Meta will shut down Horizon Worlds on its Quest headsets, ending its flagship virtual reality (VR) platform and marking a clear retreat from its metaverse ambitions. The app will be removed from the Quest store on 31 March and discontinued in VR by 15 June, continuing only as a mobile service.
Horizon Worlds, launched in 2021, was central to Meta’s rebranding from Facebook and its vision of a fully immersive virtual environment. Despite billions in investment and high-profile partnerships, the platform failed to attract a large user base and struggled with design limitations and weak engagement.
Reality Labs, the division behind the metaverse push, has accumulated nearly $80 billion in losses since 2020, including more than $6 billion in a single quarter. Recent layoffs affecting around 10 percent of the VR workforce, along with the shutdown of related projects, underscore a broader pullback.
Competition and shifting priorities have accelerated the decline. Rival platforms such as VRChat maintained stronger communities, while Meta increasingly redirected resources toward AI and hardware, including its Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Although Meta says it remains committed to VR, the closure of Horizon Worlds signals a strategic reset. The company is repositioning its future around AI-driven products, marking a decisive shift away from its earlier metaverse vision.
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South Korea is seeking international support for a proposed global AI hub to advance cooperation on technology and governance. The initiative was discussed during talks with Switzerland’s leadership.
Officials in Switzerland met with South Korea’s prime minister to strengthen bilateral ties and support the project. The programme is intended to promote collaboration on AI rules, education and innovation.
The government of South Korea has also engaged several UN agencies to support the initiative. Agreements outline cooperation to help establish the hub and expand global dialogue on AI development.
Leaders in South Korea say the country aims to contribute its strong information technology capabilities to the project. The initiative reflects broader efforts to position the nation as a key player in global AI policy and innovation.
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A new 110MW data centre microgrid has been launched in Dublin to support rising AI-driven energy demand. The system is designed to provide reliable power during early development stages before full grid connection.
The project combines energy generation, battery storage and heat recovery to improve efficiency and resilience. Developers say the system can help address power constraints affecting large-scale cloud and AI facilities.
Industry leaders in Dublin say the microgrid offers a model for integrating renewable energy with traditional infrastructure. The approach could be replicated in other European markets facing similar grid limitations.
Experts say the system also enables future innovations such as hydrogen integration and district heating. The project reflects a broader shift towards treating energy as a strategic asset in the expansion of AI infrastructure.
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Business leaders in Cyprus are increasingly concerned about whether their organisations are adapting quickly enough to AI-driven change. A recent PwC survey shows many executives feel the pace of transformation is too slow.
Despite growing interest, most companies have yet to see significant financial returns from AI. Only a minority reported increased revenue or reduced costs, while many said the impact remains limited. These returns are not limited to Cyprus, but are also seen around the world.
Companies in Cyprus are still building the foundations for wider AI adoption. The challenges include limited investment, difficulty attracting skilled talent and uncertainty about organisational readiness.
Executives expect AI to affect junior roles more than senior positions over the coming years. Leaders emphasise the need for clear strategy, workforce development and stronger alignment between technology and business goals.
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Cybercrime incidents have surged as AI tools enable more convincing scams, leading to sharply rising losses in Estonia. Authorities reported thousands of phishing and fraud cases affecting individuals and businesses.
Criminals are using AI to generate fluent messages in Estonian, removing a key warning sign that once helped people detect scams. Experts say language accuracy has made fraudulent calls and messages harder to identify.
Growing awareness of scams is also fuelling public anxiety, with some users considering abandoning digital services. Officials warn that loss of trust could undermine confidence in digital systems.
Authorities are urging stronger safeguards and public education to counter the cybersecurity threats. Banks, telecom firms and digital identity providers are introducing new protections while campaigns aim to improve digital awareness.
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Tokyo authorities are accelerating the adoption of generative AI across public administration, aiming to improve efficiency and address labour shortages. Municipal governments across the capital are increasingly integrating AI into daily operations.
