FII Institute, Digital Cooperation Organization Sign MoU to Advance Inclusive AI in Emerging Markets

The MoU establishes collaborative workstreams around AI Inclusion - SPA
The MoU establishes collaborative workstreams around AI Inclusion - SPA
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FII Institute, Digital Cooperation Organization Sign MoU to Advance Inclusive AI in Emerging Markets

The MoU establishes collaborative workstreams around AI Inclusion - SPA
The MoU establishes collaborative workstreams around AI Inclusion - SPA

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute and the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the inclusive adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across emerging markets.

The partnership will drive collaboration on FII Institute’s AI Initiative, expand joint conclaves, and co-create thought-leadership publications, SPA reported.

The agreement aligns with FII9’s theme, “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth”, which will convene global investors and visionaries in Riyadh from October 27 to 30, 2025.

The MoU establishes collaborative workstreams around AI Inclusion: ensuring emerging markets share in AI’s benefits, FII Conclaves: knowledge-driven, invite-only dialogues, and Publications: co-developing actionable thought leadership.

As part of the agreement, the DCO will serve as Knowledge Partner for FII Institute’s AI Initiative through July 31, 2026, supporting both FII9 and the post-summit program.

Chairman of the Executive Committee and Acting CEO of the FII Institute Richard Attias said: “AI sits at the core of FII Institute’s strategy for an inclusive digital future. Partnering with the DCO expands our ability to ensure fast-growing digital economies benefit from AI adoption, not only in Saudi Arabia but across global markets.”

Director General of the DCO Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui added: “This partnership comes at a pivotal moment for the global digital economy. By combining DCO’s mandate for inclusive digital growth with FII’s forward-looking AI agenda, we are creating tangible pathways for our Member States and partners to benefit from cutting-edge innovation.

Signing this MoU during UNGA underscores our shared commitment to ensuring digital prosperity is inclusive, sustainable, and borderless.”
The DCO is the world’s first intergovernmental body dedicated to accelerating inclusive digital growth.

Representing 16 Member States, with a combined GDP of over $3.5 trillion and 800 million people, the DCO enables cross-border cooperation, forward-looking policies, and opportunities in the digital economy. Its focus on AI and the Future of Work ensures that emerging markets are active beneficiaries of next-generation technologies.

The FII Institute is a global non-profit foundation driven by data, innovation, and impact. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, ACT pillars, the institute fosters actionable solutions across AI, sustainability, healthcare, and education.

FII9, held from October 27 to 30, 2025, in Riyadh, will gather leaders for plenaries, labs, and exclusive conclaves designed to translate dialogue into deals and policy roadmaps.

The MoU with the DCO dovetails with the Institute’s ongoing AI Inclusive initiative—ensuring emerging markets access funding, expertise, and capacity-building to accelerate equitable AI adoption.



ByteDance Quietly Rolls Out SeeDance 2.0 Globally

A smartphone displays the logo of Seedance 2.0, the image-to-video and text-to-video AI model. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/File
A smartphone displays the logo of Seedance 2.0, the image-to-video and text-to-video AI model. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/File
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ByteDance Quietly Rolls Out SeeDance 2.0 Globally

A smartphone displays the logo of Seedance 2.0, the image-to-video and text-to-video AI model. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/File
A smartphone displays the logo of Seedance 2.0, the image-to-video and text-to-video AI model. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/File

Chinese artificial intelligence powerhouse and TikTok creator ByteDance has quietly rolled out its latest video generator SeeDance 2.0 worldwide, while its US rival OpenAI called time on a similar product.

The SeeDance 2.0 model was launched in China last month, both stunning and spooking the entertainment industry with its ability to produce near-Hollywood-quality clips from simple text prompts.

However, it has also sparked concerns over copyright infringement, said AFP.

"We have further expanded Dreamina Seedance 2.0 in more markets in CapCut today, across Africa, South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with more regions coming soon," CapCut, ByteDance's popular video editing tool, posted on X on Thursday.

It said the SeeDance 2.0 model would initially be available to some paid users.

The rollout includes "firm safeguards" to prevent violations of its safety policies, including the unauthorized use of individuals' likenesses or intellectual property, CapCut said.

