A Chinese AI startup, Manus, has secured $75 million in funding from US venture firm Benchmark, valuing the company at nearly $500 million. The funding will be used to explore the use of artificial intelligence agents to replace everyday tasks.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/chinese-ai-startup-manus-scores-funding-at-500-million-valueThe US Senate has passed the "Ban AI 'Deepfake' Pornography" bill (S. 146), which makes it a federal crime to publish non-consensual sexually explicit images, including AI-generated digital forgeries known as "deepfakes", that depict people without their consent. The bill is aimed at combating online harassment and exploitation.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/bgov-bill-analysis-s-146-ban-ai-deepfake-pornographyA new report by Google suggests that the UK could double its adoption of artificial intelligence, resulting in £400 billion in economic growth. The report highlights the importance of effective workforce adoption, which could account for half of the gains, with two-thirds of UK workers having never used generative AI at work. This trend disproportionately affects "older women from lower socio-economic backgrounds."
https://www.techradar.com/pro/google-says-the-uk-needs-to-do-more-to-adopt-ai-then-it-can-reap-the-benefitsA survey conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission found that 71% of respondents believed unsolicited text messages could influence their voting decisions. The survey was part of a broader investigation into the impact of technology on the electoral process, with experts warning of the potential for AI-powered tools to be used to target voters and sway their choices.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/western-australia/running-mates-unsolicited-texts-and-will-you-use-ai-to-choose-who-to-vote-for-20250424-p5ltzh.htmlThe European Commission is expanding its support for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act by continuing to provide guidance on the regulation, identifying stakeholder concerns, and exploring ways to simplify compliance. This effort aims to facilitate smoother implementation of the AI Act among EU member states.
https://natlawreview.com/article/european-commission-publishes-ai-continent-action-planMeta is expanding its advertising on Threads to all eligible advertisers globally, aiming to generate new revenue streams amid uncertainty over tariffs. The move comes as the company seeks to capitalize on emerging generative AI technology and compete with Elon Musk's X platform. Meta derives most of its revenue from advertising, which funds its multibillion-dollar investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/meta-opens-threads-to-advertisers-globally-1874797OpenAI expects its new products to surpass sales of its ChatGTP chatbot by the end of 2028, according to The Information report. The company plans to generate $2 billion in cash by 2029, with a cash flow positive outlook after spending $46 billion over four years. OpenAI's latest AI models, o3 and o4-mini, are considered the "smartest" released to date, offering more capable AI agents that can independently execute tasks on behalf of users. CFO Sarah Friar stated that OpenAI is building an AI agent that can perform all work of software engineers, moving beyond model building to become a comprehensive AI infrastructure provider and applications developer.
https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2025/report-openai-expects-new-products-to-drive-revenue-to-125-billion-in-2029/SK hynix reported its second-highest quarterly results on record, with net income quadrupling to $5.67 billion compared to last year. The company attributed this growth to increased demand for artificial intelligence technology and a faster-than-expected ramp-up in the memory market. Despite US tariffs on critical sectors, SK hynix's shares fell due to concerns over HBM DRAM sales. However, experts believe the segment is less likely to be affected by trade shocks due to strong AI demand and borderless AI servers. SK hynix maintained unchanged sales plans with key clients and noted that only a small proportion of its sales are directly exported to the US.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/sk-hynix-posts-record-profits-thanks-to-strong-ai-demand/article_32d85698-1f2e-59f6-a600-ce8acebc3948.htmlABOITIZ Land's Elevate AIDA Project is empowering women in grassroots communities with digital literacy skills, providing remote job opportunities in Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation (AIDA).
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/24/tmt-newswire/aboitiz-land-empowers-women-in-digital-economy/2098195