Nvidia and AMD to pay 15% share of China AI chip revenue to secure US export licences

Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have agreed to hand 15% of their Chinese AI chip sales revenue to the US government in return for export licences.

The arrangement, covering Nvidia’s H20 accelerator and AMD’s MI308 model, is considered unusual and could prove contentious for both companies and Beijing.

The deal reflects Washington’s willingness to link trade concessions to financial payments, but analysts note there is little precedent for such a targeted export levy.

Critics warn the move could undermine the national security rationale for export controls, making it harder to convince allies to adopt similar measures. Beijing, meanwhile, has voiced security concerns over the H20 chip’s performance and alleged vulnerabilities.

Industry observers suggest the payment requirement could discourage further expansion by US chipmakers in China, the world’s largest semiconductor importer, and give local producers an advantage in building domestic capacity.

Chinese firms such as Huawei are already increasing market share amid tighter restrictions on US technology.

The potential sums involved are significant. Before restrictions were imposed, Nvidia had generated over $7 billion in H20 sales to China in a single quarter. In comparison, AMD could earn up to $5 billion annually if full access to the market resumed.

However, uncertainties over demand and regulatory conditions remain.

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Dojo team disbanded amid AI strategy shift

Tesla has disbanded its Dojo supercomputer team, with team leader Peter Bannon departing amid a shift in AI strategy. Resources are being reallocated to other company data centres and computing projects.

The supercomputer was initially intended to process large volumes of vehicle data and video to train its autonomous‑driving systems. The team had recently lost around 20 members to the start‑up DensityAI.

Tesla plans to rely more on external partners for compute and chip supply. Strategic collaborations with Nvidia, AMD and Samsung Electronics are being pursued to bolster capacity.

The company focuses on integrating AI, including robotics and self‑driving technologies, across its business. A recent $16.5 billion agreement with Samsung aims to support services like robotaxi, humanoid robots and data‑centre operations.

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Kiwi.com eyes agentic AI future with new booking technology

Kiwi.com has unveiled an AI-powered system that enables direct airline bookings, partnering with AIpic to launch the industry’s first Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. However, this technology links flight inventory directly with major AI platforms.

MCP is an open standard likened to a ‘USB-C for AI’. It lets large language models access real-time services beyond their pre-trained data. The access enables AI agents to search and book flights on a user’s behalf.

Kiwi.com says the technology positions it to capture growing demand, as consumers increasingly use AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot to plan travel. Experts anticipate that agentic AI systems will become the dominant interface for online services.

With MCP, users can request flights in natural language, specifying dates, destinations, passenger numbers, and cabin preferences. The AI agent accesses Kiwi.com’s inventory, returning curated results in the user’s preferred currency and time zone and an instant booking link.

The company considers the integration a new distribution channel and a potential model for other online travel agencies. It adapts to changing search and booking behaviours driven by AI.

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Musk ends in-house ‘Dojo’ AI chip programme, shifts focus to external partners

Tesla has reportedly shut down its Dojo supercomputer project following multiple high-profile departures, including that of project head Peter Bannon. CEO Elon Musk ended the AI chip programme, reassigning the remaining staff to other data centre projects.

Dojo aimed to process vehicle data for autonomous driving and reduce Tesla’s reliance on Nvidia and AMD. The project faced delays, with leaders such as Jim Keller, Ganesh Venkataramanan, and Bannon departing before its closure.

About 20 former Dojo employees have joined DensityAI, a stealth startup founded by ex-Tesla staff, which is expected to work on AI chips for robots and data centres. Tesla will now rely more on Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung.

Samsung recently secured a $16.5 billion deal to supply AI chips for Tesla’s self-driving cars, robots, and data centres. Musk said Samsung’s Texas factory will produce Tesla’s AI6 chips, with AI5 chips to be made in 2026.

Musk suggested that combining AI5 and AI6 chips could form a ‘Dojo 3’ system, while Dojo 2 would not launch. The shutdown comes as Tesla restructures, with executive exits, job cuts, and renewed focus on AI integration across Musk’s companies.

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Sam Altman praises rapid AI adoption in India

OpenAI’s new GPT‑5 model has been unveiled, and the company offers it free to all users. Three model versions, gpt‑5, gpt‑5‑mini and gpt‑5‑nano, offer developers a balance of performance, cost and latency.

CEO Sam Altman applauded India’s rapid AI adoption and hinted that India, currently OpenAI’s second‑largest market, may soon become the largest. A visit to India is planned for September.

The new GPT‑5 achieves a level of expertise akin to a PhD‑level professional and is described as a meaningful step towards AGI. OpenAI intends to make the model notably accessible through its free tier.

Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley noted that GPT‑5 significantly enhances understanding across more than twelve Indian languages, reinforcing India as a key market for localisation.

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Fintiv accuses Apple for allegedy stealing its trade secrets

US Texas-based company Fintiv, which provides mobile financial services, has filed a legal complaint against Apple, alleging that it stole trade secrets from its predecessor, CorFire, to develop Apple Pay.

The complaint claims that Apple employees held several meetings with CorFire to discuss the implementation of CorFire’s mobile wallet solutions and that CorFire had uploaded proprietary information to a shared site maintained by Apple.

According to the lawsuit, the two companies signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), giving Apple access to CorFire’s confidential information, which Apple allegedly misappropriated after abandoning plans for a partnership.

According to the IPWatchdog, Fintiv has been involved in ongoing litigation over its mobile wallet patents. Recently, it lost two key appeals: one against PayPal, which upheld the dismissal of its patent infringement claims, and another against Apple, in which the court confirmed specific patent claims were invalid.

However, in May, Fintiv secured a partial victory when the Federal Circuit reversed a lower court’s ruling that Apple did not infringe one of its patents (US Patent No. 8,843,125), allowing that part of the case to proceed. Apple had not commented publicly as of the article’s publication.

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ShinyHunters breach Google’s Salesforce database

Google has confirmed a data breach during its investigation into the ShinyHunters group, revealing the tech giant was also affected. The attackers accessed a Salesforce database used for storing small business customer information.

The breach exposed business names and contact details during a short window before access was revoked. Google stated no highly sensitive or personal data was compromised.

ShinyHunters used phishing and vishing tactics to trick users into authorising malicious Salesforce apps disguised as legitimate tools. The technique mirrors previous high-profile breaches involving firms like Santander and Ticketmaster.

Google warned the group may escalate operations by launching a data leak site. Organisations are urged to tighten their cybersecurity measures and access controls, train staff and apply multi-factor authentication across all accounts.

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TikTok Shop faces surge in crypto phishing scams

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting TikTok Shop users through a phishing and malware campaign known as ‘ClickTok‘. The scheme uses fake Meta ads and AI-generated TikTok videos imitating influencers to lure victims to fraudulent domains resembling real sites.

These domains are used to steal credentials and distribute trojanised applications. More than 10,000 fake sites have been identified, luring shoppers with heavily discounted products and urgency tactics such as countdown timers.

Victims are prompted to make payments in Tether, allowing scammers to exploit the irreversible nature of cryptocurrency transactions. The fraudulent storefronts are designed to appear convincing, encouraging rash purchases.

TikTok Shop affiliate members are also being targeted with advance fee scams. Criminals pose as TikTok affiliates on WhatsApp and Telegram, convincing victims to deposit funds into bogus wallets in exchange for fake commission payments.

The report warns that the younger demographic on TikTok, particularly those aged 18 to 34, may be more vulnerable to such schemes. The trend shows scams shifting from Facebook and X to new e-commerce platforms.

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Endex brings AI to Excel with OpenAI Startup Fund support

Endex.ai has secured $14 million in funding to bring AI directly into Microsoft Excel. The funding round was led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, marking a significant moment for traditional tools in the business world.

Founded in 2022 by Tarun Amasa and Kevin Yang, the startup has spent the past year collaborating quietly with financial institutions to refine its product.

Now available to the public through limited invites, the tool embeds itself within Excel and helps users manage tasks like financial modelling, data cleanup, and detailed analysis (without switching applications).

Unlike broader AI tools, Endex has been designed specifically for finance professionals. It understands financial terminology, adapts to user habits, and references trusted data sources such as SEC filings, CapIQ, and earnings reports.

The company describes its product as Excel-native, aiming to enhance rather than replace a tool already deeply integrated into finance work.

With the new funding, Endex plans to expand development and scale its reach. The AI agent already works on both Mac and Windows, and its frictionless interface is proving attractive in a field where saving time and improving accuracy can make a substantial difference.

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NVIDIA pushes back against chip backdoor demands

NVIDIA has publicly rejected calls to embed kill switches or backdoors in its AI chips amid growing political pressure. The statement follows proposals from US lawmakers and accusations by Chinese authorities.

Chief Security Officer David Reber Jr. said any such backdoor would endanger global digital infrastructure and open doors for hackers. He reaffirmed NVIDIA’s commitment to fixing vulnerabilities, not creating them.

The controversy arises as the chipmaker navigates strict US export controls while maintaining its foothold in China with the H20 chip. A Chinese agency recently claimed these chips already contain hidden controls.

Reber distinguished transparent, user-controlled tools like remote wipe from covert backdoors, arguing they serve customers without risking the system integrity of the chips.

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