Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is reportedly in discussions with Nvidia to produce its Blackwell AI chips at TSMC’s new facility in Arizona, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move would mark a significant expansion of Nvidia’s chip production outside Taiwan, where the Blackwell series has been manufactured since its unveiling in March. The chips, celebrated for their generative AI and accelerated computing capabilities, are in high demand and boast speeds 30 times faster than previous models for tasks like chatbot responses.
The Arizona facility, set to begin volume production next year, represents a major US investment by TSMC, which is building three plants in Phoenix with substantial US government subsidies. If finalised, Nvidia would join Apple and AMD as plant customers. However, sources indicate that the chips would still need to be sent back to Taiwan for advanced packaging due to the lack of chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) capacity in Arizona. All of TSMC’s CoWoS operations remain centralised in Taiwan.
TSMC’s expansion into the US aligns with Washington’s push to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing amid geopolitical concerns over Taiwan. Neither TSMC nor Nvidia has commented on the talks, emphasising the confidentiality of the ongoing discussions.
Indonesia expects a $1b investment from Apple within a week following its decision to ban sales of the iPhone 16 for not meeting local content requirements. The nation mandates that devices sold domestically include at least 40% locally-made components, a figure Apple has yet to achieve. The government has hinted at plans to further raise this threshold.
Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani stated that Apple’s involvement in Indonesia’s supply chain could unlock more investment opportunities, emphasising the importance of job creation and integrating the country into global value chains. A previous $100 million proposal from Apple to build an accessory plant was rejected for not meeting fairness principles.
Apple has no manufacturing facilities in Indonesia but has supported local application developer academies since 2018. While this initiative allowed older iPhone models to meet requirements, the government insists on more substantial commitments for newer devices. The upcoming investment could mark a first phase in Apple’s deeper integration into Indonesia’s economy, a nation of 280 million people eager to secure its place in the global tech industry.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has called for an investigation into whether European governments have improperly influenced US policies on AI. Cruz’s concerns stem from growing international collaborations on AI regulation, including treaties and partnerships initiated by the Biden administration.
Cruz criticised European regulations as overly restrictive, claiming they target American AI companies and could shape US policies unfairly. He also accused the Centre for the Governance of Artificial Intelligence (GovAI), a UK-based nonprofit, of political activities without registering as a foreign agent, though GovAI has denied any wrongdoing.
The European Union has taken a leading role in AI regulation, recently passing the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive law for governing technology. Cruz has framed these efforts as part of what he describes as ‘radical left’ interference, urging transparency about foreign involvement in shaping US AI laws.
Google Cloud has partnered with Air France-KLM to apply generative AI technology to the airline group’s vast data. The airline’s extensive operations, which include 551 aircraft and 93 million passengers carried in 2023, generate significant amounts of data. Google Cloud’s AI solution will analyse passenger preferences and travel patterns and optimise aircraft maintenance predictions.
The partnership aims to enhance the airline’s operations by offering more tailored services to passengers and improving maintenance efficiency, reducing the time needed for predictive analysis from hours to minutes.
Despite the collaboration, Air France-KLM will retain full control over its data. Matt Renner, President of Google Cloud’s Global Revenue, emphasised the value of airline data in driving operational insights and enhancing customer experiences.
OpenAI is exploring advertising as a potential revenue model, according to a Financial Times report. While CFO Sarah Friar emphasised that there are ‘no active plans to pursue advertising,’ the company recently hired Shivakumar Venkataraman, a former Google ad executive, signalling interest in the possibility. OpenAI currently relies on subscriptions to fund its costly generative AI models, but rising expenses may prompt a shift in strategy.
The idea of ads doesn’t sit comfortably with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who described advertising as a “last resort” during a Harvard Business School chat. Altman has expressed unease about combining ads with AI, calling the prospect ‘uniquely unsettling.’ Still, the financial realities of sustaining and expanding AI tools may leave OpenAI with few alternatives.
As OpenAI balances innovation with business pressures, any move toward advertising could reshape how users engage with tools like ChatGPT. For now, the debate underscores the tension between maintaining accessibility and meeting operational demands.
South Korean AI chipmakers Rebellions and Sapeon Korea have officially merged, forming a new company valued at approximately USD 928 million. The combined entity will continue under the name “Rebellions,” led by CEO Sunghyun Park. The merger aims to enhance the company’s global competitiveness in the fast-growing AI chip market by leveraging expertise across South Korea‘s telecom, government, and semiconductor sectors.
