Key Internet developments

Meta expands AI infrastructure with $1 billion sustainable facility

The US tech giant, Meta, has announced the construction of its 30th data centre in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, a $1 billion investment that will power the company’s growing AI infrastructure while benefiting the local community and environment.

A facility, designed to support Meta’s most demanding AI workloads, that will run entirely on clean energy and create more than 100 permanent jobs alongside 1,000 construction roles.

The company will invest nearly $200 million in energy infrastructure and donate $15 million to Alliant Energy’s Hometown Care Energy Fund to assist families with home energy costs.

Meta will also launch community grants to fund schools and local organisations, strengthening technology education and digital skills while helping small businesses use AI tools more effectively.

Environmental responsibility remains central to the project. The data centre will use dry cooling, eliminating water demands during operation, and restore 100% of consumed water to local watersheds.

In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Meta will revitalise 570 acres of wetlands and prairie, transforming degraded habitats into thriving ecosystems. The facility is expected to achieve LEED Gold Certification, reflecting Meta’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and community-focused innovation.

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Brussels leak signals GDPR and AI Act adjustments

The European Commission is preparing a Digital Package on simplification for 19 November. A leaked draft outlines instruments covering GDPR, ePrivacy, Data Act and AI Act reforms.

Plans include a single breach portal and a higher reporting threshold. Authorities would receive notifications within 96 hours, with standardised forms and narrower triggers. Controllers could reject or charge for data subject access requests used to pursue disputes.

Cookie rules would shift toward browser-level preference signals respected across services. Aggregated measurement and security uses would not require popups, while GDPR lawful bases expand. News publishers could receive limited exemptions recognising reliance on advertising revenues.

Drafting recognises legitimate interest for training AI models on personal data. Narrow allowances are provided for sensitive data during development, along with EU-wide data protection impact assessment templates. Critics warn proposals dilute safeguards and may soften the AI Act.

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Google and Cassava expand Gemini access in Africa

Google announced a partnership with Cassava Technologies to widen access to Gemini across Africa. The deal includes data-free Gemini usage for eligible users coordinated through Cassava’s network partners. The initiative aims to address affordability and adoption barriers for mobile users.

A six-month trial of the Google AI Plus plan is part of the package. Benefits include access to more capable Gemini models and added cloud storage. Coverage by regional tech outlets reported the exact core details.

Education features were highlighted, including NotebookLM for study aids and Gemini in Docs for writing support. Google said the offer aims to help students, teachers, and creators work without worrying about data usage. Reports highlight a focus on youth and skills development.

Cassava’s role aligns with broader investments in AI infrastructure and services across the continent; recent announcements reference model exchanges and planned AI facilities that support regional development. Observers see momentum behind accessible AI tools.

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ChatGPT-5 outperformed by a Chinese startup model

A Chinese company has stunned the AI world after its new open-source model outperformed OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5 and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.5 in key benchmarks.

Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2 Thinking model achieved the best reasoning and coding scores yet, shaking confidence in American dominance over advanced AI systems.

The Beijing-based startup, backed by Alibaba and Tencent, released Kimi K2 Thinking on 6 November. It scored 44.9 percent in Humanity’s Last Exam and 60.2 percent in BrowseComp, both surpassing leading US models.

Analysts dubbed it another ‘DeepSeek moment ‘, echoing the earlier success of China in breaking AI cost barriers.

Moonshot AI trained the trillion-parameter system for just US$4.6 million (nearly ten times cheaper than GPT-5’s reported costs) using a Mixture-of-Experts structure and advanced quantisation for faster generation.

The fully open-weight model, released under a Modified MIT License, adds commercial flexibility and intensifies competition with US labs.

Industry observers called it a turning point. Hugging Face’s Thomas Wolf said the achievement shows how open-source models can now rival closed systems.

Researchers from the Allen Institute for AI noted that Chinese innovation is narrowing the gap faster than expected, driven by efficiency and high-quality training data rather than raw computing power.

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MK1 joins AMD to accelerate enterprise AI and reasoning technologies

AMD has completed the acquisition of MK1, a California-based company specialising in high-speed inference and reasoning-based AI technologies.

The move marks a significant step in AMD’s strategy to strengthen AI performance and efficiency across hardware and software layers. MK1’s Flywheel and comprehension engines are designed to optimise AMD’s Instinct GPUs, offering scalable, accurate, and cost-efficient AI reasoning.

The MK1 team will join the AMD Artificial Intelligence Group, where their expertise will advance AMD’s enterprise AI software stack and inference capabilities.

Handling over one trillion tokens daily, MK1’s systems are already deployed at scale, providing traceable and efficient AI solutions for complex business processes.

By combining MK1’s advanced AI software innovation with AMD’s compute power, the acquisition enhances AMD’s position in the enterprise and generative AI markets, supporting its goal of delivering accessible, high-performance AI solutions globally.

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Joint quantum partnership unites Canada and Denmark for global research leadership

Canada and Denmark have signed a joint statement to deepen collaboration in quantum research and innovation.

