AI start-up Sanas has raised $65 million in a new funding round, valuing the company at over $500 million. The firm, founded in 2020, uses artificial intelligence to modify call centre workers’ accents in real time, aiming to reduce discrimination and improve communication. Its software preserves the speaker’s emotions and identity while adjusting phonetic patterns instantly.
The company was inspired by a call centre worker’s struggle with accent bias, leading its founders to develop a solution that enhances clarity without replacing human connection. Despite concerns that such technology may homogenise voices rather than promote acceptance of diverse accents, Sanas insists its mission is to break barriers and reduce discrimination.
With an annual revenue of $21 million and a growing client base across healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing, Sanas is rapidly expanding. The company plans to develop new AI-driven speech technologies, increase its global presence, and open an office in the Philippines, a major hub for call centres.
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The European Commission has approved a €920 million German state aid package for Infineon to build a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Dresden. This funding will support the company’s MEGAFAB-DD project, which aims to produce a wide variety of chips. The new facility, expected to reach full capacity by 2031, will play a key role in strengthening Europe’s technological autonomy and security of supply in semiconductor technologies, aligning with the European Chips Act’s goals.
This move is part of a global trend where chipmakers are investing heavily in new plants, taking advantage of subsidies from the US and the EU to maintain the West’s edge in semiconductor technology over China. The European Commission has allocated €15 billion for public and private semiconductor projects by 2030, further reinforcing the region’s commitment to securing its position in the industry.
Infineon’s €3.5 billion investment, the largest in its history, will help address the growing demand for semiconductors used in industrial, automotive, and consumer applications. The company has committed to ensuring the plant benefits the wider EU semiconductor value chain, including research and development for the next generation of chips. The plant will also contribute to crisis preparedness by prioritising orders in case of supply shortages.
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Elon Musk’s social media company X is currently in discussions to raise funds from investors at a $44 billion valuation, according to Bloomberg News. Musk purchased the platform, formerly known as Twitter, for the same price in 2022.
The financing talks are still ongoing, with the potential for details to change or even for the discussions to be abandoned altogether, the report added. The US company has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
In related news, last month, it was reported that Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Barclays were preparing to sell up to $3 billion in debt holdings in X.
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President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he was in active discussions with China over the future of TikTok, as the US seeks to broker a sale of the popular app. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed that talks were ongoing, underscoring the US government’s desire to address national security concerns tied to the app’s ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over TikTok’s data security practices and potential links to the Chinese government.
The Trump administration has expressed concerns that TikTok could be used to collect sensitive data on US users, raising fears about national security risks. As a result, the US has been pushing for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations to an American company. This would be part of an effort to reduce any potential influence from the Chinese government over the app’s data and operations. However, the process has faced complexities, with discussions involving multiple stakeholders, including potential buyers.
While the negotiations continue, the future of TikTok remains uncertain. If a sale is not agreed upon, the US has indicated that it could pursue further actions, including a potential ban of the app. As these talks unfold, the outcome could have significant implications for TikTok’s millions of American users and its business operations in the US, with both sides working to find a solution that addresses the security concerns while allowing the app to continue its success.
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A US federal judge has denied a request to temporarily block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing data from seven federal agencies or making further workforce cuts. The lawsuit, brought by 14 Democratic attorneys general, argued that DOGE was overstepping its authority by reshaping agencies and obtaining vast amounts of government information. However, Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove immediate harm, allowing DOGE to continue operations.
Despite this decision, the judge acknowledged serious constitutional concerns regarding Musk’s authority. She noted that Musk had not been nominated by the US President Trump or confirmed by the Senate, raising potential violations of the Appointments Clause. In her ruling, Chutkan also criticised the Trump administration’s legal arguments, suggesting inconsistencies in its justification for DOGE’s powers.
While the restraining order was denied, the states can still pursue their case, potentially seeking a preliminary injunction to halt DOGE’s access to federal data. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez vowed to continue the legal fight, accusing Musk of destabilising government functions and acting without proper oversight. The battle over DOGE’s legitimacy is expected to intensify in the coming months.
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Former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati has launched a new AI startup called Thinking Machines Lab, backed by a team of around 30 researchers and engineers from companies such as OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral. The startup aims to create AI systems that encode human values and address a wider range of applications than existing rivals, according to a blog post from the company.
