Economic

OpenAI turns ChatGPT into AI gateway

OpenAI plans to reinvent ChatGPT as an all-in-one ‘super assistant’ that knows its users and becomes their primary gateway to the internet.

Details emerged from a partly redacted internal strategy document shared during the US government’s antitrust case against Google.

Rather than limiting ChatGPT to existing apps and websites, OpenAI envisions a future where the assistant supports everyday life—from suggesting recipes at home to taking notes at work or guiding users while travelling.

The company says the AI should evolve into a reliable, emotionally intelligent helper capable of handling a various personal and professional tasks.

OpenAI also believes hardware will be key to this transformation. It recently acquired io, a start-up founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, for $6.4 billion to develop AI-powered devices.

The company’s strategy outlines how upcoming models like o2 and o3, alongside tools like multimodality and generative user interfaces, could make ChatGPT capable of taking meaningful action instead of simply offering responses.

The document also reveals OpenAI’s intention to back a regulation requiring tech platforms to allow users to set ChatGPT as their default assistant. Confident in its fast growth, research lead, and independence from ads, the company aims to maintain its advantage through bold decisions, speed, and self-disruption.

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WhatsApp fixes deleted message privacy gap

WhatsApp is rolling out a privacy improvement that ensures deleted messages no longer linger in quoted replies, addressing a long-standing issue that exposed partial content users had intended to remove.

The update applies automatically, with no toggle required, and has begun reaching iOS users through version 25.12.73, with wider availability expected soon.

Until now, deleting a message for everyone in a chat has not removed it from quoted replies. That allowed fragments of deleted content to remain visible, undermining the purpose of deletion.

WhatsApp removes the associated quoted message entirely instead of keeping it in conversation threads, even in group or community chats.

WABetaInfo, which first spotted the update, noted that users delete messages for privacy or personal reasons, and leave behind quoted traces conflicted with those intentions.

The change ensures conversations reflect user expectations by entirely erasing deleted content, not only from the original message but also from any references.

Meta continues to develop new features for WhatsApp. Recent additions include voice chat in groups and a native interface for iPad. The company is also testing tools like AI-generated wallpapers, message summaries, and more refined privacy settings to enhance user control and experience further.

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DeepSeek claims R1 model matches OpenAI

Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek has announced a major update to its R1 reasoning model, claiming it now performs on par with leading systems from OpenAI and Google.

The R1-0528 version, released following the model’s initial launch in January, reportedly surpasses Alibaba’s Qwen3, which debuted only weeks earlier in April.

According to DeepSeek, the upgrade significantly enhances reasoning, coding, and creative writing while cutting hallucination rates by half.

These improvements stem largely from greater computational resources applied after the training phase, allowing the model to outperform domestic rivals in benchmark tests involving maths, logic, and programming.

Unlike many Western competitors, DeepSeek takes an open-source approach. The company recently shared eight GitHub projects detailing methods to optimise computing, communication, and storage efficiency during training.

Its transparency and resource-efficient design have attracted attention, especially since its smaller distilled model rivals Alibaba’s Qwen3-235B while being nearly 30 times lighter.

Major Chinese tech firms, including Tencent, Baidu and ByteDance, plan to integrate R1-0528 into their cloud services for enterprise clients. DeepSeek’s progress signals China’s continued push into globally competitive AI, driven by a young team determined to offer high performance with fewer resources

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NSO asks court to overturn WhatsApp verdict

Israeli spyware company NSO Group has requested a new trial after a US jury ordered it to pay $168 million in damages to WhatsApp.

The company, which has faced mounting legal and financial troubles, filed a motion in a California federal court last week seeking to reduce the verdict or secure a retrial.

The May verdict awarded WhatsApp $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167.25 million in punitive damages. Jurors found that NSO exploited vulnerabilities in the encrypted platform and sold the exploit to clients who allegedly used it to target journalists, activists and political rivals.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, filed the lawsuit in 2019.

NSO claims the punitive award is unconstitutional, arguing it is over 376 times greater than the compensatory damages and far exceeds the US Supreme Court’s general guidance of a 4:1 ratio.

