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.
Israeli startup Fermata, founded in 2020 by bioinformatics expert Valeria Kogan, is using AI and computer vision to monitor greenhouse crops for diseases and pests. The company’s software works with standard cameras, capturing images of plants twice a day and alerting farmers to potential infestations via an app. Initially considering robotic solutions, Kogan shifted focus after consulting with farmers, realising that simpler camera-based monitoring was more effective.
Based in Israel, Fermata has gained traction by prioritising farmer needs and keeping its AI training in-house, improving model accuracy. Partnering with major agricultural firms like Bayer and Syngenta, the company has deployed over 100 cameras and continues to expand. The startup recently secured a $10 million Series A investment from Raw Ventures, its existing investor, to scale operations and work towards profitability by 2026.
Plans for growth include strengthening the sales team and expanding beyond greenhouse tomatoes into new crops. Despite AI’s previous struggles in agriculture, Fermata’s practical approach and farmer-centric model have helped it carve a niche in the industry.
US safety regulators are investigating Tesla’s ‘Actually Smart Summon’ feature, which allows drivers to move their cars remotely without being inside the vehicle. The probe follows reports of crashes involving the technology, including at least four confirmed incidents.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is examining nearly 2.6 million Tesla cars equipped with the feature since 2016. The agency noted issues with the cars failing to detect obstacles, such as posts and parked vehicles, while using the technology.
Tesla has not commented on the investigation. Company founder Elon Musk has been a vocal supporter of self-driving innovations, insisting they are safer than human drivers. However, this probe, along with other ongoing investigations into Tesla’s autopilot features, could result in recalls and increased scrutiny of the firm’s driverless systems.
The NHTSA will assess how fast cars can move in Smart Summon mode and the safeguards in place to prevent use on public roads. Tesla’s manual advises drivers to operate the feature only in private areas with a clear line of sight, but concerns remain over its real-world safety applications.
AMD has announced a range of new processors and graphics cards at CES 2025, including high-performance desktop CPUs, energy-efficient laptop chips, and AI-powered processors for next-generation Copilot+ PCs. The company’s latest flagship, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, targets gamers and creators with 16 cores and speeds of up to 5.7GHz, offering an 8% performance boost in select games compared to its predecessor. AMD also introduced the Fire Range series for laptops and the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen AI Max chips, which integrate neural processing units for AI workloads.
The growing market for handheld gaming PCs has led to the release of AMD’s Ryzen Z2 series, optimised for portable devices. Meanwhile, the company’s new Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs, built on RDNA 4 architecture, promise improved ray tracing, AI acceleration, and better media encoding. AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.0, designed to enhance gaming visuals with minimal latency, was also unveiled.
Expanding beyond hardware, AMD’s Adrenalin software now includes AI-powered features, such as image generation and local AI models for summarising documents. With a strong market presence and increasing demand for AI and gaming solutions, AMD’s 2025 lineup reflects its strategy to remain competitive across multiple segments. Ryzen AI and Fire Range: AMD’s big CES 2025 reveals
Google has announced a major update to its TV operating system at CES 2025, integrating its Gemini AI assistant to deliver personalised news summaries. The new ‘News Brief’ feature will scrape news articles and YouTube headlines from trusted sources to generate a concise recap of daily events. Google plans to roll out the feature to both new and existing Google TV devices by late 2025.
The move marks Google’s deeper foray into AI-generated news, a space that has faced legal challenges from media companies over copyright concerns. While rival firms like OpenAI and Microsoft have been sued over unlicensed content use, Google’s News Brief does not currently display its sources, apart from related YouTube videos. AI-generated news has also faced accuracy issues, with previous AI models producing misleading or entirely false headlines.
Beyond news summaries, Google aims to make TVs more interactive, with Gemini allowing users to search for films, shows, and YouTube videos using natural language. Future Google TVs will include sensors to detect when users enter the room, enabling a more personalised experience. As the company continues expanding AI features in consumer technology, the success of News Brief may depend on how well it addresses content accuracy and transparency concerns.
