News/Global
China invests $84B in SCO countries as Xi pushes against “Cold War” attitudes
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for strengthened artificial intelligence cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members while rejecting "Cold War mentality" at the largest SCO summit to date in Tianjin. The gathering, featuring over 20 foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represents China's broader effort to position itself as a global peacemaker amid ongoing tensions with the United States and various international conflicts. Key financial commitments: Xi announced that China has invested $84 billion in other SCO countries and pledged support for 10,000 students to participate in Beijing's "Luban" vocational education program. The...
read Sep 1, 2025This small Caribbean island earned $39M from .ai domain sales in 2024 boom
Anguilla's .ai domain extension has become a financial windfall for the small Caribbean island, generating $39 million in 2024—nearly a quarter of the territory's total government revenue. The unexpected boom, driven by surging demand for AI-related websites, is helping the 16,000-person British Overseas Territory diversify its tourism-dependent economy and build resilience against hurricane damage. The big picture: What started as a routine internet address assignment in the 1980s has transformed into Anguilla's second-largest revenue source, with .ai domain registrations growing more than 10-fold in five years. The government earned 105.5 million East Caribbean dollars ($39 million) from domain sales in...
read Sep 1, 2025How hotels are using humanoid AI robots to solve staffing challenges – and impress international travelers
The hospitality industry stands at an inflection point where science fiction meets business reality. Humanoid AI robots—once relegated to tech demos and research labs—are now checking guests into luxury hotels from Singapore to San Francisco. This isn't just about novelty; it's about fundamental shifts in how hotels compete for guest loyalty while managing persistent labor shortages and rising operational costs. Recent industry surveys suggest that 49% of travelers would welcome robot greetings in hotel lobbies, while nearly 70% expect hotels to adopt innovative technologies during their stays. Properties introducing humanoid AI into guest services report stronger engagement metrics and more...
read Sep 1, 2025Mexico’s Supreme Court rules only humans can hold copyright protection
Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that works created exclusively by artificial intelligence cannot be granted copyright protection, establishing that authorship belongs solely to humans. The unanimous decision creates a significant legal precedent for AI and intellectual property in Mexico, clarifying how the country will handle the growing intersection of AI technology and creative rights. What you should know: The Supreme Court determined that Mexico's Federal Copyright Law reserves authorship exclusively for humans, rejecting the idea that AI-generated works can qualify for copyright protection. The court ruled that automated systems lack the "necessary qualities of creativity, originality and individuality that are...
read Sep 1, 2025Canadian university debuts 3D AI teaching assistant “Kia” to co-teach ethics course
Simon Fraser University professor Steve DiPaola has introduced Kia, a 3D AI teaching assistant, to co-teach his first-year course on AI history and ethics alongside him this fall. The initiative represents what SFU calls a "world first" in higher education, designed to expose students to AI capabilities and limitations through direct classroom interaction rather than theoretical discussion alone. What you should know: Kia appears as an expressive Black female digital persona with real-time facial expressions and body language, created by DiPaola to serve as an AI collaborator rather than a replacement for human teaching staff. The AI assistant will answer...
read Sep 1, 2025Australian filmmaker and “The Crow” director uses AI to slash $100M movie budget by 90%
Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas believes the movie industry's financial model is fundamentally broken, with streaming services reducing residuals and shrinking budgets, but sees AI as a path to artistic liberation rather than a threat. The director of "The Crow" and "I, Robot" argues that AI can help rebuild the industry by dramatically lowering production costs and allowing filmmakers to retain more ownership of their projects. What you should know: Proyas is putting his philosophy into practice with his upcoming film "RUR," which explores themes of robot emancipation from capitalist exploitation. The film, based on a 1920 Czech satirical play, stars...
