Author: Art Ryan

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is investigating the data-labeling startup Scale AI for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, TechCrunch has learned. That’s a federal law that regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of employees as contractors, and illegal retaliation against workers. The investigation has been active since at least August 2024, a document seen by TechCrunch shows. And it’s ongoing, according to a person directly familiar with the matter. The mere existence of an investigation doesn’t mean Scale AI has done anything wrong, of course, and the investigation could find in favor of the company or be dismissed. Scale…

Google co-founder Larry Page is building a new company called Dynatomics that’s focused on applying AI to product manufacturing, according to The Information. Page is reportedly working with a small group of engineers on AI that can create “highly optimized” designs for objects and then have a factory build them, per The Information. Chris Anderson, previously the CTO of Page-backed electric airplane startup Kittyhawk, is running the stealth effort, The Information reports. Page isn’t the only entrepreneur exploring ways AI could be used to improve manufacturing processes (although he might be one of the richest). Orbital Materials is creating an AI platform that…

The NHS and UK doctors are set to benefit from ground-breaking artificial intelligence technology designed to transform the way doctors interact with patients, reducing medical errors, cutting administrative burdens, and making thousands of additional appointments available. Tandem Health has launched its advanced “clinician co-pilot” in the UK. This AI medical scribe automatically generates drafts of highly accurate clinical notes during patient consultations. By removing the documentation burden, doctors can focus entirely on their patients, improving the quality of care and reducing the likelihood of errors in recording key medical details. The launch comes as the NHS embarks on the world’s largest…

XRP continues to shine in the current bull market, recently hitting $2.27 and inspiring price targets as high as $66. While such milestones remain contingent on XRP overcoming key resistance levels—and potentially reaching new all-time highs—regulatory uncertainty continues to weigh on its broader adoption prospects. The ongoing legal tussle with the U.S. SEC keeps institutional investors on the sidelines, limiting the speed at which Ripple’s token can solidify its position in mainstream finance. Amid this uncertainty, XRPTurbo ($XRT) is stepping into the spotlight with its AI-focused approach to DeFi on the XRP Ledger. Rather than waiting on regulatory nods, XRPTurbo is building a permissionless…

Tech giant Microsoft will invest $298 million on artificial intelligence (AI) and data center infrastructure in South Africa, the company’s vice-chair has said. The multinational announced in January it would provide one million South Africans with AI and cyber security training opportunities by 2026. “We are investing more money to expand our AI and data centre investment here,” Brad Smith said at a conference in Johannesburg. The pledge builds onto previous investments totalling $1 billion on data centers in the country, Smith said. The company will also fund 50,000 people to follow further courses and certification exams in cloud architecture, AI and cybersecurity, he…

Writer, the leader in enterprise generative AI, today announced a major global expansion across Europe, Asia-Pacific Japan (APJ), and the United States with new hubs in Singapore, Dublin, Chicago, and Austin. The company has also opened new, larger offices in San Francisco, New York, and London, while strengthening its leadership and advisory board as global demand for enterprise-ready AI solutions intensifies. Generative AI adoption has become table stakes for enterprises, and growing interest in agentic AI is further fueling the need for reliable, transparent, and scalable solutions. Today, hundreds of the world’s leading enterprises, like Mars, Prudential, WTW, Salesforce, and…

The World Health Organization (WHO) today designated the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands as a WHO Collaborating Centre on artificial intelligence (AI) for health governance. AI has the potential to re-shape health care, save lives and improve health and well-being. However, harnessing its benefits for good requires collaboration from stakeholders committed to robust governance, ethical safeguards, and evidence-based policies. The WHO Collaborating Centre designation recognizes the Digital Ethics Centre at Delft University of Technology’s decades-long history of cutting-edge research on responsible innovation, and its leadership in incorporating ethical values into design requirements for…

Canditech, a leader in job simulation-based hiring solutions, is proud to introduce the AI-powered Job Simulation Test Builder, a game-changing tool designed to transform how companies assess and hire top talent. By harnessing the power of AI, Canditech has made it easier than ever for hiring teams to create, evaluate, and score candidates based on real-world job simulations—without requiring technical expertise. Bringing AI-Powered Job Simulations to Hiring Teams Job simulation tests are the most accurate predictors of future job performance, yet designing them traditionally requires deep professional knowledge. Canditech’s AI-powered Test Builder eliminates this complexity, empowering hiring teams to generate…

Chinese tech giant Alibaba unveiled its latest artificial intelligence reasoning model on Thursday, boasting that its capabilities beat those of rival models from OpenAI and startup DeepSeek. The news prompted Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares to close 8% higher on the day and helped boost the Hang Seng’s China Enterprises Index. The release of Alibaba’s new AI model comes a day after the launch of a “general AI agent” called Manus by another company. A video on the website dedicated to Manus says the software can carry out complex, multi-step tasks such as screening resumés and creating a website. According to Reuters, Manus…

Marvell Technology has demonstrated its first 2-nm silicon IP, enhancing the performance and efficiency of AI and cloud infrastructure. Built on TSMC’s 2-nm process, the working silicon is a key component of Marvell’s platform for developing next-generation custom AI accelerators, CPUs, and switches. The company’s strategy focuses on developing a comprehensive semiconductor IP portfolio, including electrical and optical SerDes, die-to-die interconnects for 2D and 3D devices, advanced packaging technologies, silicon photonics, custom HBM compute architecture, on-chip SRAM, SoC fabrics, and compute fabric interfaces like PCIe Gen 7. Additionally, the portfolio includes high-speed 3D I/O for vertically stacking die inside chiplets.…

