E-commerce and trade

OpenAI biometric social platform plans spark Worldcoin surge

Worldcoin jumped 40% after reports that OpenAI is developing a biometric social platform to verify users and eliminate bots. The proposed network would reportedly integrate AI tools while relying on biometric identification to ensure proof of personhood.

Sources cited by Forbes claim the project aims to create a humans-only platform, differentiating itself from existing social networks, including X. Development is said to be led by a small internal team, with work reportedly underway since early 2025.

Biometric verification could involve Apple’s Face ID or the World Orb scanner, a device linked to the World project co-founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

The report sparked a sharp rally in Worldcoin, though part of the gains later reversed amid wider market weakness. Despite the brief surge, Worldcoin has remained sharply lower over the past year amid weak market sentiment and ongoing privacy concerns.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Experts dismiss AI link in Amazon’s major 16,000 job cuts

Amazon has announced a new round of corporate job reductions affecting around 16,000 roles worldwide; however, the company insists the move is aimed at streamlining operations rather than replacing workers with AI. Instead, the layoffs are intended to reduce management layers and bureaucracy following years of rapid expansion.

Moreover, experts broadly support Amazon’s explanation, noting that the cuts do not signal widespread AI-driven job displacement. Although Amazon’s chief executive has acknowledged that generative AI could reduce corporate workforce needs in the future, analysts emphasise that current AI systems are not yet capable of replacing complex corporate roles at scale.

Meanwhile, the decision comes as Amazon continues to adjust after significant pandemic-era workforce growth, when online shopping surged, and the company expanded rapidly. As consumer behaviour has shifted back towards physical retail, the company has therefore focused on cost-cutting and workforce resizing.

Finally, specialists caution against overstating AI’s immediate impact on employment. While AI may affect some entry-level or routine tasks, experts argue that its capabilities have levelled off, meaning human expertise remains essential across most corporate functions.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI-driven semiconductor expansion continues despite market doubts

The pace of the AI infrastructure boom continues to accelerate, with semiconductor supply chains signalling sustained long-term demand.

NVIDIA remains the most visible beneficiary as data centre investment drives record GPU purchases, yet supplier activity further upstream suggests confidence extends well beyond a single company.

ASML, the Dutch firm that exclusively supplies extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, has emerged as a critical indicator of future chip production.

Its machines are essential for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, meaning strong performance reflects expectations of high chip volumes across the industry rather than short-term speculation. Quarterly earnings underline that momentum.

ASML reported €32.7 billion in net sales, while new bookings reached a record €13 billion, more than double the previous quarter.

New orders reflect how much capacity manufacturers expect to need, pointing to sustained expansion driven by anticipated AI workloads.

Company leadership attributed the surge directly to AI-related demand, with customers expressing growing confidence in the durability of data centre investment.

While order fulfilment will take years and some plans may change, industry signals suggest a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending is not imminent.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Yahoo launches AI-powered search Scout

Yahoo has introduced Scout, a new AI-powered search engine designed to compete with Google AI Mode and Perplexity. The tool transforms traditional search results into direct answers, interpreting natural language queries with the help of Yahoo’s extensive user data and content.

Scout combines the Claude AI model from Anthropic with Bing’s grounding API to ensure information is accurate and drawn from authoritative sources. Users can access personalised insights, whether checking the weather, tracking stock prices, or verifying news stories.

The platform also includes shopping and finance features, offering quick comparisons between products and synthesised financial information refreshed every ten minutes. Currently in beta, Yahoo Scout is available to US users via the Yahoo Search app and website, with plans to expand its personalisation features.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Crypto payments edge closer to everyday retail

Cryptocurrency payments are entering mainstream US commerce as rising customer demand drives more merchants to accept digital assets at checkout.

New research from the National Cryptocurrency Association and PayPal shows that 39% of merchants already accept crypto, while 84% expect it to become a standard payment method within five years.

Customer demand is driving adoption, with 88% of merchants receiving crypto payment enquiries and 69% reporting monthly interest from customers.

Many businesses view crypto as a tool for expansion, with 79% believing it can help attract new customers, while those already accepting crypto report rising transaction volumes and stronger engagement.

Large enterprises lead adoption, with half of firms earning over $500 million accepting crypto, compared with about one-third of smaller businesses. Among adopters, crypto accounts for 26% of sales, while 72% report annual growth, underscoring its shift toward a practical payment method.

Younger consumers are driving much of the momentum, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, while sectors such as hospitality, travel, digital goods, gaming, and e-commerce are seeing the fastest uptake.

Despite strong interest, simplicity remains a key barrier, as 90% of merchants say they would adopt crypto if setup and usage matched the ease of traditional card payments.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot! 

EU and India deepen strategic partnership at the 16th New Delhi summit

The European Union and India have opened a new phase in their relationship at the 16th EU-India Summit in New Delhi, marked by the conclusion of a landmark Free Trade Agreement and the launch of a Security and Defence Partnership.

These agreements signal a shared ambition to deepen economic integration while strengthening cooperation in an increasingly volatile global environment.

The EU-India Free Trade Agreement ranks among the largest trade deals worldwide, significantly reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and unlocking new opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

By improving market access and establishing clear and enforceable rules, the agreement supports more resilient supply chains, greater trade diversification and stronger joint economic security for both partners.

