EU's Margrethe Vestager says draft code of conduct on artificial intelligence (AI) could be drafted within weeks
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
May 2023
Amazon Staff Walkout Over Environment, Return To Office Policies
Challenge to Andy Jassy, as Amazon corporate workers set to walkout over return-to-work and environmental policy frustrations
Twitter Sued By Janitors, As Musk Meets Chinese Officials
As Elon Musk jets into China to meet government officials, Twitter is sued by fired cleaning staff at its offices in New York
AI Leaders Warn Of ‘Extinction’ Risk To Humans
AI poses human extinction risk on par with a nuclear war, AI leaders and academics warn in joint statement
China Urges Japan To Drop Chip Export Restrictions
Minister hits back and says China is “strongly dissatisfied with” Japan’s decision to halt the export of chipmaking equipment
Nvidia Briefly Hits $1 Trillion Valuation
GPU powerhouse Nvidia briefly joins elite $1 trillion valuation club, after its share price continued to rise amid AI boom
Business lunch: Securing Your Enterprise with Data Back-Up and Recovery
China Approves Microsoft-Activision Deal ‘Unconditionally’
Chinese regulator approves $69 Microsoft-Activision Blizzard takeover 'unconditionally' amidst opposition from US and UK
Nvidia Set To Surpass $1tn As AI Surge Continues
Nvidia shares continue to surge as it introduces latest tools for accelerating graphics and training for generative AI large language models
Bitcoin Trades At Steep Discount On Binance Australia
Bitcoin trades at discounts of up to 21 percent on Binance Australia as users seek to cash out ahead of 1 June deadline
Samsung ‘Pushes For Tax Payouts’ In Vietnam
Samsung, other multinationals push for reimbursements as higher OECD-mandated tax regime set to take effect on 1 January
Crypto Bosses Look To China Ahead Of Hong Kong Rules
High-profile cryptocurrency founders say Hong Kong regulatory regime and Beijing white paper show hope for China as future crypto hub
Pension Funds Warn Members Over Capita Breach
Pension funds now warning hundreds of thousands of members over potential loss of personal data from Capita breach earlier this year
The Gravitational Pull of Data
As the quantities of data generated every second continue to expand, how does this affect business processes? All enterprises are data companies. How can businesses manage these massive datasets to minimise the impact of data gravity?
Amazon Offers Term Time-Only Working Amidst Strikes
Amazon offers term time-only working for warehouse staff with children as it faces union recognition bid and ongoing strike action in Coventry
Nvidia Builds AI Supercomputer In Israel Amidst Surging Demand
Nvidia builds supercomputer in Israel data centre for AI tasks as demand around generative artificial intelligence surges
Arm Rolls Out Next-Gen Smartphone Chip Tech
UK-based Arm announces Cortex-X4 core and Immortalis-G720 GPU for next-gen smartphone processing, AI and ML performance
Foxconn Raises Pay At Key China iPhone Plant
iPhone assembler Foxconn raises pay and bonuses at key plant in Zhengzhou following weeks of disruption last year
China ‘To Put Humans On Moon’ By 2030
China confirms objective to put humans on Moon by 2030 as it presents increasingly direct competition to US space programme
Lawyer Submits Brief With False ChatGPT-Generated References
Lawyer faces sanctions after submitting brief that contained multiple references that proved to have been fabricated wholesale by ChatGPT
Twitter Quits EU Code Of Practice On Disinformation
Twitter leaves EU's voluntary code of practice amidst cost-cutting, but industry commissioner Thierry Breton warns obligations remain
Singapore Wealth Fund Cuts Pay Amidst FTX Fallout
Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings cuts staff and senior management pay after writing off $275m FTX investment
If Businesses Are To Get A Grip On Cybersecurity, They Need To Close Gender Gap
Cybersecurity is a pressing concern for businesses, hampered by a skills shortage. But many are failing to tackle the cyber gender gap
Data Does Not Slow Down For Justice – how smart IT systems can better protect victims of serious crime
Improvements in data processing for Digital Forensic Units is vital to clear the two to three year case backlogs facing the justice system
Ericsson Whistleblower Awarded $279m By SEC
Nice little earner. Record $279 million award from the US SEC to unnamed Ericsson whistleblower, over bribery case
Twitter Likely To Quit EU Code Against Disinformation, Says Official
Elon Musk's Twitter is likely to pull out from a voluntary EU code of practice to combat disinformation, official says
Elon Musk’s Neuralink Brain Chip Approved For Human Testing
US FDA approves human testing for Elon Musk's Neuralink brain-implant system, after years of animal testing
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 4
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 25/05/2023.
