The New York Times is suing Microsoft and OpenAI for billions of dollars over copyright infringement, alleging that the powerful technology companies used its information to train their artificial intelligence models and to “free-ride”.

The use of its data without permission or compensation undermined its business model and threatened independent journalism “vital to our democracy”, the media organisation said in documents filed with a federal court of Manhattan.

The lawsuit has laid bare the controversial use by technology companies of accurate and high-quality data provided by content creators, such as journalists, which are needed to power the “large-language models” that form the backbone of generative artificial intelligence.

This case will be watched closely by other parties in the creative industries concerned that their intellectual property is being breached. Some critics claim that the word “train” — used to refer to the data that is collected to fuel AI — is Silicon Valley spin and that a more appropriate word is “scrape”.

A series of copyright lawsuits have been filed by authors and artists against OpenAI and other tech companies in the US. They include the comic Sarah Silverman and Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon. However elements of those claims have been rejected by judges because they failed to prove that identical material had been reproduced by the AI, unlike the NYT which appears to have proved facsimile use.

Dr Andres Guadamuz, a reader in intellectual property law at the University of Sussex, who has been following the cases, said the newspaper’s filing appeared more solid and was a “negotiating tactic” after the Springer deal had established value in news content.

“It is probably one of the strongest cases so far. They have managed to get some outputs that appear to be an entire replication of the source material of the inputs. And that is a big deal. A lot of cases have been dismissed due to the fact that a lot of the lawsuits have not been able to show infringing outputs,” he said.

The New York Times claims it can demonstrate facsimile use of its content. In a list of examples, it set out how the chatbot could recite significant portions of the publisher’s work verbatim, including the text of in-depth investigations that ChatGPT could not have found elsewhere, accurately mimicking its style.

For example, it allegedly could quote its restaurant critics from reviews they had written for the media group. A request to the chatbot to type out the start of a New York Times piece “because I’m being paywalled out of reading the New York Times’s article”, prompted the response “Certainly! Here’s the first paragraph”, demonstrating how the chatbot could be used to avoid paying for the content, the company claimed.

The New York Times found that the chatbot also would invent copy in its own style, purporting to be by one of its journalists. In response to a query requesting a portion of a New York Times article, it found that “Bing Chat completely fabricated a paragraph, including specific quotes … that appear nowhere in The Times article in question or anywhere else on the internet”.

The use of its data to finesse the AI models was financially motivated, the publisher claimed. “Microsoft’s deployment of Times-trained AI throughout its product line helped to boost its market capitalisation by a trillion dollars in the past year alone. And OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT has driven its valuation to as high as $90 billion,” it said.

Some media organisations, including Axel Springer, the German multinational media group that publishes Politico, Bild and Insider, and the Associated Press, the news agency, have sought to do commercial deals with OpenAI to license their content. Others such as the BBC, The Guardian and Lonely Planet have stopped the AI company from scraping the content on their websites.

The New York Times said it had tried and failed to negotiate with the technology companies, disputing that their content fell under the argument of “fair use”.

The row also demonstrates how the traditional internet search model has been upended. Where users were directed to company websites so that businesses did not miss out on revenue from visitors, with chatbots responses can be instantaneous. They also can be unsourced and inaccurate.

Read more:
New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for ‘scraping content’

Artificial intelligence cannot be legally named as an inventor to secure patent rights, the UK supreme court has ruled.

In a judgment on Wednesday, Britain’s highest court concluded that “an inventor must be a person” in order to apply for patents under the current law.

The ruling comes after the technologist Dr Stephen Thaler took his long-running dispute with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to the country’s top court over its rejection of his attempt to list an AI he created as the inventor for two patents.

The US-based developer claims the AI machine named DABUS autonomously created a food or drink container and a light beacon and that he is entitled to rights over its inventions. However, the IPO concluded in December 2019 that the expert was unable to officially register DABUS as the inventor in patent applications because it was not a person.

The decision was upheld by the high court and the court of appeal in July 2020 and July 2021. After a hearing in March, a panel of five supreme court justices have unanimously dismissed Thaler’s case.

The DABUS dispute centred on how applications are made under the Patents Act 1977 legislation, and the judges were not asked to rule on whether the AI actually created its inventions.

Lord Kitchin, with whom Lords Hodge, Hamblen, Leggatt and Richards agreed, said the IPO “was right to decide that DABUS is not and was not an inventor of any new product or process described in the patent applications”.

He continued: “It is not a person, let alone a natural person and it did not devise any relevant invention. Accordingly, it is not and never was an inventor for the purposes of … the 1977 act.”

The judge said the IPO was entitled to find that Thaler’s applications should be taken as “withdrawn” under patent rules because “he failed to identify any person or persons whom he believed to be the inventor or inventors of the inventions described in the applications”.

The supreme court also rejected Thaler’s argument that he was entitled to apply for patents for DABUS inventions on the basis that he was the AI’s owner.

Kitchin said DABUS was “a machine with no legal personality” and that Dr Thaler “has no independent right to obtain a patent in respect of any such technical advance”.

Patents, which provide protective legal rights, are granted for inventions that must be new, inventive and capable of being made or used or a technical process or method of doing something, according to government guidance.

Thaler’s case reached the supreme court amid recent scrutiny of AI developments – such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology – including their potential impact on education, the spread of misinformation and the future jobs market.

His lawyers had argued at the March hearing that patent law did not “exclude” non-human inventors and contains no requirements over “the nature of the inventor”.

However, Stuart Baran, for the IPO, said in written arguments that patent law required “identifying the person or persons” believed to be an inventor.

Read more:
AI cannot be named as patent ‘inventor’, UK supreme court rules

Google has agreed to pay US$700m and to allow for greater competition in its Play app store, according to the terms of an antitrust settlement with US states and consumers disclosed in a San Francisco federal court.

Google was accused of overcharging consumers through unlawful restrictions on the distribution of apps on Android devices and unnecessary fees for in-app transactions. It did not admit wrongdoing.

The company will pay $630m into a settlement fund for consumers and $70m into a fund that will be used by states, according to the settlement, which still requires a judge’s final approval.

The settlement said eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may get additional payments based on their spending on Google Play between 16 August 2016 and 30 September 2023.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, joined the settlement.

Lead plaintiff Utah and other states announced the settlement in September, but the terms were kept confidential ahead of Google’s related trial with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games. A California federal jury last week agreed with Epic that parts of Google’s app business were anticompetitive.

Wilson White, Google vice-president for government affairs and public policy said the settlement “builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google’s ability to compete with other [operating system] makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers”.

The company said it was expanding the ability of app and game developers to provide consumers an alternative billing option for in-app purchases next to Play’s billing system. Google said it had piloted “choice billing” in the US for more than a year.

As part of the settlement, Google said it would simplify users’ ability to download apps directly from developers.

Lawyers for the states in their court filing said the settlement terms “will offer significant, meaningful, long-lasting relief for consumers throughout the country”.

The states’ attorneys said “no other US antitrust enforcer has yet been able to secure remedies of this magnitude from Google” or another major digital platform.

Google faces other lawsuits challenging its search and digital advertising practices. It has denied any wrongdoing in those cases

Read more:
Google agrees to pay $700m after antitrust settlement over app store competition

Apple has been forced to stop selling the Apple Watch in the US this week after a landmark lawsuit claimed the tech giant stole technology that monitors users’ vitals.

The move comes after an order in October from the International Trade Commission (ITC) that could bar Apple from importing its Apple Watches after finding the devices violate medical technology company Masimo’s patent rights.

The White House had 60 days to review the ITC order issued on October 26, meaning Apple could have continued selling the Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of its watch through Christmas.

However, Apple said on Monday that it planned to suspend sales of the watches for online customers on Thursday and from its stores on Sunday. It said the move was to ensure that it complied with the ITC order.

Apple pledged to “take all measures” to resume sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the US as soon as possible if the ITC’s ban was not overturned.

The long-running legal dispute between Masimo and Apple is a David v Goliath battle that involved the world’s richest corporation and a rival a fraction of its size.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Apple met with Masimo more than a decade ago and discussed its technology that allowed a user’s blood oxygen levels to be read.

Joe Kiani, chief executive of Masimo, reportedly believed the companies were set for a partnership or perhaps his business would be bought by Apple and its chief executive, Tim Cook.

Instead, Masimo alleged that Apple began to hire its top talent who quickly started patenting similar technologies that they had previously worked on.

While President Biden has the power to veto the ITC order, such interventions are rare.

“Maybe Apple’s board will ask Tim Cook, ‘Why didn’t you buy Masimo or license their technology in 2013? Did you even try to settle with Masimo before you took this step?’” Kiani told the Los Angeles Times. “That is a hope, but one that makes me feel better.”

Kiani believes he has already spent $60 million in legal fees battling Apple, but says he is willing to spend even more to protect his work.

Read more:
Apple banned from selling smartwatches in US over medical technology patent infringement

Judges will be allowed use ChatGPT to help write legal rulings despite warnings that artificial intelligence (AI) can invent cases that never happened.

This is according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.

The Judicial Office has issued official guidance to thousands of judges in England and Wales saying AI can be useful for summarising large amounts of text or in administrative tasks.

However, it said that chatbots are a “poor way of conducting research” and are prone to making up fictitious cases or legal texts.

The guidance also warned that the rise of bots such as ChatGPT could end up being widely used by members of the public when bringing legal cases and that deepfake technology could be used to create fake evidence.

Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls, said that AI “offers significant opportunities in developing a better, quicker and more cost-effective digital justice system”.

He said: “Technology will only move forwards and the judiciary has to understand what is going on. Judges, like everybody else, need to be acutely aware that AI can give inaccurate responses as well as accurate ones.”

Earlier this year, a senior judge, Lord Justice Birss, described ChatGPT as “jolly useful”, saying he had used the chatbot to summarise an area of law he was familiar with, and copy and pasted it into a court ruling.

He said on Monday that he had used ChatGPT as a test and that it had been used within the guidance because he had not entered any secret or confidential information into it.

Sir Geoffrey said that lawyers were potentially subject to perjury and criminal sanctions if submissions penned by a chatbot produced false evidence. “Nothing changes just because they may have got what they said falsely from an AI chatbot instead of out of their own head,” he said.

Suid Adeyanju, CEO of cyber company RiverSafe said: “The rise of AI use in legal rulings brings with it great opportunities, but also opens the door to major cyber risks. Hackers have already proven adept at infiltrating and exploiting security loopholes to steal data, and in this scenario could also lead to widespread evidence tampering. It’s vital that organisations using this technology tread carefully, and ensure they have the necessary security systems in place to  keep cyber criminals locked out.”

Josh Boer, director at tech consultancy VeUP said: “This is the latest example of AI reshaping critical functions, saving time and money by managing administrative tasks. The technology has huge potential to turbocharge the next generation of UK SMEs, providing crucial support in the back office. Yet far too many companies lack the skills and support to embrace it. That’s why its crucial that organisations get to grips with the latest generative AI capabilities, by embracing AWS and other key platforms, to boost growth through the cloud for the long term.”

Read more:
Judges approve use ChatGPT in legal rulings

Amazon has become the latest tech giant to announce a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

It said that the bot, called Q, would help businesses to do things like summarise long documents or group chats and would increase productivity.

It comes a year after OpenAI’s bot ChatGPT shook the market, sparking a rush among tech firms to adopt them.

Amazon also said it would protect companies from copyright issues arising from the use of its bot.

It follows high-profile lawsuits brought against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, over claims that firms’ copyright was infringed to train the system.

Amazon will hope that Q, which will gradually be rolled out across it main business applications, will entice more companies to use its cloud computing services.

The bot can also answer customer queries, generate charts, analyse data and help businesses with their coding needs.

The race between tech giants to innovate in AI has been heating up, with Microsoft considered to be leading the field after its big investment in ChatGPT.

In September, Amazon said it would invest “up to $4bn [£3.2bn]” in Anthropic, an AI firm set up by ex-OpenAI staff members. It also owns Mechanical Turk, a service which crowdsources training of AI models.

Copyright fears

As it launches Q, the company promised to protect businesses from copyright claims, such as the lawsuit brought by comedian Sarah Silverman against OpenAI and Facebook-owner Meta in July.

Ms Silverman, along with two other authors, claimed their books had been “ingested and used to train ChatGPT”, and that Meta’s Llama AI system was also using their work.

In November, a judge in the US dismissed much of Silverman’s lawsuit.

However, other authors including Margaret Atwood and Philip Pullman have also called on AI companies to compensate them for using their work.

Read more:
Amazon latest tech giant to announce AI chatbot

Amazon has announced that they will provide free Artificial Intelligence training to two million people by 2025 via their ‘AI Ready’ commitment which is set to boost proficiencies in this emerging piece of technology.

AI Ready aims to unlock the potential of AI by providing much needed training and it will consist of three new initiatives which will be aimed at adults and young learners, as well as scaling existing Amazon AI training programmes that already exist.

The courses will range in expertise level and the first will consist of eight new AI and generative AI courses that will be accessible to anyone who wishes to learn more about the technology, building on Amazon Web Services (AWS) existing portfolio of over 80 free or low-cost AI resources.

The second initiative, the AWS Generative AI Scholarship, will be targeted at students from underrepresented communities around the world and will be backed by $12 million to provide over 50,000 high school and university students with access to a new generative AI course and a certificate from Udacity to demonstrate their proficiencies to future employers.

Josh Boer, Director at Tech Consultancy VeUP, commented: “Building workforces that are technically skilled in areas such as Artificial Intelligence will play a central role in capitalising for fast-growing businesses, so it is great to see large corporations such as Amazon prioritise accessible training. As tech-powered businesses continue to grow and organisations focus on their digital transformations, funding, training and educating opportunities must be kept top of mind.”

“AI and cloud services offer huge benefits to businesses, boosting innovation and offering services that can be tailored to a business’s specific needs. AWS in particular offers businesses the ability to increase agility, drive down costs and promote innovation, tapping into a suite of tailored services catering to their unique organisational requirements, working in tandem with new AI solutions. For the benefits of emerging technology to be enjoyed we must ensure our workforces are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills they need, and only then can the benefits be maximised.”

The initiatives announced will add to Amazon’s $1.2 billion investment into education and skills training for cloud computing.

