Digital business models

Amazon launches Blue Jay and Project Eluna to support employees

Amazon has unveiled two new innovations, Blue Jay and Project Eluna, designed to improve efficiency and safety in its operations. Blue Jay coordinates multiple arms to handle items in one workspace, reducing repetitive tasks and supporting employees.

Project Eluna is an agentic AI model that helps operators make data-driven decisions, anticipating bottlenecks and optimising workflows.

Blue Jay uses robotics experience, AI, and digital twin simulations to go from concept to production in just over a year. It is being tested in South Carolina, managing 75% of items and could support Amazon’s Same-Day delivery network.

Project Eluna will pilot in Tennessee, offering operators clear recommendations and reducing the cognitive load of monitoring multiple dashboards.

These systems aim to enhance the employee experience by improving ergonomics, reducing repetitive tasks, and opening new career pathways. Amazon is expanding robotics, mechatronics, and AI training so employees can work confidently with these technologies.

Blue Jay and Project Eluna join other recent innovations, including Vulcan, a robot with a sense of touch, and DeepFleet, an AI model coordinating fleets of mobile robots.

Tye Brady, Amazon Robotics chief technologist, emphasised that the focus remains on people. AI and robotics integration aims to enhance workplace safety, efficiency, and fulfillment, reflecting Amazon’s focus on workforce development and technological progress.

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UK data stays in the UK as OpenAI rolls out residency

OpenAI will offer UK data residency for API Platform, ChatGPT Enterprise, and ChatGPT Edu from October 24. The option, announced by Deputy PM David Lammy, is tied to a Ministry of Justice partnership. The government says it boosts privacy, security, and resilience for public services and business.

Lammy will unveil the ‘sovereign capability’ at OpenAI Frontiers, citing early MoJ efficiency gains. Over 1,000 probation officers will use Justice Transcribe to record and auto-transcribe offender meetings. Hours of admin shift to AI so staff can focus on supervision and public protection.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says UK usage has quadrupled in the past year. The company pitches AI as a way to save time and lift productivity across sectors. MoJ pilots have sparked interest from other departments, with broader adoption expected.

Data residency is a key blocker for regulated sectors, and this move aims to address that gap. Keeping data within the UK can simplify compliance and reduce perceived risk. It also underpins continuity plans by localising sensitive workloads.

ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-first web browser, was also announced this week. Its arrival could nudge users away from keyword searches toward conversational answers. OpenAI faces rivals Anthropic, Perplexity, and big tech incumbents in that shift.

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ChatGPT faces EU’s toughest platform rules after 120 million users

OpenAI’s ChatGPT could soon face the EU’s strictest platform regulations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), after surpassing 120 million monthly users in Europe.

A milestone that places OpenAI’s chatbot above the 45 million-user threshold that triggers heightened oversight.

The DSA imposes stricter obligations on major platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and Amazon, requiring greater transparency, risk assessments, and annual fees to fund EU supervision.

The European Commission confirmed it has begun assessing ChatGPT’s eligibility for the ‘very large online platform’ status, which would bring the total number of regulated platforms to 26.

OpenAI reported that its ChatGPT search function alone had 120.4 million monthly active users across the EU in the six months ending 30 September 2025. Globally, the chatbot now counts around 700 million weekly users.

If designated under the DSA, ChatGPT would be required to curb illegal and harmful content more rigorously and demonstrate how its algorithms handle information, marking the EU’s most direct regulatory test yet for generative AI.

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Russia moves to classify crypto as marital property

A Russian lawmaker has proposed recognising crypto as marital property to clarify asset ownership in divorce cases. The bill, introduced by Igor Antropenko of the United Russia party, seeks to amend Articles 34 and 36 of the Family Code to classify crypto acquired during marriage as joint property.

Digital assets obtained before marriage or through gifts would remain individually owned.

The proposal aims to address what Antropenko described as ‘risks to property rights’ arising from the current legal ambiguity surrounding digital currencies. It has been sent to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Central Bank Chairwoman Elvira Nabiullina for review.

The explanatory note highlights the constitutional obligation to protect property rights and cites the growing use of crypto among Russian citizens for investment and savings.

Russia’s move mirrors South Korea’s approach, where courts already recognise cryptocurrencies as divisible marital assets. Under Article 839-2 of Korea’s Civil Act, spouses can request investigations into hidden crypto holdings and either liquidate or divide tokens directly.

Blockchain transparency has made digital asset tracking easier than tracing cash, closing loopholes in asset concealment during divorce.

The proposal comes as Russia’s crypto activity hit $376.3 billion between July 2024 and June 2025, overtaking all European markets. Growing use of DeFi, stablecoins, and plans for a national crypto bank show increasing state involvement in digital finance.

Legal recognition of crypto as property would bring family law in line with this broader regulatory shift.

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Crypto hiring snaps back as AI cools

Tech firms led crypto’s hiring rebound, adding over 12,000 roles since late 2022, according to A16z’s State of Crypto 2025. Finance and consulting contributed 6,000, offsetting talent pulled into AI after ChatGPT’s debut. Net, crypto gained 1,000 positions as workers rotated in from tech, fintech, and education.

The recovery tracks a market turn: crypto capitalisation topping US$4T and new Bitcoin highs. A friendlier US policy stance on stablecoins and digital-asset oversight buoyed sentiment. Institutions from JPMorgan to BlackRock and Fidelity widened offerings beyond pilots.

Hiring is diversifying beyond developers toward compliance, infrastructure, and product. Firms are moving from proofs of concept to production systems with clearer revenue paths. Result: broader role mix and steadier talent pipelines.

