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WhatsApp Stresses Privacy as Users Flock to Rivals

FILE PHOTO: A man poses with a smartphone in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man poses with a smartphone in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
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WhatsApp Stresses Privacy as Users Flock to Rivals

FILE PHOTO: A man poses with a smartphone in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A man poses with a smartphone in front of displayed Whatsapp logo in this illustration September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

WhatsApp on Tuesday reassured users about privacy at the Facebook-owned messaging service as people flocked to rivals Telegram and Signal following a tweak to its terms.

There was "a lot of misinformation" about an update to terms of service regarding an option to use WhatsApp to message businesses, Facebook executive Adam Mosseri, who heads Instagram, said in a tweet.

WhatsApp's new terms sparked criticism, as users outside Europe who do not accept the new conditions before February 8 will be cut off from the messaging app.

"The policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way," Mosseri said.

The update regards how merchants using WhatsApp to chat with customers can share data with Facebook, which could use the information for targeting ads, according to the social network.

"We can't see your private messages or hear your calls, and neither can Facebook," WhatsApp said in a blog post.

"We don't keep logs of who everyone is messaging or calling. We can't see your shared location and neither can Facebook."

Location data along with message contents is encrypted end-to-end, according to WhatsApp.

"We're giving businesses the option to use secure hosting services from Facebook to manage WhatsApp chats with their customers, answer questions, and send helpful information like purchase receipts," WhatsApp said in the post.

"Whether you communicate with a business by phone, email, or WhatsApp, it can see what you're saying and may use that information for its own marketing purposes, which may include advertising on Facebook."

Encrypted messaging app Telegram has seen user ranks surge on the heels of the WhatsApp service terms announcement, said its Russia-born founder Pavel Durov.

Durov, 36, said on his Telegram channel Tuesday that the app had over 500 million monthly active users in the first weeks of January and "25 million new users joined Telegram in the last 72 hours alone."

WhatsApp boasts more than two billion users.

"People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services," Durov said without directly referring to the rival app.

Encrypted messaging app Signal has also seen a huge surge in demand, helped by a tweeted recommendation by renowned serial entrepreneur Elon Musk.

In India, WhatsApp's biggest market with some 400 million users, the two apps gained around 4 million subscribers last week, financial daily Mint reported, citing data from research firm Sensor Tower.

WhatsApp has sought to reassure worried users in the South Asian country, running full-page adverts in Wednesday's newspapers, proclaiming that "respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA".

Telegram is a popular social media platform in a number of countries, particularly in the former Soviet Union and Iran, and is used both for private communications and sharing information and news.

Durov said Telegram has become a "refuge" for those seeking a private and secure communications platform and assured new users that his team "takes this responsibility very seriously."

Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, who also founded Russia's social media network VKontakte.

Telegram refuses to cooperate with authorities and handover encryption keys, which resulted in its ban in several countries, including Russia.

Last year, Russia announced that it will lift its ban on the messenger app after more than two years of unsuccessful attempts to block it.

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Technology

Apple Aims to Tell an AI Story Without AI Bills

FILED - 01 May 2023, Hamburg: The logo of the US technology company Apple can be seen at night at the Apple Store Jungfernstieg in the city center. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa
FILED - 01 May 2023, Hamburg: The logo of the US technology company Apple can be seen at night at the Apple Store Jungfernstieg in the city center. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa
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Apple Aims to Tell an AI Story Without AI Bills

FILED - 01 May 2023, Hamburg: The logo of the US technology company Apple can be seen at night at the Apple Store Jungfernstieg in the city center. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa
FILED - 01 May 2023, Hamburg: The logo of the US technology company Apple can be seen at night at the Apple Store Jungfernstieg in the city center. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa

For most of the past year and a half, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has fielded questions from Wall Street analysts about his plans for artificial intelligence amid grumbling that the iPhone maker has no AI story to tell.
After the company reported quarterly earnings on Thursday, Cook insisted that Apple will have concrete details about its plans for AI to talk about very soon.
"We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we're making significant investments," Cook told Reuters in an interview, noting the company has spent $100 billion over the past five years on research and development.
Apple's Big Tech rivals have spent comparable or even greater amounts on R&D over the same period, but they have also been spending heavily to build data centers to host AI services.
Microsoft shelled out $14 billion in the most recent quarter on capex, with Alphabet's Google not far behind, at $12 billion. Meta Platforms told investors last week to expect as much as $40 billion in capital expenditures this year.
Apple thinks different. Its capital expenditure for all of 2023 was just over $10 billion.
Apple, which makes most of its money selling consumer devices, has paid a price for that stance most of this year, with its shares falling 10% as investors worried the company was falling behind in the AI race. Shares of Meta, Google and Microsoft -- all of which make money selling software or advertising services -- have all soared to record highs as the companies grapple to dominate the emerging AI landscape, though investors have also flinched at skyrocketing price tags for data centers and specialized processors required to train AI models.
Apple hinted Thursday it won't take the same tack. While Apple is expected to unveil new AI features at its annual software conference next month and overhaul its product lines with AI-ready chips, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said Apple investors should not expect a huge change in how the company handles capital expenditures.
Responding to an analyst's question, Maestri noted the company's longstanding practice of splitting the cost of manufacturing tools with its suppliers, which has kept Apple's costs down and its cash generation up for more than a decade.
"We do something similar on the data center side," Maestri said. "We have our own data center capacity, and then we use capacity from third parties. It's a model that has worked well for us historically, and we plan to continue along the same lines going forward."
That could be just as well for Apple, because it remains unclear whether AI features such as chatbots that run directly on a device will spur users to buy new phones, tablets or laptops, which remain Apple's biggest source of revenue and profits.
Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies said that while better processors could serve as a "line in the sand" for some users who need AI tools for professional use, those features may not ignite a sales boom.
"It'll be something that helps lift sales, but I don't expect it to be super cycle," Bajarin said. "You have to be careful to temper expectations."

Technology

Japan’s Kishida Unveils a Framework for Global Regulation of Generative AI

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his speech during the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris, France, 02 May 2024. (EPA)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his speech during the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris, France, 02 May 2024. (EPA)
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Japan’s Kishida Unveils a Framework for Global Regulation of Generative AI

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his speech during the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris, France, 02 May 2024. (EPA)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his speech during the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris, France, 02 May 2024. (EPA)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled an international framework for regulation and use of generative AI on Thursday, adding to global efforts on governance for the rapidly advancing technology.

Kishida made the announcement in a speech at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

“Generative AI has the potential to be a vital tool to further enrich the world,” Kishida said. But “we must also confront the dark side of AI, such as the risk of disinformation."

When Japan chaired the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations last year, it launched a Hiroshima AI process to draw up international guiding principles and a code of conduct for AI developers.

Some 49 countries and regions have signed up to the voluntary framework, called the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, Kishida said, without naming any.

They will work on implementing principles and code of conduct to address the risks of generative AI and “promote cooperation to ensure that people all over the world can benefit from the use of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI,” he said.

The European Union, the United States, China and many other nations have been racing to draw up regulations and oversight for AI, while global bodies such as the United Nations have been grappling with how to supervise it.

Technology

Google Defends App Store, Fighting Epic Games’ Bid for Major Reforms

The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, January 10, 2024. (Reuters)
The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, January 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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Google Defends App Store, Fighting Epic Games’ Bid for Major Reforms

The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, January 10, 2024. (Reuters)
The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, January 10, 2024. (Reuters)

Google has asked a US judge not to impose sweeping changes to the Alphabet unit's app store Play that were proposed by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games in the companies' closely-watched antitrust fight.

Google made its filing late on Thursday in San Francisco federal court, where Epic last year persuaded a jury that the tech giant unlawfully stifled competition with its controls over apps downloads on Android devices and payments to developers for in-app transactions.

Epic's proposal "would make it nearly impossible for Google to compete," Google's filing said.

The gaming company in March asked US District Judge James Donato in San Francisco to force Google to make it easier for users to download apps from other sources and to allow developers more flexibility in offering and charging for purchases.

The Cary, North Carolina-based company also said it should be allowed to bring its Epic Games Store to Android "without delays and barriers."

A hearing on the proposed injunction is scheduled for May 23.

Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wilson White, Google's head of government affairs and public policy, said in a statement that "Epic’s demands would harm the privacy, security, and overall experience of consumers, developers, and device manufacturers."

In its filing, Google said a related Play store settlement with states and consumers made Epic's bid for an injunction unnecessary. The remedies in that settlement, Google said, "fully address" the alleged anticompetitive conduct Epic presented at trial.

In December, Google agreed to pay $700 million to resolve the states' case and, among other reforms, will allow more alternative billing options for in-app purchases.

In another even more far-reaching antitrust case, Google on Thursday squared off for closing trial arguments with the Justice Department and a group of states in a Washington, DC courtroom over claims that it unfairly dominates the market for mobile web search.