Murati’s new venture demonstrates her ability to attract top talent, with two-thirds of the team made up of former OpenAI employees. Among them are Barret Zoph, a well-known researcher who joined Murati in leaving OpenAI in September, and John Schulman, OpenAI’s co-founder and the startup’s chief scientist. Schulman previously left OpenAI for Anthropic to focus on AI alignment, a key goal of Thinking Machines Lab.
The company’s approach differentiates itself by combining research and product teams in the design process. Thinking Machines Lab plans to contribute to AI alignment research by sharing code, datasets, and model specifications. Murati, now CEO of the startup, has previously played a major role in developing ChatGPT, and her exit from OpenAI reflects a broader trend of high-profile departures amid changes at the company.
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A year after the EU’s legal deadline, Poland has yet to designate a national regulator to help the European Commission enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs online platforms. The country risks being referred to the EU courts for non-compliance, becoming the only member state not to have appointed a regulator. The European Commission initiated an infringement procedure in late 2023, urging Poland to meet the requirements.
Poland was also warned for not establishing penalty rules under the DSA. While Belgium has named its telecom regulator as the country’s DSA coordinator, Poland has not made such appointments, although the Ministry for Digitalization stated that it is ‘working on’ implementing the regulation. The process is still ongoing, with no clear timeline for completion.
The DSA, aimed at curbing illegal content online, required EU member states to designate national regulators by February 2024. These Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) are meant to oversee the implementation of the rules and support the European Commission in monitoring compliance. Poland’s delay, along with Spain and the Netherlands, has led to formal notices from the Commission, which could take further legal action if the issues are not resolved soon.
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Apple is set to introduce AI-driven features to its Vision Pro headset, including a new spatial content app and an enhanced guest user mode. The update, expected in April, may be available in beta for developers as early as this week, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.
The AI integration, dubbed ‘Apple Intelligence,’ will bring tools such as Writing Tools, Genmojis, and the Image Playground app to the Vision Pro. This move aligns with Apple’s broader push to incorporate AI into its ecosystem, as the company also explores AI partnerships for iPhones in China.
The Vision Pro, which launched in February 2024 with a hefty price tag of $3,499, initially saw strong sales but has since faced slowing demand. By enhancing its software with AI and new content features, Apple hopes to reignite consumer interest and better compete with more affordable alternatives, such as Meta’s Quest headsets.
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The New York Times has officially approved the use of AI tools for its editorial and product teams, allowing AI to assist with tasks such as generating social media copy, writing SEO headlines, and coding. As part of this shift, the publication has introduced an internal AI tool called Echo and outlined strict guidelines for AI use in news production.
While AI can support research, suggest edits, and help brainstorm interview questions, staff have been warned not to use it to draft or substantially revise articles, nor to input confidential source information. The paper is also exploring AI-generated voice articles and translations into other languages.
This move comes as The New York Times remains engaged in a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of copyright violations for training generative AI on its content. Despite these legal disputes, the paper has approved AI programs such as GitHub Copilot, Google’s Vertex AI, and OpenAI’s API for select business applications.
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Tiger Brokers has integrated DeepSeek’s AI model into its TigerGPT chatbot, marking a significant step in the race to adopt AI in the financial industry. The DeepSeek-R1 model is already being used by over 20 Chinese brokers and fund managers, transforming areas such as market analysis, risk management, and client interaction. The technology, developed at a fraction of the cost of Western AI models, is expected to revolutionise how financial firms operate, with DeepSeek tapping into valuable data to enhance decision-making and trading strategies.
Tiger Brokers, supported by investors like Xiaomi and Jim Rogers, views this AI breakthrough as a game changer. The upgraded TigerGPT, which will initially be available for free in China and Singapore, now offers enhanced logical reasoning capabilities, allowing for more accurate market predictions and investment opportunities. CEO Wu Tianhua described the impact as transformative, helping users understand market shifts and boosting the overall investment experience.
As AI adoption accelerates, financial IT spending in China is forecasted to rise by 24% in the next five years, a trend expected to benefit tech companies like Hundsun Technologies. The integration of DeepSeek’s models is reshaping the financial industry, with firms such as Sinolink Securities and CICC Wealth Management already exploring AI’s potential to improve efficiency, from risk management to investment advisory services.
Despite the promise, the financial industry faces challenges in standardising data for AI models. However, companies are moving quickly to implement AI solutions, eager to unlock the full potential of their data and enhance their internal operations, marketing, and investing strategies.
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