Telecommunications infrastructure

Key AI researchers depart Apple for rivals Meta and OpenAI

Apple is confronting a significant exodus of AI talent, with key researchers departing for rival firms instead of advancing projects in-house.

The company lost its lead robotics researcher, Jian Zhang, to Meta’s Robotics Studio, alongside several core Foundation Models team members responsible for the Apple Intelligence platform. The brain drain has triggered internal concerns about Apple’s strategic direction and declining staff morale.

Instead of relying entirely on its own systems, Apple is reportedly considering a shift towards using external AI models. The departures include experts like Ruoming Pang, who accepted a multi-year package from Meta reportedly worth $200 million.

Other AI researchers are set to join leading firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, highlighting a fierce industry-wide battle for specialised expertise.

At the centre of the talent war is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, offering lucrative packages worth up to $100 million to secure leading researchers for Meta’s ambitious AI and robotics initiatives.

The aggressive recruitment strategy is strengthening Meta’s capabilities while simultaneously weakening the internal development efforts of competitors like Apple.

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ChatGPT hit by widespread outage: ‘Our work partner is down’

A significant outage has struck ChatGPT, leaving many users unable to receive responses from the popular AI chatbot. Instead of generating answers, the service failed to react to prompts, causing widespread frustration, particularly during the busy morning work period.

Owner OpenAI has officially launched an investigation into the mysterious malfunction of ChatGPT after its status page confirmed a problem was detected.

Over a thousand complaints were registered on the outage tracking site Down Detector. Social media was flooded with reports from affected users, with one calling it an unprecedented event and another joking that their ‘work partner is down’.

Instead of a full global blackout, initial tests suggested the issue might be limited to some users, as functionality remained for others.

If you find ChatGPT is unresponsive, you can attempt several fixes instead of simply waiting. First, verify the outage is on your end by checking OpenAI’s official status page or Down Detector instead of assuming your connection is at fault.

If the service is operational, try switching to a different browser or an incognito window to rule out local cache issues. Alternatively, use the official ChatGPT mobile app to access it.

For a more thorough solution, clear your browser’s cache and cookies, or as a last resort, consider using an alternative AI service like Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini to continue your work without interruption.

OpenAI is working to resolve the problem. The company advises users to check its official service status page for updates, rather than relying solely on social media reports.

The incident highlights the growing dependence on AI tools for daily tasks and the disruption caused when such a centralised service experiences technical difficulties.

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Google avoids forced breakup in search monopoly trial

A United States federal judge has ruled against a forced breakup of Google’s search business, instead opting for a series of behavioural changes to curb anticompetitive behaviour.

The ruling, from US District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta, bars Google from entering or maintaining exclusive deals that tie the distribution of its search products, such as Search, Chrome, and Gemini, to other apps or revenue agreements.

The tech giant will also have to share specific search data with rivals and offer search and search ad syndication services to competitors at standard rates.

The ruling comes a year after Judge Mehta found that Google had illegally maintained its monopoly in online search. The Department of Justice brought the case and pushed for stronger measures, including forcing Google to sell off its Chrome browser and Android operating system.

It also sought to end Google’s lucrative agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung, in which it pays billions to be the default search engine on their devices. The judge acknowledged during the trial that these default placements were ‘extremely valuable real estate’ that effectively locked out rivals.

A final judgement has not yet been issued, as Judge Mehta has given Google and the Department of Justice until 10 September to submit a revised plan. A technical committee will be established to help enforce the judgement, which will go into effect 60 days after entry and last for six years.

Experts say the ruling may influence a separate antitrust trial against Google’s advertising technology business, and that the search case itself is likely to face a lengthy appeals process, stretching into 2028.

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Microsoft to supply AI tools to federal agencies in a cost-saving pact

The US General Services Administration (GSA) has agreed on a significant deal with Microsoft to provide federal agencies with discounted access to its AI and cloud tools suite.

Instead of managing separate contracts, the government-wide pact offers unified pricing on products including Microsoft 365, the Copilot AI assistant, and Azure cloud services, potentially saving agencies up to $3.1 billion in its first year.

The arrangement is designed to accelerate AI adoption and digital transformation across the federal government. It includes free access to the generative AI chatbot Microsoft 365 Copilot for up to 12 months, alongside discounts on cybersecurity tools and Dynamics 365.

Agencies can opt into any of the offers through September next year.

The deal leverages the federal government’s collective purchasing power to reduce costs and foster innovation.

It delivers on a White House AI action plan and follows similar arrangements the GSA announced last month with other tech giants, including Google, Amazon Web Services, and OpenAI.

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Hackers exploited flaws in WhatsApp and Apple devices, company says

WhatsApp has disclosed a hacking attempt that combined flaws in its app with a vulnerability in Apple’s operating system. The company has since fixed the issues.

The exploit, tracked as CVE-2025-55177 in WhatsApp and CVE-2025-43300 in iOS, allowed attackers to hijack devices via malicious links. Fewer than 200 users worldwide are believed to have been affected.

Amnesty International reported that some victims appeared to be members of civic organisations. Its Security Lab is collecting forensic data and warned that iPhone and Android users were impacted.

WhatsApp credited its security team for identifying the loopholes, describing the operation as highly advanced but narrowly targeted. The company also suggested that other apps could have been hit in the same campaign.

The disclosure highlights ongoing risks to secure messaging platforms, even those with end-to-end encryption. Experts stress that keeping apps and operating systems up to date remains essential to reducing exposure to sophisticated exploits.

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Quantum and supercomputing converge in IBM-AMD initiative

IBM has announced plans to develop next-generation computing architectures by integrating quantum computers with high-performance computing, a concept it calls quantum-centric supercomputing.

