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Microsoft invests $2.2 billion in Malaysian cloud expansion

Microsoft is set to launch its first cloud region in Malaysia, featuring three data centres in the greater Kuala Lumpur area.

The centres, known as Malaysia West, will begin operations by mid-year, marking a significant step in the company’s $2.2 billion investment in the country.

However, this move is part of Microsoft’s broader plan to expand its cloud and AI services in Southeast Asia. Microsoft estimates the investment will generate $10.9 billion in revenue and create over 37,000 jobs in Malaysia over the next four years.

Laurence Si, managing director of Microsoft Malaysia, stated that the company’s operations in Malaysia remain on track despite concerns over US export controls on semiconductor chips.

Microsoft remains confident in its relationships with stakeholders and its ability to meet its investment commitments.

Local businesses are expected to benefit from enhanced cloud and AI capabilities, with the country aiming to become a leading hub for technological innovation in the region.

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Ofcom backs broadband competition to expand full-fibre coverage

Britain should maintain competition in the broadband market to boost full-fibre coverage to 96% of premises by 2027 while capping prices on slower-speed services, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom announced on Thursday.

The cap would limit what BT’s Openreach can charge for connections up to 80Mbit/s, an increase from the current 40Mbit/s limit.

Ofcom’s previous measures, including encouraging new providers to use Openreach’s infrastructure, have helped increase full-fibre coverage from under 25% to nearly 70% of homes.

It now proposes keeping high-speed broadband prices free from regulation until 2031 while ensuring affordability for those relying on older copper-fibre connections.

In rural areas where commercial networks are less viable, Ofcom plans to support Openreach in expanding full-fibre access. The regulator’s consultation on these proposals will run until June 12, with final decisions expected in March 2026. BT shares rose 0.5% following the announcement.

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Baidu dismisses claims of leaked user information

Chinese tech giant Baidu has denied claims of an internal data breach after the teenage daughter of a senior executive was accused of sharing users’ personal information online.

The controversy erupted when internet users alleged that the daughter of Baidu vice president Xie Guangjun had posted private details, including phone numbers, following an online dispute.

Baidu insisted that neither employees nor executives have access to user data and claimed the information came from illegally obtained ‘doxing databases’ on foreign platforms.

The company has filed a police report regarding false claims, including allegations that Xie had given his daughter access to Baidu’s databases.

Xie apologised, stating that the data had been sourced from overseas social networking sites.

The case comes amid ongoing crackdown in China on data privacy breaches, with stricter laws in place to prevent unauthorised sharing of personal details.

The controversy has impacted investor confidence, with Baidu’s shares falling more than 4% in Hong Kong trading.

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AI Infrastructure Partnership expands with new key players

Nvidia and Elon Musk’s xAI have joined the AI Infrastructure Partnership, a consortium backed by Microsoft, MGX, and BlackRock, to expand AI infrastructure in the United States.

Originally formed last year with a commitment to invest over $30 billion, the group aims to fund data centres and energy projects essential for AI applications. Investors have already pledged $100 billion for immediate deployment, with further capital expected over the next four years.

The partnership, formerly known as the AI consortium, is focused on raising funds from investors, corporations, and asset owners to support AI’s growing energy and computing demands.

Nvidia will continue in its role as a technical advisor, while GE Vernova and NextEra Energy will contribute expertise in supply-chain planning and high-efficiency energy solutions.

The initiative aligns with a global push to secure AI dominance and meet the increasing demand for computational power.

AI training and large-scale data processing require vast amounts of energy, driving demand for specialised infrastructure. The consortium’s investments will prioritise projects within the United States and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

The announcement follows the launch of Stargate, a separate AI infrastructure initiative backed by SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle, with plans to mobilise up to $500 billion.

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AI firm Prezent aims for global expansion after securing fresh investment

AI startup Prezent has raised $20 million in fresh funding to refine its AI-powered slide deck creation platform and expand into new markets.

The Los Altos-based company, which also operates in Bengaluru, aims to help businesses create high-quality presentations tailored to industry-specific language and terminology.

Founded in 2021 by Rajat Mishra, Prezent combines generative AI with proprietary data from millions of slide decks to offer customised business communication solutions.

The company’s AI assistant, Astrid, enables users to upload documents such as Excel files and PDFs while providing relevant company-specific context. Prezent’s technology suggests layouts and formats for presentations, helping users streamline their workflow.

For those on tight deadlines, an expedited service combines AI with human reviewers to deliver polished, professional-grade decks overnight. The platform currently serves around 150 Fortune 2000 companies, particularly in biopharma and tech, and is now targeting financial services and manufacturing.

With plans to expand into Europe, Japan, and Singapore, Prezent is also developing APIs to allow developers to generate presentations directly from chatbots, apps, and search engines.

Last year, the company reported over $10 million in annual recurring revenue and now has nearly 200 employees, most of whom work remotely from India.

The latest investment, led by Greycroft with participation from Zoom Ventures and others, values Prezent at well over $100 million.