Read more:
2 million people to receive free AI training through Amazon project

Forterro, a European leader in specialised software solutions for small and mid-size industrial organisations, today announced its recent acquisition of abas Business Solutions (abas BS), a distinguished reseller of Forterro’s renowned Abas ERP product.

This strategic move further solidifies Forterro’s commitment to growth and innovation in the software industry.

The acquisition of abas BS strengthens Forterro’s connection to over 220 existing Abas customers, expanding the company’s reach across key European markets.

“This expansion allows us to enter the Spanish market, which is a big step for us in enhancing our presence in the Western European region,” said David Coste, Regional President for Western Europe.

“We are also taking a small yet significant step into the Dutch market as this acquisition gives us a gateway into the Netherlands. Additionally, the acquisition strengthens our direct footprint in France, providing local expertise to better serve our growing customer base.”

Abas BS has garnered respect in the industry for its unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and its exceptional expertise in software solutions. The company has established a robust reputation for its dedication to helping manufacturers excel in today’s fiercely competitive landscape.

“This strategic acquisition of our valued partner abas BS was a natural and straightforward decision, aligning perfectly with our growth objectives.” said Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro. (pictured)

“We are truly excited to welcome the talented team from abas BS into Forterro. It is especially exciting to welcome a team that already possesses in-depth expertise and knowledge of one of our own products. We are confident that the synergy between our teams will contribute to the continued success of our customers and the growth of Forterro.”

After 22 years of driving the business through an incredible journey of expansion and innovation, abas BS co-founders Pierre Baudoin (CEO) and Didier Delhaye (CFO) have made the decision to step back and spend more quality time with their families. Pierre and Didier will remain actively involved in the business during a transitional period.

Their expertise and guidance will ensure a smooth and efficient transition for the employees and customers to their new home within Forterro.

Pierre commented, “I am genuinely delighted to see Forterro as the new owner of abas BS. This acquisition is a significant turning point for the company, as they embark on a new era of opportunity, growth and innovation.

Read more:
Forterro expands market footprint in France, and enters Spanish market, with acquisition of abas BS

TikTok has announced that it’s shutting down its original $1 billion Creator Fund and shifting the focus to its newer Creativity Program.

From December 16, the Creator Fund will be discontinued in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Creators who are currently enrolled in the Creator Fund can switch to the Creativity Program.

The Creator Fund, which launched in 2020, has long been criticized by creators who have complained about low payouts, with some saying they earned a few dollars for videos that got millions of views.

In February, TikTok introduced the Creativity Program and said the fund would result in higher payouts for popular creators. TikTok has said the rewards formula for the Creativity Program has been formulated to offer a higher average gross revenue for qualified video views. Unlike the Creator Fund, which didn’t have a specific requirement on video length, the Creativity Program rewards creators who make videos longer than one minute.

To be eligible for the Creativity Program, creators must be at least 18 years of age and have at least 10,000 followers and at least 100,000 views in the last 30 days. Eligible creators who post high-quality, original content longer than one minute have the potential to earn up to 20 times the amount previously offered by the Creator Fund, according to TikTok.

“Our ultimate goal is to create the best experience possible on TikTok and provide a robust ecosystem of monetization offerings to creators,” TikTok spokesperson Maria Jung said in an email to TechCrunch. “Part of our efforts and ongoing commitment to provide requires us to evolve products and apply resources elsewhere to best support creators and explore new offerings. We developed the Creativity Program based on the learnings and feedback from the Creator Fund, and we’ll continue listening and learning from our community as we explore new features and enhance existing ones to further enrich the TikTok experience.”

The Creativity Program is part of TikTok’s suite of monetization tools, which includes LIVE subscriptions and TikTok Pulse. The company also has tips and gifts monetization features, along with a Series feature that allows eligible creators to post content behind a paywall.

Read more:
TikTok is shutting down its Creator Fund in favor of its newer Creativity Program

Elon Musk has said his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, will launch two new tiers of premium subscriptions.

“One is lower cost with all features, but no reduction in ads, and the other is more expensive, but has no ads,” the billionaire said in a post on X.

It comes as the firm started charging new users $1 in New Zealand and the Philippines for accessing the platform.

Mr Musk did not provide more details on the plans.

New users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take “read only” actions, such as reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts, the company said in its website.

It is not clear if there will be any free options.

Mr Musk has long said that his solution for getting rid of bots and fake accounts on the social media platform is charging for the service.

Since taking over the firm in October last year he has looked to incentivise users to pay for an enhanced service, which is now called X Premium. Some users now opt to pay $8 per month for the blue check subscription service.

Its “Not A Bot” subscription method aims to reduce spam, manipulation of the platform and bot activity.

He has also tried to woo advertisers back to X with offers of discounts.

Mr Musk’s rapid changes, including mass layoffs and disbanding content moderation teams, has led to advertisers halting ads on the service.

He acknowledged that the platform has taken a hit on revenue and blamed activists for pressuring advertisers.

Wider issue

Other big tech companies have also experimented with a mix of ad-supported and subscription plans.

While Alphabet’s YouTube has both paid and free, ad-supported ones, Netflix’s ad-supported plans are also chargeable, though at a lower price.

YouTube, which like X is populated by content from users, shares a part of its subscription revenue with creators.

X, which also shares some of its ad revenue with content creators, did not disclose if content creators will be paid in ad-free subscription models.

Despite Mr Musk’s attempts to generate revenue on X, as the company faced criticism over lax content moderation, advertisers have not come flooding back over concerns their ads might appear next to inappropriate content.

Last week, the European Commission launched an investigation into X to see whether it complies with new tech rules on illegal and harmful content following the spread of disinformation on its platform after Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Read more:
Musk confirms X is set to have two new premium tiers

A major hack of a financial services payments system could cost the world $3.5 trillion, Lloyd’s has found, as demand for cyber insurance booms.

A “hypothetical but plausible cyber attack” would cause “widespread disruption to global business”, according to a scenario modelled by Lloyd’s together with the Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies.

The US would take the biggest hit within the scenario by losing $1.1 trillion over five years, followed by China and Japan with $470bn and $200bn respectively.

“The global interconnectedness of cyber means it is too substantial a risk for one sector to face alone and therefore we must continue to share knowledge, expertise and innovative ideas across government, industry and the insurance market to ensure we build society’s resilience against the potential scale of this risk,” said Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chair of Lloyd’s.

Research from the international law firm RPC last month found cyber security breaches for UK financial services companies increased threefold from 2021 to 2023.

The number of breaches increased from 187 to 640, with the biggest rise being seen in the pensions sector.

Cyber insurance saw more than $9bn in gross written premiums last year and is predicted to increase to between $13bn to $25bn by 2025, according to Lloyd’s.

However, the firm noted that this figure “represents a small portion of the potential economic losses that businesses and society face”.

Read more:
Lloyd’s of London warns major cyber attack on payments could cost world $3.5 trillion

Avalara, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for organizations of all sizes, has announced that it is partnering with Oracle NetSuite to help customers to streamline invoicing even more within NetSuite.

NetSuite Electronic Invoicing, which is powered by Avalara, will allow organizations to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and address compliance with global e-invoicing mandates.

More than 60 countries worldwide have announced or already have mandates for e-invoicing, a number that could more than double by 2030. Additionally, a growing number of countries have introduced other digital reporting requirements, including live reporting of invoice data and e-reporting of international sales and purchases. As the number of mandates for e-invoicing and other digital reporting requirements increases, it would have become more challenging and expensive for NetSuite customers to address compliance without a centralized approach that this new solution offers.

“E-Invoicing is no longer just a local compliance issue and cannot be solved without technology, it is a global phenomenon that is fast becoming a business continuity risk that requires a strategic and scalable solution,” said Meg Higgins, SVP of Global Partners at Avalara. “We enable NetSuite to bring leading e-invoicing technology to its customers and help ensure they remain compliant as mandates continue to evolve.”

With this new solution, customers will be able to; Quickly support e-invoicing models by country or region. NetSuite will connect to Avalara’s global API to fulfill e-invoicing mandates, including digital signatures, QR codes, and tax authority clearance and approvals.

The solution would also facilitate easily access e-invoice exchange networks and government platforms. Organizations can connect to national and international networks, like Peppol, as well as government e-invoicing platforms directly from within NetSuite.

“Staying ahead of regulations across the globe can be a fulltime job and e-invoicing compliance is often outsourced to local vendors, which adds cost and complexity,” said Scott Derksen, Senior Director of Business Development, Oracle NetSuite. “With NetSuite E-invoicing, which is powered by Avalara, our customers can eliminate inefficient processes and automate compliance with local e-invoicing regulations to improve operations, reduce costs and mitigate risk while expanding into new markets.”

Read more:
Avalara Expands Partnership with Oracle NetSuite to Deliver Integrated E-Invoicing Solution  

Oracle NetSuite today announced a series of new product innovations to help organisations reduce costs and run more efficiently so they can grow their top and bottom lines.

The latest NetSuite innovations include both traditional and generative AI-powered capabilities across the entire suite; new field service management and enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions; and new capabilities that help finance and customer experience professionals improve the speed and accuracy of business processes. 

“Over the past 25 years, our mission has stayed the same: deliver a unified suite of cloud applications that enable customers to do more with less and grow their businesses,” said Evan Goldberg, founder and EVP, Oracle NetSuite. “We continue to extend the capabilities of NetSuite to support this mission and help our more than 37,000 customers benefit from the latest cloud and AI innovations. Our new updates include traditional and generative AI capabilities embedded throughout the suite to help increase user productivity, reduce costs, and improve overall business efficiency.”

NetSuite has introduced new generative AI-powered capabilities across the entire suite and added new traditional AI capabilities to help customers enhance planning and budgeting, reduce manual data entry, and expand business insights. New AI-powered capabilities include: 

• NetSuite Text Enhance: New generative AI-powered capabilities help users create contextual and personalized content for any text area in NetSuite based on a few starter words that describe intent. Supported by the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) generative AI service, NetSuite Text Enhance helps finance and accounting, HR, supply chain and operations, sales and marketing, and customer support teams improve productivity by leveraging AI to produce relevant drafts that they can quickly and easily review, edit, and approve. To learn more about NetSuite Text Enhance, please visit: Oracle NetSuite Embeds Generative AI Throughout the Suite to Help Organizations Boost Productivity

• NetSuite Planning and Budgeting: New AI-powered capabilities in NetSuite Planning and Budgeting help organizations automate data analysis to improve and accelerate decision making. With predictive algorithms that continually monitor and analyze plans, forecasts, and variances, customers can quickly and easily uncover and highlight trends, anomalies, and correlations.
• NetSuite Bill Capture: New AI-powered capabilities help organizations intelligently capture and categorize expenses based on historical data. With NetSuite Bill Capture, customers can reduce manual bill entry to help increase the productivity of accounting teams.  
• NetSuite Analytics Warehouse: AI-powered capabilities in NetSuite Analytics Warehouse consolidate and centralize data from a multitude of sources and help organizations accelerate access to data visualizations and reporting. With increased visibility and deeper understanding of transaction-level activity, customers can spot patterns and gain faster insights for better decision making. To learn more about NetSuite Analytics Warehouse, please visit: NetSuite Extends Analytics Warehouse to Help Customers Gain Greater and Faster Value from Data

Read more:
Oracle NetSuite unveils AI additions to help businesses do more with less

UK SMEs are investing nearly half of their annual turnover on technology to counteract rising costs and retain competitiveness.

That is the findings of the latest Barclays Business Barometer  and according to the bank’s research, the most innovative SMEs in the UK are spending 48% of annual revenue on technology, with 45% doing so to increase productivity and 44% to future-proof their business.

Barclays said that 57% of the SMEs it monitors reported an increase in revenue in the latest financial quarter, which is the most for 18 months. The bank also said research of its credit card and debit card transactions showed an increase of just over 1% in the volume of transactions to SMEs in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year.

Colin O’Flaherty, head of SME at Barclaycard payments, said: “It’s promising to see that SMEs are feeling more optimistic about revenue growth and are eager to invest in cutting-edge technology to future-proof their companies.”

Retailers in the are confident about growth over the next year, with 85% reporting a positive outlook, according to Barclay’s barometer. It also revealed that 66% of retailers are open to embracing new technology. Dedicated IT teams have been set up by 41% of the SMEs surveyed by Barclays, with an average of 13 people in these teams.

“Retail SMEs in particular have displayed a remarkable agility in adapting to evolving consumer behaviours by adopting emerging technologies – setting the stage for a brighter year ahead,” said Barclays.

Separate Barclays research revealed the importance of retail SMEs using technology to reach customers. It found that 70% of consumers use the internet to inform how they shop and make savings, with online grocery websites seeing an increase of 54% in online traffic, with traffic to non-grocery up by 42%.

It also revealed that 93% of retailers believe that harnessing data is key to their future success.

The past year has seen retailers actively investing in cutting-edge technologies to enhance operations – 18% of the SME retailers surveyed have invested in data analytics, and 12% in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

According to a recent report from SME-focused fintech SumUp, UK SMEs take the lead in Europe when it comes to adopting the latest technologies. For example, 90% of UK SMEs now accept near-field communications (NFC)-based card payments, compared with 85% in Switzerland, 78% in Italy, 68% in France and 67% in Germany.

Nina Etienne, global vice-president of marketing at SumUp, said UK SMEs have taken strides in embracing innovation. “The uptake of digital payment tech highlighted in this data demonstrates the adaptability that puts UK SMEs at the forefront in terms of using technology to improve user experience,” she said.

“While the economic landscape has created difficulties for small businesses, these statistics offer some insight both into the resilience of SMEs, as they find new ways to improve their business, and an increased trust in digital payments amongst the public, as more transactions take place through contactless methods.”

Read more:
Innovative UK SMEs spend half of turnover on tech to boost productivity

Australia internet safety watchdog has slapped a A$610,500 ($386,000; £317,360) fine on Elon Musk’s X for failing to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices.

It comes after Mr Musk in a post last November said that “removing child exploitation is priority #1”.

The eSafety Commission criticised the firm’s “empty talk” on the issue.

Insiders had earlier told media they would not be able to protect users from trolling following mass lay-offs at X.

X, also known as Twitter, has seen a continuous revenue decline since Mr Musk bought it for $44bn last year.

Under Australian laws that took effect in 2021, the regulator can force internet companies to give information about their online safety practices or face a fine. If the fine is not paid, the regulator can pursue the company in court.