Technology

Nvidia Supplier SK Hynix Says HBM Chips Almost Sold Out for 2025 

Employees walk past identification systems bearing the logos of SK Hynix at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters) 
Employees walk past identification systems bearing the logos of SK Hynix at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters) 
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Nvidia Supplier SK Hynix Says HBM Chips Almost Sold Out for 2025 

Employees walk past identification systems bearing the logos of SK Hynix at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters) 
Employees walk past identification systems bearing the logos of SK Hynix at its headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, April 25, 2016. (Reuters) 

South Korea's SK Hynix said on Thursday that its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI chipsets were sold out for this year and almost sold out for 2025 as businesses aggressively expand artificial intelligence services.

The Nvidia supplier and the world's second-largest memory chipmaker will begin sending samples of its latest HBM chip, called the 12-layer HBM3E, in May and begin mass producing them in the third quarter.

"The HBM market is expected to continue to grow as data and (AI) model sizes increase," Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-Jung told a news conference. "Annual demand growth is expected to be about 60% in the mid-to long-term."

SK Hynix which competes with US rival Micron and domestic behemoth Samsung Electronics in HBM was until March the sole supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia, according to analysts who add that major AI chip purchasers are keen to diversify their suppliers to better maintain operating margins. Nvidia commands some 80% of the AI chip market.

Micron has also said its HBM chips were sold out for 2024 and that the majority of its 2025 supply was already allocated. It plans to provide samples for its 12-layer HBM3E chips to customers in March.

"As AI functions and performance are being upgraded faster than expected, customer demand for ultra-high-performance chips such as the 12-layer chips appear to be increasing faster than for 8-layer HBM3Es," said Jeff Kim, head of research at KB Securities.

Samsung Electronics, which plans to produce its HBM3E 12-layer chips in the second quarter, said this week that this year's shipments of HBM chips are expected to increase more than three-fold and it has completed supply discussions with customers. It did not elaborate further.

Last month, SK Hynix announced a $3.87 billion plan to build an advanced chip packaging plant in the US state of Indiana with an HBM chip line and a 5.3 trillion won ($3.9 billion) investment in a new DRAM chip factory at home with a focus on HBMs.

Kwak said investment in HBM differed from past patterns in the memory chip industry in that capacity is being increased after making certain of demand first.

By 2028, the portion of chips made for AI, such as HBM and high-capacity DRAM modules, is expected to account for 61% of all memory volume in terms of value from about 5% in 2023, SK Hynix's head of AI infrastructure Justin Kim said.

Last week, SK Hynix said in a post-earnings conference call that there may be a shortage of regular memory chips for smartphones, personal computers and network servers by the year's end if demand for tech devices exceeds expectations.

Technology

AMD, Super Micro Tumble as Earnings Fall Short of Lofty AI Expectations

A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
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AMD, Super Micro Tumble as Earnings Fall Short of Lofty AI Expectations

A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)

Advanced Micro Devices and Super Micro Computer led a selloff in chip stocks on Wednesday after their earnings disappointed investors, who had piled into the sector on hopes rising AI investments would boost demand.

AMD was down 5.4% and is on course to lose more than $13 billion in market value.

Its forecast of $4 billion in AI chip sales for 2024 fell short of Wall Street's lofty expectations, having been used to Nvidia's massive forecasts over the past year.

Super Micro Computer, whose near-200% stock jump this year has outpaced even gains in Nvidia, tumbled over 11% as its third-quarter revenue missed estimates amid questions over the profitability of a new line of servers.

"As the market is shifting more towards risk-off over the last couple of days, it's not shocking that unless these companies are beating earnings by a mile that some of the hot air is coming out of them for now," said Russell Hackmann, president of Hackmann Wealth Partners.

Executives of both AMD and Super Micro Computer said supply constraints were hampering their efforts to capitalize on demand for equipment powering the boom in generative AI.

"Stepping back, AMD has several customers who are all trying to ramp MI300 (AI chip) very quickly. This is stressing the supply chain to a certain extent," said analysts at TD Cowen.

"However, from a demand perspective, customer engagement is in fact increasing, not only for MI300X but its successor products."

Other AI-linked chip firms also traded lower, with Marvell Technology down 1.5% and Nvidia falling 1.7%.

The stocks have widely outperformed the benchmark S&P 500 index this year and powered a 11% jump in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.

Several analysts were still positive on AMD, saying easing supply chain constraints should allow the company to increase its share of the AI chip market and potentially reap billions of dollars in revenue.

At least 10 analysts lowered their price target on AMD, while eight raised their view, according to LSEG data. Super Micro saw three price target increases and two cuts.

