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Meta forms AI powerhouse by appointing Shengjia Zhao as chief scientist

Meta has appointed former OpenAI researcher Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist of its newly formed AI division, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL).

Zhao, known for his pivotal role in developing ChatGPT, GPT-4, and OpenAI’s first reasoning model, o1, will lead MSL’s research agenda under Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI.

Mark Zuckerberg confirmed Zhao’s appointment, saying he had been leading scientific efforts from the start and co-founded the lab.

Meta has aggressively recruited top AI talent to build out MSL, including senior researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, Apple, Anthropic, and its FAIR lab. Zhao’s presence helps balance the leadership team, as Wang lacks a formal research background.

Meta has reportedly offered massive compensation packages to lure experts, with Zuckerberg even contacting candidates personally and hosting them at his Lake Tahoe estate. MSL will focus on frontier AI, especially reasoning models, in which Meta currently trails competitors.

By 2026, MSL will gain access to Meta’s massive 1-gigawatt Prometheus cloud cluster in Ohio, designed to power large-scale AI training.

The investment and Meta’s parallel FAIR lab, led by Yann LeCun, signal the company’s multi-pronged strategy to catch up with OpenAI and Google in advanced AI research.

The collaboration dynamics between MSL, FAIR, and Meta’s generative AI unit remain unclear, but the company now boasts one of the strongest AI research teams in the industry.

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UK enforces age checks to block harmful online content for children

The United Kingdom has introduced new age verification laws to prevent children from accessing harmful online content, marking a significant shift in digital child protection.

The measures, enforced by media regulator Ofcom, require websites and apps to implement strict age checks such as facial recognition and credit card verification.

Around 6,000 pornography websites have already agreed to the new regulations, which stem from the 2023 Online Safety Act. The rules also target content related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and online violence, instead of just focusing on pornography.

Companies failing to comply risk fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, and senior executives could face criminal charges if they ignore Ofcom’s directives.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the move as a turning point, saying children will now experience a ‘different internet for the first time’.

Ofcom data shows that around 500,000 children aged eight to fourteen encountered online pornography in just one month, highlighting the urgency of the reforms. Campaigners, including the NSPCC, called the new rules a ‘milestone’, though they warned loopholes could remain.

The UK government is also exploring further restrictions, including a potential daily two-hour time limit on social media use for under-16s. Kyle has promised more announcements soon, as Britain moves to hold tech platforms accountable instead of leaving children exposed to harmful content online.

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Microsoft replaces the blue screen of death with a sleek black version in Windows 11

Microsoft has officially removed the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) from Windows 11 and replaced it with a sleeker, black version.

As part of the update KB5062660, the Black Screen of Death now appears briefly—around two seconds—before a restart, showing only a short error message without the sad face or QR code that became symbolic of Windows crashes.

The update, which brings systems to Build 26100.4770, is optional and must be installed manually through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalogue.

It is available for both x64 and arm64 platforms. Microsoft plans to roll out the update more broadly in August 2025 as part of its Windows 11 24H2 feature preview.

In addition to the screen change, the update introduces ‘Recall’ for EU users, a tool designed to operate locally and allow users to block or turn off tracking across apps and websites. The feature aims to comply with European privacy rules while enhancing user control.

Also included is Quick Machine Recovery, which can identify and fix system-wide failures using the Windows Recovery Environment. If a device becomes unbootable, it can download a repair patch automatically to restore functionality instead of requiring manual intervention.

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LegalOn raises 50 million to expand AI legal tools

LegalOn Technologies has secured 50 million dollars in Series E funding to expand its AI-powered contract review platform.

The Japanese startup, backed by SoftBank and Goldman Sachs, aims to streamline legal work by reducing the time spent reviewing and managing documents.

Its core product, Review, identifies contract risks and suggests edits using expert-built legal playbooks. The company says it improves accuracy while cutting review time by up to 85 percent across 7,000 client organisations in Japan, the US and the UK.

LegalOn plans to develop AI agents to handle tasks before and after the review process, including contract tracking and workflow integration. A new tool, Matter Management, enables teams to efficiently assign contract responsibilities, collaborate, and link documents.

While legal AI adoption grows, CEO Daniel Lewis insists the technology will support rather than replace lawyers. He believes professionals who embrace AI will gain the most leverage, as human oversight remains vital to legal judgement.

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Nigeria opens door to stablecoin businesses

Nigeria’s top markets regulator is open to stablecoin ventures to revive the digital asset sector after last year’s Binance crackdown. At the Nigeria Stablecoin Summit, SEC Director-General Emomotimi Agama highlighted support for firms following evolving regulations.

He envisions Nigeria becoming a stablecoin hub in the global south, powering cross-border trade across Africa within five years.

The SEC has already onboarded stablecoin-focused companies through its regulatory sandbox, reflecting a broader strategy to lead digital innovation. Agama acknowledged stablecoins as vital to the crypto ecosystem but warned of national security risks, underscoring the need for careful regulation.

His comments come following the high-profile arrest and release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan amid Nigeria’s previous crypto crackdown.

While the new stance suggests a regulatory easing, experts caution that rebuilding trust with global firms will take time. Industry leaders stress the need for clear legal frameworks, reliable fiat access, and consistent enforcement to attract investment and restore liquidity.

Nigeria’s path to becoming a stablecoin hub hinges on sustained policy stability and meaningful re-engagement with crypto players.