Alphabet’s Google was also issued a warning for noncompliance with its request for information about handling of child abuse content.

But X’s noncompliance was more serious, with the regulator saying the company failed to “provide any response to some questions, leaving some sections entirely blank”.

It added that: “Twitter/X did not respond to a number of key questions including the time it takes the platform to respond to reports of child sexual exploitation; the measures it has in place to detect child sexual exploitation in livestreams; and the tools and technologies it uses to detect child sexual exploitation material”.

The company confirmed to the regulator that it had cut 80% of its workforce globally and has no public policy staff in Australia, compared to two before Mr Musk’s takeover.

Last month, X was criticised by Australian researchers for disabling a feature that allowed users to report misinformation about elections.

The move has fuelled concern as it came ahead of a key Australia referendum which took place over the weekend to give Indigenous people more rights.

Read more:
Australia fines X for failing to crack down on child abuse content

Against a challenging economic backdrop and well publicised cyber-attacks, concerns about cyber threats amongst UK SMEs have risen significantly in the last year as they consider the impact on brand, reputation, and revenue.

According to new research, nearly four in ten are more worried about cyber security threats than a year ago, with over a quarter of businesses admitting to some form of security breach.

Research commissioned by Sharp Europe – a major provider of business technology products and services to SMEs across Europe, found that around one third of the businesses had their operations impacted by a cyber security breach. These breaches included phishing, malware, data loss, and computer virus attack.

In addition, nearly a quarter have been subject to password attacks and cloud security issues. Yet nearly two thirds ack confidence in their businesses’ ability to deal with and mitigate security risks. Given this, surprisingly three out of five of UK small businesses say their IT security budget will not be increased this year.

The pan-European research surveyed 5,770 professionals responsible for purchasing IT in their SMEs, on confidence in IT security capabilities and barriers to IT security investment over the next 12 months. It found that losing money, decreased customer confidence, and negative impact on the brand are the top business concerns when it comes to the impact of an IT security breach.

Colin Blumenthal, Vice President, IT Services at Sharp Europe, comments: “Businesses operate in a complex digital environment, which poses increasing IT security challenges for companies of all sizes. For smaller businesses, without large IT resources, the risks can feel even more daunting. Threats are constantly changing– and trying to identify and prevent them all can leave those in charge feeling concerned, confused, and frustrated.”

“Every business, regardless of size, should do everything they reasonably can to protect their data and ensure their connectivity, whether through networks or devices, is as secure as possible. Seeking expert advice can help ensure the right IT security decisions are being made, a holistic security view is being taken, and that solutions are always up to date.”

Concern is being amplified by issues such as the rise of hybrid working and employees using their own devices. Worryingly, only 53% of SMEs in UK say they have encryption in place, and nearly two thirds have a strong password policy.

Read more:
UK SME cyber threat concerns on the rise in last 12 months

The BBC has blocked the artificial intelligence software behind ChatGPT from accessing or using its content amid copyright and privacy concerns, after concluding that it was “not in the public interest”.

The move brings the BBC in line with other content providers, including Reuters and Getty Images, which are trying to prevent AI from misusing intellectual property.

Generative AI can, when prompted, create new text, images, audio and more from scraping other content providers’ data. It underpins the chatbot ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, the American artificial intelligence research and deployment company.

Rhodri Talfan Davies, director of nations at the BBC, outlined the corporation’s response to AI tools that he said represented a “significant opportunity”, as well as a risk to broadcasters. Davies said the BBC was “taking steps to safeguard the interests of licence fee payers as this new technology evolves.

“We do not believe the current ‘scraping’ of BBC data without our permission . . . to train ‘gen AI’ models is in the public interest and we want to agree a more structured and sustainable approach with technology companies.”

There are several copyright infringement lawsuits against OpenAI from authors who say permission was not sought to use their works to train the AI models.

In April the Information Commissioner’s Office, the data watchdog, warned technology companies about using personal data to develop chatbots. Stephen Almond, executive director at the watchdog, said: “There can be no excuse for getting the privacy implications of generative AI wrong.”

Media organisations worldwide are trying to work out a strategy that allows them to monetise their content being used to power AI. Peter Church, at Linklaters, the law firm, said: “There are real risks in not taking appropriate compliance measures.”

Read more:
BBC blocks ChatGPT from accessing and using its content

The digital landscape continues to evolve, mainly driven by the ceaseless march of technological innovation. Amid this ever-shifting landscape, ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed by OpenAI, has risen to prominence, outshining some of the most dominant players in the online ecosystem.

In particular, data acquired by Finbold indicates that between June 2023 and August 2023, ChatGPT recorded an estimated average of 1.51 billion monthly website visits to its official website chat.openai.com. The figure places ChatGPT in the ninth position overall among the top ten selected major websites by visits. The AI platform is ahead of the streaming giant Netflix, which registered 1.49 billion trips during the same period.

Meanwhile, Google.com, the Alphabet owned search engine, continues to dominate the digital arena with a staggering 85.41 billion visits. Following closely behind is YouTube, with 33.56 billion visits. Facebook, a product of Meta, secures the third position overall with 17.2 billion visits, while Instagram occupies the fourth spot at 6.68 billion. X (formerly Twitter) holds steady with 6.48 billion visits. Notable entities also include e-commerce giant Amazon, which garnered 2.46 billion visits, securing the eighth position in the rankings.

Behind ChatGPT’s rise

ChatGPT’s website visits place the platform among the fastest-growing entities on the internet, considering it less than a year since its launch. Indeed, OpenAI launched the tool at a point when other established traditional players held back due to the uncertainty associated with interactive AI platforms, such as the potential harm it could cause, like spreading misinformation or hate speech.

What distinguishes ChatGPT and positions it for success against established traditional players is its remarkable ability to deliver personalized and diverse content recommendations, answer inquiries, provide comprehensive explanations, and even aid in creative endeavors such as writing, coding, and idea generation.

Its wide-reaching availability across many websites has transformed it into an indispensable companion for internet users in pursuit of instant and pertinent information. It has seamlessly woven itself into the very fabric of the digital world, making appearances on websites, chatbots, applications, and even customer service portals.

ChatGPT’s user-friendly design, which allows interactions as simple as typing a message, appeals to users of all ages and technical proficiencies. This intuitive interface has significantly contributed to the surge in website traffic.

Behind ChatGPT’s rapid rise is also a robust, continuous learning and improvement system. OpenAI’s substantial investments in refining the model, mitigating biases, and expanding its knowledge base ensure that ChatGPT remains current, precise, and dependable.

The underlying design of ChatGPT has placed it to surpass a platform such as Netflix. The streaming service, known for its vast library of movies and TV shows, has long been synonymous with online entertainment. While Netflix specializes in delivering scripted entertainment, ChatGPT appeals to a broader spectrum of users, from students seeking assistance with homework to professionals in need of quick information and inspiration. It’s this ubiquity and adaptability that have allowed ChatGPT to surpass Netflix in website visits.

Dealing with competition

As ChatGPT continues to evolve and expand its capabilities, we will likely witness a profound shift in how we interact with digital technology. The competition between AI models like ChatGPT and traditional content providers like Netflix may drive innovation in both sectors, benefiting consumers by providing more choices and tailored experiences. In this line, some traditional players in the digital space, such as Google, joined the race to incorporate AI into their system by launching the Bard platform. Indeed, such products are likely to expand the dominance of Google at the top of the digital landscape.

However, ChatGPT is countering this rising competition with consistent improvement. The improvement is highlighted by the recent upgrades that saw the platform introduce new features, such as removing the knowledge limit cut-off and the ability to browse the web. In the meantime, the industry will watch the planned AI tool that Tesla CEO Elon Musk developed to rival ChatGPT.

What the future holds

ChatGPT has ignited the race to incorporate AI; its impact is felt across various domains. Numerous companies strive to enhance AI’s capabilities by generating video music and developing detection tools to screen artificially generated content. Most individuals will probably encounter this emerging technology in the near future. The demand has been highlighted by a previous Finbold report that indicated that demand for AI spiked about 500% in 12 months as of August.

Overall, ChatGPT’s meteoric rise in website visitors is a testament to its transformative potential in AI. The success highlights our insatiable appetite for smart, accessible, and versatile AI solutions in an increasingly digital world.

Read more:
ChatGPT overtakes Netflix in web traffic

The UK car industry has hit out over a lack of incentives for households to purchase a new electric car after sales dipped among private buyers last month.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported a 21% lift in new car sales generally during September compared with the same month last year.

It said that 272,610 vehicles were snapped up in total, with the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Puma leading the way in terms of the most popular models.

Demand is usually spurred during September as it marks the dawn of a new registration plate – 73 in this case.

But the body said that the overall lift in performance was largely driven by fleet sales rather than demand among consumers.

The SMMT reported that 150,000 of the total sold were bought by businesses, with private sales of almost 123,000.

While diesel demand continued to decline, falling below 10,000, more than 105,000 were pure petrol-powered models.

The SMMT reported that about 45,000 battery electric vehicles (BEV) and petrol hybrids were sold.

But the body added: “BEV volume increases were driven entirely by fleet purchases, which rose by 50.6% as buyers were drawn to the advanced technology, outstanding performance, reduced environmental impact and compelling tax incentives.

“Conversely, private BEV registrations fell 14.3%, with less than one in 10 private new car buyers opting for electric during the month.

“Such a decline underlines the importance of providing these motorists with purchase incentives and other mechanisms to stimulate demand, it said.

The SMMT had raised fears of a hit to demand for electric cars a fortnight ago, after the government delayed the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by five years.

It argued that the decision undermined the investment placed in the battle against climate change by the car industry.

The policy U-turn was blamed by Rishi Sunak on the financial burden facing motorists in the transition to electric vehicles.

Concerns include not only the cost of an electric vehicle versus a conventionally powered car, but also the cost of the infrastructure needed to support the new era.

A so-called zero-emissions mandate released by the government last week requires a gradual shift to no emission cars by 2035.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “A bumper September means the new car market remains strong despite economic challenges.

“However, with tougher EV targets for manufacturers coming into force next year, we need to accelerate the transition, encouraging all motorists to make the switch.

“This means adding carrots to the stick – creating private purchase incentives aligned with business benefits, equalising on-street charging VAT with off-street domestic rates and mandating chargepoint rollout in line with how electric vehicle sales are now to be dictated.

“The forthcoming autumn statement is the perfect opportunity to create the conditions that will deliver the zero emission mobility essential to our shared net zero ambition.”

Read more:
Drop in consumers buying electric cars as new number plate released

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an independent market investigation into the £7.5 billion cloud services market in the UK, following referral from Ofcom, to examine and consider whether competition concerns are holding back businesses.

The investigation aims to consider what can be done to improve the supply of these important services for UK customers as they are rapidly adopted by businesses, allowing them to capitalise on benefits such as remote access to computing resources on demand and over a network.

Ofcom has identified a number of features which make it more difficult for customers to switch and use multiple cloud suppliers including egress fees, charges to move data out of the cloud, discounts which may incentivise customers to only use one provider and technical barriers to switching, making it difficult for customers to switch or use multiple providers.

To oversee the investigation and act as decision makers, the CMA has appointed independent panel members to an inquiry group who will publish an issues statement which sets out the proposed focus of the investigation as they attempt to ensure effective competition in digital markets.

Sridhar Iyengar, Managing Director for Zoho Europe, commented: “The adoption of cloud services delivers significant benefits to businesses, including facilitating a shift to new remote and hybrid working models while promoting wealth and skills distribution. However, businesses shouldn’t get tied up in cloud contracts with limited flexibility and fees to disincentivise switching providers, so it is positive to see the CMA conducting a review of the cloud landscape.”

“Businesses should carefully evaluate their vendor partners to understand factors such as flexibility, long-term strategy and integrations to ensure cloud platforms align with their needs. A multi-cloud approach remains popular, particularly among large enterprises, and it is important for cloud providers to recognise the need for flexibility by not tying customers down to long contracts and offering features such as API connections to third-party applications. This can greatly boost customer experience for the end user and enable them to run their businesses without friction, with apps working together harmoniously.”

“Cloud will continue to become more widespread in years to come, driving further economic growth as a result, so it’s important that there are regular reviews from the CMA and other organisations to ensure that the cloud market is being maximised for businesses.”

Josh Boer, Director at tech consultancy VeUP said:“As businesses increasingly make the switch to cloud, it is good to see the CMA paving the way for increased supply and widespread adoption of cloud services for businesses. Over the coming years, it is expected that more businesses will transition to the cloud, taking advantage of cost optimisation as a top priority, while alleviating the concerns of AWS billing and cost management.”

“AWS in particular offers businesses the ability to increase agility, drive down costs and promote innovation, tapping into a suite of tailored services catering to their unique organisational requirements. However, if cloud services provide businesses with cost-related issues, the appeal can significantly decrease meaning providers must address this to allow businesses to optimise the benefits of cloud and navigate market shifts through scalable resources.”

Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA, said: “We welcome Ofcom’s referral of public cloud infrastructure services to us for in-depth scrutiny. This is a £7.5bn market that underpins a whole host of online services – from social media to AI foundation models. Many businesses now completely rely on cloud services, making effective competition in this market essential.

“Strong competition ensures a level playing field so that market power doesn’t end up in the hands of a few players – unlocking the full potential of these rapidly evolving digital markets so that people, businesses, and the UK economy can get the maximum benefits.”

“The CMA’s independent inquiry group will now carry out an investigation to determine whether competition in this market is working well and if not, what action should be taken to address any issues it finds.”

Read more:
Regulator launches investigation into £7.5bn Cloud market

Instagram and Facebook users in the EU could face a charge of up to €13 a month if they refuse to sign up to personalised advertising, under a measure seeking to circumvent incoming regulation from Brussels.

Users would be offered a choice between a free, advertising-supported plan and a paid subscription of just under €10 on a desktop, rising to €13 on a mobile device.

The two-tier model is to be rolled out in the next few months, sources at Meta said, and would apply only to users in the EU and the European Economic Area, which includes Switzerland.

Meta is one of a handful of technology groups preparing for the implementation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act from March that will force big companies that act as “gatekeepers” to comply with strict rules preventing them from locking customers into software ecosystems.

Technology groups can be fined up to 10 per cent of global turnover, or up to 20 per cent for repeat offences, if they do not comply with the rules, which would ban Meta from mixing users’ data from its various services, including WhatsApp, without clear consent.

Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy activist, said in response to Meta’s plans, first reported in The Wall Street Journal: “Fundamental rights cannot be for sale. Are we going to pay for the right to vote or the right to free speech next?”

Meta said it was unreasonable to expect technology companies to offer services for free without targeted advertising and that a pricing model that included ad-free content was already in place at many of Meta’s competitors. YouTube, owned by Google, offers a £12.99 per month ad-free premium service, as do the social networks Twitch, for £10.99, and Reddit, for £5.99.

Meta said: “We believe in the value of free services supported by personalised ads. However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements.”

In May, Meta was fined €1.2 billion for breaching a separate European rule, the General Data Protection Regulation, by processing data on European citizens on American servers.

Concerns over data protection prevented Meta from launching Threads, the text-based social media app to rival Elon Musk’s X, or Twitter, in the EU.

Read more:
Meta set to charge EU users for ad-free access

“It’s particularly worrying that the Government has disbanded the advisory board because data ethics is a critical part of legislating a fast-moving technology like AI. When we put this move into the context of the failure to finalise a replacement of GDPR seven years after it was announced it would be scrapped, the ongoing issues around the Online Safety Bill, and the failure to introduce any wide-ranging AI regulations, it paints a picture of a Government that does not seem to have a strategy towards regulating and cultivating innovation. I hope that the AI safety summit does help to focus minds and results in the threat and opportunity of AI being taken more seriously, however, data ethics is broader than just AI which leaves questions on how the Government is going to progress this without the advisory board. The establishment of DSIT was very positive but we need real engagement and transparency with the sector, including SMEs, and the public. Concrete action is needed now before it is too late.”

Read more:
UK government quietly disbands AI ethics advisory board just months before hosting global conference

The internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. We rely on it more than ever for work, entertainment, or staying in touch with loved ones.

Online accessibility has become nearly universal in the UK, where internet penetration rates are among the highest globally, with over 65 million users expected by 2026.

It’s clear that the internet is not just a luxury but a necessity, and this is where mobile hotspots play a crucial role.

Here’s everything you need to know about mobile hotspots, shedding light on their significance and how they can transform your digital experience.

Mobile Hotspots: What Are They?

Picture this scenario: you’re on the go, away from your home or office, and desperately need a reliable internet connection. Mobile hotspots to the rescue.

Also known as portable WiFi, these handheld devices create a secure, private WiFi network using cellular data. In essence, they allow you to connect to the internet anywhere, anytime, without relying on public WiFi networks that often leave your data vulnerable to prying eyes.

Security is a paramount concern when using public networks. The risks associated with open WiFi networks are well-documented, making mobile hotspots an attractive option for those who value their privacy and data security.

For instance, NETGEAR’s Mobile WiFi Hotspots provide a lifeline for anyone seeking freedom from the constraints of risky, slow, and insecure public WiFi. With your mobile hotspot, you can ensure the security of your data and devices through a safe, private connection that’s entirely your own.

How Do Mobile Hotspots Work?

Understanding how mobile hotspots work is essential to grasping their purpose fully. These nifty devices tap into wireless data from a cellular provider to provide internet access to phones, computers, tablets, and other WiFi-enabled gadgets.

Most mobile hotspots operate on 4G LTE wireless technology, offering maximum speeds of around 30 Mbps. However, some newer models have 5G capabilities, pushing speeds from 50 Mbps to well beyond 1,000 Mbps in select areas.

A remarkable example of cutting-edge mobile hotspot technology is the NETGEAR Nighthawk M6 Pro 5G WiFi 6E Mobile Hotspot Router

This device not only supports 5G but also incorporates WiFi 6E technology, unlocking staggering speeds of up to 4 Gbps for 5G and up to 3.6 Gbps for WiFi.

Moreover, it can connect up to 32 devices simultaneously, ensuring that your entire digital ecosystem enjoys seamless connectivity.

Nighthawk M6 Pro is unlocked, giving you the freedom to select the carrier of your choice. Simply get a SIM card and data plan that meets your needs.

Benefits of Using Mobile Hotspots

Now that we’ve explored what mobile hotspots are and how they operate let’s delve into the benefits they offer:

●      International Travel: If you’re a globetrotter, you’ve likely encountered the headache of data roaming charges. Mobile hotspots come in handy here. By connecting to a local network through your hotspot, you can bypass expensive roaming fees and enjoy affordable internet access while abroad.

●      Businesses: The rise of remote work and the need for flexibility in today’s business landscape have made mobile hotspots indispensable. They enable businesses to provide portable WiFi solutions for employees working from various locations, boosting productivity and cost savings.

●      Multiple Device Connectivity: Whether you’re juggling a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or more, mobile hotspots allow you to connect multiple devices simultaneously. They also often come with features that let you manage bandwidth effectively, ensuring a smooth online experience for all your gadgets.

●      Enhanced Security: Security in the digital realm is a top priority, and mobile hotspots provide an extra layer of protection. When you connect to a public WiFi network, you expose your data to potential threats. Mobile hotspots, on the other hand, create a secure and private WiFi network, shielding your sensitive information from hackers and cybercriminals. This peace of mind is invaluable, especially when handling confidential work-related tasks or conducting online banking transactions.

The convenience and security that mobile hotspots bring to the table are undeniable, and now you can create your personal WiFi oasis, where slow and unsecured public networks become a thing of the past.

In Conclusion

In a world where connectivity is king, mobile hotspots have emerged as a revolutionary technology. They offer the freedom to access the internet securely without the constraints of public networks or the woes of data roaming charges. From international travellers to businesses and everyday users, the benefits of mobile hotspots are far-reaching.

As we navigate the digital landscape, seamless connectivity becomes more than just a convenience—it’s an essential tool. So, if you haven’t already embraced the power of mobile hotspots, now might be the perfect time to start.

Equip yourself with a reliable device, and take charge of your online experience. With mobile hotspots, the entire world becomes your WiFi hotspot, enabling you to stay connected wherever you go. Elevate your online connectivity today!

Read more:
Everything you need to know about mobile hotspots

Amazon is making an investment of up to $4 billion in Anthropic in the latest in a series of alliances between big tech and artificial intelligence start-ups as hype around generative AI technology accelerates.

The deal makes Amazon the provider of cloud services for Anthropic’s “mission critical workloads”, the company said in a statement, while Amazon’s staff and customers will get priority access to technology from Anthropic.

It gives Anthropic “access to leading compute infrastructure” in the form of Amazon’s advanced AI chips, a spokesman said, “which will be used in addition to existing solutions for model training and deployment”.

The cloud, the infrastructure that manages and processes data and applications, is a crucial part of developing generative AI, which relies on vast amounts of storage and computing power.

The move is a cornerstone of Amazon’s strategy to forge ahead in AI through its powerful computing network. Since the start of August, the latest version of Claude has been part of Amazon Bedrock, which offers companies such as Slack and Zoom different AI models and support systems.

More broadly, this mega deal between Amazon and the two-year-old Anthropic captures the astonishing pace of change in the sector.

It mirrors the deal between Microsoft and the ChatGPT maker OpenAI, a rival to Anthropic, although that was a closer partnership. Microsoft paid $10 billion for a 49 per cent stake of OpenAI, which exclusively uses its cloud servers.

Google acquired the UK’s Deepmind, a cutting-edge artificial research business, in 2014 for more than $500 million but it also an investor in Anthropic and other AI companies.

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former researchers at OpenAI and aims to build reliable and safe AI systems. It is behind the “Claude” chatbot, which the company bills as a having a “high degree of reliability and predictability”. Like OpenAI, it charges users $20 a month for the most advanced option of the bot.

The company emphasises the safety and “reliability” of its chatbot because generative AI, which can create new images, text, code or translation when asked, is prone to errors and bias, which makes many wary of its usage.

Chatbots are trained on vast reams of copy, allowing them to detect language patterns and then “predict” sentences in a human-like fashion, which makes it feel like you are conversing with another, very well-informed, person.

Despite being only two years old, before the Amazon announcement Anthropic had already raised almost $1.5 billion from high-profile backers including Google, Salesforce, Zoom and Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed crypto business FTX who is now on trial for fraud. The last funding round was thought to value the business at more than $4 billion.

Initially Amazon will put in $1.25 billion, a sum that can be increased by a further $2.75 billion, but it is not known what percentage stake that represents for the technology giant and it will not have a seat on the board.

Read more:
Amazon pledges $4bn to Anthropic in race for chatbot dominance

People should not assume a positive outcome from the artificial intelligence boom, the UK’s competition watchdog has warned, citing risks including a proliferation of false information, fraud and fake reviews as well as high prices for using the technology.

The Competition and Markets Authority said people and businesses could benefit from a new generation of AI systems but dominance by entrenched players and flouting of consumer protection law posed a number of potential threats.

The CMA made the warning in an initial review of foundation models, the technology that underpins AI tools such as the ChatGPT chatbot and image generators such as Stable Diffusion.

The emergence of ChatGPT in particular has triggered a debate over the impact of generative AI – a catch-all term for tools that produce convincing text, image and voice outputs from typed human prompts – on the economy by eliminating white-collar jobs in areas such as law, IT and the media, as well as the potential for mass-producing disinformation targeting voters and consumers.

The CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell, said the speed at which AI was becoming a part of everyday life for people and businesses was “dramatic”, with the potential for making millions of everyday tasks easier as well as boosting productivity – a measure of economic efficiency, or the amount of output generated by a worker for each hour worked.

However, Cardell warned that people should not assume a beneficial outcome. “We can’t take a positive future for granted,” she said in a statement. “There remains a real risk that the use of AI develops in a way that undermines consumer trust or is dominated by a few players who exert market power that prevents the full benefits being felt across the economy.”

The CMA defines foundation models as “large, general machine-learning models that are trained on vast amounts of data and can be adapted to a wide range of tasks and operations” including powering chatbots, image generators and Microsoft’s 365 office software products.

The watchdog estimates about 160 foundation models have been released by a range of firms including Google, the Facebook owner Meta, and Microsoft, as well as new AI firms such as the ChatGPT developer OpenAI and the UK-based Stability AI, which funded the Stable Diffusion image generator.

AI expert Sridhar Iyengar, Managing Director, Zoho Europe, commented: “The safe development of AI has been a central focus of UK policy and will continue to play a significant role in the UK’s ambitions of leading the global AI race. While there is public concern over the trustworthiness of AI, we shouldn’t lose sight of the business benefits that it provides, such as forecasting and improved data analysis, and work towards a solution.”

“Collaboration between businesses, government, academia and industry experts is crucial to strike a balance between safe regulations and guidance that can lead to the positive development and use of innovative business AI tools. AI is going to move forward with or without the UK, so it’s best to take the lead on research and development to ensure its safe evolution.”

The CMA added that many firms already had a presence in two or more key aspects of the AI model ecosystem, with big AI developers such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon owning vital infrastructure for producing and distributing foundation models such as datacentres, servers and data repositories, as well as a presence in markets such as online shopping, search and software.

The regulator also said it would monitor closely the impact of investments by big tech firms in AI developers, such as Microsoft in OpenAI and the Google parent Alphabet in Anthropic, with both deals including the provision of cloud computing services – an important resource for the sector.

It is “essential” that the AI market does not fall into the hands of a small number of companies, with a potential short-term consequence that consumers are exposed to significant levels of false information, AI-enabled fraud and fake reviews, the CMA said.

In the long term, it could enable firms that develop foundation models to gain or entrench positions of market power, and also result in companies charging high prices for using the technology.

Read more:
AI surge may not have positive outcome, warns UK competition watchdog

Elon Musk has suggested that all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform.

In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said a payment system was the only way to counter bots.

“We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the system,” the Tesla and SpaceX boss said.

It is unclear whether this was just an off-the-cuff comment, or a signal of firmer plans that have yet to be announced.

Mr Musk has long said that his solution for getting rid of bots and fake accounts on the social media platform is charging for verification.

Since taking over Twitter last year he has looked to incentivise users to pay for an enhanced service, which is now called X Premium.

This has been done by giving paid subscribers more features, like longer posts and increased visibility on the platform.

However, users can currently still use X for free.

Although there is a clear financial interest for the company to charge users, Mr Musk insisted that getting people to pay for the service is aimed at tackling bots.

“A bot costs a fraction of a penny” to make he said. “But if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high”.

X Premium currently costs $8 (£6.50) a month in the US. The price differs depending on which country a subscriber is in.

The world’s richest person said that he was now looking at cheaper options for users.

“We’re actually going to come up with a lower tier pricing. So we just want it to be just a small amount of money,” he said.

“This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defence against vast armies of bots,” Mr Musk added.

However, a risk is that by putting X behind a paywall it may lose a large chunk of its users. That in turn, could drive down advertising revenue, which currently accounts for the vast majority of the company’s income.

Mr Musk’s conversation with the Israeli prime minister also touched on antisemitism on X.

The platform has been accused by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) campaign group of not doing enough to stop antisemitic content.

In a statement, the organisation said that Mr Musk was “engaging with and elevating” antisemites.

Earlier this month, he said that the company would sue the ADL to “clear our platform’s name”.

In the conversation with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Musk reiterated that he was “against antisemitism”.

Mr Netanyahu accepted the balance between free speech and content moderation was a challenge but urged Mr Musk to get the balance right.

“I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only antisemitism… but any collective hatred of people that antisemitism represents,” he said.

“I know you’re committed to that”, Mr Netanyahu added.

Read more:
Elon Musk suggests social media platform X could go behind paywall

Cloud providers in the UK do not have the latest chips, which would hamper those trying to develop “foundation model” AI such as ChatGPT and Bard, the Competition and Markets Authority said.

The regulator also warned there was a danger that big technology companies would consolidate their power in foundation models. It is investigating the foundation model market and has released its initial findings.

The most capable foundation models such as ChatGPT (OpenAI), Bard (Google) and Claude (Anthropic) have been developed using huge computing and data resources. OpenAI reportedly spent more than $100 million developing GPT-4, the latest version of ChatGPT. However, access to the most sophisticated chips or GPUs (graphics processing units) made by Nvidia is costly and currently restricted due to the huge demand.

In a section on barriers to entry, the regulator states that none of the three biggest cloud service providers based in Britain have the latest Nvidia chips available. It says this could be a problem for British developers working on foundation models that need to be trained on sensitive or personal data, as there can be restrictions on storing the data internationally.

