intercontinental subsea cable Archives
https://ow.ly/Tniy50WwzKe
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
AI chip smuggling 'gets more airtime than it should', White House official says
The idea of high-performance AI chips being smuggled into potentially nefarious hands gets more attention than it should, a White House official has said. Michael Kratsios, who serves as director for the Trump administration's Office of Science and Technology Policy, said on Wednesday that there are a lot of misconceptions and misguided fears about the 'physical diffusion' of artificial intelligence technology developed by the US. 'We're not talking about like a bag of diamonds or something,' he said during a discussion at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank about Mr Trump's recently announced AI Action Plan. Some politicians have expressed concerns about the potential for recently announced US AI partnerships overseas to be exploited by countries like China to try to acquire powerful American-made technology. 'These are like massive racks that are tonnes in weight and you're not going to put it on a forklift or back it into a truck, or something," he explained, adding that the idea of chip smuggling "probably gets more airtime than it should." Mr Kratsios also said the hypothetical scenario of the US partnerships with other countries leading to the misuse of data centres by countries like China for 'training runs' to access the centres was overblown. 'What you're most worried about is large-scale runs that are for training sophisticated models and those are actually pretty easy to flag,' he said, adding that the US will make sure to implement what's known in IT circles as Know Your Customer policies to prevent bad actors from gaining access to data centres powered by US technology. Mr Kratsios said that Mr Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, put too many chip export restrictions on allies, and that the export of US technology to countries with peaceful AI aspirations was critical to an overall AI strategy. During Mr Trump's visit to the Gulf in May, he announced the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership framework that will eventually lead to the construction of a 5GW UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi. 'The [Biden administration] limits made no sense at all,' he said, referring to President Biden's policies aimed at limiting the powerful CPUs and GPUs available to certain countries. Those policies were largely aimed at preventing the diffusion of US technology to China. It proved controversial, with companies like Microsoft and Nvidia claiming the policies hurt US efforts more than helping. Some US AI companies like Anthropic, however, have sought to keep the export controls. 'In some cases, smugglers have employed creative methods to circumvent export controls, including hiding processors in prosthetic baby bumps and packing GPUs [graphics processing units] alongside live lobsters,' read an April policy letter from Anthropic. That letter later came under criticism over what some called the oversimplification of how AI data centres work. Regardless, in keeping with that theme of reversing the Biden export policy, the Trump White House recently announced plans that would allow for Nvidia to resume sales of its H20 graphics processing unit to China. That decision, however, has come under criticism from several technology analysts and politicians. A group of Democratic senators this week sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urging him to reverse course. At the CSIS event, Mr Kratsios said the concerns from Democratic senators were oversimplified, adding that the H20 was designed to comply with US concerns about giving China too much computing power, among other things. 'It's not a free-for-all sale,' he said, referring to White House's H20 announcement. 'Any sale that Nvidia wants to make to China is one that's going to require an export licence.' Mr Kratsios added that the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security would be evaluating each of those licence applications and 'weight the costs' before giving Nvidia approval.
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
Creating smarter South African retail experiences
In recent years, there's been a dramatic shift in the way people shop and the way brands connect with them. And while much of this shift might seem seamless from the outside, more often than not, it's quietly being powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). For retailers, embracing AI isn't just about future-proofing their businesses, it's about unlocking smarter, faster and, believe it or not, more human ways of working that will ultimately benefit the customer, the team and the bottom line. From predicting stock needs and personalising customer journeys to freeing up in-store teams from repetitive admin, AI isn't just making retail more efficient. Surprisingly to some, it's making it more human. 'Retail has always been about people. Meeting their needs, building loyalty and creating a connection,' says Jeané van Greunen, chief client officer at Helm. 'What AI allows us to do is add that personal touch at scale, with more accuracy, efficiency and empathy.' When people think of AI in retail, they often imagine robots, self-checkouts, or talking screens. But some of the most powerful innovations are happening behind the scenes. A key area that's benefiting is inventory management. Thanks to machine learning, retailers are now moving from reactive stock planning to predictive models that factor in everything from the weather to local buying trends. That means less waste, fewer empty shelves, and more happy customers. And it gives staff more time to focus on what they do best, which is helping people and building those relationships. Another major benefit lies in dynamic pricing. AI can analyse real-time data to optimise promotions and protect margins in a fast-moving, highly competitive environment. 'We're seeing AI support retailers in making thousands of micro-decisions each day. Those decisions no human team could possibly keep up with alone,' says Van Greunen. 'But it's not about removing people from the process. It's about making those processes more intelligent and responsive, and ultimately, more human.' AI is also transforming customer-facing experiences often in ways that feel effortless. From virtual fitting rooms and smart search tools to in-app product suggestions that feel helpful (not creepy), machine learning is making shopping more personal and less transactional. It's happening in-store too with heatmaps and traffic analytics to help retailers improve store layouts. Voice assistants and AI-powered chatbots guide customers and allow human staff to focus on relationship-building, not repetitive queries. 'Some retailers worry that AI will make the experience colder,' says Van Greunen. 'But the opposite is true. It's helping brands become more responsive, relevant, and emotionally intelligent. People still buy from people and AI just helps those people shine.' One of AI's most underrated benefits in retail is how it supports teams on the ground. Automating low-value, time-consuming tasks like scheduling, reporting, or basic troubleshooting means staff have more time and more headspace to deliver real value. 'When you give your people the tools to be more effective, they feel more engaged. They perform better, stay longer, and become true ambassadors for your brand. That's where AI and people strategy come together.' Helm believes that AI and automation should be designed around people and not the other way around. That's why they partner with retailers to reimagine customer and employee journeys that are strategic and scalable, but most importantly, human. From intelligent automation to data-led CX strategies, Helm serves to help retail businesses make AI work in the real world – not as a gimmick or a quick fix, but as a genuine driver of value and long-term, sustainable growth. 'We've worked across industries, and the same message keeps coming up: retailers want to evolve, without giving up what makes them unique,' says van Greunen. 'Our role is to help them use AI to elevate that uniqueness, not replace it.' In a sector where margins are thin and expectations are high, AI has become indispensable in gaining and maintaining a competitive edge. When used wisely, it can boost loyalty, cut costs, improve efficiency and above all, empower the people at the heart of the business. Just like customer demands keep changing, retail will keep moving, but with the right technology and a human-centred approach, that move will always be in the right direction.
Tahawul Tech
10 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
AI chip race Archives
In the UAE, e& UAE subscribers reached 15.5 million, driven by rising demand for advanced connectivity solutions, AI-powered services, and tailored digital experiences that address the evolving needs of both individuals and businesses.
