The European Commission has urged EU nations to fund Ukraine’s access to satellite internet through European commercial providers, amid growing concerns over the country’s reliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The call, outlined in a newly published defence white paper, comes as Ukraine faces potential service disruptions unless it agrees to a minerals deal with the US. European satellite operators are now in talks with the EU to explore alternative solutions.
Brussels has proposed granting Kyiv access to the EU’s space programme to ensure stable connectivity for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The initiative aims to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience by diversifying its satellite-based services. Poland, which partially funds Ukraine’s Starlink access, has also backed the need for alternative providers.
Spain’s Hisdesat has confirmed plans to expand its coverage over Ukraine, while other European satellite firms, such as Eutelsat and SES, have been approached for potential involvement.
The move reflects Europe’s broader strategy to secure independent infrastructure for Ukraine and reduce dependence on private or non-EU providers.
The Commission’s proposal, if implemented, could mark a significant shift in how Kyiv maintains vital communications during the ongoing conflict.
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Swedish AI startup IntuiCell has introduced Luna, a robot dog with a functional digital nervous system that enables it to learn and adapt like humans and animals.
Unlike traditional AI models that rely on vast datasets and pre-training, Luna learns through real-world interactions.
The company has even hired a professional dog trainer to teach Luna how to walk, mimicking the way neurons process information in biological systems.
CEO Viktor Luthman described Luna as a breakthrough in AI, allowing machines to learn without requiring high-powered data centres or offline simulations.
The technology, he says, could eventually lead to advanced autonomous robots capable of operating in unpredictable environments such as space and deep-sea exploration.
Future iterations could assist in disaster response or even contribute to constructing habitats on Mars.
Founded as a spin-off from Lund University in 2020, IntuiCell has received funding from Sweden’s Navigare Ventures, Norway’s SNÖ Ventures, and the European Union.
The company believes that Luna’s capabilities could mark a significant step forward in the development of humanoid and autonomous robots, with applications far beyond current AI-powered machines.
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The European Commission has ordered Apple to grant rival smartphone, headphone, and virtual reality companies access to its technology and mobile operating system.
The directive, part of the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, aims to curb the dominance of major tech firms and enhance competition. A separate mandate also requires Apple to establish a structured process for responding to interoperability requests from app developers.
Apple strongly criticised the decision, arguing that it places unfair constraints on its ability to innovate and benefits competitors without imposing the same restrictions on them.
Expressing concerns, the company warned that the new rules could negatively impact its products and European users, adding that the additional regulatory burden might slow progress.
The European Commission, however, dismissed Apple’s objections, stating that the order simply enforces existing laws and provides regulatory clarity.
Failure to comply could result in an investigation and potential fines of up to 10% of Apple’s global annual revenue. The ruling underscores the EU’s determination to rein in the power of Big Tech and ensure a more competitive digital market.
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Chinese tech giant Baidu has denied claims of an internal data breach after the teenage daughter of a senior executive was accused of sharing users’ personal information online.
The controversy erupted when internet users alleged that the daughter of Baidu vice president Xie Guangjun had posted private details, including phone numbers, following an online dispute.
Baidu insisted that neither employees nor executives have access to user data and claimed the information came from illegally obtained ‘doxing databases’ on foreign platforms.
The company has filed a police report regarding false claims, including allegations that Xie had given his daughter access to Baidu’s databases.
Xie apologised, stating that the data had been sourced from overseas social networking sites.
The case comes amid ongoing crackdown in China on data privacy breaches, with stricter laws in place to prevent unauthorised sharing of personal details.
The controversy has impacted investor confidence, with Baidu’s shares falling more than 4% in Hong Kong trading.
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Amazon has lost its appeal against a €746 million fine imposed by Luxembourg’s data protection regulator for breaching EU privacy laws.
The country’s administrative court upheld the penalty in a ruling on 18 March, siding with the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD), which found Amazon had unlawfully processed personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The fine remains the largest issued under the EU privacy rules.
The CNPD also ordered Amazon to implement corrective measures, although enforcement will be suspended during the appeal period.
Amazon criticised the decision, arguing the fine was based on subjective legal interpretations without prior guidance from regulators. The company confirmed it is considering further legal action.
Europe has taken a strict stance on data privacy violations, with GDPR setting a global benchmark for consumer protections.
The ruling against Amazon reinforces the EU’s commitment to holding major tech companies accountable for their handling of personal data.
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Disney’s dream of bringing lifelike robotic characters to its theme parks is closer to reality, thanks to a new collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind. At GTC 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduced Newton, an advanced physics engine designed to enhance how robots interact with their surroundings. The first to benefit from this technology will be Disney’s next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired BDX droids, one of which made a surprise appearance on stage during Huang’s keynote.
