News/Europe
Swiss startup Corintis raises $24M to cool AI chips from within
Corintis, a Swiss startup developing advanced liquid chip-cooling technology, has raised $24 million in Series A funding and added Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to its board. The investment reflects growing demand for better heat management solutions as AI chips consume unprecedented amounts of power, with Microsoft testing showing Corintis's system is up to three times more efficient than standard cooling methods. What you should know: Corintis channels liquid directly through tiny channels etched inside chips rather than just cooling the surface, addressing critical overheating issues in AI hardware. The company was valued at around $400 million after the funding round,...
read Sep 24, 2025Faux pas! French voice actor sues game studio over AI voice cloning in Tomb Raider
French video game developer Aspyr used AI to clone voice actor Françoise Cadol's distinctive performance as Lara Croft without her permission in an August update to "Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered." The incident has ignited widespread concern among voice actors and gaming fans about unauthorized AI voice cloning, highlighting broader workplace automation threats as the technology becomes more accessible and difficult to regulate. What happened: Gamers immediately detected that something was wrong with Lara Croft's French voice in the August 14 update, describing it as robotic and lifeless compared to Cadol's original performance. Cadol, who has voiced the character since 1996,...
read Sep 24, 2025Unreal steel: Finnish sorting company orders 7 more AI robots after successful trial
ZenRobotics, a Finnish AI-powered robotic sorting company, and US Conveyor, a specialist in custom scrap metal recycling systems, have secured a repeat order for seven Heavy Picker robots from one of the largest steel recyclers in the United States. This follows the successful installation of three units for the same customer in 2024, demonstrating growing confidence in robotic solutions as the industry faces increasing demand for high-purity recycled metals and safer working conditions. What you should know: The Heavy Picker robots use AI and advanced robotics to separate ferrous and non-ferrous metals with high precision, addressing critical industry challenges. The...
read Sep 23, 2025Swiss franc meets Shark Tank as AI startup Giotto.ai seeks $200M funding at $1B+ valuation
Swiss AI startup Giotto.ai is seeking to raise more than $200 million at a valuation exceeding $1 billion, positioning itself as Europe's latest contender in the race for artificial general intelligence (AGI). The Lausanne-based company has hired investment bank Lazard to lead the fundraising, which will test investor appetite for a new European AI player in a market dominated by well-funded U.S. labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. What you should know: Giotto.ai plans to use the capital for AI research, building commercial prototypes with enterprise and government clients, and open-sourcing core technology. The company was launched in 2017 by CEO...
read Sep 23, 2025EU considers delaying AI Act enforcement by up to one year due to catch-up concerns
The European Union is considering a pause on enforcing key provisions of its landmark 2024 Artificial Intelligence Act, potentially delaying compliance requirements for high-risk AI systems by up to a year beyond the planned August 2025 deadline. This potential retreat marks a significant shift for the EU from being a global AI regulation leader to a region increasingly worried about falling behind the U.S. and China in the AI race. What you should know: The EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, has acknowledged that parts of the AI Act may need postponing...
read Sep 22, 202538% of Britons see AI as economic risk, threatening UK’s AI ambitions
A new poll from the Tony Blair Institute reveals that 38% of Britons view artificial intelligence as an economic risk, nearly double the 20% who see it as an opportunity. The findings threaten Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ambition to make the UK an AI "superpower" and highlight a critical trust gap that could undermine the country's AI adoption strategy. The big picture: The UK government has positioned AI as central to its economic growth strategy, but public skepticism could derail these plans before they gain momentum. Jakob Mökander from the Tony Blair Institute, a policy research organization, warns that the...
read Sep 22, 2025AEG launches AI oven that learns cooking patterns and can clean up its own act
AEG, a German home appliance manufacturer, has introduced a new AI-powered oven that incorporates artificial intelligence, an internal thermometer, and pyrolytic self-cleaning technology. The appliance represents a significant departure from traditional oven design, attempting to modernize a kitchen category that has seen minimal innovation for years. What you should know: The oven features several advanced technologies designed to improve cooking precision and user experience. An artificial intelligence system helps optimize cooking processes and temperatures by learning from cooking patterns and adjusting settings automatically An integrated internal thermometer provides real-time temperature monitoring for more accurate cooking results Pyrolytic self-cleaning technology eliminates...
read Sep 19, 2025Scotland’s west coast lands £15B AI industrial park in Irvine
AI Pathfinder has selected Irvine, Scotland as the location for a major artificial intelligence industrial park, with plans for up to £15 billion in investment that could transform the region into one of Europe's largest AI infrastructure hubs. The project, backed by London-based property development company Salamanca, represents a significant bet on Scotland's potential as an AI innovation center and promises substantial job creation for the area. What you should know: The i3 industrial park will begin with an initial £385 million investment starting next year, building infrastructure for other companies to use similar to cloud computing services. AI Pathfinder,...