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Starlink suffers widespread outage from a rare software failure

The disruption began around 3 p.m. EDT and was attributed to a failure in Starlink’s core internal software services. The issue affected one of the most resilient satellite systems globally, sparking speculation over whether a botched update or a cyberattack may have been responsible.

Starlink, which serves more than six million users across 140 countries, saw service gradually return after two and a half hours.

Executives from SpaceX, including CEO Elon Musk and Vice President of Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls, apologised publicly and promised to address the root cause to avoid further interruptions. Experts described it as Starlink’s most extended and severe outage since becoming a major provider.

As SpaceX continues upgrading the network to support greater speed and bandwidth, some experts warned that such technical failures may become more visible. Starlink has rapidly expanded with over 8,000 satellites in orbit and new services like direct-to-cell text messaging in partnership with T-Mobile.

Questions remain over whether Thursday’s failure affected military services like Starshield, which supports high-value US defence contracts.

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Google’s AI Overviews reach 2 billion users monthly, reshaping the web’s future

Google’s AI Overviews, the generative summaries placed above traditional search results, now serve over 2 billion users monthly, a sharp rise from 1.5 billion just last quarter.

First launched in May 2023 and widely available in the US by mid-2024, the feature has rapidly expanded across more than 200 countries and 40 languages.

The widespread use of AI Overviews transforms how people search and who benefits. Google reports that the feature boosts engagement by over 10% for queries where it appears.

However, a study by Pew Research shows clicks on search results drop significantly when AI Overviews are shown, with just 8% of users clicking any link, and only 1% clicking within the overview itself.

While Google claims AI Overviews monetise at the same rate as regular search, publishers are left out unless users click through, which they rarely do.

Google has started testing ads within the summaries and is reportedly negotiating licensing deals with select publishers, hinting at a possible revenue-sharing shift. Meanwhile, regulators in the US and EU are scrutinising whether the feature violates antitrust laws or misuses content.

Industry experts warn of a looming ‘Google Zero’ future — a web where search traffic dries up and AI-generated answers dominate.

As visibility in search becomes more about entity recognition than page ranking, publishers and marketers must rethink how they maintain relevance in an increasingly post-click environment.

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Amazon exit highlights deepening AI divide between US and China

Amazon’s quiet wind-down of its Shanghai AI lab underscores a broader shift in global research dynamics, as escalating tensions between the US and China reshape how tech giants operate across borders.

Instead of expanding innovation hubs in China, major American firms are increasingly dismantling them.

The AWS lab, once central to Amazon’s AI research, produced tools said to have generated nearly $1bn in revenue and over 100 academic papers.

Yet its dissolution reflects a growing push from Washington to curb China’s access to cutting-edge technology, including restrictions on advanced chips and cloud services.

As IBM and Microsoft have also scaled back operations or relocated talent away from mainland China, a pattern is emerging: strategic retreat. Rather than risking compliance issues or regulatory scrutiny, US tech companies are choosing to restructure globally and reduce local presence in China altogether.

With Amazon already having exited its Chinese ebook and ecommerce markets, the shuttering of its AI lab signals more than a single closure — it reflects a retreat from joint innovation and a widening technological divide that may shape the future of AI competition.

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Excitement builds around digital euro trial on XRP Ledger

The XRP community is abuzz after crypto influencer Amelie claimed Europe is trialling the digital euro on the XRP Ledger. Citing the Frankfurter Stock Exchange, she suggested institutional interest is growing rapidly, potentially leading to a sharp price increase.

In her tweet, Amelie included a video featuring analyst Oliver, who predicted XRP could reach $18 within weeks.

Oliver pointed to XRP Ledger’s speed and scalability as key factors that could meet the European Central Bank’s needs for a digital euro. He claimed successful testing would spark broader adoption and a surge in market value.

XRP was trading at $3.04 at the time of the post, meaning a rise to $18 would mark a 492% increase.

Such a leap would require strong capital inflows and confirmation of real-world adoption. Although no official statement has been released by the Frankfurter Stock Exchange, the speculation has fuelled excitement in the XRP community.

Amelie concluded that 2025 could be pivotal for XRP. Analysts believe the asset’s growing role in tokenisation and cross-border payments could soon extend into central bank digital currencies, potentially solidifying its institutional appeal.

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Quantum computing faces roadblocks to real-world use

Quantum computing holds vast promise for sectors from climate modelling to drug discovery and AI, but it remains far from mainstream due to significant barriers. The fragility of qubits, the shortage of scalable quantum software, and the immense number of qubits required continue to limit progress.

Keeping qubits stable is one of the most significant technical obstacles, with most only lasting microseconds before disruption. Current solutions rely on extreme cooling and specialised equipment, which remain expensive and impractical for widespread use.

Even the most advanced systems today operate with a fraction of the qubits needed for practical applications, while software options remain scarce and highly tailored. Businesses exploring quantum solutions must often build their tools from scratch, adding to the cost and complexity.

Beyond technology, the field faces social and structural challenges. A lack of skilled professionals and fears around unequal access could see quantum benefits restricted to big tech firms and governments.

Security is another looming concern, as future quantum machines may be capable of breaking current encryption standards. Policymakers and businesses must develop defences before such systems become widely available.

AI may accelerate progress in both directions. Quantum computing can supercharge model training and simulation, while AI is already helping to improve qubit stability and propose new hardware designs.

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