Meta Platforms has announced a temporary pause on teenagers’ access to AI characters across its platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta disclosed the decision to review and rebuild the feature for younger users.
In San Francisco, Meta said the restriction will apply to users identified as minors based on declared ages or internal age-prediction systems. Teenagers will still be able to use Meta’s core AI assistant, though interactive AI characters will be unavailable.
The move comes ahead of a major child safety trial in Los Angeles involving Meta, TikTok and YouTube. The Los Angeles case focuses on allegations that social media platforms cause harm to children through addictive and unsafe digital features.
Concerns about AI chatbots and minors have grown across the US, prompting similar action by other companies. In Los Angeles and San Francisco, regulators and courts are increasingly scrutinising how AI interactions affect young users.
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US companies are increasingly adopting Chinese AI models as part of their core technology stacks, raising questions about global leadership in AI. In the US, Pinterest has confirmed it is using Chinese-developed models to improve recommendations and shopping features.
In the US, executives point to open-source Chinese models such as DeepSeek and tools from Alibaba as faster, cheaper and easier to customise. US firms say these models can outperform proprietary alternatives at a fraction of the cost.
Adoption extends beyond Pinterest in the US, with Airbnb also relying on Chinese AI to power customer service tools. Data from Hugging Face shows Chinese models frequently rank among the most downloaded worldwide, including across US developers.
Researchers at Stanford University have found Chinese AI capabilities now match or exceed global peers. In the US, firms such as OpenAI and Meta remain focused on proprietary systems, leaving China to dominate open-source AI development.
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Microsoft confirmed a service disruption affecting Outlook and Microsoft 365 users in the US, with problems first reported on Wednesday afternoon. The outage primarily affected business and enterprise customers nationwide.
In the US, users reported difficulties sending and receiving email, alongside problems accessing services such as Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. Microsoft said part of its North America infrastructure was failing to process traffic correctly.
Engineers in the US began rebalancing traffic and restoring affected systems to stabilise services. Microsoft said recovery was under way, though full resolution would take additional time.
The incident highlights the reliance of organisations in the US on cloud-based productivity tools. Businesses across the country experienced disruptions extending into the evening as work and communication systems remained unstable.
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More than 800 creatives in the US have signed an anti-AI campaign accusing big technology companies of exploiting human work. High-profile figures from film and television in the country have backed the initiative, which argues that training AI on creative content without consent amounts to theft.
The campaign was launched by the Human Artistry Campaign, a coalition representing creators, unions and industry groups in the country. Supporters say AI systems should not be allowed to use artistic work without permission and fair compensation.
Actors and filmmakers in the US warned that unchecked AI adoption threatens livelihoods across film, television and music. Campaign organisers said innovation should not come at the expense of creators’ rights or ownership of their work.
The statement adds to growing pressure on lawmakers and technology firms in the US. Creative workers are calling for clearer rules on how AI can be developed and deployed across the entertainment industry.
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TikTok has finalised a deal allowing the app to continue operating in America by separating its US business from its global operations. The agreement follows years of political pressure in the US over national security concerns.
Under the arrangement, a new entity will manage TikTok’s US operations, with user data and algorithms handled inside the US. The recommendation algorithm has been licensed and will now be trained only on US user data to meet American regulatory requirements.
Ownership of TikTok’s US business is shared among American and international investors, while China-based ByteDance retains a minority stake. Oracle will oversee data security and cloud infrastructure for users in the US.
Analysts say the changes could alter how the app functions for the roughly 200 million users in the US. Questions remain over whether a US-trained algorithm will perform as effectively as the global version.
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The European Union has proposed new cybersecurity rules aimed at reducing reliance on high-risk technology suppliers, particularly from China. In the European Union, policymakers argue existing voluntary measures failed to curb dependence on vendors such as Huawei and ZTE.
The proposal would introduce binding obligations for telecom operators across the European Union to phase out Chinese equipment. At the same time, officials have warned that reliance on US cloud and satellite services also poses security risks for Europe.
Despite increased funding and expanded certification plans, divisions remain within the European Union. Countries including Germany and France support stricter sovereignty rules, while others favour continued partnerships with US technology firms.
Analysts say the lack of consensus in the European Union could weaken the impact of the reforms. Without clear enforcement and investment in European alternatives, Europe may struggle to reduce dependence on both China and the US.
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Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced plans to launch a global satellite internet network called TeraWave in the US. The project aims to deploy more than 5,400 satellites to deliver high-speed data services.
In the US, TeraWave will target data centres, businesses and government users rather than households. Blue Origin says the system could reach speeds of up to 6 terabits per second, exceeding the speeds of current commercial satellite services.
The move positions the US company as a direct rival to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service. Starlink already operates thousands of satellites and focuses heavily on consumer internet access across the US and beyond.
Blue Origin plans to begin launching TeraWave satellites from the US by the end of 2027. The announcement adds to the intensifying competition in satellite communications as demand for global connectivity continues to grow.
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Exiger has launched a free online tool designed to help organisations identify links to forced labour in global supply chains. The platform, called forcedlabor.ai, was unveiled during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The tool allows users to search suppliers and companies to assess potential exposure to state-sponsored forced labour, with an initial focus on risks linked to China. Exiger says the database draws on billions of records and is powered by proprietary AI to support compliance and ethical sourcing.
US lawmakers and human rights groups have welcomed the initiative, arguing that companies face growing legal and reputational risks if their supply chains rely on forced labour. The platform highlights risks linked to US import restrictions and enforcement actions.
Exiger says making the data freely available aims to level the playing field for smaller firms with limited compliance budgets. The company argues that greater transparency can help reduce modern slavery across industries, from retail to agriculture.
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South Africa’s rate of AI implementation is roughly half that of the US, according to insights from Specno. Analysts attribute the gap to shortages in skills, weak data infrastructure and limited alignment between AI projects and core business strategy.
Despite moderate AI readiness levels, execution remains a major challenge across South African organisations. Skills shortages, insufficient workforce training and weak organisational readiness continue to prevent AI systems from moving beyond pilot stages.
Industry experts say many executives recognise the value of AI but struggle to adopt it in practice. Constraints include low IT maturity, risk aversion and organisational cultures that resist large-scale transformation.
By contrast, companies in the US are embedding AI into operations, talent development and decision-making. Analysts say South Africa must rapidly improve executive literacy, data ecosystems and practical skills to close the gap.
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British parents suing TikTok over the deaths of their children have called for greater accountability from the platform, as the case begins hearings in the United States. One of the claimants said social media companies must be held accountable for the content shown to young users.
Ellen Roome, whose son died in 2022, said the lawsuit is about understanding what children were exposed to online.
The legal filing claims the deaths were a foreseeable result of TikTok’s design choices, which allegedly prioritised engagement over safety. TikTok has said it prohibits content that encourages dangerous behaviour.
Roome is also campaigning for proposed legislation that would allow parents to access their children’s social media accounts after a death. She said the aim is to gain clarity and prevent similar tragedies.
TikTok said it removes most harmful content before it is reported and expressed sympathy for the families. The company is seeking to dismiss the case, arguing that the US court lacks jurisdiction.
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