Microsoft’s UK boss has warned that many companies are ‘stuck in neutral’ when it comes to AI, with a significant number of private and public sector organisations lacking any formal AI strategy. According to a Microsoft survey of nearly 1,500 senior leaders and 1,440 employees in the UK, more than half of executives report that their organisations have no official AI plan. Additionally, many recognise a growing productivity gap between employees using AI and those who are not.
Darren Hardman, Microsoft’s UK chief executive, stated that some companies are caught in the experimentation phase rather than fully deploying AI. Microsoft, a major backer of OpenAI, has been promoting AI deployment in workplaces through autonomous AI agents designed to perform tasks without human intervention. Early adopters, like consulting giant McKinsey, are already using AI agents for tasks such as scheduling meetings.
Hardman also discussed AI’s potential impact on jobs, with the Tony Blair Institute estimating that AI could displace up to 3 million UK jobs, though the net job loss will likely be much lower as new roles are created. He compared AI’s transformative impact on the workplace to how the internet revolutionised retail, creating roles like data analysts and social media managers. Hardman also backed proposed UK copyright law reforms, which would allow tech companies to use copyright-protected work for training AI models, arguing that the changes could drive economic growth and support AI development.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Donald Trump has called for the repeal of the CHIPS and Science Act, a key piece of legislation passed in 2022 to support semiconductor manufacturing in the US.
Trump criticised the law during a speech to Congress, describing it as a waste of hundreds of billions of dollars and suggesting the funds should instead be used to reduce national debt. His remarks mark his most forceful criticism of the act to date.
The CHIPS Act, signed by President Joe Biden, allocated $39 billion in subsidies for US semiconductor production and related industries, along with $75 billion in government-backed loans.
The initiative was part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign-made chips and address national security concerns.
Trump argued that rather than offering financial incentives, the government could avoid imposing tariffs to encourage semiconductor companies to build factories in the US.
However, the program has garnered support from officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who played a key role in securing investments from leading global semiconductor firms like Samsung, Intel, and TSMC.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul defended the CHIPS Act, emphasising its role in bringing significant investment and job creation to the state, including Micron’s $100 billion investment in Central New York.
Trump’s comments have raised concerns about the future of these grants and the potential impact on such developments.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
The University of Cambridge is set to open a new department, The Bennett School of Public Policy, later this year, dedicated to exploring how AI can improve both business and public sector operations.
However, this marks the university’s first major new academic department in the 21st century, with research priorities focused on harnessing AI to address pressing policy challenges.
Professors from a wide range of disciplines, including economics, social sciences, and medical fields, will collaborate to investigate the potential benefits and risks of AI adoption across sectors.
The school’s leadership aims to foster a generation of ‘tech-savvy’ policymakers who can effectively manage AI’s role in society while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.
In addition to investigating AI’s economic impact, researchers will work closely with the Civil Service to develop AI workflows and help local government leaders address geographical inequality.
With a focus on cross-disciplinary expertise, the Bennett School plans to train policymakers who can tackle the complex issues of today’s world.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
In Tokyo, a groundbreaking demonstration of an AI-driven humanoid robot named AIREC showcased its potential in elderly care. The 150-kg (330 lb) robot, designed to assist with tasks such as changing diapers and preventing bedsores, gently moved a man lying on his back to his side. AIREC, a prototype for Japan’s rapidly ageing society, addresses the country’s severe shortage of aged-care workers, exacerbated by a declining birth rate and a shrinking workforce.
With Japan‘s ageing population and the ‘baby boomer’ generation all turning at least 75 by the end of 2024, the need for technological solutions in elderly care has become urgent. The nursing sector is struggling with a lack of workers, and while foreign workers have filled some of the gap, their numbers remain low. Experts, like Takashi Miyamoto, suggest that technology, especially robots like AIREC, is crucial to addressing the future challenges in elderly care.
Currently, robots like AIREC are still being developed and tested, with Sugano, the Waseda University professor leading the project, predicting it could be ready for use in facilities by 2030. While robots are making small strides in elderly care, such as monitoring sleep conditions or assisting with simple tasks, experts believe a collaboration between humans and robots will be the future of care. However, the high cost and technological precision required for humanoid robots to interact safely with humans remains a challenge for widespread adoption.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Meta Platforms is seeking to raise $35 billion to help fund the development of its data centres in the US, with Apollo Global Management reportedly leading the financing. The need for increased computational power to support AI systems has driven Meta to focus heavily on expanding its AI infrastructure. The company has already committed to spending up to $65 billion this year on AI development.
The financing deal comes as Meta continues to build new data centres, including a planned $10 billion AI hub in Louisiana, US. The Louisiana centre will run on renewable energy, in partnership with the local utility provider Entergy. Despite the growing demand for data centre space, industry scepticism remains, especially regarding the financial returns from such large-scale investments.
