IT infrastructure
1. Social media users lack control over data used by AI, US FTC says
Social media companies collect, share and process vast troves of information about their users while offering little transparency or control, including over how it is used by systems incorporating artificial intelligence, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said in a report released on Thursday. (US News)
2. EU antitrust regulators to spell out how Apple must open up to rivals
EU antitrust regulators launched proceedings on Thursday to ensure that Apple complies with landmark rules requiring it to open up its closed ecosystem to rivals or risk a possible hefty fine. (WestLaw Today)
3. SpaceX ‘forcefully rejects’ FAA allegation it violated launch requirements
SpaceX stated on Thursday that it is “absolutely committed to safety in all operations” after the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fined the company $633,009 for using unapproved equipment and failing to follow safety procedures during two launches in 2023. SpaceX said it “forcefully rejects” the allegations. (Breaking the News)
Tech trends
4. Intel says it has no plans to divest majority stake in Mobileye
Struggling chipmaker Intel said on Thursday it had no plans to divest a majority stake in Mobileye, sparking an 8% rise in the self-driving tech firm’s shares in premarket trading. (WTAQ)
5. Amazon adds chatbot for its sellers, boosting automation
Amazon announced on Thursday a new artificial intelligence application that it says will help its independent sellers with sales metrics, inventory maintenance and product advertising, among other things. (Economic Times)
6. New iPhone 16 unveiled in Russia as retailers skirt Apple’s export ban
Russian retailers have launched pre-sales of Apple’s latest iPhone, circumventing the company’s export ban to Russia and giving consumers the chance to pre-order devices hundreds of dollars more expensive than in the United States. (Print)
7. FactSet beats profit estimates on strong demand for its analytical tools
FactSet Research Systems reported a higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, as more traders signed up for its financial data and analytics in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve kicking off interest rate cuts. (Yahoo Finance)
8. Google buys carbon removal credits from Brazil startup, joining Microsoft
Alphabet unit Google has agreed for the first time ever to purchase nature-based carbon removal credits from a Brazilian startup, its first engagement with carbon projects in the South American country. (US News)
9. Dutch competition regulator wants more power after EU drops probe of Microsoft’s Inflection takeover
The Dutch market regulator said on Thursday it needed more powers to investigate deals at its own level, a day after the European Union antitrust regulators said they would not take action against Microsoft’s hiring of artificial intelligence startup Inflection’s staff. (Market Screener)
10.Nintendo, Pokemon Co sue ‘Palworld’ maker for patent infringement
Palworld is accused of infringing ‘multiple patent rights’ that belong to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. (Verge)
AI
11. AI hiring platform Mercor backed by Dorsey, Peter Thiel in $30 mln fundraise
Mercor said on Thursday it raised $30 million in a funding round, that included entrepreneur Jack Dorsey and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, putting the AI hiring platform’s valuation at $250 million. (US News)
12. Alibaba accelerates AI push by releasing new open-source models, text-to-video
Chinese technology company Alibaba released on Thursday new open-source artificial intelligence models and text-to-video AI technology, intensifying its efforts to compete in the booming area of generative AI. (Reuters)
13. UN advisory body makes seven recommendations for governing AI
An artificial-intelligence advisory body at the United Nations on Thursday released its final report proposing seven recommendations to address AI-related risks and gaps in governance. (Reuters)
