Articles[tech] (Page 28)

tech 5

China’s tech leaders urge faster AI, humanoid robot adoption in ‘two sessions’ proposals

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-03-04 06:37)

Chinese tech executives have proposed policy recommendations ahead of the annual "two sessions," urging accelerated adoption of AI and humanoid robots. Their proposals specifically call for promoting industrial use of robots, speeding up AI agent deployment, and expanding computing power infrastructure.

These suggestions are framed as crucial for China's competitiveness in the global technology race and align with strategic planning for the upcoming 15th five-year plan. Specific recommendations include funding for long-term innovation, establishing intelligent vehicle standards, and developing "industrial tourism" to showcase manufacturing.

The main topics covered are the policy proposals for advancing artificial intelligence and robotics, the focus on industrial application and infrastructure, and the context of China's strategic five-year planning.

tech 5

Meta, NewsCorp in AI content licensing deal worth up to $50 million annually

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 04:48)

Meta Platforms has signed a multiyear AI content licensing deal with News Corp, valued at up to $50 million annually. The agreement grants Meta rights to use News Corp's U.S. and U.K. content to train its AI models and power its AI products.

This follows News Corp's separate 2024 partnership with OpenAI, believed to be worth over $250 million. Meta has also secured similar AI content deals with other publishers like CNN and Fox News.

News organizations are pursuing divergent strategies regarding AI firms, with some forming paid licensing partnerships and others filing copyright lawsuits. For instance, News Corp subsidiaries are suing Perplexity, while The New York Times has both sued OpenAI and licensed content to Amazon.

Main Topics: Meta-News Corp AI licensing deal; financial terms and purpose of such agreements; varying strategies of news organizations towards AI companies (partnerships vs. litigation).

tech 4

Jack Ma, Alibaba executives meet teachers to discuss how education should adapt in AI era

(Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-03-04 03:37)

Jack Ma and senior Alibaba executives met with teachers to discuss adapting education for the AI era. They argued that AI could free students from rote memorization, allowing more focus on cultivating creativity, imagination, and critical thinking.

The executives emphasized that while AI's impact is immense, it presents significant opportunities, especially for teenagers. They identified communication and the ability to ask the right questions as crucial future skills.

The high-level attendance from both Alibaba and its affiliate Ant reflected the companies' strong confidence in AI advancement. The meeting took place at a private school in Hangzhou funded by Alibaba's founders.

Main topics: AI's impact on education, shifting educational focus from memorization to creativity and critical thinking, essential future skills, and Alibaba's commitment to AI development.

tech 5

Head of Alibaba's Qwen AI division resigns

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 03:31)

Alibaba's Qwen AI model division head, Lin Junyang, announced his resignation without providing a reason. This follows shortly after Alibaba released updated Qwen products.

The Qwen mobile app saw a massive surge to 203 million monthly active users in February, up from 31 million in January. This growth is attributed to aggressive promotional campaigns during the Lunar New Year holidays.

The app is now ranked as the third most popular AI product globally, behind ChatGPT and ByteDance's Doubao.

Main topics: Executive departure at Alibaba, user growth of the Qwen AI app, competitive AI landscape.

tech 5

Sam Altman tells staff OpenAI has no say over Pentagon decisions

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 03:30)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees the company cannot make operational decisions for the Defense Department, which will listen to OpenAI's technical expertise but not its opinions on the morality of specific military actions. This followed OpenAI's recent agreement allowing the Pentagon to deploy its AI models on classified networks, a deal Altman acknowledged was initially "opportunistic and sloppy" and is being revised to explicitly prohibit uses like domestic mass surveillance and ensure human responsibility for force.

The agreement came after a standoff with rival Anthropic, which had demanded its technology not be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Altman also stated he is advocating for the Pentagon to remove its "supply-chain risk" designation of Anthropic, a label typically applied to foreign adversaries.

