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Oracle and Google Cloud launch multicloud database service in Australia

A new chapter in Australia’s cloud computing landscape has begun as Oracle and Google Cloud introduce Oracle Database@Google Cloud to local customers.

The service enables organisations to run Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure within Google Cloud’s Melbourne data centre.

A collaboration that allows businesses to integrate Oracle’s enterprise database power with Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools, improving decision-making, innovation and compliance with data residency requirements.

Through the Google Cloud Marketplace, Oracle and Google Cloud partners in Australia can now resell Oracle Database@Google Cloud, expanding access to multicloud solutions.

The launch marks growing demand for flexible, multicloud environments that blend high performance with AI-driven capabilities. Oracle’s Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Oracle AI Database 26ai will help enterprises enhance analytics, AI productivity and application development.

These technologies deliver faster processing, secure data handling and new AI-driven search and development features.

Industry leaders such as Accenture say the partnership represents a significant step toward integrated, data-centric innovation.

With Oracle and Google Cloud combining their strengths, Australian organisations can modernise IT foundations, scale operations and accelerate digital transformation across industries.

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Amelia brings heads-up guidance to Amazon couriers

Amazon unveiled ‘Amelia’ AI-powered smart glasses for delivery drivers with a built-in display and camera, paired to a vest with a photo button, now piloting with hundreds of drivers across more than a dozen partners.

Designed for last-mile efficiency, Amelia can auto-shut down when a vehicle moves to prevent distraction, includes a hardware kill switch for the camera and mic, and aims to save about 30 minutes per 8–10-hour shift by streamlining repetitive tasks.

Initial availability is planned for the US market and the rest of North America before global expansion, with Amazon emphasizing that Amelia is custom-built for drivers, though consumer versions aren’t ruled out. Pilots involve real routes and live deliveries to customers.

Amazon also showcased a warehouse robotic arm to sort parcels faster and more safely, as well as an AI orchestration system that ingests real-time and historical data to predict bottlenecks, propose fixes, and keep fulfillment operations running smoothly.

The move joins a broader push into wearables from Big Tech. Unlike Meta’s consumer-oriented Ray-Ban smart glasses, Amelia targets enterprise use, promising faster package location, fewer taps, and tighter integration with Amazon’s delivery workflow.

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Alibaba pushes unified AI with Quark Chat and wearables

Quark, Alibaba’s consumer AI app, has launched an AI Chat Assistant powered by Qwen3 models, merging real-time search with conversational reasoning so users can ask by text or voice, get answers, and trigger actions from a single interface.

On iOS and Android, you can tap ‘assistant’ in the AI Super Box or swipe right to open chat, then use prompts to summarise pages, draft replies, or pull sources, with results easily shared to friends, Stories, or outside the app.

Beyond Q&A, the assistant adds deep search, photo-based problem-solving, and AI writing, while supporting multimodal tasks like photo editing, AI camera, and phone calls. Forthcoming MCP integrations will expand agent execution across Alibaba services.

Quark AI Glasses opened pre-sale in China on October 24 via Tmall with a list price of 4,699 RMB before coupons or memberships, deliveries starting in phases from December, and 1 RMB reservations available on JD.com and Douyin.

Powered by Qwen for hands-free assistance, translation, and meeting transcription, the glasses emphasise lightweight ergonomics, long battery life, and quality imaging, with bundles, accessories, and prescription lens options to broaden fit and daily use.

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OpenAI outlines Japan’s AI Blueprint for inclusive economic growth

A new Japan Economic Blueprint released by OpenAI sets out how AI can power innovation, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity across the country. The plan estimates that AI could add more than ¥100 trillion to Japan’s economy and raise GDP by up to 16%.

Centred on inclusive access, infrastructure, and education, the Blueprint calls for equal AI opportunities for citizens and small businesses, national investment in semiconductors and renewable energy, and expanded lifelong learning to build an adaptive workforce.

AI is already reshaping Japanese industries from manufacturing and healthcare to education and public administration. Factories reduce inspection costs, schools use ChatGPT Edu for personalised teaching, and cities from Saitama to Fukuoka employ AI to enhance local services.

OpenAI suggests that the focus of Japan on ethical and human-centred innovation could make it a model for responsible AI governance. By aligning digital and green priorities, the report envisions technology driving creativity, equality, and shared prosperity across generations.

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ChatGPT faces EU’s toughest platform rules after 120 million users

OpenAI’s ChatGPT could soon face the EU’s strictest platform regulations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), after surpassing 120 million monthly users in Europe.

A milestone that places OpenAI’s chatbot above the 45 million-user threshold that triggers heightened oversight.

The DSA imposes stricter obligations on major platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and Amazon, requiring greater transparency, risk assessments, and annual fees to fund EU supervision.

The European Commission confirmed it has begun assessing ChatGPT’s eligibility for the ‘very large online platform’ status, which would bring the total number of regulated platforms to 26.