Major Hollywood production studios including Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros and Netflix, have threatened legal action against Beijing-based ByteDance over accusations of copyright infringement.

Reports this month suggested that backlash had prompted ByteDance to pause SeeDance 2.0's global launch.

It was not immediately clear if ByteDance had resolved those legal issues. The United States is not among the current rollout markets.

ByteDance, which runs popular short video platforms TikTok and Douyin, has invested heavily in AI in recent years against a backdrop of increasing global regulatory scrutiny of such platforms.

ByteDance announced on Friday the sale of Moonton, an important gaming asset, to a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund for more than $6 billion.

Moonton runs Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, one of Southeast Asia's most popular gaming titles.

ByteDance's move coincides with a broader shift in the AI industry towards more "agentic" tools that focus on performing practical, real-life tasks.

US AI giant OpenAI said on Tuesday it was shutting down its popular consumer-facing video-generating service Sora, a move widely understood to focus more on providing business users with agentic AI capacities.


South Korea to Invest $166 Million in AI Chip Startup Rebellions

People walk near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 22 March 2026. The band performed their comeback concert on 21 March.  EPA/YONHAP
People walk near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 22 March 2026. The band performed their comeback concert on 21 March. EPA/YONHAP
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South Korea to Invest $166 Million in AI Chip Startup Rebellions

People walk near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 22 March 2026. The band performed their comeback concert on 21 March.  EPA/YONHAP
People walk near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, 22 March 2026. The band performed their comeback concert on 21 March. EPA/YONHAP

South Korea's industry ministry on Tuesday said the Financial Services Commission's advisory board approved a 250 billion won ($166 million) investment in a local artificial intelligence chip startup called Rebellions, part of a government-backed push to nurture a homegrown advanced semiconductor firm.

Here are some details:

South Korea's Financial Services Commission advisory board, which evaluates investments in advanced strategic industries, ⁠approved a 250 ⁠billion won direct investment into Rebellions, an AI chip startup.

Rebellions, founded in 2020, designs neural processing units (NPUs) that handle AI computations.

The decision was made at a ⁠fund management committee meeting for the state-led "National Growth Fund," marking the first direct investment under the country's "K-Nvidia" initiative.

The funding will support Rebellions' mass production of NPU chips and the development of next-generation AI semiconductors, the industry ministry said in a statement.

The "K-Nvidia" project, jointly led by the Financial Services Commission and the ⁠Ministry ⁠of Science and ICT, seeks to nurture a globally competitive AI chip company amid intensifying competition in the sector, which is dominated by US firms like Nvidia.

The move underscores Seoul's efforts to strengthen its position in the AI supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign technology, as demand for high-performance computing chips surges.


Uber, Autonomous Mobility Firms to Launch Europe's 1st Commercial Robotaxis

Aerial photo shows light installation during the Festival of Lights in Zagreb, Croatia, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
Aerial photo shows light installation during the Festival of Lights in Zagreb, Croatia, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
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Uber, Autonomous Mobility Firms to Launch Europe's 1st Commercial Robotaxis

Aerial photo shows light installation during the Festival of Lights in Zagreb, Croatia, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
Aerial photo shows light installation during the Festival of Lights in Zagreb, Croatia, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic

Uber Technologies and autonomous mobility companies Verne and Pony.ai have partnered up to launch Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in the Croatian capital Zagreb, with plans to expand to other cities, they said on Thursday.

Robotaxis are rapidly expanding into US cities as companies race to commercialize ⁠autonomous ride-hailing worldwide.

Alphabet's ⁠Waymo remains the early leader, while Tesla hopes its vast manufacturing scale and financial resources could reshape the competitive landscape.

The first ⁠commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb will be launched "soon,” the companies said.

Initial deployment work is underway, including public-road validation.

Pony.ai will provide autonomous driving solutions, while Verne will act as the fleet owner and service operator.

The three companies plan ⁠to ⁠expand the fleet to thousands of robotaxis in European cities over the next few years.

Uber and Nvidia said earlier this month they planned to expand their robotaxi service in 28 cities across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.