read Aug 28, 2025Scientists bring extinct frogs back to Southern California in big AI leap for preservation
Scientists in Southern California have successfully reintroduced native red-legged frogs to the region using artificial intelligence and cross-border collaboration with Mexico. The breakthrough came when AI analysis of pond recordings confirmed breeding calls in January, marking the first successful reproduction of the species in Southern California after nearly disappearing from 95% of their historical range. The big picture: This conservation success represents a rare example of effective wildlife restoration across international borders, combining cutting-edge AI technology with traditional field biology to bring back a species that had virtually vanished from Southern California. Key details: The red-legged frog, believed to be...
read Aug 28, 2025New “R-Zero” framework lets AI models improve by teaching each other
Tencent AI Lab and Washington University researchers have developed R-Zero, a training framework that enables large language models to improve themselves without any human-labeled data. The breakthrough technique uses two AI models that challenge and teach each other through reinforcement learning, potentially eliminating one of the most expensive bottlenecks in AI development while allowing models to surpass human-defined limitations. How it works: R-Zero splits a base model into two independent roles that co-evolve through continuous interaction cycles. The "Challenger" creates new tasks at the threshold of the "Solver's" current abilities—neither too easy nor impossible to complete. The Solver is rewarded...
read Aug 28, 202557% of Canadians now use AI tools despite mixed views on impact, with men more enthusiastic
A new Leger poll reveals that Canadians are nearly evenly split on artificial intelligence's societal impact, with 36% viewing it as harmful and 34% considering it beneficial. The survey, conducted by Leger, a market research company, tracks AI sentiment across provinces and age groups, showing that while AI tool usage has surged from 25% in February 2023 to 57% in August 2025, deep concerns about privacy, misinformation, and job displacement persist across the population. Key usage patterns: Younger Canadians are driving AI adoption, with 83% of adults aged 18-34 using AI tools compared to just 34% of those 55 and...
read Aug 28, 2025Fermi America partners with South Korea’s Doosan for 11GW nuclear AI campus
Fermi America has signed a strategic partnership with South Korea's Doosan Enerbility to advance nuclear power development at its massive 11-gigawatt HyperGrid AI campus in Amarillo, Texas. The memorandum of understanding covers both traditional large-scale nuclear plants and cutting-edge small modular reactor technologies for what promises to be one of the world's largest AI infrastructure projects. The HyperGrid campus represents a new scale of AI infrastructure, featuring 18 million square feet of data centers—roughly equivalent to 315 football fields of computing space. This facility will require up to 11 gigawatts of continuous power, enough electricity to power approximately 8 million...
read Aug 28, 2025Volkswagen’s 5-year AWS deal targets tens of millions in AI factory savings
Volkswagen has extended its cloud partnership with Amazon Web Services for another five years, deepening its commitment to using AI for production optimization across its global manufacturing network. The German automaker estimates the AI-driven systems will generate tens of millions of euros in cost savings over the medium term, supporting its broader cost-cutting overhaul. What you should know: Volkswagen's digital production platform is already operational across 43 manufacturing locations in Europe, North America, and South America. The cloud-based system connects factories to optimize complex vehicle assembly processes and improve operational efficiency. Volkswagen operates over 114 production sites globally, suggesting significant...
read Aug 25, 2025AI and VR converge to reshape graphics at Vancouver’s Siggraph 2025
Siggraph 2025 in Vancouver showcased how artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR) are converging to reshape the graphics industry, with major announcements from Nvidia, Meta, and Arm demonstrating the future of neural rendering and immersive computing. The conference highlighted a fundamental shift toward AI-accelerated graphics processing, with new hardware and software solutions designed to make high-fidelity rendering more accessible and efficient across platforms. What you should know: Nvidia unveiled new Blackwell-powered RTX PRO servers and workstation GPUs specifically designed for professional AI and rendering workloads. The RTX PRO 6000 servers deliver 4x improvements in real-time rendering FPS and 6x better...
