Microsoft shareholders will vote on 10 December on whether the tech company should assess adding Bitcoin to its balance books, following a proposal filed with the US securities regulator. While the National Centre for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) urged Microsoft to consider Bitcoin investments, highlighting MicroStrategy’s profitable strategy and rising corporate adoption, Microsoft’s board advised against it.
The board argued that they already reviewed various assets, including Bitcoin, as part of their investment evaluations. The NCPPR, however, stated that Bitcoin could act as an inflation hedge, suggesting that even a small investment—around 1% of assets—might offer long-term benefits.
Despite interest from some shareholders, Microsoft’s current focus remains on artificial intelligence rather than blockchain or cryptocurrency investments. Though it once accepted Bitcoin payments for its Xbox store, this practice was discontinued in 2018, and Bitcoin investment is viewed as unlikely at present.
OpenAI is reportedly set to launch a powerful new AI model, code-named Orion, with an initial release expected by December. Unlike its predecessors, Orion will be selectively available at first, with trusted partner companies given early access to integrate the model into their products. OpenAI’s primary partner, Microsoft, is preparing to host Orion on its Azure platform as early as November.
While some within OpenAI view Orion as a successor to GPT-4, it is unclear whether it will be formally named GPT-5. OpenAI has not confirmed the launch date, and CEO Sam Altman recently downplayed the existence of Orion. Nonetheless, speculation continues as an executive hinted that Orion may be up to 100 times more powerful than GPT-4, moving the company closer to its ambitious goal of artificial general intelligence.
Reports suggest that synthetic data from OpenAI’s 0.1 model, released earlier this year, helped train Orion. OpenAI has teased the model’s arrival through cryptic social media posts, with Altman recently referencing the upcoming “winter constellations” — a possible allusion to Orion, a prominent winter constellation.
Orion’s anticipated release aligns with OpenAI’s completion of a $6.6 billion funding round, with restructuring towards a for-profit model. The company, however, is facing notable internal changes, including the recent departures of CTO Mira Murati and other key research leaders, amid the heightened focus on this next-generation AI model.
China has reaffirmed its support for Apple’s business operations in the country, welcoming further expansion by the US tech company. In a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao stated that Apple is welcome to deepen its presence in the Chinese market, according to a statement from the ministry. This sentiment aligns with earlier discussions between Cook and China’s Minister for Industry and Information Technology in Beijing.
Wang highlighted China’s interest in stabilising Sino-US economic and trade relations, expressing a commitment to returning these ties to a healthier state through ongoing communication between the government and businesses. Such exchanges, he said, could foster a stronger, more stable trade partnership between the two countries.
China’s government also assured foreign companies, including Apple, of continued improvements to its business environment and high-quality services, signalling its openness to international investments. However, Wang emphasised that prioritising national security over trade cooperation could harm these efforts, subtly suggesting that an overemphasis on security concerns may disrupt normal economic interactions.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will prioritise new global standards for AI and digital public infrastructure (DPI), with the aim of fostering interoperability, trust, and inclusivity. The resolution, adopted at the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) held in Delhi, was led by India, which has promoted DPI platforms such as Aadhaar and UPI. This adoption underscores DPI’s importance as a technology that can bridge access to essential services across both public and private sectors, sparking particular interest from developing economies.
This year’s WTSA, attended by a record-breaking 3,700 delegates, also introduced standardisation frameworks for sustainable digital transformation, AI, and the metaverse, as well as enhancements to communications in vehicular technology and emergency services. These efforts aim to facilitate safer, more reliable AI innovations, particularly for nations lacking frameworks for emerging technologies. ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasised that strong AI standards are essential for building global trust and enabling responsible tech growth.
India’s influence at WTSA highlights its commitment to shaping the global tech landscape, including standards for next-generation technologies like 6G, IoT, and satellite communications. To that end, the assembly also introduced study group (ITU-T Study Group 21), focusing on multimedia and content delivery standards.
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the partnership between Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and AI startup Anthropic due to concerns about competition. Regulators have grown increasingly cautious about agreements between major tech firms and smaller startups, especially after Microsoft-backed OpenAI sparked an AI boom with ChatGPT’s launch.
Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, received a $500 million investment from Alphabet last year, with another $1.5 billion promised. The AI startup also relies on Google Cloud services to support its operations, raising concerns over the competitive impact of their collaboration.
The CMA began assessing the partnership in July and has set 19 December as the deadline for its Phase 1 decision. The regulator will determine whether the investigation should proceed to the next stage. Anthropic has pledged full cooperation, insisting that its strategic alliances do not compromise its independence or partnerships with other firms.
