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.
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Europol announced on Friday that two dozen people have been arrested for their involvement in a criminal network distributing AI-generated images of child sexual abuse. This operation marks one of the first of its kind, highlighting concerns over the use of AI in creating illegal content. Europol noted that there is currently a lack of national legislation addressing AI-generated child abuse material.
The primary suspect, a Danish national, operated an online platform where he distributed the AI-generated content he created. Users from around the world paid a ‘symbolic online payment’ to access the material. The platform has raised significant concerns about the potential misuse of AI tools for such criminal purposes.
The ongoing operation, which involves authorities from 19 countries, resulted in 25 arrests, with most occurring simultaneously on Wednesday under the leadership of Danish authorities. Europol indicated that more arrests are expected in the coming weeks as the investigation continues.
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At a conference in Hyderabad this week, pharmaceutical companies highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in evolving the drug development process. Companies like Amgen and Parexel showcased how AI can reduce trial times, with Parexel demonstrating a model that speeds up drug safety reports by 30-45 minutes. Industry experts believe that AI can potentially halve the costs and time needed to develop drugs, cutting down the process from over a decade to just a few years.
Beyond speeding up trials, AI is also aiding in drug discovery and medical diagnostics. For instance, AI is being used to repurpose existing drugs for new uses and to analyse medical images, potentially identifying conditions such as cancer that might be missed by human doctors. Medtronic’s CTO stressed that integrating AI across the industry is essential to its future success.
Despite these technological strides, the conference was overshadowed by ongoing uncertainty regarding US President Trump’s proposed tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. Companies, particularly those based in India, expressed concern over the potential impact of these tariffs, with some, like Dr Reddy’s, opting to take a ‘wait and watch’ approach until further clarity emerges. This tariff uncertainty remains a pressing issue for India’s pharmaceutical industry, which is a major exporter of affordable drugs to the US.
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Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges has urged Germany and Europe to invest more in artificial intelligence and data centres to stay competitive with the US and Asia. Speaking after the release of the company’s annual results, Hoettges stressed the need for Europe to increase its computing power, citing a growing demand for data centres that he expects to rise by at least 30%. Deutsche Telekom is already expanding its infrastructure with plans to build four new data centres in Europe, aiming to create one gigawatt of capacity.
Hoettges also emphasised the importance of AI for Europe’s economic growth and sovereignty in the digital age. His comments come as Europe strives to catch up with major AI investments made by the US, with the European Commission pledging to mobilise 200 billion euros for AI development. This contrasts with the US, where private companies have committed up to $500 billion to AI infrastructure.
The call for greater AI investment follows a wave of AI advancements, such as China’s DeepSeek model, which has begun to challenge Western competitors. Hoettges warned that Germany must act quickly or risk falling behind in the global AI race.
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Inception, a Palo Alto-based startup founded by Stanford professor Stefano Ermon, has unveiled an innovative AI model based on diffusion technology. Unlike traditional large language models that generate text sequentially, Inception’s diffusion-based model can produce large blocks of text in parallel, making it up to 10 times faster and more cost-efficient. The company claims its model offers similar capabilities to existing LLMs but with significantly improved performance.
The diffusion model operates differently from the typical approach of LLMs, which generate text word by word. Instead, it starts with a rough estimate and refines the output all at once, allowing for faster processing. Ermon, who has been researching this technology for years at Stanford, believes it will revolutionise AI by enabling more efficient use of computational resources, particularly GPUs. Inception already boasts several Fortune 100 companies as clients, attracted by its promise to reduce AI latency and costs.
Inception’s model can handle various tasks, including code generation and question answering, and is designed for flexible deployment options such as API, on-premises, and edge devices. This breakthrough technology is expected to lead to more accessible and scalable AI solutions, positioning Inception at the forefront of AI development.
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Amazon has unveiled Alexa+, a major upgrade to its voice assistant, integrating advanced AI to enhance interactions.
The new version can process multiple prompts in sequence, store user preferences, and manage tasks such as making reservations and sending reminders. AI-powered improvements aim to make Alexa more conversational and responsive.
The company has invested heavily in the technology, incorporating AI models through its Bedrock platform. Startup Anthropic contributed to development, with its Claude AI underpinning Alexa+.
The service will be free for Amazon Prime members, while non-Prime users will pay $19.99 per month. A phased rollout begins in March.
Alexa+ will integrate seamlessly with Amazon devices, including Ring doorbells, allowing users to access video recordings and control smart home features. It can also analyse documents, helping users understand contracts and regulations.
Industry competition remains strong, with Apple and Google also enhancing their voice assistants through AI.
Amazon hopes the overhaul will boost engagement, as Alexa usage had declined due to limited advancements. The company’s stock rose 1.7% following the announcement, reflecting investor confidence in the AI-driven update.
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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.
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Canada’s telecommunications regulator, the CRTC, announced on Wednesday that it will impose a fee on Google to cover the costs of enforcing the Online News Act, which requires large tech platforms to pay for news content shared on their sites. The levy, which will be implemented from April 1, will vary each year and has no upper limit. This move comes amid rising tensions between Canada and the US over issues like trade and a digital services tax on American tech firms.
The CRTC stated that most of its operations are funded by fees from the companies it regulates, and the new charge aims to recover costs related to the law. Google, which had previously raised concerns about the fairness of such a rule, had argued that it was unreasonable to impose 100% of the costs on one company. Despite this, Google has agreed to pay C$100 million annually to Canadian publishers in a deal that ensures its search results continue to feature news content.
The law, which is part of a global trend to make internet giants pay for news, was introduced last year in response to concerns that tech firms were crowding out news businesses in the online advertising market. While both Google and Meta were identified as major platforms required to make payments, Meta chose to block news from its platforms in Canada instead. Google, however, has continued to negotiate with the Canadian government, although it has yet to comment further on the CRTC’s decision.
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Microsoft has made an undisclosed equity investment in Veeam Software as part of an expanded partnership to develop AI-powered data protection tools.
The deal will strengthen Veeam’s ability to help customers recover data after cyberattacks, ransomware incidents, or accidental loss. The company’s core technology ensures immutable backups, preventing hackers from modifying or deleting critical files.
With Microsoft‘s support, Veeam plans to enhance research and development, integrate AI-driven capabilities into its software, and expand design collaboration.
The move follows Microsoft’s previous investment in cybersecurity firm Rubrik, another company specialising in data backup and recovery.
Veeam, which was acquired by private equity firm Insight Partners for $5 billion in 2020, was valued at $15 billion after a secondary sale last year.
Founded in 2006, Veeam serves over 550,000 customers globally, including major corporations such as Deloitte and Canon. The partnership with Microsoft underscores the growing demand for advanced data security solutions as businesses face increasing cyber threats.
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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.
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