Virgin Galactic Spaceplane Lands Safely After Test Flight
Spaceplane from Virgin Galactic makes first return to edge of space in nearly two years, to restart Richard Branson's space tourism business
Microsoft 365 Backup Checklist for 2023
EU Approves Viasat Inmarsat Merger
European blessing. Last remaining regulatory hurdle cleared, allowing proposed merger of Viasat and Inmarsat
Microsoft Appeals CMA Veto Of Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Expected appeal is filed by Microsoft against UK watchdog's decision to block its acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Downing Street Acknowledges ‘Existential’ Risk Of AI
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has met the heads of firms including DeepMind and OpenAI to discuss AI safety and regulation
Microsoft, Five Eyes Warn Of Chinese Spying On US Critical Infrastructure
State-sponsored Chinese hacking group known as 'Volt Typhoon' has been spying on critical infrastructure in the US
Virgin Orbit Shuts Down After Chapter 11 Filing
Sir Richard Branson ends Virgin Orbit operations going forward, with assets being sold off to rivals in space launch sector
Bail Rescinded For Terra Co-Founder Do Kwon
Higher court in Montenegro rescinds 800,000 euro bail for Do Kwon due to flight risk concerns, after US and South Korean charges
Apple Signs Multi-Billion Dollar Deal With Broadcom For US Chips
Apple expands its US chip sourcing with multi-billion dollar deal with Broadcom, as the iPhone maker defocuses from China
Meta Starts Axing Nearly 20 Percent Of Irish Workforce
Nearly 500 jobs are being axed at Meta's international headquarters in Ireland, in its third and final round of layoffs
Ofcom Allows BT Openreach To Lower Fibre Wholesale Prices
Bad news for altnets? Openreach's new pricing offer for full-fibre broadband, known as Equinox 2, receives Ofcom green light
Meta Sells Giphy At Huge Loss After CMA Order
Mark Zuckerberg firm takes $260m (£210m) loss selling gif search engine Giphy, after UK ordered its divestment
Netflix Password Crackdown Arrives In UK, US
Popular streaming platform Netflix extends its crackdown on password sharing to 103 countries, in search for additional income
China Says AI Disruption Could Pose ‘Serious Challenge’
China internet regulator says generative AI could pose 'serious challenge' to governance, regulation and manland labour market
EU Restarts Apple Tax Case Before EU’s Top Court
European Commission argues before Court of Justice of the European Union that lower decision to discard 13bn euro Apple tax case was 'flawed'
Microsoft China Exec Warns Of Hasty China AI Investments
Microsoft China chief technology officer warns hasty investments in ChatGPT-style AI tools by Chinese companies could lead to losses
Schools’ AI Weapon Detection Systems Accused Of Flaws
Artificial intelligence-powered weapons detection systems used in US schools are less effective than claimed, industry watchers say
Regulator Group Proposes First Global Crypto Rules
International securities regulator Iosco proposes first global crypto standards for member states in wake of FTX collapse
TikTok Sues Montana Over App Ban
Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok sues US state of Montana over law that would ban distribution of app in state on security grounds
WhatsApp Lets Users Edit Sent Messages – For 15 Minutes
Meta encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp introduces editing of sent messages, but only for 15 minutes after original post
Italy Data Protection Office Plans Broader AI Review
Italy's proactive data protection regulator plans broader review of AI after brief banon ChatGPT amidst mounting concerns around field
Nvidia Builds ‘Grace’ CPU-Powered Supercomputer
Nvidia, known for GPUs, scores with for new Grace CPU in University of Bristol's Isambard 3 supercomputer, to be built with HP Enterprise
Meta Fined Record £1bn Over Facebook Data Transfers
Ireland data office fines Facebook parent Meta £1bn over continued transfers of user data to US, presenting risk to 'fundamental rights'
Tencent Launches WeChat Palm Payments
Chinese social media giant Tencent launches payments using palm scanners in Beijing metro, with further expansion planned
Cash App Founder Bob Lee Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
Suspect in murder of Cash App developer Bob Lee pleads not guilty at arraignment, detained without bail until trial
Council Publishes 15,000 Staff Salary Details Online
South Lanarkshire Council accidentally publishes salaries and national insurance numbers of 15,000 staff in Freedom of Information response
China Bans Micron From Key Infrastructure
China internet regulator finds Micron products pose 'major security risk', amidst growing tensions with US
The Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: Reducing Operational Emissions
Companies are pledging to reduce their carbon impact but struggling to measure progress across their supply chains. Is gathering and then analysing more data about emissions a core component of a sustainability strategy?
