AI News

Follow the latest AI and automation news

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Six startups advance in debut Mastercard Lighthouse UAE

The UAE government, in collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Advanced AI, has selected six startups to participate in the inaugural Mastercard Lighthouse UAE program. These startups were chosen from 14 finalists and will undergo a four-month mentorship aimed at scaling their technologies and connecting them with financial institutions and investors.

Models

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Nvidia's Nemotron 4 aims for one trillion parameters, a scale Chinese labs already surpassed

Nvidia is developing Nemotron 4, an open-weight model aimed at competing with the best freely available AI models globally. Nemotron 4 aspires to reach one trillion parameters, a scale already surpassed by Chinese labs in the AI field. This model represents a strategic move by Nvidia to strengthen its market position. This development highlights the importance of innovation in AI, as executives seek to leverage open models to enhance their competitive capabilities. Nemotron 4 is expected to open new avenues for research and applications in the industry.

Agents

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Grok is now an AI ‘teammate’ you can assign work

SpaceXAI has launched Grok Bot, an AI agent service designed to act as an independent teammate capable of completing tasks. Grok Bot operates within its own cloud computing environment, allowing it to sign into apps, tools, and websites already in use. The agent returns to the user only when tasks are completed or when approval is needed. This move is part of SpaceXAI's efforts to compete with other AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT Work and Anthropic's Claude Cowork. Grok Bot aims to facilitate multi-step task completion in workplace environments, reflecting the growing trend of AI adoption in business.

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Tech innovator uses AI to rebuild David Webb’s Hong Kong database

How can AI enhance historical databases?

Agents

Oh Lord, AI Reporters Are Actually Breaking Big News

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Agents

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Oh Lord, AI Reporters Are Actually Breaking Big News

Last week, an AI newsroom managed to outperform traditional journalists, including WIRED, in covering a story related to OpenAI and hacking. This incident showcases the ability of artificial intelligence to deliver fast and accurate reporting, raising questions about the future of traditional journalism. This technology could change how news is gathered and distributed. These developments suggest that AI-driven newsrooms may become more prevalent, posing new challenges for traditional journalists. Media decision-makers must consider how to adapt to this growing trend.

Models

Microsoft's new MAI Code 1.1 Flash gets crushed by Deepseek on both price and performance

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Models

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Microsoft's new MAI Code 1.1 Flash gets crushed by Deepseek on both price and performance

Microsoft has launched the MAI Code 1.1 Flash, which is reported to be 25% more token-efficient at a quarter of the cost of its predecessor. However, benchmarks reveal that the new model is outperformed by the cheaper Deepseek V4 Flash in both price and performance. This move reflects a recurring pattern at Microsoft, where it promotes open AI while embedding less efficient proprietary models into its applications.

Agents

Former Qwen Tech Chief Lin Junyang Launches Pragmatik Labs with a Two-Billion-Dollar Valuation — and Pivots from Foundation Models to Agents

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Agents

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Former Qwen Tech Chief Lin Junyang Launches Pragmatik Labs with a Two-Billion-Dollar Valuation — and Pivots from Foundation Models to Agents

Lin Junyang, the former technical lead at Alibaba, has founded Pragmatik Labs in Shanghai with a $2 billion valuation at the angel investment stage. The funding round was co-led by Gaorong and HongShan, each contributing $100 million, while Tencent invested $20 million, and the Shanghai Future Industry Fund participated. Pragmatik Labs, known in Chinese as Yuyong Technology, focuses on developing digital and physical agent systems, emphasizing tool use and environmental interaction. No product has been announced yet, but the company aims to provide innovative solutions in the AI sector.

Arab AI Scene

OpenAI now offers inference residency to UAE enterprise users

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Arab AI Scene

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

OpenAI now offers inference residency to UAE enterprise users

OpenAI has activated inference residency in the UAE, making it the first market in the MENA region to offer this service. This allows ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu customers to process their content entirely within the UAE, rather than just storing it there. Inference residency requires UAE data residency to be enabled, meaning all prompts and conversations are processed on GPUs located in the country. This is particularly significant for regulated sectors like finance and healthcare, where assurance that data processing remains domestic is crucial.

Arab AI Scene

OpenAI expands Inference Residency to UAE

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Arab AI Scene

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

OpenAI expands Inference Residency to UAE

OpenAI has announced the availability of Inference Residency in the UAE, making it one of three global locations supported. This service will assist public and private institutions in the UAE to adopt AI while ensuring local compliance. The UAE Inference Residency allows organizations to use GPU inference engines within the country, enhancing data security and compliance. This announcement aligns with the UAE's National AI Strategy 2031, aimed at establishing the nation as a technology leader.

Infrastructure

AI to power Middle East’s next infrastructure leap amid trillion dollar investment gap

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

Infrastructure

12 Aug 202629 Safar 1448 AH

AI to power Middle East’s next infrastructure leap amid trillion dollar investment gap

Discussions about artificial intelligence are increasingly focusing on its profound impact on infrastructure, enhancing how it is designed and operated. AI enables the transformation of fragmented engineering knowledge into intelligent decision-making capabilities, improving outcomes over time. With rising infrastructure demands, AI emerges as a solution to address challenges related to investment shortages and workforce resources.