read Sep 19, 2025Walk With Me: Palace of Versailles lets visitors chat with 20 AI-powered garden statues
The Palace of Versailles has launched an AI-powered app that allows visitors to have conversations with 20 statues throughout the palace gardens, including Apollo and Cupid riding on a Sphinx. The innovative experience, powered by Ask Mona, an AI platform, and OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence company, enables tourists to interact with historical figures in three languages, offering a novel way to explore the palace's heritage through technology-enhanced storytelling. How it works: The app uses artificial intelligence to bring statues to life through conversational interactions that reveal historical insights and lesser-known details about Versailles. Visitors can speak with 20 different...
read Sep 19, 2025Nvidia evaluates $500M investment in UK self-driving AI startup Wayve (not Waymo)
Nvidia is evaluating a $500 million investment in Wayve, a UK-based developer of embodied artificial intelligence for autonomous vehicles. The potential investment underscores growing confidence in Wayve's AV2.0 approach to self-driving technology, which learns to drive through experience rather than explicit programming, and could accelerate the development of production-ready autonomous driving solutions for automakers. What you should know: Wayve has signed a letter of intent with Nvidia to evaluate the investment ahead of its next funding round, building on a collaboration that began in 2018. Nvidia previously participated in Wayve's $1.05 billion Series C funding round in May 2024, which...
read Sep 18, 2025Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI back UK AI startup with $700M
Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI have collectively backed London-based AI infrastructure company Nscale with $700 million to dramatically expand the UK's AI computing capacity. The partnership positions the UK as a major player in the global AI infrastructure race, with plans to deploy up to 58,640 Nvidia GPUs across the country and potentially scale to 300,000 globally. What you should know: The investment transforms Nscale from a crypto mining spinoff into a cornerstone of Britain's AI ambitions. Nscale emerged from Arkon Energy, a cryptocurrency mining company, and only exited stealth mode last year. The company didn't exist when OpenAI launched ChatGPT...
read Sep 18, 2025Trump openly confused by AI amid US-UK tech deal that includes 120K Nvidia chips
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Thursday that artificial intelligence is "taking over the world" during a state visit to Britain, candidly admitting his limited understanding of the technology while addressing tech leaders including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The comments came as Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a major "Tech Prosperity Deal" that includes AI healthcare development, quantum computing expansion, and civil nuclear projects—highlighting how world leaders are grappling with AI's rapid advancement while relying heavily on tech executives to guide policy decisions. What they're saying: Trump's remarks to the assembled business and tech leaders were notably...
read Sep 17, 2025Italy passes first EU-aligned AI law with $1.18B tech fund
Italy's parliament has approved comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation, making it the first European Union country to enact AI regulations fully aligned with the EU's landmark AI Act. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government positioned the law as establishing human-centric, transparent AI use while emphasizing innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections across multiple sectors. Key provisions: The legislation introduces cross-sector rules covering healthcare, work, public administration, justice, education and sport, requiring traceability and human oversight of AI decisions. AI access for children under 14 requires parental consent. New criminal provisions target unlawful dissemination of AI-generated content like deepfakes, punishable by one to five...
read Sep 17, 2025Nvidia CEO invests £500M in UK cloud firm, calls Britain future AI superpower
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a £500 million investment in British cloud computing firm NScale, declaring that "the UK is going to be an AI superpower." The investment comes as part of an £11 billion computing infrastructure push that Huang says will deliver 100 times the performance of Britain's fastest current supercomputer, positioning the UK as a major player in the global AI race. What you should know: Huang's investment represents a significant vote of confidence in Britain's AI capabilities at a time of intensifying geopolitical competition in artificial intelligence.• Nvidia is taking an equity stake in NScale and predicts...
read Sep 12, 2025ETH Zurich creates 3D bioprinted tissue bridges for better prosthetics
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a breakthrough biohybrid system that combines synthetic and biological materials to replicate the natural interface between bones and muscles. This innovation could transform medical robotics and implants by solving the critical problem of poor force transmission between biological and artificial components, potentially leading to more effective prosthetics and human-machine interfaces. What you should know: The team created a 3D bioprinted actuator that structurally and functionally mimics the natural connection between muscle and bone, addressing energy losses at biological-synthetic interfaces. Researchers developed a tendon made from printed cell tissue with stiffness levels between living muscle...
read Sep 11, 2025Albania appoints AI bot “Diella” as government minister to fight corruption
Albania has appointed an AI bot named Diella as a government minister to handle all public procurement contracts, marking what Prime Minister Edi Rama calls the country's first "virtually created" cabinet member. The move aims to eliminate corruption in government contracting, a persistent problem that has complicated Albania's bid for European Union membership by 2030. What you should know: Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders where the government contracts private companies for various projects.• Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the appointment during his fourth term cabinet unveiling on Thursday, describing Diella as "impervious...
