Digital business models Archives | Page 162 of 555

AI credentials grow as AWS launches practical training pathway

AWS is launching four solutions to help close the AI skills gap as demand rises and job requirements shift. The company positions the new tools as a comprehensive learning journey, offering structured pathways that progress from foundational knowledge to hands-on practice and formal validation.

AWS Skill Builder now hosts over 220 free AI courses, ranging from beginner introductions to advanced topics in generative and agentic AI. The platform enables learners to build skills at their own pace, with flexible study options that accommodate work schedules.

Practical experience anchors the new suite. The Meeting Simulator helps learners explain AI concepts to realistic personas and refine communication with instant feedback. Cohorts Studio offers team-based training through study groups, boot camps, and game-based challenges.

AWS is expanding its credential portfolio with the AWS Certified Generative AI Developer – Professional certification. The exam helps cloud practitioners demonstrate proficiency in foundation models, RAG architectures, and responsible deployment, supported by practice tasks and simulated environments.

Learners can validate hands-on capability through new microcredentials that require troubleshooting and implementation in real AWS settings. Combined credentials signal both conceptual understanding and task-ready skills, with Skill Builder’s more expansive library offering a clear starting point for career progression.

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AI could cut two-thirds of UK retail jobs

Automation and AI could drastically reduce jobs at one of the UK’s largest online retailers. Buy It Direct, which employs over 800 staff, predicts more than 500 positions may be lost within three years, as AI and robotics take over office and warehouse roles.

Chief executive Nick Glynne cited rising national living wage and insurance contributions as factors accelerating the company’s shift towards automation.

The firm has already started outsourcing senior roles overseas, including accountants, managers and IT specialists, in response to higher domestic costs.

HM Treasury defended its policies, highlighting reforms in business rates and international trade deals, alongside a capped corporation tax at 25%.

Meanwhile, concerns are growing across the UK about AI replacing jobs, with graduates in fields such as graphic design and computer science facing increasing competition from technological advancements.

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Irish regulator opens DSA probe into X

Ireland’s media watchdog has opened a formal investigation into X under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Regulators will assess appeal rights and internal complaint handling after reports of inaccessible processes for users.

Irish officials will examine whether users can challenge refusals to remove reported content and receive clear outcomes. Potential penalties reach up to 6% of global turnover for confirmed breaches.

The case stems from ongoing supervision, a user complaint, and information from HateAid, marking the first such probe by Ireland. Wider EU scrutiny continues across huge platforms.

Other services, including Meta and TikTok, have faced DSA actions, underscoring tighter enforcement across the bloc. Remedial measures and transparency improvements could follow if non-compliance is found.

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ElevenLabs recreates celebrity voices for digital content

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have licensed their voices to ElevenLabs, an AI company, joining a growing number of celebrities who are embracing generative AI. McConaughey will allow his newsletter to be translated into Spanish using his voice, while Caine’s voice is available on ElevenLabs’ text-to-audio app and Iconic Marketplace. Both stressed that the technology is intended to amplify storytelling rather than replace human performers.

ElevenLabs offers a range of synthetic voices, including historical figures and performers like Liza Minnelli and Maya Angelou, while claiming a ‘performer-first’ approach focused on consent and creative authenticity. The move comes amid debate in Hollywood, with unions such as SAG-AFTRA warning AI could undermine human actors, and some artists, including Guillermo del Toro and Hayao Miyazaki, publicly rejecting AI-generated content.

Despite concerns, entertainment companies are investing heavily in AI. Netflix utilises it to enhance recommendations and content, while directors and CEOs argue that it fosters creativity and job opportunities. Critics, however, caution that early investments could form a volatile bubble and highlight risks of misuse, such as AI-generated endorsements or propaganda using celebrity likenesses.

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Hidden freeze controls uncovered across major blockchains

Bybit’s Lazarus Security Lab says 16 major blockchains embed fund-freezing mechanisms. An additional 19 could adopt them with modest protocol changes, according to the study. The review covered 166 networks using an AI-assisted scan plus manual validation.

Whilst using AI, researchers describe three models: hardcoded blacklists, configuration-based freezes, and on-chain system contracts. Examples cited include BNB Chain, Aptos, Sui, VeChain and HECO in different roles. Analysts argue that emergency tools can curb exploits yet concentrate control.

Case studies show freezes after high-profile attacks and losses. Sui validators moved to restore about 162 million dollars post-Cetus hack, while BNB Chain halted movement after a 570 million bridge exploit. VeChain blocked 6.6 million in 2019.

New blockchain debates centre on transparency, governance and user rights when freezes occur. Critics warn about centralisation risks and opaque validator decisions, while exchanges urge disclosure of intervention powers.

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Qwen relaunch aims to unify Alibaba’s mobile AI ecosystem

Alibaba is preparing a major overhaul of its mobile AI apps, renaming Tongyi as Qwen and adding early agentic features. The update aims to make Qwen resemble leading chatbots while linking AI tools to Taobao and other services. Alibaba also plans a global version once the new design stabilises.

