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☆ Germany could block ChatGPT if needed, says data protection chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 3 (Reuters) - Germany could follow in Italy's footsteps by blocking ChatGPT over data security concerns, the German commissioner for data protection told the Handelsblatt newspaper in comments published on Monday. "In principle, such action is also possible in Germany," Ulrich Kelber said, adding that this would fall under state jurisdiction. Privacy watchdogs in France and Ireland said they had also contacted the Italian data regulator to discuss its findings. "We are following up with the Italian regulator to understand the basis for their action and we will coordinate with all EU data protection authorities in relation to this matter," said a spokesperson for Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC). The privacy regulator in Sweden said it has no plans to ban ChatGPT nor is it in contact with the Italian watchdog.

ChatGPT has an "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the chatbot, Garante said. OpenAI has 20 days to respond with remedies or could risk a fine of up to 4% of its annual worldwide turnover. ChatGPT was still answering questions posted by Italian users on the platform on Friday evening. Italy, which provisionally restricted ChatGPT's use of domestic users' personal data, became the first Western country to take action against a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. The European Commission, which is debating the EU AI Act, may not be inclined to ban AI, European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager tweeted.

March 29 (Reuters) - Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI's newly launched GPT-4, in an open letter citing potential risks to society and humanity. "Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable," the letter said. The letter detailed potential risks to society and civilization by human-competitive AI systems in the form of economic and political disruptions, and called on developers to work with policymakers on governance and regulatory authorities. Rather than pause research, she said, AI researchers should be subjected to greater transparency requirements. "If you do AI research, you should be very transparent about how you do it."

☆ Explainer: What is the European Union AI Act?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Apart from uses of AI by companies, it will also look at AI used in public sector and law enforcement. A GPAIS (General Purpose AI System) is a category proposed by lawmakers to account for AI tools with more than one application, such as generative AI models like ChatGPT. The proposals say those found in breach of the AI Act face fines of up to 30 million euros or 6% of global profits, whichever is higher. WHEN WILL THE AI ACT COME INTO FORCE? The Act is being discussed by parliamentarians, and after they reach common ground, there will be a trilogue between representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.

The draft needs to be thrashed out between EU countries and EU lawmakers, called a trilogue, before the rules can become law. This led to different AI tools being classified according to their perceived risk level: from minimal through to limited, high, and unacceptable. Almost all of the big tech players have stakes in the sector, including Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Meta (META.O). BIG TECH, BIG PROBLEMSThe EU discussions have raised concerns for companies -- from small startups to Big Tech -- on how regulations might affect their business and whether they would be at a competitive disadvantage against rivals from other continents. A recent survey by industry body appliedAI showed that 51% of the respondents expect a slowdown of AI development activities as a result of the AI Act.

☆ How Silicon Valley Bank's collapse ripped through global tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Not long after California startups started pulling money out of troubled Silicon Valley Bank, entrepreneurs in other parts of the world woke up to the news. While the global effects of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse are just emerging, one thing is clear: tech startups, no matter how far apart, are intertwined. FOUNDERS WARYQuincy Lee, founder of Seattle-based EV charging startup Electra Era, tried to move millions of dollars from Silicon Valley Bank on Thursday afternoon as warning signs multiplied. European stocks fell on banking industry concerns, though, and even startups that did not bank with SVB were scrambling. CHINESE STARTUPS MOVING MONEYSVB's Shanghai-based joint venture, SPD Silicon Valley Bank (SSVB), said it had a sound corporate structure and an independent balance sheet.

A DB spokesperson told Reuters that under current IT security legislation it did not have to run network components by Germany's cybersecurity office, the BSI, unlike public telecoms network operators. A BSI spokesperson said it was not aware of any law that determined the DB IT systems as "critical components". A Huawei spokesperson said the firm would never harm any nation or individual. The December contract with Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is for Huawei tech like switches and routers. A government source said it had detected some operators had already built in Huawei critical components without waiting for a BSI green light and could be required to replace those.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. GERMANY LAGGINGWhile several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. The government would ban operators from using certain controlling elements from Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks. The German government was last month unable to answer a recent parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

Satellites can help secure telecom connections when normal networks are disrupted by wars or natural disasters. Veon and OneWeb declined to comment. Veon and Starlink are negotiating fees for the coming year, after governments and other entities paid for the service through spring 2023. SpaceX activated Starlink over Ukraine following the Russian invasion last year, providing internet access to millions of civilians and military personnel. The merged companies are racing to build a constellation of low-orbit satellites to challenge Starlink and Amazon's (AMZN.O) Project Kuiper.

