Author: Art Ryan

Dubai, UAE — Octaloop Technologies made a compelling impression on Day 1 of Token2049 Dubai, one of the world’s leading events spotlighting the future of blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), Web3, and decentralized innovation. Representing the company at this landmark gathering were Mr. Aamir Ahmed, CEO, and Mr. Wasaam Ahmed, Managing Director — both of whom engaged deeply in the day’s activities and dialogue. A Premier Platform for Innovation and Collaboration Token2049 Dubai brought together a diverse array of global thought leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and technologists. The event served as a melting pot of ideas and advancements shaping the decentralized future.…

Dubai, UAE – May 2025 — The Dubai FinTech Summit (DFS2025) continues to attract world-class financial leaders to its stage, and the latest addition is nothing short of extraordinary. Charlie Walker, Deputy CEO of the London Stock Exchange plc, will be among the distinguished speakers at this year’s summit, taking place on 12–13 May 2025 at Madinat Jumeirah. A Visionary in Capital Markets Charlie Walker is a respected authority in global capital markets, celebrated for his instrumental role in raising billions across international markets. With a keen strategic mind and a track record of pioneering initiatives, he has helped shape…

Dubai, UAE – May 2025 — The countdown to the Dubai FinTech Summit (DFS2025) is on, and the excitement continues to build with the announcement of a world-renowned leader joining the speaker lineup. Javier Garcia-Carranza, Group Senior Executive Vice President of Banco Santander SA, is set to take the stage at this year’s summit, happening on 12–13 May 2025 at the Madinat Jumeirah. A Titan of Global Finance Javier Garcia-Carranza brings an exceptional pedigree to the summit, with over two decades of experience in global finance and wealth management. His impressive career includes a 17-year tenure at Morgan Stanley, followed…

Most earnings announcements and ensuing analyst calls are spent discussing all the money — or lack of it — the host company made during the previous quarter. Not so at Amazon on Thursday (May 1). It spent most of its first-quarter earnings call talking less about the dollars it made and more about how it intends to keep winning the battle for the consumer’s trust. It sounded its traditional theme of the customer experience early and often. So far, anyway, that customer is proving to be fairly resilient. By the numbers, revenue rose 10% from a year earlier to $155.7 billion, with worldwide…

With graduation season approaching, a new cohort of students is embarking on next steps, aiming to use their passions and skills to make a real, tangible impact on the world. For many, this means — first and foremost — landing a job. According to a survey by Inside Higher Ed, more than 60% of students are saying the rise of AI has affected their career plans. And in 2024, the World Economic Forum forecasted that global demand for AI and machine learning specialists will grow over the next several years by 40%. As artificial intelligence advances at unparalleled speeds, it’s an exciting, opportune…

The Digital Foreign Direct Investment Forum (DFDI) 2025 kicked off in grand style as Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the landmark event, signaling a new era in Pakistan’s digital and technological advancement. Graced by Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), as the Guest of Honor, Day 1 set an ambitious tone for international collaboration and innovation. $700 Million Tech Investment Signals Global Confidence One of the most striking announcements of the day was a $700 million commitment toward Pakistan’s tech ecosystem. This investment affirms the growing confidence of global stakeholders in Pakistan’s potential as a…

With AI drastically changing organisational landscapes, management students must understand its strategic ramifications and technological underpinnings. AI affects crucial domains like operations, finance, marketing, and human resources and so Business schools should ensure that the curriculum emphasises topics such as automation, AI-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and consumer insights. Recognising AI’s limits, such as data biases, privacy issues, and the need for human oversight in crucial decision-making processes is also necessary, as is the need to be in line with legal requirements, ethical governance and regulatory compliance. B-Schools need to address the adoption of AI by giving students the tools they…

Artificial intelligence agents for dynamic pricing. Generative AI for making sense of in-store video data. And AI for keeping up with new tariff news. These are some of the earliest areas where solution providers are aiding retailer customers on leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to increase revenue and improve operations, as detailed by three solution provider executives who spoke with CRN about retail AI’s early successes and continued obstacles. At Teaneck, N.J.-based Cognizant–No. 8 on CRN’s 2024 Solution Provider 500–leveraging AI studios and application building tools to go beyond consulting and services is a differentiator in the noisy channel partner space, Sushant…

The inaugural Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) Forum 2025 marked a historic milestone for Pakistan, firmly placing the country on the global digital investment map. Over the course of two transformative days, the event galvanized momentum behind Pakistan’s digital ambitions, showcasing its readiness to lead, collaborate, and innovate in the global digital economy. A Showcase of Global Engagement and Tangible Results The DFDI Forum was more than a networking event—it was a results-driven summit that generated real investment, forged strategic alliances, and redefined Pakistan’s global image. The numbers speak for themselves: Strategic Vision Beyond Capital While the confirmed $700 million…

Dubai, UAE – April 30, 2025 — A dynamic convergence of global innovation took center stage as top FinTech pioneers assembled in Dubai for the highly anticipated Regional Qualifiers of the FinTech World Cup. Organized by Trescon, in partnership with the Commercial Bank of Dubai and powered by Ignyte, the event showcased the most disruptive and impactful financial technologies set to transform the industry. Among the standout contenders, Nymbl emerged as the regional champion, securing its spot in the prestigious Grand Finale of the FinTech World Cup, scheduled to take place at the Dubai FinTech Summit on May 13, 2025.…