Main topics: The dynamics of AI company contracts with the U.S. military, specifically OpenAI's new agreement and the preceding tensions with Anthropic; the ethical boundaries and principles (like prohibiting mass surveillance and autonomous weapons) that companies seek to enforce; and the ongoing dispute involving Anthropic's designation as a supply-chain risk.

tech 6

Trial against Meta in New Mexico highlights video depositions by top executives

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 02:44)

Prosecutors in New Mexico presented video depositions of Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, as central evidence in a trial. They accuse Meta of violating consumer protection laws by failing to properly disclose and address risks of addiction and child sexual exploitation on its platforms like Instagram.

Meta's defense countered that it actively works to remove harmful content and discloses risks to users. During questioning, Mosseri stated the company prioritizes safety over profit, but prosecutors contrasted this with internal documents showing features to reduce compulsive teen use were not always adopted.

The trial's outcome, along with a similar case in Los Angeles, could influence thousands of lawsuits against social media companies. The main topics covered are the legal allegations against Meta, the executive depositions and testimony, and the potential broader impact of the trials.

tech 7

AI contract restrictions could threaten military missions: US official

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 02:33)

A senior Pentagon official revealed that commercial AI contracts contain sweeping operational restrictions that could paralyze U.S. military missions, including planning combat operations. The official described alarming terms that could cause an AI model to stop mid-operation if terms were violated, specifically citing restrictions affecting commands overseeing air operations in sensitive regions.

The disclosures help explain a recent dispute between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic, whose tool Claude was reportedly used to help plan a military operation. Following the disagreement, Anthropic was banned from government business and labeled a national security risk, while rival OpenAI struck a new deal with the Department of Defense.

The main topics covered are the restrictive terms in Pentagon AI contracts, the specific operational risks these terms pose, and the resulting conflict between the U.S. military and AI provider Anthropic.

tech 6

Anthropic nears $20 billion revenue run rate amid Pentagon feud

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 02:19)

Anthropic is projecting nearly $20 billion in annual revenue, a rapid increase driven by strong adoption of its AI products like Claude Code, and the company is now valued at $380 billion.

However, the U.S. Defense Department has declared Anthropic a supply-chain risk, aiming to cut off its government sales after the company sought restrictions on military use of its AI for surveillance and weapons.

Anthropic has called the designation legally unsound and plans to challenge it in court, while the long-term business impact is uncertain despite a recent surge in consumer app downloads.

Main Topics: Anthropic's financial growth and valuation; its clash with the Pentagon over AI safeguards and the supply-chain risk designation; the potential business and legal repercussions.

tech 5

Intel board chair Frank Yeary to depart after 17 years

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 01:59)

Intel's board chair, Frank Yeary, is retiring and will be succeeded by current board member and chip industry veteran Craig Barratt. This is part of an ongoing board refresh under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who has implemented a turnaround strategy focused on reviving manufacturing and cutting management jobs.

The company, once dominant, has struggled since around 2010 due to missing the mobile chip market and falling behind rival TSMC in manufacturing technology. Analyst commentary suggests Yeary's departure was overdue given past strategic missteps, and his replacement with a semiconductor executive is seen as a positive move to professionalize the board and change company culture.

Main topics: Intel's leadership and board changes, the company's strategic turnaround efforts under its new CEO, and its historical competitive challenges.

tech 5

State Department switches to OpenAI as US agencies start phasing out Anthropic

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 01:52)

Three U.S. cabinet agencies—State, Treasury, and Health and Human Services—have directed staff to cease using Anthropic's AI products, including the Claude chatbot, following an order from President Donald Trump. This aligns with a similar move by the U.S. military, stemming from a failed agreement on limits for the military's use of Anthropic's technology.

The actions represent a significant rebuke of Anthropic, a leading AI firm, and threaten to isolate it within U.S. government contracting. The dispute centers on safeguards to prevent the military and intelligence agencies from using AI for autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance.

Concurrently, rival OpenAI has announced a deal with the Defense Department, explicitly amending it to prohibit the intentional use of its technology for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons.