Alphabet has emphasised its commitment to fostering an open AI ecosystem. A spokesperson clarified that Anthropic is not restricted to using only Google Cloud services and is free to explore partnerships with multiple providers.
Nvidia has deepened its ties with major Indian firms, including Reliance Industries, as it seeks to capitalise on the country’s growing AI market. At an AI summit in Mumbai, CEO Jensen Huang announced the launch of a new Hindi-focused AI model, Nemotron-4-Mini-Hindi-4B, designed to help businesses develop language-specific AI tools. This is part of Nvidia’s broader strategy to boost computing infrastructure in India, which Huang said will expand nearly 20 times by the end of this year.
The new model is tailored for Hindi, one of India’s 22 official languages, and aims to support companies in creating AI-driven solutions for customer service and content translation. Tech Mahindra is the first to adopt Nvidia’s offering, using it to develop a custom AI model, Indus 2.0, which also focuses on Hindi and its various dialects. Nvidia is also working with major IT players like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro to train half a million developers in AI.
In addition, companies such as Reliance and Ola Electric will use Nvidia’s “Omniverse” technology for virtual factory simulations, enhancing their industrial planning capabilities. The summit highlighted India’s growing significance in the global AI landscape as the country accelerates efforts to develop its semiconductor industry and AI infrastructure.
Apple has introduced ChatGPT integration with the release of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, allowing developers to explore new features tied to its Apple Intelligence system. The integration enables ChatGPT to enhance Siri’s knowledge and power new writing tools, along with other features like image generation and cleanup tools.
Users who opt into both Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT will be able to leverage OpenAI’s models without needing a separate ChatGPT account, though non-premium users will face limitations on the number of queries. Siri can now call on ChatGPT for certain tasks, such as generating recipes or helping with travel plans, making the virtual assistant more versatile.
Apple Intelligence also includes ‘Compose,’ which lets users generate text based on prompts in supported apps. Alongside this, users can experiment with OpenAI’s image generation or create customised emojis through Apple’s Genmoji tool, offering a more creative and intuitive user experience.
Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang announced that a design flaw impacting the company’s Blackwell AI chips has been resolved with assistance from TSMC, its long-term Taiwanese manufacturing partner. The production glitch had delayed chip shipments, initially set for the second quarter, affecting clients such as Google, Microsoft, and Meta.
Huang acknowledged Nvidia was solely responsible for the flaw, which had reduced production yields. He dismissed reports of tensions with TSMC, crediting the manufacturer for helping restore manufacturing efficiency. The chips, which involve the integration of seven different components, are now expected to ship in the fourth quarter.
Blackwell chips, Nvidia’s latest innovation, feature two silicon squares fused into a single unit, delivering speeds 30 times faster than previous models. They are designed for advanced tasks, including AI-driven responses from chatbots. Shares in Nvidia fell by 2% in early trading following news of the delay.
Huang made the announcement during a visit to Denmark, where he introduced Gefion, a new supercomputer featuring 1,528 GPUs. Built in partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund, Gefion is expected to enhance high-performance computing in the region.
Intel has won a significant victory in a legal battle that spanned nearly two decades, as the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled in its favour on Thursday. The court dismissed an appeal by the European Commission, which had accused the US chipmaker of anti-competitive practices aimed at undermining rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
The dispute centred on Intel offering rebates to major computer manufacturers, such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, and Lenovo, for primarily using Intel chips. EU regulators had fined Intel €1.06 billion, arguing the rebates were intended to block AMD’s market share. However, Intel consistently challenged the fine, asserting that regulators failed to prove any anti-competitive impact from the rebates.
Earlier this year, Intel’s case gained momentum when a legal adviser indicated that EU regulators had not sufficiently conducted an economic analysis to support their claims. This led to the court’s final decision to overturn the fine, bringing the lengthy legal struggle to a close.
Arm Holdings is cancelling a key architectural license agreement with Qualcomm, escalating the legal dispute between the two companies. According to a Bloomberg News report, Arm has given Qualcomm a 60-day notice to terminate the agreement, which allows Qualcomm to design chips using Arm’s intellectual property. The two tech giants have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2022 when Arm sued Qualcomm for not renegotiating the license after its acquisition of chip startup Nuvia.
Qualcomm criticised Arm’s decision, calling it a ‘desperate ploy’ to disrupt the upcoming trial, which is set to begin in December. Qualcomm claims its rights under the agreement will be upheld and accuses Arm of anti-competitive behaviour. The dispute could impact shipments of laptops using Qualcomm’s chips, including Microsoft’s Copilot+ devices, and potentially reverse Qualcomm’s acquisition of Nuvia.
Despite the tensions, some analysts expect the companies to reach a settlement before the trial. A legal victory for Arm could have significant consequences for Qualcomm and its partners.