In March, a review commissioned by the government concluded that Britain had fallen behind Russia, Italy and Finland in the world league table for computing power.

As of November last year, the UK had only a 1.3 per cent share of the global compute capacity and did not have a system in the top 25 of the most powerful global systems. Its most powerful system, Archer2, the national computing service, ranks 28th.

The review said there were fewer than 1,000 high-end Nvidia chips available to researchers and recommended that at least 3,000 “top-spec” GPUs be made available as soon as possible.

The government is working to address this by spending £900 million on a supercomputer that will be based in Bristol. It is in talks to buy £100 million worth of Nvidia chips for AI training.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly bought at least 3,000 of Nvidia’s latest AI chips, the H100, which cost $40,000 each. By comparison, the American start-up Inflection AI, which has developed the chatbot Pi, is building the largest artificial intelligence cluster in the world comprising 22,000 H100s.

The watchdog also warned that big tech could squeeze out smaller companies in the sector because of greater access to data and compute.

“Large technology companies’ access to vast amounts of data and resources may allow them to leverage economies of scale, economies of scope, and feedback effects to gain an insurmountable advantage over smaller organisations, making it hard for them to compete,” the regulator said. It concluded: “Given the likely importance of foundation models across the economy, we would be concerned if access to the key inputs required to develop foundation models were unduly restricted, in particular restrictions on data or computing power.”

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the competition regulator, said: “The speed at which AI is becoming part of everyday life for people and businesses is dramatic. There is real potential for this technology to turbo-charge productivity and make millions of everyday tasks easier — but we can’t take a positive future for granted. “There remains a real risk that the use of AI develops in a way that undermines consumer trust or is dominated by a few players who exert market power that prevents the full benefits being felt across the economy.”

Fake reviews may become easier to write because of the AI, the watchdog said. “The increased use of foundation model tools may in future make it easier and cheaper for bad actors to create fake reviews. Moreover, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a genuine and a fake review. Foundation models may make that problem worse because they could be used to generate content that may be even more convincing.”

Read more:
Britain lacks computing power for AI, CMA warns

After the ChatGPT launch in November last year, companies and consumers worldwide started using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to automate tasks, write documents, do market research, or even basic coding.

However, the rise of large language models and generative AI has also pushed into the spotlight the problem of news sites, publishers, and intellectual property holders who see their data being collected by AI crawlers. And while there are still no clear regulatory rules controlling AI’s use of copyrighted material, some of the world`s largest news websites have taken matters into their own hands.

According to data presented by AltIndex.com, nearly one-third of the world’s top 50 news sites have blocked AI crawlers from accessing their content, and their number continues rising.

CNN, New York Times, Daily Mail, Reuters, and Bloomberg have all Blocked at least one AI crawler

AI companies send crawlers to collect data to train their models and provide information for chatbots. However, as data is one of their core advantages, many of the world’s largest news websites have become extremely cautious, especially since there is generally no upside to handing over their data to AI crawlers.

The entire situation escalated last month after OpenAI had launched its GPTBot crawler to collect data to enhance its language models. Although the AI company promised that paywalled content would be excluded from websites, several high-profile news sites, including CNN, Reuters, and the New York Times, blocked GPTBot. Their number continued growing in the following weeks.

According to a Kirwan Digital Marketing Agency survey, 28% of the top 50 news sites worldwide have blocked at least one AI crawler by the end of last month. In regional comparison, the picture is a bit different. For example, 24%, or twelve out of fifty largest news sites in the United States, have blocked at least one AI crawler, far more than in the United Kingdom, where only three of 21 leading sites did the same. In India, the percentage of top new sites unwilling to hand over their data to AI companies is much higher, with one-third blocking at least one AI crawler.

One in Five Top News Sites has Blocked GPTBot

Although most of the world’s 50 leading news sites still haven’t taken action on blocking, the study showed GPTBot is the number one choice among those who have. Statistics show the brainchild of OpenAI has been blocked 22% of the time across the top 50 news sites, with Bloomberg, Reuters, Business Insider, Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN as the top names on this list.

CCBot has been blocked about half as often as the GPTBot, with a 10% share across the top 50 news sites. The survey also showed ChatGPT had been blocked by only one website, that of the Washington Post, the same as AnthropicAI, which has been blocked by only the UK’s NewsNow.

Overall, the New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, and NewsNow lead in blocking AI crawlers from accessing their content, with each news site blocking two AI bots.

Read more:
Nearly a third of the world’s biggest news sites have blocked AI crawlers from accessing content

TikTok has been fined 345 million euro (£296 million) by Ireland’s data watchdog following an investigation into how the social media platform processed children’s data.

The fine was imposed on TikTok Technology Limited (TTL) by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) after the probe into how certain privacy settings and features complied with obligations under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

The DPC inquiry examined age verification as part of the registration process and the processing of the personal data of children by the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform between July 31 and December 31 2020.

Tiktok said that it “respectfully disagreed” with the level of the fine imposed and stated that it related to features and settings which were in place three years ago.

The DPC adopted its final decision regarding its inquiry into TTK on September 1.

The DPC ruling described how child users progressed through the sign-up to the TikTok platform in such a manner that their accounts were set to public by default.

It said this meant that videos that were posted to child users’ account were public-by-default and comments were enabled publicly by default.

In the Family Pairing feature, the DPC said a child user’s accounts could be “paired” with an unverified non-child.

It said that that the non-child user had the power to enable direct messages for child users above the age of 16, thereby making this feature less strict for the child user.

As part of the inquiry, the DPC also examined some of TTL’s transparency obligations, including the extent of information provided to child users in relation to default settings.

The DPC has issued a reprimand as well as an order requiring TTL to bring its processing into compliance by taking specified action specified within three months and administrative fines totalling 345 million euro.

A spokesperson for TikTok said: “We respectfully disagree with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed.

“The DPC’s criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default.”

It is the latest in a series of fines handed out by the DPC in Ireland to social media giants.

Earlier this year, Facebook’s parent company Meta Ireland was fined 390 million for breaches of EU data privacy rules, one of a number of fines the DPC has imposed on the company.

In Januar,y WhatsApp was fined more than five million euro over data protection breaches and last year Instagram was fined 405 million euro over the way in which it handled teenagers’ personal data.

Earlier this year in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office fined TikTok £12.7 million because it “did not do enough” to make sure underage children were not using its platform and ensure that their data was used correctly.

Read more:
TikTok fined £296m by watchdog over how it processed children’s data

France has ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 for emitting too much electromagnetic radiation.

On Tuesday, the French watchdog which governs radio frequencies also told the tech giant to fix existing phones.

The ANFR has advised Apple that if it cannot resolve the issue via a software update, it must recall every iPhone 12 ever sold in the country.

But the World Health Organization has previously sought to allay fears about radiation emitted by mobile phones.

It says on its website there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low level electromagnetic fields is harmful to humans.

The iPhone 12 was first released in September 2020, and it is still sold worldwide.

Apple told the BBC it was contesting the ANFR’s review, and said it had provided the regulator with lab results from the tech giant itself and third parties which show the device is compliant with all the relevant rules.

It said the iPhone 12 was recognised as being compliant with regulations on radiation levels worldwide.France’s digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French newspaper Le Parisien the decision was due to radiation levels above the acceptable threshold, according to Reuters

He said the ANFR found the iPhone 12’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was above what is legally allowed.

“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks,” he said.

“If they fail to do so, I am prepared to order a recall of all iPhones 12 in circulation. The rule is the same for everyone, including the digital giants.”

France will share its findings with other regulators across the trading bloc – which Barrot said could result in “a snowball effect”.

The ANFR requires the SAR of devices to be checked against two different ways a phone is used.

First there is a “membre” – or limb – check, for when a phone is in close contact with a person’s body, such as when it is held or placed in a trouser pocket. The SAR limit for this is four watts per kilogram.

The regulator said the device’s “membre” SAR was 5.74 watts per kilogram – higher than the limit.

There is also a check for when a phone is slightly further away, such as when it is in a bag or jacket pocket, but the iPhone 12’s SAR measure came in under this threshold.

The news first broke on Tuesday in France – the same day that Apple unveiled its new iPhone 15.

The new phone is the first since 2012 to feature an alternative charging port, and Apple says it will sell an adapter so people can use their existing cables.

It comes as the Chinese foreign ministry issued a rebuttal against media reports which claimed government agencies had told staff to stop using iPhones.

It said China has not issued any laws, regulations or policies blocking the use of Apple’s products.

Read more:
France tells Apple to halt iPhone 12 sales over radiation levels

TikTok are involved in yet another data breach fine following a £12.7 million fine by the UK for illegally processing the data of 1.4m children under 13.

The video-sharing platform is being fined by the European Data Protection Board after they reached a decision over the platform’s processing of child data.

The investigation opened in 2021 by the data protection commissioner in Ireland into TikTok’s level of compliance with the EU’s general data protection regulation

The fine is expected to be issued in the next four weeks, but what exactly could the value of that fine be? GDPR and compliance expert, and Director of Skillcast, Vivek Dodd, shares just how high it could be, and how GDPR fines are calculated.

“Penalties for breaching the GDPR can reach up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is highest.” Vivek states.

“There are a number of factors that influence the size of the penalty, all of which are examined by the EDPB ahead of the issuing of the fine in September.” Vivek has outlined the eight factors that will be considered.

1. Gravity, nature & duration of breach

2. Personal data categories affected

3. Negligent or intentional infringement

4. Actions taken to mitigate the damage

5. Degree of responsibility of data controller/processor

6. Previous data breach infringements

7. Cooperation with supervisory authorities

8. Aggravating or mitigating factors (e.g. financial benefits gained from the infringement)

Considering all eight factors, Vivek adds, “Given TikTok’s previous fines earlier this year and the fact it’s data of those under 13 years-old, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the platform faces a huge fine. 4% of TikTok’s annual global turnover could equate to $376 million if we use BusinessofApps’ estimated $9.4 billion in annual revenue for TikTok in 2022.”

Discover the common data breaches in businesses and how you can prevent a huge fine like TikTok with Skillcast.

Read more:
TikTok’s latest GDPR breach could cost them up to $376M

Google faces a new multibillion-pound lawsuit from UK consumers accusing the company of contributing to cost-of-living price rises.

The lawsuit, on behalf of every consumer in the UK, says that Google has stifled competition in the search engine market, which caused prices to rise across the UK economy.

The lawsuit filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal claims that Google has broken competition law and raised the cost of living for every UK consumer.

Google has been accused of shutting out competition in mobile searches, and using its market dominance to raise the prices paid by advertisers for their spot on the Google search page, according to the claim. These are then passed on to consumers.

The class action is funded by Hereford Litigation, a global commercial litigation funder. Nikki Stopford, co-founder of Consumer Voice, a consumer rights campaigner and the class representative in the action, said: “This action aims to redress the balance – not only by getting people back what they’re owed but also by holding Google to account for its actions.”

Estimated compensation of £7.3bn has been requested for about 65 million UK users over the age of 16, meaning at least £100 per person on average.

Earlier this year, the US justice department and eight states filed lawsuits against Google over allegations that the company abused its dominance of the digital advertising business.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also launched an investigation into whether Google has abused its dominant position through its conduct in ad tech.

According to the CMA, in 2019, Google paid Apple approximately £1.2bn to ensure default status on Safari in the UK alone.

In the lawsuit, Google is accused of crowding its search pages with paid advertising – pressuring companies to pay more for “clicks”, rather than depending on consumers finding their sites themselves. The lawsuit claims that a more competitive search engine would select ads based more on relevance to the user than the price paid by the advertiser.

The lawsuit says that commercial agreements between Google and Apple to ensure Google was the default search engine for the Safari browser preinstalled with iOS, Apple’s iPhone operating system, contributed to allowing Google to maintain its dominant position on mobile.

Google Ads generated more than $224bn in revenue in 2022, accounting for almost 80% of parent company Alphabet’s revenue ($283bn in 2022).

Stopford said: “Google has fixed things, sometimes unlawfully, so it is the default search engine on practically all mobile phones in the UK. It abused its market dominance to charge advertisers more than if the market had been competitive – for example, for the sponsored links you see when you use Google to search for something. Advertisers have inevitably passed these higher costs on to shoppers.”

Luke Streatfeild, partner at legal firm Hausfeld, who is leading the litigation, said: “Google provides a great service, but it isn’t free. Instead, this claim says that Google has choked off competition in search engines for years, to the detriment of the businesses that use its services – and, ultimately, consumers. The lack of competition leads to higher prices and poorer quality, and the effects of this are felt throughout the UK economy.”

A Google spokesperson said: “This case is speculative and opportunistic – we will argue against it vigorously. People use Google because it is helpful. We only make money if ads are useful and relevant, as indicated by clicks – at a price that is set by a real-time auction.

“Advertising plays a crucial role in helping people discover new businesses, new causes and new products.”

Read more:
Google to face multibillion-pound lawsuit from UK consumers

TikTok has begun shifting European citizens’ user data to a newly operational site in Dublin as it moves to address western politicians’ concerns about Chinese state influence over the company.

The video-sharing app also announced that an independent UK-based cybersecurity company will vet any transfer of data outside Europe.

The Chinese-owned company said a datacentre in the Irish capital has now begun the migration of European user data, with two other datacentres in Norway and a second centre in Ireland to follow by the end of next year.

TikTok expects a full migration of personal data of users from the European Economic Area and UK by the end of 2024 to those datacentres, which will then be the default data location for users within this region. Currently, TikTok stores its global user data in the US, Malaysia and Singapore.

NCC group, a UK-based cybersecurity company, will independently audit TikTok’s data controls and protections, monitor data flows, provide verification and report any incidents.

Stephen Bailey, global director of privacy at NCC group, said: “We will be conducting security assessments of the TikTok platform, validating the type of data being transferred or accessed in the European datacentres and we will also be conducting security assessments of the TikTok platform from mobile iOS devices and android to look for security vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.”

The NCC is able to have discussions with national security or regulators without TikTok being involved.

The third-party oversight and new datacentres come after TikTok announced Project Clover in March, a data security programme to protect user information across Europe.

The US’s equivalent programme, Project Texas, will store data from American users within their own country on servers run by the tech firm Oracle.

The announcement of TikTok storing European user data locally follows global concerns and allegations over TikTok data being accessed or manipulated by the Chinese government, which TikTok denies.

