Technology

Big Tech’s year of regulatory pressure: As the EU investigates Apple, Alphabet, and Meta under the DMA, it’s demanding compliance in 12 months. Companies scramble to avoid fines of up to 10% of global revenues.

On today’s podcast episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by our analysts Paul Briggs, Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Carina Perkins to discuss the implications of new digital legislations that recently came into force in the EU. Could they be a template for tighter digital laws elsewhere in the world?

China bans Intel, AMD in tech cold war: Beijing pushes domestic chips for government use, affecting US firms’ revenues and escalating tensions. Long-term embargoes could fuel a technology arms race.

Amazon invests billions in Anthropic, maker of the best-performing chatbot: $4 billion in funding illustrates fierce competition among Big Tech to partner with startups that have an innovative edge.

Executives get cold feet over AI adoption: Soaring adoption rates are being pulled down to earth over cybersecurity and data protection concerns. It could curtail the AI sector’s profit outlook.

Google, Samsung, and others form coalition to take on Nvidia: Commercializing generative AI is expensive in part due to Nvidia. Democratization could lower costs but may take a while.

Canva acquires Affinity, challenging Adobe by expanding into photo editing and design after Adobe’s Figma deal collapses. Key to competition: Affinity’s one-off payment model.

Infrastructure to support quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency could be falling behind the technology’s widespread adoption.

Unwitting users experience Google’s AI search: Google wants feedback from people who aren’t AI-inclined. Dealing with spam will help build a symbiotic hybrid search platform.

Zuckerberg’s second job as AI recruiter: There’s a mad scramble for top AI talent. Meta’s plan to build an artificial general intelligence will require attracting the best.

The lines between PCs, consoles, and mobile devices are blurring as powerful smartphones and improved connectivity enable seamless cloud gaming.

Amazon has an ‘AGI for everyone’ vision: Like its Big Tech counterparts, it’s racing to develop the technology. A super-intelligent personal assistant will bring heightened benefits and risks.

Grand Theft Auto 6 delayed as Rockstar Games calls employees back to office: It wants to boost productivity, but RTO mandates can have the opposite effect.

Meta made only two acquisitions in 2023, while Alphabet (parent company of Google and YouTube) made none, per Luma Partners data provided to EMARKETER.

The UN’s AI resolution rests on a weak foundation: The non-binding measure is a call to action for slow-moving governments but requires a public sector talent base that doesn’t exist.

After Reddit’s IPO surge, driven by AI plans and vast user content, the platform faces a balancing act between new AI market opportunities and preserving community trust.

The DOJ and 16 attorneys sue Apple for antitrust law breaches, citing restricted competition and innovation, as tech giants rally against Apple’s practices. How many bites can Apple take?

Meta is first in line for Nvidia’s Blackwell: The two companies are leading the marketplace on AI aggressiveness but remain dependent on sustained demand and the supply chain.

Apple’s MM1 is a sign that Wall Street’s AI judgments aren’t evidence-based: Tech giants need to consider their customer base and revenue streams to successfully commercialize generative AI.

Nvidia’s and Google’s AIs predict climate events, yet their energy- and water-intensive servers risk significant environmental impact. Wider adoption could result in bigger carbon footprints.