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الوسم: tech giants

  • Time names ‘Architects of AI’ as Person of the Year

    Time names ‘Architects of AI’ as Person of the Year

    Time magazine has selected the “Architects of AI” as its Person of the Year for 2025, emphasizing the influential role of leading US technology companies developing advanced artificial intelligence. Jensen Huang from Nvidia, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Elon Musk from xAI are among those recognized for steering history by creating transformative technologies that are reshaping our information systems, environment, and daily lives.

    One of the magazine’s covers pays tribute to the iconic 1932 photograph of steelworkers sharing lunch high above New York City. The illustration features tech leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Musk, Huang, Altman, Demis Hassabis of Google’s AI division, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, and Stanford professor Fei-Fei Li seated above the city. The caption notes that these innovators have collectively made huge investments, with multibillion-dollar bets on some of the largest infrastructure projects ever, influencing government policies, altering international rivalries, and integrating AI into homes. They have positioned AI as a critical tool in the high-stakes competition among global powers, comparable to nuclear weapons in its significance.

    The magazine also credits investors like SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who has poured billions into AI development. The choice of Person of the Year reflects the profound impact of AI over the past year, notably after AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude gained widespread adoption.

    Time’s pick is meant to honor the most influential figure of the year. Past recipients have included President-elect Donald Trump, pop star Taylor Swift, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    According to Time, owned by Silicon Valley billionaire Marc Benioff, 2025 was the year AI moved from promising potential to tangible reality, with ChatGPT usage more than doubling to reach 10% of the global population. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described AI as “the most impactful technology of our time,” projecting the technology could expand the global economy from $100 trillion to as much as $500 trillion.

    However, the magazine also highlights concerns surrounding AI’s darker implications. Lawsuits allege chatbots have contributed to suicides and mental health issues, raising fears over “chatbot psychosis,” where users may fall into delusions or paranoia. In one case, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine are suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT provided information about suicide methods that contributed to his death.

    The article also discusses potential job disruptions as organizations accelerate replacing workers with AI systems. Despite the focus on AI, the magazine deliberately avoided using AI to generate its cover art, opting instead for human artists.

    Thomas Hudson, chief analyst at US research firm Forrester, agrees with the decision, noting that AI’s influence in 2025 has centered on economic shifts and ongoing discussions about societal impacts.

  • Apple and Meta Decline EU’s New AI Safety Agreement

    Apple and Meta Decline EU’s New AI Safety Agreement

    Apple and Meta have opted not to endorse the European Union’s newly established AI safety agreement, while they continue to handle regulatory challenges presented by EU authorities.

    The EU AI Pact is a voluntary framework designed to promote the development of safe and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) systems. More than 100 companies, including major tech players like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, have supported this initiative. Meanwhile, other significant entities, such as AI company Anthropic and TikTok, have also chosen not to sign.

    The AI Pact focuses on three main objectives: increasing awareness of AI risks, pinpointing high-risk AI systems, and implementing governance strategies to guide AI development. The European Union is taking the lead in establishing global legal standards for AI through the recent implementation of the AI Act. This groundbreaking legal framework is the first of its type and aims to oversee companies that develop AI technologies while addressing the potential threats they pose to safety, health, and fundamental rights.

    Nevertheless, the refusal of Apple and Meta to sign the pact highlights the ongoing tensions between these companies and EU regulators. Meta, in particular, has encountered legal hurdles this year, including an order from the Irish Data Protection Commission that compelled the tech giant to halt the launch of its AI assistant in Europe. The controversy revolved around Meta’s utilization of personal data to train its AI models for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

    In light of the AI Act, Meta has stated its intention to fully comply with the new regulations, although it indicated that it is not prepared to join the AI Pact at this moment. A Meta representative remarked, "We appreciate the unified EU regulations and are committed to adhering to the AI Act, but we are open to the possibility of joining the AI Pact in the future." The company also noted that AI could foster innovation and competition in Europe, cautioning that the EU could overlook substantial opportunities if it concentrates solely on risk reduction without also championing the benefits of AI advancements.

    On the other hand, Apple has not provided extensive commentary on its decision to abstain from signing the pact, but it is reportedly prioritizing its compliance with the EU’s AI Act. The hesitance from both companies underscores the persistent friction between leading tech corporations and European regulators as they strive to find a balance between the groundbreaking potential of AI and the necessity for stringent safety protocols.

    Apple and Meta Investigate AI Partnership, According to WSJ

    In a related matter earlier this year, reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Apple and Meta were looking into potential collaborations in the AI sector. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, was allegedly in talks to integrate its generative AI model into Apple’s newly launched AI system for iPhones.

    Discussions also included AI startups Anthropic and Perplexity, as these companies contemplated bringing their AI innovations to Apple’s emerging platform. Although no agreements were reached, such collaborations could have enabled AI firms to broaden the distribution of their products through Apple’s ecosystem.

    The reports suggested that these partnerships might have involved AI companies offering premium subscriptions to their services via Apple Intelligence. While the financial aspects of these prospective deals were not clarified, incorporating third-party AI models into Apple’s ecosystem would have represented a significant advancement in Apple’s overall AI strategy announced earlier in the month. This strategy featured the integration of AI into essential applications like Siri and the introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to Apple devices.

  • Australia Targets Social Media Firms with Misinformation Fines

    Australia Targets Social Media Firms with Misinformation Fines

    Australia has announced plans to impose fines on internet companies of up to 5% of their global revenue if they fail to curtail the spread of misinformation online.

    This initiative is part of a global effort to rein in powerful tech giants, but it has raised concerns among advocates for free speech.

    The government stated that tech platforms will be required to establish codes of conduct that outline how they will combat the dissemination of harmful false information. These codes will need to be approved by a regulatory body.

    If a platform does not comply, the regulator will create its own guidelines and impose penalties for any failures to adhere to these standards.

    The proposed legislation, set to be introduced in parliament on Thursday, specifically targets false information that could undermine electoral integrity or public health, incite violence against individuals or groups, or disrupt essential infrastructure and emergency services.

    This bill is part of a broader regulatory initiative by the Australian government, which has expressed concerns that foreign tech companies are undermining national sovereignty. This effort comes ahead of a federal election expected to occur within the next year.

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has already indicated that it might block professional news content if required to pay licensing fees, while X, formerly known as Twitter, has significantly reduced its content moderation since being acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022.

    “Misinformation and disinformation are significant threats to the safety and welfare of Australians, as well as to our democracy, society, and economy,” stated Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. “Ignoring this issue is not an option.”

    A draft version of the bill faced backlash in 2023 for granting excessive authority to the Australian Communications and Media Authority regarding the definitions of misinformation and disinformation, which refers to the intentional spreading of falsehoods.

    Rowland clarified that the updated bill would limit the media regulator’s powers, ensuring it cannot force the removal of individual pieces of content or user accounts. The revised legislation would also protect professional news, artistic, and religious content, but not government-approved material.

    Citing the Australian Media Literacy Alliance, Rowland noted that approximately 80% of Australians support measures to tackle the spread of misinformation.

    Meta, which boasts nearly 90% of Australians as Facebook users, declined to comment on the new proposals. The industry group DIGI, of which Meta is a member, stated that the new rules bolster an anti-misinformation code it last updated in 2022, but many questions still remain.

    X was not available for immediate comment.

    James Paterson, the opposition’s home affairs spokesman, acknowledged that he had yet to delve into the revised bill but expressed concern that “Australians’ valid political beliefs should not be silenced by the government or foreign social media platforms.”

    The Australian Communications and Media Authority expressed its support for the legislation, which would formally empower it to address misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms.