Walmart has forged a deal with OpenAI to allow customers and Sam’s Club members to purchase goods directly through ChatGPT using its Instant Checkout system. The move turns the AI chatbot into a full-fledged retail interface, collapsing the gap between conversational query and completed sale. Shares of Walmart rose about 3 percent following the announcement, signalling investor confidence in this bold shift in e-commerce. The companies say […]
GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai has become a battleground for dominance in nation-scale artificial intelligence, as governments and tech giants compete to control the infrastructure that will underpin the next wave of the digital economy. The event has already featured multiple high-stakes unveilings of sovereign AI platforms, hyperscale data centres, and public-service automation systems illustrating how computing power is being weaponised as strategic capital. The opening day […]
Deloitte Australia will reimburse part of the A$440,000 it earned from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations after a commissioned report was found to contain fabricated quotes from a federal court judgment and references to non-existent academic papers. The 237-page document, published in July, initially underwent limited public scrutiny. A revised version released in October removed misattributed quotations and corrected erroneous citations after Sydney University researcher […]
Deloitte Australia has agreed to partially refund AU$440,000 to the federal government after a commissioned report attributed to it was found to include fabricated citations, invented legal quotations, and other inaccuracies. The firm disclosed that the report’s drafting had involved the use of a generative AI system, prompting sharp debate over how much control and transparency clients should demand when consultants deploy such tools in high-stakes settings. […]
OpenAI has unveiled a sweeping upgrade to ChatGPT, enabling developers to embed functional apps directly into the chatbot and turning it into a platform in its own right. The shift brings deeper integrations, a new proactive experience called Pulse, and a push to transform ChatGPT beyond conversational AI. At its developer event, OpenAI introduced a Software Development Kit that lets third-party services run seamlessly within ChatGPT. Apps […]
OpenAI has raised alarms with European Union antitrust regulators, warning that the growing dominance of major technology firms such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple poses a threat to competition within the sector. The company’s concerns centre around the increasing control these companies hold over vast amounts of data, which it claims could stifle innovation and lead to unfair market advantages. In a detailed submission to the European […]
A wave of AI-generated protest videos created using OpenAI’s Sora 2 technology has sent shockwaves through the online community, fuelling confusion and sparking debates about the integrity of digital media. The rise of these deepfake videos, often portraying political unrest and protests, has raised concerns about the blurring of the line between reality and manipulation in the digital age. The videos, designed to look incredibly realistic, feature […]
Deloitte has agreed to repay a portion of its contract with the Australian government following the discovery of errors generated by artificial intelligence in a series of reports. The company acknowledged the involvement of Azure OpenAI, a generative AI language system, in producing the erroneous documents, which prompted a review of its practices and the government’s decision to seek financial restitution. The AI errors were identified in […]
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed assertions that the artificial intelligence boom is mirroring the dot-com bubble, saying the current momentum rests on strong fundamentals rather than speculation. He defended Nvidia’s recent investments in AI startups and pitched infrastructure build-out as the engine sustaining growth. During a wide-ranging interview on CNBC, Huang stated that what differentiates today’s environment from the dot-com era is the depth of demand: global […]
Google DeepMind has made public a new AI model, Gemini 2.5 Computer Use, capable of interacting with web and mobile user interfaces by mimicking human actions such as clicking, typing and scrolling. The model is now available in preview through the Gemini API, via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, allowing developers to build agents that can directly operate interfaces otherwise inaccessible via backend APIs. The model […]
OpenAI has struck letters of intent with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to supply undiced DRAM wafers for its ambitious “Stargate” AI infrastructure initiative, with projected demand reaching as high as 900,000 wafers per month—potentially equivalent to 40 percent of global DRAM output. The agreements were announced during meetings in Seoul among OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee and […]
AMD signed a long-term agreement with OpenAI to supply six gigawatts of AI chips over multiple years, with the first delivery of its Instinct MI450 GPUs slated for the second half of 2026. In tandem, OpenAI will have the right to acquire up to 160 million AMD shares—roughly 10 percent of the company—subject to performance and stock-price milestones. Under the pact, AMD will act as a core […]
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman is leading a high-stakes campaign across East Asia and the Middle East to secure investment and bolster chip supply for the company’s AI infrastructure push. He has held talks since late September in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan with leading hardware suppliers to prioritise OpenAI’s orders and expand capacity.