read Aug 25, 2025Latin America charts independent, flexible course amid US-China AI rivalry
Latin America faces a pivotal choice as the U.S. and China advance competing visions for global AI governance, with Washington framing artificial intelligence as a zero-sum race for technological dominance while Beijing positions AI as a collaborative "global public good." The region's response could determine its technological sovereignty for decades, but a third path of digital non-alignment may offer the strongest strategy for preserving independence while accessing benefits from both superpowers. The competing visions: Two radically different AI strategies emerged from the world's technological superpowers in recent weeks, creating pressure for Latin American nations to choose sides. The Trump administration's...
read Aug 22, 2025Um, about that dismissal: Commonwealth Bank rehires 45 workers after AI voice bots fail
Australia's Commonwealth Bank was forced to rehire 45 customer service workers after replacing them with AI voice bots that failed to handle the workload effectively. The embarrassing reversal highlights the risks of premature AI implementation and adds to growing evidence that many businesses are regretting their decisions to replace human workers with artificial intelligence. What happened: Commonwealth Bank, one of Australia's largest banks, initially announced the job cuts as part of an effort to automate customer service and reduce call volumes, leaving only a small team to handle complex inquiries. The bank's AI voice bot was supposed to handle routine...
read Aug 21, 2025Islamic finance’s $4T sector embraces prosocial AI
The convergence of Islamic finance principles and prosocial AI is creating a values-driven approach to financial technology that prioritizes ethical outcomes alongside efficiency. This alliance between a $4 trillion global Islamic finance sector and AI systems designed to benefit people and planet demonstrates how traditional moral frameworks can guide technological innovation toward more sustainable and socially responsible outcomes. What you should know: Both Islamic finance and prosocial AI share fundamental commitments to ethical principles, social justice, and human wellbeing that extend beyond profit maximization. Islamic finance prohibits riba (usury), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and mysir (gambling), while prosocial AI advocates for...
read Aug 20, 2025Canada builds sovereign AI infrastructure to keep data cozy, warm and at home
Canada is making a bold play for AI independence. Buzz High Performance Computing (Buzz HPC), a subsidiary of publicly-traded Hive Digital Technologies, has partnered with Bell Canada to build nationwide AI infrastructure that keeps sensitive data entirely within Canadian borders—a concept known as "sovereign AI." This partnership addresses a growing concern among governments and enterprises: maintaining control over their most sensitive data while accessing cutting-edge AI capabilities. Rather than relying on foreign cloud providers, Canadian organizations will soon have access to powerful AI computing resources hosted exclusively in Canadian-owned facilities. The infrastructure backbone The collaboration centers on Bell AI Fabric,...
read Aug 19, 2025DeepSeek’s open-source AI model matches GPT-4 at 68x lower cost
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup backed by High-Flyer Capital Management, has released V3.1, a 685-billion parameter AI model that matches the performance of leading proprietary systems from OpenAI and Anthropic while remaining completely open source. The model scored 71.6% on the prestigious Aider coding benchmark—rivaling Claude Opus 4's performance at a fraction of the cost—potentially disrupting the traditional AI business model that relies on expensive API access and usage restrictions. What you should know: DeepSeek V3.1 delivers frontier-level AI capabilities through an innovative hybrid architecture that seamlessly combines chat, reasoning, and coding functions. The model processes up to 128,000 tokens...
read Aug 18, 2025AI transcription saves Channel Islands doctors, along with those forced to read their handwriting
A Jersey GP practice has become the first on the island to implement Heidi Health, an AI-powered transcription system that records and processes doctor-patient conversations. The technology allows doctors to focus entirely on patient care rather than manual note-taking, while also automating administrative tasks like drafting referral letters. Why this matters: Health Plus, a Jersey medical practice, is pioneering the use of AI transcription technology in Jersey's healthcare system to improve both doctor efficiency and patient experience. Dr. Ed Klaber of Health Plus explains that artificial intelligence will "allow GPs to be more present during appointments, improve communication with patients...
