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Elon Musk in Riyadh: Robotics and AI Drive Saudi-US Strategic Partnership

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Elon Musk in Riyadh: Robotics and AI Drive Saudi-US Strategic Partnership

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha speak at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha took part on Tuesday in a high-profile dialogue session during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh. The event underscored the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Alswaha said relationship between the two nations has entered a new phase, moving from an energy-based economy to one driven by innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI), praising Musk's influence in advancing global technological transformation.

The minister stressed that under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Saudi Arabia has aimed to adopt transformative technologies, such as AI and robotics, positioning the Kingdom as a global innovation platform and a major hub for AI and the digital economy.

He also highlighted the Kingdom’s progress in enabling cloud services, digital infrastructure, and AI value chains, saying these efforts reflect Saudi Arabia’s ambition to lead in the post-data era. He underlined the Kingdom’s goal of becoming a hub for responsible and effective AI innovation.

The strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States is a foundation for building a smarter, more just, and sustainable global economy, he stressed, while underscoring the need for continued collaboration to drive innovation for the benefit of humanity.

For his part, Musk said humanoid robots represent a productivity revolution that could expand the global economy tenfold. This could lead to an economy of abundance and a model of “comprehensive high income” that goes beyond the traditional universal basic income concept.

He thanked Saudi Arabia for adopting the Starlink service in the aviation and maritime sectors, describing it as a significant step toward supporting the future of global communications technology.

He discussed potential cooperation in smart mobility, including RoboTaxi projects and The Boring Company’s tunnel transportation systems for Saudi cities. Such technologies, he said, could transform urban areas and improve transit efficiency.

Musk closed the session with an optimistic outlook for humanity, urging a model of progress that blends prosperity, exploration, and coexistence with advanced technology. He called for international cooperation to establish ethical frameworks for AI and emerging technologies.

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Technology

Italy Watchdog Orders Meta to Halt WhatsApp Terms Barring Rival AI Chatbots

The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. (Reuters)
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Italy Watchdog Orders Meta to Halt WhatsApp Terms Barring Rival AI Chatbots

The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. (Reuters)

Italy's antitrust authority (AGCM) on Wednesday ordered Meta Platforms to suspend contractual terms ​that could shut rival AI chatbots out of WhatsApp, as it investigates the US tech group for suspected abuse of a dominant position.

A spokesperson for Meta called the decision "fundamentally flawed," and said the emergence of AI chatbots "put a strain on our systems that ‌they were ‌not designed to support".

"We ‌will ⁠appeal," ​the ‌spokesperson added.

The move is the latest in a string by European regulators against Big Tech firms, as the EU seeks to balance support for the sector with efforts to curb its expanding influence.

Meta's conduct appeared capable of restricting "output, market ⁠access or technical development in the AI chatbot services market", ‌potentially harming consumers, AGCM ‍said.

In July, the ‍Italian regulator opened the investigation into Meta over ‍the suspected abuse of a dominant position related to WhatsApp. It widened the probe in November to cover updated terms for the messaging app's business ​platform.

"These contractual conditions completely exclude Meta AI's competitors in the AI chatbot services ⁠market from the WhatsApp platform," the watchdog said.

EU antitrust regulators launched a parallel investigation into Meta last month over the same allegations.

Europe's tough stance - a marked contrast to more lenient US regulation - has sparked industry pushback, particularly by US tech titans, and led to criticism from the administration of US President Donald Trump.

The Italian watchdog said it was coordinating with the European ‌Commission to ensure Meta's conduct was addressed "in the most effective manner".

Technology

Amazon Says Blocked 1,800 North Koreans from Applying for Jobs

Amazon logo (Reuters)
Amazon logo (Reuters)
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Amazon Says Blocked 1,800 North Koreans from Applying for Jobs

Amazon logo (Reuters)
Amazon logo (Reuters)

US tech giant Amazon said it has blocked over 1,800 North Koreans from joining the company, as Pyongyang sends large numbers of IT workers overseas to earn and launder funds.

In a post on LinkedIn, Amazon's Chief Security Officer Stephen Schmidt said last week that North Korean workers had been "attempting to secure remote IT jobs with companies worldwide, particularly in the US".

He said the firm had seen nearly a one-third rise in applications by North Koreans in the past year, reported AFP.

The North Koreans typically use "laptop farms" -- a computer in the United States operated remotely from outside the country, he said.

He warned the problem wasn't specific to Amazon and "is likely happening at scale across the industry".

Tell-tale signs of North Korean workers, Schmidt said, included wrongly formatted phone numbers and dodgy academic credentials.

In July, a woman in Arizona was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for running a laptop farm helping North Korean IT workers secure remote jobs at more than 300 US companies.

The scheme generated more than $17 million in revenue for her and North Korea, officials said.

Last year, Seoul's intelligence agency warned that North Korean operatives had used LinkedIn to pose as recruiters and approach South Koreans working at defense firms to obtain information on their technologies.

"North Korea is actively training cyber personnel and infiltrating key locations worldwide," Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.

"Given Amazon's business nature, the motive seems largely economic, with a high likelihood that the operation was planned to steal financial assets," he added.

North Korea's cyber-warfare program dates back to at least the mid-1990s.

It has since grown into a 6,000-strong cyber unit known as Bureau 121, which operates from several countries, according to a 2020 US military report.

In November, Washington announced sanctions on eight individuals accused of being "state-sponsored hackers", whose illicit operations were conducted "to fund the regime's nuclear weapons program" by stealing and laundering money.

The US Department of the Treasury has accused North Korea-affiliated cybercriminals of stealing over $3 billion over the past three years, primarily in cryptocurrency.

Technology

KAUST Scientists Develop AI-Generated Data to Improve Environmental Disaster Tracking

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
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KAUST Scientists Develop AI-Generated Data to Improve Environmental Disaster Tracking

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and SARsatX, a Saudi company specializing in Earth observation technologies, have developed computer-generated data to train deep learning models to predict oil spills.

According to KAUST, validating the use of synthetic data is crucial for monitoring environmental disasters, as early detection and rapid response can significantly reduce the risks of environmental damage.

Dean of the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division at KAUST Dr. Matthew McCabe noted that one of the biggest challenges in environmental applications of artificial intelligence is the shortage of high-quality training data.

He explained that this challenge can be addressed by using deep learning to generate synthetic data from a very small sample of real data and then training predictive AI models on it.

This approach can significantly enhance efforts to protect the marine environment by enabling faster and more reliable monitoring of oil spills while reducing the logistical and environmental challenges associated with data collection.