Author: GT

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has explored the opportunities and challenges brought about by AI with regards to global energy.   Training and deploying sophisticated AI models occur within vast, power-hungry data centres. A “typical AI-focused data centre consumes as much electricity as 100 000 households,” the IEA notes, with the largest facilities under construction projected to demand 20x times that amount. Surging data centre investments Global investment in data centres has nearly doubled since 2022, reaching half a trillion dollars in 2024, sparking concerns about escalating electricity needs. While data centres accounted for approximately 1.5% of global electricity consumption in…

After months of hearty marketing efforts and large-scale technology demos across the U.S., Nuro has secured $106 million in fresh funding to help scale its autonomous driving technology and advance commercial partnerships.  The Series E round brings Nuro’s total funding raised to $2.2 billion and its valuation to $6 billion. That’s a drop from the $8.6 billion post-money valuation Nuro secured after its $600 million Series D in 2021, but most startup valuations have come down from the highs seen during the era of easy money.  Usually, a down round can be cause for concern, as it might reflect diminished…

LONDON (AP) — Planning an international trip? Travelers should prepare for the possibility of extra scrutiny of their phones when crossing borders, especially when entering the United States.The Canadian government warned travelers in a recent travel advisory that U.S. border agents are entitled to search your electronic devices and “don’t need to provide a reason when requesting a password to open your device.”Some recent cases have made travelers nervous about their privacy, such as when a Brown University professor with a U.S. visa was deported to Lebanon after border agents found a photo of Hezbollah’s leader on her phone.“While 100%…

Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoin spot trading volumes have declined as crypto prices entered into correction mode in the last two months, with crypto exchange Binance emerging as the preferred avenue for traders, according to a report from CryptoQuant. Total bitcoin spot trading volume on crypto exchanges declined from a high of $44 billion on February 3 to $10 billion at the end of Q1, a nearly 77% drop, according to the analytics firm. Meanwhile, total altcoin spot trading volume on crypto exchanges declined from a high of $122 billion on February 3 to $23 billion at the end of Q1…

A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. Pavel Mikheyev | ReutersCrude oil futures fell more than 2% on Thursday, as President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on China overshadowed his 90-day pause on higher rates for most other countries.U.S. crude oil fell $1.76, or 2.8%, to $60.59 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent was down $1.72, or 2.6%, to $63.76 per barrel.Crude prices rallied Wednesday after Trump announced a lower, temporary tariff rate of 10% on most U.S. trade partners. Trump said he was open…

Instagram appears to be quietly testing locked reels that viewers would have to unlock with a code and a provided hint. The feature is a simple way to increase engagement with the creator’s content, but it could also offer creators and celebrities a way to share exclusive reels with their most dedicated fans, who are more likely to know the answer to hints. For example, a creator may lock a reel with the hint, “my birthday” or “my dog’s name” in order to share exclusive content with loyal followers. The Meta-owned social network was spotted testing the feature on its…

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) soared to an all-time high of $106,182 per coin in January. With the fourth Bitcoin halving firmly in the rearview mirror and a more crypto-friendly regime in the White House, the original cryptocurrency looked ready to skyrocket like it did in 2020 and 2017. But it hasn’t worked out that way. Bitcoin is down to $79,200 as of this writing on April 8. That’s a hair-raising 25% price crash, well ahead of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) stock market tracker’s 19% drop. Is this the start of a three-year crypto winter like the one you saw after…

Nina Schick is a leading speaker and expert on generative AI, renowned for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of technology, society and geopolitics. As one of the first authors to publish a book on generative AI, she has emerged as a sought-after speaker helping global leaders, businesses, and institutions understand and adapt to this transformative moment. We spoke to Nina to explore the future of AI-driven innovation, its ethical and political dimensions, and how organisations can lead in this rapidly evolving landscape. In your view, how will generative AI redefine the foundational structures of business and economic productivity in…

Hosting platform WordPress.com on Wednesday launched a new AI website builder that allows anyone to create a functioning website using an AI chat-style interface. The feature, which is being made available to WordPress users for free, is targeted at entrepreneurs, freelancers, bloggers, and others who need a professional online presence, the company says. At this time, the AI builder is not capable of creating more advanced websites like those needed for e-commerce stores or others with complex integrations. While AI-powered website builders are no longer new, the addition is designed to help WordPress better compete with companies like Squarespace and…

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Johnnygreig | E+ | Getty ImagesCrashing oil prices triggered by waning demand, global trade war fears and growing crude supply could more than double Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit, a Goldman Sachs economist warned.The bank’s outlook spotlighted the pressure on the kingdom to make changes to its mammoth spending plans and fiscal measures.”The deficits on the fiscal side that we’re likely to see in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries, especially big countries like Saudi Arabia, are going to be pretty significant,” Farouk Soussa, Middle East and North Africa economist at Goldman Sachs, told CNBC’s Access Middle East on…