Main topics: U.S. government ban on Anthropic AI, contract dispute over military use and safeguards, shift to rival AI providers like OpenAI.

tech 5

OpenAI is developing alternative to Microsoft's GitHub: The Information

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 01:36)

OpenAI is reportedly developing a new code-hosting platform to compete with Microsoft's GitHub, prompted by engineers' frustrations with recent GitHub service disruptions. The project is in early development and may take months to complete, with consideration given to selling it to OpenAI's existing customers.

This move would position OpenAI in direct competition with Microsoft, a major investor in the AI firm. The report follows OpenAI's massive $110 billion funding round, which valued the company at $840 billion and underscored intense ongoing investment in AI.

The main topics covered are OpenAI's planned competitive product, its motivation, development stage, potential business implications, and the broader context of AI industry investment.

tech 6

Pentagon dispute bolsters Anthropic reputation but raises questions about AI readiness in military

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 01:17)

Anthropic's refusal to allow its AI, Claude, to be used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance has led to a U.S. government ban and a legal standoff. This ethical stance has resonated with some consumers, coinciding with Claude briefly surpassing ChatGPT in U.S. app downloads.

Critics, however, argue that Anthropic and the broader AI industry previously overhyped the capabilities of such technology, which led the government to adopt it for high-stakes military applications. Experts warn that large language models are too error-prone and unreliable for use in weapon systems, where mistakes could lead to fatal consequences.

The main topics covered are Anthropic's ethical stand against military AI use, the resulting government ban and public reaction, and the critical debate over the actual capabilities and risks of using generative AI in warfare.

tech 5

Why AI startups are selling the same equity at two different prices

(TechCrunch / 2026-03-04 00:31)

AI startups and their lead venture capital firms are employing a novel, two-tiered valuation structure within a single funding round. This allows a portion of the equity to be sold at a lower price to the lead investor, while a larger "headline" valuation—often over $1 billion—is set for other participants.

The primary goal is to manufacture a perception of market dominance and unicorn status, which helps scare off competitors, attract talent, and signal strength to customers. However, critics view the tactic as a symptom of a hyper-competitive, bubble-like market that distorts true company value and sets a high bar for future fundraising.

The main topics covered are venture capital funding strategies, startup valuation mechanisms, and the competitive dynamics within the AI investment landscape.

tech 5

Underused GPUs raise questions about IndiaAI capacity build-out

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 00:31)

The IndiaAI Mission's Compute Portal, which provides subsidized GPU access to AI researchers and startups, is experiencing very low utilization rates. Despite having over 33,000 GPUs committed by cloud service providers, only about 22% are currently being used by end customers.

Key reasons for the poor utilization include a slow allocation process by IndiaAI and financial or procedural delays from end-user companies, such as government entities. This has led some cloud providers to sell their GPU capacity on the open market where they can get better prices.

The main topics covered are the underutilization of critical AI compute infrastructure, the operational and financial challenges within the allocation model, and the specific bottlenecks caused by both administrative delays and end-user constraints.

tech 5

India’s beauty and personal care market set to grow to $39 billion in FY30: Report

(Tech-Economic Times / 2026-03-04 00:30)

India's beauty and personal care market is projected to grow from $27 billion in FY25 to $39 billion by FY30. A major driver is the rapid expansion of online sales, with quick commerce expected to grow from 14% to 30% of online BPC sales by 2030, and platforms like Nykaa leading the market.

Gen Z consumers are a primary force, accounting for 45% of total BPC spending and fueling trends like ingredient-focused and Korean beauty products. The market is also seeing a shift towards self-care and premiumization, moving beyond cosmetic fixes to long-term skin health.

New-age digital brands are rapidly innovating to meet diverse consumer needs, while direct-to-consumer brands are catering to niche segments like curly hair and men's grooming. Increased consumer awareness and influencer-driven content commerce are key factors shaping demand and purchasing behavior.

Main Topics: Market growth projections, online and quick commerce expansion, Gen Z consumer influence, premiumization and ingredient trends (e.g., K-Beauty), rise of digital and niche D2C brands.

Articles tech