read Sep 10, 2025Acer’s €4,499 Predator Helios 18P blends gaming with AI workstation features
Acer has unveiled the Predator Helios 18P AI at IFA 2025, a gaming laptop that incorporates enterprise-grade features like ECC memory and Intel vPro processors typically found in professional workstations. This hybrid approach creates an unusual proposition where gamers may pay premium workstation prices for hardware that could actually deliver slower gaming performance than traditional gaming laptops with standard components. The big picture: Acer appears to be testing whether the market will embrace a single machine that serves both gaming and professional AI workstation needs, blurring traditional product category lines. Key specifications: The Predator Helios 18P AI maintains aggressive gaming...
read Sep 10, 2025Volkswagen invests $1.2B in AI to cut vehicle development time by 25%
Volkswagen has committed up to 1 billion euros (roughly $1.17 billion) to artificial intelligence investments by 2030, positioning AI as central to accelerating vehicle development and strengthening industrial operations. The German automaker expects efficiency gains and cost avoidance of up to 4 billion euros by 2035 from scalable AI deployment across its value chain, while aiming to cut vehicle development cycles to as little as 36 months—about 25% faster than current timelines. What you should know: Volkswagen already has more than 1,200 AI applications in use across its operations, with hundreds more under development. The company announced its AI investment...
read Sep 10, 2025The Big Rethink: Klarna CEO admits company shifted from AI cost-cutting after $15B IPO
Klarna's CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski admitted the Swedish fintech company moved too aggressively with AI implementation, prioritizing cost-cutting over service improvements after raising $1.37 billion in its U.S. IPO. The admission comes as the buy-now-pay-later lender, valued at $15 billion, shifts its AI strategy toward enhancing customer and merchant experiences rather than simply reducing operational expenses. What you should know: Klarna has spent the last six months course-correcting its AI approach after recognizing it "over indexed" on cost reduction. The company cut its workforce from 5,000 to 3,800 employees last year, with AI chatbots handling customer queries that previously required 700...
read Sep 9, 2025New tech, old world: Helsing and ARX partner to develop AI-powered defense systems for Europe
Helsing, an AI defense company, and ARX Robotics, a specialist in unmanned ground systems, have announced a strategic partnership to develop AI-based reconnaissance and strike systems for European defence forces. The collaboration aims to digitize and network land domain operations using artificial intelligence, drawing on battle-tested technologies from Ukraine to give European armed forces a technological advantage on the battlefield. What you should know: The partnership focuses on transforming Europe's fragmented and analog land warfare capabilities into a connected, AI-driven network. The companies will jointly develop reconnaissance and strike systems that enable armed forces to "act faster, more precisely, more...
read Sep 9, 2025UK study: Neurodiverse workers get 90% more value from AI than neurotypical colleagues
A UK government study reveals that neurodiverse employees derive significantly more benefit from AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot than their neurotypical colleagues, with 90% higher satisfaction rates and 95% greater likelihood to recommend the technology. This finding suggests AI's most transformative impact may lie in accessibility rather than general productivity gains, potentially revolutionizing workplace inclusion for millions of people with disabilities. What you should know: The UK Department for Business and Trade study found that while overall Copilot satisfaction was 72%, neurodiverse employees reported statistically higher satisfaction and recommendation rates. Out of 1,000 licenses distributed to government employees, 300...
read Sep 9, 2025Dutch ASML invests $1.5B in French Mistral AI, becomes largest shareholder
ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment maker, will invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, securing an 11% stake and becoming the company's main shareholder. The strategic investment also includes a partnership to integrate Mistral's AI models across ASML's product portfolio and grants ASML a seat on Mistral's strategic committee. Why this matters: The deal represents one of the largest corporate investments in a European AI startup, signaling ASML's commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into its semiconductor manufacturing equipment business while strengthening Europe's position in the global AI race. Key details: ASML's investment makes it...
read Sep 8, 2025AI erupts with revelation of 54,000 hidden earthquakes in Italy’s volcanic region
Researchers at Stanford University have used artificial intelligence to uncover four times as many earthquakes in Italy's Campi Flegrei volcanic region than previously detected, revealing critical seismic data for an area home to 500,000 people. The AI-powered analysis identified over 54,000 earthquakes from January 2022 to March 2024—compared to the 12,000 previously tracked—and revealed two major fault lines converging beneath the town of Pozzuoli, suggesting the potential for magnitude 5 earthquakes. Why this matters: The enhanced earthquake detection capabilities could fundamentally change how officials prepare for and respond to seismic threats in one of Europe's most densely populated volcanic regions....
read Sep 5, 2025Germany puts “Jupiter,” Europe’s first exascale supercomputer, in orbit. So to speak.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated the Jupiter supercomputer at the Juelich research centre, marking Europe's first Exascale-class supercomputer and the world's fourth-fastest computing system. The milestone represents a strategic push by Germany and Europe to compete with the United States and China in AI development and high-performance computing capabilities. What you should know: Jupiter represents a major technological achievement for European computing infrastructure and research capabilities. The supercomputer can perform one billion times one billion calculations per second, equivalent to the power of about 10 million standard notebook computers. It was assembled through a collaboration between Nvidia (the chip manufacturer),...
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