Oracle has confirmed a $3 billion investment in its AI and cloud infrastructure across Germany and the Netherlands over the next five years. The move aims to boost its capacity in Europe as demand for advanced computing services continues to rise.
The company plans to invest $2 billion in Germany and $1 billion in the Netherlands, joining other major tech firms ramping up data centre infrastructure. Oracle’s strategy reflects broader market trends, with companies like Meta and Amazon committing large sums to meet AI-driven cloud needs.
The firm expects capital expenditure to exceed $25 billion in fiscal 2026, primarily focused on expanding data centre capabilities for AI. Analysts say Oracle’s AI and cloud services are increasingly competitive with traditional software, fuelling its strong performance this year.
Oracle shares have climbed nearly 38% since January, with a recent regulatory filing revealing a future deal worth over $30 billion in annual revenue beginning in 2028. The company sees its growing infrastructure as key to accelerating revenue and profit.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
President Donald Trump has announced a $70 billion initiative to strengthen America’s energy and data infrastructure to meet growing AI-driven demand. The plan was revealed at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Energy & Innovation Summit, with over 60 primary energy and tech CEOs in attendance.
The investment will prioritise US states such as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Georgia, where energy grids are increasingly under pressure due to rising data centre usage. Part of the funding will come from federal-private partnerships, alongside potential reforms led by the Department of Energy.
Analysts suggest the plan redirect federal support away from wind and solar energy in favour of nuclear and fossil fuel development. The proposal may also scale back green tax credits introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act, potentially affecting more than 300 gigawatts of renewable capacity.
The package includes a project to transform a disused steel mill in Aliquippa into a large-scale data centre hub, forming part of a broader strategy to establish new AI-energy corridors. Critics argue the plan could prioritise legacy systems over decarbonisation, even as AI pushes infrastructure to its limits.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Gemini has significantly expanded its tokenised stock offerings for European investors, adding 14 new major US company shares to its platform. Notable additions include Nike, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Uber, and Yum! Brands.
The move brings the total tokenised equities available to 37, providing EU users with a diverse range of investment options.
Tokens are issued by Dinari and minted on the Arbitrum blockchain, ensuring efficient and secure trading. Gemini enables 24/7 access to these tokenised stocks, charging a 1.49% fee per transaction.
The latest launch follows recent additions such as Apple, Tesla, Amazon, and Microsoft, reflecting Gemini’s commitment to broadening market access.
Meanwhile, Robinhood’s tokenised stocks, offering 215 tokens to European users, face regulatory hurdles after OpenAI rejected its shares. The company says the product provides indirect retail investor exposure.
Other crypto exchanges like Kraken and Bybit have also entered the tokenised equities space. Kraken’s trading interface resembles traditional crypto pairs, while Bybit offers its xStocks on both centralized and decentralised platforms.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Led by the Italian Polytechnic University of Milan, the project is harnessing the power of light to deliver faster computing and solve real-world challenges.
These chips avoid energy loss by guiding photons through transparent glass, an approach designed to boost precision and reliability in quantum operations.
The collaborative effort includes specialists in photon detection, electronics, and quantum software, all working towards a functioning photonic quantum machine by 2026.
One of its first goals is to help design better lithium-ion batteries, which is vital for Europe’s shift to renewable energy and electric transport.
Europe’s broader ambition is to deploy a quantum-accelerated supercomputer by 2025 and grow a local quantum chip industry by 2030. While talent and innovation are strong, the project highlights a pressing need for greater private investment and commercial scale to match global rivals.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The US Department of Defence has awarded contracts to four major AI firms, including Elon Musk’s xAI, as part of a strategy to boost military AI capabilities.
Each contract is valued at up to $200 million and involves developing advanced AI workflows for critical national security tasks.
Alongside xAI, Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI have also secured contracts. Pentagon officials said the deals aim to integrate commercial AI solutions into intelligence, business, and defence operations instead of relying solely on internal systems.
Chief Digital and AI Officer Doug Matty states that these technologies will help maintain the US’s strategic edge over rivals.
The decision comes as Musk’s AI company faces controversy after its Grok chatbot was reported to have published offensive content on social media. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, have raised ethical concerns about awarding national security contracts to a company under public scrutiny.
xAI insists its Grok for Movement platform will help speed up government services and scientific innovation.
Despite political tensions and Musk’s past financial support for Donald Trump’s campaign, the Pentagon has formalised its relationship with xAI and other AI leaders instead of excluding them due to reputational risks.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nvidia has announced plans to resume sales of its H20 AI chip in China, following meetings between CEO Jensen Huang and US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
The move comes after US export controls previously banned sales of the chip on national security grounds, costing Nvidia an estimated $15 billion in lost revenue.