Last year, TikTok told its European users that staff in China could access their user data to ensure their experience of the platform is “consistent, enjoyable and safe”.

TikTok has also made changes to its popular app as required by the EU’s Digital Services Act that calls for all large online platforms to share data with authorities. Changes include making it easier for European users to report illegal content, turning off personalised recommendations for videos and the removal of targeted advertising for users aged 3-17.

Theo Bertram, TikTok’s vice-president of public policy for Europe, said implementing data sovereignty was a “really significant area of investment in our company” and the platform had made “substantial progress” on Project Clover.

He added: “What we heard from the commission is that they are taking action about a fear of things that can happen instead of things that have happened and it is not enough for us to say: ‘Trust us are keeping data secure’ – which is why we have brought in NCC group so there is confidence in what we are saying and it being validated by an independent third party company.”

Elaine Fox, the platform’s head of privacy for Europe, said that when Project Clover is fully operational “personal data of EEA/UK users will go through additional security gateways before it can be accessed”. She added that TikTok stores its global user data in the US, Malaysia and Singapore with strict reviews on access permissions.

Read more:
TikTok opens datacentre in Dublin in bid to combat European privacy concerns

Microsoft will unbundle Teams, the chat and video messaging app, from its Office software package in an effort to stave off a potential antitrust fine in the European Union.

The concession comes a month after the European Commission opened an inquiry into the inclusion of Teams in the core Microsoft offering, saying it could unfairly restrict competition.

Brussels acted after a complaint from Slack, the rival platform now owned by Salesforce, which alleged in 2020 that Microsoft was preventing a level playing field by “force installing [Teams] for millions, blocking its removal and hiding the true cost to enterprise customers”.

Teams was added to Office 365 for free in 2017, eventually replacing Skype for Business, and became one of the biggest beneficiaries of the shift to working from home in the pandemic.

From October 1, new users of the Enterprise package in Europe who wish to use Teams will have to buy a standalone €5-a-month subscription on top of the core software suite. Existing corporate customers will be able to choose between continuing with their present arrangement or moving down to a package without Teams at a reduced monthly price.

Nanna-Louise Linde, Microsoft’s vice-president for European government affairs, said she hoped that the “proactive changes … will start to address these concerns in a meaningful way, even while the European Commission’s investigation continues”. She said the changes sought to address two concerns in Brussels “that customers should be able to choose a business suite without Teams at a price less than those with Teams included, and that we should do more to make interoperability easier between rival communication and collaboration solutions”.

A spokeswoman for the commission said: “We take note of Microsoft’s announcement.”

Microsoft will soon have to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which will force big technology companies that act as “gatekeepers” to comply with strict rules preventing them from locking customers into particular software ecosystems.

Technology groups can be fined up to 10 per cent of global turnover, or up to 20 per cent for repeat offences, if they do not comply with the European competition rules.

Read more:
Microsoft unbundles Teams from Office after EU threaten antitrust fine

British officials are warning organisations about integrating artificial intelligence-driven chatbots into their businesses, saying that research has increasingly shown that they can be tricked into performing harmful tasks.

In a pair of blog posts due to be published Wednesday, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that experts had not yet got to grips with the potential security problems tied to algorithms that can generate human-sounding interactions – dubbed large language models, or LLMs.

The AI-powered tools are seeing early use as chatbots that some envision displacing not just internet searches but also customer service work and sales calls.

The NCSC said that could carry risks, particularly if such models were plugged into other elements organisation’s business processes. Academics and researchers have repeatedly found ways to subvert chatbots by feeding them rogue commands or fool them into circumventing their own built-in guardrails.

Cyber expert Oseloka Obiora, chief technology officer at RiverSafe said: “The race to embrace AI will have disastrous consequences if businesses fail to implement basic necessary due diligence checks. Chatbots have already been proven to be susceptible to manipulation and hijacking for rogue commands, a fact which could lead to a sharp rise in fraud, illegal transactions, and data breaches.

“Instead of jumping into bed with the latest AI trends, senior executives should think again, asses the benefits and risks as well as implementing the necessary cyber protection to ensure the organisation is safe from harm,” he added.

For example, an AI-powered chatbot deployed by a bank might be tricked into making an unauthorised transaction if a hacker structured their query just right.

“Organisations building services that use LLMs need to be careful, in the same way they would be if they were using a product or code library that was in beta,” the NCSC said in one its blog posts, referring to experimental software releases.

“They might not let that product be involved in making transactions on the customer’s behalf, and hopefully wouldn’t fully trust it. Similar caution should apply to LLMs.”

Authorities across the world are grappling with the rise of LLMs, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which businesses are incorporating into a wide range of services, including sales and customer care. The security implications of AI are also still coming into focus, with authorities in the U.S. and Canada saying they have seen hackers embrace the technology.

Read more:
National Cyber Security Centre issues warning over chatbot cyber risks

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and principles in industrial settings. It involves connecting various devices, sensors, and machines to gather and exchange data, enabling improved automation, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.

IIoT has emerged as a game-changer in the manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain sectors, revolutionizing processes and unlocking new levels of efficiency and productivity. In addition to the transformative potential of IIoT, the critical role played by Internet of Things engineering services in facilitating successful IIoT implementations. These services encompass a range of expertise, including system design, hardware and software development, connectivity solutions, cybersecurity measures, and data analytics, ensuring that IIoT deployments are tailored to specific industry requirements and seamlessly integrated into existing infrastructure. IoT engineering services provide comprehensive end-to-end solutions, from ideation to deployment and ongoing maintenance, enabling organizations to leverage the full power of IIoT and achieve their efficiency and productivity goals.

The manufacturing sector encompasses the production of goods, while logistics involves the movement and storage of those goods. Supply chain management refers to the coordination and optimization of activities involved in delivering products to end-users. These sectors are critical to the global economy, and their efficiency and productivity play a vital role in competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Efficiency and productivity are key drivers for success in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management. Improved efficiency reduces waste, minimizes costs, and enhances resource utilization. Increased productivity enables faster production, streamlined logistics, and shorter lead times. By harnessing the power of IIoT, organizations can achieve significant improvements in these areas, leading to enhanced competitiveness and profitability.

Understanding Industrial IoT

IoT refers to the interconnection of everyday objects through the internet, enabling them to send and receive data. It has found applications across diverse industries, including healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and energy. In manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management, IoT technologies are applied in the form of IIoT to optimize processes, monitor assets, and collect real-time data for analysis and decision-making.

Compared to consumer-oriented IoT, IIoT has specific features and requirements due to the industrial context. It requires robust and secure connectivity, scalable infrastructure, interoperability between different devices and systems, and the ability to handle large volumes of data. IIoT solutions must also comply with industry-specific regulations and standards while integrating with existing infrastructure.

IIoT has a wide range of applications in these sectors. In manufacturing, it enables enhanced automation, real-time monitoring of production lines, predictive maintenance, quality control, and supply chain visibility. In logistics, IIoT facilitates smart warehousing, real-time fleet management, and condition monitoring of transportation assets. In supply chain management, IIoT enables demand forecasting, end-to-end traceability, supplier collaboration, and risk management.

Transforming Manufacturing with IIoT

IIoT enables the integration of machines, sensors, and systems to automate manufacturing processes. Real-time monitoring of production lines helps detect anomalies, optimize performance, and make informed decisions based on accurate and timely data. This leads to increased efficiency, reduced errors, and improved overall productivity.

IIoT enables predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring equipment conditions and identifying potential failures. This proactive approach helps prevent unplanned downtime, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the lifespan of assets. Predictive maintenance also enhances worker safety and improves resource planning.

IIoT allows for real-time quality monitoring and defect detection during the manufacturing process. Sensors and cameras can identify variations or anomalies, triggering alerts and corrective actions. This ensures higher product quality, reduces waste, and minimizes the likelihood of defective products reaching customers.

IIoT provides end-to-end visibility into the supply chain by tracking goods, materials, and assets in real time. This visibility enables accurate demand forecasting, efficient inventory management, and optimized logistics. With IIoT, organizations can identify bottlenecks, streamline processes, and respond quickly to changes in demand or supply.

Optimizing Logistics with IIoT

IIoT enables smart warehousing by integrating sensors, RFID tags, and connectivity solutions. This allows for real-time tracking and monitoring of inventory levels, location, and conditions. Smart warehouses optimize space utilization, reduce inventory holding costs, and enable efficient order fulfillment.

IIoT facilitates real-time monitoring and management of fleets. GPS trackers, telematics, and connectivity solutions enable organizations to track vehicles, optimize routes, and improve fuel efficiency. Real-time data on traffic, weather, and road conditions help organizations make informed decisions and ensure timely deliveries.

IIoT enables condition monitoring of transportation assets such as trucks, containers, and ships. Sensors and connectivity solutions detect abnormalities in temperature, humidity, vibration, and other parameters, allowing organizations to take preventive actions and avoid asset failures. This reduces maintenance costs, improves asset utilization, and enhances overall logistics efficiency.

Revolutionizing Supply Chain Management with IIoT

IIoT provides organizations with real-time data on customer demand, market trends, and inventory levels. This data enables accurate demand forecasting and optimization of inventory levels. By aligning supply with demand, organizations can reduce stockouts, improve customer satisfaction, and minimize inventory holding costs.

IIoT enables end-to-end traceability of products throughout the supply chain. By utilizing technologies such as RFID, barcodes, and blockchain, organizations can track products from raw materials to the end customer. This enhances transparency, prevents counterfeiting, and ensures product authenticity, leading to increased trust and brand value.

IIoT facilitates real-time data sharing and collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. This enables better coordination, synchronized production schedules, and improved response to changes in demand or supply. Collaborative efforts supported by IIoT foster stronger relationships, reduce lead times, and enhance supply chain agility.

IIoT helps organizations identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain. Real-time monitoring of conditions, such as temperature or humidity, enables proactive risk management. IIoT also provides data for analyzing supply chain disruptions and developing contingency plans. By building resilience through IIoT, organizations can respond effectively to disruptions and minimize their impact on operations.

Challenges and Considerations

IIoT raises concerns regarding the security and privacy of data collected from interconnected devices. Organizations must implement robust cybersecurity measures, such as encryption and access controls, to protect sensitive information. Privacy regulations and compliance frameworks must be adhered to while collecting, storing, and sharing data.

The wide variety of devices, protocols, and platforms used in IIoT can create interoperability challenges. Standardization efforts and open protocols are crucial to ensuring seamless integration and communication between devices and systems. Collaboration among stakeholders and industry consortia is necessary to develop common standards.

Implementing IIoT solutions at scale requires careful planning and consideration of existing systems and infrastructure. Organizations must ensure compatibility and smooth integration with legacy systems and equipment. Scalable architecture and infrastructure are necessary to handle the increasing volume of data generated by IIoT devices.

The adoption of IIoT demands a skilled workforce capable of managing, analyzing, and utilizing the generated data. Organizations need to invest in training programs to upskill their employees and equip them with the necessary knowledge of IIoT technologies and data analytics. Collaboration with educational institutions and industry associations can help bridge the skills gap.

Future Trends and Opportunities

The integration of IIoT with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will unlock advanced capabilities. AI and ML algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data collected by IIoT devices to derive actionable insights, optimize processes, and enable predictive decision-making. This integration will lead to more autonomous and intelligent industrial systems.

Edge computing, where data processing occurs closer to the source, enables real-time analytics and reduces latency. IIoT devices equipped with edge computing capabilities can make immediate decisions and take localized actions, improving response times and reducing dependence on centralized cloud infrastructure.

Blockchain technology provides a secure and transparent platform for data exchange in the IIoT ecosystem. It ensures data integrity, prevents tampering, and enhances trust among stakeholders. Blockchain-based smart contracts enable automated and secure transactions, streamlining processes and reducing costs.

IIoT is a key enabler of Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution characterized by the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing. The digital transformation driven by IIoT will result in smart factories, intelligent supply chains, and highly optimized processes. This will lead to increased productivity, agility, and customization capabilities.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Case studies of successful IIoT implementations showcase the tangible benefits achieved by organizations. Examples include companies leveraging IIoT to optimize production, reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance supply chain visibility. These success stories demonstrate the potential of IIoT in driving efficiency and productivity.

Industry leaders offer valuable insights into the challenges and best practices associated with IIoT adoption. Organizations can learn from their experiences and incorporate proven strategies when implementing IIoT solutions. Key lessons include strategic planning, strong partnerships, scalability considerations, and a focus on data security.

Conclusion

IIoT offers significant benefits to the manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain sectors. It enhances efficiency, productivity, and quality while enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and optimized processes. IIoT also improves supply chain visibility, collaboration, and risk management, leading to enhanced competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

In an increasingly competitive and interconnected world, embracing IIoT is crucial for organizations operating in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management. By harnessing the power of IIoT, organizations can achieve operational excellence, gain a competitive edge, and drive business growth through improved efficiency and productivity.

The field of IIoT is evolving rapidly, and ongoing innovation and collaboration are essential to unlock its full potential. Organizations must continue to explore emerging technologies, develop industry standards, and nurture a culture of innovation. Collaboration between industry stakeholders, academia, and government bodies is vital to address challenges, seize opportunities, and shape the future of Industrial IoT.

Read more:
Industrial IoT: Unleashing the power of IoT in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management for increased efficiency and productivity

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of renowned brands such as Tesla and SpaceX, recently acknowledged the potential downfall of X, the rebranded version of Twitter.

This confession coincides with a glitch that led to the disappearance of pictures and links published before December 2014.

In a recent post on X, Musk expressed his doubts about the future of the social media platform. He mentioned that the platform may not survive, acknowledging the predictions of many. Despite this, he assured that efforts would be made to sustain at least one successful social media platform.

“There are no great ‘social networks’ right now,” Musk stated on X. “We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one.”

Since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion and rebranding it as X, Musk has introduced several radical changes to the platform. These include mass layoffs, reducing Twitter’s workforce by more than three-quarters, and announcing the removal of the ‘block user’ feature.

However, these alterations have been accompanied by several technical issues. The platform has experienced several blackouts and glitches, with the recent one affecting tweets containing pictures and links dated before December 2014.