The company is working with AMD to build scalable, open-source platforms that combine IBM’s quantum expertise with AMD’s strength in HPC and AI accelerators. The aim is to move beyond the limits of traditional computing and explore solutions to problems that classical systems cannot address alone.

Quantum computing uses qubits governed by quantum mechanics, offering a far richer computational space than binary bits. In a hybrid model, quantum machines could simulate atoms and molecules, while supercomputers powered by CPUs, GPUs, and AI manage large-scale data analysis.

Arvind Krishna, IBM’s CEO, said the approach represents a new way of simulating the natural world. AMD’s Lisa Su described high-performance computing as foundational to tackling global challenges, noting the partnership could accelerate discovery and innovation.

An initial demonstration is planned for later this year, showing IBM quantum computers working with AMD technologies. Both companies say open-source ecosystems like Qiskit will be crucial to building new algorithms and advancing fault-tolerant quantum systems.

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Alleged Apple ID exposure affects 184 million accounts

A report has highlighted a potential exposure of Apple ID logins after a 47.42 GB database was discovered on an unsecured web server, reportedly affecting up to 184 million accounts.

The database was identified by security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who indicated it may include unencrypted credentials across Apple services and other platforms.

Security experts recommend users review account security, including updating passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.

The alleged database contains usernames, email addresses, and passwords, which could allow access to iCloud, App Store accounts, and data synced across devices.

Observers note that centralised credential management carries inherent risks, underscoring the importance of careful data handling practices.

Reports suggest that Apple’s email software flaws could theoretically increase risk if combined with exposed credentials.

Apple has acknowledged researchers’ contributions in identifying server issues and has issued security updates, while ongoing vigilance and standard security measures are recommended for users.

The case illustrates the challenges of safeguarding large-scale digital accounts and may prompt continued discussion about regulatory standards and personal data protection.

Users are advised to maintain strong credentials and monitor account activity.

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AI boom drives massive surge in data centre power demand

According to Goldman Sachs, the surge in AI is set to transform global energy markets, with data centres expected to consume 165% more electricity by 2030 compared to 2023. The bank reports that US spending on data centre construction has tripled in just three years, while occupancy rates at existing facilities remain close to record highs.

The demand is driven by hyperscale operators like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, which are rapidly expanding their infrastructure to meet the power-hungry needs of AI systems.

Global data centres use about 55 gigawatts of electricity, more than half of which supports cloud computing. Traditional workloads like email and storage still account for a third, while AI represents just 14%.

However, Goldman Sachs projects that by 2027, overall consumption could rise to 84 gigawatts, with AI’s share growing to over a quarter. That shift is straining grids and pushing operators toward new solutions as AI servers can consume ten times more electricity than traditional racks.

Meeting this demand will require massive investment. Goldman Sachs estimates that global grid upgrades could cost as much as US$720 billion by 2030, with US utilities alone needing an additional US$50 billion in new generation capacity for data centres.

While renewables like wind and solar are increasingly cost-competitive, their intermittent output means operators lean on hybrid models with backup gas and battery storage. At the same time, technology companies are reviving interest in nuclear power, with contracts for over 10 gigawatts of new capacity signed in the US last year.

The expansion is most evident in Europe and North America, with Nordic countries, Spain, and France attracting investment due to their renewable energy resources. At the same time, hubs like Germany, Britain, and Ireland rely on incentives and established ecosystems. Yet, uncertainty remains.

Advances like DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model reportedly as capable as US systems but more efficient, could temper power demand growth. For now, however, the trajectory is clear, AI is reshaping the data centre industry and the global energy landscape.

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Azure Active Directory flaw exposes sensitive credentials

A critical security flaw in Azure Active Directory has exposed application credentials stored in appsettings.json files, allowing attackers unprecedented access to Microsoft 365 tenants.

By exploiting these credentials, threat actors can masquerade as trusted applications and gain unauthorised entry to sensitive organisational data.

The vulnerability leverages the OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials Flow, enabling attackers to generate valid access tokens.

Once authenticated, they can access Microsoft Graph APIs to enumerate users, groups, and directory roles, especially when applications have been granted excessive permissions such as Directory.Read.All or Mail.Read. Such access permits data harvesting across SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange Online.

Attackers can also deploy malicious applications under compromised tenants, escalating privileges from limited read access to complete administrative control.

Additional exposed secrets like storage account keys or database connection strings enable lateral movement, modification of critical data, and the creation of persistent backdoors within cloud infrastructure.

Organisations face profound compliance implications under GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX. The vulnerability emphasises the importance of auditing configuration files, storing credentials securely in solutions like Azure Key Vault, and monitoring authentication patterns to prevent long-term, sophisticated attacks.

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Salt Typhoon hack reveals fragility of global communications networks

The FBI has warned that Chinese hackers are exploiting structural weaknesses in global telecom infrastructure, following the Salt Typhoon incident that penetrated US networks on an unprecedented scale. Officials say the Beijing-linked group has compromised data from millions of Americans since 2019.

Unlike previous cyber campaigns focused narrowly on government targets, Salt Typhoon’s intrusions exposed how ordinary mobile users can be swept up in espionage. Call records, internet traffic, and even geolocation data were siphoned from carriers, with the operation spreading to more than 80 countries.

Investigators linked the campaign to three Chinese tech firms supplying products to intelligence agencies and China’s People’s Liberation Army. Experts warn that the attacks demonstrate the fragility of cross-border telecom systems, where a single compromised provider can expose entire networks.

US and allied agencies have urged providers to harden defences with encryption and stricter monitoring. Analysts caution that global telecoms will continue to be fertile ground for state-backed groups without structural reforms.

The revelations have intensified geopolitical tensions, with the FBI describing Salt Typhoon as one of the most reckless and far-reaching espionage operations ever detected.

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