Digital cooperation Archives | Page 173 of 221

Taiwan boosts AI power with Nvidia supercomputer

Nvidia and Foxconn have announced plans to build a major AI factory supercomputer in Taiwan, backed by the Taiwanese government.

The facility, powered by 10,000 of Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs, will be delivered through Foxconn’s Big Innovation Company and will support researchers, start-ups, and industry.

Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council will use the platform to provide real-time AI cloud computing resources across its tech ecosystem. TSMC researchers also plan to utilise the infrastructure to drive innovation in semiconductor development.

The announcement highlights Nvidia’s growing ties with Taiwanese companies and reflects the strategic importance of AI to Taiwan’s technological ambitions. Leaders from Nvidia, Foxconn, and TSMC described the project as a step towards creating a smarter, AI-enabled island economy.

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UAE to host world’s biggest AI site outside the US

The United Arab Emirates will build the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure outside the United States, following a high-level meeting between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Trump in Abu Dhabi.

It will be constructed by G42 and involve US firms under the newly established US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership. Spanning 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi, the AI campus will run on a mix of nuclear, solar and gas energy to limit emissions and will feature a dedicated science park to drive innovation.

A 5GW capacity will enable it to serve half the global population, offering US cloud providers a vital regional hub. As part of the agreement, the UAE has pledged to align its national security rules with US standards, including strict technology safeguards and tighter access controls for computing power.

The UAE may also be permitted to purchase up to 500,000 Nvidia AI chips annually starting this year.

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Google’s quantum chip hints at multiverse

Google’s new quantum computer chip, Willow, has performed a computation in under five minutes that would take traditional supercomputers ten septillion years. Experts now believe this feat could support the multiverse theory, as Willow might be tapping into parallel universes to process information.

Willow also significantly reduces error rates, a major breakthrough in the field of quantum computing. The chip’s unprecedented speed and accuracy could pave the way for hybrid AI systems that combine quantum and classical computing.

Physicists like Hartmut Neven and David Deutsch suggest quantum mechanics implies multiple realities, reinforcing theories once considered speculative. If accessible and scalable, Willow could usher in an era of AI powered by multiverse-level processing.

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Trump seals $200 billion UAE AI deal

US President Donald Trump has secured €179 billion ($200 billion) in deals with the United Arab Emirates, capping his Persian Gulf tour with plans for the world’s largest AI campus outside the US.

Located in Abu Dhabi and spanning 10 square miles, the facility will be built by UAE-based firm G42 in partnership with American companies, aimed at boosting regional computing capacity while supporting the Global South.

Instead of focusing solely on energy, Trump’s trip saw investments broaden to include AI, aviation, and industrial sectors. In total, his visit to the Gulf states yielded €1.3 trillion ($1.4 trillion) in investment pledges, including major agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Gulf leaders are using AI as a vehicle to diversify their economies, while Trump is turning foreign capital into support for US manufacturing and tech exports.

The UAE deal includes plans to import up to 500,000 Nvidia H100 AI chips annually through 2027, with 20% allocated to G42. US officials, however, continue to express concern over potential Chinese access to advanced American technology.

The US Department of Commerce insists that strict safeguards are in place to prevent any misuse or diversion of AI hardware.

Other agreements include a $14.5 billion aircraft purchase by Etihad Airways from Boeing and GE Aerospace, a $60 billion energy partnership with ADNOC, and aluminium and gallium production deals with Emirates Global Aluminum.

Trump’s push to expand American business influence in the Gulf appears to be paying off, instead of letting China or Europe dominate future AI and industrial markets.

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CoreWeave shares rebound after $4B OpenAI partnership announcement

Shares of AI cloud infrastructure company CoreWeave recovered on Thursday, gaining around 3% after the firm announced an expanded partnership with OpenAI worth up to $4 billion.

The deal helped ease investor concerns following the company’s earlier dip in trading.

CoreWeave stock had fallen as much as 9.1% earlier in the day after the company projected annual capital expenditures for 2025 would be roughly four times higher than expected revenue.

The forecast was included in CoreWeave’s first earnings report since going public in March.

The expanded agreement with OpenAI appears to have lifted investor sentiment, offsetting concerns about the company’s aggressive spending strategy as it builds out its AI-focused cloud infrastructure.

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Netflix’s ad-supported tier hits 94M users with big upgrades on the way

At its May 14 Upfront presentation in New York, Netflix unveiled a major expansion of its advertising strategy, highlighting the growth of its ad-supported tier, which now reaches over 94 million monthly active users globally.

