Digital business models Archives | Page 382 of 581

Colt, Honeywell and Nokia to trial quantum cryptography in space

Colt Technology Services, Honeywell, and Nokia have joined forces to trial quantum key distribution (QKD) via satellites to develop quantum-safe networks. The trial builds on a previous Colt pilot focused on terrestrial quantum-secure networks.

The collaboration aims to tackle the looming cybersecurity risks of quantum computing, which threatens to break current encryption methods. The project seeks to deliver secure global communication beyond the current 100km terrestrial limit by trialling space-based and subsea QKD.

Low-Earth orbit satellites will explore QKD over ultra-long distances, including transatlantic spans. The initiative is designed to support sectors that handle sensitive data, such as finance, healthcare, and government, by offering encryption solutions resistant to quantum threats.

Leaders from all three companies emphasised the urgency of developing safeguards to protect against future threats. A joint white paper, The Journey to Quantum-Safe Networking, has been released to outline the risks and technical roadmap for this new frontier in secure communications.

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AI data centre boom sparks incentives and pushback

The explosive growth of AI and cloud computing has ignited a data centre building boom across the United States, with states offering massive financial incentives to attract investment.

However, electricity, and water is beginning to meet resistance from lawmakers and local communities concerned about long-term costs and environmental strain.

Dozens of states have rolled out tax exemptions, permitting fast-tracks, and deregulated energy options to lure hyperscale data centres—massive facilities consuming hundreds of megawatts of power.

Kansas, Kentucky, and Arkansas have expanded tax breaks, while Pennsylvania seeks to streamline permitting in hopes of capturing a share of the billions flowing into data infrastructure.

Other states, including West Virginia and Utah, have passed laws enabling data centres to bypass grid operators and buy power directly.

Supporters say data centres deliver high upfront spending and create thousands of construction jobs. However, critics argue the facilities offer few permanent positions, strain public utilities, and place an unfair burden on ratepayers to fund new power plants.

In South Carolina, lawmakers clashed over whether customers should be forced to underwrite infrastructure primarily serving a single tech company.

Meanwhile, some states are beginning to push back. Oregon and Georgia are exploring laws requiring data centres to pay the full cost of the electricity infrastructure they consume.

In Texas, where winter blackouts in 2021 exposed grid fragility, lawmakers are cautiously debating balancing power supply with growing AI and cloud demands amid fears the state could lose investment due to regulatory uncertainty.

As the demand for AI soars, so does the pressure to weigh economic opportunity against sustainability, transparency, and fairness in energy use. The data centre boom may be here to stay—but how states handle it could define their long-term digital and environmental futures.

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Diplo joins Brazil’s Internet Forum and celebrates CGI.br’s 30 years

Diplo actively participated in Brazil’s Internet Forum (FIB), held from May 26 to 30 and hosted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br). The event brought together key stakeholders from across sectors to discuss pressing issues in digital governance.

Representing Diplo, Marilia Maciel contributed to critical discussions on state roles and multistakeholder collaboration in managing cloud infrastructures and defending digital sovereignty. She also offered insights during the main session on setting principles for regulating digital platforms.

Maciel’s contributions were recognised with the ‘Destaques em Governança da Internet no Brasil’ award, one of the most respected acknowledgments of excellence in internet governance in the country. The award highlights individuals and organisations that have made significant advances in promoting inclusive and effective digital policy in Brazil.

The event also marked a major milestone for CGI.br—its 30th anniversary. Diplo joined in celebrating the committee’s three decades of leadership in internet governance. CGI.br’s pioneering approach to multistakeholder governance has served not only as a national model but as a global inspiration for collaborative digital policy-making.

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Shoppers can now let AI find and buy deals

Tech giants are pushing deeper into e-commerce with AI-powered digital aides that can understand shoppers’ tastes, try on clothes virtually, hunt for bargains, and even place orders independently.

The so-called ‘AI agent’ mark a new phase in retail, combining personalisation with automation to reshape how people shop online.

