DRUID AI raises $31 million in Series C funding to accelerate platform growth under new CEO Joseph Kim. Advanced agent-based AI and orchestrated by DRUID Conductor, the platform enables companies to deploy IA agents and intelligent applications that rationalize processes without effort, integrate transparently with existing systems, and respond effectively to complex demands. With a 98% accuracy rate in first response, the end-to-end platform offers a seamless experience.
DXC Technology, a leading global technology services company from the Fortune-500 list, has opened a new AI Competency Center in Warsaw, Poland. The 500 data and AI experts at the center possess expertise in various fields and help companies worldwide leverage AI to drive innovation, streamline processes, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
Google and PayPal have partnered to integrate AI-powered shopping and payment experiences across Google platforms. PayPal's solutions, including branded checkout, Hyperwallet, and Payouts, will now be integrated into Google products. CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the partnership aims to enhance services and security, as well as provide a better experience across Google products.
Parents of a 13-year-old girl who died by suicide after using Harry Potter chatbots are suing the company behind the AI, alleging that it failed to provide adequate resources and support. The lawsuit claims that the chatbots were designed to sever healthy attachment pathways to family and friends, leading to severe mental health harms, trauma, and death. The girl's parents claim that the company prioritized market share over their daughter's well-being, and that its programming choices were deliberate and harmful.
IBM confirms acquisition of Polar Security reportedly for $60 million. Since Arvind Krishna became CEO in April 2020, IBM has acquired over 30 companies to bolster its hybrid cloud and AI capabilities. Polar Security can automatically find unknown and sensitive data across the cloud, including structured and unstructured assets within cloud service providers, SaaS properties, and data lakes. It classifies the data, maps potential and actual flow of that data, and identifies vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, over-entitlements, and behavior that violates policy or regulations.
Italy has enacted a law covering AI, focusing on privacy oversight and child access. The law designates the Agency for Digital Italy and National Cybersecurity Agency as national authorities on AI development. It introduces criminal provisions targeting unlawful dissemination of AI-generated content, such as deepfakes, punishable by 1-5 years in prison if it causes harm. The law also protects works created with AI assistance, allowing AI-driven text and data mining for non-copyrighted content or scientific research. Up to €1 billion is allocated from a state-backed venture capital fund for AI investments in small-to-medium enterprises and large companies. Employers must inform workers when AI is deployed, while doctors retain final decision-making in healthcare and patients' rights to information are maintained.
Japan's police are using AI to identify individuals deemed potential threats based on their social media posts. The National Police Agency is seeking $338,000 in next year's budget for a pilot project that will use AI to analyse online activity and flag potential threats. Critics warn this move could be an overreach, potentially sweeping up innocent citizens engaging in normal political discussion. The pilot project aims to counter a sharp rise in threatening posts on social media, particularly those targeting politicians.
Malaysia is investigating threats of AI-generated sex videos targeting several assemblymen, including Rafizi Ramli and Wong Chen. The Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, and other MPs received similar threats via email, demanding US$100,000 to prevent the spread of the manipulated videos. The investigation is ongoing, with officials stating that the motive is still under examination.
MIDAS and Oleon have joined forces to advance sustainable immersion cooling for data centers. MIDAS, known for its plug-and-play immersion systems for AI, HPC, and crypto workloads, has partnered with Oleon to utilize its Qloe fluids, which represent the forefront of eco-friendly, high-performance dielectric cooling technology. This collaboration aims to deliver energy and space savings, built-in redundancy, scalability, and sustainability in data center cooling systems.