A16z contrasts AI centralisation with crypto’s open ethos. OpenAI/Anthropic dominate AI-native revenue; big clouds hold most of the infrastructure share; NVIDIA leads GPUs. Crypto advocates pitch blockchains as a counterweight via verifiable compute and open rails.

Utility signals mature, too. Stablecoins settled around US$9T in 12 months, up 87% year over year. That’s over half of Visa’s annual volume and five times that of PayPal’s.

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Zuckerberg to testify in landmark trial over social media’s harm to youth

A US court has mandated that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, must appear and testify in a high-stakes trial about social media’s effects on children and adolescents. The case, brought by parents and school districts, alleges that platforms contributed to mental health harms by deploying addictive algorithms and weak moderation in their efforts to retain user engagement.

The plaintiffs argue that platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat failed to protect young users, particularly through weak parental controls and design choices that encourage harmful usage patterns. They contend that the executives and companies neglected risks in favour of growth and profits.

Meta had argued that such platforms are shielded from liability under US federal law (Section 230) and that high-level executives should not be dragged into testimony. But the judge rejected those defenses, saying that hearing directly from executives is integral to assessing accountability and proving claims of negligence.

Legal experts say the decision marks an inflection point: social media’s architecture and leadership may now be put under the microscope in ways previously reserved for sectors like tobacco and pharmaceuticals. The trial could set a precedent for how tech chief executives are held personally responsible for harms tied to platform design.

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Netflix goes ‘all in’ on generative AI as entertainment industry remains divided

Netflix has declared itself ‘all in’ on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), signalling a significant commitment to embedding AI across its business, from production and VFX to search, advertising and user-experience, according to a recent investor letter and earnings call.

Co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasised that while AI will be widely used, it is not a replacement for the creative talent behind Netflix’s original shows. ‘It takes a great artist to make something great,’ he remarked. ‘AI can give creatives better tools … but it doesn’t automatically make you a great storyteller if you’re not.’

Netflix has already applied GenAI in production. For example, in The Eternaut, an Argentine series in which a building-collapse scene was generated using AI tools, reportedly ten times faster than with conventional VFX workflows. The company says it plans to extend GenAI use to search experiences (natural language queries), advertising formats, localisation of titles, and creative pre-visualisation workflows.

However, the entertainment industry remains divided over generative AI’s role. While Netflix embraces the tools, many creators and unions continue to raise concerns about job displacement, copyright and the erosion of human-centred storytelling. Netflix is walking a line of deploying AI at scale while assuring audiences and creators that human artistry remains central.

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Kazakhstan to achieve full Internet access for all citizens by 2027

Kazakhstan aims to provide Internet access to its entire population by 2027 as part of the national ‘Affordable Internet’ project.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev outlined the country’s digital transformation goals during a government session, highlighting plans to eliminate digital inequality and expand broadband connectivity.

Over one trillion tenge has been invested in telecommunications in the past three years, bringing average Internet speeds to 94 Mbps. By 2027, Kazakhstan expects to achieve 100% Internet coverage, speeds above 100 Mbps, and fiber-optic access for 90% of rural settlements.

Currently, 84% of villages already have mobile Internet, and 2,606 are connected to main fibre-optic lines.

The plan includes 4G coverage for 92% of settlements, 5G deployment in 20 cities, and 4G connectivity across 40,000 km of highways. Satellite Internet will reach 504 remote villages by 2025.

Madiyev also noted Kazakhstan’s strategic role in global data transit, with projects such as the Caspian Sea undersea fibre-optic line aiming to raise its share of international traffic from 1.5% to 5% by 2027.

An initiative that supports Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a regional IT hub by 2030, with the number of IT racks set to grow from 4,000 to 20,000, and at least nine Tier III-IV data centres planned.

The country has also launched the National Supercomputer Center ‘alem.cloud’ and the ‘Al-Farabium’ tech cluster to strengthen its digital ecosystem.

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EU sets new rules for cloud sovereignty framework

The European Commission has launched its Cloud Sovereignty Framework to assess the independence of cloud services. The initiative defines clear criteria and scoring methods for evaluating how providers meet EU sovereignty standards.

Under the framework, the Sovereign European Assurance Level, or SEAL, will rank services by compliance. Assessments cover strategic, legal, operational, and technological aspects, aiming to strengthen data security and reduce reliance on foreign systems.

Officials say the framework will guide both public authorities and private companies in choosing secure cloud options. It also supports the EU’s broader goal of achieving technological autonomy and protecting sensitive information.

The Commission’s move follows growing concern over extra-EU data transfers and third-country surveillance. Industry observers view it as a significant step toward Europe’s ambition for trusted, sovereign digital infrastructure.

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Andreessen Horowitz backed Codi startup launches AI tool to streamline office operations

Codi, an Andreessen Horowitz–backed startup founded by Christelle Rohaut and Dave Schuman, has launched an AI-powered platform that is said to fully automate office management.

The San Francisco-based company was founded in 2018 to help firms find flexible workspaces. It first operated as a marketplace, matching companies to buildings with flexible office arrangements but has since evolved into an AI-powered software platform. The new AI agent handles logistics such as vendor coordination, cleaning and pantry restocking for any leased office, meeting a need that, according to Rohaut, remains very manual and costly.

Chief executive Christelle Rohaut said advances in AI made the shift possible. ‘Whatever office you lease, you can use this to automate your office logistics,’ she told TechCrunch.

The product entered beta in May and officially launched this week. Codi, which has raised $23 million to date, including a $16 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz in 2022 , reported reaching $100,000 in annual recurring revenue within five weeks of the beta launch.

The company says the platform can save firms hundreds of hours in administrative work and reduce costs compared with hiring an in-house or part-time office manager. Early adopters include TaskRabbit and Northbeam.

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