News/Asia
India’s first AI-ready edge data centre to launch in Lucknow
India's technology infrastructure is expanding with the announcement of its first AI-ready edge data centre in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The facility, developed by Sify Infinit Spaces Limited, represents a significant step in establishing the region as a major technology hub in North India. Project Overview: The groundbreaking ceremony for the state-of-the-art data centre took place on February 23, marking the beginning of a four-phase development plan. The first phase is scheduled to become operational by June 2025 The facility is strategically located in the HCL IT city campus on Sultanpur Road, Lucknow The data centre will utilize edge caching technology...
read Feb 24, 2025AI musicians take center stage at Mip London Korea Showcase
The Korean entertainment industry continues to innovate in content creation, with studios showcasing diverse formats ranging from AI-powered productions to historical dramas at Mip London. The presentations highlighted how Korean studios are leveraging advanced technologies while maintaining their signature storytelling elements across multiple genres. Technology integration and cost efficiency: Studio Meta-K is pioneering AI-driven production methods to address the rising costs of K-drama production, which have tripled in the past three years. The studio employs digital doubles, game engines, deepfake technology, and generative AI to create entirely AI-generated worlds and characters Their "Season" project features AI virtual music artists based...
read Feb 24, 2025Big in India: Microsoft Azure OpenAI powers 800+ Indian enterprises, study finds
Early 2025 has seen significant adoption of Microsoft's Azure OpenAI platform across Indian enterprises, marking a crucial step in the country's technological transformation. The integration of AI technologies is reshaping business operations while simultaneously raising important questions about regulation and workforce impact. Key adoption metrics: Microsoft's Azure OpenAI platform has gained substantial traction in the Indian market, with over 800 enterprises now utilizing the technology for their AI initiatives. Within Microsoft itself, AI implementation has yielded notable improvements, including a 10% increase in sales efficiency and 40% faster customer service resolution times Over half of Indian enterprises are planning to...
read Feb 23, 2025India and UK bolster tech partnership in AI, 6G and space
The United Kingdom and India have forged deeper technological cooperation through a series of high-level meetings and agreements in February 2025, focusing on next-generation telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and space technology. This collaboration builds upon existing partnerships while expanding into new areas of innovation, including Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) development and 6G research. Key developments: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) and London's Sonic Labs have formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding focused on Open RAN policy and technical development. The agreement encompasses 5G Open RAN advancement and AI integration in both 4G and 5G networks...
read Feb 23, 2025The AI CUDA Engineer: How Sakana AI is enabling the development of more efficient AI models
Sakana AI has developed a groundbreaking framework that uses artificial intelligence to automatically optimize GPU code for AI systems, marking a significant advancement in making AI systems more efficient and faster. The core innovation: The AI CUDA Engineer framework automatically converts PyTorch code into highly optimized CUDA kernels, achieving performance improvements of 10-100x over standard PyTorch operations and up to 5x speedups compared to existing production CUDA kernels. The system translates high-level PyTorch code into low-level CUDA instructions that directly access NVIDIA GPU hardware CUDA kernels are specialized functions that enable parallel computation on GPUs, traditionally requiring extensive expertise to...
read Feb 22, 2025India partners with ITU to advance AI and digital twin technologies
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have formalized a partnership to advance digital innovation and telecommunications standards globally. This Letter of Intent (LoI) marks a significant shift in telecommunications infrastructure, moving from traditional connectivity models toward intelligent, data-driven planning systems. Partnership overview: The collaboration between ITU and DoT establishes a framework for developing next-generation technologies including digital twins, artificial intelligence solutions, and IMT-2030 capabilities. The agreement prioritizes knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives between India and ITU member states A key focus is creating sandbox environments to test and validate digital twin technologies before deployment...
read Feb 20, 2025South Korea to build world’s largest AI data center
The South Korean technology sector is witnessing a significant expansion with the announcement of a massive AI data center project. Leading the initiative is Brian Koo, a member of the LG Electronics founding family, who has partnered with the South Korean government to construct what is being promoted as the world's largest AI data center. Project Overview: The new data center, planned for Jeollanam-do Province, will be developed by Fir Hills Inc., a subsidiary of Stock Farm Road Inc., with an expected completion date of 2028. The facility will have the capacity to scale up to 3 gigawatts, making it...
read Feb 20, 2025DeepSeek downloads halted in South Korea amid privacy issues
The rapid growth of AI chatbots in South Korea has led to increased scrutiny of data privacy practices by local authorities. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has emerged as a popular alternative to ChatGPT in South Korea, with approximately 1.2 million smartphone users as of January 2025. Latest developments: DeepSeek has temporarily suspended downloads of its chatbot applications in South Korea's App Store and Google Play while addressing privacy concerns raised by regulators. The suspension was implemented on Saturday evening following discussions with South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission Existing users can continue to access DeepSeek on their phones and...