A new AI platform with GovTech Tokyo enables public employees to build customised applications without advanced technical skills. Built on open-source software, the system lowers costs and removes barriers linked to development and infrastructure.
Practical applications include document drafting tools, regulatory search systems, and internal chatbots. Early deployments, such as in Sumida Ward, show reduced operational costs and faster workflows compared to outsourcing solutions.
GovTech Tokyo, established in 2023 to lead digital transformation, continues to expand support frameworks and expertise. Plans are underway to enable the sharing of AI applications across municipalities, strengthening collaboration and standardising innovation across the capital.
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Researchers led by Michigan State University developed an AI model that predicts chemical effects on gene expression, speeding up drug discovery. The system analyses chemical structures to determine whether compounds increase or decrease activity in specific genes.
The model was trained on vast datasets of experimental results, allowing it to filter complex biological signals and produce reliable predictions. The approach allows virtual screening of millions of compounds, reducing the need for early-stage lab testing.
Study identified promising compounds for treating hepatocellular carcinoma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, two diseases with limited therapeutic options. Lab and animal tests confirmed several compounds reduced tumour growth or showed promise for lung disease treatment.
Findings highlight the growing role of AI in medicine, with researchers emphasising that collaboration across computational science, biology, and clinical practice remains essential to bringing new therapies from discovery to real-world use.
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Mass layoffs across major tech firms, including Amazon’s 16,000 job cuts, have intensified concerns that AI will replace white-collar workers. Headlines suggest a rapid shift, yet broader labour data tells a more measured story.
US employment has grown by 1.1% since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, reaching over 157 million workers. Service industries expanded significantly, adding more than two million jobs, while goods-producing sectors declined modestly.
Overall trends indicate no major disruption to the labour market so far.
Sector-level data reveals uneven shifts. The information industry recorded the steepest losses, particularly in media, telecoms, and content production, where automation and long-term structural changes continue to reduce headcounts.
Meanwhile, highly automatable roles such as telemarketing and call centres saw the sharpest declines.
Professional services present a more complex picture. Legal, engineering, and consulting roles have grown or remained stable, defying expectations of widespread displacement.
Hiring continues to exceed layoffs in several sectors, though younger workers appear increasingly vulnerable as competition intensifies in AI-exposed roles.
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Google has expanded Personal Intelligence across AI Mode in Search, the Gemini app, and Gemini in Chrome for US users. Rollout follows early adoption, where users responded positively to more tailored and context-aware assistance.
Personal Intelligence connects data across services such as Gmail and Google Photos to deliver highly personalised responses. Queries no longer need full context, as the system uses past purchases, travel history, and preferences to deliver relevant suggestions.
Use cases range from customised shopping recommendations and technical troubleshooting to travel planning and itinerary creation. Suggestions adapt to user habits, including preferred brands, past bookings, and time constraints, delivering more precise results.
Privacy remains central to the rollout, with users retaining control over which apps are connected. Data from personal services is not directly used to train AI models, while limited interaction data helps improve performance over time.
Access is currently limited to personal Google accounts, excluding enterprise and education users.
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The US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued joint guidance confirming that most crypto assets are not securities. Move marks a coordinated effort to clarify how digital assets are classified and regulated across the US.
New interpretation establishes a clearer framework, distinguishing between securities and commodities. While tokens linked to investment contracts may fall under securities laws, many assets can transition out of that category over time, reducing long-standing legal uncertainty.
Earlier approaches relied on enforcement and court rulings, leading to inconsistent treatment of similar assets. Updated guidance introduces defined categories, including utility tokens, stablecoins, collectables, and commodities, and aligns oversight between the two agencies.
Clearer rules are expected to support innovation and reduce compliance risks for firms. Guidance supports broader efforts to build a unified digital asset framework, advancing more predictable and structured crypto regulation in the US.
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