Google recently introduced a suite of tools under its new AI Mode, allowing users to upload a photo and preview how clothing would look on their own body. The AI adjusts sizes and fabric drape, enhancing realism.

Shoppers can also set their price and let the AI search for the best deal, alerting them when it’s found and offering to complete the purchase using Google’s payment platform.

OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and Amazon have also added shopping features to their platforms, while Walmart and other retailers are working to ensure their products remain visible to AI shoppers.

Payment giants Visa and Mastercard have upgraded their systems to allow AI agents to process transactions autonomously, cementing the role of digital agents in the online shopping journey.

Experts say this growing ‘agent economy’ offers powerful convenience but raises questions about consumer privacy, trust, and control.

While AI shoppers are unlikely to disrupt e-commerce overnight, analysts note that companies like Google and Meta are particularly well-positioned due to their vast user data and AI leadership.

The next evolution of shopping may not depend on what consumers choose, but on whether they trust machines to choose for them.

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Panama City considers Bitcoin for canal payments

Panama City’s Mayor Mayer Mizrachi has floated the idea of letting cargo ships pay in Bitcoin. The proposal would allow faster passage through the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most vital trade routes.

Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, he suggested offering perks to vessels choosing Bitcoin as a payment method. The canal processes nearly 10,000 ships a year and accounts for around 5% of global maritime trade.

Mizrachi’s proposal comes as part of his broader effort to integrate Bitcoin into public infrastructure. Panama City began accepting crypto for municipal payments in April, instantly converting transactions into dollars.

The mayor is also exploring the creation of a Bitcoin reserve and has sought inspiration from El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin policies.

The idea of crypto payments for canal fees emerges amid rising international interest in the waterway. Mizrachi, however, urged lawmakers not to rush into restrictive crypto regulation, advocating instead for a hands-off approach.

While the Bitcoin-for-passage concept remains in its early stages, Mizrachi claims crypto use in Panama is more widespread than it appears, with over $5 billion in annual transactions.

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Paris Saint-Germain adds Bitcoin to treasury

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has revealed it holds Bitcoin in its treasury, becoming the first sports club to make such a move public. The announcement was made during the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas by Pär Helgosson, head of PSG Labs.

He called it part of a ‘new generation trend,’ reflecting the club’s efforts to align with future-facing innovations.

The club began acquiring Bitcoin last year, converting part of its fiat reserves into the digital asset. Helgosson highlighted the relevance of the decision by pointing out that 80% of PSG’s global fanbase is under the age of 34.

With over 550 million fans worldwide, the move positions PSG as a leader among sports organisations adapting to the digital economy.

Football remains the most active sport for crypto sponsorships, accounting for 43% of all crypto deals in the 2024/25 season, according to SportQuake.

The trend has seen a 64% annual increase, driven largely by European leagues and global campaigns amid political uncertainty in the US.

PSG joins a growing number of institutions adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets. Analysts credit both exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and political momentum, particularly under President Trump’s administration, for boosting corporate confidence in Bitcoin as a strategic asset.

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Uber’s product chief turns to AI for reports and research

Uber’s chief product officer, Sachin Kansal, is embracing AI to streamline his daily workflow—particularly through tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and, soon, NotebookLM.

Speaking on ‘Lenny’s Podcast,’ Kansal revealed how AI summarisation helps him digest lengthy 50- to 100-page reports he otherwise wouldn’t have time to read. He uses AI to understand market trends and rider feedback across regions such as Brazil, South Korea, and South Africa.

Kansal also relies on AI as a research assistant. For instance, when exploring new driver features, he used ChatGPT’s deep research capabilities to simulate possible driver reactions and generate brainstorming ideas.

‘It’s an amazing research assistant,’ he said. ‘It’s absolutely a starting point for a brainstorm with my team.’

