AI News on December 31st
1. xAI Files Lawsuit Against California Over AI Training Data Disclosure Law
#USA #xAI #Lawsuit #Regulation
Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, challenging a California law that requires AI companies to disclose details of their training data. The company argues the law is unconstitutional, claiming it creates a mechanism to destroy trade secrets and will ultimately harm the industry's development.
2. xAI Expands Infrastructure with Third Major U.S. Data Center
#USA #xAI #Infrastructure #Expansion
Elon Musk's xAI is expanding its computing power footprint by acquiring a site for its third large-scale data center in the Memphis, Tennessee area. This expansion is part of the company's plan to deploy one million AI chips and will be built near an existing data center and a natural gas power plant being constructed by xAI.
3. EU Updates Plan for AI "Gigafactories," Poland Remains Committed
#EU #Policy #Infrastructure #Gigafactory
The European Commission has changed its approach to funding new AI "gigafactories" – massive data centers for AI models. The new plan will use a European tender open to companies from outside the EU, shifting from an earlier model based on member state consortia. Poland, a leading member of the "Baltic AI GigaFactory" consortium, has stated it will continue to pursue the project despite Estonia and Latvia withdrawing.
4. France's Mistral AI Deepens Partnership for European "Sovereign AI"
#EU #France #SovereignAI #Partnership
French AI firm Mistral AI and software company Dassault Systèmes have expanded their partnership to offer integrated AI services on Dassault's sovereign cloud platform. This collaboration aims to provide European regulated industries and the public sector with secure, high-performance AI tools that comply with strict data privacy laws.
5. Swedish Agency Suspends "Discriminatory" Welfare Fraud AI System
#EU #Sweden #Ethics #Policy
Sweden's Social Insurance Agency has suspended an AI model used to flag potential welfare fraud following an investigation by the data protection authority. The system was found to disproportionately and incorrectly target women, individuals with foreign backgrounds, low-income earners, and those without university degrees for further investigation.
6. Santander Bank to Make AI Training Mandatory for All Employees in 2026
#EU #Spain #Finance #Workforce
Spanish banking giant Santander has announced it will introduce mandatory AI training for all employees starting in 2026, as part of a plan to deeply integrate AI into its corporate culture. This follows the bank's reported cost savings of over 200 million euros from AI use last year. The training will include guidance on responsible AI use.
7. Norway's Adoption of EU AI Law Fuels Concerns of Industry Exodus
#EU #Norway #Regulation #Business
Norway's decision to adopt the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act is raising concerns among domestic companies that it could accelerate an exodus of AI businesses from the country. While the government aims to maintain legal compatibility with the EU, businesses worry the strict regulations, particularly for "high-risk" AI systems, could stifle local innovation.
8. Dutch Researchers Develop Heartbeat Detection to Combat Deepfakes
#EU #Netherlands #Research #Security
Researchers in the Netherlands have revealed a new technique for detecting deepfake videos by analyzing subtle human heartbeat signals in video footage. The development represents a new stage in the ongoing technological race between deepfake creators and those building tools to identify them.
9. Netherlands University's Swift Action Prevents Major Ransomware Attack
#EU #Netherlands #Cybersecurity
Eindhoven University of Technology prevented a potentially devastating ransomware attack by taking the dramatic step of disconnecting its entire network, affecting all students and staff, within hours of detecting an intrusion. This swift response prevented months of operational paralysis and a potential multi-million euro ransom demand.
10. French President Macron Champions European AI Leadership and Sovereignty
#EU #France #Policy #Leadership
French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated his commitment to ensuring Europe plays a leading role in AI development. He welcomed a partnership between French startup Mistral AI and NVIDIA to create a cloud platform, framing it as a historic shift and a fight for "sovereignty and strategic autonomy," offering a European alternative to major US cloud providers.