Manus, an AI platform launched in preview last week, has quickly gained widespread attention, with tech influencers and Chinese media calling it a breakthrough.
The platform, developed by Chinese company The Butterfly Effect, claims to be an advanced ‘agentic’ AI capable of handling complex tasks autonomously. Early adopters scrambled for invite codes, some of which were reportedly resold for thousands of dollars on Chinese marketplaces.
Despite the hype, users report significant performance issues. The platform relies on existing AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude and Alibaba’s Qwen, rather than proprietary technology.
Early testing revealed frequent errors, with some users encountering endless loops and failures when attempting tasks such as booking flights or ordering food. Even seemingly straightforward requests resulted in incomplete or broken responses, raising doubts about Manus’ readiness for real-world use.
Critics argue that exclusivity and marketing have fueled Manus’ popularity more than its actual capabilities. Viral videos misrepresented the platform’s abilities, while comparisons to Chinese AI firm DeepSeek exaggerated its technological depth.
The developers acknowledge the shortcomings, describing the closed beta as a stress test and promising improvements. For now, the platform’s rapid rise appears to be driven more by perception than performance.
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Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), has confirmed the bank’s target to finalise preparations for the digital euro by October 2025. However, the project’s actual launch remains uncertain, as it hinges on legislative approvals and cooperation from various stakeholders. Despite the urgency, the ECB is facing delays due to the complexity of the legislative process.
The digital euro will consist of two components: a retail version for public use and a wholesale version for financial institutions. The retail version promises privacy protections, free transactions, and offline functionality, while the wholesale arm aims to streamline interbank settlements and cross-border payments. Although preparations are underway, experts predict that a full launch may not occur until 2028.
Privacy concerns and potential impacts on commercial banks are among the challenges the ECB is addressing. To reassure the public, the ECB has committed to strong privacy standards and is exploring blockchain technologies like Ethereum to underpin the digital euro. The project comes as global competitors, such as China’s digital yuan and the rise of US stablecoins, intensify the pressure on Europe to maintain its monetary sovereignty.
While the ECB is making significant strides, the final approval and launch of the digital euro will depend on future legislative decisions and overcoming technical hurdles. The timeline remains uncertain, but the ECB’s preparations signal that the eurozone is keen to remain competitive in the digital currency space.
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City has partnered with Google Public Sector on a pilot program designed to detect track defects before they cause significant disruptions. Using Google Pixel smartphones retrofitted onto subway cars, the system captured millions of sensor readings, GPS locations, and hours of audio to identify potential problems. The project aimed to improve the efficiency of the MTA’s response to track issues, potentially saving time and money while reducing delays for passengers.
The AI-powered program, called TrackInspect, analyses the sounds and vibrations from the subway to pinpoint areas that could signal defects, such as loose rails or worn joints. Data collected during the pilot, which ran from September 2024 to January 2025, showed that the AI system successfully identified 92% of defect locations found by human inspectors. The system was trained using feedback from MTA inspectors, helping refine its ability to predict track issues.
While the pilot was considered a success, the future of the program remains uncertain due to financial concerns at the MTA. Despite this, the success of the project has sparked interest from other transit systems looking to adopt similar AI-driven technologies to improve infrastructure maintenance and reduce delays. The MTA is now exploring other technological partnerships to enhance its track monitoring and maintenance efforts.
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Mark Carney has been elected as Canada’s new prime minister, succeeding Justin Trudeau. Carney, a former central banker and long-time critic of Bitcoin, made headlines in 2018 when he called the digital currency’s fixed supply a ‘serious deficiency.’ He argued that recreating a global gold standard like Bitcoin would be a ‘criminal act of monetary amnesia,’ highlighting the speculative risks of the cryptocurrency market.
Carney’s stance on Bitcoin is at odds with some political figures, including former Prime Minister Trudeau, who also expressed scepticism about the crypto market. Carney has instead championed central bank digital currencies, seeing them as a tool to increase financial inclusion and combat economic crime. He also served as a board member for Stripe, a payments company that embraced crypto solutions between 2022 and 2024.
In his victory speech on 9 March, Carney also focused on addressing US tariffs, condemning President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Carney vowed that Canada would continue to retaliate with tariffs, asserting that the country would never be part of the US, no matter the circumstances.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested that the organisation may develop its cryptocurrency to engage with football fans worldwide. Speaking at President Trump’s White House Crypto Summit, Infantino shared FIFA’s interest in launching a digital token, emphasising its potential to connect with the sport’s five billion supporters.
While no official plans or timelines were revealed, the idea signals FIFA’s growing interest in blockchain technology as a tool for fan interaction and financial growth. Trump responded enthusiastically, joking that such a coin could one day be worth more than FIFA.
Following the announcement, a cryptocurrency unrelated to FIFA named ‘FIFA’ skyrocketed by 357,000% due to market confusion, briefly reaching a valuation of $8.2 million. Meanwhile, the summit introduced key crypto policies, including a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, indicating a shift in regulatory approach under Trump’s administration.
