AI News on December 25th

1. Italian Competition Authority Orders Meta to Open WhatsApp to Rival AI

#Italy #Meta #Antitrust #Competition

Italy's competition authority has ordered Meta to suspend its policy of blocking rival AI chatbots from integrating with WhatsApp. The regulator warned that the practice could be an abuse of market dominance to favor Meta's own AI assistant, harming market competition and consumer choice.

2. U.S. White House Advances National AI Policy Framework

#USA #AI #Policy #ExecutiveOrder

The White House has issued an executive order to establish a national policy framework for AI. The order prioritizes U.S. leadership and aims to limit state-level AI regulations.

3. European Central Bank Head Highlights AI's Positive Economic Impact

#EU #Economy #ECB #Investment

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that artificial intelligence is having a positive impact on the European economy, noting that recent economic performance exceeding expectations has clear investment features related to AI.

4. U.S.-UK Tech Prosperity Deal Paused Over Trade Disputes

#USA #UK #Trade #Policy

The United States has suspended the execution of the "Tech Prosperity Deal" signed with the UK in September. The deal, which involved major investments in UK AI infrastructure, is on hold pending "substantial progress" in broader trade negotiations.

5. NVIDIA and Deutsche Telekom Sign €1 Billion AI Cloud Deal in Germany

#NVIDIA #Germany #Cloud #Partnership

NVIDIA and Deutsche Telekom have confirmed a €1 billion partnership to build a data center in Germany, described as the "world's first industrial AI cloud," aiming to help European businesses develop and deploy AI for manufacturing and robotics.

6. Italy Becomes First EU Country to Pass National AI Law

#Italy #EU #Regulation #Law

Italy has become the first European Union member state to pass a national law on artificial intelligence. The law establishes core principles like transparency and human oversight, and includes specific provisions for healthcare and employment.

7. NVIDIA Reportedly Halts Testing of Intel's 18A Chip Process

#NVIDIA #Intel #Semiconductors #Manufacturing

NVIDIA has reportedly stopped testing Intel's 18A manufacturing process for its advanced chips, a move that has caused a drop in Intel's stock price.

8. OpenAI in Talks for New Funding Round at $750 Billion Valuation

#OpenAI #Funding #Valuation

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with investors for a new funding round that could value the company at $750 billion, aiming to raise tens of billions of dollars to support expansion.

9. Former Facebook Executive Warns AI Industry Must Prioritize Efficiency

#AI #Infrastructure #Energy #Efficiency

Chris Kelly, former Chief Privacy Officer at Facebook, warned that the AI industry's next critical pivot must be towards drastically improving efficiency and lowering the immense costs of building and running models.

10. Japan Invests $6 Billion in Domestic AI Development

#Japan #AI #Investment #NationalStrategy

The Japanese government plans to invest about 1 trillion yen over five years to support the development of domestic AI technology, aiming to build Japan's largest foundational AI model.