The firm also said it cannot afford the penalty, citing losses of $9 million in 2023 and $12 million in 2024. Its CEO testified that the company is ‘struggling to keep our heads above water’.

WhatsApp, responding to TechCrunch in a statement, said NSO was once again trying to evade accountability. The company vowed to continue its legal campaign, including efforts to secure a permanent injunction that would prevent NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp or its users again.

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Microsoft takes down massive Lumma malware network

Microsoft has dismantled a major cybercrime operation centred around the Lumma Stealer malware, which had infected over 394,000 Windows devices globally.

In partnership with global law enforcement and industry partners, Microsoft seized more than 1,300 domains linked to the malware.

The malware was known for stealing sensitive data such as login credentials, bank details and cryptocurrency information, making it a go-to tool for cybercriminals since 2022.

The takedown followed a court order from a US federal court and included help from the US Department of Justice, Europol, and Japan’s cybercrime unit.

Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit also received assistance from firms like Cloudflare and Bitsight to disrupt the infrastructure that supported Lumma’s Malware-as-a-Service network.

The operation is being hailed as a significant win against a sophisticated threat that had evolved to target Windows and Mac users. Security experts urge users to adopt strong cyber hygiene, including antivirus software, two-factor authentication, and password managers.

Microsoft’s action is part of a broader effort to tackle infostealers, which have fuelled a surge in data breaches and identity theft worldwide.

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Google to appeal US ruling in search monopoly case

Google has announced plans to appeal a ruling that found it guilty of anti-competitive practices in the online search market, as the tech giant faces mounting pressure from US regulators to restructure its business.

The company said Saturday it ‘strongly believes the Court’s original decision was wrong’ and will challenge the ruling on appeal.

However, this follows a hearing on Friday in which the US Department of Justice proposed sweeping remedies that could force Google to divest from its Chrome browser and end exclusive agreements with smartphone manufacturers that pre-install Google Search by default.

The government also wants the company to share the data it uses to generate search results on Chrome, a move Google criticised as giving Washington the power to determine who receives access to user data.

The Justice Department’s proposals are part of a broader effort to curb what it sees as Google’s abuse of its dominant position in the search market, which it argues has stifled competition and harmed consumers.

But Google has pushed back, saying the remedies would benefit wealthy competitors like Microsoft’s Bing rather than improve users outcome. Instead, the company has suggested more limited actions, such as letting phone makers pre-install its Play Store without requiring Chrome or Google Search.

The judge’s final decision on penalties is expected by August, marking the end of one of the most significant antitrust cases against a major tech firm in over a decade.

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AI data centre boom sparks incentives and pushback

The explosive growth of AI and cloud computing has ignited a data centre building boom across the United States, with states offering massive financial incentives to attract investment.

However, electricity, and water is beginning to meet resistance from lawmakers and local communities concerned about long-term costs and environmental strain.

Dozens of states have rolled out tax exemptions, permitting fast-tracks, and deregulated energy options to lure hyperscale data centres—massive facilities consuming hundreds of megawatts of power.

Kansas, Kentucky, and Arkansas have expanded tax breaks, while Pennsylvania seeks to streamline permitting in hopes of capturing a share of the billions flowing into data infrastructure.

Other states, including West Virginia and Utah, have passed laws enabling data centres to bypass grid operators and buy power directly.

Supporters say data centres deliver high upfront spending and create thousands of construction jobs. However, critics argue the facilities offer few permanent positions, strain public utilities, and place an unfair burden on ratepayers to fund new power plants.

In South Carolina, lawmakers clashed over whether customers should be forced to underwrite infrastructure primarily serving a single tech company.

Meanwhile, some states are beginning to push back. Oregon and Georgia are exploring laws requiring data centres to pay the full cost of the electricity infrastructure they consume.

In Texas, where winter blackouts in 2021 exposed grid fragility, lawmakers are cautiously debating balancing power supply with growing AI and cloud demands amid fears the state could lose investment due to regulatory uncertainty.