☆ Cisco works with Mercedes-Benz to create mobile office
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Cisco's Webex system is displayed on Mercedes-Benz E-Class dashboard, in this undated illustration picture obtained by Reuters. Cisco/Handout via REUTERS/IllustrationBARCELONA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Cisco (CSCO.O) is working with Mercedes Benz (MBGn.DE) to add its Webex conferencing tools to the dashboard of vehicles arriving in dealerships in the coming weeks, the company said on Monday, as it seeks to turn the car into a mobile office. Zoom has tied up with Tesla (TSLA.O) to equip its vehicles with conferencing tools and Cisco plans to announce other partnerships at the MWC telecoms conference in Barcelona this week. They include one with Samsung (005930.KS) for Webex integration in its flagship phones and another with Intel (INTC.O) for private 5G. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Barcelona; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BARCELONA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ericsson's (ERICb.ST) CEO says the company is still in the market for more acquisitions, albeit smaller ones, after splurging over $7 billion to buy networking company Cradlepoint and communication platform Vonage. In contrast with Nokia, which announced a new strategy focused on enterprise, Ericsson expects to continue to focus on its business of selling to communications service providers (CSPs) or telecom operators along with adding to its enterprise offerings. While the global enterprise business, which revolves around private 5G and automating factories, has yet to grow significantly, it has been a melting pot of partnerships between equipment makers, mobile operators and big technology companies. “We will need to add to our enterprise offerings, so you will see smaller acquisitions,” CEO Borje Ekholm told Reuters on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday. "We have 90% plus of sales from CSPs... we need to build on that strength that is always central [to the business]."

☆ Nokia changes iconic logo to signal strategy shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A mockup of the new Nokia logo, is seen at an unknown location, in this undated handout picture received on February 25, 2023. The new logo comprises five different shapes forming the word NOKIA. The iconic blue color of the old logo has been dropped for a range of colours depending on the use. Major technology firms have been partnering with telecom gear makers such as Nokia to sell private 5G networks and gears for automated factories to customers, mostly in the manufacturing sector. Nokia plans to review the growth path of its different businesses and consider alternatives, including divestment.

BARCELONA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A clash between Big Tech and European Union telecoms firms over who will underwrite network infrastructure is set to dominate discussion at the world's largest telecoms conference this week. More than 80,000 people, including tech executives, innovators, and regulators, are set to descend on this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Thursday launched a 12-week consultation on its "fair share" proposals, under which Big Tech platforms would bear more of the costs of the systems which give them access to consumers. By contrast, Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) have been actively lobbying for Big Tech to pay the fees. "This discussion around 'fair share', or what we sometimes call the 'investment gap', is going to be a threshold question," said John Giusti, GSMA's chief regulatory officer.

BARCELONA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Microsoft has unveiled previews of two AI-powered services designed to manage telecom networks, drawing on the same capabilities used to manage the tech giant's Azure cloud platform. Microsoft first entered the 5G arena after its acquisition of cloud networking companies Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch in 2020. “What we’re doing is taking our native cloud work and making it specific to this telecom operator network space. I think a really great example of that is all the AI ops work that we are introducing into the system," said Jason Zander, executive vice president of strategic missions and technologies at Microsoft. Monica Zethzon, a vice president at Ericsson, said the developments would allow operators to "transform their core networks while improving customer experiences".

☆ Nokia phone maker HMD to set up production in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA (Reuters) - HMD Global Oy, licensee of Nokia-brand smartphones, said on Saturday it is developing capabilities and processes this year to bring 5G device production to Europe. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoEurope has no big smartphone manufacturing presence, as all the major companies, including Apple and Samsung, make their phones in Asia to cut costs. HMD in 2016 signed an exclusive 10-year licensing agreement with Nokia Oyj, once the world’s largest phone maker, to make Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets. HMD used Nokia’s remaining phone patents and manufacturing facilities of Taiwan’s Foxconn to build a new line of smartphones to compete with other budget Android phone makers. The company also unveiled three smartphones on Saturday - the Nokia G22, Nokia C32 and Nokia C22 - with three-day battery life and said it would begin repairing mobiles in collaboration with repair firm iFixit.

☆ Ericsson to lay off 8,500 employees -memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Telecom equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) will lay off 8,500 employees globally as part of its plan to cut costs, a memo sent to employees and seen by Reuters said. "The way headcount reductions will be managed will differ depending on local country practice," Chief Executive Borje Ekholm wrote in the memo. Many telecom companies had beefed up their inventories during the height of the pandemic which is now leading to slowing orders for telecom equipment makers. Verizon (VZ.N), one of the largest telecom companies, plans to spend between $18.25 billion and $19.25 billion this year, down from a capital expenditure budget of $23 billion last year. Nordic rival Nokia (NOKIA.HE) has not announced any plans to lay off employees.