Meta’s push for more AI infrastructure highlights the competitive race among tech companies to meet the rising demand for AI capabilities, with the company planning further expansions in the coming years.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Meta Platforms is preparing to test a paid subscription model for its AI chatbot, Meta AI, as it looks to compete with industry giants like OpenAI and Microsoft. The test will begin in the second quarter of this year, although significant revenue from the service is not expected until next year. Meta AI, launched in September 2023, offers virtual assistance powered by advanced language models.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to boost the company’s AI capabilities include a $65 billion investment this year to expand AI infrastructure. Meta is also working on humanoid robots under its Reality Labs division. As tech companies race to dominate the AI space, Meta’s move to monetise its chatbot aligns with broader industry trends, with Microsoft and Amazon also making substantial investments in AI.
Despite the rising demand for AI services, Meta has not yet revealed the specific pricing for the new subscription service. However, the development highlights the company’s effort to enhance its AI offerings while positioning itself as a strong competitor in the rapidly expanding AI market.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
ElevenLabs, a Palo Alto-based AI startup valued at $3.3 billion, has introduced its first stand-alone speech-to-text model, Scribe. The company, which is better known for its audio-generation capabilities, now aims to disrupt the speech detection market by providing a faster and more accurate alternative to existing models like Whisper and Deepgram. Scribe supports over 99 languages, with top accuracy in more than 25, including English, French, and Spanish.
The new AI model has already outperformed competitors like Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash and OpenAI’s Whisper Large V3 in benchmark tests. It also includes features like speaker diarisation, accurate subtitles, and sound event tagging, which could appeal to customers in media and content creation. While Scribe currently only works with pre-recorded audio, ElevenLabs plans to release a real-time version soon.
Priced at $0.40 per hour of transcribed audio, Scribe offers a competitive rate, though some rivals currently offer lower prices. With this move into speech-to-text, ElevenLabs is positioning itself to expand its AI offerings and challenge established players in the field.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Apple is under renewed pressure over its diversity policies after President Donald Trump urged the company to abandon them. His call came a day after shareholders overwhelmingly voted to keep the initiatives, despite growing opposition from conservative groups.
Trump took to Truth Social to demand the complete removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, calling them a ‘hoax’ that has harmed the country.
Major US corporations, including Meta and Alphabet, have scaled back DEI efforts since Trump’s return to office. He has argued these policies are discriminatory and has suggested that the Department of Justice could investigate their legality.
His administration has already moved to end DEI initiatives in federal agencies and the private sector, citing concerns over fairness and merit-based hiring.
Apple has defended its approach, stating that it does not impose quotas but focuses on broader inclusion efforts. CEO Tim Cook reaffirmed the company’s commitment to diversity while acknowledging potential adjustments in response to changing legal landscapes. He emphasised that Apple’s core values of dignity and respect would remain unchanged.
Shareholder support for DEI policies at Apple contrasts with recent corporate trends, as many companies have been scaling back such programmes.
Critics warn that continuing these efforts could expose businesses to legal challenges, while supporters argue they are essential for addressing long-standing inequalities. Apple has yet to comment on whether it will revise its policies following Trump’s latest remarks.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Quantum Machines (QM), a leader in quantum computing technology, has raised $170 million in a mid-stage funding round, bringing its total funding to $280 million. The investment is seen as a significant step in accelerating QM’s role in the rapidly evolving quantum computing industry. With quantum technology on the verge of becoming a major disruptive force, this funding will help QM expand its hardware and software offerings to meet the demands of quantum system developers globally.
Quantum computing holds enormous promise for breakthroughs in fields such as medicine and chemistry, offering the ability to solve problems far beyond the capabilities of classical computers. While the technology is still developing, key milestones are being reached, including IBM and Google’s advancements in achieving over 1,000 qubits. These developments signal that practical quantum computers could soon become a reality.
QM’s growth is supported by strong backing from major investors, including PSG Equity and Intel Capital, reflecting the increasing confidence in the potential of quantum computing. As the technology matures, companies like Microsoft and Nvidia are also contributing to the ecosystem, highlighting that the quantum race is heating up. Despite regional challenges, Israeli tech startups, including QM, are continuing to attract investment, contributing to the country’s growing tech sector.
With this new funding, QM is well-positioned to drive forward its mission to innovate and lead in the quantum computing space, which many consider one of the most important technological developments of the current generation.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Quora has unveiled a new feature on its Poe platform that allows users to create custom AI-powered applications. Named Poe Apps, the tool enables users to describe the app they want to build, and it generates the necessary code, powered by Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet. The apps can integrate various AI models, such as OpenAI’s o3-mini or Google’s Veo 2, allowing for personalised functionality.
Once created, these apps can be run alongside Poe’s chatbot window or function as standalone web apps, with the option to adjust the underlying code manually. Poe Apps can currently be shared with other users on the web, with iOS and Android versions expected soon. While free users get a daily points allotment to use the models, premium subscribers have access to more flexible packages.
Quora has also hinted at future monetisation options for app creators, expanding the potential of Poe Apps. With this new feature, Quora is not only enabling the creation of unique apps but also setting the stage for users to earn from their AI-driven innovations.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
