E-commerce and trade

AI agents tipped to outnumber humans online

Parag Agrawal, the former Twitter chief executive removed after Elon Musk’s takeover in 2022, has re-entered the technology sector with a new venture.

His company, Parallel Web Systems, is developing AI tools designed to help AI agents gather and analyse information online without human input.

The company’s first product, Deep Research API, outperforms human researchers and advanced models such as OpenAI’s GPT-5 on specific benchmarks.

Agrawal revealed that the system already supports millions of tasks daily and is used by coding agents to locate documents and fix errors. Parallel has secured 30 million dollars in funding and employs around 25 staff.

Agrawal had been Twitter’s chief technology officer before succeeding Jack Dorsey as chief executive in late 2021. After leaving the company, he returned to academic research and coding instead of joining other struggling firms.

He has argued that the internet will eventually be dominated by AI agents rather than human users, predicting that individuals may soon rely on dozens of agents to act on their behalf.

His views echo predictions from Coinbase developers, who recently suggested that AI agents could become the most significant users of Ethereum.

They propose that autonomous systems can handle stablecoin transfers and e-commerce transactions, enabling services from self-driving taxis to AI-powered content platforms.

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Google fined $36M in Australia over Telco search deals

Google has agreed to pay a fine of A$55 million (US$35.8 million) in Australia after regulators found the tech giant restricted competition by striking deals with the country’s two largest telecommunications providers. The arrangements gave Google’s search engine a dominant position on Android phones while sidelining rival platforms.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that between late 2019 and early 2021, Google partnered with Telstra and Optus, offering them a share of advertising revenue in exchange for pre-installing its search app. Regulators said the practice curtailed consumer choice and prevented other search engines from gaining visibility. Google admitted the deals harmed competition and agreed to abandon similar agreements.

The fine marks another setback for the Alphabet-owned company in Australia. Just last week, a court essentially ruled against Google in a high-profile case brought by Epic Games, which accused both Google and Apple of blocking alternative app stores on their operating systems. In a further blow, Google’s YouTube was recently swept into a nationwide ban on social media access for users under 16, reversing an earlier exemption.

ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the outcome was essential to ensure Australians have ‘greater search choice in the future’ and that rival providers gain a fair chance to reach consumers. While the fine still requires court approval, Google and the regulator have submitted a joint recommendation to avoid drawn-out litigation.

In response, Google emphasised it was satisfied with the resolution, noting that the contested provisions were no longer part of its contracts. The company said it remains committed to offering Android manufacturers flexibility in pre-loading apps while maintaining features that allow them to compete with Apple and keep device prices affordable. Telstra and Optus confirmed they have ceased signing such agreements since 2024, while Singtel, Optus’ parent company, has yet to comment.

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US may take stake in Intel to boost chip production

The US government is reportedly considering acquiring a stake in Intel to support its domestic chip manufacturing plans. Talks began after Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with Trump administration officials on 11 August, following calls for his resignation over alleged China ties.

President Trump has pushed for greater control over the semiconductor sector and recently criticised Tan, prompting political pressure on Intel’s board.

While Intel declined to comment on a possible deal, it stated its commitment to supporting US technology and manufacturing leadership.

The proposed stake would aid Intel’s delayed Ohio chip factory project and expand its US production capacity.

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Google launches AI tool offering flexible travellers cheap flights

Google has rolled out Flight Deals, a new AI‑powered tool for flexible, budget‑conscious travellers within Google Flights. It allows users to type natural‑language descriptions of their ideal trip, such as favourite activities or timeframe, and receive bargain flight suggestions in return.

Powered by Gemini, the feature parses conversational inputs and taps real‑time flight data from multiple airlines and agencies.

The tool identifies low fares and even proposes destinations users might not have considered, ranking options by percentage savings or lowest price.

Currently in beta, Flight Deals is available in the US, Canada, and India without special opt‑in. It is also accessible via the Google Flights menu.

Traditional Google Flights remains available, with a new option to exclude basic economy fares in the US and Canada.

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Google launches small AI model for mobiles and IoT

Google has released Gemma 3 270M, an open-source AI model with 270 million parameters designed to run efficiently on smartphones and Internet of Things devices.

Drawing on technology from the larger Gemini family, it focuses on portability, low energy use and quick fine-tuning, enabling developers to create AI tools that work on everyday hardware instead of relying on high-end servers.

The model supports instruction-following and text structuring with a 256,000-token vocabulary, offering scope for natural language processing and on-device personalisation.

Its design includes quantisation-aware training to work in low-precision formats such as INT4, reducing memory use and improving speed on mobile processors instead of requiring extensive computational power.

Industry commentators note that the model could help meet demand for efficient AI in edge computing, with applications in healthcare wearables and autonomous IoT systems. Keeping processing on-device also supports privacy and reduces dependence on cloud infrastructure.

