Digital business models

Google is testing voice-powered Search Live in AI Mode

Google is rolling out a new voice-powered feature called Search Live as part of its evolving AI Mode for Search. Initially previewed at Google I/O 2025, the feature allows users to interact with Search through real-time spoken conversations without needing to type or tap through results.

Available to select users in the United States via the Google app on Android and iOS, Search Live lets users ask questions aloud and receive voice responses. It also supports conversational follow-ups, creating a more natural flow of information.

The feature is powered by Project Astra, Google’s real-time speech processing engine that underpins other innovations like Live in Gemini.

When enabled, a sparkle-styled waveform icon appears under the search bar, replacing the previous Google Lens shortcut. Tapping it opens the feature and activates four voice style options—Cosmo, Neso, Terra, and Cassini. Users can opt for audio responses or mute them and view a transcript instead.

Search Live marks a broader shift in how Google is rethinking search: turning static queries into dynamic dialogues. The company also plans to expand AI Mode with support for live camera feeds shortly, aiming to make Search more immersive and interactive.

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New phase in Malaysia Airlines and Google collaboration

Malaysia Airlines is deepening its partnership with Google to accelerate its digital transformation, focusing on AI-powered marketing and end-to-end innovation across the travel experience.

Building on a successful 2024 collaboration, the renewed agreement will integrate more advanced technologies to enhance customer engagement and streamline services.

The airline and tech giant aims to shift from promotional showcases to a fully integrated ecosystem, using AI and data-driven tools to reshape the travel journey.

A recent highlight was an interactive showcase at the MATTA Fair, where visitors transformed photos into videos using Google’s Veo image-to-video generation tool — part of Malaysia Airlines’ ‘Time For’ campaign.

Dersenish Aresandiran, chief commercial officer of airlines at Malaysia Aviation Group, said the partnership is about more than technology: it’s a strategic move to enrich customer experiences and support national tourism goals ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

Google Malaysia’s director, Farhan Qureshi, echoed the sentiment, calling the collaboration a powerful example of how innovation and creativity can redefine global travel.

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After Musk and Trump fall out, Dogecoin plunges

Dogecoin has taken a sharp bearish turn, with analysts warning of a potential 66% drop in value following a public clash between Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump.

The cryptocurrency, which has often rallied on Musk’s endorsements, is now facing its third consecutive weekly decline. DOGE is currently trading at $0.17, with bearish technical patterns pointing toward a possible slide to $0.06.

The feud between Musk and Trump escalated on 5 June after the former left his role in the Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump has since threatened to end Musk’s federal contracts and subsidies, prompting the billionaire to respond on X (formerly Twitter) with fierce criticism, including calls for impeachment and mockery of Trump’s budget bill. The fallout has rattled crypto markets, where Musk’s influence is particularly strong.

Historically, Dogecoin has surged on Musk’s backing—from Tesla’s acceptance of DOGE for merchandise in 2022 to Twitter’s temporary rebranding with the memecoin’s logo in 2023.

It also rallied following Trump’s 2024 election win, which Musk vocally supported. The current breakdown in their alliance, however, appears to have reversed that trend.

Technically, DOGE has broken below key support levels, forming a bear flag pattern that analysts say could trigger a further decline to $0.06.

Indicators like the RSI have also turned negative, suggesting continued selling pressure in the short term as traders digest the political drama and shifting market sentiment.

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Broadcom beats estimates but stock dips after-hours

Broadcom reported strong second-quarter earnings and revenue driven by robust AI demand and solid networking performance.

Despite beating expectations and raising its outlook, the stock fell 3.47% in after-hours trading on Thursday — likely due to profit-taking instead of concern about fundamentals. Shares had previously rallied over 75% since April.

Revenue for the quarter ending May 5 reached US$15 billion, up 20% year-on-year. Adjusted earnings per share were US$1.58, exceeding estimates by two cents.

Net income more than doubled to US$4.97 billion. CEO Hock Tan attributed the strength to growing demand for AI infrastructure and contributions from VMware, which Broadcom acquired in late 2023.

Broadcom forecasted Q3 revenue of approximately US$15.8 billion, slightly above analyst expectations. AI-related revenue is set to increase to US$5.1 billion, up from US$4.4 billion in Q2, fuelled by custom AI accelerators and high-speed networking chips used in hyperscale data centres.

Tan said that the trend should continue through fiscal 2026.

Semiconductor solutions brought in US$8.4 billion in Q2, up 17% from last year, while software revenue rose 25% to US$6.6 billion, with VMware as a key contributor.

About 30% of Broadcom’s AI-related revenue now comes from its switching business, reflecting increasing demand for AI chip clusters. Despite the slight dip in share price, analysts continue to view Broadcom as a key player in AI infrastructure.

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Semiconductor innovation drives AI chip boom

The global AI chip design market is set for explosive growth, with its value projected to rise from USD 73.87 billion in 2024 to USD 468.9 billion by 2032.

This rapid expansion, driven by a 25.98% compound annual growth rate, reflects rising demand for AI in everyday devices, cloud computing, and industrial automation.

Surging adoption of AI-powered technologies across sectors—from smartphones and autonomous vehicles to manufacturing and healthcare—is fuelling the need for advanced, energy-efficient chips.

Companies are investing in smaller, faster processors and real-time edge computing solutions, while governments in countries like the US, China, and South Korea are backing local AI chip development through funding and research initiatives.

North America currently leads the market thanks to tech giants like NVIDIA, Google, and Intel, but Asia-Pacific is growing fastest, particularly as China and South Korea accelerate efforts toward self-reliance in AI hardware.

