Amazon is reportedly in advanced talks for a second multi-billion dollar investment in the AI startup Anthropic, building on its previous $4 billion commitment made in 2023. This new investment would not only bolster Amazon’s growing ties with Anthropic but also help enhance its strategic position in the highly competitive AI sector. Anthropic, which is using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to power its AI model training, has become a key player in the AI race.
In addition to providing financial backing, Amazon has reportedly asked Anthropic to utilise its servers, which are powered by Amazon’s custom-designed chips. However, sources note that Anthropic has a preference for using Nvidia-designed chips, which are widely recognised as the industry standard for AI processing. This dynamic highlights the ongoing competition between Amazon and Nvidia in the AI hardware space, as both tech giants vie for dominance in the rapidly expanding market.
Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, has attracted significant interest from other major players in the tech industry. The startup secured a $500 million investment from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, last year, with Alphabet pledging an additional $1.5 billion over time. Despite these investments, both Amazon and Anthropic have declined to comment on the specifics of the latest talks regarding the new investment, underscoring the confidential nature of these high-stakes negotiations.
Italy is adjusting its web tax policy, expanding it to cover smaller digital firms in an effort to address US concerns that the tax unfairly targets American tech giants. The decision, announced by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, aims to defuse Washington’s threat of retaliatory tariffs. Italy first implemented a 3% digital service tax in 2019, focusing on large companies with annual global revenues over €750M, including giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon.
Now, under the proposed 2025 budget, Italy plans to eliminate the revenue threshold to broaden the tax’s reach to smaller companies. This change is expected to generate an additional €51.6M, supplementing the existing €400M in tax revenue. Giorgetti hopes this expansion will address US concerns over discrimination, noting that other EU countries may follow Italy’s lead.
Despite this effort, resistance remains within Italy’s government, as some coalition members argue the tax should focus exclusively on large US tech firms. As global efforts to establish a minimum digital tax remain stalled due to international disagreements, Italy’s adjustments reflect its attempt to balance international relations with economic interests.
GlobalWafers has expressed optimism that the US Chips and Science Act will continue to provide strong support for chip manufacturers under the new administration. This landmark act, aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production, offers financial incentives to encourage companies to invest in US facilities—a vital step toward securing supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign manufacturing.
In a recent statement, GlobalWafers noted that programs of this scale and duration are typically supported across different US administrations, given their importance to economic and national security. The company sees the CHIPS Act as essential for driving investments in semiconductor production and also for advancing technological innovation within the industry. They anticipate that the act’s stability under a Trump administration will allow businesses to plan long-term investments in US operations without interruption.
By fostering consistent investment in chip manufacturing, GlobalWafers believes the CHIPS Act will help ensure a robust, self-reliant US semiconductor ecosystem. The program’s continuation is seen as crucial for sustaining growth in the industry, creating jobs, and advancing the global competitiveness of the US in semiconductor technology.
Singapore’s Keppel has announced an agreement to acquire an AI-ready data centre being developed by Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan in Tokyo. The deal comes shortly after Keppel revealed plans to significantly increase its data centre funds under management, aiming to take advantage of the growing AI sector.
Mitsui Fudosan will handle the core and shell development of the facility, while Keppel’s private fund will oversee the fit-out works. The data centre is expected to be completed by 2027, with Keppel taking on the role of facility manager, which will contribute to its recurring income stream.
Keppel emphasised its ongoing partnership with Mitsui Fudosan to develop a strong pipeline of assets for its upcoming Keppel Data Centre Fund III. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed due to confidentiality agreements.
The French Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and WSC Sports have partnered to revolutionise the league’s digital content strategy through AI-powered automation. WSC Sports’ platform will enable LFP to rapidly create and distribute tailored, data-driven content across various formats and platforms, including websites, apps, social media, and global broadcasts.
That will enhance fan engagement by delivering personalised content while maximising LFP’s digital assets, improving international visibility, and opening new revenue streams. The partnership also involves digitising 20 years of archived footage from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, transforming historic moments into formats suited for modern platforms like vertical video, which will engage younger fans.
By automating content creation and distribution, LFP can scale its production efforts, expand its fanbase, and unlock new monetisation opportunities, driving financial growth. The collaboration is a significant step in LFP’s broader strategic transformation, focusing on providing a more dynamic and engaging experience for its fans.
By embracing AI and automation, LFP aims to meet the increasing demand for digital content and stay culturally relevant in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The partnership aims to strengthen fan loyalty, deliver content that exceeds expectations, and ensure that LFP’s competitions remain prominent in the global sports ecosystem.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has temporarily halted the proposed £762 million acquisition of UK logistics firm Wincanton by American logistics company GXO, citing potential competition risks. This decision follows the CMA’s preliminary investigation, which raised concerns about the merger’s impact on the already competitive contract logistics services sector.
