Sustainable development

TSMC struggles to block chip exports to China

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has acknowledged it faces significant challenges in ensuring its advanced chips do not end up with sanctioned entities in China, despite tightening export controls.

The company admitted in its latest annual report that its position as a contract chipmaker limits its visibility into how and where its semiconductors are ultimately used.

Instead of directly selling finished products, TSMC manufactures chips for firms like Nvidia and Qualcomm, which are then integrated into a wide range of devices by third parties.

Α layered supply chain structure like this makes it difficult for the company to guarantee full compliance with export restrictions, especially when intermediaries may divert shipments intentionally.

TSMC halted deliveries to a customer last year after discovering one of its AI chips had been diverted to Huawei, a Chinese tech giant on the US sanctions list. The company promptly notified both Washington and Taipei and has since cooperated with official investigations and information requests.

The US continues to tighten restrictions on advanced chip exports to China, urging companies like TSMC and Samsung to apply stricter scrutiny.

Recently, Washington blacklisted 16 Chinese entities, including firms allegedly linked to the unauthorised transfer of TSMC chips. Despite best efforts, TSMC says there is no assurance it can completely prevent such incidents.

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Meta uses AI to spot teens lying about age

Meta has announced it is ramping up efforts to protect teenagers on Instagram by deploying AI to detect users who may have lied about their age. The technology will automatically place suspected underage users into Teen Accounts, even if their profiles state they are adults.

These special accounts come with stricter safety settings designed for users under 16. Those who believe they’ve been misclassified will have the option to adjust their settings manually.

Instead of relying solely on self-reported birthdates, Meta is using its AI to analyse behaviour and signals that suggest a user might be younger than claimed.

While the company has used this technology to estimate age ranges before, it is now applying it more aggressively to catch teens who attempt to bypass the platform’s safeguards. The tech giant insists it’s working to ensure the accuracy of these classifications to prevent mistakes.

Alongside this new AI tool, Meta will also begin sending notifications to parents about their children’s Instagram settings.

These alerts, which are sent only to parents who have Instagram accounts of their own, aim to encourage open conversations at home about the importance of honest age representation online.

Teen Accounts were first introduced last year and are designed to limit access to harmful content, reduce contact from strangers, and promote healthier screen time habits.

Instead of granting unrestricted access, these accounts are private by default, block unsolicited messages, and remind teens to take breaks after prolonged scrolling.

Meta says the goal is to adapt to the digital age and partner with parents to make Instagram a safer space for young users.

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Apple tries makes climate progress with greener supply chain

Apple has made progress in reducing its environmental impact, according to the company’s own latest environmental progress report.

Its total greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 800,000 metric tons in 2024, marking a 5 percent reduction from the previous year.

Over the last decade, Apple has cut its global emissions by more than 60 percent, an achievement as emissions from other tech firms continue to rise due to the growing demands of AI.

The reduction stems from efforts to use renewable energy, increase recycling, and work with suppliers to cut emissions. Apple reported that its suppliers collectively avoided nearly 24 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions last year through cleaner energy and improved efficiency.

The company is also tackling highly potent fluorinated gases used in making semiconductors and displays, with all direct display suppliers and 26 semiconductor partners committing to reducing such emissions by at least 90 percent.

Recycled materials played a larger role in Apple’s products in 2024, making up nearly a quarter of all materials used. Notably, 80 percent of the rare earth elements and most of the tungsten, cobalt, and aluminium used came from recycled sources.

Despite these efforts, Apple still generated 15.3 million metric tons of CO₂ last year, though it aims to reduce emissions by 75 percent from 2015 levels by 2030 and eliminate 90 percent by 2050 to meet international climate goals.

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TSMC profits surge despite trade concerns

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) posted a significant jump in quarterly profits, driven by robust demand for AI chips. Net income rose by just over 60% year-on-year to NT$360.7bn (£9.77bn), outpacing analysts’ expectations.

Revenue also grew by 41.6% compared to the same period in 2024, although it dipped slightly from the previous quarter due to weaker smartphone sales.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker has not yet seen any major changes in customer behaviour, including from Apple and Nvidia, despite increasing uncertainty over potential US tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors.

While concerns about trade tensions grow, particularly with former President Donald Trump suggesting the US should reclaim chip production, TSMC says it is continuing with business as usual for now.

Instead of scaling back, TSMC is expanding its investment in the US, with plans to spend up to $160bn. Analysts believe this move could help the firm argue for a more favourable position should tariff negotiations intensify.

The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Wendell Huang, acknowledged the risks posed by changing trade policies but said revenue growth is still expected in the next quarter.

Despite global pressures, TSMC remains optimistic, forecasting revenue between $28.4bn and $29.2bn. Although the company’s shares have fallen more than 20% so far this year, some analysts say the stock is now undervalued and well-positioned to rebound once market conditions stabilise.

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Fake banking apps leave sellers thousands out of pocket

Scammers are using fake mobile banking apps to trick people into handing over valuable items without receiving any payment.

These apps, which convincingly mimic legitimate platforms, display false ‘successful payment’ screens in person, allowing fraudsters to walk away with goods while the money never arrives.

Victims like Anthony Rudd and John Reddock have lost thousands after being targeted while selling items through social media marketplaces. Mr Rudd handed over £1,000 worth of tools from his Salisbury workshop, only to realise the payment notification was fake.

Mr Reddock, from the UK, lost a £2,000 gold bracelet he had hoped to sell to fund a holiday for his children.

BBC West Investigations found that some of these fake apps, previously removed from the Google Play store, are now being downloaded directly from the internet onto Android phones.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute described this scam as an emerging threat, warning that in-person fraud is growing more complex instead of fading away.