Altman has met with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Foxconn, as well as Samsung and SK Hynix, pressing them to accelerate production and give OpenAI preferential access. In South Korea, Samsung and SK Hynix have signed letters of intent to supply memory chips for OpenAI’s data centres. Meanwhile, OpenAI plans further fundraising discussions in the United Arab Emirates.
The urgency of Altman’s mission reflects the intensifying global competition for advanced computing resources. OpenAI projects it will spend around US$16 billion this year on renting computing servers, with long-term forecasts stretching to US$400 billion by 2029 as AI models grow ever more complex.
Industry analysts note that the semiconductor supply chain remains highly constrained. TSMC dominates GPU chip production, and memory manufacturing is largely concentrated in East Asia, creating significant strategic leverage for the manufacturers approached by Altman.
As part of his tour, Altman is also pressing Japanese firms to contribute to infrastructure support. Hitachi has entered discussions to provide power transmission and distribution systems for OpenAI’s data centres, while sharing technical resources under joint development agreements.
Sources familiar with the process say Altman pushed for direct prioritisation in chip delivery schedules, asking that OpenAI receive top-tier production slots. In some cases, he proposed co-investment or co-development of next-generation AI hardware to bind partner incentives more closely.
In South Korea, early architecture proposals include planned data centres of 20 megawatts in collaboration with Samsung and SK Hynix. Altman is reportedly exploring “floating” data centre designs to manage land constraints and cooling demands.
The UAE leg of his mission is expected to involve negotiations with sovereign investment firms such as MGX and Mubadala, with the aim of funding both OpenAI’s expansion and joint infrastructure ventures in the region. In past rounds, UAE investors have already taken part in funding OpenAI operations.
Challenges remain significant. The sheer scale of chips and memory required for stacked AI model training is pushing the boundaries of global wafer fabrication capacity. Market watchers point to the high capital expenditure and long lead times in the semiconductor industry as obstacles to rapid scaling. Some of Altman’s proposals—for example, co-development of bespoke ASICs—are still in preliminary stages and face technical risk.
OpenAI’s valuation and investor backing give the company leverage. Earlier this year, it closed deals that valued it at about US$500 billion, with new capital injections from investors including SoftBank and UAE entities. Those moves have fortified its position in negotiating upstream deals with manufacturers.
The US Commerce Secretary has warned that reliance on DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence models is “dangerous and shortsighted,” amid findings that they are more vulnerable to hacking and underperform against US systems. An evaluation by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation within NIST compared DeepSeek’s R1, R1-0528 and V3.1 models with leading US systems—including OpenAI’s GPT-5 series and Anthropic’s Opus 4—on 19 performance and safety benchmarks. The […]
OpenAI has surged past its prior valuation to reach an estimated $500 billion after current and former employees sold approximately $6.6 billion worth of shares to a consortium of investors. The deal, structured as a secondary share transaction, elevates OpenAI to the top of private tech valuations globally. Buyers in the transaction include Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX and T. Rowe Price. Although […]
Anthropic has unveiled Claude Sonnet 4.5, a new version of its AI model that, according to the company, successfully executed over 30 hours of continuous, autonomous coding in a client test. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is positioned as a more capable modeling tier aimed at developers and enterprise users. In internal trials, it outperformed its predecessor’s seven-hour autonomous coding limit, building production-grade software modules over extended durations. The […]
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, where they engaged in talks designed to deepen AI collaboration between UAE institutions and OpenAI. The meeting concentrated on intensifying research cooperation, advancing practical AI applications, and aligning strategies to bolster the UAE’s integrated AI ecosystem. The UAE’s state media noted the partnership “aligns with the UAE’s ambition to […]
OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Pulse, a new proactive feature that autonomously crafts personalised updates overnight and delivers them each morning to assist users with planning, reminders, news and suggestions. The tool is debuting in preview mode for ChatGPT Pro users on mobile, with plans to expand access over time. Pulse gathers context from users’ prior chats, enabled memory, and optionally connected apps such as calendars and email […]
India has engaged with Washington over the U. S. decision to impose a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, warning that the move threatens the mobility of skilled professionals and could strain bilateral trade ties.