☆ Italy pursues Facebook-owner Meta for $925 million in sales taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Emilio Parodi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MILAN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Facebook parent company Meta (META.O) faces a potential tax bill of around 870 million euros ($925 million) in Italy after prosecutors launched an investigation into the company, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. "We strongly disagree with the idea that providing access to online platforms to users should be charged with VAT," a Meta spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. News of an administrative tax audit into Meta was first published on Wednesday by Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano. ROLE OF FREE ACCESSItaly's tax police and revenue agency calculated a model under which Meta would have had to pay around 220 million euros of sales tax in Italy in 2021, according to the sources. In recent years, the Milan Prosecutor's Office has opened several tax investigations against multinational tech companies such as Google and Apple.

☆ Ericsson to cut 1,400 jobs in Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Telecoms gear maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in Sweden as part of a broader plan to reduce costs globally, it said on Monday. The company had earlier announced plans to cut costs by 9 billion crowns ($880 million) by the end of 2023 as demand slows in some markets, including North America. Further job cuts, numbering several thousands in other countries, are likely to be announced in the coming days, said two sources close to the matter. Ericsson last made deep cuts in 2017 when it laid off thousands of employees and focused on research to pull the company out of losses. The company was negotiating with its employee union in Sweden for months on how to handle cost cuts.

The bloc's highly-anticipated AI Act is widely expected to be put to a vote at the European Parliament at the end of March, at which point individual nations will begin negotiating final terms of the legislation. Following a crunch five-hour meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, however, MEPs had yet to agree to a set of basic principles. One of the most controversial areas of debate is deciding which AI systems would be categorised as "high risk", such as those affecting a person's safety or infringing fundamental rights. “The obvious tension here is between the focus on fundamental rights, on the one hand, and those who say these necessarily conflict with innovation,” said Greens MEP Sergey Lagodinsky. A source at the European Parliament said negotiations were ongoing with a view to agreeing a strong text.

Northvolt's stock market debut would come in an IPO market that has gradually recovered from a major slump in 2022, which was driven by stock market volatility and fears of an economic slowdown. Northvolt has so far raised billions in debt to fund its factory investments, including a $1.1 billion raise last year in convertible notes. Northvolt has used the money from convertible bonds to increase liquidity and ramp up production at its gigafactory in Skelleftea, Sweden. Northvolt has raised about $8 billion in debt and equity to date from a wide range of investors, including Baillie Gifford and Folksam Group. (This story has been corrected to say that Northvolt 'has used the money from convertible bonds', not 'has refinanced its convertible bonds', in paragraph 7)Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York and Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nokia, Kyndryl extend partnership for private 5G factory networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Nokia (NOKIA.HE) and Kyndryl (KD.N) have extended their partnership for three years after clocking up more than 100 customers for automating factories using 5G wireless networks, following their first tie-up a year earlier. "We grew the business significantly last year with the number of customers and number of networks," Chris Johnson, head of Nokia's enterprise business, told Reuters. The companies said some customers were now coming back to put private networks into more of their factories after the initial one. In Dow Chemical's petrochemical processing plant in Texas, the private wireless network increased worker safety, enabled remote audio and video collaboration, personnel tracking, and vehicle telematics, the companies said. The size of the global private 5G network market is expected to reach $41.02 billion by 2030 from 1.38 billion in 2021, according to a study by Grand View Research.

☆ Google to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Benoit TessierSTOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) said on Wednesday it would soon integrate artificial intelligence (AI) capable of generating text and other content in search results, as it battles to answer the challenge of Microsoft's (MSFT.O) popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. At a launch event in Paris on Wednesday, Google executive Prabhakar Raghavan said so-called generative AI would enable users to interact with information in "entirely new ways". "As we continue to bring generative AI technologies into our products, the only limit to search will be your imagination." Generative AI is used to make human-like creations through code, drawing on vast amounts of data to produce new pieces of text, video, or audio. Google said it would soon allow more developers and partners to test Bard.

☆ Google says to soon add generative AI features in search results
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google on Wednesday said it will soon integrate generative AI features in search results that will help users organise complex information and multiple viewpoints. The company on Monday unveiled its chatbot service called Bard and plans to add AI features to its search engine, as it seeks to answer Microsoft's (MSFT.O) challenge to its ads business through its wildly popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Martin Coulter in London; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Saudi officials have pressed international companies to invest in the kingdom and move their regional headquarters to Riyadh in order to benefit from government contracts. "We are finalising the plans for opening the Riyadh region. He added that Oracle would also expand the capacity of its cloud region in Jeddah, which the company first opened in 2020. The company made the announcement as global tech companies gathered for a major tech conference in the Saudi capital. Though Oracle lags its bigger rivals in the race to corner the cloud computing market, it was among the first large tech companies to open a data centre in Saudi Arabia.

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