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Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and AI at World Bank Focuses on Global AI Governance

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Digital Government Authority, in cooperation with the World Bank Group, organized the “Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. (SPA)
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Digital Government Authority, in cooperation with the World Bank Group, organized the “Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. (SPA)
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Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and AI at World Bank Focuses on Global AI Governance

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Digital Government Authority, in cooperation with the World Bank Group, organized the “Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. (SPA)
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Digital Government Authority, in cooperation with the World Bank Group, organized the “Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. (SPA)

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the Digital Government Authority, in cooperation with the World Bank Group, organized the “Saudi Day of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence” on Thursday at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington.

The event brought together speakers from government entities, international experts, and academics, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The event aimed to exchange expertise and best practices in AI and digital transformation, strengthen institutional cooperation, and review the latest initiatives and technologies supporting the development and efficiency of government services, thereby reinforcing the Kingdom’s global standing and leadership.

The sessions discussed the future of AI governance worldwide, prospects for developing regulatory frameworks, and the importance of expanding international cooperation to advance ethical and trustworthy practices for AI applications.

During the event, the Kingdom also highlighted several of its achievements in digital transformation, data, and AI.

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Technology

Canada's Cohere, Germany's Aleph Alpha Reportedly in Merger Talks

FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Canada's Cohere, Germany's Aleph Alpha Reportedly in Merger Talks

FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Artificial intelligence companies Cohere of Canada and Aleph Alpha of Germany are in talks to merge and have Berlin's support for a potential deal, newspaper Handelsblatt reported late on Thursday.

Citing government and industry sources, the paper said the German government would be willing to become a key customer of a combined company, part of a push to provide digital public services.

"If leading AI companies from Canada and Germany were to join forces that would send a very strong signal," German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger told the ⁠paper.

Germany and Canada ⁠were already collaborating closely in the field, he was also quoted as saying.

Aleph Alpha told Reuters that regular discussions over strategic partnerships were standard practice in the AI industry and that Aleph Alpha had its own independent strategy, declining to comment further.

Cohere said it meets "with companies and institutions ⁠across Germany and Europe and continually evaluates strategic opportunities that support our global growth."

It also pointed Reuters to its international expansion efforts as well as to the Canadian-German Sovereign Technology Alliance agreed this year, but would not comment further.

Germany's research and digital ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Handelsblatt said merger talks started early this year and had reached an advanced stage, with plans for the new entity to be headquartered in both countries.

Germany has been eager to catch ⁠up with ⁠dominant AI players the US and China in a global race to master a transformational technology and attract high-income jobs. India has also emerged as a contender.

Last month, Berlin unveiled plans to encourage investments to boost AI data processing capacity at least fourfold by 2030.

Microsoft, which is collaborating with Cohere, unveiled $23 billion in AI investments in December, with the bulk earmarked for India and parts for Canada.

That was after Alphabet's Google said it would spend $15 billion over five years on an AI data center in India.

Technology

Apple Reportedly Leads Global Smartphone Shipments in 1st Quarter

FILE PHOTO: The Apple logo is seen during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Apple logo is seen during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
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Apple Reportedly Leads Global Smartphone Shipments in 1st Quarter

FILE PHOTO: The Apple logo is seen during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Apple logo is seen during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

iPhone-maker Apple led smartphone shipments in the first quarter, growing 5% year-on-year, ⁠even as overall ⁠global shipments remained ⁠under pressure due to a shortage of memory components and weak consumer sentiment, Counterpoint Research ⁠said ⁠on Friday.

Apple said on Thursday that it will shut down its retail store in Towson, Maryland, the first of its US locations where retail employees successfully unionized in 2022.

It described the decision as "difficult", citing the departure of several retailers and worsening conditions at the Towson Town Center mall as key reasons for the closure.

Apple said Towson employees will ⁠be eligible to ⁠apply for open roles at the company.

In 2022, more than 100 Apple workers in Towson voted to join the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) union, marking a milestone ⁠for unionization at major US corporations such as Amazon.com and Starbucks.

Around the same time, a similar union drive in Atlanta was withdrawn, with Apple workers alleging intimidation.

Technology

CEO: Amazon Cloud Unit's AI Revenue Run Rate Exceeds $15 Billion

FILE PHOTO: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
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CEO: Amazon Cloud Unit's AI Revenue Run Rate Exceeds $15 Billion

FILE PHOTO: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City, US, February 26, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Amazon.com said on Thursday its cloud business's AI revenue run rate was more than $15 billion in the first quarter of 2026, the company's first disclosure of direct financial returns from its artificial intelligence efforts.

The numbers are also "ascending rapidly", Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a letter to shareholders, adding that its cloud business as a whole would be growing even faster without the capacity constraints that the tech industry is currently facing.

Jassy also said ⁠the annual revenue ⁠run rate for Amazon's chips business, which produces its Graviton and Trainium processors, is now over $20 billion, doubling from the $10 billion milestone the company reported earlier this year.

"There’s so much demand for our chips that it’s quite possible we’ll sell ⁠racks of them to third parties in the future," Jassy added.

Amazon's disclosure comes as a fresh sign that the company's hefty investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure are now bearing fruit. Jassy has said he expects AI to help cloud unit Amazon Web Services achieve $600 billion in annual sales, double his own prior estimate, Reuters exclusively reported last month.

AWS reported total revenue of $128.7 billion in 2025, up about ⁠20% ⁠from the prior year. The division is expected to hit sales of $142 billion this year.

Amazon said in February it would spend about $200 billion in capital expenditures this year, primarily focused on AI development and infrastructure. The steep number spooked investors, but Jassy said on Thursday that much of the spending going towards AWS will be monetized over 2027 and 2028.

"We already have customer commitments for a substantial portion of it," he said.