read Feb 20, 2025South Korea goes big, targets 10,000 GPUs for national AI computing hub
The global artificial intelligence industry has created unprecedented demand for specialized graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential components for training AI models and running advanced applications. South Korea has announced an ambitious initiative to acquire 10,000 GPUs for its national AI computing center, positioning itself as a serious contender in the international AI landscape. Strategic importance: South Korea's push to secure GPUs reflects a broader shift in AI competition from corporate rivalry to national-level innovation ecosystems. Acting President Choi Sang-mok emphasized the urgency of establishing robust AI infrastructure through public-private partnerships The government aims to launch services at its...
read Feb 20, 2025Malaysia is betting on AI data centers to fuel growth — here’s why experts urge caution
Johor, Malaysia's southernmost state, has emerged as Southeast Asia's fastest-growing data center hub, with plans to reach 1.6 gigawatts of capacity as part of the country's broader economic transformation strategy. Malaysia's government sees data centers as a pathway to modernization and technological advancement, although this vision faces significant challenges and criticism. Investment landscape and economic strategy: Malaysia is aggressively courting data center investments through competitive land pricing, abundant power capacity, and attractive tax incentives. The country secured over $31 billion in investments during the first ten months of 2024, positioning itself as a major player in Southeast Asia's digital infrastructure...
read Feb 18, 2025Mistral launches Saba, a regional language AI model for the Middle East and Subcontinent
The development of large language models (LLMs) has predominantly focused on major world languages, leaving a significant gap in regional language capabilities. Mistral, a French AI startup, is addressing this limitation with its new regional language model initiative, beginning with the release of Saba. The big picture: Mistral's strategic shift toward regional language models reflects growing enterprise demand for AI solutions that better understand local languages and cultural nuances. Enterprise customers worldwide have expressed strong interest in models that are native to regional parlance, not just technically fluent Current general-purpose LLMs often struggle with cultural context and local language usage...
read Feb 18, 2025Sovereign sentience nears with Saudi Arabia’s first sovereign AI cloud platform
The rise of sovereign AI platforms has gained momentum as countries seek to maintain control over their AI infrastructure and data. Saudi Arabia's telecommunications giant stc Group is making significant moves in this direction through a strategic partnership with AI solutions provider SambaNova. The big picture: Saudi Arabia is establishing its position in the global AI landscape through the launch of a sovereign AI cloud platform featuring the world's largest open-source frontier model. The platform, launched through stc.AI, incorporates stc Enterprise GPT and boasts the fastest inference speeds for Llama 405B This initiative represents a significant step in Saudi Arabia's...
read Feb 18, 2025DeepSeek AI app raises privacy concerns in South Korea, triggering ban and removal
The rise of Chinese AI company DeepSeek has been marked by both technological achievements and regulatory challenges, particularly regarding data privacy concerns. In early 2025, South Korea became the latest country to take action against the company's mobile app, following Italy's earlier ban. Key Development: South Korea's data protection authority has ordered Apple and Google to block downloads of the DeepSeek app, citing non-compliance with local data protection laws. The ban specifically targets the mobile app while leaving web browser access temporarily available DeepSeek has appointed legal representatives in South Korea and acknowledged partial neglect of the country's data protection...
read Feb 12, 2025SoftBank reports loss after AI investment announcement with Trump
Falling star...gate? The Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank Group Corp. has faced significant financial fluctuations in recent months, posting both notable gains and losses across its diverse portfolio. The company's strategic focus on artificial intelligence investments, including a major recent partnership with U.S. tech leaders, comes amid these varying financial results. Latest financial results: SoftBank Group reported a 369.2 billion yen ($2.4 billion) loss for the fiscal third quarter, contrasting sharply with its 950 billion yen profit in the same period last year. Quarterly sales showed a modest 3% increase to 1.83 trillion yen ($11.9 billion) The company's nine-month performance...
read Feb 12, 2025Alibaba stock perks up as investors bet on iPhone AI potential
Alibaba's stock experienced a significant surge following reports that Apple may partner with the Chinese e-commerce giant to implement AI features for iPhones in China. This potential collaboration marks a strategic shift in Apple's approach to AI services in the world's largest smartphone market, where regulatory approval is required for such technologies. Market Impact: The news triggered immediate reactions in Asian markets, particularly affecting key players in China's tech sector. Alibaba's shares jumped as much as 8.6%, marking their biggest increase since September Baidu, previously considered a frontrunner for Apple's AI partnership, saw its stock decline by nearly 3% in...
read Feb 11, 2025India tops global AI adoption at 65%, Microsoft survey finds, with even higher use among millennials
The release of Microsoft's Global Online Safety Survey 2025 reveals unprecedented AI adoption rates in India, where usage has more than doubled over the past year. The comprehensive study, surveying 14,800 participants across 15 countries, positions India at the forefront of global AI integration while highlighting significant safety concerns. Key findings on adoption: India's AI usage rate of 65% in the past three months significantly outpaces the global average of 31%, marking a dramatic increase from 26% in 2023. India joins Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, and the US as global leaders in Generative AI adoption Millennials (ages 25-44) represent the...
