Digital business models Archives | Page 380 of 581

Bing rolls out Sora powered video maker

Microsoft has launched a new feature in its Bing app called Bing Video Creator, allowing users to generate videos using text prompts. That tool leverages OpenAI’s advanced Sora model, marking the first time Sora is available for free to the public, as it was previously restricted to paying OpenAI customers.

However, the feature is currently limited to the Bing mobile app and is not yet accessible on desktop. To use the service, users must be signed into a Microsoft account.

Initially, they can create up to 10 videos for free; after that, each video costs 100 Microsoft Rewards points, which can be earned by searching with Bing or shopping in the Microsoft Store. For instance, users get five points for each Bing search on a PC, up to 150 points daily.

Each video is limited to five seconds and must be generated in vertical 9:16 format, a layout ideal for social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Users can generate up to three clips at a time.

Although labelled ‘fast’ mode, the generation process may still take hours. Microsoft says support for horizontal formats is on the way.

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Sam Altman says AI will soon solve complex business problems

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believ e s AI is on the verge of helping humans make genuine discoveries and solve complex business problems.

Speaking at the Snowflake Summit 2025, Altman likened today’s AI agents to junior employees, saying they increasingly take on tasks and improve through iteration.

He predicted that by next year, AI agents could contribute to uncovering new knowledge and providing non-trivial business solutions.

His comments come amid a growing shift in the labour market, with firms like Shopify and Duolingo replacing human roles with AI systems to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Recent data shows a 19% drop in AI-performable tasks in online job postings over the last three years. Roles in IT and database administration have seen hiring reductions of over 30%, highlighting how AI is actively reshaping employment.

Altman also highlighted OpenAI’s latest tools, such as Codex and GPT-4.5, designed to handle increasingly sophisticated tasks like coding and software integration.

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Microsoft lets European users silence Edge prompts

Microsoft is extending its Digital Markets Act compliance measures by further loosening Windows’ grip on its in-house apps across the European Economic Area.

Users can now uninstall the Microsoft Store and will no longer face Edge pop-ups unless they launch the browser themselves.

Edge version 137.0.3296.52, released on 29 May, activates the changes immediately in the region. Choosing an alternative browser such as Chrome or Firefox now pins it to the taskbar by default and automatically handles a wider range of link and file types, including ftp and svg.

Wider deployment across Windows 10 and 11 is scheduled for July. Microsoft says Store-delivered apps will keep receiving updates even if the storefront is removed, and it can be restored at any time.

Bing, Widgets and the Lock Screen will also respect the new default browser once early June updates arrive.

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Customer data stolen in cyber attacks on Cartier and North Face

Fashion brand The North Face and luxury jeweller Cartier have confirmed recent cyber attacks that exposed customer data, including names and email addresses.

Neither company reported breaches of financial or password information.

North Face identified the attack as a credential stuffing attempt, where previously stolen passwords are used to break into other accounts.

Affected customers are being advised to change their login details, while the company’s owner, VF Corporation, continues recovering from an earlier incident.

Cartier said the breach allowed brief access to limited client data but insisted that it quickly secured its systems.

Retailers such as Adidas, Victoria’s Secret, Harrods, and M&S have all been hit in recent months, prompting warnings that the industry remains an attractive target for cyber criminals.

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AI to take over all Meta ads under new plan

Meta is preparing to transform digital advertising on its platforms, with reports indicating that by 2026, all adverts on Facebook and Instagram could be fully created and targeted using AI.

The company’s vision would see AI tools take over the entire process—from ad generation to audience selection—requiring advertisers to provide only a product image and budget.

Since introducing generative AI features for advertisers in May 2023, Meta has continued to expand its automation capabilities. Currently, AI plays a major role in targeting ads across Meta’s platforms.

Under the new system, Meta’s AI will go several steps further by generating text, visuals, and video, as well as optimising ad delivery for the most suitable audience.

The initiative is aligned with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader vision of AI-led automation, especially within advertising—Meta’s financial backbone, which accounted for over 97% of the company’s revenue last year.

Speaking at Meta’s annual shareholder meeting, Zuckerberg outlined a future where businesses simply define their marketing goal and budget, link a payment method, and allow Meta’s AI to handle the rest.

The company is also developing real-time personalisation tools. These will allow the same ad to appear differently depending on a user’s location or context—for example, showing a car in snowy terrain to one user, while another might see it in an urban setting.

Meta is also exploring integration with third-party AI models such as DALL·E and Midjourney to further enhance creative capabilities.

This move follows similar developments by rivals like Google, which recently launched its Veo video generation model. With AI continuing to reshape the advertising landscape, Meta is betting on full automation as the next frontier in digital marketing.

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Crypto adoption rises in Latin America as financial pressure grows

Latin Americans are turning to crypto not for speculation, but to escape inflation, transfer funds abroad, and bypass strict financial systems. Decades of economic instability have eroded trust in traditional banks, pushing people towards digital alternatives.

Major firms such as Binance and Mercado Pago are expanding services to meet this demand.

Binance Pay now integrates with Brazil’s Pix payment system, allowing seamless crypto-to-fiat transactions. Mercado Pago has applied for a digital banking licence in Argentina to offer more financial services, including crypto, within a regulated framework.

