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Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA, IBM Discuss Advancing National AI and Digital Innovation

SDAIA President Abdullah Alghamdi and other officials during his visit of the IBM headquarters. (SPA)
SDAIA President Abdullah Alghamdi and other officials during his visit of the IBM headquarters. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA, IBM Discuss Advancing National AI and Digital Innovation

SDAIA President Abdullah Alghamdi and other officials during his visit of the IBM headquarters. (SPA)
SDAIA President Abdullah Alghamdi and other officials during his visit of the IBM headquarters. (SPA)

Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) President Abdullah Alghamdi visited on Sunday the IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York, where he was received by IBM chairman and chief executive Arvind Krishna, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The two sides discussed opportunities for cooperation in developing national AI capabilities and exchanging expertise, as well as supporting quantum computing projects.

They explored collaboration to build advanced data platforms, enable innovation in software and digital systems, and enhance their development by leveraging IBM Lab's capabilities to support software development in the Kingdom.

Alghamdi toured the company's headquarters, where he was briefed on the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center and the latest advancements in IBM's quantum computing technologies. He also listened to an introductory presentation on the company's future roadmap, key use cases, and the efforts of the Quantum Innovation Center.

The visit is part of SDAIA's efforts to strengthen international cooperation in data and artificial intelligence. It aims to draw on the expertise of leading global companies to support Saudi Vision 2030 in building an advanced digital economy and positioning the Kingdom among the world’s data- and AI-driven economies.

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Technology

EU Warns Meta WhatsApp AI Fee Breaches Antitrust Rules, Orders Rollback

FILED - 27 May 2025, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin: The Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps are shown on a smartphone display that reflects the logo of the AI application Meta AI. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa
FILED - 27 May 2025, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin: The Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps are shown on a smartphone display that reflects the logo of the AI application Meta AI. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa
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EU Warns Meta WhatsApp AI Fee Breaches Antitrust Rules, Orders Rollback

FILED - 27 May 2025, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin: The Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps are shown on a smartphone display that reflects the logo of the AI application Meta AI. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa
FILED - 27 May 2025, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin: The Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps are shown on a smartphone display that reflects the logo of the AI application Meta AI. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa

The European Commission said on Wednesday it intended to order Meta Platforms to reinstate rival artificial intelligence assistants on its WhatsApp messaging service after the U.S. tech giant imposed an access fee. "The Commission notified Meta that the revised policy seems to have the same effect of excluding third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp and thus appears at first sight to be in breach of EU competition rules," the EU's executive arm said, Reuters reported.

Interim measures, which the Commission imposes when it has concerns of damage to competition, would remain in place until the end of the investigation, it said.

"To prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition, the Commission intends to order Meta to reinstate access for third-party AI assistants under the same conditions as before 15 October 2025," it added in a statement.

Meta previously informed the Commission in March that it would allow rival AI assistants on WhatsApp for one year, contingent on a fee, after initially planning to ban third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp Business.

"The European Commission is proposing to use its regulatory powers to enable some of the largest companies in the world to use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free," a Meta spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

"This means that a small bakery in France paying to use the service to take croissant orders will be picking up the tab for OpenAI. Small European businesses shouldn't foot OpenAI's bill," the spokesperson added.

The Commission also said that its investigation had been expanded to Italy, where the Italian competition watchdog had opened its own probe last year.

Technology

OpenAI to Open First Permanent London Office in 2027

FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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OpenAI to Open First Permanent London Office in 2027

FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

OpenAI said on Monday it has secured its first permanent office in London, expanding capacity to meet growing demand in the UK and building on the ChatGPT maker's plans to make the city its largest research hub outside the United States.

Here are some details ⁠on the new ⁠London office:

The office is expected to open in 2027, with capacity for 544 team members, Microsoft-backed OpenAI said.

The ⁠space is located at Regent Quarter, spanning Jahn Court and the Brassworks Building in the King's Cross area.

OpenAI currently employs around 200 people in London across research, engineering, customer support, policy, and sales.

Last week, OpenAI said it was ⁠pausing ⁠its main data center project in Britain due to an unfavorable regulatory environment and high energy costs, a move that dealt a blow to the UK government's push to position the country as a global AI hub.

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.