read Aug 18, 2025On your marks, get set, bleep! China hosts World Humanoid Robot Games with 280 teams from 16 countries
China launched the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Friday, featuring 280 teams from 16 countries competing in sports and practical challenges. The three-day event showcases China's growing investment in robotics and AI as the nation positions itself as a leader in humanoid technology while collecting valuable data for real-world applications. What you should know: The competition included both traditional sports adaptations and robot-specific challenges designed to test practical capabilities. Teams competed in track and field, table tennis, and football, alongside tasks like sorting medicines, handling materials, and cleaning services. 192 teams represented universities while 88 came from private...
read Aug 15, 2025Australian lawyers submit AI-generated fake citations in murder trial
Australian lawyers Rishi Nathwani and Amelia Beech were caught submitting AI-generated documents riddled with fabricated citations and misquoted speeches in a murder case involving a 16-year-old defendant. The incident forced a Melbourne Supreme Court judge to intervene after the prosecution unknowingly built arguments based on the AI-generated misinformation, highlighting how artificial intelligence hallucinations can cascade through the legal system with potentially devastating consequences. What happened: The defense team used generative AI to create court documents that contained multiple fabricated references and errors, which went undetected by prosecutors who used the false information to develop their own arguments.• When confronted in...
read Aug 15, 2025Read my Lips: AI dubbing tech creates world’s first fully visual-dubbed film in US theaters
Flawless, a London-based AI company, has developed DeepEditor, a technology that creates realistic visual dubbing by manipulating actors' facial movements to match foreign language dialogue. The technology was recently used to create the world's first fully visually-dubbed feature film, Watch the Skies, which was released in 110 AMC theaters across the US, marking a potential breakthrough for international cinema distribution. Why this matters: The global film dubbing market is projected to grow from $4 billion in 2024 to $7.6 billion by 2033, driven by streaming platforms seeking to expand international content reach to audiences resistant to traditional subtitles and dubbing....
read Aug 15, 2025Cohere raises $500M at $6.8B valuation for enterprise AI
Canadian AI startup Cohere has raised $500 million in funding, reaching a valuation of $6.8 billion as it competes for enterprise AI market share. The funding round was led by Radical Ventures and Inovia Capital, with participation from AMD Ventures, Nvidia, PSP Investments, and Salesforce Ventures, positioning the company to expand globally and advance its enterprise-focused AI models. What you should know: Unlike broad foundational model companies such as OpenAI and Meta's Llama, Cohere specializes in building AI models specifically designed for enterprise use cases. The company recently launched North, a ChatGPT-style tool designed to help knowledge workers with tasks...
read Aug 14, 2025AI helps discover 248 new Nazca Lines in Peru, accelerating archaeology 16x
An international research team led by Japan's Yamagata University and IBM has discovered 248 new geoglyphs among Peru's famous Nazca Lines using artificial intelligence, bringing the total count to 893 known designs. The breakthrough demonstrates how AI is revolutionizing archaeological research, accelerating discovery rates by 16 times compared to traditional methods and revealing intricate details about ancient Nazca civilization practices, including previously unknown depictions of human sacrifice rituals. The big picture: AI has fundamentally transformed the pace of archaeological discovery in the Nazca Desert, where researchers had identified only 430 geoglyphs over nearly a century of study.• Prior to AI...
read Aug 12, 2025Australia’s first sovereign AI data center launches in 2026 via Dell-Macquarie deal
Macquarie Data Centres, part of the Macquarie Technology Group, and Dell Technologies are partnering to establish Australia's first sovereign AI infrastructure facility, combining Dell's AI technology with locally-operated data center infrastructure. The initiative addresses growing concerns about Australia's lack of investment in domestic AI capabilities, which experts warn poses national security and economic risks in an increasingly competitive global AI landscape. What you should know: The Dell AI Factory with Nvidia will be hosted in Macquarie's purpose-built IC3 Super West data center, a 47MW facility designed specifically for high-power AI workloads. The facility is scheduled for completion in mid-2026 and...
read