Samsung Electronics faces a challenging annual general meeting as shareholders express frustration over its failure to capitalise on the AI boom.
Despite being South Korea’s most valuable company, Samsung’s stock tumbled nearly a third last year, making it one of the worst-performing tech firms.
Executives, including Co-CEO Han Jong-hee, will address concerns over lagging innovation, competition in semiconductor technology, and strategies to counter US tariffs.
Internal discussions at Samsung have revealed concerns about losing its technological edge, particularly in high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, where it trails rival SK Hynix.
Chairman Jay Y. Lee reportedly criticised the company for focusing on maintaining the status quo rather than driving major innovation.
A stagnation like this has contributed to Samsung losing market share to competitors like TSMC in chip manufacturing and Apple in smartphones.
Adding to its challenges, Samsung has warned of sluggish AI chip sales due to US export restrictions to China, its biggest market. This puts the company at greater risk from potential US tariffs on Chinese trade.
In an attempt to regain investor confidence, Samsung launched a $7.2 billion share buyback plan in November, which has helped its stock recover slightly. However, shareholders remain sceptical about its future growth strategy.
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Several US Commerce Department bureaus have recently prohibited using the Chinese AI model DeepSeek on government-issued devices, according to internal communications and sources familiar with the matter.
A mass email circulated among staff emphasised the importance of safeguarding departmental information systems, instructing employees to refrain from downloading, viewing, or accessing any applications, desktop apps, or websites associated with DeepSeek.
The case reflects escalating apprehensions among US officials and legislators regarding data privacy and the potential exposure of sensitive government information through DeepSeek’s usage.
In February, Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence members, introduced legislation to ban DeepSeek on government devices. They also contacted state governors, urging similar prohibitions at the state level. In a letter dated 3 March, the lawmakers cautioned that using DeepSeek could inadvertently share highly sensitive and proprietary information with the Chinese Communist Party, including contracts, documents, and financial records.
Several states, including Virginia, Texas, and New York, have already implemented bans on DeepSeek for government devices. A coalition of 21 state attorneys general has called on Congress to enact comprehensive legislation addressing this issue.
The concerns stem from DeepSeek’s rapid emergence as a low-cost AI model, which has disrupted global equity markets and posed a potential threat to the United States’ leadership in AI.
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is pausing its technology modernisation efforts to evaluate the impact of AI on tax collection and operations, a senior official announced.
The review will include recent initiatives such as the Direct File system, which allows US taxpayers to submit returns for free. AI-driven advancements in customer service and data processing have raised questions about the agency’s long-term strategy.
As the Trump administration prepares for widespread staff reductions in federal agencies, a source familiar with IRS plans indicated that up to a quarter of the agency’s workforce could be cut.
The IRS has not confirmed specific numbers but acknowledged that changes in technology could lead to a realignment of staff. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has expressed confidence that AI will improve tax collection efficiency, though no official budget or workforce reduction targets have been set.
The pause reflects shifting priorities in IRS funding, which was originally bolstered by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Republican lawmakers have pushed to reduce the agency’s modernisation budget, arguing that enhanced funding could lead to unnecessary audits.
Despite the pause, the IRS has assured taxpayers that the 2025 filing season will not be affected, with tax returns and refunds continuing as usual.
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Google is intensifying its investment in the UK’s AI sector, with plans to expand its data residency offerings and launch new tools for businesses.
At an event in London, Google’s DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian unveiled plans to add Agentspace, Google’s platform for AI agents, to the UK’s data residency region.
However, this move will allow enterprises to host their AI agents locally, ensuring full control over their data.
In addition to the data residency expansion, Google announced new incentives for AI startups in the UK, offering up to £280,000 in Google Cloud credits for those participating in its accelerator programme.
These efforts come as part of a broader strategy to encourage businesses to adopt Google’s AI services over those of competitors. The company is also focusing on expanding AI skills training to help businesses better leverage these advanced technologies.
Google’s efforts align with the UK government’s push to strengthen its position in the global AI landscape. The government has been actively working to promote AI development, with a particular focus on building services that reduce reliance on big tech companies.
By bringing its latest AI offerings to the UK, Google is positioning itself as a key player in the country’s AI future.
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Teachers in Stoke-on-Trent gathered for a full-day event to discuss the role of AI in education. Organised by the Good Future Foundation, the session saw more than 40 educators, including Stoke-on-Trent South MP Allison Gardner, explore how AI can enhance teaching and learning. Gardner emphasised the government’s belief that AI represents a ‘generational opportunity’ for education in the UK.
The event highlighted both the promise and the challenges of integrating AI into UK schools. Attendees shared ideas on using AI to improve communication, particularly with families who speak English as an additional language, and to streamline access to school resources through automated chatbots. While the potential benefits are clear, many teachers expressed concerns about the risks associated with new technology.