A notorious stretch of the A361 in Devon will receive £1 million in AI and speed camera technology to improve road safety. The investment, part of a £5 million grant from the Department for Transport (DfT), comes after the road was identified as ‘high risk,’ with three fatalities and 30 serious injuries recorded between 2018 and 2022. AI-powered cameras will detect offences such as drivers using mobile phones and failing to wear seatbelts, while speed cameras will be installed at key locations.
A pilot scheme last August recorded nearly 1,800 potential offences along the route, highlighting the need for stricter enforcement. The latest plans include three fixed speed cameras at Ilfracombe, Knowle, and Ashford, as well as two average speed camera systems covering longer stretches of the road. AI cameras will be rotated between different locations to monitor driver behaviour more effectively.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for highways, expressed pride in the region’s adoption of AI for road safety improvements. The remaining £4 million from the DfT grant will be allocated to upgrading junctions and improving access for pedestrians and cyclists along the A361.
Delta Air Lines introduced an AI-powered assistant and expanded in-flight services during CES 2025. The Delta Concierge, built into the airline’s mobile app, will provide proactive travel updates like passport expiration alerts and visa requirements. Passengers can interact with the assistant using voice or text for added convenience.
SkyMiles members will soon enjoy free access to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music during flights. The new offering enhances Delta’s focus on passenger entertainment while adding exclusive perks for frequent flyers.
A next-generation in-flight entertainment system will begin rolling out in 2026, featuring 4K HDR QLED displays, Bluetooth connectivity, and 96 terabytes of storage for movies, TV shows, and music. Delta describes it as the first cloud-based system of its kind.
The company also announced a collaboration with Airbus on the fello’fly project, testing formation flying to conserve fuel. Regulatory hurdles could delay widespread adoption, but the energy-saving potential remains promising.
Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani plans to invest $20 billion in the growing US data centre sector over the coming years. The announcement was made alongside US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where Sajwani, chairman of Dubai-based developer DAMAC, expressed the potential for even larger investments depending on market conditions.
Sajwani’s company owns the only Trump-branded golf course in the Middle East, located in Dubai. The two have a long-standing relationship, with Sajwani celebrating New Year with Trump in Florida. Trump’s focus on economic growth aligns with this announcement, though previous investment promises, such as the Foxconn factory in Wisconsin, fell short of expectations.
A surge in AI technology, particularly since the introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, has driven significant investment in data infrastructure. Microsoft recently revealed plans to spend $80 billion this fiscal year on expanding its AI capacity. SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son also committed $100 billion in US investments, further highlighting the sector’s momentum.
US restrictions on advanced AI chip exports to China have intensified under the Biden administration. Trump’s recent appointments of China hard-liners in key economic and diplomatic roles signal a continued focus on limiting China’s access to cutting-edge technologies.
Faculty AI, a consultancy company with significant experience in AI, has been developing AI technologies for both civilian and military applications. Known for its close work with the UK government on AI safety, the NHS, and education, Faculty is also exploring the use of AI in military drones. The company has been involved in testing AI models for the UK’s AI Safety Institute (AISI), which was established to study the implications of AI safety.
While Faculty has worked extensively with AI in non-lethal areas, its work with military applications raises concerns due to the potential for autonomous systems in weapons, including drones. Though Faculty has not disclosed whether its AI work extends to lethal drones, it continues to face scrutiny over its dual roles in advising both the government on AI safety and working with defense clients.
The company has also generated some controversy because of its growing influence in both the public and private sectors. Some experts, including Green Party members, have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to Faculty’s widespread government contracts and its private sector involvement in AI, such as its collaborations with OpenAI and defence firms. Faculty’s work on AI safety is seen as crucial, but critics argue that its broad portfolio could create a risk of bias in the advice it provides.
Despite these concerns, Faculty maintains that its work is guided by strict ethical policies, and it has emphasised its commitment to ensuring AI is used safely and responsibly, especially in defence applications. As AI continues to evolve, experts call for caution, with discussions about the need for human oversight in the development of autonomous weapons systems growing more urgent.
