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Cloudflare outage disrupts leading crypto platforms

Cloudflare experienced a significant network outage on Tuesday, which disrupted access to major cryptocurrency platforms, including Coinbase, Kraken, Etherscan, and several DeFi services, resulting in widespread ‘500 Internal Server Error’ messages.

The company acknowledged the issue as an internal service degradation across parts of its global network and began rolling out a fix. However, users continued to face elevated error rates during the process.

Major Bitcoin and Ethereum platforms, as well as Aave, DeFiLlama, and several blockchain explorers, were impacted. The disruption spread beyond crypto, affecting several major Web2 platforms, while services like BlueSky and Reddit stayed fully operational.

Cloudflare shares dropped 3.5% in pre-market trading as the company investigated whether scheduled maintenance at specific data centres played any role.

The incident marks the third significant Cloudflare disruption affecting crypto platforms since 2019, highlighting the industry’s ongoing reliance on centralised infrastructure providers despite its focus on decentralisation.

Industry experts pointed to recent outages from Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services as evidence that critical digital services cannot rely solely on a single vendor for reliability. Kraken restored access ahead of many peers, while Cloudflare stated that the issue was resolved and would continue to monitor for full stability.

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AI energy demand strains electrical grids

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently delivered a key insight, stating that the biggest hurdle to deploying new AI solutions is now electrical power, not chip supply. The massive energy requirements for running large language models (LLMs) have created a critical bottleneck for major cloud providers.

Nadella specified that Microsoft currently has a ‘bunch of chips sitting in inventory’ that cannot be plugged in and utilised. The problem is a lack of ‘warm shells’, meaning data centre buildings that are fully equipped with the necessary power and cooling capacity.

The escalating power requirements of AI infrastructure are placing extreme pressure on utility grids and capacity. Projections from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory indicate that US data centres could consume up to 12 percent of the nation’s total electricity by 2028.

The disclosure should serve as a warning to investors, urging them to evaluate the infrastructure challenges alongside AI’s technological promise. This energy limitation could create a temporary drag on the sector, potentially slowing the massive projected returns on the $5 trillion investment.

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Old laws now target modern tracking technology

Class-action privacy litigation continues to grow in frequency, repurposing older laws to address modern data tracking technologies. Recent high-profile lawsuits have applied the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Video Privacy Protection Act.

A unanimous jury verdict recently found Meta Platforms violated CIPA Section 632 (which is now under appeal) by eavesdropping on users’ confidential communications without consent. The court ruled that Meta intentionally used its SDK within a sexual health app, Flo, to intercept sensitive real-time user inputs.

That judgement suggests an electronic device under the statute need not be physical, with a user’s phone qualifying as the requisite device. The legal success in these cases highlights a significant, rising risk for all companies utilising tracking pixels and software development kits (SDKs).

Separately, the VPPA has found new power against tracking pixels in the case of Jancik v. WebMD concerning video-viewing data. The court held that a consumer need not pay for a video service but can subscribe by simply exchanging their email address for a newsletter.

Companies must ensure their privacy policies clearly disclose all such tracking conduct to obtain explicit, valid consent. The courts are taking real-time data interception seriously, noting intentionality may be implied when a firm fails to stem the flow of sensitive personally identifiable information.

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Cloudflare buys AI platform Replicate

Cloudflare has agreed to purchase Replicate, a platform simplifying the deployment and running of AI models. The technology aims to cut down on GPU hardware and infrastructure needs typically required for complex AI.

The acquisition will integrate Replicate’s extensive library of over 50,000 AI models into the Cloudflare platform. Developers can then access and deploy any AI model globally using just a single line of code for rapid implementation.

Matthew Prince, Cloudflare’s chief executive, stated the acquisition will make his company the ‘most seamless, all-in-one shop for AI development’. The move abstracts away infrastructure complexities so developers can focus only on delivering amazing products.