The company confirmed it is filing for licences with the US government to restart deliveries of the H20 graphics processing unit, expecting approval shortly.
Nvidia also revealed a new RTX Pro GPU designed specifically for China, compliant with US export rules, offering a lower-cost alternative instead of risking further restrictions.
Huang, attending a supply chain expo in Beijing, described China as essential to Nvidia’s growth, despite rising competition from local firms like Huawei.
Chinese companies remain highly dependent on Nvidia’s CUDA platform, while US lawmakers have raised concerns about Nvidia engaging with Chinese entities linked to military or intelligence services.
Nvidia’s return to the Chinese market comes as Washington and Beijing show signs of easing trade tensions, including relaxed rare earth export rules from China and restored chip design services from the US.
Analysts note, however, that Chinese firms are likely to keep diversifying suppliers instead of relying solely on US chips for supply chain security.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Two versions of the popular Gravity Forms plugin for WordPress were found infected with malware after a supply chain attack, prompting urgent security warnings for website administrators. The compromised plugin files were available for manual download from the official page on 9 and 10 July.
The attack was uncovered on 11 July, when researchers noticed the plugin making suspicious requests and sending WordPress site data to an unfamiliar domain.
The injected malware created secret administrator accounts, providing attackers with remote access to websites, allowing them to steal data and control user accounts.
According to developer RocketGenius, only versions 2.9.11.1 and 2.9.12 were affected if installed manually or via composer during that brief window. Automatic updates and the Gravity API service remained secure. A patched version, 2.9.13, was released on 11 July, and users are urged to update immediately.
RocketGenius has rotated all service keys, audited admin accounts, and tightened download package security to prevent similar incidents instead of risking further unauthorised access.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Meta Platforms is building several of the world’s largest data centres to power its AI ambitions, with the first facility expected to go online in 2026.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg revealed on Threads that the site, called Prometheus, will be the first of multiple ‘titan clusters’ designed to support AI development instead of relying on existing infrastructure.
Frustrated by earlier AI efforts, Meta is investing heavily in talent and technology. The company has committed up to $72 billion towards AI and data centre expansion, while Zuckerberg has personally recruited high-profile figures from OpenAI, DeepMind, and Apple.
That includes appointing Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang as chief AI officer through a $14.3 billion stake deal and securing Ruoming Pang with a compensation package worth over $200 million.
The facilities under construction will have multi-gigawatt capacity, placing Meta ahead of rivals such as OpenAI and Oracle in the race for large-scale AI infrastructure.
One supercluster in Richland Parish, Louisiana, is said to cover an area nearly the size of Manhattan instead of smaller conventional data centre sites.
Zuckerberg confirmed that Meta is prepared to invest ‘hundreds of billions of dollars’ into building superintelligence capabilities, using revenue from its core advertising business on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to fund these projects instead of seeking external financing.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nearly half of UK marketers surveyed already harness AI for essential tasks such as market research, campaign optimisation, creative asset testing, and budget allocation.
Specifically, 46 % use AI for research, 44 % generate multiple asset variants, 43.7 % optimise mid‑campaign content, and over 41 % apply machine learning to audience targeting and media planning.
These tools enable faster ideation, real‑time asset iteration, and smarter spend decisions. Campaigns can now be A/B tested in moments rather than days, freeing teams to focus on higher‑level strategic and creative work.
Industry leaders emphasise that AI serves best as a ‘co‑pilot‘, enhancing productivity and insight, not replacing human creativity.
Responsible deployment requires careful prompt design, ongoing ethical review, and maintaining a clear brand identity in increasingly automated processes.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, has downplayed concerns over Chinese military use of American AI technology, stating it is improbable that China would risk relying on US-made chips.
He noted the potential liabilities of using foreign tech, which could deter its adoption by the country’s armed forces.
In an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Huang responded to Washington’s growing export controls targeting advanced AI hardware sales to China.
He suggested the military would likely avoid US technology to reduce exposure to geopolitical risks and sanctions.
The Biden administration had tightened restrictions on AI chip exports, citing national security and fears that cutting-edge processors might boost China’s military capabilities.
Nvidia, whose chips are central to global AI development, has seen its access to the Chinese market increasingly limited under these rules.
While Nvidia remains a key supplier in the AI sector, Huang’s comments may ease some political pressure around the company’s overseas operations.
The broader debate continues over balancing innovation, commercial interest and national security in the AI age.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