Google highlights the environmental benefits of the model, pointing to reduced carbon impact and greater accessibility for smaller firms and independent developers. While safeguards like ShieldGemma aim to limit risks, experts say careful use will still be needed to avoid misuse.

Future developments may bring new features, including multimodal capabilities, as part of Google’s strategy to blend open and proprietary AI within hybrid systems.

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ChatGPT gets local pricing in India

OpenAI has introduced local pricing for ChatGPT in India, allowing users to pay in rupees instead of US dollars. The shift follows the release of GPT-5, which supports 12 Indian languages and offers improved relevance for local users.

India is now the second-largest ChatGPT market outside the US. The Plus plan now costs $24 per month, while the Pro and Team plans are priced at $240 and $25 per seat, respectively.

OpenAI is also expected to launch a lower-cost option called ChatGPT Go, potentially priced at $5 to appeal to casual users. Competitors like Google and Perplexity AI have also responded by offering free access to students and telecom customers to boost adoption.

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Meta leads booming AI smart glasses market in first half of 2025

According to Counterpoint Research, global shipments of smart glasses more than doubled in the first half of 2025, fuelled by soaring demand for AI-powered models.

The segment accounted for 78% of shipments, outpacing basic audio-enabled smart frames.

Meta led the market with over 73% share, primarily driven by the success of its Ray-Ban AI glasses. Rising competition came from Chinese firms, including Huawei, RayNeo, and Xiaomi, emerging as a surprise contender with its new AI glasses.

Analysts attribute the surge to growing consumer interest in AI-integrated wearable tech, with Meta and Xiaomi’s latest releases generating strong sales momentum.

Competition is expected to intensify as companies such as Alibaba and ByteDance enter the space in the second half of the year.

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Santander expands AI-first strategy with OpenAI

Santander is accelerating its AI-first transformation through a new partnership with OpenAI, aiming to embed intelligent technology into every part of the bank.

Over the past two months, ChatGPT Enterprise has been rolled out to nearly 15,000 employees across Europe and the Americas, with plans to double that number by year-end. The move forms part of a broader ambition to become an AI-native institution where all decisions and processes are data-driven.

The bank will plan a mandatory AI training programme for all staff from 2026, with a focus on responsible use, and expects to scale agentic AI to enable fully conversational banking.

Santander says its AI initiatives saved over €200 million last year. In Spain alone, speech analytics now handles 10 million calls annually, automatically updating CRM records and freeing more than 100,000 work hours. Developer productivity has risen by up to 30% on some tasks.

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UK-based ODI outlines vision for EU AI Act and data policy

The Open Data Institute (ODI) has published a manifesto setting out six principles for shaping European Union policy on AI and data. Aimed at supporting policymakers, it aligns with the EU’s upcoming digital reforms, including the AI Act and the review of the bloc’s digital framework.

Although based in the UK, the ODI has previously contributed to EU policymaking, including work on the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice and consultations on the use of health data. The organisation also launched a similar manifesto for UK data and AI policy in 2024.

The ODI states that the EU has a chance to establish a global model of digital governance, prioritizing people’s interests. Director of research Elena Simperl called for robust open data infrastructure, inclusive participation, and independent oversight to build trust, support innovation, and protect values.

Drawing on the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and the Draghi report, the six principles are: data infrastructure, open data, trust, independent organisations, an inclusive data ecosystem, and data skills. The goal is to balance regulation and innovation while upholding rights, values, and interoperability.

The ODI highlights the need to limit bias and inequality, broaden access to data and skills, and support smaller enterprises. It argues that strong governance should be treated like physical infrastructure, enabling competitiveness while safeguarding rights and public trust in the AI era.

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Musk’s xAI makes Grok 4 free worldwide for a limited time

Elon Musk’s company xAI has made its latest AI model, Grok 4, available to all users worldwide at no cost for a limited period. The model, launched just a month ago, was initially exclusive to paying subscribers of SuperGrok and X Premium.

Although Grok 4 is now open to everyone, its most potent version, Grok 4 Heavy, remains restricted to SuperGrok Heavy members. The announcement comes days after OpenAI unveiled GPT-5, which is also freely accessible.

Grok 4 features two operating modes. Auto mode decides automatically whether a query requires more detailed reasoning, aiming to deliver faster responses and use fewer resources. Expert mode allows users to manually switch the AI into reasoning mode if they want a more thorough reply.

Alongside the release, xAI has introduced Grok Imagine, a free AI video generation tool for users in the US, with enhanced usage limits for paid members in other regions. The tool has already sparked controversy after reports emerged of its use to create explicit videos of celebrities.

Musk has also revealed plans to integrate advertising into the Grok chatbot interface as an additional revenue source to help offset the high costs of running the AI on powerful GPUs.

The ads will be placed between responses and suggestions on both the web platform and the mobile application, marking another step in xAI’s bid to expand its user base while sustaining the service financially.

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