https://www.scmp.com/rss/519629/feed The latest news on Sundar Pichai, Indian-born American business executive and chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc., including business news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji As tech titans and world leaders descended on New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his ambition for the country to become a major global power in artificial intelligence – a technology currently dominated by the United States and China. “My vision is that India should be among the top three AI superpowers globally, not just in the consumption of AI but in creation,” Modi told Asian News International in an interview about the summit. Top tech... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344919/indias-ai-superpower-dream-lands-us200-billion-now-comes-hard-part?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji One of the world’s most high-profile gatherings on artificial intelligence (AI) has opened in India, with analysts saying it could shift the focus from the race to build ever more powerful models to the challenge of deploying them at scale. As policymakers and tech executives convene for the India AI Impact Summit, they say the five-day event offers emerging and middle-ranking economies a chance to reframe AI as public infrastructure and work together to put it into public services, rather than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343818/india-ai-summit-aims-shift-focus-model-races-scaled-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng The global race to deploy data centres in space to power artificial intelligence (AI) development has begun, with China seizing an early lead. “In terms of the highest performance of space-based computing or the completeness of [the] technological framework, we are at the forefront,” Beijing-based computer scientist Han Yinhe said. Han is a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and is taking part in a major initiative to develop... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336040/race-ai-centres-space-why-us-goes-all-after-china-makes-first-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336040/race-ai-centres-space-why-us-goes-all-after-china-makes-first-move?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Alphabet’s Google debuted an updated version of its artificial intelligence model, Gemini, that executives said represented a “massive jump” in reasoning and coding ability. The new model, Gemini 3, will be available immediately across all of Google’s major products, including search, and can answer questions with interactive graphics. Gemini 3, like its predecessor, could process text, images and other media as well as solve complex science and maths problems, the company said. It had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333328/google-launches-gemini-3-its-most-intelligent-ai-model-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333328/google-launches-gemini-3-its-most-intelligent-ai-model-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:48:48 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Alphabet Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said no company would be unscathed if the artificial intelligence boom collapses, as soaring valuations and heavy investment in the sector fuel concerns of a bubble. Pichai said in an interview with the BBC published on Tuesday that the current wave of AI investment was an “extraordinary moment” but acknowledged “elements of irrationality” in the market, echoing warnings of “irrational exuberance” during the dotcom era. There has also been much debate among... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333284/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-warns-no-firm-immune-if-ai-bubble-bursts-echoing-dotcom-era-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333284/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-warns-no-firm-immune-if-ai-bubble-bursts-echoing-dotcom-era-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:57:42 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giant ByteDance has more than doubled the number of tokens processed by its flagship Doubao large language models (LLMs) in the past six months, highlighting a surge in artificial intelligence use among Chinese consumers and placing it among the top global hyperscalers. Doubao’s average daily token usage jumped from 12.7 trillion tokens in March to over 30 trillion tokens in September, ByteDance’s Volcano Engine cloud unit president, Tan Dai, said at a corporate event on... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329430/bytedances-doubao-doubles-token-use-six-months-chinas-ai-boom-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3329430/bytedances-doubao-doubles-token-use-six-months-chinas-ai-boom-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:00:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters A judge ruled largely in favour of Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday, rejecting US prosecutors’ bid to make the company sell off its popular Chrome browser and Android operating system but compelling the tech giant to share data with competitors to open up competition in online search. Alphabet shares were up nearly 6.7 per cent in extended trading on Tuesday as investors cheered the judge’s ruling. While sharing data with competitors will strengthen Google’s rivals to its market-dominating... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324114/google-wont-have-sell-chrome-must-share-search-data-competitors-us-judge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324114/google-wont-have-sell-chrome-must-share-search-data-competitors-us-judge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 22:23:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters OpenAI plans to add Alphabet’s Google cloud service to meet its growing needs for computing capacity, three sources told Reuters, marking a surprising collaboration between two prominent competitors in the artificial intelligence sector. The deal, which has been under discussion for a few months, was finalised in May, one of the sources added. It underscores how massive computing demands to train and deploy AI models are reshaping the competitive dynamics in AI, and marks OpenAI’s latest move to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313936/openai-taps-google-unprecedented-cloud-deal-despite-ai-rivalry-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313936/openai-taps-google-unprecedented-cloud-deal-despite-ai-rivalry-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 02:38:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Meta Platforms chief executive Mark Zuckerberg touted the tech company’s generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) assistant on Wednesday, telling shareholders it was used by a billion people each month across its platforms. Zuckerberg noted the milestone anew at Meta’s annual gathering of shareholders and as the social media behemoth vies with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and others to be a leader in GenAI. It was not clear how much Meta AI use involved people seeking out the chatbot versus... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3312235/meta-ai-bot-used-billion-times-monthly-mark-zuckerberg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3312235/meta-ai-bot-used-billion-times-monthly-mark-zuckerberg?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 05:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Alphabet’s Google said on Tuesday it would put artificial intelligence (AI) into the hands of more web surfers while teasing a US$249.99-a-month subscription for its AI power users, its latest effort to fend off growing competition from start-ups like OpenAI. Google unveiled the plans amid a flurry of demos that included new smart glasses during its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California, which has adopted a tone of increased urgency since the rise of generative AI challenged the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311147/google-pushes-ai-upgrades-subscriptions-openais-chatgpt-threatens-search-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311147/google-pushes-ai-upgrades-subscriptions-openais-chatgpt-threatens-search-business?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 02:09:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters Google hoped to enter an agreement with Apple by the middle of this year to include its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) technology on new phones, CEO Sundar Pichai said in testimony at an antitrust trial in Washington on Wednesday. Pichai testified in the Alphabet unit’s defence against proposals by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) which include ending lucrative deals with Apple, Samsung Electronics, AT&T and Verizon to be the default search engine on new mobile devices. During questioning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3308622/google-hopes-strike-deal-apple-use-gemini-ai-iphones-mid-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3308622/google-hopes-strike-deal-apple-use-gemini-ai-iphones-mid-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 03:00:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Google parent Alphabet reassured jittery tech investors that its artificial intelligence (AI) investments were powering returns at its crucial ad business on Thursday, downplaying any impact from global economic uncertainty, for now. The search giant’s first-quarter profit and revenue beat expectations, and the company said it would buy back US$70 billion in stock, pushing its shares up 4 per cent after market and adding US$75 billion to its market value. Alphabet reaffirmed its ambitious AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3307849/google-parent-alphabets-earnings-beat-estimates-says-ai-investments-boost-ad-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3307849/google-parent-alphabets-earnings-beat-estimates-says-ai-investments-boost-ad-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:10:29 +0000 As Donald Trump settles back into the White House for a second term and the rest of the world readies itself for a reprisal of US threats and transactionalism, Southeast Asia has been put on notice where it stands with Washington. A day after he was sworn in on January 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his counterparts in the Philippines and Indonesia – a promising indication that at least some countries in the region matter. Rubio’s first meeting, however, was with the foreign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3296470/trump-tech-titans-geopolitical-traps-await-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3296470/trump-tech-titans-geopolitical-traps-await-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Celebrities from Kim and Khloe Kardashian to boxer Mike Tyson are expected to join some of the biggest names in global business at a lavish family wedding thrown by Asia’s richest person, set to take place on Friday in India after months of celebrations. The wedding of Anant Ambani – youngest son of Reliance Industries Ltd. Chairman Mukesh Ambani – will be attended by luminaries from HSBC Holdings plc Chairman Mark Tucker and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Chairman Jay Lee to political... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3270049/kim-kardashian-join-ceos-mukesh-ambanis-sons-wedding-mumbai-traffic-curbs-irk-locals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3270049/kim-kardashian-join-ceos-mukesh-ambanis-sons-wedding-mumbai-traffic-curbs-irk-locals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:40:09 +0000 Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday showed how it is building on artificial intelligence across its businesses, including a beefed-up Gemini chatbot and improvements to its prized search engine as it races to compete with AI rivals. The flurry of announcements underscores Google’s efforts to refresh its products since Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s 2022 launch of ChatGPT dazzled the public, threatening the incumbent’s long reign over online search and AI. Among Google’s latest salvoes was an addition... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3262736/google-supercharges-ai-search-competition-openai-allows-users-chat-about-anything-smartphone-camera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3262736/google-supercharges-ai-search-competition-openai-allows-users-chat-about-anything-smartphone-camera?