Sustainable development

Musk threatens legal action against Apple over AI App rankings

Elon Musk has announced plans to sue Apple, accusing the company of unfairly favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over his xAI app Grok on the App Store.

Musk claims that Apple’s ranking practices make it impossible for any AI app except OpenAI’s to reach the top spot, calling this behaviour an ‘unequivocal antitrust violation’. ChatGPT holds the number one position on Apple’s App Store, while Grok ranks fifth.

Musk expressed frustration on social media, questioning why his X app, which he describes as ‘the number one news app in the world,’ has not received higher placement. He suggested that Apple’s ranking decisions might be politically motivated.

The dispute highlights growing tensions as AI companies compete for prominence on major platforms.

Apple and Musk’s xAI have not responded yet to requests for comment.

The controversy unfolds amid increasing scrutiny of App Store policies and their impact on competition, especially within the fast-evolving AI sector.

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Musk and OpenAI CEO Altman clash over Apple and X

After Elon Musk accused Apple of favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over other AI applications on the App Store, there was a strong response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Altman alleged that Musk manipulates the social media platform X for his benefit, targeting competitors and critics. The exchange adds to their history of public disagreements since Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018.

Musk’s claim centres on Apple’s refusal to list X or Grok (XAI’s AI app) in the App Store’s ‘Must have’ section, despite X being the top news app worldwide and Grok ranking fifth.

Although Musk has not provided evidence for antitrust violations, a recent US court ruling found Apple in contempt for restricting App Store competition. The EU also fined Apple €500 million earlier this year over commercial restrictions on app developers.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT currently leads the App Store’s ‘Top Free Apps’ list for iPhones in the US, while Grok holds the fifth spot. Musk’s accusations highlight ongoing tensions in the AI industry as big tech companies battle for app visibility and market dominance.

The situation emphasises how regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges shape competition within the digital economy.

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Quantum computing breakthroughs push 2025 into a new era

Quantum computing is set to shift from theory to real-world applications in 2025, driven by breakthroughs from Google and IBM. With error-corrected qubits and faster processing, the market is projected to reach $292 billion by 2035.

New chips, such as Google’s Willow, have significantly reduced errors, while interconnect innovations link multiple processors. Hybrid quantum-classical systems are emerging, with AI refining results for logistics, energy grids, and secure financial transactions.

The technology is accelerating drug discovery, climate modelling, and materials science, cutting R&D timelines and improving simulation accuracy. Global firms like Pasqal are scaling production in Saudi Arabia and South Korea, even as geopolitical tensions rise.

Risks remain high, from the energy demands of quantum data centres to threats against current encryption. Experts urge rapid adoption of post-quantum cryptography and fault-tolerant systems before mass deployment.

As the UN marks 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science, quantum computing is quietly being integrated into operations worldwide, solving problems that surpass those of classical machines. The revolution has begun, largely unnoticed but poised to redefine economies and technology.

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NASA and Google develop AI doctor for Mars missions

NASA and Google are collaborating on an AI-powered medical assistant designed for long-distance space travel, particularly missions to Mars.

The Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA) tool uses Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and a mix of open-source large language models to provide autonomous medical advice and diagnostics.

The capability is crucial due to the significant communication delays between Mars and Earth, which can reach up to 223 minutes one way, making real-time medical consultation impossible.

The CMO-DA aims to support astronauts by diagnosing conditions and offering treatment recommendations independently, without Earth-based input. Future versions will incorporate ultrasound imaging and biometric data to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Tested against common medical issues by a panel that included a doctor-astronaut, the AI demonstrated accuracy rates ranging from 74% to 88% for various ailments.

However, NASA acknowledges challenges such as building trust in AI decisions and limited data on health effects from spaceflight and partial gravity environments.

The project forms part of NASA’s Artemis programme, focusing on Moon exploration and preparing for human missions to Mars, emphasising the importance of autonomous healthcare tools for deep space missions.

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Nvidia and AMD to pay 15% share of China AI chip revenue to secure US export licences

Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have agreed to hand 15% of their Chinese AI chip sales revenue to the US government in return for export licences.

The arrangement, covering Nvidia’s H20 accelerator and AMD’s MI308 model, is considered unusual and could prove contentious for both companies and Beijing.

The deal reflects Washington’s willingness to link trade concessions to financial payments, but analysts note there is little precedent for such a targeted export levy.

Critics warn the move could undermine the national security rationale for export controls, making it harder to convince allies to adopt similar measures. Beijing, meanwhile, has voiced security concerns over the H20 chip’s performance and alleged vulnerabilities.

Industry observers suggest the payment requirement could discourage further expansion by US chipmakers in China, the world’s largest semiconductor importer, and give local producers an advantage in building domestic capacity.

Chinese firms such as Huawei are already increasing market share amid tighter restrictions on US technology.

The potential sums involved are significant. Before restrictions were imposed, Nvidia had generated over $7 billion in H20 sales to China in a single quarter. In comparison, AMD could earn up to $5 billion annually if full access to the market resumed.

However, uncertainties over demand and regulatory conditions remain.

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The Browser Company unveils a paid plan for AI browser

The Browser Company has introduced a $20 monthly Pro subscription for Dia, its AI-powered web browser, offering unlimited access to advanced chat and skills features.