He’s now eyeing Google’s NotebookLM, a note-taking and research tool, as the next addition to his AI toolkit—especially its ‘Audio Overview’ feature, which turns documents into AI-generated podcast-style discussions.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi previously noted that too few of Uber’s 30,000+ employees are using AI and stressed that mastering AI tools, especially for coding, would soon be essential.

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Lazarus group fails in phishing attempt on BitMEX

BitMEX has revealed it successfully stopped a phishing attempt by the Lazarus Group, a hacking network linked to North Korea. Attackers posed as a Web3 partner on LinkedIn, trying to trick a BitMEX employee into running malicious GitHub code.

BitMEX’s security team detected the threat early and linked it to infrastructure previously associated with Lazarus.

The exchange noted Lazarus uses simple phishing before more advanced hacks. A failed operational safeguard even exposed an IP address tied to North Korean operations, located in Jiaxing, China.

Experts believe the group’s hacking efforts are split among subgroups, each with different technical skill levels.

Lazarus has been blamed for a sharp rise in crypto thefts. Chainalysis reported North Korean-linked actors stole $1.34 billion in 2024, accounting for 61% of the total stolen in crypto-related crimes that year.

Social engineering remains their primary entry tactic, as seen in major incidents like the Bybit and Radiant Capital hacks.

The group continues to launch daily fraud attempts using a mix of phishing, fake job offers, and malicious files to compromise individuals and organisations across the crypto space.

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Students build world’s fastest Rubik’s Cube solver

A group of engineering students from Purdue University have built the world’s fastest Rubik’s Cube-solving robot, achieving a Guinness World Record time of just 0.103 seconds.

The team focused on improving nearly every aspect of the process, not only faster motors, from image capture to cube construction.

Rather than processing full images, the robot uses low-resolution cameras aimed at opposite corners of the cube, capturing only the essential parts of the image to save time.

Instead of converting camera data into full digital pictures, the system directly reads colour data to identify the cube’s layout. Although slightly less accurate, the method allows quicker recognition and faster solving.

The robot, known as Purdubik’s Cube, benefits from software designed specifically for machines, allowing it to perform overlapping turns using a technique called corner cutting. Instead of waiting for one rotation to finish, the next begins, shaving off valuable milliseconds.

To withstand the stress, the team designed a cube with extremely tight tension using reinforced nylon, making it nearly impossible to turn by hand.

High-speed motors controlled the robot’s movements, with a trapezoidal acceleration profile ensuring rapid but precise turns. The students believe the record could fall again—provided someone develops a stronger, lighter cube using materials like carbon fibre.

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Serbian startup revolutionises cancer diagnostics with AI-powered radiotherapy tool

A group of Serbian physicists, programmers, and radiologists, led by Stevan Vrbaški, has developed a groundbreaking software solution through their startup, Vinaver Medical. After gaining experience through studies and research abroad, the team returned to Serbia, where they launched a project to improve cancer diagnostics using advanced radiotherapy technology.

Their work is centred on particle radiotherapy, a precise cancer treatment method that surpasses conventional X-ray-based radiotherapy. The innovation lies in software that combines AI and CT imaging to enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve the planning of radiotherapy in oncology.

Unlike traditional methods, this solution enables far more precise targeting of tumours, which can potentially reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissue. According to Vrbaški, their software helps determine the optimal delivery of radiotherapy based on patient scans.

Vinaver Medical received initial funding through the ‘Smart Start’ program and later support from the ‘Digital Serbia Initiative.’ Their product is currently being tested in the United States, the European Union, and the Balkans.

Vrbaški highlights the challenges of developing and certifying medical technologies, emphasising the need for rigorous testing, user adaptation, and risk reduction before market release. Looking ahead, the team plans to visit hospitals and innovation centres in Italy and the US to fine-tune their solution to meet user needs better.

With a certified, market-ready product in hand, they aim to launch commercially within a year to eighteen months, as testing with Dutch partners continues to validate the software’s ability to assist doctors in diagnosing various illnesses with greater accuracy.

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