OpenAI reported that its ChatGPT search function alone had 120.4 million monthly active users across the EU in the six months ending 30 September 2025. Globally, the chatbot now counts around 700 million weekly users.

If designated under the DSA, ChatGPT would be required to curb illegal and harmful content more rigorously and demonstrate how its algorithms handle information, marking the EU’s most direct regulatory test yet for generative AI.

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Cloudflare calls for UK action on Google’s AI crawlers

Cloudflare’s chief executive Matthew Prince has urged the UK regulator to curb Google’s AI practices. He met with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in London to argue that Google’s bundled crawlers give it excessive power.

Prince said Google uses the same web crawler to gather data for both search and AI products. Blocking the crawler, he added, can also disrupt advertising systems, leaving websites financially exposed.

Cloudflare, which supplies network services to most major AI companies, has proposed separating Google’s AI and search crawlers. Prince believes the change would create fairer access to online content for smaller AI developers.

He also provided data to the UK CMA showing why rivals cannot easily replicate Google’s infrastructure. Media groups have echoed his concerns, warning that Google’s dominance risks deepening inequalities across the AI ecosystem.

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DeepSeek dominates AI crypto trading challenge

Chinese AI model DeepSeek V3.1 has outperformed its global competitors in a real-market cryptocurrency trading challenge, earning over 10 per cent profit in just a few days.

The experiment, named Alpha Arena, was launched by US research firm Nof1 to test the investing skills of leading LLMs.

Each participating AI was given US$10,000 to trade in six cryptocurrency perpetual contracts, including bitcoin and solana, on the decentralised exchange Hyperliquid. By Tuesday afternoon, DeepSeek V3.1 led the field, while OpenAI’s GPT-5 trailed behind with a loss of nearly 40 per cent.

The competition highlights the growing potential of AI models to make autonomous financial decisions in real markets.

It also underscores the rivalry between Chinese and American AI developers as they push to demonstrate their models’ adaptability beyond traditional text-based tasks.

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Netherlands and China in talks to resolve Nexperia dispute

The Dutch Economy Minister has spoken with his Chinese counterpart to ease tensions following the Netherlands’ recent seizure of Nexperia, a major Dutch semiconductor firm.

China, where most of Nexperia’s chips are produced and sold, reacted by blocking exports, creating concern among European carmakers reliant on its components.

Vincent Karremans said he had discussed ‘further steps towards reaching a solution’ with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.

Both sides emphasised the importance of finding an outcome that benefits Nexperia, as well as the Chinese and European economies.

Meanwhile, Nexperia’s China division has begun asserting its independence, telling employees they may reject ‘external instructions’.

The firm remains a subsidiary of Shanghai-listed Wingtech, which has faced growing scrutiny from European regulators over national security and strategic technology supply chains.

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China leads the global generative AI adoption with 515 million users

In China, the use of generative AI has expanded unprecedentedly, reaching 515 million users in the first half of 2025.

The figure, released by the China Internet Network Information Centre, shows more than double the number recorded in December and represents an adoption rate of 36.5 per cent.

Such growth is driven by strong digital infrastructure and the state’s determination to make AI a central tool of national development.

The country’s ‘AI Plus’ strategy aims to integrate AI across all sectors of society and the economy. The majority of users rely on domestic platforms such as DeepSeek, Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen and ByteDance’s Doubao, as access to leading Western models remains restricted.

Young and well-educated citizens dominate the user base, underlining the government’s success in promoting AI literacy among key demographics.

Microsoft’s recent research confirms that China has the world’s largest AI market, surpassing the US in total users. While the US adoption has remained steady, China’s domestic ecosystem continues to accelerate, fuelled by policy support and public enthusiasm for generative tools.

China also leads the world in AI-related intellectual property, with over 1.5 million patent applications accounting for nearly 39 per cent of the global total.

The rapid adoption of home-grown AI technologies reflects a strategic drive for technological self-reliance and positions China at the forefront of global digital transformation.

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China’s Unitree reveals next-generation humanoid ahead of major IPO

Unitree Robotics has unveiled its most lifelike humanoid robot to date, marking a bold step forward in the country’s rapidly advancing robotics industry.

The new H2 humanoid model, showcased in a short social media video, demonstrated remarkable agility and expressiveness, performing intricate dance moves with striking humanlike grace.

The 180cm-tall, 70kg robot features a silver face with defined eyes, lips and nose, alongside the tagline ‘Destiny Awakening – born to serve everyone safely and friendly’.

A model that represents the company’s growing ambition as it prepares for a mainland listing valued at around US$7 billion.

Unitree’s progress underscores the growing strength of China in humanoid robotics, a field increasingly dominated by domestic innovation and manufacturing capabilities.

As global competition intensifies, the company aims to position itself at the forefront of human-robot interaction and industrial automation.

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