Replicate had previously raised $40m in venture funding from prominent investors in the US. Integrating Replicate’s community and models with Cloudflare’s global network will create a singular platform for building tomorrow’s next big AI applications.

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Abridge AI scribe allegedly gives doctors an hour back daily

A new study led by Yale University confirmed that Abridge’s ambient AI scribe significantly reduces burnout for medical professionals. Clinicians who used the documentation technology experienced a sharp decline in burnout rates over the first thirty days of use.

AI may offer a scalable solution to administrative demands faced by practitioners nationwide. The quality study, published in ‘Jama Network Open’, examined 263 practitioners across six different healthcare systems.

Burnout rates dropped from 51.9 percent to 38.8 percent after the one-month intervention programme. Secondary analysis showed the AI scribes reduced the odds of burnout by a substantial seventy-four percent.

The ambient AI scribe also led to substantial improvements in the clinicians’ cognitive task load. Practitioners reported they were better able to give undivided attention to patients during their clinical consultations.

High documentation demands are increasing clinician attrition, whilst physician shortages multiply across the sector. Reducing the burdensome administrative load is now critical for maintaining quality patient care and professional well-being.

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OpenAI accelerates enterprise AI growth after Gartner names it an emerging leader

The US tech firm, OpenAI, gained fresh momentum after being named an Emerging Leader in Generative AI by Gartner. The assessment highlights strong industry confidence in OpenAI’s ability to support companies that want reliable and scalable AI systems.

Enterprise clients have increasingly adopted the company’s tools after significant investment in privacy controls, data governance frameworks and evaluation methods that help organisations deploy AI safely.

More than one million companies now use OpenAI’s technology, driven by workers who request ChatGPT as part of their daily tasks.

Over eight hundred million weekly users arrive already familiar with the tool, which shortens pilot phases and improves returns, rather than slowing transformation with lengthy onboarding. ChatGPT Enterprise has experienced sharp expansion, recording ninefold growth in seats over the past year.

OpenAI views generative AI as a new layer of enterprise infrastructure rather than a peripheral experiment. The next generation of systems is expected to be more collaborative and closely integrated with corporate operations, supporting new ways of working across multiple sectors.

The company aims to help organisations convert AI strategies into measurable results, rather than abstract ambitions.

Executives described the recognition as encouraging, although they stressed that broader progress still lies ahead. OpenAI plans to continue strengthening its enterprise platform, enabling businesses to integrate AI responsibly and at scale.

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SAP unveils new models and tools shaping enterprise AI

The German multinational software company, SAP, used its TechEd event in Berlin to reveal a significant expansion of its Business AI portfolio, signalling a decisive shift toward an AI-native future across its suite.

The company expects to deliver 400 AI use cases by the end of 2025, building on more than 300 already in place.

It also argues that its early use cases already generate substantial returns, offering meaningful value for firms seeking operational gains instead of incremental upgrades.

A firm that places AI-native architecture at the centre of its strategy. SAP HANA Cloud now supports richer model grounding through multi-model engines, long-term agentic memory, and automated knowledge graph creation.

SAP aims to integrate these tools with SAP Business Data Cloud and Snowflake through zero-copy data sharing next year.

The introduction of SAP-RPT-1, a new relational foundation model designed for structured enterprise data rather than general language tasks, is presented as a significant step toward improving prediction accuracy across finance, supply chains, and customer analytics.

SAP also seeks to empower developers through a mix of low-code and pro-code tools, allowing companies to design and orchestrate their own Joule Agents.

Agent governance is strengthened through the LeanIX agent hub. At the same time, new interoperability efforts based on the agent-to-agent protocol are expected to enable SAP systems to work more smoothly with models and agents from major partners, including AWS, Google, Microsoft, and ServiceNow.

Improvements in ABAP development, including the introduction of SAP-ABAP-1 and a new Visual Studio Code extension, aim to support developers who prefer modern, AI-enabled workflows over older, siloed environments.