Technology

Nepalis Fight TikTok Ban in Court, or Ignore It Entirely

After joining TikTok in 2018, twin sisters Prisma and Princy Khatiwada built a following of nearly eight million on TikTok with videos of their synchronised dance routines. PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
After joining TikTok in 2018, twin sisters Prisma and Princy Khatiwada built a following of nearly eight million on TikTok with videos of their synchronised dance routines. PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
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Nepalis Fight TikTok Ban in Court, or Ignore It Entirely

After joining TikTok in 2018, twin sisters Prisma and Princy Khatiwada built a following of nearly eight million on TikTok with videos of their synchronised dance routines. PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
After joining TikTok in 2018, twin sisters Prisma and Princy Khatiwada built a following of nearly eight million on TikTok with videos of their synchronised dance routines. PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP

When Nepal suddenly announced a ban on TikTok last year, lawyer Sunil Rajan Singh was determined to fight what he said was a government effort to hide its wrongdoings.
The hugely popular video-sharing platform has faced restrictions in several countries for allegedly breaking data rules and for its supposed harmful impact on youth.
Last week the United States became the latest nation poised to ban the app outright, unless Chinese parent company ByteDance agrees to divest it.
Efforts to restrict access to TikTok have prompted vocal opposition wherever they have been attempted but especially so in Nepal, where the platform had been used to mobilize anti-government demonstrations.
Some Nepalis have skirted the ban entirely by accessing TikTok via virtual private networks (VPNs), which use a remote connection that obscures their location. Others like Singh are determined to fight.
"The government's move is against freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Nepal's constitution," said the attorney, who is leading a legal challenge to the ban in the Himalayan republic's top court.
"On TikTok the public would learn about corruption, financial embezzlement and other immoral activities of leaders," he told AFP. "That was not helpful for the government."
Nepal's communications minister justified last November's ban by accusing the platform of spreading content that damaged the country's "social harmony".
The announcement came days before a huge rally called by a prominent businessman who was using TikTok to organize a campaign demanding the reinstatement of Nepal's monarchy.
The hugely popular video-sharing platform has faced restrictions in several countries for allegedly breaking data rules and for its supposed harmful impact on youth.
Last week the United States became the latest nation poised to ban the app outright, unless Chinese parent company ByteDance agrees to divest it.
Efforts to restrict access to TikTok have prompted vocal opposition wherever they have been attempted but especially so in Nepal, where the platform had been used to mobilize anti-government demonstrations.

Technology

KAUST Paves the Way for Breakthroughs with Simulated Reality

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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KAUST Paves the Way for Breakthroughs with Simulated Reality

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is applying modern technology in all its field of studies, preparing students to tackle real-world issues.
It applies modeling and simulation in physical, chemical, biological and environmental processes, materials science, exploration and management of oil reservoirs, in the mathematical analyses carried out by the Department of Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), and in the field of computer science and large data processing, including biological information, statistics, and visual and supercomputing, SPA reported.
CEMSE's research areas include electrical engineering, communication networks, Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits, optoelectronic and optical devices, micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), various types of sensors, measurement and detection devices, and functional and nano-materials.
KAUST's Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences program trains students to build mathematical and computational models to solve real-world issues. This program gives the opportunity to obtain two degrees: a master's degree (with or without a research thesis) and a PhD degree. The Computer Science program trains to create computer models and apply various computational methods in different fields.
Electrical and Computer Engineering plays an important role in the field of engineering, applied physics, and computational science.
The Electrical Engineering program prepares students for a variety of career paths, advanced global research, and research-based education through interdisciplinary engineering and science. The Statistics program teaches and trains students to analyze and model real-world situations.

Technology

Musk Lays off Tesla Senior Executives in Fresh Job Cuts

(FILES) A Tesla Model Y car stands in front of the company's plant as Tesla CEO Elon Musk visits the company's electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on March 13, 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
(FILES) A Tesla Model Y car stands in front of the company's plant as Tesla CEO Elon Musk visits the company's electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on March 13, 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
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Musk Lays off Tesla Senior Executives in Fresh Job Cuts

(FILES) A Tesla Model Y car stands in front of the company's plant as Tesla CEO Elon Musk visits the company's electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on March 13, 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
(FILES) A Tesla Model Y car stands in front of the company's plant as Tesla CEO Elon Musk visits the company's electric car plant in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany, on March 13, 2024, as employees resumed work after production had to be halted due to a suspected arson attack that caused a power outage. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

