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Meta buys PlayAI to strengthen voice AI

Meta has acquired California-based startup PlayAI to strengthen its position in AI voice technology. PlayAI specialises in replicating human-like voices, offering Meta a route to enhance conversational AI features instead of relying solely on text-based systems.

According to reports, the PlayAI team will join Meta next week.

Although financial terms have not been disclosed, industry sources suggest the deal is worth tens of millions. Meta aims to use PlayAI’s expertise across its platforms, from social media apps to devices like Ray-Ban smart glasses.

The move is part of Meta’s push to keep pace with competitors like Google and OpenAI in the generative AI race.

Talent acquisition plays a key role in the strategy. By absorbing smaller, specialised teams like PlayAI’s, Meta focuses on integrating technology and expert staff instead of developing every capability in-house.

The PlayAI team will report directly to Meta’s AI leadership, underscoring the company’s focus on voice-driven interactions and metaverse experiences.

Bringing PlayAI’s voice replication tools into Meta’s ecosystem could lead to more realistic AI assistants and new creator tools for platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

However, the expansion of voice cloning raises ethical and privacy concerns that Meta must manage carefully, instead of risking user trust.

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Elon Musk’s xAI secures $2 billion from SpaceX

SpaceX has committed $2 billion to Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, as part of a $5 billion equity round.

The investment strengthens links between Musk’s businesses instead of keeping them separate, with xAI now competing directly against OpenAI.

After merging with social platform X, xAI’s valuation has reached $113 billion. Grok chatbot now supports customer service for Starlink, and there are plans for future integration into Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots instead of limiting its use to chat functions.

When asked whether Tesla could also back xAI financially, Musk replied on X that ‘it would be great, but subject to board and shareholder approval’. He did not directly confirm or deny SpaceX’s reported investment.

The move underlines how Musk positions his various ventures to collaborate more closely, combining AI, space technology, and robotics instead of running them as isolated businesses.

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Meta under pressure after small business loses thousands

A New Orleans bar owner lost $10,000 after cyber criminals hijacked her Facebook business account, highlighting the growing threat of online scams targeting small businesses. Despite efforts to recover the account, the company was locked out for weeks, disrupting sales.

The US-based scam involved a fake Meta support message that tricked the owner into giving hackers access to her page. Once inside, the attackers began running ads and draining funds from the business account linked to the platform.

Cyber fraud like this is increasingly common as small businesses rely more on social media to reach their customers. The incident has renewed calls for tech giants like Meta to implement stronger user protections and improve support for scam victims.

Meta says it has systems to detect and remove fraudulent activity, but did not respond directly to this case. Experts argue that current protections are insufficient, especially for small firms with fewer resources and little recourse after attacks.

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AI can reshape the insurance industry, but carries real-world risks

AI is creating new opportunities for the insurance sector, from faster claims processing to enhanced fraud detection.

According to Jeremy Stevens, head of EMEA business at Charles Taylor InsureTech, AI allows insurers to handle repetitive tasks in seconds instead of hours, offering efficiency gains and better customer service. Yet these opportunities come with risks, especially if AI is introduced without thorough oversight.

Poorly deployed AI systems can easily cause more harm than good. For instance, if an insurer uses AI to automate motor claims but trains the model on biassed or incomplete data, two outcomes are likely: the system may overpay specific claims while wrongly rejecting genuine ones.

The result would not simply be financial losses, but reputational damage, regulatory investigations and customer attrition. Instead of reducing costs, the company would find itself managing complaints and legal challenges.

To avoid such pitfalls, AI in insurance must be grounded in trust and rigorous testing. Systems should never operate as black boxes. Models must be explainable, auditable and stress-tested against real-world scenarios.

It is essential to involve human experts across claims, underwriting and fraud teams, ensuring AI decisions reflect technical accuracy and regulatory compliance.

For sensitive functions like fraud detection, blending AI insights with human oversight prevents mistakes that could unfairly affect policyholders.