Physical AI also takes a prominent role. SAP demonstrated how Joule Agents already operate inside autonomous robots for tasks linked to logistics, field services, and asset performance.

Plans extend from embodied AI to quantum-ready business algorithms designed to enhance complex decision-making without forcing companies to re-platform.

SAP frames the overall strategy as a means to support Europe’s digital sovereignty, which is strengthened through expanded infrastructure in Germany and cooperation with Deutsche Telekom under the Industrial AI Cloud project.

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Hyundai launches record investment to boost South Korea’s tech future

Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled a record 85.8 billion dollar investment plan that will reshape South Korea’s industrial landscape over the next five years.

The company intends to channel a large share of the funds into fields such as AI, robotics, electrification, software-defined vehicles, and hydrogen technologies.

Hyundai presents the roadmap as evidence of an agile response to a global environment in which export strength and technological leadership matter more than ever.

A major part of the strategy centres on turning innovation into export gains. The group expects the investment to raise overseas shipments of South Korea-made vehicles by more than thirteen percent by 2030.

A plan that emerges shortly after Seoul concluded a new trade agreement with Washington that lowers tariffs on South Korean vehicles to fifteen percent instead of the previous twenty-five percent. The rate remains much higher than the earlier 2.5 percent applied before the renegotiation.

Hyundai’s announcement mirrors a wider industrial push across the country. Samsung Group recently committed 310 billion dollars for a similar period, largely focused on AI development.

Both companies aim to reinforce the nation’s position in advanced technologies and secure long-term competitiveness at a time when global supply chains and industrial alliances are rapidly shifting.

Hyundai, together with Kia, sold more than 7.2 million vehicles globally last year.

The company views its new investment programme as a foundation for future export growth and a signal that South Korea plans to anchor its economic future in next-generation technologies instead of relying on past models of industrial expansion.

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IBM advances quantum computing understanding with new project

IBM has introduced two new quantum processors, named ‘Nighthawk’ and ‘Loon’, aimed at major leaps in quantum computing. The Nighthawk chip features 120 qubits and 218 tunable couplers, enabling circuits with approximately 30% greater complexity than previous models.

The Loon processor is designed as a testbed for fault-tolerant quantum computing, implementing key hardware components, including six-way qubit connectivity and long-range couplers. These advances mark a strategic shift by IBM to scale quantum systems beyond experimental prototypes.

IBM has also upgraded its fabrication process by shifting to 300 mm wafers at its Albany NanoTech facility, which has doubled development speed and boosted physical chip complexity tenfold.

Looking ahead, IBM projects the initial delivery of Nighthawk by the end of 2025 and aims to achieve verified quantum advantage by the end of 2026, with fully fault-tolerant quantum systems targeted by 2029.

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EU moves to reinforce cooperation against VAT fraud

The European Commission has presented a plan to strengthen cooperation among the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the European Anti-Fraud Office, and member states as part of a broader effort to combat VAT fraud.

The proposal establishes a legal framework for the sharing of information. It grants the EU bodies immediate access to VAT data, which is expected to enhance the detection of cross-border tax evasion schemes.

Real-time reporting of cross-border trade, delivered through the VAT in the Digital Age package, provides national authorities with the information needed to identify suspicious activity, rather than relying on delayed or incomplete records.

Carousel fraud alone costs EU taxpayers billions each year and remains a significant element of the broader VAT compliance gap, which stood at over €89 billion in 2022.

The Commission argues that faster access to VAT information will help investigators uncover fraudulent networks, halt their activities and pursue prosecutions more effectively.

EPPO, OLAF and the Eurofisc network would gain direct communication channels, enabling closer coordination and rapid intelligence sharing throughout the Union.

A proposal that will now move to the Council for agreement and to the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee for consultation.

Once adopted and published, the changes will take effect and initiate the implementation phase across the EU.

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