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Saudi Aramco, Microsoft Sign MoU to Advance AI in Industrial Sector, Transform Digital Capabilities 

Officials at the signing ceremony between Saudi Aramco and Microsoft. (SPA)
Officials at the signing ceremony between Saudi Aramco and Microsoft. (SPA)
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Saudi Aramco, Microsoft Sign MoU to Advance AI in Industrial Sector, Transform Digital Capabilities 

Officials at the signing ceremony between Saudi Aramco and Microsoft. (SPA)
Officials at the signing ceremony between Saudi Aramco and Microsoft. (SPA)

Saudi Aramco and Microsoft signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a range of digital initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industrial sector, enhancing digital capabilities, and supporting the development of the Kingdom’s workforce, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

These initiatives, supported by Microsoft, aim to enable Saudi Aramco’s large-scale digital transformation.

As part of its long-standing collaboration with Microsoft, Saudi Aramco plans to explore a suite of AI-enabled industrial solutions based on Microsoft Azure technologies to improve operational efficiency, boost global competitiveness, and develop new models for technology-enabled energy and industrial systems.

In addition, Saudi Aramco and Microsoft are exploring programs to accelerate the development of digital and technical skills across the Kingdom, including building capabilities in AI engineering, cybersecurity, data governance, and product management, supported by measurable outcomes.

These efforts build on Microsoft’s existing national impact, which includes training thousands of Saudi learners in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data-related programs.

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Technology

Foxconn Logs Quarterly Net Profit Jump on AI Demand

FILE PHOTO: A signage at Foxconn booth at the International Automobile & Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Show (AMPA) trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A signage at Foxconn booth at the International Automobile & Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Show (AMPA) trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Foxconn Logs Quarterly Net Profit Jump on AI Demand

FILE PHOTO: A signage at Foxconn booth at the International Automobile & Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Show (AMPA) trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A signage at Foxconn booth at the International Automobile & Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Show (AMPA) trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Taiwanese tech hardware giant Foxconn on Thursday announced a 19-percent jump in quarterly net profit as the booming market for artificial intelligence servers drives growth, despite geopolitical uncertainty.

Foxconn, whose official name is Hon Hai Precision Industry, has gone beyond assembling low-margin iPhones to making AI servers for Nvidia, along with electric vehicles and robots.

Soaring global demand for generative AI tools is boosting business for Foxconn, even as the war in the Middle East has threatened supply chain volatility.

On Thursday the company said net profit for January-March came to NT$49.9 billion (US$1.6 billion), up from NT$42.1 billion in the same period the previous year.

The figure beat estimates of $48.4 billion in a Bloomberg survey of analysts, AFP reported.

Foxconn said it expects "strong demand for AI servers" to continue this year, forecasting "high double-digit quarter-on-quarter growth" for AI rack shipments in the second quarter.

When the company reported its annual results in March, chairman Young Liu had shrugged off concerns that market volatility caused by global conflict would dent profits.

Taiwanese contract chipmaker TSMC has also said it does not expect geopolitics to impact its supply of key materials such as helium and hydrogen in the near term.

On Wednesday, some of Foxconn's factories in North America suffered a cyberattack, according to a company statement.

"The affected factories are currently resuming normal production," after a response from the cybersecurity team, said the statement dated Wednesday afternoon in Taiwan.

TechCrunch and other media outlets reported that ransomware gang Nitrogen had claimed responsibility for the hack on the dark web.

Technology

Meta Launches WhatsApp ‘Incognito’ Mode to Address Privacy Concerns for AI Chats

A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone, Nov. 15, 2018, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP)
A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone, Nov. 15, 2018, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP)
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Meta Launches WhatsApp ‘Incognito’ Mode to Address Privacy Concerns for AI Chats

A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone, Nov. 15, 2018, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP)
A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone, Nov. 15, 2018, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP)

Meta Platforms said Wednesday it is rolling out an “incognito” mode for WhatsApp users to have private conversations with its AI chatbot, a move intended to ease privacy concerns about sensitive information that users share in chats.

The social media company said in a blog post that incognito chat mode provides a way to have private, temporary conversations with Meta AI, its artificial intelligence assistant that's been available on WhatsApp for a few years.

Messages will be processed in a “secure environment" that even Meta can't access, won't be saved by default and will disappear when exiting a session, Meta said.

Generative AI systems have been dogged by privacy concerns because the large language models that underpin these systems are trained on vast troves of data, sometimes including personal information provided by users themselves in their conversations with AI chatbots.

Rival chatbot makers already have some privacy features. Google's Gemini chatbot has the option to disable chat history and opt out of allowing one's data to be used in training its AI models. ChatGPT has similar controls.

Meta says it's rolling out incognito chats because users often ask chatbots sensitive questions or include private financial, personal, health or work data in their questions.

“We’re starting ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems, and it doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, told reporters.

Incognito chat mode has safety features to prevent the chatbot from answering questions about harmful topics, Cathcart said.

It will “steer the user towards helpful information if it can and then refuse (to answer) and eventually even just stop interacting with the user completely,” Cathcart said.

Users will only be able to type in questions and get text responses; they won't be able to upload or generate images. They'll also have to confirm their age because Meta doesn't allow users under 13 on its platforms.

Technology

Singapore Needs to Attract AI Giants, Growth Committee Says

FILE - A view of the Port of Singapore Authority's Pasir Panjang Terminal is pictured on July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado, File)
FILE - A view of the Port of Singapore Authority's Pasir Panjang Terminal is pictured on July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado, File)
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Singapore Needs to Attract AI Giants, Growth Committee Says

FILE - A view of the Port of Singapore Authority's Pasir Panjang Terminal is pictured on July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado, File)
FILE - A view of the Port of Singapore Authority's Pasir Panjang Terminal is pictured on July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado, File)

Singapore must take action to attract leading AI firms and also build on its status as a major energy hub, a committee set up to chart new areas of growth and create jobs said in recommendations submitted to the government on Wednesday.

The proposals come as the city-state bets on artificial intelligence to transform its economy and its workforce, and as geopolitical tensions like the Iran war threaten to undermine growth and ⁠raise inflation.

Following are ⁠some of the recommendations made by the committee:

The committee said Singapore should respond to the difficult global environment by sharpening its value proposition and build agility and adaptability.

Singapore should persuade leading industries to "anchor" in the ⁠country, building on its role as a key node in supply chains for industries like semiconductors.

Promising sectors include quantum technologies and space technologies, which leverage existing capabilities in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and satellite systems, the committee said.

Singapore should also aim to be a "trusted hub" where AI is developed, tested and deployed, and could do this by attracting leading ⁠AI ⁠companies and talent.

Singapore should build on its role as an energy hub and build capabilities in emerging domains such as liquefied natural gas trading, as well as in hydrogen, ammonia, and sustainable aviation fuels.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong delivered a speech addressing the recommendations at a business federation conference on Wednesday.

He said, "In a changed world, Singapore cannot assume that yesterday's strengths will automatically become tomorrow's place."