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Nvidia moves to comply with US export rules

Nvidia is planning to redesign its AI chips to comply with tightened US export restrictions, aiming to retain its foothold in China instead of pulling back.

According to a report by The Information, the chipmaker has already informed major Chinese clients, such as Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent, about its revised strategy. The discussions reportedly occurred during CEO Jensen Huang’s visit to Beijing in mid-April.

The visit came just after Washington expanded its curbs on high-performance AI chip exports to China, specifically targeting Nvidia’s H20 chip.

Originally developed to meet earlier US rules, the H20 has now also been deemed too powerful for export under the new regulations. The US government says the move is aimed at preventing China’s military from accessing cutting-edge AI.

Nvidia previously warned that the latest restrictions could cost it up to $5.5 billion in lost revenue. Instead of backing away, the company is now preparing redesigned chips to stay within legal bounds while continuing to serve Chinese tech firms.

Customers have been told that prototype chips could be ready by June.

In addition, Nvidia is developing a tailored version of its next-generation AI chip, Blackwell, specifically for China. These efforts underline Nvidia’s attempt to balance regulatory compliance with its commercial interests in one of the world’s largest AI markets.

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DOGE sees a 41% increase in whale transactions

Dogecoin (DOGE) has seen a 41% increase in whale transactions over the past 24 hours. Large holders have moved over 60.9 billion DOGE, according to IntoTheBlock data. It marks a seven-day high, indicating heightened activity among major investors.

Despite the surge in transactions, DOGE’s price remains under pressure, trading at approximately $0.174, reflecting a 1.24% decline. The increase in whale activity suggests strategic positioning by large holders, possibly in anticipation of future market movements.

Analysts are monitoring the situation closely. They note that while whale accumulation often precedes price rallies, the current market outlook remains cautious. The decline in trading volume by over 24% to $826.67 million further suggests a wait-and-see approach among investors.

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Musk says AI should replace federal jobs

Elon Musk has suggested that AI should replace many federal government workers, criticising the US administration as bloated and inefficient.

Speaking privately at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Musk argued AI could perform government tasks faster and with greater accuracy, ultimately saving taxpayers money.

His remarks coincided with the winding down of his controversial volunteer role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative born under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Musk spent over 100 days embedded in the White House, even setting up a small office in the West Wing. Despite joking about its minimal view and sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom, he claimed his work had major impacts — including rooting out fraud and slashing federal budgets.

Musk said DOGE was responsible for cutting $160 billion in government spending, although no formal evidence has been released to support that figure.

The programme has sparked intense backlash. Thousands of federal employees were reportedly dismissed or resigned during the DOGE audits, prompting lawsuits and allegations of illegal firings.

Critics say the sweeping cuts have left the US less prepared for emergencies and reduced its global influence, allowing China to expand its reach. Protesters have targeted Tesla in response, leading Trump to defend Musk and condemn the attacks.

Although scaling back his involvement in Washington, Musk isn’t leaving entirely. He will now spend only one or two days a week on government affairs, returning more of his focus to Tesla amid flagging sales and investor pressure.

Despite the chaos, DOGE has inspired new political groups in Congress, blurring the line between satire and policy. Musk himself finds it all surreal, asking, ‘Are we in a simulation here?’

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Chefs quietly embrace AI in the kitchen

At this year’s Michelin Guide awards in France, AI sparked nearly as much conversation as the stars themselves.

Paris-based chef Matan Zaken, of the one-star restaurant Nhome, said AI dominated discussions among chefs, even though many are hesitant to admit they already rely on tools like ChatGPT for inspiration and recipe development.

Zaken openly embraces AI in his kitchen, using platforms like ChatGPT Premium to generate ingredient pairings—such as peanuts and wild garlic—that he might not have considered otherwise. Instead of starting with traditional tastings, he now consults vast databases of food imagery and chemical profiles.

In a recent collaboration with the digital collective Obvious Art, AI-generated food photos came first, and Zaken created dishes to match them.

Still, not everyone is sold on AI’s place in haute cuisine. Some top chefs insist that no algorithm can replace the human palate or creativity honed by years of training.

Philippe Etchebest, who just earned a second Michelin star, argued that while AI may be helpful elsewhere, it has no place in the artistry of the kitchen. Others worry it strays too far from the culinary traditions rooted in local produce and craftsmanship.

Many chefs, however, seem more open to using AI behind the scenes. From managing kitchen rotas to predicting ingredient costs or carbon footprints, phone apps like Menu and Fullsoon are gaining popularity.

Experts believe molecular databases and cookbook analysis could revolutionise flavour pairing and food presentation, while robots might one day take over laborious prep work—peeling potatoes included.

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New Zealand central bank warns of AI risks

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has warned that the swift uptake of AI in the financial sector could pose a threat to financial stability.

A report released on Monday highlighted how errors in AI systems, data privacy breaches and potential market distortions might magnify existing vulnerabilities instead of simply streamlining operations.

The central bank also expressed concern over the increasing dependence on a handful of third-party AI providers, which could lead to market concentration instead of healthy competition.

A reliance like this, it said, could create new avenues for systemic risk and make the financial system more susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Despite the caution, the report acknowledged that AI is bringing tangible advantages, such as greater modelling accuracy, improved risk management and increased productivity. It also noted that AI could help strengthen cyber resilience rather than weaken it.