Over one hundred developers are working on the project as part of wider AI investments. Alibaba hopes Qwen can anchor its consumer AI strategy and regain momentum in a crowded market. It still trails Doubao and Yuanbao in user popularity and needs a clearer consumer path.

Monetisation remains difficult in China because consumers rarely pay for digital services. Alibaba thinks shopping features will boost adoption by linking AI directly to e-commerce use. Qwen will stay free for now, allowing the company to scale its user base before adding paid options.

Alibaba wants to streamline its overlapping apps by directing users to one unified Qwen interface. Consolidation is meant to strengthen brand visibility and remove confusion around different versions. A single app could help Alibaba stand out as Chinese firms race to deploy agentic AI.

Chinese and US companies continue to expand spending on frontier AI models, cloud infrastructure, and agent tools. Alibaba reported strong cloud growth and rising demand for AI products in its latest quarter. The Qwen relaunch is its largest attempt to turn technical progress into a viable consumer business.

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European Commission launches Culture Compass to strengthen the EU identity

The European Commission unveiled the Culture Compass for Europe, a framework designed to place culture at the heart of the EU policies.

An initiative that aims to foster the identity ot the EU, celebrate diversity, and support excellence across the continent’s cultural and creative sectors.

The Compass addresses the challenges facing cultural industries, including restrictions on artistic expression, precarious working conditions for artists, unequal access to culture, and the transformative impact of AI.

It provides guidance along four key directions: upholding European values and cultural rights, empowering artists and professionals, enhancing competitiveness and social cohesion, and strengthening international cultural partnerships.

Several initiatives will support the Compass, including the EU Artists Charter for fair working conditions, a European Prize for Performing Arts, a Youth Cultural Ambassadors Network, a cultural data hub, and an AI strategy for the cultural sector.

The Commission will track progress through a new report on the State of Culture in the EU and seeks a Joint Declaration with the European Parliament and Council to reinforce political commitment.

Commission officials emphasised that the Culture Compass connects culture to Europe’s future, placing artists and creativity at the centre of policy and ensuring the sector contributes to social, economic, and international engagement.

Culture is portrayed not as a side story, but as the story of the EU itself.

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Microsoft links datacentres into an AI superfactory

Microsoft has opened Fairwater, a new class of AI datacentres networked across the US. Atlanta began operating in October and links with the Wisconsin build to act as a single superfactory. The design targets faster training for models used by Microsoft, OpenAI and Copilot.

Fairwater sites pack hundreds of thousands of advanced GPUs with liquid cooling. Company materials highlight near-zero operational water use at Atlanta’s system and efficiency improvements in Wisconsin. Coverage confirms multi-site networking intended to accelerate model development.

Residents and experts voice concern over noise, power demand and water risks near proposed AI hubs. Georgia communities have pursued restrictions, citing environmental strain and rising utility bills, while Wisconsin groups demand transparency.

Microsoft expanded its Wisconsin investment and cancelled a separate Caledonia plan after severe local pushback. The Mount Pleasant project continues, with commitments on infrastructure costs and efficient cooling noted in filings and reports.

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TikTok faces scrutiny over AI moderation and UK staff cuts

TikTok has responded to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee regarding proposed cuts to its UK Trust and Safety teams. The company claimed that reducing staff while expanding AI, third-party specialists, and more localised teams would improve moderation effectiveness.

The social media platform, however, did not provide any supporting data or risk assessment to justify these changes. MPs previously called for more transparency on content moderation data during an inquiry into social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms.

TikTok’s increasing reliance on AI comes amid broader concerns over AI safety, following reports of chatbots encouraging harmful behaviours.

Committee Chair Dame Chi Onwurah expressed concern that AI cannot reliably replace human moderators. She warned AI could cause harm and criticised TikTok for not providing evidence that staff cuts would protect users.

The Committee urges the Government and Ofcom to take action to ensure user safety before implementing staffing reductions. Dame Onwurah emphasised that without credible data, it is impossible to determine whether the changes will effectively protect users.

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Αnthropic pledges $50 billion to expand the US AI infrastructure

The US AI safety and research company, Anthropic, has announced a $50 billion investment to expand AI computing infrastructure inside the country, partnering with Fluidstack to build data centres in Texas and New York, with additional sites planned.

These facilities are designed to optimise efficiency for Anthropic’s workloads, supporting frontier research and development in AI.

The project is expected to generate approximately 800 permanent jobs and 2,400 construction positions as sites come online throughout 2026.

An investment that aligns with the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, aiming to maintain the US leadership in AI while strengthening domestic technology infrastructure and competitiveness.

Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, highlighted the importance of such an infrastructure in developing AI systems capable of accelerating scientific discovery and solving complex problems.

The company serves over 300,000 business customers, with a sevenfold growth in large accounts over the past year, demonstrating strong market demand for its Claude AI platform.

Fluidstack was selected as Anthropic’s partner for its agility in rapidly deploying high-capacity infrastructure. The collaboration aims to provide cost-effective and capital-efficient solutions to meet the growing demand, ensuring that research and development can continue to be at the forefront of AI innovation.

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