Industry leaders such as Arm, Intel, and Qualcomm are racing to optimise performance while managing power demands, placing AI chip design at the heart of the next digital transformation wave.

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Kraken warns crypto users to stay alert

Kraken has raised concerns over the lack of basic security awareness among crypto users attending industry events. Kraken’s security team observed unlocked devices, unattended phones, and careless talk of personal wealth at conferences, exposing attendees to potential exploitation.

Head of Security Nick Percoco warned that these behaviours compromise individual assets and the safety of entire projects.

Percoco highlighted how scammers easily blend in by posing as legitimate attendees. Tactics include juice jacking, compromised Wi-Fi networks, and malicious QR codes.

He advised using burner wallets with minimal funds during conferences, locking all devices, and avoiding unsecured public connections.

There has also been a rise in offline threats targeting crypto holders. Kraken observed attendees casually discussing trades while wearing conference badges with full names and company details.

With reports of kidnappings and in-person crypto thefts increasing globally, experts say discretion and strong operational security are more crucial than ever.

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ChatGPT adds meeting recording and cloud access

OpenAI has launched new features for ChatGPT that allow it to record meetings, transcribe conversations, and pull information directly from cloud platforms like Google Drive and SharePoint.

Instead of relying on typed input alone, users can now speak to ChatGPT, which records audio, creates editable summaries, and helps generate follow-up content such as emails or project outlines.

‘Record’ is currently available to Team users via the macOS app and will soon expand to Enterprise and Edu accounts.

The recording tool automatically deletes the audio after transcription and applies existing workspace data rules, ensuring recordings are not used for training.

Instead of leaving notes scattered across different platforms, users gain a structured and searchable history of conversations, voice notes, or brainstorming sessions, which ChatGPT can recall and apply during future interactions.

At the same time, OpenAI has introduced new connectors for business users that let ChatGPT access files from cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and others.

These connectors allow ChatGPT to search and summarise information from internal documents, rather than depending only on web search or user uploads. The update also includes beta support for Deep Research agents that can work with tools like GitHub and HubSpot.

OpenAI has embraced the Model Context Protocol, an open standard allowing organisations to build their own custom connectors for proprietary tools.

Rather than serving purely as a general-purpose chatbot, ChatGPT is evolving into a workplace assistant capable of tapping into and understanding a company’s complete knowledge base.

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New York Times sues OpenAI over data use

The New York Times has launched legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of using its news articles without permission to train AI language models.

The NYT has asked the court to make OpenAI keep all ChatGPT user data indefinitely to find evidence for its case.

OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, criticised the demand, saying it conflicts with privacy commitments and longstanding industry standards. OpenAI is appealing the order, arguing it represents an excessive overreach that weakens user privacy protections.

Despite the ongoing appeal, OpenAI must comply with the court’s directive until further notice. A limited, audited legal and security team will manage the stored data securely and only use it to meet legal obligations.

The data retention order impacts over 400 million weekly ChatGPT users, including those on Free, Plus, Pro, Teams, and many API plans. However, Enterprise and Zero Data Retention users remain unaffected.

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EU launches global digital strategy

The European Union has launched a sweeping international digital strategy to bolster its global tech leadership and secure a human-centric digital transformation. With the digital and AI revolution reshaping economies and societies worldwide, the EU is positioning itself as a reliable partner in building resilient, open, and secure digital ecosystems.

The strategy prioritises collaboration with international partners to scale digital infrastructure, strengthen cybersecurity, and support emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors while promoting democratic values and human rights in digital governance. The EU will deepen and expand its global network of Digital Partnerships and Dialogues to remain competitive and secure in a fast-changing geopolitical landscape.

These collaborations focus on research, industrial innovation, regulatory cooperation, and secure supply chains, while engaging countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the EU’s own neighbourhood. The strategy also leverages trade instruments and investment frameworks such as the Global Gateway to support secure 5G and 6G networks, submarine cables, and digital public infrastructure, helping partner countries improve connectivity, resilience, and sustainability.

To enhance global digital governance, the EU is pushing for international standards that uphold privacy, security, and openness, and opposing efforts to fragment the internet. It supports inclusive multilateralism, working through institutions like the UN, G7, and OECD to shape rules for the digital age.

With initiatives ranging from AI safety cooperation and e-signature mutual recognition to safeguarding children online and combating disinformation, the EU aims to set the benchmark for ethical and secure digital transformation. At the heart of this vision is the EU Tech Business Offer—a modular, cross-border platform combining technology, capacity-building, and financing.

Through Team Europe and partnerships with industry, the EU seeks to bridge the digital divide, export trusted digital solutions, and foster an interconnected world aligned with European democratic principles. The strategy underscores that in today’s interconnected world, the EU’s prosperity and security hinge on shaping a digital future that is competitive, inclusive, and values-driven.

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US and El Salvador discuss crypto partnerships

Bo Hines, head of Donald Trump’s advisory council on digital assets, recently met with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to explore joint opportunities in the crypto sector. Their meeting focused on digital asset growth and plans to reshape global finance.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office confirmed talks on Bitcoin and wider digital asset collaboration between the two nations. The visit comes shortly after Bukele’s White House meeting with Trump, which focused on regional security rather than crypto.

However, Hines’ presence in El Salvador has reignited attention on Trump’s crypto strategy.

Trump’s administration previously announced plans for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which would be built using funds from criminal seizures and other cost-neutral sources.

While no official US Bitcoin purchases have occurred, Hines’ visit may signal early steps toward adopting elements of El Salvador’s model.

El Salvador, which made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, continues to push for digital literacy. Its government has launched education programmes on Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, and ethics, aiming to develop a new generation of tech-savvy leaders.

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