Generative AI hype has launched newsroom experiments around the world. Even though many of these early applications have become cautionary tales, the hype has endured for over two years since OpenAI publicly launched ChatGPT. In many ways, this is familiar territory for journalism. In a long line of digital technologies (smartphones, social media, the infamous “pivot to video”), generative AI is yet another sociotechnical force that journalists did not create or ask for, but that they must navigate and (try to) reshape. Previous hype cycles of innovation, disruption, and adaptation provoked existential questions about the value of journalism — and coincided with waves of unionization among journalists in…

-Moveworks, the leading agentic AI assistant for the enterprise, today announced their third annual Moveworks.global user conference taking place on April 15, 2025, in San Jose, CA, with virtual and in-person options. As advanced agentic AI solutions rapidly replace traditional tools, organizations are unlocking more intelligent capabilities that drive real business value. This premier event will bring together customers, Fortune 500 executives, AI leaders, innovators, and investors to explore the rise of agentic AI and its transformative impact on the enterprise. While the vast majority of leaders say they have begun using AI in their organizations, only 15% of employees say their organization…

Microsoft is taking on Salesforce with its latest AI innovations, Sales Agent and Sales Chat. Who will emerge victorious? Microsoft has unveiled two AI sales agents, known as “Sales Agent” and “Sales Chat.” By connecting to both Microsoft Dynamic 365 and Salesforce, the two models can be used to qualify potential leads and provide invaluable customer insights for sales reps. Wednesday’s announcement coincided with Salesforce launching its own Agentforce 2dx, which similarly allows users to integrate AI agents into existing business workflows. There is no love lost between the two companies, with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff previously criticizing Microsoft’s forays into…

The Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF) 2025 successfully concluded on February 26-27, bringing together industry leaders, forward-thinking agencies, and digital innovators. Among the standout contributors was MediaOne, a key sponsor, showcasing cutting-edge AI-driven marketing solutions. Tom Koh’s Talk on AI and Search Evolution A major highlight was the insightful session by Tom Koh, CEO of MediaOne, who captivated attendees with his talk on “Winning in AI Search: Navigating Zero-Clicks and AI Overviews.“ Addressing the evolving search landscape, he shared strategies for brands to adapt to AI-driven search environments, maximize visibility to achieve sustainable growth. His expertise in AI-powered marketing sparked thought-provoking discussions and resonated with professionals…

Fiverr International (FVRR 1.78%) held its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call on February 19, 2025. The freelancing platform delivered 13% revenue growth and achieved a 20% adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) margin, demonstrating solid execution amid continued pressure on small business spending. Services Revenue Growth Accelerates While Marketplace Stabilizes Fiverr’s new revenue breakdown shows impressive growth in its services segment, providing a clearer picture of the company’s evolution beyond its traditional marketplace model. Services revenue was $88.4 million, representing year-over-year growth of 62%, driven by continued strength in Fiverr Ads, Seller Plus, and AutoDS. Services revenue represents 23% of our…

iSON Xperiences partners with Aistra to accelerate AI-driven customer experience, leveraging automation, predictive analytics, and seamless AI integration across industries. iSON Xperiences, a global leader in AI- driven customer experience (CX) solutions with a presence in 22 countries, has announced a strategic partnership with Aistra, an AI Adoption company, focusing on automation and transformation solutions built around its proprietary AI Agents, MicroApps, and Process Acceleration technologies. This collaboration will enable iSON Xperiences to leverage Aistra’s advanced AI capabilities to accelerate digital transformation initiatives for their clients worldwide. The partnership spans multiple industries, including Telecom, BFSI, Fintech, Retail, E-commerce, Travel, Consumer…

Microsoft has announced plans to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Azure Region in Kuwait. For this, it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with the Government of Kuwait, represented by the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) and the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA). The partnership aims to help accelerate digital transformation efforts in line with Kuwait’s Vision 2035, which is based on the vision of the Amir of Kuwait, HH Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed AlJaber AlSabah, and aims to transform Kuwait into a financial and trade hub regionally and internationally, and becoming more attractive to investors. Kuwait…

Samsung Electronics has published a 6G white paper titled “AI-Native & Sustainable Communication,” detailing the latest trends in next-generation mobile communication technologies. Following the first 6G white paper “The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.” in July 2020, this white paper covers the latest trends driving 6G standardization and next-generation mobile communications — including evolving market and technology needs, emerging services, key attributes of 6G and enabling technologies. Samsung aims to integrate the latest AI technology throughout the telecommunication system and improve network quality for a future-oriented and sustainable user experience. “We are intensifying our 6G research efforts, focusing on AI-enabled…

The fast food industry is stepping up its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, with market stalwarts including McDonald’s, Yum! Brands and Wendy’s expanding their deployment of the technology to streamline operations, improve profitability and enhance the customer experience. Last week, McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski cited AI adoption among his top three trends in 2025 for the quick service restaurant industry. (The other two were protein and sauces.) “Everybody’s talking about AI and AI certainly has a lot of applications in our business,” he said on Instagram. “We’ve got a number of teams looking at how we can use AI to deliver an even better…

Samsung Electronics and KDDI Research, Inc., the R&D institute of Japanese telecommunications service provider KDDI, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last month for joint research into the application of AI in next-generation mobile communication networks. As 6G standardization gains momentum with AI technology expanding across industries, the two companies aim to enhance overall network performance by applying AI to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technologies. MIMO systems increase transmission speed and expand coverage by utilizing multiple antennas to transmit and receive signals. In contrast to traditional MIMO systems that transfer data in a single-cell network, distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) systems deploy multiple…