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Salesforce invests $15 billion in San Francisco’s AI future

The US cloud-based software company, Salesforce, has announced a $15 billion investment in San Francisco over the next five years, strengthening the city’s position as the world’s AI capital.

The funding will support a new AI Incubator Hub on the company’s campus, workforce training programmes, and initiatives to help businesses transform into ‘Agentic Enterprises’.

A move that coincides with the company’s annual Dreamforce conference, expected to generate $130 million in local revenue and create 35,000 jobs.

Chief Executive Marc Benioff said the investment demonstrates Salesforce’s deep commitment to San Francisco, aiming to boost AI innovation and job creation.

Dreamforce, now in its 23rd year, is the world’s largest AI event, attracting nearly 50,000 participants and millions more online. Benioff described the company’s goal as leading a new technological era where humans and AI collaborate to drive progress and productivity.

Founded in 1999 as an online CRM service, Salesforce has evolved into a global leader in enterprise AI and cloud computing. It is now San Francisco’s largest private employer and continues to expand through acquisitions of local AI firms such as Bluebirds, Waii, and Regrello.

The company’s new AI Incubator Hub will support early-stage startups, while its Trailhead learning platform has already trained more than five million people for the AI-driven workplace.

Salesforce remains one of the city’s most active corporate philanthropists. Its 1-1-1 model has inspired thousands of companies worldwide to dedicate a share of equity, product, and employee time to social causes.

With an additional $39 million pledged to education and healthcare, Salesforce and the Benioffs have now donated over $1 billion to the Bay Area.

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OpenAI and Broadcom unite to deploy 10 gigawatts of AI accelerators

The US firm, OpenAI, has announced a multi-year collaboration with Broadcom to design and deploy 10 gigawatts of custom AI accelerators.

The partnership will combine OpenAI’s chip design expertise with Broadcom’s networking and Ethernet technologies to create large-scale AI infrastructure. The deployment is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and be completed by the end of 2029.

A collaboration that enables OpenAI to integrate insights gained from its frontier models directly into the hardware, enhancing efficiency and performance.

Broadcom will develop racks of AI accelerators and networking systems across OpenAI’s data centres and those of its partners. The initiative is expected to meet growing global demand for advanced AI computation.

Executives from both companies described the partnership as a significant step toward the next generation of AI infrastructure. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said it would help deliver the computing capacity needed to realise the benefits of AI for people and businesses worldwide.

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan called the collaboration a milestone in the industry’s pursuit of more capable and scalable AI systems.

The agreement strengthens Broadcom’s position in AI networking and underlines OpenAI’s move toward greater control of its technological ecosystem. By developing its own accelerators, OpenAI aims to boost innovation while advancing its mission to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits humanity.

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Nvidia DGX Spark launches as the world’s smallest AI supercomputer

Nvidia has launched the DGX Spark, described as the world’s smallest AI supercomputer.

Designed for developers and smaller enterprises, the Spark offers data centre-level performance without the need for costly AI server infrastructure or cloud rentals. It features Nvidia’s GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip, ConnectX-7 networking, and the company’s complete AI software stack.

The system, co-developed with ASUS and Dell, can support up to 128GB of memory, enabling users to train and run substantial AI models locally.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang compared Spark’s mission to the 2016 DGX-1, which he delivered to Elon Musk’s OpenAI, marking the start of the AI revolution. The new Spark, he said, aims to place supercomputing power directly in the hands of every developer.

Running on Nvidia’s Linux-based DGX OS, the Spark is built for AI model creation rather than general computing or gaming. Two units can be connected to handle models with up to 405 billion parameters.

The device complements Nvidia’s DGX Station, powered by the more advanced GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra chip.

Nvidia continues to dominate the AI chip industry through its powerful hardware and CUDA platform, securing multi-billion-dollar deals with companies such as OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon. The DGX Spark reinforces its position by expanding access to AI computing at the desktop level.

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Smartphone AI estimates avocado ripeness with high accuracy

Researchers at Oregon State University and Florida State University have unveiled a smartphone-based AI system that accurately predicts the ripeness and internal quality of avocados.

They trained models using more than 1,400 iPhone images of Hass avocados, achieving around 92% accuracy for firmness (a proxy for ripeness) and over 84% accuracy in distinguishing fresh from rotten fruit.

Avocado waste is a major issue because they spoil quickly, and many are discarded before reaching consumers. The AI tool is intended to guide both shoppers and businesses on when fruit is best consumed or sold.

Beyond consumer use, the system could be deployed in processing and retail facilities to sort avocados more precisely. For example, more ripe batches might be sent to nearby stores instead of longer transit routes.

The researchers used deep learning (rather than older, manual feature extraction) to capture shape, texture and spatial cues better. As the model dataset grows, its performance is expected to improve further.

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Cities take on tech giants in a new diplomatic arena

In a world once defined by borders and treaties, a new kind of diplomacy is emerging, one where cities, not nations, take the lead. Instead of traditional embassies, this new diplomacy unfolds in startup hubs and conference halls, where ‘tech ambassadors’ represent cities in negotiations with powerful technology companies.

These modern envoys focus not on trade tariffs but on data sharing, digital infrastructure, and the balance between innovation and public interest. The growing influence of global tech firms has shifted the map of power.