The merger brings together Rebellions, a fabless AI chip startup established in 2020, and Sapeon Korea, an affiliate of SK Telecom, to combine their strengths in AI chiplet technology. This integration is expected to accelerate innovation and improve efficiency, particularly in developing next-generation AI chips like REBEL, designed to meet the increasing demands of AI applications.
Looking ahead, Rebellions plans to expand internationally, with targeted entry into markets such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Strategic partnerships, including collaborations with SK Telecom and SK hynix, will help fuel the company’s global ambitions and support its expansion efforts.
Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are exploring plans to establish a European joint venture in the satellite sector, aiming to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink network. Dubbed ‘Project Bromo’ after an Indonesian volcano, the initiative seeks to create a standalone European satellite company modelled after missile maker MBDA, jointly owned by Airbus, Leonardo, and BAE Systems.
The plan is still in the early stages, but discussions have advanced enough to outline a preferred structure. Instead of one partner acquiring the others’ assets, the proposal envisions pooling satellite resources into a new entity. Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani confirmed the MBDA-inspired approach, calling it the most viable model for such collaboration.
This initiative comes as Europe’s satellite industry struggles to compete with Starlink’s rapid growth in low Earth orbit. While the merger talks are separate from Airbus’s impending job cuts, they signal a broader effort to revitalise Europe’s space capabilities in the face of intensifying competition.
Crystal Intelligence and Dubai Police have collaborated to address economic crimes within the rapidly growing digital asset space. By combining advanced blockchain analytics with law enforcement expertise, the two entities aim to predict and prevent financial crimes, ensuring robust security within the digital asset ecosystem.
That collaboration reflects Dubai’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of global blockchain innovation. Moreover, as part of its broader strategy, the UAE, particularly Dubai, has positioned itself as a leader in digital assets by creating a regulatory framework that fosters innovation while ensuring security and compliance.
Notably, establishing the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the world’s first regulator for virtual assets, has attracted numerous blockchain companies and service providers to the city, further solidifying Dubai’s role as a central hub for digital assets. This collaboration also involves strengthening Dubai Police’s capabilities through Crystal Intelligence’s advanced tools in transaction monitoring, risk management, and predictive analytics.
Why does it matter?
These tools will enable law enforcement to proactively detect and address fraudulent activities across blockchain networks, thereby ensuring the integrity of Dubai’s digital asset market. By combining regulatory foresight with cutting-edge technology, Dubai demonstrates its leadership in integrating innovation with security. Ultimately, this partnership sets a new global standard for digital asset security and offers a model for other jurisdictions to follow as they navigate the complexities of financial crimes in the digital asset space.
India-based audio platform Pocket FM is leveraging AI to enrich its content offerings and scale its production capabilities. Despite hosting over 200,000 hours of content, CEO Rohan Nayak emphasised the need for deeper genre coverage and original content. The company has partnered with ElevenLabs to convert written stories into audio series, achieving faster production and significant cost savings. AI models are also being used to adapt stories for diverse regions by handling cultural nuances, ensuring broader appeal across geographies.
Pocket FM is testing AI tools to enhance its creative process. These include a writing assistant that provides alternative plot ideas and insights based on platform data, aiming to empower solo writers with a ‘writer’s room’ experience. A ‘blockbuster engine’ is under development to analyse trends and identify potential hit shows, underscoring the platform’s focus on producing popular content. AI has already contributed to more than 40,000 series on the platform, generating $3 million in revenue.
Despite the benefits, Pocket FM acknowledges challenges in maintaining quality while accelerating production. Industry experts caution that reliance on AI might undermine creativity, with artists needing to ensure authenticity in their work. Nayak affirmed that AI tools are intended to complement rather than replace human creativity. Pocket FM, backed by $197 million in funding, competes with platforms such as Audible and Kuku FM while striving to strike a balance between innovation and content excellence.
Orange has entered a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with OpenAI, becoming the first European telecom company with direct access to pre-release versions of the company’s AI models. This collaboration will allow Orange to influence OpenAI’s development roadmap while ensuring secure hosting of AI infrastructure in Europe, according to the group’s AI chief, Steve Jarrett.
The partnership highlights the strategic importance of OpenAI’s widely used models, with over 50,000 Orange employees already integrating them into their work. Jarrett emphasised the financial and technological advantages of a direct relationship with OpenAI, boosting Orange’s position in the AI race.
In addition to the partnership, Orange is working with Meta and OpenAI to translate African languages like Wolof and Pular for customer support and broader non-commercial uses. The initiative aims to support governments, universities, and startups, expanding accessibility to underserved linguistic communities.
