Author: GT

The EU AI Act, which came into effect on August 1, 2024, marks a turning point in the regulation of artificial intelligence. Aimed at governing the use and development of AI, it imposes rigorous standards for organisations operating within the EU or providing AI-driven products and services to its member states. Understanding and complying with the Act is essential for UK businesses seeking to compete in the European market. The scope and impact of the EU AI Act The EU AI Act introduces a risk-based framework that classifies AI systems into four categories: minimal, limited, high, and unacceptable risk. High-risk…

Amazon has upgraded its AI video model, Nova Reel, with the ability to generate videos up to two minutes in length. Nova Reel, announced in December 2024, was Amazon’s first foray into the generative video space. It competes with models from OpenAI, Google, and others in what’s fast becoming a crowded market. The latest Nova Reel, Nova Reel 1.1, can generate “multi-shot” videos with “consistent style” across shots, explained AWS developer advocate Elizabeth Fuentes in a blog post. Users can provide a prompt up to 4,000 characters long to generate up to a two-minute video composed of six-second shots. Nova…

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has joined Pakistan’s newly formed Crypto Council as a strategic advisor. The council, established in March 2025, aims to guide Pakistan’s push to attract foreign investment by focusing on digital asset regulations, infrastructure, education, and adoption. Zhao’s involvement follows the council’s first meeting on March 21. In a statement on social media, Zhao clarified that his role is to provide advice on crypto regulation and blockchain solutions but not to engage in political matters. The formation of the Pakistan Crypto Council is part of a broader effort by the country to position itself…

On Monday, Microsoft reportedly terminated the roles of two software engineers, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, who protested the company’s reported dealings with the Israeli military during Microsoft’s Copilot and 50th anniversary event last week. According to an internal message viewed by CNBC, Microsoft wrote that Aboussad could have raised concerns “confidentially with your manager, or with Global Employee Relations. Instead, you chose to intentionally disrupt the speech of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.” Last Friday, during the event, Aboussad shouted that Suleyman had “blood on his hands,” interrupting him while he delivered a keynote about new AI products. Later…

The total crypto market capitalization has dropped by 30% from its peak in December 2024, falling from $3.9 trillion to $2.7 trillion by April 2025. This significant decline comes amid global market uncertainty triggered by new tariffs announced by President Trump on April 2. The tariffs, which went into effect on April 5, include a 34% levy on China, 24% on Japan, and 20% on the European Union. The announcement has rattled investors across multiple asset classes, including cryptocurrencies, with many adopting a risk-off approach. Bitcoin has fared relatively better compared to other digital assets, with its market dominance rising…

Retaining top AI talent is tough amid cutthroat competition between Google, OpenAI, and other heavyweights. Google’s AI division, DeepMind, has resorted to using “aggressive” noncompete agreements for some AI staff in the U.K. that bar them from working for competitors for up to a year, Business Insider reports. Some are paid during this time, in what amounts to a lengthy stretch of PTO. But the practice can make researchers feel left out of the quick pace of AI progress, reported BI. In the U.S., the FTC banned most noncompetes last year, but that doesn’t apply to DeepMind’s London headquarters. Last…

On April 7, 2025, the markets were thrown into turmoil after a false report claimed that President Donald Trump was considering a 90-day pause on global tariffs. The rumor, based on an interview with White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett, caused cryptocurrencies and stock markets to surge before quickly reversing course when the news was debunked. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP all saw sharp spikes in their prices. Bitcoin surged from below $76,000 to a high of $80,818 within 35 minutes. Ethereum jumped from $1,486 to $1,608, while XRP rose from $1.76 to $1.97. Similarly, major stock indices like the S&P…

IBM is releasing the latest version of its mainframe hardware that includes new updates meant to accelerate AI adoption. The hardware and consulting company on Monday announced IBM z17, the latest version of its mainframe computer hardware. This fully encrypted mainframe is powered by an IBM Telum II processor and is designed for more than 250 AI use cases, the company says, including AI agents and generative AI. Mainframes might seem like old hat, but they’re used by 71% of Fortune 500 companies today, according to one source. In 2024, the mainframe market was worth an estimated $5.3 billion, per…

Markets were hit hard on Monday as President Trump’s latest trade war announcements shook global economies. The U.S. president’s decision to impose new tariffs on trading partners, including a 10% baseline tax and higher rates on China, the European Union, and Vietnam, sent shockwaves through financial markets. As a result, equities and cryptocurrencies experienced sharp declines. The U.S. dollar fell, and even gold—considered a safe-haven asset—was down on Monday. Amid the broader market turmoil, Fartcoin, a meme coin based on Solana, stood out. While most major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, faced significant losses, Fartcoin managed to rise by 10%…

Global cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs) experienced outflows of $240 million last week as investors pulled back due to concerns over new U.S. trade tariffs. This marks a reversal after two weeks of inflows totaling $870 million. According to CoinShares, Bitcoin-related ETPs were the hardest hit, with $207 million withdrawn, leaving the total assets under management at $132.6 billion—a modest increase of 0.8% from the previous week. The outflows were largely concentrated in the U.S., which saw $210 million in withdrawals from its crypto funds. Germany followed with $17.7 million in outflows, while Switzerland and Sweden also recorded withdrawals. On the…