Free users will now encounter limits on AI usage, although light users engaging with AI a few times a week can still use the browser without paying. CEO Josh Miller mentioned plans to launch multiple subscription tiers, ranging from $5 to several hundred dollars, based on different feature sets.

The Pro plan was briefly available online before being removed, but it is now accessible again through Dia’s settings. It marks The Browser Company’s first paid offering following its previous success with the Arc browser.

The Browser Company has secured $128 million in funding from investors, including Pace Capital and several prominent tech leaders such as Jeff Weiner and Dylan Field.

The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the AI browser space, with rivals like Perplexity’s Comet, Opera’s upcoming Neon browser, and AI integrations from Google and Microsoft vying for user attention.

The Browser Company’s subscription model aims to capitalise on growing interest in AI-enhanced browsing experiences.

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Riverlane deploys Deltaflow 2 QEC in first UK commercial quantum integration

Riverlane has deployed its Deltaflow 2 quantum error correction (QEC) technology in a UK commercial quantum setting for the first time. The system introduces streaming quantum memory, enabling real-time error correction fast enough to preserve data across thousands of operations.

Deltaflow 2 combines a custom QEC chip with FPGA hardware and Riverlane’s software stack, supporting superconducting, spin, trapped-ion, and neutral-atom qubit platforms. It has been integrated with high-performance classical systems and a digital twin for noise simulation and monitoring.

Control hardware from Qblox delivers high-fidelity readout and ultra-low-latency links to enable real-time QEC. The deployment will validate error correction routines and benchmark system performance, forming the basis for future integration with OQC’s superconducting qubits.

The project is part of the UK Government-funded DECIDE programme, which aims to strengthen national capability in quantum error correction. Riverlane and OQC plan to demonstrate live QEC during quantum operations, supporting the creation of logical qubits for scalable systems.

Riverlane is also partnering with Infleqtion, Rigetti Computing, and others through the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre. The company says growing industry demand reflects QEC’s shift from research to deployment, positioning Deltaflow 2 as a commercially viable, universally compatible tool.

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GPT-5 launches with ‘PhD-level performance’

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5, the latest generation of its widely used ChatGPT tool, offering what CEO Sam Altman described as a ‘huge improvement’ in capability.

Now free to all users, the model builds on previous versions but stops short of the human-like reasoning associated with accurate artificial general intelligence.

Altman compared the leap in performance to ‘talking to a PhD-level expert’ instead of a student.

While GPT-5 does not learn continuously from new experiences, it is designed to excel in coding, writing, healthcare and other specialist areas.

Industry observers say the release underscores the rapid acceleration in AI, with rivals such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Elon Musk’s xAI investing heavily in the race. Chinese startup DeepSeek has also drawn attention for producing powerful models using less costly chips.

OpenAI has emphasised GPT-5’s safety features, with its research team training the system to avoid deception and prevent harmful outputs.

Alongside the flagship release, the company launched two open-weight models that can be freely downloaded and modified, a move seen as both a nod to its nonprofit origins and a challenge to competitors’ open-source offerings.

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Scientists use AI to teach drones to program themselves

A computer scientist has shown that robots can now write the brains of other robots, thanks to generative AI.

Professor Peter Burke from the University of California, Irvine, has demonstrated a drone capable of creating and hosting its own control system using AI-written code, significantly reducing the time usually needed to build such infrastructure.

The project used several AI models and coding tools to prompt the creation of a real-time, web-based command centre hosted on the drone itself. The final system, which runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, allows the drone to operate independently while remaining accessible over the internet.

Unlike traditional systems, where ground control is handled externally, the drone manages its own mission planning and navigation through a built-in AI-generated website.

Burke’s team used tools such as Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Windsurf to build the system across several sprints. Despite context limitations in each model, the final version was completed in just over 100 hours, around twenty times faster than a previous project of similar complexity.

The final codebase consisted of 10,000 lines and included everything from flight commands to map-based interaction and GPS tracking.

Although the technology shows promising potential in fields like aerial imagery and spatial AI, experts have raised safety concerns.

While a manual override system was included in the experiment, the ability for robots to self-generate control logic introduces new ethical and operational challenges, especially as such systems evolve to operate in unpredictable environments.

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Endex brings AI to Excel with OpenAI Startup Fund support

Endex.ai has secured $14 million in funding to bring AI directly into Microsoft Excel. The funding round was led by the OpenAI Startup Fund, marking a significant moment for traditional tools in the business world.

Founded in 2022 by Tarun Amasa and Kevin Yang, the startup has spent the past year collaborating quietly with financial institutions to refine its product.

Now available to the public through limited invites, the tool embeds itself within Excel and helps users manage tasks like financial modelling, data cleanup, and detailed analysis (without switching applications).

Unlike broader AI tools, Endex has been designed specifically for finance professionals. It understands financial terminology, adapts to user habits, and references trusted data sources such as SEC filings, CapIQ, and earnings reports.

The company describes its product as Excel-native, aiming to enhance rather than replace a tool already deeply integrated into finance work.

With the new funding, Endex plans to expand development and scale its reach. The AI agent already works on both Mac and Windows, and its frictionless interface is proving attractive in a field where saving time and improving accuracy can make a substantial difference.

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