US

Microsoft links datacentres into an AI superfactory

Microsoft has opened Fairwater, a new class of AI datacentres networked across the US. Atlanta began operating in October and links with the Wisconsin build to act as a single superfactory. The design targets faster training for models used by Microsoft, OpenAI and Copilot.

Fairwater sites pack hundreds of thousands of advanced GPUs with liquid cooling. Company materials highlight near-zero operational water use at Atlanta’s system and efficiency improvements in Wisconsin. Coverage confirms multi-site networking intended to accelerate model development.

Residents and experts voice concern over noise, power demand and water risks near proposed AI hubs. Georgia communities have pursued restrictions, citing environmental strain and rising utility bills, while Wisconsin groups demand transparency.

Microsoft expanded its Wisconsin investment and cancelled a separate Caledonia plan after severe local pushback. The Mount Pleasant project continues, with commitments on infrastructure costs and efficient cooling noted in filings and reports.

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Αnthropic pledges $50 billion to expand the US AI infrastructure

The US AI safety and research company, Anthropic, has announced a $50 billion investment to expand AI computing infrastructure inside the country, partnering with Fluidstack to build data centres in Texas and New York, with additional sites planned.

These facilities are designed to optimise efficiency for Anthropic’s workloads, supporting frontier research and development in AI.

The project is expected to generate approximately 800 permanent jobs and 2,400 construction positions as sites come online throughout 2026.

An investment that aligns with the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, aiming to maintain the US leadership in AI while strengthening domestic technology infrastructure and competitiveness.

Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, highlighted the importance of such an infrastructure in developing AI systems capable of accelerating scientific discovery and solving complex problems.

The company serves over 300,000 business customers, with a sevenfold growth in large accounts over the past year, demonstrating strong market demand for its Claude AI platform.

Fluidstack was selected as Anthropic’s partner for its agility in rapidly deploying high-capacity infrastructure. The collaboration aims to provide cost-effective and capital-efficient solutions to meet the growing demand, ensuring that research and development can continue to be at the forefront of AI innovation.

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OpenAI faces major copyright setback in US court

A US federal judge has ruled that a landmark copyright case against OpenAI can proceed, rejecting the company’s attempt to dismiss claims brought by authors and the Authors Guild.

The authors argue that ChatGPT’s summaries of copyrighted works, including George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, unlawfully replicate the original tone, plot, and characters, raising concerns about AI-generated content infringing on creative rights.

The Publishers Association (PA) welcomed the ruling, warning that generative AI could ‘devastate the market’ for books and other creative works by producing infringing content at scale.

It urged the UK government to strengthen transparency rules to protect authors and publishers, stressing that AI systems capable of reproducing an author’s style could undermine the value of original creation.

The case follows a £1.5bn settlement against Anthropic earlier this year for using pirated books to train its models and comes amid growing scrutiny of AI firms.

In Britain, Stability AI recently avoided a copyright ruling after a claim by Getty Images was dismissed on grounds of jurisdiction. Still, the PA stated that the outcome highlighted urgent gaps in UK copyright law regarding AI training and output.

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Winning the AI race means winning developers in China, says Huang of Nvidia

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said China is ‘nanoseconds’ behind the US in AI and urged Washington to lead by accelerating innovation and courting developers globally. He argued that excluding China would weaken the reach of US technology and risk splintering the ecosystem into incompatible stacks.

Huang’s remarks came amid ongoing export controls that bar Nvidia’s most advanced processors from the Chinese market. He acknowledged national security concerns but cautioned that strict limits can slow the spread of American tools that underpin AI research, deployment, and scaling.

Hardware remains central, Huang said, citing advanced accelerators and data-centre capacity as the substrate for training frontier models. Yet diffusion matters: widespread adoption of US platforms by global developers amplifies influence, reduces fragmentation, and accelerates innovation.

With sales of top-end chips restricted, Huang warned that Chinese firms will continue to innovate on domestic alternatives, increasing the likelihood of parallel systems. He called for policies that enable US leadership while preserving channels to the developer community in China.

Huang framed the objective as keeping America ahead, maintaining the world’s reliance on an American tech stack, and avoiding strategies that would push away half the world’s AI talent.

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Meta invests $600 billion to expand AI data centres across the US

A $600 billion investment aimed at boosting innovation, job creation, and sustainability is being launched in the US by Meta to expand its AI infrastructure.

Instead of outsourcing development, the company is building its new generation of AI data centres domestically, reinforcing America’s leadership in technology and supporting local economies.

Since 2010, Meta’s data centre projects have supported more than 30,000 skilled trade jobs and 5,000 operational roles, generating $20 billion in business for US subcontractors. These facilities are designed to power Meta’s AI ambitions while driving regional economic growth.

The company emphasises responsible development by investing heavily in renewable energy and water efficiency. Its projects have added 15 gigawatts of new energy to US power grids, upgraded local infrastructure, and helped restore water systems in surrounding communities.

Meta aims to become fully water positive by 2030.