read Feb 10, 2025AI pioneer spars with China’s ex-UK envoy over the virtues of open-source
China's place in global AI development has become increasingly prominent, with former diplomat Fu Ying engaging in notable discussions with leading AI researchers at a pre-summit panel in Paris. The exchange highlighted growing tensions between Western and Chinese approaches to AI development, occurring against the backdrop of DeepSeek's recent challenge to US AI dominance. Key panel dynamics: A significant exchange between Fu Ying, China's former UK ambassador, and a prominent AI researcher highlighted fundamental differences in approaches to AI development and safety. Fu Ying, now at Tsinghua University, emphasized China's rapid AI development since 2017, acknowledging both the speed and...
read Feb 10, 2025Indian PM Modi journeys through France and US for key diplomatic talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a multi-nation diplomatic tour with scheduled visits to France and the United States in February 2024. The high-level diplomatic mission focuses on advancing partnerships in artificial intelligence, defense cooperation, and international trade relations. Key Diplomatic Engagements: Modi's first stop is France, where he will co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron from February 10-12. Modi and Macron will jointly inaugurate India's first consulate in Marseille The leaders will visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project Plans include announcements on small modular reactors to enhance civil nuclear cooperation The two nations...
read Feb 8, 2025Private equity consortium buys Japanese chipmaker FICT for $660M
MBK Partners and Formfactor have formed a consortium to acquire Japanese printed circuit board manufacturer FICT in a deal valued at $660 million. Deal Structure and Participants: The acquisition involves MBK Partners taking an 80% stake in FICT, while Formfactor will acquire the remaining 20% from current owner Advantage Partners. The transaction, valued at 100 billion yen, is expected to close within the current quarter FICT, based in Nagano, Japan, was originally a Fujitsu subsidiary before being spun off in 2002 The company specializes in high-end printed circuit boards for supercomputers, semiconductor testing equipment, and base stations Strategic Rationale: The...
read Feb 6, 2025OpenAI’s Altman discusses AI plans with India’s IT minister
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with India's IT Minister to discuss collaboration on developing affordable AI infrastructure in India, marking Altman's first visit to the country since 2023. Key Meeting Details: The discussion between OpenAI's Sam Altman and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw centered on India's strategy to develop a comprehensive, cost-effective AI ecosystem. Vaishnaw shared on social media platform X that OpenAI expressed willingness to collaborate on three key components: GPUs, models, and applications The meeting highlighted India's ambition to create AI solutions at a fraction of the cost compared to other countries Vaishnaw drew parallels between India's cost-effective space...
read Feb 5, 2025India builds first open-source audio language model using Llama
Sarvam AI has developed India's first open-source audio language model, Shuka v1, by integrating Meta's Llama model to process voice queries across multiple Indian languages. Project overview: Shuka v1 represents a significant breakthrough in multilingual audio comprehension, combining Llama's language processing capabilities with a custom audio encoder to handle voice interactions in ten Indian languages. The system utilizes Llama as a decoder to process audio tokens generated by Sarvam's proprietary audio encoder Shuka v1 can accurately interpret and respond to voice queries in languages including Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, and Marathi The open-source nature of the model allows government departments and...
read Feb 5, 2025Ooh La La and AI: Global regulation talks continue at French summit
The third AI Action Summit, co-chaired by France and India, will convene global leaders, scientists, and industry experts in Paris on February 10-11, 2025, to address artificial intelligence governance and innovation. Event Overview and Participation: The summit will bring together a diverse group of global stakeholders to discuss AI regulation and development. 60 heads of state and government will attend, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, European Commission President Ursula Van der Leyen, Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi The event will feature Nobel and Turing Prize laureates among hundreds of scientists and academic...
read Feb 5, 2025BlackRock to add 1,200 jobs in India to boost AI capabilities
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, plans to expand its India operations by hiring 1,200 new employees, with a significant focus on artificial intelligence capabilities. Expansion overview; The hiring initiative will increase BlackRock's Indian workforce by approximately one-third, building upon its existing team of 3,500 employees across two support hubs. The expansion will primarily strengthen operations at BlackRock's iHubs in Mumbai and Gurugram A new presence in Bangalore will be established through the proposed acquisition of data firm Preqin BlackRock has secured office space in Mumbai's Goregaon area through a USD 45.9 million lease deal Talent focus and capabilities; The...
read Feb 5, 2025India bans ChatGPT and DeepSeek for finance ministry staff
India's finance ministry has issued an internal advisory prohibiting employees from using AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official work, citing data security concerns. Key policy details: The January 29 directive specifically addresses the use of AI applications on office computers and devices, emphasizing the potential risks to government data confidentiality. The advisory explicitly names ChatGPT and DeepSeek as examples of AI tools that pose potential security risks Three finance ministry officials have confirmed the authenticity of the internal note It remains unclear whether similar directives have been issued to other Indian government ministries International context: India's move aligns...
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