First Lawsuit From TikTok Users Over Montana Ban
Five TikTok content creators in Montana file a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the US state's ban on short video platform
UK Government Unveils Long-Awaited £1 Billion Semiconductor Strategy
Long-awaited government strategy for UK semiconductor strategy unveiled, but some critics argue it is not enough
Google To Begin Disabling Third-Party Chrome Cookies In Q1 2024
Google’s Privacy Sandbox to begin replacing third-party cookies for 1 percent of Chrome users in Q1 2024, with full switch off later
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 3
Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 19/05/2023.
Ex ByteDance Staffer Alleges Beijing Had ‘Supreme Access’ To All Data
Lawsuit from former ByteDance staffer alleges China’s Communist Party had “supreme access” to all TikTok data, including US servers
Poland Blames Russia After DDoS Attacks On News Websites
Polish government minister directly blames Russia, after local news websites suffer distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
Twitter’s Top Users Posting Less, Pew Research Finds
As Elon Musk pledges to tweet what he wants, even if it will lose him money, comes worrying Twitter usage data for new CEO
Montana First US State To Ban China’s TikTok
Montana become the first US state to ban TikTok, after its governor signs legislation to halt downloading it from app stores in the territory
BT To Cut 55,000 Jobs By 2030
Sign of things to come? BT is cull 55,000 jobs by 2030, and says that a fifth of the roles will be replaced by AI
WhatsApp Adds ‘Chat Lock’ To Secure ‘Intimate’ Messages
Extra layer of security has been added for WhatsApp messages, with ability to lock and hide sensitive conversations
Broadcom Offers Remedies To Ease EU Worries Over VMware Deal
US chipmaker Broadcom offers interoperability remedies to address European antitrust concerns over $61bn VMware deal
US Offers $10 Million Reward For Russian Hacker
US DoJ charges Russian national with ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure in the US and elsewhere
Meta Paid Verification Arrives For UK Users
Paid verification for Instagram and Facebook, dubbed Meta Verified, launches in UK at a cost of £9.99 per month for each service
Vodafone To Cut 11,000 Jobs, After Strategic Review
New boss of Vodafone loses little time and confirms 11,000 jobs are to go, as the operator seeks to turn around its fortunes
Google To Cull Inactive Accounts At Year End
Search engine giant Google says it will begin to delete inactive accounts unused for more than two years, starting in December
DoJ Charges Ex Apple Engineer With Stealing Trade Secrets
Former Apple staffer Weibao Wang accused of stealing autonomous system data from the tech giant, and then fleeing to China
OpenAI Chief To Call For AI Regulation Before Congress
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman to tell US Congress that 'regulation of AI is essential', but companies must have flexibility to adapt
Musk Says He Must Approve All Tesla Hires
Elon Musk tells Tesla managers he must directly approve all Tesla hires, as he turns attention to car firm following months at Twitter
CMA Chief Defends Activision Decision Before Parliament
CMA chief executive defends Microsoft-Activision decision to Parliament, saying agency is not seeking to foster 'hostile environment'
EU Ministers Approve World’s First Crypto Rules
EU finance ministers approve MiCA, pushing forward world's first comprehensive regulatory regime for crypto assets amidst chaos in sector
Former ByteDance Executive Accuses Firm Of ‘Lawlessness’
ByteDance says it will 'vigorously' fight allegations by former executive as TikTok subsidiary faces data privacy criticism
Amazon ‘Adding ChatGPT-Like Features’ To Product Search
Amazon reportedly developing ChatGPT-like features for main product search, as it seeks to add conversational interface to Astro robot
European Commission Approves Microsoft-Activision Takeover
European regulators approve Microsoft's $69bn acquisition of Activision-Blizzard after opposition by US and UK regulators
Silicon Insights: The Past, Present and Future of Account Based Marketing: Part 2
In part two of this two-part interview, Charlotte Kan speaks to James Gill, SVP of Growth at The Marketing Practice to gain his insights into how social media and AI are impacting account based marketing, and what the future holds.