As the demand for AI soars, so does the pressure to weigh economic opportunity against sustainability, transparency, and fairness in energy use. The data centre boom may be here to stay—but how states handle it could define their long-term digital and environmental futures.

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Diplo joins Brazil’s Internet Forum and celebrates CGI.br’s 30 years

Diplo actively participated in Brazil’s Internet Forum (FIB), held from May 26 to 30 and hosted by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br). The event brought together key stakeholders from across sectors to discuss pressing issues in digital governance.

Representing Diplo, Marilia Maciel contributed to critical discussions on state roles and multistakeholder collaboration in managing cloud infrastructures and defending digital sovereignty. She also offered insights during the main session on setting principles for regulating digital platforms.

Maciel’s contributions were recognised with the ‘Destaques em Governança da Internet no Brasil’ award, one of the most respected acknowledgments of excellence in internet governance in the country. The award highlights individuals and organisations that have made significant advances in promoting inclusive and effective digital policy in Brazil.

The event also marked a major milestone for CGI.br—its 30th anniversary. Diplo joined in celebrating the committee’s three decades of leadership in internet governance. CGI.br’s pioneering approach to multistakeholder governance has served not only as a national model but as a global inspiration for collaborative digital policy-making.

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Shoppers can now let AI find and buy deals

Tech giants are pushing deeper into e-commerce with AI-powered digital aides that can understand shoppers’ tastes, try on clothes virtually, hunt for bargains, and even place orders independently.

The so-called ‘AI agent’ mark a new phase in retail, combining personalisation with automation to reshape how people shop online.

Google recently introduced a suite of tools under its new AI Mode, allowing users to upload a photo and preview how clothing would look on their own body. The AI adjusts sizes and fabric drape, enhancing realism.

Shoppers can also set their price and let the AI search for the best deal, alerting them when it’s found and offering to complete the purchase using Google’s payment platform.

OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and Amazon have also added shopping features to their platforms, while Walmart and other retailers are working to ensure their products remain visible to AI shoppers.

Payment giants Visa and Mastercard have upgraded their systems to allow AI agents to process transactions autonomously, cementing the role of digital agents in the online shopping journey.

Experts say this growing ‘agent economy’ offers powerful convenience but raises questions about consumer privacy, trust, and control.

While AI shoppers are unlikely to disrupt e-commerce overnight, analysts note that companies like Google and Meta are particularly well-positioned due to their vast user data and AI leadership.

The next evolution of shopping may not depend on what consumers choose, but on whether they trust machines to choose for them.

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Microwave tech offers cleaner path to e-waste recovery

When your old phone or computer reaches the end of its life and heads off for recycling, most of its valuable materials—like steel, aluminium and copper—are recovered with ease. But hidden in its circuitry are tiny specks of rare metals such as gallium, indium and tantalum.

These are critical to modern technology but often lost in current recycling processes, ending up in landfills or repurposed in cement. That might be about to change.

Engineers at West Virginia University have developed a novel method using microwave technology to extract these rare materials more safely and efficiently.

Unlike conventional methods, which rely on toxic chemicals or are too costly to justify, this approach uses electromagnetic waves to target and heat carbon present in e-waste plastics. This creates a reaction with critical minerals, yielding nearly pure, sponge-like metals that can be easily filtered out.

Laboratory tests have already recovered around 80% of gallium, indium and tantalum from e-waste, with purities reaching up to 97%.

Backed by the United States Department of Defense, the researchers are preparing larger pilot projects using smartphones, LED lights and server boards—materials rich in these rare elements. If scaled successfully, the system could recover up to 50 pounds of critical minerals per ton of processed waste.

The urgency is clear. America recycles just 15% of its e-waste, and much of it is exported to countries with lax safety and environmental standards. Gallium alone can cost over $500 per kilogram—making it 50 times more expensive than copper.

The technology’s success could help shift the economics of recycling, turning discarded electronics into a domestic supply of essential materials and reducing reliance on imports from countries like China.

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