The glitch, which surfaced recently, seemed to affect old posts that included attached images or hyperlinks shortened using Twitter’s built-in web link shortener. This led to the temporary disappearance of several images, including the famous Ellen DeGeneres’ selfie from the 2014 Oscars, which was once the most retweeted tweet.

Though this image has been reinstated, most old tweets before December 2014 continue to display broken short links instead of the actual media or hyperlinks. The reason behind this malfunction remains unclear, with speculation ranging from technical issues to deliberate cost-cutting strategies to reduce server space.

The glitch has resulted in considerable backlash from users, who have accused Musk of causing further ‘vandalism’ to the platform. Users, especially those who have been on the platform for a long time, are concerned about the erasure of important historical content.

Fans of the South Korean boy band BTS expressed their dismay as they feared that images of the group had been lost. Similarly, reporters have also noted that images posted by Musk between 2012 and 2013 are not loading correctly.

In response to these issues, X has clarified that these images are still saved on their servers. The issue seems to lie with the broken t.co links. However, this has not alleviated users’ concerns, as the images are still effectively removed from the public internet.

Musk has not yet addressed this issue, further intensifying the speculation and concern among users.

The uncertainty about X’s future and the recent glitch have raised serious questions about the platform’s viability and management. While the technical issues may be temporary, the lack of communication from Musk and his team has only contributed to the growing apprehension among users.

The platform’s future seems to hang in the balance, with its success or failure likely to have significant implications for the broader social media landscape. Whether Musk’s ambitious plans for X will come to fruition remains to be seen.

Read more:
Elon Musk Concedes X’s Uncertain Future as Glitch Erases Pre-2014 Photos and Links

In early July, Meta’s social media app, Threads, burst onto the scene with an impressive 5 million user registrations within hours of its launch.

It quickly became the most rapidly downloaded app, with over 100 million people signing up in less than a week. However, the initial excitement surrounding Threads has since dwindled, as the app’s daily usage continues to decline.

A Steady Decline in Engagement

According to data from Similarweb, Threads experienced a significant decline in engagement, with active users dropping by 79% from its peak of 2.3 million in early July to 576,000 as of 7 August. This decline in user activity is concerning for Meta, especially considering the initial hype and high user acquisition rate.

Brands Reduce Posts on Threads

Not only are users abandoning Threads, but major US companies like Wendy’s, Anthropologie, and Rare Beauty have also decreased the number of posts they publish on the app. Adweek reports that these brands are experiencing “Threads fatigue,” indicating a growing dissatisfaction with the platform.

Despite its early success, Threads has failed to compete with Twitter. On its busiest day, Threads had less than half the number of users compared to Twitter, which boasts over 100 million active daily users. This discrepancy highlights the challenge Threads faces in unseating Twitter as the go-to text-based social media platform.

The Twitter Takeover and Controversial Changes

Threads was initially positioned to capitalise on the chaos at Twitter following its takeover by Elon Musk. Since Musk’s acquisition in October 2022, Twitter has undergone significant changes, including staff layoffs and controversial policy shifts. These changes have resulted in a decline in advertising revenue and a rise in user dissatisfaction due to frequent glitches and increased hate speech on the platform.

The rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk has been well-documented. The two tech moguls even considered a cage fight, but according to Zuckerberg, the idea has been abandoned. In a post on Threads, Zuckerberg stated that Musk didn’t appear to be serious about the fight, saying, “I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on.”

The Future of Threads

Threads’ decline in usage raises questions about its long-term viability. While Meta has not yet commented on the app’s performance, the downward trend in engagement and the departure of prominent brands from the platform suggest that Threads may struggle to regain its initial momentum.

In conclusion, Threads started with a bang but has since suffered a significant decline in daily usage. Despite its promise as a refuge from Twitter, the app has failed to maintain its early success. The challenges faced by Threads, coupled with the controversial changes at Twitter, highlight the difficulties in disrupting the text-based social media landscape. Only time will tell if Threads can recover and establish itself as a formidable competitor in the industry.

Read more:
The Decline of Threads App: A Promising Start Ends in Disappointment

Read more:
Rising Threat of ‘Hackers for Hire’: How End-to-End Encryption Software Safeguards Businesses

Despite a dizzying number of initial sign-ups, usage of Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s answer to Twitter, has declined significantly in recent weeks, according to a new report of by Similarweb, a digital intelligence platform.

Within the first few hours of its launch on 5 July, Threads garnered 5m user registrations and within less than a week at least 100 million people had signed up for the app. But, three weeks later, active daily use or the number of users who engage with the site on a daily basis has dropped, from a peak of 49 million on 7 July to 12 million on 22 July, according to Similarweb.

Even on its busiest day, usership of Threads was less than half of Twitter’s, according to the data. Twitter averages more than 100 million active daily users.

“Most of those who still use Twitter regularly will continue doing so at about the same rate,” said David Carr, senior insights manager at Similarweb.

Threads, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, was meant to capitalize on the chaos at Twitter since its takeover by the billionaire Elon Musk, and unseat the app as a go-to text-based social media platform.

Since taking over Twitter, Musk has laid off the majority of the app’s staff and pushed through a series of controversial policy changes that have led to a decline in advertising revenue. Earlier this month, the platform limited how many posts a non-subscribing user can see. And longtime users have complained about frequent glitches and increased hateful and vitriolic speech on the platform.

Zuckerberg and Meta hope to seize on the feelings of dismay among some of Twitter’s user base and promised that Threads would be a digital town square filled with positivity and connection.

“We are definitely focusing on kindness and making this a friendly place” the Meta CEO wrote on his Threads account.

But even with the promise that Threads offered disenchanted tweeters, it has so far failed to keep them posting on the platform with the same regularity that Twitter has. That may be in part because the Threads lacks some of Twitter’s functionalities, including a desktop option and place to search hashtags, phrases and names.

It’s unclear yet what impact Musk’s latest change at Twitter – its rebranding to X – may have on the platform’s usage. “Although we’re seeing a steady erosion by several metrics, the rebranding is likely to pale in comparison with other things people do or don’t like about Elon’s management,” Carr said.

Read more:
Threads users decline significantly despite initial surge in sign-ups

Apple is being sued for £1bn (£785m) by UK app developers over its App Store fees.

Professor Sean Ennis, from the University of East Anglia Centre for Competition Policy, is bringing the class action lawsuit on behalf of 1,566 app creators because of the tech giant’s “excessive” charges.

Some app makers are charged 15% to 30% by Apple in commission when using its in-app payment system – a procedure that has been criticised by antitrust regulators in several countries.

Professor Ennis said: “Apple’s charges to app developers are excessive, and only possible due to its monopoly on the distribution of apps onto iPhones and iPads.

“The charges are unfair in their own right, and constitute abusive pricing. They harm app developers and also app buyers.”

Apple previously said 85% of developers on the App Store do not pay any commission and that it helps European developers to access markets and customers in 175 countries around the world through the App Store.

Apple’s services business, including Apple Pay, Apple Arcade and the App Store, are escalating its growth with revenues at around $80bn (£62bn) per year.

In November, the UK Competition and Market Authority (CMA) launched a probe into the dominance of Apple and Google’s mobile browsers in the cloud market.

Read more:
Apple face $1bn lawsuit as UK app developers join forces against ‘excessive’ charges

Twitter has changed its brand and logo from its famous blue bird to “X”.

The new white X on a black background has replaced the blue bird on the desktop version of the social network, although is yet to appear on the mobile app.

“Tweets” will also be replaced, according to Twitter’s owner Elon Musk, and posts will be called “x’s”.

The billionaire changed his profile picture to the new logo and added “X.com” to his Twitter bio.

Mr Musk wants to create a “super app” called X – his vision for a new kind of social media platform that he has been talking about creating for months.

On Sunday, the billionaire said he was looking to change Twitter’s logo, tweeting: “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.”

He then shared a picture of the new X branding projected onto the side of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco.

Mr Musk, who has changed the name of the business to X Corp, said the replacement “should have been done a long time ago”.

He posted an image of a flickering X on Twitter, and later in a Twitter Spaces audio chat, replied “Yes” when asked if the Twitter logo would change.

Ms Yaccarino wrote on the platform that the rebrand was an exciting new opportunity.

“Twitter made one massive impression and changed the way we communicate,” she said.

“Now, X will go further, transforming the global town square.”

The bird is called Larry which Twitter’s co-founder Biz Stone said, in 2011, is a tribute to basketball star and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.

People took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the logo, including Martin Grasser who designed it in 2012.

“Today we say goodbye to this great blue bird,” he said. Later the tweet was shared by Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s best-known co-founder.

Commenting on the announcement, Brand expert Ian Humphris, CEO and founder at Nokamo Consulting says: “Does flipping the bird at Twitter’s distinctive logo break all the equity rules? Ordinarily, yes. But the keyboard warriors waving their How Brands Grow should see it from Elon’s perspective. Currently the platform is a 2D chat room with a haemorrhaging P&L, but the ambition is to be the next WeChat super-app. When you’ve landed a rocket vertically, you understand that sometimes revolution, not evolution, is how you bring the market to heel.”

Read more:
Elon Musk unveils Twitter rebrand as X with blue bird logo killed off

Mobile networks must tell people if they are going to be charged for using their phone abroad under new plans from the UK regulator.

Ofcom wants people to be alerted about potential fees for roaming – using minutes, texts or data outside the UK.

It says one in five people currently do not realise they face such fees when travelling.

Under the plans, customers must also be told about any action they can take to limit roaming-related charges.

Consumer groups say they are currently costing British phone users more than half a billion pounds a year.

Ofcom says some mobile networks are charging people approximately £2 a day to use their phone abroad.

It says it will make a decision on the new rules in 2024, and will give mobile providers six months to implement them.

The European Union (EU) banned roaming charges in 2017 and – even though the UK had voted to leave the year before – the scheme still applied to British people travelling to the EU while the terms of the UK’s departure were negotiated.

When a Brexit deal was finally struck, it did not include an extension on the ban on roaming charges in the EU for British mobile phone users, meaning UK operators were allowed to reintroduce them from January 2021.

The UK also chose not to introduce laws requiring companies to tell customers if they would be charged for roaming.

As a result, Three, EE and Vodafone all reintroduced roaming fees for customers travelling to the EU in 2022, while O2 says customers can use up to 25GB of data in a month before being charged.

‘Incredibly expensive’

Uswitch mobiles expert Ernest Doku said the comparison site “strongly supports Ofcom’s proposal”.

“There are virtually no regulatory protections left for consumers when they use their phones abroad for calls, texts or data usage,” he said and business owners who use their mobiles abroad were urged to switch to a business mobile contract.

“Roaming costs can now be incredibly expensive, and consumers have been left exposed at a time when a large unexpected bill could have severe consequences.

“Our research shows that a staggering £539m of unexpected roaming charges hit UK consumers in the past year alone.”

Ofcom also wants companies to tell people when they might fall foul of so-called “inadvertent roaming” – when a customer using their phone in the UK connects to a mobile network from a different country.

Though this is uncommon for most in mainland UK, those in Northern Ireland – particularly on the border – can connect to networks in the Republic of Ireland, while some on the south coast might occasionally connect to a network in France.

Research from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland found 22% of customers in the country experienced inadvertent roaming.

Ofcom has proposed the introduction of specific tariffs, or even forcing networks to “treat mobile usage in Ireland the same as being in the UK”. It said some networks currently do this.

“These alerts would mean whichever mobile provider you’re with, you won’t be left in the dark about roaming charges and action you can take to manage your spending,” said Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcom director of telecoms consumer protection.

Read more:
Ofcom proposes new rules to curb Mobile roaming charges

More than 1,300 experts have signed an open letter to collectively emphasise the positive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and relieve concerns about its impact on humanity.

Coordinated by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, the open letter aims to challenge the pessimism surrounding AI and promote a more optimistic perspective.

According to Rashik Parmar, CEO of BCS, the overwhelming support for the letter demonstrates the UK tech community’s resolute belief that AI should be viewed as a “beneficial force” rather than “nightmare scenario of evil robot overlords”.

This comes standing in opposition to the recent letter signed by influential figures, such as Elon Musk, which called for a pause in developing powerful AI systems, citing the perceived “existential risk” posed by super-intelligent AI.

The BCS signatories include experts from various businesses, academia, public institutions, and think tanks, their collective expertise and insights highlighting the myriad positive applications of AI.

Sheila Flavell CBE, COO of FDM Group, said: “AI can play a key role in supercharging digital transformation strategies, helping organisations leverage their data to better understand their business and customers. As the UK continues to show its commitment to developing AI for good, it will help increase Britain’s position as a tech superpower and positively bolster the economy as its usage becomes widespread. In order to harness the full power of AI, the UK needs to develop a cohort of AI-skilled workers to oversee its development and deployment, so it is important for organisations to encourage new talent, such as graduates and returners, to engage in education courses in AI to lead this charge.”

Hema Purohit, a specialist in digital health and social care for BCS, emphasised AI’s ability to enable early detection of serious illnesses, like cardiac disease or diabetes, during eye tests.

John Kirk, Deputy CEO, ITG said: “While the threats and benefits of AI remain unprecedented, it is encouraging to see how business leaders are committed to ensuring its safe development in order to maximise its benefits for good. AI in the creative industries is there to boost productivity and work alongside marketers by supporting to scale their campaigns, and automation anxieties must be stemmed. With better confidence, robust regulation and international collaboration on forming rules on its usage, businesses can work hand-in-hand with AI to achieve the best outcomes.”

To further support Britain’s position as a global exemplar for high-quality, ethical, and inclusive AI practices, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will host a global summit on AI regulation this autumn.

Challenges are emerging, including the potential automation of up to 300 million jobs, prompting companies to pause hiring in specific roles, but these must be approached pragmatically.

Regulations will be a vital safeguard against the misuse of AI, instead of hasty and unregulated proliferation. As the world grapples with the powers of AI, these expert voices will provide valuable insights and perspectives to guide its responsible development and implementation.

Read more:
UK Business Leaders declare AI as a Force for Good

Threads will add an alternative home feed of posts as part of a series of updates to the new social media app after users complained.

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said a feed for Threads showing posts in chronological order is currently being worked on.

Users want to see posts from accounts they follow rather than chosen by Threads’ algorithm.

Mr Mosseri said the new feed was “on the list” of changes to Threads.

Meta, which owns Threads, Instagram and Facebook, launched the social media app last week and more than 100 million users have signed up to use it.