Sam Altman Start-Up Worldcoin ‘Close To Securing $100m’
Worldcoin, co-founded by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, close to securing $100m in new funding round amidst 'crypto winter'
North Korea ‘Stole $721m’ In Crypto From Japan
Study estimates North Korean hackers have stolen $721m in crypto from Japan since 2017, one-third of global total
Kioxia, Western Digital ‘Accelerate’ Merger Talks
Toshiba memory spin-off Kioxia and Western Digital said to accelerate merger talks amidst oversupply, falling demand
UK Further Restricts Microsoft-Activision Buy
UK CMA regulator places further restrictions on Microsoft and Activision to 'prevent pre-emptive action' by companies
Mike Lynch Extradited To Face Trial In California
UK entrepreneur Mike Lynch extradited to California to face criminal fraud charges over $11bn sale of Autonomy to HP more than a decade ago
Criminal Website Genesis ‘Still Online’ After Takedown
Hacking website Genesis Market continues to operate on dark web a month after international operation took down mainstream site
Musk Names Linda Yaccarino As Twitter Chief
Former NBCUniversal advertising chief to take helm at Twitter under ownership of Elon Musk as company seeks to bring back large brands
Elon Musk Finds New CEO For Twitter
Elon Musk to remain in charge of parent company X Corp, as identity of new Twitter CEO has not been confirmed
Appian World 2023: Focus On AI, Data Management
Appian Data Fabric has been adopted by 94 percent of Appian's new customers, despite being an optional bolt on
Appian World 2023: Process Automation To Become More Intelligent (And Private)
Cloud computing firm Appian focuses on privacy when integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its platform
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 2
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 12/05/2023.
Hybrid Working Key Factor For Most Tech Workers
Techspace report finds that three quarters of tech workers consider hybrid working a key factor when choosing future employer
Microsoft Freezes Salaries, Amid Economic Uncertainty
CEO Satya Nadella informs Microsoft workforce there will be no salary increases in 2023, and executive bonuses will be 'down considerably'
Business lunch: Protecting data, assets and your people in a complex threat landscape is now a commercial and security imperative no organisation can afford to ignore
Business dinner: Protecting data, assets and your people in a complex threat landscape is now a commercial and security imperative no organisation can afford to ignore
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman To Testify Before US Congress
Head of AI provider OpenAI to testify before US Congress, as lawmakers scramble to develop legislation for AI sector
Google I/O: Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 7a
New hardware device offerings include a budget Pixel 7a smartphone, a foldable Pixel smartphone, as well as a Pixel tablet
Google I/O: AI For Google Search
At its annual developer conference, Google revealed new hardware and software, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI)
Microsoft Signs Nuclear Fusion Power Deal
Clean energy development. Helion Energy signs deal to provide clean nuclear fusion energy to Microsoft by 2028
Twitter To Launch Encrypted Direct Messaging
Elon Musk reveals Twitter is to launch encrypted direct messages on Wednesday, and voice and video chat are to follow
Nearly Half Of Ransomware Victims Pay Up, Sophos Finds
Sophos report finds ransomware encryption attacks at their highest level for four years, with 66 percent of organisations being targetted
UK’s CMA Approves Viasat Inmarsat Merger
UK watchdog greenlights proposed merger of Viasat and Inmarsat, finding there is sufficient competition in the market
India To Reopen Applications For $10bn Chip Incentives – Report
Bad news for China? India is to reopen application process for $10bn in incentives to build local chip factories
British Man Pleads Guilty To Infamous Twitter Hack
Man alleged to have carried out 2020 hack of public figures including Joe Biden, Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, pleads guilty in US
TikTok Sister Site Douyin Mandates Labels For AI Content
TikTok's Chinese sister platform Douyin publishes new rules mandating labels for AI-generated content, as sector faces increasing regulation
Porsche To Add Mobileye Driver Assistance To Future Cars
VW sportscar brand Porsche in major deal to add Mobileye driver-assistance platform to future vehicles after ending Argo AI support
Twitter Apologises For Glitch That Published Private Posts
Twitter apologises to users over glitch that published private Circles content, following weeks of complaints
Twitter To ‘Purge’ Inactive Accounts
Elon Musk says Twitter to 'purge' long-inactive accounts, archive them and make usernames available to others
Crypto Exchange Bittrex Files For Bankruptcy After SEC Action
Cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex files for bankruptcy in US following SEC regulatory action that accused it of trading in unlicensed securities
Business lunch: Protecting data, assets and your people in a complex threat landscape is now a commercial and security imperative no organisation can afford to ignore
Apple Co-Founder Wozniak Warns Over AI Misuse
AI is likely to be misused by 'bad actors' to spread fraud and misinformation and must be regulated, says Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
LinkedIn To Shutter China Site, Cut 716 Jobs
Microsoft-owned business social network LinkedIn to close remaining China job application service, cut 716 jobs amidst tougher regulation
Truecaller To Offer WhatsApp Caller ID As Scams Surge
Caller ID app Truecaller to offer service on WhatsApp, other messaging services as telemarketers, scammers switch to internet calls
Mystery China Space Vehicle Returns To Earth
Experimental Chinese reusable space vehicle returns to Earth after 276-day mission for vehicle thought similar to US Space Force's X-37B
SAP, Siemens Say EU Data Act Endangers Trade Secrets
Germany's SAP, Siemens and other companies say upcoming Data Act obligations could force disclosure of trade secrets
ChatGPT: The End of Data Analytics as We Know It?
