China accused Taiwan on Wednesday of attempting to hand over its semiconductor industry to the United States, claiming that the island’s government was using the industry to gain political support from Washington. The accusation comes amid reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, may be negotiating a stake in Intel. However, neither TSMC nor Intel has confirmed the talks and Taiwan’s government says it has not received such investment proposals from TSMC.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian, suggested without providing evidence that Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was using TSMC to seek foreign support for independence, accusing the island of ‘selling out’ its companies to the US. Taiwan, however, rejected these claims, with Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council affirming the importance of TSMC to the island’s economy and stressing its commitment to maintaining a leading role in semiconductor technology.
The US has been critical of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, with former President Donald Trump calling for more manufacturing to return to the United States. Despite China’s claims, Taiwan maintains that it is responsible for its foreign investment decisions. The island continues to rely on the US for military support, though the US does not formally recognise Taiwan’s government.
TSMC, which supplies major companies like Apple and Nvidia, did not comment on the reports. Taiwan’s government, however, vowed to support the company amid rising tensions surrounding its semiconductor industry.
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Canada’s telecommunications regulator, the CRTC, announced on Wednesday that it will impose a fee on Google to cover the costs of enforcing the Online News Act, which requires large tech platforms to pay for news content shared on their sites. The levy, which will be implemented from April 1, will vary each year and has no upper limit. This move comes amid rising tensions between Canada and the US over issues like trade and a digital services tax on American tech firms.
The CRTC stated that most of its operations are funded by fees from the companies it regulates, and the new charge aims to recover costs related to the law. Google, which had previously raised concerns about the fairness of such a rule, had argued that it was unreasonable to impose 100% of the costs on one company. Despite this, Google has agreed to pay C$100 million annually to Canadian publishers in a deal that ensures its search results continue to feature news content.
The law, which is part of a global trend to make internet giants pay for news, was introduced last year in response to concerns that tech firms were crowding out news businesses in the online advertising market. While both Google and Meta were identified as major platforms required to make payments, Meta chose to block news from its platforms in Canada instead. Google, however, has continued to negotiate with the Canadian government, although it has yet to comment further on the CRTC’s decision.
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Quantum Machines (QM), a leader in quantum computing technology, has raised $170 million in a mid-stage funding round, bringing its total funding to $280 million. The investment is seen as a significant step in accelerating QM’s role in the rapidly evolving quantum computing industry. With quantum technology on the verge of becoming a major disruptive force, this funding will help QM expand its hardware and software offerings to meet the demands of quantum system developers globally.
Quantum computing holds enormous promise for breakthroughs in fields such as medicine and chemistry, offering the ability to solve problems far beyond the capabilities of classical computers. While the technology is still developing, key milestones are being reached, including IBM and Google’s advancements in achieving over 1,000 qubits. These developments signal that practical quantum computers could soon become a reality.
QM’s growth is supported by strong backing from major investors, including PSG Equity and Intel Capital, reflecting the increasing confidence in the potential of quantum computing. As the technology matures, companies like Microsoft and Nvidia are also contributing to the ecosystem, highlighting that the quantum race is heating up. Despite regional challenges, Israeli tech startups, including QM, are continuing to attract investment, contributing to the country’s growing tech sector.
With this new funding, QM is well-positioned to drive forward its mission to innovate and lead in the quantum computing space, which many consider one of the most important technological developments of the current generation.
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Microsoft has made an undisclosed equity investment in Veeam Software as part of an expanded partnership to develop AI-powered data protection tools.
The deal will strengthen Veeam’s ability to help customers recover data after cyberattacks, ransomware incidents, or accidental loss. The company’s core technology ensures immutable backups, preventing hackers from modifying or deleting critical files.
With Microsoft‘s support, Veeam plans to enhance research and development, integrate AI-driven capabilities into its software, and expand design collaboration.
The move follows Microsoft’s previous investment in cybersecurity firm Rubrik, another company specialising in data backup and recovery.
Veeam, which was acquired by private equity firm Insight Partners for $5 billion in 2020, was valued at $15 billion after a secondary sale last year.
Founded in 2006, Veeam serves over 550,000 customers globally, including major corporations such as Deloitte and Canon. The partnership with Microsoft underscores the growing demand for advanced data security solutions as businesses face increasing cyber threats.
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Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet, the latest in AI development, is being put to the test by playing Pokémon Red on Twitch. The livestream has drawn attention as viewers watch the AI slowly navigate through the game, reasoning its way through each step. While Pokémon is a game designed for children, it serves as a useful benchmark for evaluating the AI’s problem-solving skills, demonstrating how far AI models have come in reasoning through complex puzzles.
Despite its progress, Claude 3.7 Sonnet’s gameplay is far from perfect. Early on, the AI struggled with basic tasks, like leaving the starting town, but later managed to win several gym leader badges. Yet, its performance is often slow, with moments of confusion that highlight the challenges AI faces in navigating human-designed games. For example, Claude became fixated on a rock wall, unable to move past it until it reasoned a way around.