While flawed AI poses dangers, ignoring AI entirely risks even greater setbacks. Insurers that fail to modernise may be outpaced by more agile competitors already using AI to deliver faster, cheaper and more personalised services.

Instead of rushing or delaying adoption, insurers should pursue carefully controlled pilot projects, working with partners who understand both AI systems and insurance regulation.

In Stevens’s view, AI should enhance professional expertise—not replace it—striking a balance between innovation and responsibility.

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Samsung confirms core Galaxy AI tools remain free

Samsung has confirmed that core Galaxy AI features will continue to be available free of charge for all users.

Speaking during the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, a company representative clarified that any AI tools installed on a device by default—such as Live Translate, Note Assist, Zoom Nightography and Audio Eraser—will not require a paid subscription.

Instead of leaving users uncertain, Samsung has publicly addressed speculation around possible Galaxy AI subscription plans.

While there are no additional paid AI features on offer at present, the company has not ruled out future developments. Samsung has already hinted that upcoming subscription services linked to Samsung Health could eventually include extra AI capabilities.

Alongside Samsung’s announcement, attention has also turned towards Google’s freemium model for its Gemini AI assistant, which appears on many Android devices. Users can access basic features without charge, but upgrading to Google AI Pro or Ultra unlocks advanced tools and increased storage.

New Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 handsets even come bundled with six months of free access to premium Google AI services.

Although Samsung is keeping its pre-installed Galaxy AI features free, industry observers expect further changes as AI continues to evolve.

Whether Samsung will follow Google’s path with a broader subscription model remains to be seen, but for now, essential Galaxy AI functions stay open to all users without extra cost.

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Huawei challenges Nvidia in global AI chip market

Huawei Technologies is exploring AI chip exports to the Middle East and Southeast Asia in a bid to compete with Nvidia, according to a Bloomberg News report published Thursday.

The Chinese telecom firm has contacted potential buyers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand to promote its Ascend 910B chips, an earlier-generation AI processor.

The offer involves a limited number of chips, reportedly in the low thousands, although specific quantities remain undisclosed. No deals have been finalised so far. Sources cited in the report said there is limited interest in the UAE, and the status of talks in Thailand remains uncertain.

Government representatives in Thailand and Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Huawei also declined to comment. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to expand into markets where US chipmakers have long held dominance.

Huawei also promotes remote access to CloudMatrix 384, a China-based AI system built using its more advanced chipsets. However, due to supply limitations, the company cannot export these high-end models outside China.

The Middle East has quickly become a high-demand region for AI infrastructure, attracting interest from leading technology companies. Nvidia has already struck several regional deals, positioning itself as a major player in AI development across Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries.

Huawei is simultaneously focusing on domestic sales of its newer 910C chips, offering them to Chinese firms that cannot purchase US AI chips due to ongoing export restrictions imposed by Washington.

US administrations have long cited national security concerns in limiting China’s access to cutting-edge chip technologies, fearing their potential use in military applications.

‘With the current export controls, we are effectively out of the China datacenter market, which is now served only by competitors such as Huawei,’ an Nvidia spokesperson told Reuters.

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Report shows China outpacing the US and EU in AI research

AI is increasingly viewed as a strategic asset rather than a technological development, and new research suggests China is now leading the global AI race.

A report titled ‘DeepSeek and the New Geopolitics of AI: China’s ascent to research pre-eminence in AI’, authored by Daniel Hook, CEO of Digital Science, highlights how China’s AI research output has grown to surpass that of the US, the EU and the UK combined.

According to data from Dimensions, a primary global research database, China now accounts for over 40% of worldwide citation attention in AI-related studies. Instead of focusing solely on academic output, the report points to China’s dominance in AI-related patents.

In some indicators, China is outpacing the US tenfold in patent filings and company-affiliated research, signalling its capacity to convert academic work into tangible innovation.

Hook’s analysis covers AI research trends from 2000 to 2024, showing global AI publication volumes rising from just under 10,000 papers in 2000 to 60,000 in 2024.

However, China’s influence has steadily expanded since 2018, while the EU and the US have seen relative declines. The UK has largely maintained its position.