Amy Reinhard, Netflix’ president of advertising, introduced the Netflix Ads Suite, a proprietary advertising platform now live in the US and Canada, with rollout to EMEA next week and all 12 ad-supported markets by June.

‘By controlling our own ad tech, we’ll be able to deliver newer tools, better measurement, and more creative formats,’ said Reinhard.

The Ads Suite offers enhanced data integration, allowing advertisers to match their first-party data with Netflix audiences via LiveRamp or directly. Netflix also announced partnerships with Experian and Acxiom, as well as a ‘clean room’ environment for secure data collaboration.

Netflix is also launching its own first-party measurement tools, beginning with brand lift metrics that link ad exposure to shifts in consumer perception and behaviour.

Reinhard also previewed AI-driven ad formats coming in 2026, including interactive midrolls and pause screens. These new formats will allow for personalised overlays, calls to action, and second screen engagement tailored to individual viewers.

CMO Marian Lee announced new co-branded campaigns with Wendy’s, Cheetos, and Booking.com tied to the return of Wednesday, promising advertisers the same creative treatment Netflix gives its own shows.

‘It’s all about bringing stories to life in ways none of us can do on our own,’ Lee said.

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Apple opens NFC chip, PayPal taps into it

PayPal has launched its tap-to-pay feature for iPhone users in Germany, allowing contactless payments at terminals that support Mastercard.

The rollout follows pressure from the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, which forced Apple to open up its NFC chip to third-party apps.

Currently, the feature is exclusive to iPhones and does not support Apple Watch. It mirrors earlier moves by other apps like Norway’s Vipps, which began using Apple’s newly accessible NFC hardware late last year.

Apple has also started expanding NFC access globally, enabling developers to integrate in-app payments and allowing businesses to accept contactless payments via iPhones using third-party apps like Venmo and PayPal Zettle.

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Android adds new scam protection for phone calls

Google is introducing new protections on Android devices to combat phone call scams, particularly those involving screen-sharing and app installations. Users will see warning messages if they attempt to change settings during a call and Android will also block the deactivation of Play Protect features.

The system will now block users from sideloading apps or granting accessibility permissions while on a call with unknown contacts.

The new tools are available on devices running Android 16 and select protections are also rolling out to older versions, starting with Android 11

A separate pilot in the UK will alert users trying to open banking apps during a screen-sharing call, prompting them to end the call or wait before proceeding.

These features expand Android’s broader efforts to prevent fraud, which already include AI-based scam detection for phone calls and messages.

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Amazon to invest in Saudi AI Zone

Amazon has announced a new partnership with Humain, an AI company launched by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to invest over $5 billion in creating an ‘AI Zone’ in the kingdom.

The project will feature Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, including servers, networks, and training programmes, while Humain will develop AI tools using AWS and support Saudi startups with access to resources.

A move like this adds Amazon to a growing list of tech firms—such as Nvidia and AMD—that are working with Humain, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. American companies like Google and Salesforce have also recently turned to the PIF for funding and AI collaborations.

Under a new initiative supported by former US President Donald Trump, US tech firms can now pursue deals with Saudi-based partners more freely.

Instead of relying on foreign data centres, Saudi Arabia has required AI providers to store data locally, prompting companies like Google, Oracle, and now Amazon to expand operations within the region.

Amazon has already committed $5.3 billion to build an AWS region in Saudi Arabia by 2026, and says the AI Zone partnership is a separate, additional investment.

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Harvey adds Google and Anthropic AI

Harvey, the fast-growing legal AI startup backed early by the OpenAI Startup Fund, is now embracing foundation models from Google and Anthropic instead of relying solely on OpenAI’s.

In a recent blog post, the company said it would expand its AI model options after internal benchmarks showed that different tools excel at different legal tasks.

The shift marks a notable win for OpenAI’s competitors, even though Harvey insists it’s not abandoning OpenAI. Its in-house benchmark, BigLaw, revealed that several non-OpenAI models now outperform Harvey’s original system on specific legal functions.

For instance, Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro performs well at legal drafting, while OpenAI’s o3 and Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet are better suited for complex pre-trial work.

Instead of building its own models, Harvey now aims to fine-tune top-tier offerings from multiple vendors, including through Amazon’s cloud. The company also plans to launch a public legal benchmark leaderboard, combining expert legal reviews with technical metrics.

While OpenAI remains a close partner and investor, Harvey’s broader strategy signals growing competition in the race to serve the legal industry with AI.

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