Elon Musk has dismissed two Tesla senior executives and plans to lay off hundreds more employees, frustrated by falling sales and the pace of job cuts so far, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing the CEO's email to senior managers.
Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of the electric vehicle maker's Supercharger business, and Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, will leave on Tuesday morning, the report said.
Musk also plans to dismiss everyone working for Tinucci and Ho, including the roughly 500 employees who work in the Supercharger group, The Information said. It was not clear how many employees worked for Ho.
Tesla's public policy team, which was led by former executive Rohan Patel, will also be dissolved, the report said.
"Hopefully these actions are making it clear that we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction," Musk wrote in the email, the report said. "While some on exec staff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so."
Tesla, which had 140,473 employees globally as of end-2023, did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.
Ho joined Tesla in 2013 and was a program manager in the development of the Model S, the 3, and the Y before being put in charge of all new vehicles, while Tinucci joined in 2018 as a senior product manager, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
Two other senior leaders -- Patel and battery development chief Drew Baglino -- announced their departures earlier this month, when Tesla also ordered the layoffs of more than 10% of its workforce.
Tesla is grappling with falling sales and an intensifying price war, which led to its quarterly revenue falling for the first time since 2020, the company reported last week.
Musk made progress towards rolling out Tesla's advanced driver-assistance package in China, the epicenter of the EV price war, during a surprise visit to Beijing on Sunday.
That trip came just over a week after he scrapped a planned trip to India, where Tesla has long sought to start operations, due to "very heavy Tesla obligations."

Technology

Microsoft to Invest $1.7 bln in Cloud, AI in Indonesia

(FILES) The logo of Microsoft US multinational technology corporation is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) audiovisual and systems integration exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) The logo of Microsoft US multinational technology corporation is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) audiovisual and systems integration exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
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Microsoft to Invest $1.7 bln in Cloud, AI in Indonesia

(FILES) The logo of Microsoft US multinational technology corporation is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) audiovisual and systems integration exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) The logo of Microsoft US multinational technology corporation is seen on the opening day of the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) audiovisual and systems integration exhibition in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)

Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion over the next four years into expanding cloud services and artificial intelligence in Indonesia, including building data centers, visiting chief executive Satya Nadella said on Tuesday.
Jakarta is Nadella's first stop on a trip to Southeast Asian countries aimed at promoting the US company's generative AI technology. He will go to Malaysia and Thailand later this week, Reuters said.
Microsoft's investment will "bring the latest and greatest AI infrastructure to Indonesia," Nadella said.
"We're going to lead this wave in terms of AI infrastructure that's needed," he added.
Nadella met outgoing President Joko Widodo and his cabinet ministers earlier on Tuesday to discuss joint AI research and talent development, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told reporters.
Widodo suggested Microsoft base its data centers on the resort island of Bali or in the new capital city Nusantara, which is still under construction in the jungle of Borneo, the minister said.
Microsoft will train 2.5 million people in Southeast Asia in AI use by 2025, Nadella said, including 840,000 in Indonesia.
Microsoft is trying to expand its support for the development of AI globally, including with a $2.9 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure in Japan and a $1.5 billion investment in UAE-based AI firm G42.
Nadella's Jakarta visit comes two weeks after Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook met Widodo and said he would look into building a manufacturing facility in Indonesia.
Indonesia has a huge, tech-savvy population, making the Southeast Asian nation a key target market for tech-related investment.
Last week, Microsoft beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter revenue and profit, driven by gains from adoption of artificial intelligence across its cloud services.

Technology

Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Highlights Importance of Technology Use to Affect Growth

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef stressed that the Kingdom took advantage of various technologies to achieve growth in the industrial and mining sectors, and that technology enables business owners to be productive and effective.
Taking part in a panel discussion titled "Where Manufacturing and Tech Collide", held as part of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting in Riyadh today, Al-Khorayef talked about the transformation witnessed by the manufacturing sector over the past 25 years, which has served many countries, including the Kingdom, and about advanced solutions to lower the carbon footprint, stressing the importance of developing human capital by helping youths interested in technological advancements.
The minister also tackled infrastructure development and preparing regulations and guidelines to secure reliable use of information and data usage, and cybersecurity, and future programs that target 4,000 factories, SPA reported.
He stressed the importance of developing an economic system that takes advantage of technologies like digital twin and 5G for operating and managing the mining sector, especially in remote areas.
Al-Khorayef also spoke about the Saudi industrial base, which has the largest number of active entities and plays a main role in turning ideas into real solutions, making use of technologies that contribute added value to countries.