Clarivate, another analytics firm, reported similar findings, noting nearly 900,000 AI research papers produced in China in 2024, triple the figure from 2015.

Hook notes that governments increasingly view AI alongside energy or military power as a matter of national security. Instead of treating AI as a neutral technology, there is growing awareness that a lack of AI capability could have serious economic, political and social consequences.

The report suggests that understanding AI’s geopolitical implications has become essential for national policy.

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Meta offers $200 million to top AI talent as superintelligence race heats up

Meta has reportedly offered over $200 million in compensation to Ruoming Pang, a former senior AI engineer at Apple, as it escalates its bid to dominate the AI arms race.

The offer, which includes long-term stock incentives, far exceeded Apple’s willingness to match and is seen as one of Silicon Valley’s most aggressive poaching efforts.

The move is part of Meta’s broader campaign to build a world-class team under its new Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL), which is focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The division has already attracted prominent names, including ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, AI investor Daniel Gross, and Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang, who joined as Chief AI Officer through a $14.3 billion stake deal.

Most compensation offers in the MSL reportedly rival CEO packages at global banks, but they are heavily performance-based and tied to long-term equity vesting.

Meta’s mix of base salary, signing bonuses, and high-value stock options is designed to attract and retain elite AI talent amid a fierce talent war with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed Meta has dangled bonuses up to $100 million to lure staff away, though he insists many stayed for cultural reasons.

Still, Meta has already hired more than 10 researchers from OpenAI and poached talent from Google DeepMind, including principal researcher Jack Rae.

The AI rivalry could come to a head as Altman and Zuckerberg meet at the Sun Valley conference this week.

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Perplexity launches AI browser to challenge Google Chrome

Perplexity AI, backed by Nvidia and other major investors, has launched Comet, an AI-driven web browser designed to rival Google Chrome.

The browser uses ‘agentic AI’ that performs tasks, makes decisions, and simplifies workflows in real time, offering users an intelligent alternative to traditional search and navigation.

Comet’s assistant can compare products, summarise articles, book meetings, and handle research queries through a single interface. Initially available to subscribers of Perplexity Max at US$200 per month, Comet will gradually roll out more broadly via invite during the summer.

The launch signals Perplexity’s move into the competitive browser space, where Chrome currently dominates with a 68 per cent global market share.

The company aims to challenge not only Google’s and Microsoft’s browsers but also compete with OpenAI, which recently introduced search to ChatGPT. Unlike many AI tools, Comet stores data locally and does not train on personal information, positioning itself as a privacy-first solution.

Still, Perplexity has faced criticism for using content from major media outlets without permission. In response, it launched a publisher partnership program to address concerns and build collaborative relationships with news organisations like Forbes and Dow Jones.

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X CEO Yaccarino resigns as AI controversy and Musk’s influence grow

Linda Yaccarino has stepped down as CEO of X, ending a turbulent two-year tenure marked by Musk’s controversial leadership and ongoing transformation of the social media company.

Her resignation came just one day after a backlash over offensive posts by Grok, the AI chatbot created by Musk’s xAI, which had been recently integrated into the platform.

Yaccarino, who was previously a top advertising executive at NBCUniversal, was brought on in 2023 to help stabilise the company following Musk’s $44bn acquisition.

In her farewell post, she cited efforts to improve user safety and rebuild advertiser trust, but did not provide a clear reason for her departure.

Analysts suggest growing tensions with Musk’s management style, particularly around AI moderation, may have prompted the move.

Her exit adds to the mounting challenges facing Musk’s empire.

Tesla is suffering from slumping sales and executive departures, while X remains under pressure from heavy debts and legal battles with advertisers.

Yaccarino had spearheaded ambitious initiatives, including payment partnerships with Visa and plans for an X-branded credit or debit card.

Despite these developments, X continues to face scrutiny for its rightward political shift and reliance on controversial AI tools.

Whether the company can fulfil Musk’s vision of becoming an ‘everything app’ without Yaccarino remains to be seen.

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