Daniel Emmerson, executive director of the Good Future Foundation, stressed the importance of supporting educators in understanding and implementing AI. He explained that AI can help prepare students for a future dominated by this technology. Meanwhile, schools like Belgrave St Bartholomew’s Academy are already leading the way in using AI to improve lessons and prepare students for the opportunities AI will bring.
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Thailand has approved investments worth 90.9 billion baht ($2.7 billion) in data centres and cloud services, further boosting its growing tech sector. The newly approved projects include data centres by China’s Beijing Haoyang Cloud&Data Technology, Singapore-based Empyrion Digital, and Thailand’s GSA Data Center 02, according to the country’s investment board.
Among these, Beijing Haoyang plans to build a 300-megawatt data centre valued at 72.7 billion baht, while GSA Data Center 02 is investing 13.5 billion baht in a 35-megawatt facility.
The rapid rise of AI has fuelled demand for data infrastructure across Southeast Asia, making Thailand an attractive hub for investment. In January, TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, announced plans to establish a data hosting service in Thailand worth 126.8 billion baht.
It follows significant investments from tech giants such as Google, which pledged $1 billion last year, and Amazon Web Services, which committed $5 billion over 15 years.
Microsoft has also revealed plans to open its first regional data centre in Thailand, reinforcing the country’s status as a growing digital hub in the region. With an increasing number of global technology firms choosing Thailand for data operations, the country is set to play a key role in Southeast Asia’s evolving digital economy.
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Google has announced the addition of its HD voice model, Chirp 3, to its Vertex AI platform, marking a significant step in its push into voice AI. Starting next week, developers will be able to use the platform to build applications such as voice assistants, audiobooks, and video voice-overs with eight new voices available in 31 languages.
The launch comes at a time when other companies, including startups like Sesame, are also advancing in the field of realistic-sounding AI voices. Despite this growing competition, Google remains cautious about potential misuse, with CEO Thomas Kurian noting that the company is working closely with its safety team to establish proper usage guidelines for Chirp 3.
Google’s move with Chirp 3 positions it alongside other tools from its Vertex AI platform, which includes machine learning and generative AI services like its Gemini and Imagen models. With AI voice applications rapidly gaining traction, it will be interesting to see how Google expands its offerings to stay competitive in this evolving space.
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Baidu has unveiled two new AI models, including ERNIE X1, which it claims matches the performance of DeepSeek R1 at half the cost. The company says X1 is a deep-thinking model capable of autonomous tool use, with enhanced reasoning, planning, and adaptability.
Meanwhile, Baidu’s latest foundation model, ERNIE 4.5, boasts improved multimodal capabilities, advanced language understanding, and a better grasp of satire and internet culture.
The Chinese tech giant has been striving to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, where startups like DeepSeek have disrupted the industry with high-performing, cost-effective models. While Baidu was one of the first Chinese companies to launch a ChatGPT-style chatbot, its Ernie LLM has faced challenges in achieving widespread adoption.
With growing competition from domestic and international AI firms, Baidu aims to solidify its position through continuous innovation. The company’s latest advancements highlight the push for more sophisticated AI systems capable of processing diverse forms of data, including text, images, and audio, as China intensifies its efforts to lead in AI.
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Chinese AI company DeepSeek is prioritising research over revenue, resisting the rush to capitalise on recent sales growth.
Unlike its Silicon Valley counterparts, the firm has chosen to refine its technology rather than focus on immediate profits.
According to sources familiar with its operations, DeepSeek achieved financial stability last month for the first time, with revenues covering ongoing costs.
Despite the financial milestone, its billionaire founder remains committed to long-term innovation rather than aggressive commercial expansion.
The decision reflects a broader trend in China‘s AI sector, where some firms are investing heavily in research to compete globally.
As AI adoption accelerates, DeepSeek’s strategy signals confidence in future breakthroughs over short-term financial gains.
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Brave Software has filed a lawsuit against News Corp in a bid to preempt legal action over the indexing of copyrighted articles from publications such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
The legal dispute stems from a cease-and-desist letter issued by News Corp, which accused Brave of ‘scraping’ its websites and misappropriating content. Brave argues that indexing is standard practice for search engines and falls under ‘fair use.’
The lawsuit also raises concerns about the impact of such legal challenges on generative AI. Brave claims that search indexing is essential for AI models like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, which rely on search engine responses.
The company, which holds less than 1% of the search market compared to Google’s 90%, accuses News Corp of attempting to stifle competition and raise barriers for smaller search providers.
News Corp has rejected Brave’s arguments, with CEO Robert Thomson calling the company’s practices ‘parasitical’ and accusing it of unauthorised content scraping.
The dispute is part of a broader conflict between publishers and tech firms over the use of copyrighted material in AI training. News Corp previously sued AI startup Perplexity AI for allegedly copying its content without permission.
Brave is seeking a court declaration that its indexing practices do not constitute copyright infringement.
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