The analysis was published just ahead of the central bank’s twice-yearly Financial Stability Report, scheduled for release on Wednesday.

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Trump says America needs crypto to stay ahead

Donald Trump has renewed his support for the cryptocurrency industry, calling it vital for America’s innovation and future. In an interview with NBC News, the president stressed that the US should embrace crypto. He warned that the country could fall behind global competitors like China without action.

He described the sector as young but increasingly significant.

Trump pointed to Bitcoin’s resilience during recent market volatility, claiming it has outpaced traditional sectors such as US stocks. He argued that the growing interest in crypto reflects its potential as a long-term hedge. Millions of people around the world are now engaging with the industry.

Addressing speculation about his gains, Trump denied profiting from his pro-crypto stance. He stated that he hasn’t even reviewed his crypto portfolio and dismissed accusations related to his TRUMP token and other family ventures.

Despite backlash and ethical concerns, Trump remains committed to making the US a global leader in digital assets.

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RackBank launches $118 million AI data centre park in India

RackBank has opened a new AI data centre park in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, with an initial investment of ₹10 billion (around $118 million).

Instead of relying on conventional data infrastructure, the facility focuses on GPU-based computing, AI processing and data analytics, and is expected to generate over 500 jobs, primarily in the IT sector.

Spread across 13.5 acres, the park includes a designated Special Economic Zone and begins operations with a 5 MW capacity. Rather than stopping there, RackBank plans to scale the facility to 150 MW, which could draw an additional ₹20 billion in investment.

The park has been designed to position India as a competitive force in AI infrastructure.

Instead of standard cooling methods, RackBank is deploying its proprietary direct-to-chip and Varuna liquid immersion systems, which aim to cut cooling costs by up to 70% and enhance energy efficiency.

The company envisions the centre as a hub for academic, industrial and governmental collaboration, helping businesses leverage India’s growing GPU capabilities.

Officials see the initiative as a major step toward digital self-reliance. Rather than concentrating such developments in traditional tech hubs, the project puts Chhattisgarh on the national map for data management and AI innovation.

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Google admits using opted-out content for AI training

Google has admitted in court that it can use website content to train AI features in its search products, even when publishers have opted out of such training.

Although Google offers a way for sites to block their data from being used by its AI lab, DeepMind, the company confirmed that its broader search division can still use that data for AI-powered tools like AI Overviews.

An initiative like this has raised concern among publishers who seek reduced traffic as Google’s AI summarises answers directly at the top of search results, diverting users from clicking through to original sources.

Eli Collins, a vice-president at Google DeepMind, acknowledged during a Washington antitrust trial that Google’s search team could train AI using data from websites that had explicitly opted out.

The only way for publishers to fully prevent their content from being used in this way is by opting out of being indexed by Google Search altogether—something that would effectively make them invisible on the web.

Google’s approach relies on the robots.txt file, a standard that tells search bots whether they are allowed to crawl a site.

The trial is part of a broader effort by the US Department of Justice to address Google’s dominance in the search market, which a judge previously ruled had been unlawfully maintained.

The DOJ is now asking the court to impose major changes, including forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser and stop paying to be the default search engine on other devices. These changes would also apply to Google’s AI products, which the DOJ argues benefit from its monopoly.

Testimony also revealed internal discussions at Google about how using extensive search data, such as user session logs and search rankings, could significantly enhance its AI models.

Although no model was confirmed to have been built using that data, court documents showed that top executives like DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis had expressed interest in doing so.

Google’s lawyers have argued that competitors in AI remain strong, with many relying on direct data partnerships instead of web scraping.

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Cyber incident disrupts services at Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer has confirmed that a cyberattack has disrupted food availability in some stores and forced the temporary shutdown of online services. The company has not officially confirmed the nature of the breach, but cybersecurity experts suspect a ransomware attack.

The retailer paused clothing and home orders on its website and app after issues arose over the Easter weekend, affecting contactless payments and click-and-collect systems. M&S said it took some systems offline as a precautionary measure.

Reports have linked the incident to the hacking group Scattered Spider, although M&S has declined to comment further or provide a timeline for the resumption of online orders. The disruption has already led to minor product shortages and analysts anticipate a short-term hit to profits.

Still, M&S’s food division had been performing strongly, with grocery spending rising 14.4% year-on-year, according to Kantar. The retailer, which operates around 1,000 UK stores, earns about one-third of its non-food sales online. Shares dropped earlier in the week but closed Tuesday slightly up.

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Meta introduces face recognition to help UAE users recover hacked accounts

Meta is introducing facial recognition tools to help UAE users recover hacked accounts on Facebook and Instagram and stop scams that misuse public figures’ images. The technology compares suspicious ads to verified profile photos and removes them automatically if a match is found.

Well-known individuals in the region are automatically enrolled in the programme but can opt out if they choose. A new video selfie feature has also been rolled out to help users regain access to compromised accounts.

This allows identity verification through a short video matched with existing profile photos, offering a faster and more secure alternative to document-based checks.

Meta confirmed that all facial data used for verification is encrypted, deleted immediately after use, and never repurposed.

The company says this is part of a broader effort to fight impersonation scams and protect both public figures and regular users, not just in the UAE but elsewhere too.

Meta’s regional director highlighted the emotional and financial harm such scams can cause, reinforcing the need for proactive defences.

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