This experiment draws comparisons to the earlier phenomenon “Twitch Plays Pokémon,” where thousands of people worked together to guide a character through the game. Now, AI plays solo, and while it’s a fascinating display of technological progress, some viewers lament the shift from collaborative human gameplay to watching a machine take on the same challenges. Still, the experiment highlights the growing sophistication of AI in handling tasks once thought too complex for machines.
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Quora has unveiled a new feature on its Poe platform that allows users to create custom AI-powered applications. Named Poe Apps, the tool enables users to describe the app they want to build, and it generates the necessary code, powered by Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet. The apps can integrate various AI models, such as OpenAI’s o3-mini or Google’s Veo 2, allowing for personalised functionality.
Once created, these apps can be run alongside Poe’s chatbot window or function as standalone web apps, with the option to adjust the underlying code manually. Poe Apps can currently be shared with other users on the web, with iOS and Android versions expected soon. While free users get a daily points allotment to use the models, premium subscribers have access to more flexible packages.
Quora has also hinted at future monetisation options for app creators, expanding the potential of Poe Apps. With this new feature, Quora is not only enabling the creation of unique apps but also setting the stage for users to earn from their AI-driven innovations.
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Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is ramping up efforts to boost revenue from the Indian Premier League (IPL) following its $8.5 billion media merger with Disney.
With broadcast rights costing the company and Disney nearly $10 billion in recent years, a strategy is in place to attract small businesses as advertisers. Closed-door seminars across Indian cities are promoting IPL ad packages starting at $17,000 to help offset rising costs.
A focus on digital advertising is central to Reliance’s approach, as it competes with global giants such as Netflix, Google, and Meta.
The company is leveraging neuroscience research to pitch its streaming ads as more engaging than those on YouTube and Instagram. A growing digital push is expected to help monetise IPL’s massive audience, with ad rates rising by up to 25% this year.
Intense competition in India‘s $28 billion digital ad market poses challenges, despite IPL’s popularity. Reliance is banking on data-driven targeted advertising to appeal to brands, but affordability remains a concern for smaller businesses.
Analysts suggest that while advanced neuroscience studies may strengthen its marketing claims, real success will depend on tangible financial gains in the highly competitive streaming space.
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Meta Platforms is reportedly in talks to build a new data centre campus for its AI projects, potentially costing over $200 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The company is considering locations in states like Louisiana, Wyoming, and Texas, with senior executives visiting potential sites this month.
This comes as the AI sector sees a surge in investment, especially following the launch of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. Companies are eager to incorporate AI into their products, leading to significant spending on AI infrastructure.
Despite the report, a Meta spokesperson denied the claims, stating that its data centre plans and capital expenditures have already been disclosed and calling the rest ‘pure speculation’. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously mentioned that the company plans to invest up to $65 billion this year to expand its AI infrastructure.
In comparison, Microsoft has pledged around $80 billion in data centre investments for fiscal 2025, while Amazon has indicated its 2025 spending could exceed $75 billion.
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Apptronik, a leading developer of humanoid robots, has announced a new partnership with Jabil, a global supply chain and manufacturing firm. This deal follows a recent $350 million funding round and comes just over a year after Apptronik’s collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. The partnership will see Apollo, Apptronik’s humanoid robot, tested on Jabil’s manufacturing floors, performing repetitive tasks such as sorting and transporting parts.
Once Apollo’s commercial potential is validated, Jabil will begin producing the robots in its factories, a crucial step towards the eventual goal of self-production. Although the vision of robots building themselves is still distant, this deal represents significant progress. Apptronik plans to begin commercial manufacturing of Apollo by 2026.
The partnership with Jabil adds to Apptronik’s growing portfolio of alliances in the humanoid robotics space, which includes collaborations with companies like Google DeepMind. Despite stiff competition from other robotics firms, Apptronik’s decade of experience, combined with substantial funding, positions it strongly in this emerging market.
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European AI-related stocks declined for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, as concerns over Microsoft‘s data centre expansion dampened investor sentiment.
A recent analyst note suggested Microsoft had cancelled major US data centre leases, raising questions about its AI and cloud investment strategy. The uncertainty comes ahead of Nvidia’s upcoming earnings report, which is expected to provide insight into the strength of AI demand.
Companies exposed to data centres and infrastructure saw significant losses, with Germany‘s Siemens Energy and France‘s Schneider Electric continuing their declines from Monday.
Italian cable manufacturer Prysmian and Swiss engineering firm ABB also suffered losses as analysts debated whether Microsoft’s actions signalled a broader trend or a temporary reassessment. Microsoft has maintained that its AI and cloud expansion plans remain unchanged.
Market analysts remain divided, with some viewing the selloff as an overreaction and a potential buying opportunity. The volatility follows last month’s global tech downturn triggered by China‘s low-cost AI model, DeepSeek.
Nvidia’s earnings on Wednesday will be closely watched as investors assess whether AI-related stocks can sustain their high valuations in the face of shifting market dynamics.
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