Apple’s 2024 revenue alone exceeded the GDP of several mid-sized nations, and algorithms designed in Silicon Valley now shape urban life worldwide. Recognising this shift, cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, and London have appointed tech ambassadors to engage directly with the digital giants.

Their role combines diplomacy, investment strategy, and public policy, ensuring that cities have a voice in how technologies, from ride-sharing platforms to AI systems, affect their citizens. But the rise of this new urban diplomacy comes with risks.

Tech firms wield enormous influence, spending tens of millions on lobbying while many municipalities struggle with limited resources. Cities eager for investment may compromise on key issues like data governance or workers’ rights.

There’s also a danger of ‘technological solutionism’, the belief that every problem can be solved by an app, overshadowing more democratic or social solutions.

Ultimately, the mission of the tech ambassador is to safeguard the public interest in a digital age where power often lies in code rather than constitutions. As cities negotiate with the world’s most powerful corporations, they must balance innovation with accountability, ensuring that the digital future serves citizens, not just shareholders.

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Japan pushes domestic AI to boost national security

Japan will prioritise home-grown AI technology in its new national strategy, aiming to strengthen national security and reduce dependence on foreign systems. The government says developing domestic expertise is essential to prevent overreliance on US and Chinese AI models.

Officials revealed that the plan will include better pay and conditions to attract AI professionals and foster collaboration among universities, research institutes and businesses. Japan will also accelerate work on a next-generation supercomputer to succeed the current Fugaku model.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said Japan must catch up with global leaders such as the US and reverse its slow progress in AI development. Not a lot of people in Japan reported using generative AI last year, compared with nearly 70 percent in the United States and over 80 percent in China.

The government’s strategy will also address the risks linked to AI, including misinformation, disinformation and cyberattacks. Officials say the goal is to make Japan the world’s most supportive environment for AI innovation while safeguarding security and privacy.

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AI chatbots linked to US teen suicides spark legal action

Families in the US are suing AI developers after tragic cases in which teenagers allegedly took their own lives following exchanges with chatbots. The lawsuits accuse platforms such as Character.AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT of fostering dangerous emotional dependencies with young users.

One case involves 14-year-old Sewell Setzer, whose mother says he fell in love with a chatbot modelled on a Game of Thrones character. Their conversations reportedly turned manipulative before his death, prompting legal action against Character.AI.

Another family claims ChatGPT gave their son advice on suicide methods, leading to a similar tragedy. The companies have expressed sympathy and strengthened safety measures, introducing age-based restrictions, parental controls, and clearer disclaimers stating that chatbots are not real people.

Experts warn that chatbots are repeating social media’s early mistakes, exploiting emotional vulnerability to maximise engagement. Lawmakers in California are preparing new rules to restrict AI tools that simulate human relationships with minors, aiming to prevent manipulation and psychological harm.

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Apple sued for allegedly using pirated books to train its AI model

Apple is facing a lawsuit from neuroscientists Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik, who allege that Apple used pirated books from ‘shadow libraries’ to train its new AI system, Apple Intelligence.

Filed on 9 October in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the suit claims Apple accessed thousands of copyrighted works without permission, including the plaintiffs’ own books.

The researchers argue Apple’s market value surged by over $200 billion following the AI’s launch, benefiting from the alleged copyright violations.

This case adds to a growing list of legal actions targeting tech firms accused of using unlicensed content to train AI. Apple previously faced similar lawsuits from authors in September.

While Meta and Anthropic have also faced scrutiny, courts have so far ruled in their favour under the ‘fair use’ doctrine. The case highlights ongoing tensions between copyright law and the data demands of AI development.

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Imperial College unveils plans for new AI campus in west London

Imperial College London has launched a public consultation on plans for a new twelve-storey academic building in White City dedicated to AI and data science.

A proposed development that will bring together computer scientists, mathematicians, and business specialists to advance AI research and innovation.

A building that will include laboratories, research facilities, and public areas such as cafés and exhibition spaces. It forms part of Imperial’s wider White City masterplan, which also includes housing, a hotel, and additional research infrastructure.

The university aims to create what it describes as a hub for collaboration between academia and industry.

Outline planning permission for the site was granted by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in 2019. The consultation is open until 26 October, after which a formal planning application is expected later this year. If approved, construction could begin in mid-2026, with completion scheduled for 2029.

Imperial College, established in 1907 and known for its focus on science, engineering, medicine, and business, sees the new campus as a step towards strengthening the position of the UK in AI research and technology development.

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Italy bans deepfake app that undresses people

Italy’s data protection authority has ordered an immediate suspension of the app Clothoff, which uses AI to generate fake nude images of real people. The company behind it, based in the British Virgin Islands, is now barred from processing personal data of Italian users.

The watchdog found that Clothoff enables anyone, including minors, to upload photos and create sexually explicit or pornographic deepfakes. The app fails to verify consent from those depicted and offers no warning that the images are artificially generated.

The regulator described the measure as urgent, citing serious risks to human dignity, privacy, and data protection, particularly for children and teenagers. It has also launched a wider investigation into similar so-called ‘nudifying’ apps that exploit AI technology.

Italian media have reported a surge in cases where manipulated images are used for harassment and online abuse, prompting growing social alarm. Authorities say they intend to take further steps to protect individuals from deepfake exploitation and strengthen safeguards around AI image tools.

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