Digital cooperation

Ransomware threat evolves with deceptive PDFs

Ransomware attacks fell by 31% in April 2025 compared to the previous month. Despite the overall decline, the retail sector remained a top target, with incidents at Marks & Spencer, Co-op, Harrods and Peter Green Chilled drawing national attention.

Retail remains vulnerable due to its public profile and potential for large-scale disruption. Experts warn the drop in figures does not reflect a weaker threat, as many attacks go unreported or are deliberately concealed.

Tactics are shifting, with some groups, like Babuk 2.0, faking claims to gain notoriety or extort victims. A rising threat in the ransomware landscape is the use of malicious PDF files, which now make up over a fifth of email-based malware.

These files, increasingly crafted using generative AI, are trusted more by users and harder to detect. Cybersecurity experts are urging firms to update defences and strengthen organisational security cultures to remain resilient.

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Google brings sign language translation to AI

Google has introduced Gemma 3n, an advanced AI model that can operate directly on mobile devices, laptops, and tablets without relying on the cloud. The company also revealed MedGemma, its most powerful open AI model for analysing medical images and text.

The model supports processing audio, text, images, and video, and is built to perform well even on devices with less than 2GB of RAM. It shares its architecture with Gemini Nano and is now available in preview.

MedGemma is part of Google’s Health AI Developer Foundations programme and is designed to help developers create custom health-focused applications. It promises wide-ranging usability in multimodal healthcare tasks.

Another model, SignGemma, was announced to aid in translating sign language into spoken text. Despite concerns over Gemma’s licensing, the models continue to see widespread adoption.

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Microsoft and GitHub back Anthropic’s MCP

Microsoft and GitHub are officially joining the steering committee for MCP, a growing standard developed by Anthropic that connects AI models with data systems.

The announcement came during Microsoft’s Build 2025 event, highlighting a new phase of industry-wide backing for the protocol, which already has support from OpenAI and Google.

MCP allows developers to link AI systems with apps, business tools, and software environments using MCP servers and clients. Instead of AI models working in isolation, they can interact directly with sources like content repositories or app features to complete tasks and power tools like chatbots.

Microsoft plans to integrate MCP into its core platforms, including Azure and Windows 11. Soon, developers will be able to expose app functionalities, such as file access or Linux subsystems, as MCP servers, enabling AI models to use them securely.

GitHub and Microsoft are also contributing updates to the MCP standard itself, including a registry for server discovery and a new authorisation system to manage secure connections.

The broader goal is to let developers build smarter AI-powered applications by making it easier to plug into real-world data and tools, while maintaining strong control over access and privacy.

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Met Office and Microsoft debut AI-ready forecasting system

The UK’s Met Office has launched a new supercomputer designed to significantly improve weather and climate forecasting accuracy. Operated via Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, it is the world’s first cloud-based supercomputer dedicated solely to weather and climate science.

Capable of performing 60 quadrillion calculations per second—more than four times faster than its predecessor—the system is expected to enhance 14-day forecasts, improve rainfall predictions, and offer better data for sectors like aviation and energy.

The infrastructure, split across two data centres in southern England, runs entirely on renewable energy. Originally announced in 2020 with a £1.2 billion UK government investment, the project faced delays due to COVID-19 and global supply chain disruptions.

Despite recent cyberattacks on UK institutions, Met Office officials say the new system has robust security and represents a major technological upgrade.

The Met Office also says the new system will support AI integration and provide better insights into climate change-related events, such as floods and wildfires.

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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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