Alibaba Group has announced a $53 billion investment in its cloud computing and AI infrastructure over the next three years, exceeding its total spending on AI and cloud services over the past decade. This significant commitment is part of the company's efforts to strengthen its capabilities and drive success within its evolving ecosystem. The investment will support Alibaba Cloud's global infrastructure network, which currently spans 87 availability zones across 29 regions.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/08/tmt-newswire/media-outreach-newswire/alibaba-cloud-strengthens-ai-capabilities-with-innovations-for-international-customers/2088220OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defended AI-generated art, stating it enhances creativity rather than replacing it. He discussed this in a recent podcast with Indian entrepreneur Varun Mayya, highlighting India as the fastest-growing market for OpenAI's image-generation tools. Altman believes AI will reshape jobs but unlock new creative opportunities, particularly in fast-growing markets like India.
https://indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/sam-altman-defends-chatgpt-copying-studio-ghibli-style-says-ai-art-is-good-for-society-2705749-2025-04-08Anthropic, a US AI company backed by Amazon and Google, plans to create over 100 jobs in Europe, including in Dublin and London, under the leadership of Guillaume Princen. The new roles will be in sales, engineering, research, and business operations. Princen, previously leading Stripe's European expansion and CEO of Mooncard, believes this growth is crucial for businesses needing advanced AI capabilities.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/ai-firm-anthropic-announces-100-roles-europe-new-emea-head-5050321In Europe, the financial well-being of customers is becoming a competitive advantage for banks, with over half (52%) expanding their digital tools and services to help manage finances better. More mature banks prioritize customer financial well-being by integrating technology-based solutions to improve customer retention. The rise of digital payments in Europe has led to increased acceptance rates, with 87% in Germany and Italy. Banks are investing heavily in modernizing payment infrastructure using cloud-native solutions (66% already done, 32% planning) and expanding offerings like "Buy Now, Pay Later" and digital wallets. However, concerns over cyber security risks have led to a significant increase in risk mitigation budgets by more than 10%. Generative AI is set to revolutionize the banking industry, with 47% of consumers using weekly AI tools. Banks are cautious about adopting AI but expect it to impact areas like risk management, customer knowledge, and anti-money laundering, leading to a 10% or more increase in investments in new technologies.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sopra-steria-stellt-finanzielles-wohlergehen-als-hauptunterscheidungsmerkmal-im-bankwesen-vor-302423852.htmlThe US government has issued a memorandum similar to President Biden's executive order, urging agencies to appoint Chief AI Officers to oversee their teams with more structure. The goal is to balance rapid growth with ongoing safety, ensuring services are improved for the public while maintaining strong safeguards on civil rights, liberties, and privacy.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/new-white-house-directive-lifts-ai-safeguards-in-the-name-of-modernizationInception Mining Inc. has rebranded as BluSky AI Inc., changing its name and symbol to "BSAI", reflecting a shift from traditional mining operations to developing cutting-edge AI modular compute infrastructure. The company aims to accelerate the time to market for AI computing, addressing the supply shortage with deployable modular compute centers, led by CEO Trent D'Ambrosio, who envisions endless possibilities through harnessing AI's potential.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/09/tmt-newswire/globenewswire/inception-mining-inc-announces-name-change-to-blusky-ai-inc/2088849Broadcom is launching a $10 billion share buyback program, reflecting confidence in its semiconductor and infrastructure software franchises, particularly artificial intelligence-related investments. The company's shares rose nearly 3% after CEO Hock Tan announced the move, which comes amid strong demand for custom AI chips from cloud computing companies looking to avoid Nvidia's costly processors.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/broadcom-announces-new-10-billion-share-buyback-plan-5050171A California bill aimed at blocking OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit entity has been quietly gutted by its sponsor, Titus Wu. The amended legislation no longer includes provisions related to startup venture capital and nonprofits, effectively removing the original restrictions on OpenAI's business model.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/california-bill-to-block-openais-for-profit-conversion-guttedCalifornia legislation aimed at blocking OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit entity was quietly gutted by its sponsor, Titus Wu, after being amended April 3 without announcement. The original bill included provisions on startup venture capital and nonprofits, but these have been removed.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/california-bill-to-block-openais-for-profit-conversion-gutted