Alongside trade, leaders signed an EU-India Security and Defence Partnership covering maritime security, cyber and hybrid threats, counterterrorism, space and defence industrial cooperation.

Negotiations were also launched on a Security of Information Agreement, paving the way for India’s participation in EU security and defence initiatives.

The Summit further expanded cooperation on innovation, emerging technologies, climate action and people-to-people ties.

Initiatives include new EU-India Innovation Hubs, closer research collaboration, enhanced labour mobility frameworks and joint efforts on clean energy, connectivity and global development, reinforcing the partnership as a defining pillar of 21st-century geopolitics.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

NVIDIA invests $2 billion as CoreWeave expands AI factory network

CoreWeave’s long-running partnership has deepened with NVIDIA to accelerate AI infrastructure deployment, including ambitious plans for multi-gigawatt AI factory capacity by 2030.

As part of the agreement, the US company is investing $2 billion in CoreWeave through the purchase of Class A common stock, signalling strong confidence in the company’s growth strategy and AI-focused cloud platform.

Both companies aim to deepen alignment across infrastructure, software and platform development, with CoreWeave building and operating AI factories using NVIDIA’s accelerated computing technologies and early access to upcoming architectures such as Rubin, Vera CPUs and BlueField systems.

The collaboration will also test and integrate CoreWeave’s AI-native software and reference designs into NVIDIA’s broader cloud and enterprise ecosystem, while NVIDIA supports faster site development through financial backing for land and power procurement.

Executives from both firms described the expansion as a response to surging global demand for AI computing, positioning large-scale AI factories as the backbone of future industrial AI deployment.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

The EU Commission opens DMA proceedings on Google interoperability and search data

The European Commission has opened two specification proceedings to spell out how Google should meet key obligations under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on Android’s AI-related features and access to Google Search data for competitors.

The first proceeding targets the DMA’s interoperability requirement for Android. In practical terms, Brussels wants to clarify how third-party AI services can get access, free and effectively, to the same Android hardware/software functionalities that power Google’s own AI offerings, including Gemini, so that rivals can compete on a more equal footing on mobile devices.

The second proceeding addresses Google’s obligation to provide rival search engines access to anonymised search data (such as ranking, query, click, and view data) on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. The Commission is also considering whether AI chatbot providers should qualify for that access, an essential question as ‘search’ increasingly blurs with conversational AI.

These proceedings are designed to define how compliance should work rather than immediately sanction Google. The Commission is expected to wrap them up within six months, with draft measures and preliminary findings shared earlier in the process, and with scope for third-party feedback. A separate non-compliance track could still follow later, and DMA penalties for breaches can reach up to 10% of global turnover.

Google, for its part, says Android is ‘open by design’ and argues it is already licensing Search data, while warning that additional requirements, especially those it views as competitor-driven, could undermine user privacy, security, and innovation.

Why does it matter?

The EU is trying to prevent dominant platforms from turning control over operating systems and data into an ‘unfair advantage’ in the next wave of consumer tech, particularly as AI assistants become built into phones and as search data becomes fuel for competing discovery tools. The move also sits within a broader DMA enforcement push: the Commission has already opened DMA-related proceedings into Alphabet in other areas, signalling that Brussels sees gatekeeper compliance as an ongoing, hands-on exercise rather than a one-off checkbox.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Nova ransomware claims breach of KPMG Netherlands

KPMG Netherlands has allegedly become the latest target of the Nova ransomware group, following claims that sensitive data was accessed and exfiltrated.

The incident was reported by ransomware monitoring services on 23 January 2026, with attackers claiming the breach occurred on the same day.

Nova has reportedly issued a ten-day deadline for contact and ransom negotiations, a tactic commonly used by ransomware groups to pressure large organisations.

The group has established a reputation for targeting professional services firms and financial sector entities that manage high-value and confidential client information.

Threat intelligence sources indicate that Nova operates a distributed command and control infrastructure across the Tor network, alongside multiple leak platforms used to publish stolen data. Analysis suggests a standardised backend deployment, pointing to a mature and organised ransomware operation.

KPMG has not publicly confirmed the alleged breach at the time of writing. Clients and stakeholders are advised to follow official communications for clarity on potential exposure, response measures and remediation steps as investigations continue.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

France proposes EU tools to map foreign tech dependence

France has unveiled a new push to reduce Europe’s dependence on US and Chinese technology suppliers, placing digital sovereignty back at the centre of the EU policy debates.

Speaking in Paris, France’s minister for AI and digital affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, presented initiatives to expose and address the structural reliance on non-EU technologies across public administrations and private companies.

Central to the strategy is the creation of a Digital Sovereignty Observatory, which will map foreign technology dependencies and assess organisational exposure to geopolitical and supply-chain risks.

The body, led by former Europe minister Clément Beaune, is intended to provide the evidence base needed for coordinated action rather than symbolic declarations of autonomy.

France is also advancing a Digital Resilience Index, expected to publish its first findings in early 2026. The index will measure reliance on foreign digital services and products, identifying vulnerabilities linked to cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

Industry data suggests Europe’s dependence on external tech providers costs the continent hundreds of billions of euros annually.

Paris is using the initiative to renew calls for a European preference in public-sector digital procurement and for a standard EU definition of European digital services.

Such proposals remain contentious among member states, yet France argues they are essential for restoring strategic control over critical digital infrastructure.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!