With police often unable to track down suspects, small business owners like Sebastian Liberek have been left feeling helpless after being targeted repeatedly.

He has lost hundreds of pounds to fake transfers and believes scammers will continue striking, while enforcement remains limited and platforms fail to do enough to stop the spread of fraud.

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OpenAI deploys new safeguards for AI models to curb biothreat risks

OpenAI has introduced a new monitoring system to reduce the risk of its latest AI models, o3 and o4-mini, being misused to create chemical or biological threats.

The ‘safety-focused reasoning monitor’ is built to detect prompts related to dangerous materials and instruct the AI models to withhold potentially harmful advice, instead of providing answers that could aid bad actors.

These newer models represent a major leap in capability compared to previous versions, especially in their ability to respond to prompts about biological weapons. To counteract this, OpenAI’s internal red teams spent 1,000 hours identifying unsafe interactions.

Simulated tests showed the safety monitor successfully blocked 98.7% of risky prompts, although OpenAI admits the system does not account for users trying again with different wording, a gap still covered by human oversight instead of relying solely on automation.

Despite assurances that neither o3 nor o4-mini meets OpenAI’s ‘high risk’ threshold, the company acknowledges these models are more effective at answering dangerous questions than earlier ones like o1 and GPT-4.

Similar monitoring tools are also being used to block harmful image generation in other models, yet critics argue OpenAI should do more.

Concerns have been raised over rushed testing timelines and the lack of a safety report for GPT-4.1, which was launched this week instead of being accompanied by transparency documentation.

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AMD warns of financial hit from US AI chip export ban

AMD has warned that new US government restrictions on exporting AI chips to China and several other countries could materially affect its earnings.

The company said it may face charges of up to $800 million related to unsold inventory, purchase commitments, and reserves if it fails to secure export licences for its MI308 GPUs, now subject to strict control measures.

In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, AMD confirmed it would seek the necessary licences but admitted there is no guarantee they will be granted.

The move follows broader export restrictions aimed at protecting national security interests, with US officials arguing that unrestricted access to advanced chips would weaken the country’s strategic lead in AI, instead of preserving it.

AMD’s stock dropped around 6% following the announcement. Competitors are also feeling the impact. Nvidia expects charges of $5.5 billion from similar restrictions, and Intel’s Gaudi hardware line has reportedly been affected as well.

The US Commerce Department has defended the move as necessary to safeguard economic and national interests.

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xAI pushes Grok forward with memory update

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, has introduced a new ‘memory’ feature for its Grok chatbot in a bid to compete more closely with established rivals like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

The update allows Grok to remember details from past conversations, enabling it to provide more personalised responses when asked for advice or recommendations, instead of offering generic answers.

Unlike before, Grok can now ‘learn’ a user’s preferences over time, provided it’s used frequently enough. The move mirrors similar features from competitors, with ChatGPT already referencing full chat histories and Gemini using persistent memory to shape its replies.

According to xAI, the memory is fully transparent. Users can view what Grok has remembered and choose to delete specific entries at any time.

The memory function is currently available in beta on Grok’s website and mobile apps, although not yet accessible to users in the EU or UK.

Instead of being automatically enabled, it can be turned off in the settings menu under Data Controls. Deleting individual memories is also possible via the web chat interface, with Android support expected shortly.

xAI has confirmed it is working on adding memory support to Grok’s version on X. However, this expansion aims to deepen the bot’s integration with users’ digital lives instead of limiting the experience to one platform.

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Quantum spin breakthrough at room temperature

South Korean researchers have discovered a way to generate much stronger spin currents at room temperature, potentially transforming the future of electronics.

By using a mechanism called longitudinal spin pumping and a special iron-rhodium material, the team showed that quantum magnetisation dynamics, once thought to only occur at extremely low temperatures, can take place in everyday conditions.

These currents were found to be 10 times stronger than those created through traditional methods, offering a major boost for low-power, high-performance devices.

Instead of relying on the movement of electric charge, spintronics makes use of the electron’s spin, which reduces energy loss and heat generation. This advancement could be particularly beneficial for Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM), a type of memory that depends on spin currents to function.

Researchers believe their findings may significantly cut power consumption in MRAM, which is already being explored by companies like Samsung for next-generation AI computing systems.

The study, carried out by teams at KAIST and Sogang University, used a combination of ultrafast measurement experiments and theoretical analysis to validate the discovery. Experts say the results could lead to a new era of energy-efficient memory and processor technologies.

Instead of stopping here, the researchers now plan to develop novel spintronic device architectures and explore other quantum-based mechanisms to push the limits of what modern electronics can achieve.

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Hamburg Declaration champions responsible AI

The Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a new global initiative jointly launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The Declaration seeks to build a shared vision for AI that supports fair, inclusive, and sustainable global development. It is set to be officially adopted at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in June 2025.

The initiative brings together voices from across sectors—governments, civil society, academia, and industry—to shape how AI can ethically and effectively align with the SDGs. Central to this effort is an open consultation process inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on the draft declaration, participate in expert discussions, and endorse its principles.

In addition to the declaration itself, the initiative also features the AI SDG Compendium, a global registry of AI projects contributing to sustainable development. The process has already gained visibility at major international forums like the Internet Governance Forum and the AI Action Summit in Paris, reflecting its growing significance in leveraging responsible AI for the SDGs.

The Declaration aims to ensure that AI is developed and used in ways that respect human rights, reduce inequalities, and foster sustainable progress. Establishing shared principles and promoting collaboration across sectors and regions sets a foundation for responsible AI that serves both people and the planet.

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