The External Affairs Ministry affirmed it would continue talks with relevant stakeholders in the United States, emphasising that talent exchange has underpinned innovation and growth in both economies. The government noted that the new rule may disproportionately affect Indian nationals, since they constitute a significant share of the H-1B pool.
The White House announced that the fee will apply only to fresh petitions filed from September 21, 2025 onwards, not to renewals or existing visa holders. The administration framed this shift as part of efforts to prevent misuse of the visa system and prioritise higher-wage, high-skilled cases.
India’s reaction underscores deep concerns within its technology sector—many firms rely on U. S. operations staffed via H-1B sponsorship. Analysts estimate that the fee hike could reduce IT margins by 4–13 percent depending on visa intensity, while Indian IT stocks saw steep declines following the announcement.
At the same time, India is navigating friction on trade. U. S. tariffs levied on Indian goods—particularly a 50 percent cumulative duty tied to India’s oil imports from Russia—are already under scrutiny in bilateral talks. Officials assert that the visa and trade issues will be addressed as interconnected elements of the broader U. S.–India partnership.
During meetings on the sidelines of the U. N. General Assembly, India’s Foreign Minister and Commerce Minister held discussions with their U. S. counterparts, reinforcing that continued engagement is essential to manage tensions. The Indian side has also said that relevant domestic departments are evaluating options concerning the impact of the tariffs.
Despite the pushback, some U. S. industry figures support the new fee. Leaders at firms such as Nvidia, OpenAI and Netflix have welcomed the shift as a mechanism to prioritise high-value talent. Others, including JPMorgan’s CEO, have warned it risks driving skilled workers to competing nations. U. S. medical associations are lobbying for exemptions, arguing that the steep cost could impede physician recruitment, particularly in underserved areas.
India’s Finance Ministry has called for heightened monitoring of the economic fallout, citing possible impacts on remittance inflows and service exports. The ministry has described the short term as manageable but warned of long-term risks if the regime remains in place.
Within India’s tech industry, there has been a strategic pivot. Companies have invested over $1 billion in onshore training and hiring in the U. S., reducing dependence on H-1B deployment. Industry bodies argue that this shift could help absorb the shock should visa access tighten further.
Still, experts caution that such mitigation has limits. Smaller firms and startups that depend on cross-border talent mobility may feel the squeeze most acutely. Some analysts suggest that alternative destinations, including Canada, South Korea and the UK, may be more appealing to Indian professionals seeking global opportunities.
OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank have unveiled plans for five new artificial intelligence data centres across the United States under their Stargate infrastructure initiative, pushing the programme’s capacity to almost 7 gigawatts and investment to over US$400 billion over the next three years. Three of the new sites will be developed in partnership between OpenAI and Oracle, located in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and […]
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, xAI, has raised $10 billion in its latest financing round, pushing its valuation to $200 billion. The capital includes a split between debt and equity, as Musk’s firm accelerates plans for infrastructure expansion and model development. xAI’s funding round was structured as $5 billion in debt, comprising secured notes and term loans, and another $5 billion via strategic equity investment. The raise, […]
OpenAI has announced a suite of new protections that will tailor the ChatGPT experience depending on whether the system estimates a user is under 18, including stricter content filters, parental controls, and new distress-alerts. The company will use an automatic age-prediction model to infer whether someone is a teenager based on usage patterns, with the safer, under-18 mode activated by default if there is any doubt. Users […]
OpenAI’s latest working paper, published via the National Bureau of Economic Research, reveals that 52% of ChatGPT users are women, reversing an earlier dominance by men, who made up about 80% of users in the service’s first months. The study, based on 1.5 million messages from about 130,000 consumer users between May 2024 and July 2025, shows that users aged 18-25 generate nearly half of all messages. […]
OpenAI will purchase approximately $300 billion worth of cloud computing capacity from Oracle over a five-year period beginning in 2027, according to statements from the companies and industry analysts. The deal is among the largest ever in the cloud infrastructure sector, and is intertwined with OpenAI and Oracle’s joint Stargate initiative. The agreement requires Oracle to supply 4.5 gigawatts of power-capacity for the data centres that will […]