In countries like Argentina and Mexico, stablecoins support everyday transactions and remittances. Bitcoin use is growing across the region, especially where banking access is limited.

Banks are under pressure to evolve. Some, like Brazil’s BTG Pactual, are launching their own blockchain tools. As demand surges, crypto continues reshaping Latin America’s financial future.

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Sberbank launches Bitcoin-linked bond

Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, has launched a Bitcoin-linked structured bond, marking a key move towards integrating crypto into Russia’s financial system. The bond ties investor returns to Bitcoin’s performance and the strength of the US dollar against the Russian ruble.

Although only available to qualified investors, the product is fully approved by regulators.

The investment does not involve holding Bitcoin directly. Instead, it gives exposure to price movements while keeping all transactions in rubles and within Russia’s financial infrastructure.

Sberbank is not stopping there. The bank plans to roll out a Bitcoin futures product via its SberInvestments platform, with a launch scheduled for June.

These developments follow a policy shift from the Bank of Russia, which now permits licensed firms to offer crypto-related investment options to selected investors.

Sberbank’s involvement suggests that digital assets may soon become a mainstream feature of Russia’s financial landscape.

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Google’s AI Edge Gallery boosts privacy with on-device model use

Google has released an experimental app called AI Edge Gallery, allowing Android users to run AI models directly on their devices without needing an internet connection.

The app supports several publicly available models from Hugging Face, including Google’s own lightweight Gemma 3n, and offers tools for image generation, Q&A, and code assistance.

The key feature of the app is its local processing capability, which means data never leaves the user’s device.

This addresses rising concerns over privacy and data security, particularly when interacting with AI tools. By running models locally, users benefit from faster response times and greater control over their data.

AI Edge Gallery includes features such as ‘AI Chat,’ ‘Ask Image,’ and a ‘Prompt Lab,’ where users can experiment with tasks like text summarisation and single-turn AI interactions.

While the app is optimised for lighter models like Gemma 3—just 529MB in size—Google notes that performance will depend on the hardware of the user’s device, with more powerful phones delivering faster results.

Currently in Alpha, the app is open-source and available under the Apache 2.0 licence via GitHub, encouraging developers to explore and contribute. Google is also inviting feedback to shape future updates and improvements.

To enhance app security, especially as AI features become more embedded in mobile experiences, Google suggests integrating secure, passwordless login methods.

Solutions like MojoAuth—offering OTP-based logins via phone or email—can reduce risks of data breaches while offering a smooth, user-friendly authentication process.

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France cracks down on organised kidnapping ring targeting crypto leaders

Twenty-five people, including six minors, have been charged in Paris for kidnappings and attempted abductions of France’s crypto leaders. Eighteen are in pre-trial detention, others await court or are under supervision. Ages range from 16 to 23.

The investigation began with a 13 May daylight kidnapping attempt in eastern Paris, aimed at the daughter and grandson of Paymium’s CEO, Pierre Noizat. Prior failed attempts and a separate foiled abduction near Nantes earlier in the week are also linked to the case.

Video footage showed masked attackers assaulting Noizat’s family, who were hospitalised with minor injuries. Noizat praised those who defended his family during the attack.

Most suspects are French-born, with some from Senegal, Angola, and Russia. Authorities say the accused include both those who carried out the abductions and those responsible for logistics.

Defence lawyers highlighted the youth of some defendants and their vulnerability to criminal influence. The wave of kidnappings has raised national security concerns, prompting government efforts to protect wealthy crypto entrepreneurs.

Last January, Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped, tortured, and ransomed before being freed.

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Agentic Intelligence set to automate complex tasks with human oversight

Thomson Reuters has unveiled a new AI platform, Agentic Intelligence, designed to automate complex workflows for professionals in tax, legal, and compliance sectors.

The platform integrates directly with existing professional tools, enabling AI to plan, reason, and act on tasks while maintaining audit trails and data control to meet regulatory standards.

A key component of the launch is CoCounsel for Tax, a tool aimed at tax, audit, and accounting professionals. It consolidates firm-specific data, internal knowledge, and regulatory materials into a unified workspace.

Early adopters have reported significant productivity gains, with one accounting firm, BLISS 1041, cutting time spent on residency and filing code reviews from several days to under an hour.

Agentic Intelligence leverages over 20 billion proprietary and public documents and is supported by a network of 4,500 subject matter experts.

Built on partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Cloud, and AWS, the platform reflects Thomson Reuters’ strategic shift towards embedding AI across sectors traditionally dependent on manual expertise.

David Wong, chief product officer at Thomson Reuters, said the new platform represents more than a technological upgrade. ‘Agentic AI isn’t a marketing buzzword. It’s a new blueprint for how complex work gets done,’ he said.

‘These systems don’t just assist — they operate within professional workflows, break down tasks, act independently, and escalate where needed, all under human oversight.’

Following CoCounsel for Tax, the next product — Ready to Review — will focus on automating tax return preparation.

The platform is expected to expand into legal, compliance, and risk sectors throughout 2025, building on previous acquisitions such as Materia and Casetext, which have helped lay the foundation for Thomson Reuters’ AI-centric growth strategy.

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