The agreement, announced at the European Quantum Technologies Conference 2025 in Copenhagen, reflects both countries’ commitment to advancing quantum science responsibly while promoting shared values of openness, ethics and excellence.

Under the partnership, the two nations will enhance research and development ties, encourage open data sharing, and cultivate a skilled talent pipeline. They also aim to boost global competitiveness in quantum technologies, fostering new opportunities for market expansion and secure supply chains.

Canadian Minister Mélanie Joly highlighted that the cooperation showcases a shared ambition to accelerate progress in health care, clean energy and defence.

Denmark’s Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, described Canada as a vital partner in scientific innovation. At the same time, Minister Evan Solomon stressed the agreement’s role in empowering researchers to deliver breakthroughs that shape the future of quantum technologies.

Both Canada and Denmark are recognised as global leaders in quantum science, working together through initiatives such as the NATO Transatlantic Quantum Community.

A partnership that supports Canada’s National Quantum Strategy, launched in 2023, and reinforces its shared goal of driving innovation for sustainable growth and collective security.

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Denmark’s new chat control plan raises fresh privacy concerns

Denmark has proposed an updated version of the EU’s controversial ‘chat control’ regulation, shifting from mandatory to voluntary scanning of private messages. Former MEP Patrick Breyer has warned, however, that the revision still threatens Europeans’ right to private communication.

Under the new plan, messaging providers could choose to scan chats for illegal material, but without a clear requirement for court orders. Breyer argued that this sidesteps the European Parliament’s position, which insists on judicial authorisation before any access to communications.

He also criticised the proposal for banning under-16s from using messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, claiming such restrictions would prove ineffective and easily bypassed. In addition, the plan would effectively outlaw anonymous communication, requiring users to verify their identities through IDs.

Privacy advocates say the Danish proposal could set a dangerous precedent by eroding fundamental digital rights. Civil society groups have urged EU lawmakers to reject measures that compromise secure, anonymous communication essential for journalists and whistleblowers.

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Meta invests $600 billion to expand AI data centres across the US

A $600 billion investment aimed at boosting innovation, job creation, and sustainability is being launched in the US by Meta to expand its AI infrastructure.

Instead of outsourcing development, the company is building its new generation of AI data centres domestically, reinforcing America’s leadership in technology and supporting local economies.

Since 2010, Meta’s data centre projects have supported more than 30,000 skilled trade jobs and 5,000 operational roles, generating $20 billion in business for US subcontractors. These facilities are designed to power Meta’s AI ambitions while driving regional economic growth.

The company emphasises responsible development by investing heavily in renewable energy and water efficiency. Its projects have added 15 gigawatts of new energy to US power grids, upgraded local infrastructure, and helped restore water systems in surrounding communities.

Meta aims to become fully water positive by 2030.

Beyond infrastructure, Meta has channelled $58 million into community grants for schools, nonprofits, and local initiatives, including STEM education and veteran training programmes.

As AI grows increasingly central to digital progress, Meta’s continued investment in sustainable, community-focused data centres underscores its vision for a connected, intelligent future built within the US.

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Appfigures revises iOS estimates as Sora’s launch on Android launch leaps ahead

Sora’s Android launch outpaced its iOS debut, garnering an estimated 470,000 first-day installs across seven markets, according to Appfigures. Broader regional availability, plus the end of invite-only access in top markets, boosted uptake.

OpenAI’s iOS rollout was limited to the US and Canada via invitations, which capped early growth despite strong momentum. The iOS app nevertheless surpassed one million installs in its first week and still ranks highly in the US App Store’s Top Free chart.

Revised Appfigures modelling puts day-one iOS installs at ~110,000 (up from 56,000), with ~69,300 from the US. On Android, availability spans the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. First-day US installs were ~296,000, showing sustained demand beyond the iOS launch.

Sora allows users to generate videos from text prompts and animate themselves or friends via ‘Cameos’, sharing the results in a TikTok-style vertical feed. Engagement features for creation and discovery are driving word of mouth and repeat use across both platforms.

Competition in mobile AI video and assistants is intensifying, with Meta AI expanding its app in Europe on the same day. Market share will hinge on geographic reach, feature velocity, creator tools, and distribution via app store charts and social feeds.

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ByteDance cuts use of Claude after Anthropic blocks China access

An escalating tech clash has emerged between ByteDance and Anthropic over AI access and service restrictions. ByteDance has halted use of Anthropic’s Claude model on its infrastructure after the US firm imposed access limitations for Chinese users.

The suspension follows Anthropic’s move to restrict China-linked deployments and aligns with broader geopolitical tensions in the AI sector. ByteDance reportedly said it would now rely on domestic alternatives, signalling a strategic pivot away from western-based AI models.

Industry watchers view the dispute as a marker of how major tech firms are navigating export controls, national security concerns and sovereignty in AI. Observers warn the rift may prompt accelerated investment in home-grown AI ecosystems by Chinese companies.

While neither company has detailed all operational impacts, the episode highlights AI’s fraught position at the intersection of technology and geopolitics. US market reaction may hinge on whether other firms follow suit or partnerships are redefined around regional access.

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