During London Tech Week, the UK government announced a £1.1 billion plan dedicated to advancing AI hardware and a £200 million initiative to promote AI adoption. Alongside this, new reforms will integrate AI technologies into the justice system, and a data lab will be launched to tackle homelessness. This marks the most significant technology investment from the current administration to date.
Controlling devices with the mind has shifted from science fiction to reality in China. The National Medical Products Administration has authorized the commercial use of NEO, a compact brain-computer interface developed by NeuraMatrix and researchers from Tsinghua University. This coin-sized device is designed for patients with spinal cord injuries, marking a significant milestone in medical technology and brain-machine interfacing.
On Monday, US District Judge Leo T. Sorokin in Massachusetts ruled that the $100,000 fee imposed by President Donald Trump on H-1B visa applications is an unlawful tax and must be overturned. The judge determined that this fee violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution, as Congress had not authorized such a charge. The ruling invalidates the controversial visa fee.
Cipher Digital is raising $810 million via junk bonds to fund the completion of its Stingray Facility, a 100-megawatt data center in West Texas. Amazon has committed to a 15-year lease for this new computing campus located in Andrews. The bond sale, offering a yield around 6.25%, will cover the remaining construction expenses for the facility.
The UK government is planning to buy AI chips directly from British technology companies to prevent these valuable businesses from relocating to the US. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall will announce plans for strategic acquisitions of semiconductor technology during London Tech Week, aiming to support UK firms with taxpayer-backed funding and encourage domestic growth in the AI hardware sector.
William Barlow, former IBM VP of threat intelligence, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit claiming IBM covered up multiple cyberattacks linked to Chinese state actors. According to Barlow, who left his role in August 2019, the company was aware of these breaches but chose not to report them to U.S. officials, raising serious concerns about corporate transparency and cybersecurity practices.
Reid Hoffman is stepping down from Microsoft’s board of directors after nearly ten years. The departure was revealed in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Hoffman disclosed his intention to fully commit to Manus, his AI-powered drug discovery company. Hoffman joined Microsoft’s board in 2016 following the tech giant’s acquisition of LinkedIn, his former company, for $26.2 billion.
Maroš Šefčovič, EU trade commissioner, has suggested introducing a "diversification instrument" to lessen Europe's reliance on single suppliers for critical chips and rare earths. This proposal, presented at the European Policy Center’s Brussels Economic Security Forum, would require companies in key sectors to secure supplies from at least three different sources to enhance economic security.
Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, cautioned that artificial intelligence might have to be rationed because current energy supplies may not keep pace with AI's growing capabilities. He emphasized that governments and businesses are facing significant societal decisions, needing to balance energy demands across different sectors. The core issue is not AI's potential, but whether the energy infrastructure can support its expansion.
Japan's Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto issued a stark warning that the nation risks becoming an 'AI colony' if it falls behind in technological advancements. The cautionary statement supports a proposed government bill aiming to amend the personal-data protection law, allowing AI developers access to medical and criminal records without needing prior consent. This move is intended to keep Japan competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
