Microsoft isn't slowing down its artificial-intelligence spending spree anytime soon. In its third-quarter earnings call on Thursday, the tech giant said it would continue to invest in AI and cloud services because of growing demand and a rise in average spending on its cloud platform, Azure. Amy Hood, Microsoft's chief financial officer, said on the call that capital expenditure — what a company spends on buying or maintaining assets — would increase "materially." "Currently, near-term AI demand is a bit higher than our available capacity," Hood said. The company spent nearly $11 billio ..read more

Large financial institutions are coming to terms with the new world of tech-driven fraud and adopting digital identity tools as an increasingly necessary defense – but also for customer service, accessibility, and other use cases. Mastercard has launched a new suite of AI-driven tools to protect customers against scams. LexisNexis Risk Solutions is reporting a correlation between spiking fraud rates and customer trust. And Feedzai is seeing significant growth in its behavioral biometrics business. Mastercard AI security suite aims to foster trust in the digital world Mastercard’s offering ..read more

I'm an AI developer and consultant, and when OpenAI released a preview in February of its text-to-video model Sora—an AI capable of generating cinema-quality videos—I started getting urgent requests from the entertainment industry and from investment firms. You could divide the calls into two groups. Group A was concerned about how quickly AI was going to disrupt a current business model. Group B wanted to know if there was an opportunity to get a piece of the disruptive action. Counterintuitively, the venture capitalists and showbiz people were equally split across the groups. Hollywood p ..read more

Only four companies in the world are worth more than $t2 trillion: Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet – parent company of Google - and computer chip maker Nvidia. The California-based company saw its stock market value soar from $1 trillion to $2 trillion in just eight months this past year, fuelled by the insatiable demand for its cutting-edge technology – the hardware and software that make today's artificial intelligence possible. We wondered how a company founded in 1993 to improve video game graphics turned into a titan of 21st century AI. So, we went to Silicon Valley to meet Nvidia's 61 year ..read more

By Johan de Villiers Welcome to our second edition of our quarterly E-zine for 2024! In an era where technology intertwines intricately with every aspect of human life, the concept of immortality has been redefined. Entrepreneurs and technologists are pushing the boundaries of what it means to "live forever" by creating digital avatars that preserve a person's personality, mannerisms, and voice beyond their physical existence. This innovative leap, exemplified by technology entrepreneur Artur Sychov's creation, the "live forever mode," aims to offer solace to those grieving, a connection to ..read more

Microsoft says cloud AI demand is exceeding supply even after 79% surge in capital spending Microsoft has reported that the demand for cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) services is outstripping the available supply, despite a significant 79% increase in its capital expenditures aimed at expanding its cloud infrastructure. The tech giant has been heavily investing in its cloud capabilities to meet the growing needs of businesses seeking advanced AI solutions hosted on the cloud. However, the current market for cloud AI is so robust that even with the aggressive scaling of their operatio ..read more

Logitech’s latest wireless mouse features a dedicated ChatGPT button Logitech, the well-established innovator in the realm of computer peripherals, has made a new stride in integrating AI with everyday tech tools by unveiling its revolutionary M750 Wireless Mouse. This device appears conventional at a glance, maintaining the seamless design Logitech users are accustomed to. But it stands apart as the pioneer in Logitech's "Signature AI Edition" lineup thanks to its unique feature: a dedicated ChatGPT button. This addition is a direct response to the growing influence of AI in our daily digita ..read more

Our latest thought leadership breakfast on 16 April, “MISSION: OFF-WORLD” was one of our most thrilling talks yet. Dr. Adriana Marais, a theoretical physicist, technologist, and the visionary behind Proudly Human, delighted us with her profound insights. Throughout her presentation, Dr. Marais delved into the transformative power of space exploration and how it reshapes our understanding of reality and our place in the universe. From the scientific advancements fuelling their journey to the ethical considerations of inhabiting new worlds, it was a truly thought-provoking experience. The d ..read more

Apollo the robot joins Mercedes-Benz assembly line production Mercedes-Benz has taken a significant leap into the future of automotive manufacturing by welcoming Apollo, a sophisticated new robot, onto its assembly line. Aptly named after the Greek god of light and knowledge, Apollo represents a monumental stride in production techniques, infusing state-of-the-art robotics into the precision engineering Mercedes-Benz is renowned for. This move not only heralds a shift in how vehicles are assembled, but also sets a new standard in the fusion of technology and human craftsmanship. Apollo is exp ..read more

Darktrace expecting 25.5 per cent growth thanks to growing AI-powered cybercrime Darktrace, a leading cybersecurity firm, is projecting a notable growth in its operations, with a forecast of a 25.5 percent increase. This significant rise is attributed to the escalating threat of AI-powered cybercrime. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated in their methods, employing artificial intelligence to conduct their attacks, the demand for equally advanced cybersecurity solutions has surged. Darktrace, which specializes in developing AI-based cybersecurity systems, is positioned to address this g ..read more