As FIFA prepares for the 2026 World Cup in North America, Infantino’s statement highlights the growing intersection of cryptocurrency and football, suggesting that digital assets could play a significant role in the sport’s future.
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NHS is investigating allegations that a software flaw at private medical services company Medefer left patient data vulnerable to hacking.
The flaw, discovered in November, affected Medefer’s internal patient record system in the UK, which handles 1,500 NHS referrals monthly.
A software engineer who found the issue believes the vulnerability may have existed for six years, but Medefer denies this claim, stating no data has been compromised.
The engineer discovered that unprotected application programming interfaces (APIs) could have allowed outsiders to access sensitive patient information.
While Medefer has insisted that there is no evidence of any breach, they have commissioned an external security agency to review their systems. The agency confirmed that no breach was found, and the company asserts that the flaw was fixed within 48 hours of being discovered.
Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about the potential risks posed by the flaw, emphasising that a proper investigation should have been conducted immediately.
Medefer reported the issue to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), both of which found no further action necessary. However, experts suggest that a more thorough response could have been beneficial given the sensitive nature of the data involved.
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Spanish banking giant BBVA has received approval from the country’s financial regulator to offer Bitcoin and Ether trading to its clients.
The lengthy process, which began years ago, is now complete after the bank awaited clear regulations under the EU’s MiCA framework.
BBVA initially explored launching crypto services in Switzerland due to its established regulatory environment, but with MiCA now fully in effect, the bank has secured approval in Spain.
BBVA’s recent expansion into crypto trading in Turkey through a local subsidiary led to this development.
Other major European banks have also entered the crypto space, with Deutsche Bank developing an Ethereum rollup and Société Générale launching a euro stablecoin. BBVA’s move signals the growing institutional adoption of digital assets globally.
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China’s top universities are set to expand undergraduate enrolment to develop talent in key strategic fields, particularly AI.
The move follows the rapid rise of AI startup DeepSeek, which has drawn global attention for producing advanced AI models at a fraction of the usual cost.
The company’s success, largely driven by researchers from elite institutions in China, is seen as a major step in Beijing’s efforts to boost its homegrown STEM workforce.
Peking University announced it would add 150 undergraduate spots in 2025 to focus on national strategic needs, particularly in information science, engineering, and clinical medicine.
Renmin University will expand enrolment by over 100 places, aiming to foster innovation in AI. Meanwhile, Shanghai Jiao Tong University plans to add 150 spots dedicated to emerging technologies such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, and new energy.
This expansion aligns with China’s broader strategy to strengthen its education system and technological capabilities. In January, the government introduced a national action plan to enhance education efficiency and innovation by 2035.
Additionally, authorities plan to introduce AI education in primary and secondary schools to nurture digital skills and scientific curiosity from an early age.
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Investors are moving away from semiconductor stocks and turning their focus to software companies as the AI investment landscape evolves.
A surge in AI chip demand drove record growth for semiconductor firms in 2024, but new competition and trade restrictions have dampened enthusiasm. The emergence of China‘s DeepSeek, offering lower-cost AI models, has further pressured chip stocks, leading investors to seek new opportunities in software.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has fallen 5.6% this year, with Nvidia dropping nearly 13%, while software firms such as Atlassian, CrowdStrike, and Palantir have gained between 7% and 19%.
Investment flows reflect the shift, with software-focused exchange-traded funds seeing significant inflows, while semiconductor ETFs have recorded large outflows. Analysts see the trend as a natural progression, with AI technology increasingly monetised through software applications rather than hardware.
Morgan Stanley and other investment firms now favour software firms such as Palantir, Microsoft, and Oracle. While some software companies have yet to see AI-related revenue growth reflected in their financials, analysts predict gains by 2026.
High valuations remain a concern, but investors are betting on the long-term need for AI applications rather than additional hardware.
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Chinese AI company iFlyTek is expanding its European operations as trade tensions with the US continue to escalate.
Vice President Vincent Zhan stated that North America remains the firm’s largest market outside China, but new tariffs introduced by United States President Donald Trump have made diversification a priority. The company is looking to reduce supply chain risks while strengthening its presence in Europe.
iFlyTek, known for its voice recognition technology, currently operates in France and Hungary and is planning to open a Paris office soon.
Future expansion targets include Spain and Italy, where the company is assessing partnerships. The firm unveiled a new tablet at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, highlighting its commitment to the European market.
The company has faced US restrictions since being placed on a trade blacklist in 2019, limiting access to American-made components such as Nvidia’s AI chips. In response, iFlyTek has turned to domestic alternatives, using Huawei chips and integrating AI models from Chinese start-ups like DeepSeek.
Despite these challenges, Zhan expressed confidence in China‘s growing AI chip industry, which is helping firms like iFlyTek stay competitive.
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