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Disney’s next-gen robots powered by Nvidia’s Newton

Disney’s dream of bringing lifelike robotic characters to its theme parks is closer to reality, thanks to a new collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind. At GTC 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduced Newton, an advanced physics engine designed to enhance how robots interact with their surroundings. The first to benefit from this technology will be Disney’s next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired BDX droids, one of which made a surprise appearance on stage during Huang’s keynote.

Newton is engineered to improve the expressiveness and adaptability of robots, enabling them to handle complex tasks with greater precision. The open-source engine will allow developers to simulate interactions with real-world elements such as fabric, sand, and food, making robotic movement more natural. Nvidia confirmed that Newton will integrate seamlessly with Google DeepMind’s robotics toolkit, including MuJoCo, its multi-joint simulation engine.

Disney has long experimented with robotic characters for its theme parks, showcasing controlled demonstrations at events like SXSW. With the introduction of Newton, Disney Imagineering sees an opportunity to roll out these robots across multiple park locations starting next year. The collaboration between Nvidia, Disney, and Google DeepMind marks a major leap in entertainment robotics, promising theme park guests a more immersive and dynamic experience.

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New AI model by Stability AI creates 3D videos from images

Stability AI has unveiled its latest AI model, Stable Virtual Camera, designed to convert 2D images into dynamic 3D video scenes. Announced in a company blog post, the model enables users to create immersive videos with realistic depth and perspective using up to 32 input images. It generates ‘novel views’ of a scene, offering various preset camera movements, including Spiral, Dolly Zoom, Move, and Pan.

The tool is currently available as a research preview and allows users to generate videos in square (1:1), portrait (9:16), and landscape (16:9) formats, with a maximum length of 1,000 frames. However, Stability AI warns that certain images, such as those with people, animals, or complex textures like water, may produce lower-quality results. Highly ambiguous or irregularly shaped objects may also lead to visual artifacts.

Stable Virtual Camera is available for research use under a non-commercial license and can be downloaded from AI development platform Hugging Face. The launch follows a turbulent period for Stability AI, which has recently undergone leadership changes, secured new investments, and expanded into new AI applications, including generative audio. With this latest innovation, the company aims to solidify its position in the competitive AI market.

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Mark Zuckerberg confirms Llama’s soaring popularity

Meta’s open AI model family, Llama, has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 1 billion downloads, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The announcement, made on Threads, highlights a rapid rise in adoption, with downloads increasing by 53% since December 2024. Llama powers Meta’s AI assistant across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, forming a crucial part of the company’s expanding AI ecosystem.

Despite its success, Llama has not been without controversy. Meta faces a lawsuit alleging the model was trained on copyrighted material without permission, while regulatory concerns have stalled its rollout in some European markets. Additionally, emerging competitors, such as China’s DeepSeek R1, have challenged Llama’s technological edge, prompting Meta to intensify its AI research efforts.

Looking ahead, Meta plans to launch several new Llama models, including those with advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities. Zuckerberg has hinted at ‘agentic’ features, suggesting the AI could soon perform tasks autonomously. More details are expected at LlamaCon, Meta’s first AI developer conference, set for 29 April.

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California approves Tesla’s transport permit, but not for robotaxis

Tesla has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to operate a transportation service in the state, though the permit does not yet extend to autonomous vehicle operations. The transportation charter permit (TCP), granted on Tuesday, allows Tesla to use its own vehicles and employees as drivers for prearranged transport services. Initially, the company plans to use this permit for employee transportation, with the possibility of expanding to public services in the future.

Unlike Uber and Lyft, which operate under transportation network company (TNC) permits, Tesla’s TCP authorisation requires the company to own the vehicles and directly employ its drivers. The permit does not allow Tesla to test or deploy autonomous vehicles, nor does it grant the company participation in California’s Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service Programs. Should Tesla wish to operate a driverless service, it would need additional approvals from both the CPUC and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Despite these restrictions, Tesla continues to push forward with its self-driving ambitions. CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, as early as June, using vehicles equipped with an updated version of the company’s Full Self-Driving software. While California regulators have not yet approved Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing plans, the newly acquired permit may represent the first step towards that goal.

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Nvidia introduces high-performance AI machines for the future

At GTC 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a new generation of AI-focused personal supercomputers designed to redefine computing in the era of AI. The two new machines, DGX Spark and DGX Station, are powered by Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell chip platform and promise to deliver unprecedented AI computing power at the edge.

DGX Spark, available immediately, features the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, capable of up to 1,000 trillion operations per second. Meanwhile, the DGX Station, set for release later this year, is built with the GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip and 784GB of memory. According to Nvidia, these supercomputers will allow users to prototype, fine-tune, and deploy AI models with greater efficiency.

Huang described the devices as the future of computing, highlighting their role in supporting AI applications across enterprises. Nvidia has partnered with major manufacturers, including Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, to bring these machines to market. As AI adoption continues to surge, these systems could become essential tools for developers and businesses looking to stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven world.

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