Dubai, May 2025 – At the heart of the Arabian Travel Market 2025, a new player in AI-driven customer engagement has emerged to reshape the travel and tourism industry. Chris Ezekiel, CEO and Founder of Creative Virtual, introduced World Concierge AI—a conversational AI solution tailored specifically for the complex and competitive travel, tourism, and hospitality sector. Two Titans, One Vision With over 20 years of experience in building intelligent virtual agents for global enterprises like HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Creative Virtual brings deep technical know-how to the table. Now, in collaboration with World Travel Group, a…

Airbnb started rolling out an AI-powered customer service bot in the U.S. last month, CEO Brian Chesky said during the firm’s first-quarter conference call on Thursday. Chesky said 50% of Airbnb’s U.S. users are already using the AI bot for customer service, adding that the company plans to roll out the feature to all its users in the country this month. “One thing I’ll say about AI [is that] it is definitely making the customer experience easier … It has already led to a 15% reduction in people needing to contact live human agents,” he noted during the analyst call. Last…

Meta has teamed with Cerebras on AI inference in Meta’s new Llama API, combining Meta’s open-source Llama models with inference technology from Cerebras. Developers building on the Llama 4 Cerebras model in the API can expect speeds up to 18 times faster than traditional GPU-based solutions, according to Cerebras. “This acceleration unlocks an entirely new generation of applications that are impossible to build on other technology. Conversational low latency voice, interactive code generation, instant multi-step reasoning, and real-time agents — all of which require chaining multiple LLM calls — can now be completed in seconds rather than minutes,” Cerebras said.…

Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab is partnering with Amazon-backed (AMZN.O), opens new tab startup Anthropic on a new “vibe-coding” software platform that will use artificial intelligence to write, edit, and test code on behalf of programmers, Bloomberg News reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. “Vibe coding” refers to a programming method where AI agents generate code, a concept gaining popularity in the AI landscape. The new AI coding system is an updated version of Apple’s programming software, Xcode, and will integrate Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet AI model, the report said, opens new tab. Anthropic declined to comment, while Apple did not immediately respond to…

UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General Lydia Arthur recently visited the headquarters of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and the International Centre for Research and Ethics in Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh. Arthur was briefed on the SDAIA’s efforts in the sector, and the support the Kingdom provides to the UNESCO-affiliated ICAIRE to carry out its international missions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday. Arthur praised the Kingdom for introducing regulations governing the use of AI, particularly its model for ethical adoption. She said the Kingdom’s model should be adopted more widely at a global level. During the visit, she reviewed…

A young entrepreneur who was among the earliest known recruiters for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has a new, related gig—and he’s hiring. Anthony Jancso, cofounder of AccelerateX, a government tech startup, is looking for technologists to work on a project that aims to have artificial intelligence perform tasks that are currently the responsibility of tens of thousands of federal workers. Jancso, a former Palantir employee, wrote in a Slack with about 2000 Palantir alumni in it that he’s hiring for a “DOGE orthogonal project to design benchmarks and deploy AI agents across live workflows in federal agencies,” according to an…

Three of the world’s largest payment companies, Visa, Mastercard and PayPal, are racing into the next frontier in digital commerce: agentic AI. This week, all three announced they were deploying agentic commerce, a fast-emerging trend in which AI agents not only assist consumers with shopping but also complete transactions on their behalf. “These technologies have the potential to radically transform commerce, to radically transform how we all shop, how we all buy, and how commerce works at its most fundamental layers,” said Visa CEO Ryan McInerney at a livestreamed company product unveiling. Agentic commerce will be rolling out in the next few quarters, McInerney said in a separate interview with Bloomberg TV. Visa is working with Anthropic, Microsoft, Mistral, OpenAI, Perplexity and…

A U.S. government-created artificial intelligence program that aims to predict the supply and price of critical minerals has been transferred to the control of a non-profit organization that is helping miners and manufacturers strike supply deals. Launched in late 2023 by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Open Price Exploration for National Security AI metals program is an attempt to counter China’s sweeping control of the critical minerals sector, as Reuters reported last year Now, more than 30 mining companies, manufacturers and investors – including auto giant Volkswagen (VOWG.DE), opens new tab – have joined the Critical Minerals Forum non-profit and will be its first users,…

Box Inc., a cloud storage company, announced a partnership with IBM this week to help businesses adopt enterprise AI for everyday work tasks. The partnership brings together IBM’s AI tool, watsonx, and Box AI. Box AI is an agentic AI tool developed by Box for organizations to customize their own closed-system AI models. Within Box AI, companies can limit prompt queries to specific sets of documents or data without any complex code-building. Enterprise AI refers to using AI models and tools at scale for large businesses handling proprietary information. IBM’s enterprise AI studio, watsonx.ai, now brings a selection of AI models…

If you’ve ever wondered what else AI can do, well, it can create some unique recipes for you, and we are not even kidding. Now, Samsung has come up with a rather unique idea of showcasing Galaxy AI’s power at its new pop-up restaurant in Portugal. Galaxy AI will prepare a recipe for your next dish in Samsung’s ‘Sem Iuala’ restaurant Samsung’s soon-to-open AI pop-up restaurant is called Sem Igual—machine translated as “Without Equal” or “Unique.” If you are already curious to know how things work at this Galaxy AI-powered Samsung restaurant, here are some details. Diners at Sem Igual will get Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 at…