An interim enforcement order (IEO) is now in effect, preventing any integration of the two firms during the review process. The CMA’s phase 1 investigation indicated that the merger could reduce competition in a market valued at £16 billion in the UK, where GXO and Wincanton are key players competing for contracts with major retailers. Naomi Burgoyne, senior director of mergers at the CMA, warned that diminished competition could lead to higher costs for consumers reliant on efficient delivery services.
GXO has five days to propose solutions to address the CMA’s concerns. If the proposals are found inadequate, the regulator will proceed to a more detailed phase two investigation. In response to the CMA’s announcement, a GXO spokesperson stated that they are reviewing the decision and are committed to collaborating with the CMA to achieve a favourable outcome, asserting that the acquisition would benefit logistics customers across the UK and support government initiatives for economic growth.
Tenstorrent, a Silicon Valley startup founded by veterans from Apple and Intel, has secured a deal with the Japanese government to train up to 200 Japanese chip designers over the next five years. This partnership, announced on Tuesday, includes a $50 million investment shared between Tenstorrent and Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Centre. It is part of Japan‘s initiative to revitalise its semiconductor industry, which has seen a significant decline since its dominance in the 1980s.
Central to this revitalisation effort is Rapidus, a government-backed contract chipmaker aiming to begin mass production of advanced semiconductors by 2027. To support Rapidus’s goals, the collaboration with Tenstorrent focuses on creating future customers by educating Japanese engineers in the US about chip design. Starting in April 2025, these engineers will work closely with Tenstorrent’s experienced team, including industry veterans who have worked on Apple chips.
The agreement allows Tenstorrent to retain the chip designs created during the training, which will utilise RISC-V, an open chip design architecture. Upon returning to Japan, the engineers will be equipped to leverage their new knowledge to develop their own RISC-V designs, further contributing to the growth of Japan’s semiconductor capabilities. Tenstorrent’s Chief Customer Officer, David Bennett, emphasised that Japan’s proactive investments reflect its commitment to taking control of its technological future.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has indicated that a proposed merger between Vodafone and Three could proceed, contingent on the companies making commitments to protect consumer prices and enhance the nation’s 5G infrastructure. The regulator, initially concerned that combining the two networks could lead to higher costs and reduced competition, has now concluded that these issues could be mitigated if Vodafone and Three agree to specific remedies.
Vodafone has responded positively to the CMA’s findings, expressing optimism that the proposal offers a clear path to regulatory approval. The telecom giants have emphasised that the merger would benefit both consumers and businesses, with plans to bring advanced 5G access to schools, hospitals, and other vital sectors across the UK.
The CMA’s investigation, which began in January, is now focused on ensuring the merged entity honors price promises on certain data plans for at least three years. Additionally, the companies would be required to maintain existing deals with smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) like Sky Mobile, Lyca, and Lebara. Industry analysts see the CMA’s conditional support as a positive step, potentially leading to a stronger three-player market alongside existing competitors EE and O2.
With public feedback on the proposal open until 12 November, a final decision is expected from the CMA by 7 December.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has urged South Korea’s SK Hynix to speed up the delivery of its next-generation HBM4 memory chips by six months, according to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Initially scheduled for the latter half of 2025, the HBM4 chips are in high demand as Nvidia’s GPUs require them for advancing AI technology. Nvidia, which holds a dominant share of the AI chip market, relies on SK Hynix’s high-bandwidth memory to support AI processing.
Facing growing competition from Samsung and Micron, SK Hynix is working to deliver its latest HBM3E chips this year, with plans to release improved 16-layer versions early next year. Samsung has also announced progress on a new supply deal and aims to roll out its HBM4 products by the second half of 2024.
Shares of SK Hynix surged 5.1% on the news, reflecting strong investor confidence in its strategic response to the booming demand for advanced memory technology.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bahrain and the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies (Derasat) have embarked on a significant partnership to develop the National Human Development Report (NHDR), titled ‘Digital Transformation: A Roadmap for Progress.’ That collaboration aims to harness digital transformation as a strategic tool for fostering inclusive growth in the Kingdom, aligning with Bahrain Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this context, the NHDR will comprehensively analyse how digital transformation can enhance human development outcomes in Bahrain, addressing critical issues such as the digital divide, privacy concerns, cybersecurity, and integrating digital technologies into public services. Furthermore, the report will benchmark Bahrain’s digital landscape against regional and international standards, offering actionable insights and recommendations to improve digital inclusion, protect privacy, and secure digital infrastructures.
Moreover, the UNDP Bahrain and Derasat highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement in developing the NHDR. By collaborating with government entities, civil society organisations, and the private sector, diverse perspectives will be included to ensure alignment with Bahrain’s national development goals.