Newton is engineered to improve the expressiveness and adaptability of robots, enabling them to handle complex tasks with greater precision. The open-source engine will allow developers to simulate interactions with real-world elements such as fabric, sand, and food, making robotic movement more natural. Nvidia confirmed that Newton will integrate seamlessly with Google DeepMind’s robotics toolkit, including MuJoCo, its multi-joint simulation engine.
Disney has long experimented with robotic characters for its theme parks, showcasing controlled demonstrations at events like SXSW. With the introduction of Newton, Disney Imagineering sees an opportunity to roll out these robots across multiple park locations starting next year. The collaboration between Nvidia, Disney, and Google DeepMind marks a major leap in entertainment robotics, promising theme park guests a more immersive and dynamic experience.
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Stability AI has unveiled its latest AI model, Stable Virtual Camera, designed to convert 2D images into dynamic 3D video scenes. Announced in a company blog post, the model enables users to create immersive videos with realistic depth and perspective using up to 32 input images. It generates ‘novel views’ of a scene, offering various preset camera movements, including Spiral, Dolly Zoom, Move, and Pan.
The tool is currently available as a research preview and allows users to generate videos in square (1:1), portrait (9:16), and landscape (16:9) formats, with a maximum length of 1,000 frames. However, Stability AI warns that certain images, such as those with people, animals, or complex textures like water, may produce lower-quality results. Highly ambiguous or irregularly shaped objects may also lead to visual artifacts.
Stable Virtual Camera is available for research use under a non-commercial license and can be downloaded from AI development platform Hugging Face. The launch follows a turbulent period for Stability AI, which has recently undergone leadership changes, secured new investments, and expanded into new AI applications, including generative audio. With this latest innovation, the company aims to solidify its position in the competitive AI market.
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Tesla has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to operate a transportation service in the state, though the permit does not yet extend to autonomous vehicle operations. The transportation charter permit (TCP), granted on Tuesday, allows Tesla to use its own vehicles and employees as drivers for prearranged transport services. Initially, the company plans to use this permit for employee transportation, with the possibility of expanding to public services in the future.
Unlike Uber and Lyft, which operate under transportation network company (TNC) permits, Tesla’s TCP authorisation requires the company to own the vehicles and directly employ its drivers. The permit does not allow Tesla to test or deploy autonomous vehicles, nor does it grant the company participation in California’s Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service Programs. Should Tesla wish to operate a driverless service, it would need additional approvals from both the CPUC and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Despite these restrictions, Tesla continues to push forward with its self-driving ambitions. CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, as early as June, using vehicles equipped with an updated version of the company’s Full Self-Driving software. While California regulators have not yet approved Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing plans, the newly acquired permit may represent the first step towards that goal.
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xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, has acquired Hotshot, a San Francisco-based startup focused on generative AI video tools.
The company, founded by Aakash Sastry and John Mullan, initially developed AI-driven photo editing tools but shifted its focus to text-to-video AI models.
Hotshot’s video foundation models, such as Hotshot-XL and Hotshot Act One, have already gained significant attention in the AI industry.
The acquisition is expected to boost xAI’s plans to develop its own video generation models, competing with major competitors like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 2.
Musk had previously hinted at the creation of a ‘Grok Video’ model, which he anticipates launching in the near future. Hotshot’s team will likely play a key role in scaling these efforts, using xAI’s powerful infrastructure, including the Colossus cluster.
Hotshot’s website has confirmed the sunsetting of its video creation tools as of March 14, with existing customers having until March 30 to download their content.
The specifics of the staff transition to xAI remain unclear, with Sastry declining to comment. This acquisition represents a significant step for xAI in the rapidly evolving generative AI space.
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France’s broadcasting regulator, Arcom, is on the verge of deciding whether satellite operator Eutelsat has breached European sanctions against Russia.
The decision follows requests from several NGOs, including Comité Diderot, which has raised concerns over Eutelsat’s contracts with Russian media outlets like the army’s Zvezda channel and state-run VGTRK.
These contracts represent a small fraction of Eutelsat’s revenue, about 4%, but the watchdog’s ruling could have significant financial consequences for the company.
In 2022, Eutelsat complied with Arcom’s request to halt the broadcast of three Russian TV channels. However, the company still maintains agreements with other Russian media outlets, which some critics argue continue to violate EU sanctions.
Eutelsat has expressed respect for regulatory decisions, but the investigation has drawn attention to its ongoing contracts with Russian entities.
Arcom, which now has the authority to ensure EU sanctions compliance under France’s 2024 SREN law, may impose a fine of up to 3% of Eutelsat’s annual revenue.
If further violations are found, the penalty could rise to 5%. The French National Assembly recently supported the call for Arcom to enforce stricter compliance, reflecting growing pressure on Eutelsat amid the ongoing sanctions against Russia.
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