaysia’s economic rebound last year, driven by significant investments in renewable energy and AI infrastructure. He pointed to a stable ringgit, low inflation, and a leading stock market performance in Southeast Asia. ‘In 2025, we aim to capitalise on our geographical position as a conduit for electricity, talent, and supply chain diversification,’ Anwar said at an economic forum.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli revealed plans to produce homegrown graphics processing unit (GPU) chips in response to growing AI and data centre demands. Malaysia, which already accounts for 13% of global semiconductor testing and packaging, is targeting over $100 billion in investments for the sector. The country has attracted major firms like Intel and Infineon, as well as digital investments from Google, further boosting its economy and solidifying its role as a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain.
The Dutch government announced a deal with Nvidia on Thursday to provide hardware and expertise for a potential AI supercomputing facility. The planned facility is part of the Netherlands‘ broader strategy to bolster AI research and contribute to EU efforts to strengthen Europe’s digital economy.
Last year, the Netherlands allocated €204.5 million ($210 million) for AI investments, with additional funding expected from European subsidies. Economy Minister Dirk Beljaarts hailed the Nvidia agreement as a major step toward realising the project, emphasising the intense global competition for advanced AI technologies.
‘This deal brings building a Dutch AI facility a lot closer,’ Beljaarts said after meeting Nvidia representatives in Silicon Valley, although he refrained from disclosing specific details of the agreement.
Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes reiterated on Wednesday that technology companies must comply with national laws to continue operating in the country. His statement followed Meta’s recent announcement to scale back its US fact-checking program, raising concerns about its impact on Brazil.
Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of anti-institution riots, Moraes emphasised that the court would not tolerate the use of hate speech for profit. Last year, he ordered the suspension of social media platform X for over a month due to its failure to moderate hate speech, a decision later upheld by the court. X owner Elon Musk criticised the move as censorship but ultimately complied with court demands to restore the platform’s services in Brazil.
Brazilian prosecutors have also asked Meta to clarify whether its US fact-checking changes will apply in Brazil, citing an ongoing investigation into social media platforms’ efforts to combat misinformation and violence. Meta has been given 30 days to respond but declined to comment through its local office.
Panasonic has introduced Umi, a digital assistant designed to support family wellness, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Developed in partnership with AI startup Anthropic, Umi uses the Claude AI model to help families set and achieve personal goals, such as improving fitness or spending more time together. The interactive platform allows users to engage with the AI through voice chat and a mobile app, where they can create routines, manage tasks, and communicate in group chats.
The assistant is also aimed at caregivers looking after aging parents, offering a way to stay informed about their well-being even when living apart. Panasonic has collaborated with AARP to enhance Umi’s ability to support older adults. Additionally, the platform will connect users with wellness experts and integrate with partners such as Calm, Blue Apron, SleepScore Labs, and Precision Nutrition to help families build healthy habits.
Umi is expected to launch in the United States in 2025, with Panasonic positioning it as part of a broader wellness initiative. The partnership with Anthropic extends beyond consumer products, as Panasonic plans to integrate the Claude AI model into its own operations to enhance customer service, marketing, and coding efficiency.