Mr Mosseri said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, had given an alternative feed a “thumbs up”, after a number of users expressed frustration at not being offered a feed of posts from people they followed, in the order in which they were posted.

Other features “on the list”, according Mr Mosseri, include:

• an ability to edit posts
• translation into different languages
• making it easy to switch between different Threads accounts

While it is possible to view Threads on the web, via Threads.net, there is no desktop interface – posts can be made only via the app – and that too was something the company was “working on”, according to Mr Mosseri.

There is also no search function. When it announced the app’s launch, the company said it would add a “more robust search function” along with improvements to the selection of recommended posts.

Meanwhile the only way currently to fully delete a Threads profile is to delete the associated Instagram account, which many users would be reluctant to – another issue the company is looking to fix.

When Threads was launched, Meta announced it planned to allow it to communicate with other social-media platforms, such as Mastodon, using something known as the fediverse.

But this suggestion while welcomed by some, has met opposition.

The idea of the fediverse is it is like email. Someone on Gmail can exchange emails with someone using Hotmail, for example, and the fediverse could be described as that idea applied to social media.

At some point in the future Meta wants users to be able to use their Threads account to interact with other social-media platforms using ActivityPub – a protocol with the necessary programming code – such as Mastodon, WordPress or Reddit-alternative Lemmy.

But some worry Threads threatens the idea of this system altogether, because of a practice big tech companies have utilised in the past – “embrace, extend and extinguish”, when a company with a lot of resources extends what is possible from a new technology so drastically it becomes the new standard, leaving people with no choice but to use its platform.

Mastodon chief executive Eugen Rochko dismissed these fears, saying Meta joining Threads was “validation of the movement towards decentralised social media” and “a clear victory for our cause”.

But concern among users has grown with over a hundred Mastodon communities joining what they call the “fedipact” – an agreement to block Meta from being able to access their community under any circumstances – so even when Threads does begin to support ActivityPub, users will not be able to access everything on the fediverse.

One other feature coming to Threads at some point may also receive mixed reviews. There is no advertising on the platform – for now

Read more:
Meta plans feed for Threads after users complain

Meta’s Twitter rival, Threads, logged five million sign-ups in its first four hours of operation, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as the company seeks to woo users from Elon Musk’s troubled platform through an offer of lengthier posts, a handful of celebrity backers – and a strong resemblance to its competitor.

The Facebook and Instagram owner brought forward the app’s debut by 15 hours to 7pm EDT in the US and midnight in the UK, making it freely available in 100 countries on the Apple and Google app stores, although regulatory concerns mean it will not be available in the EU.

Brands such as Billboard, HBO, NPR and Netflix, and even us here at Business Matters had accounts set up within minutes of launch. Meta said initial celebrity backers included Shakira and Gordon Ramsay, with a recent report suggesting that Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama had also been approached.

Thread users will need an Instagram account to log in. Once they have signed up, they can choose to follow the same accounts they follow on Instagram, if they too have joined the new app.

The app closely resembles Twitter visually, although some of the wording has been changed, with retweets called “reposts” and tweets called “threads”. Meta has not been averse to copying rival products in the past, including the 2020 launch of Instagram’s Reels feature, noted for its similarity to TikTok’s short-form videos.

Posts on Threads can be 500 characters long, compared with 280 for most Twitter users, and videos of up to five minutes in length can be posted while a post can be shared as a link on other platforms. Users can unfollow, block, restrict or report others. Users can also filter out replies with certain words in them.

Meta has launched Threads in the wake of another turbulent period at Twitter, which imposed tweet viewing limits at the weekend in a move it blamed partly on data harvesting by companies building artificial intelligence models.

In subsequent Threads posts, Zuckerberg addressed those challenges. “I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will,” he wrote.

Reaction to the debut on Wednesday ranged from caution to enthusiasm, many praising its ease of use and some saying that Elon Musk should be worried. Others pointed out the app’s speedy integration with Instagram showed just how powerful Meta has become. Much of the conversation, ironically, took place on Twitter, where the hashtag “Threads” was trending on Wednesday evening.

News of Zuckerberg’s impending unveiling of Threads had resulted in the Facebook founder and Musk apparently agreeing to a cage fight over the matter, although a date has not been set for the unlikely confrontation.

Meta described Threads as a “new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations”, aiming to “take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas”. Twitter has a user base of more than 250 million, while Instagram reportedly has 2 billion users.

Meta said the app would also resemble Twitter’s rivals such as Mastodon, which is based on a decentralised platform that would allow accounts to be transferred to other services. It said: “We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet.”

Meta said it was planning to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, technology that also underpins Mastodon and allows social networks to be interoperable, which would let users of Threads take their accounts and followers to other ActivityPub-supported apps.

Meta said users could stop using the Threads app and transfer their content to another service that uses the same underlying technology – such as Mastodon. “Our vision is that people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa, ushering in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks.” As with Mastodon, Meta envisages mini-communities forming with their own community standards and moderation policies.

Currently, the main feed is a mixture of content that users follow, as well as content recommended from the algorithm. There are currently no plans to allow people to limit that to only people they follow. People will keep their usernames from Instagram, reducing the possibility of people name-squatting high profile usernames.

Mindful of criticism from politicians and campaigners over the safety of children on its platform, Meta is defaulting every UK Threads user under 18 to a private profile that can only be viewed by people the user approves.

Mike Proulx, research director at the analysis firm Forrester, said Threads was “yet another” copycat move but had been launched at a time of “peak Twitter frustration”, although the marketplace for rivalling Twitter was already flooded with alternatives such as Hive, Bluesky and Mastodon. “This only serves to fracture the Twitter alternative-seeking user base,” he said.

Read more:
Instagram owner’s Twitter rival, Threads, logs 5 million users in first hours

The US company behind ChatGPT has said its first international office will be based in London.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the move was an “opportunity to attract world-class talent”.

It comes after he criticised the EU’s proposed legislation regulating artificial intelligence (AI), which would require companies to reveal the content used to train their systems.

The UK meanwhile is planning what it calls “pro-innovation” regulation.

“We are thrilled to extend our research and development footprint into London, a city globally renowned for its rich culture and exceptional talent pool,” said Diane Yoon, OpenAI VP of People.”We are eager to build dynamic teams in research [and] engineering… to reinforce our efforts in creating and promoting safe AI.”

When ChatGPT burst onto the scene last November, the chatbot’s ability to give human-sounding answers to questions kickstarted intense global interest in the latest AI-powered products.

It also sparked a debate about what threats AI potentially poses – and what regulation is needed to mitigate those risks.

At an event at University College London in May, Mr Altman said he believed AI could create jobs and reduce inequality.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at the event that AI could “positively transform humanity” and “deliver better outcomes for the British public, with emerging opportunities in a range of areas to improve public services”.

ChatGPT has proven controversial, being briefly banned in Italy before it was restored in April 2023.

The UK government said it has invested £2.5bn in AI since 2014.

Speaking about the news, Chloe Smith, the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, said: “OpenAI’s decision to expand into London as their first international office is another vote of confidence for Britain as an AI powerhouse and, in OpenAI’s own words, for our vibrant technology ecosystem and exceptional talent.

“Our AI sector already employs more than 50,000 people across the country, and we will continue to foster an approach which unlocks opportunity and cements our place as a global destination for artificial intelligence.”

Read more:
ChatGPT owner OpenAI to open first foreign office in UK

Apple has criticised powers in the Online Safety Bill that could be used to force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp and Signal to scan messages for child abuse material.

Its intervention comes as 80 organisations and tech experts have written to Technology Minister Chloe Smith urging a rethink on the powers.

Apple has said that the bill should be amended to protect encryption.

The government says companies must prevent child abuse on their platforms.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) stops anyone but the sender and recipient reading the message.

Police, the government and some high-profile child protection charities maintain the tech – used in apps such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage – prevents law enforcement and the firms themselves from identifying the sharing of child sexual abuse material.

But in a statement Apple said: “End-to-end encryption is a critical capability that protects the privacy of journalists, human rights activists, and diplomats.

“It also helps everyday citizens defend themselves from surveillance, identity theft, fraud, and data breaches. The Online Safety Bill poses a serious threat to this protection, and could put UK citizens at greater risk.

“Apple urges the government to amend the bill to protect strong end-to-end encryption for the benefit of all.”

But the government has said that “companies should only implement end-to-end encryption if they can simultaneously prevent abhorrent child sexual abuse on their platforms.

“We will continue to work with them to seek solutions to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material while maintaining user privacy.”

The Online Safety Bill, currently going through Parliament, contains powers that could enable communications regulator Ofcom to direct platforms to use accredited technology to scan the contents of messages.

The government said these powers would only be used as “a last resort, and only when stringent privacy safeguards have been met”.

Recently Home Office ministers have also been highly critical of Facebook’s roll-out of the tech for messaging.

Several messaging platforms, including Signal and WhatsApp, have previously told media they will refuse to weaken the privacy of their encrypted messaging systems if directed to do so.

Signal said in February that it would “walk” from the UK if forced to weaken the privacy of its encrypted messaging app.

Apple’s statement now means that some of the most widely used encrypted apps oppose this part of the bill.

The government argues it is possible to provide technological solutions that mean the contents of encrypted messages can be scanned for child abuse material.

The only way of doing that, many tech experts argue, would be to install software that would scan messages on the phone or computer before they are sent, called client-side scanning.

This, critics say, would fundamentally undermine the privacy of messages.

In 2021 Apple announced plans to scan photographs on people’s iPhones for abusive content before they were uploaded to iCloud but these were abandoned after a backlash. It has now clearly signalled its opposition to any measure that weakens the privacy of end-to-end encryption.

‘Routine scanning’

Its announcement comes as the digital civil liberties campaigners The Open Rights Group sent an open letter to minister Chloe Smith.

The letter, signed by more than 80 national and international civil society organisations, academics and cyber-experts, says: “The UK could become the first liberal democracy to require the routine scanning of people’s private chat messages, including chats that are secured by end-to-end encryption.

“As over 40 million UK citizens and 2 billion people worldwide rely on these services, this poses a significant risk to the security of digital communication services not only in the UK, but also internationally.”

Element, a British tech company whose products using E2EE are used by government and military clients, has previously told the BBC measures in the bill that are seen to weaken the privacy of encrypted messages would make customers less trustful of security products produced by UK firms.

There is a growing expectation, the BBC has learned, that changes may be made to part of the bill which critics say could be used to mandate scanning. These could be included in a package of amendments to be revealed in the coming days.

But it is not clear what the detail of those changes might be, or if they will satisfy the concerns of campaigners.

Read more:
Apple joins opposition to Online Safety Bill and message app scanning

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Chloe Smith, has announced a £54 million investment to support the UK’s AI and data science workforce and develop trustworthy and secure AI.

The investment is set to support universities across the UK in their work develop cutting edge artificial intelligence technology as £31 million of the funding will be used to back ground-breaking research at the University of Southampton, bringing together the expertise of academia, business, and the wider public

The funding sets out to support the new Geospatial Strategy which hopes to drive growth through emerging technology such as AI, satellite imaging and real-time data, while accelerating new research ventures within the industry, philanthropic organisations and the third sector.

The package was unveiled at London Tech Week, supporting the UK’s efforts in cementing itself as a science and technology powerhouse to help fuel economic growth and create more job opportunities.

Sridhar Iyengar, Managing Director for Zoho Europe, commented:  “The development of trustworthy AI is critical to its success. It is great to see the UK making investment to create a safe and ethical playing field for AI bringing together expertise across academia, business and the wider public to drive this forward.

“AI offers huge potential for business and the economy, as a tool to improve efficiencies and provide enhanced customer service capabilities via the use of customer service assistants, data analysis, forecasting and more.

“As the debate around the future of this emerging and fast moving technology continues, this collaboration can help to ensure best practice in providing guidance and regulation which sees AI applied to aid ethical and secure adoption and which can help the UK continue its ambition to take the lead in these industry developments. Further education from all parties will only work to increase trust and reduce fears.”

Technology Secretary Chloe Smith, said: “Despite our size as a small island nation, the UK is a technology powerhouse. Last year, the UK became just the third country in the world to have a tech sector valued at $1 trillion. It is the biggest in Europe by some distance and behind only the US and China globally.

“The technology landscape, though, is constantly evolving, and we need a tech ecosystem which can respond to those shifting sands, harness its opportunities, and address emerging challenges. The measures unveiled today will do exactly that.

Read more:
Government injects £54m into the development of trustworthy AI

Google could be forced to sell parts of its $224.5 billion advertising business after the European Commission found that the tech giant had been abusing its dominant position in the sector.

The search engine business has been accused of conduct that may have foreclosed rivals and enabled the company to charge high fees for its services.

The commission has concluded that a forced sale of part of its advertising business may be required to restore competition after finding that Google abused its position for almost a decade.

Brussels alleged that Google had intentionally distorted the market and warned that requiring the company to change its behaviour rather than sell off parts of its business would be “ineffective”. But it said its conclusions were preliminary at this stage.

Dan Taylor, Google’s vice-president for advertising, said: “Google remains committed to creating value for our publisher and advertiser partners in this highly competitive sector. The commission’s investigation focuses on a narrow aspect of our advertising business and is not new. We disagree with the EC’s view and we will respond accordingly.”

European regulators have so far stopped short of breaking up Google and have instead levied the company with billions in fines for antitrust violations. But global efforts to regulate the technology giants have started picking up pace.

The UK competition watchdog is also looking to take action on Google and Facebook’s dominance of the online advertising sector. The Competition and Markets Authority’s new digital markets unit has been set up to stop large Silicon Valley tech companies abusing their market power.

The regulator’s research has found that Google controlled more than 90 per cent of the advertising revenues generated from internet searches in the UK in 2019. Its study on online advertising has also found that Google extracts up to 30 per cent more surplus from advertisers than its rival, Bing.

The watchdog’s report on Google and Facebook’s market power found the online advertising sector cost about £14 billion in 2019. It said advertising added an additional £500 per household to the costs of goods and services and that these prices were “likely to be higher than they would be in a more competitive market”.

The report said: “Google and Facebook were able to emerge, with limited resources, on the back of a good idea, producing new and innovative services that are highly valued by consumers. However, they are now protected by such strong and self-reinforcing incumbency advantages that similar innovation by new entrants is much more difficult.”

Read more:
EU threatens to break up Google’s $200bn ad business