Discover how AI is profoundly impacts how data is analysed and how your business can use these technologies to extract commercial value.
Biden Meets With Google, Microsoft Bosses Over AI
US president Joe Biden meets with chief executives of Google, Microsoft, two AI firms over concerns about technology's safe development
TikTok Tracked UK Journalist Via Cat Account
TikTok tracked location of Financial Times journalist Cristina Criddle via an account in the name of her cat, as data controversy continues
Banks Warn Of Sharp Rise In Online Fraud
Banks warn of surging fake sale listings, impersonation and investment scams with many scams originating on social media
Former Uber Security Chief Sentenced To Probation Over Hack
San Francisco judge sentences former Uber security chief to three years' probation for role in covering up massive 2016 data breach
Jack Dorsey Withdraws Support For Elon Musk As Twitter Boss
Falling out? Co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, no longer believes that Elon Musk is the right person to run Twitter
US Warns Of Economic Damage If China Invades Taiwan
Chinese invasion of Taiwan would likely shut down chip production, causing huge economic impact for the world, US warns
Apple Depressed Results Beat Expectations, Thanks To iPhone Sales
Profit slides, and revenues decline for second consecutive quarter, but results please investors after surprising iPhone sales
Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 1
Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 05/05/2023.
Microsoft Opens Up AI-Featured Bing Search Engine To All Users
Anyone with a Microsoft account can now use the new version of its Bing search engine, featuring the OpenAI chatbot
Google Deploys Passkeys, Cites ‘Beginning Of End’ For Passwords
No need for a password to login into Google accounts, as they now support passkeys to replace passwords and 2FA
UK’s CMA Launches Review Of AI Market
British competition watchdog launches initial review of AI models, amid market rush to exploit and utilise AI tech
Silicon Insights: The Past, Present and Future of Account Based Marketing: Part 1
In part one of this two-part interview, Charlotte Kan speaks to James Gill, SVP of Growth at The Marketing Practice to gain his insights into current marketing trends. How technology is impacting all marketers and what the future holds ...
Quarter of Staff Duplicate Passwords, Survey Finds
World Password Day. Survey from law firm Womble Bond Dickinson finds 25 percent of staff duplicate their passwords
Appeals Court Dismisses Lawsuit To Break Up Meta
US Federal Appeals court dismisses antitrust attempt by US states to breakup Facebook parent Meta Platforms
Apple, Google Submit Proposal To Tackle AirTag Stalking
Tech giants Apple and Google agree rare partnership to tackle stalking problem via location-tracking devices
T-Mobile Discloses Second Data Breach…This Year
Surely not. Second data breach of 2023, as number of security breaches continue to pile up at US mobile operator T-Mobile
UK’s CMA Denied Appeal Over Apple Ruling
UK regulatory blow? Competition Appeal Tribunal refused to allow the CMA to appeal the Tribunal's judgement
ARM Files For IPO, But Not In London
Softbank's ARM Holdings registers for public listing in the US, in a blow to UK listing hopes and high level lobbying
New Frontiers for the Contact Centre
Why not move from a customer relationship model to a model for relationships with customers? All too often, the distribution of incoming calls is based on the availability of agents when it should be based, above all, on the customer's ...
Twitter To Let Publishers Charge To Read Articles
Elon Musk latest change at Twitter will see platform allow publishers to charge users on a per-article basis
Godfather Of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, Quits Google
Pioneer of neutral networks resigns from Google, to speak openly about misinformation and the dangers of AI
BlackBerry To Review Strategic Options
Board of directors at BlackBerry to review firm's 'strategic alternatives', including possible separation of some of its businesses
Silicon UK In Focus Podcast: The Circular Economy
Learn how your business can adopt a circular economy approach to sustainability. Discover why sustainability must be at the core of your enterprise.
Post-Pandemic Businesses are Spending on Technologies that Drives Efficiency
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all using more technology than before, both in our work and private lives. This trend continues as businesses have realised the myriad benefits it can bring, from cost savings to more efficient p ...