Beyond infrastructure, Meta has channelled $58 million into community grants for schools, nonprofits, and local initiatives, including STEM education and veteran training programmes.

As AI grows increasingly central to digital progress, Meta’s continued investment in sustainable, community-focused data centres underscores its vision for a connected, intelligent future built within the US.

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ByteDance cuts use of Claude after Anthropic blocks China access

An escalating tech clash has emerged between ByteDance and Anthropic over AI access and service restrictions. ByteDance has halted use of Anthropic’s Claude model on its infrastructure after the US firm imposed access limitations for Chinese users.

The suspension follows Anthropic’s move to restrict China-linked deployments and aligns with broader geopolitical tensions in the AI sector. ByteDance reportedly said it would now rely on domestic alternatives, signalling a strategic pivot away from western-based AI models.

Industry watchers view the dispute as a marker of how major tech firms are navigating export controls, national security concerns and sovereignty in AI. Observers warn the rift may prompt accelerated investment in home-grown AI ecosystems by Chinese companies.

While neither company has detailed all operational impacts, the episode highlights AI’s fraught position at the intersection of technology and geopolitics. US market reaction may hinge on whether other firms follow suit or partnerships are redefined around regional access.

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AI tool on smartwatch detects hidden structural heart disease

An AI algorithm paired with smartwatch sensors has successfully detected structural heart diseases, including valve damage and weakened heart muscles, in adults. The study, conducted at Yale School of Medicine, will be presented at the American Heart Association’s 2025 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.

The AI model was trained on over 266,000 electrocardiogram recordings and validated across multiple hospitals and population studies. When tested on 600 participants using single-lead ECGs from a smartwatch, it achieved an 88% accuracy in detecting heart disease.

Researchers said smartwatches could offer a low-cost, accessible method for early screening of structural heart conditions that usually require echocardiograms. The algorithm’s ability to analyse single-lead ECG data could enable preventive detection before symptoms appear.

Experts emphasised that smartwatch data cannot replace medical imaging, but it could complement clinical assessments and expand access to screening. Larger studies in the US are planned to confirm effectiveness and explore community-based use in preventive heart care.

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NYPD sued over Microsoft-linked surveillance system

The New York Police Department is facing a lawsuit from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), which accuses it of running an invasive citywide surveillance network built with Microsoft technology.

The system, known as the Domain Awareness System (DAS), has operated since 2012 and connects more than a dozen surveillance tools, including video cameras, biometric scanners, license plate readers, and financial analytics, into one centralised network. According to court filings, the system collects location data, social media activity, vehicle information, and even banking details to create ‘digital profiles’ of millions of residents.

S.T.O.P. argues that the network captures and stores data on all New Yorkers, including those never suspected of a crime, amounting to a ‘web of surveillance’ that violates constitutional rights. The group says newly obtained records show that DAS integrates citywide cameras, 911 and 311 call logs, police databases, and feeds from drones and helicopters into a single monitoring platform.

Calling DAS ‘an unprecedented violation of American life’, the organisation has asked the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to declare the city’s surveillance practices unconstitutional.

This is not the first time Microsoft’s technology has drawn scrutiny this year over data tracking and storing, its recently announced ‘Recall’ feature also raised alarm over potential privacy issues.

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Experts caution that AI growth could double data centre energy use

AI’s rapid growth is fuelling a surge in electricity consumption across the United States, with data centres emerging as major contributors. Analysts warn that expanding AI infrastructure is pushing up national energy demand and could drive higher electricity bills for homes and businesses.

The US hosts more than 4,000 data centres, concentrated mainly in Virginia, Texas and California. Many now operate high-performance AI systems that consume up to 30 times more electricity than traditional facilities, according to energy experts.

The International Energy Agency reported that US data centres used a record 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, about 4% of national demand. That figure could more than double by 2030, reaching 426 terawatt-hours, as companies race to expand cloud and AI capacity.

With 60% of energy use tied to servers and processing hardware, the shift toward AI-driven computing poses growing challenges for green energy infrastructure. Researchers say that without major efficiency gains, the nation’s power grid will struggle to keep pace with AI’s accelerating appetite for electricity.

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US Internet Bill of Rights unveiled as response to global safety laws

A proposed US Internet Bill of Rights aims to protect digital freedoms as governments expand online censorship laws. The framework, developed by privacy advocates, calls for stronger guarantees of free expression, privacy, and access to information in the digital era.

Supporters argue that recent legislation such as the UK’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Services Act, and US proposals like KOSA and the STOP HATE Act have eroded civil liberties. They claim these measures empower governments and private firms to control online speech under the guise of safety.

The proposed US bill sets out rights including privacy in digital communications, platform transparency, protection against government surveillance, and fair access to the internet. It also calls for judicial oversight of censorship requests, open algorithms, and the protection of anonymous speech.

Advocates say the framework would enshrine digital freedoms through federal law or constitutional amendment, ensuring equal access and privacy worldwide. They argue that safeguarding free and open internet access is vital to preserve democracy and innovation.

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