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 04:04:56 +0000 Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook have a long-standing feud. The two tech titans have been bickering since at least 2014, trading barbs over each other’s products and business models. Over the years, their battle has escalated to include public jabs, pointed ad campaigns and even a legal dispute. Here’s when the rivalry began – and everything that’s happened since. How Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook’s feud began in 2014 The feud between Zuckerberg and Cook became public in 2014, when... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260869/why-are-mark-zuckerberg-and-tim-cook-feuding-cambridge-analytica-augmented-reality-and-even-full?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260869/why-are-mark-zuckerberg-and-tim-cook-feuding-cambridge-analytica-augmented-reality-and-even-full?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:28 +0000 Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai announced changes to Google’s workplace teams structure, saying the moves will help the company develop artificial intelligence (AI) products and services faster and more efficiently. In a note to employees, also published on Thursday in a blog post, Pichai said the models, research and responsible teams would be consolidated under the company’s flagship AI division, Google DeepMind. To accelerate work on Google’s AI models – Gemini and Gemma – employees... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259561/google-consolidates-teams-aim-create-ai-products-faster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259561/google-consolidates-teams-aim-create-ai-products-faster?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2024 02:50:06 +0000 Alphabet-owned Google is laying off an unspecified number of employees, a company representative said on Wednesday, marking the latest cuts at the technology giant as it cracks down on costs. The lay-offs are not companywide and that affected employees will be able to apply for internal roles, but did not specify the number of employees impacted nor the teams involved, according to the Google representative. A small percentage of the affected roles will move to hubs the company is investing in,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259411/google-cuts-jobs-shifts-some-roles-abroad-tech-lay-offs-continue-amid-economic-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259411/google-cuts-jobs-shifts-some-roles-abroad-tech-lay-offs-continue-amid-economic-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2024 05:00:17 +0000 Warm weather’s early onset isn’t sapping the spirits of officials in Tamil Nadu this year. Instead, the mood is upbeat as one high-profile overseas investment after another has flowed into the southern Indian state over the past few months. The state, whose capital Chennai has been dubbed the “Detroit of Southern Asia” because of its new-found status as a carmaking hub, has quickly expanded its global footprint by hosting three of iPhone-maker Apple’s top contract suppliers: Foxconn, Pegatron... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3256423/india-comes-chinas-manufacturing-crown-supply-chains-slowly-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3256423/india-comes-chinas-manufacturing-crown-supply-chains-slowly-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Mar 2024 01:30:27 +0000 When Yinuo Li made partner at global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in 2012, she was proud of her accomplishment. A classic overachiever, she had graduated from Beijing’s elite Tsinghua University in 2000 and received a PhD in molecular biology at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004 before joining McKinsey the following year. But as she looked around, she couldn’t help noticing that there were only two East Asians who reached the lofty heights at McKinsey, out of some 3,000... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254912/us-bamboo-ceiling-slowing-east-asian-career-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3254912/us-bamboo-ceiling-slowing-east-asian-career-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:30:13 +0000 When you’re pocketing a cool US$6.3 million to perform at a wedding bash, you might assume basic name recall would be part of the package. But apparently not for Rihanna, who only managed to remember half of the lovebirds’ names. During the pop star’s performance at the multimillion-dollar pre-wedding (yup, pre-wedding, not even the actual wedding) of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, and Radhika Merchant, she mispronounced the bride-to-be’s name while congratulating the couple. “Good... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3254179/anant-ambani-and-radhika-merchants-ott-pre-wedding-bash-asias-richest-mans-son-and-his-wealthy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3254179/anant-ambani-and-radhika-merchants-ott-pre-wedding-bash-asias-richest-mans-son-and-his-wealthy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2024 20:00:13 +0000 What happens when the son of Asia’s richest man is about to get married? His father throws a three-day prenuptial bash four months before the actual ceremony. Tycoons from around the world, heads of state, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood stars on Friday descended on the small Western Indian city of Jamnagar, where billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani is kick-starting a big fat wedding celebration for his youngest son. The nearly 1,200-person guest list included pop superstar Rihanna; tech... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3254130/rihanna-mark-zuckerberg-bill-gates-shah-rukh-khan-among-stars-mukesh-ambani-sons-extravagant-pre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3254130/rihanna-mark-zuckerberg-bill-gates-shah-rukh-khan-among-stars-mukesh-ambani-sons-extravagant-pre?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:05:20 +0000 When Microsoft announced it was baking ChatGPT into its Bing search engine last February, bullish analysts declared the move an “iPhone moment” that could upend the search market and chip away at Google’s dominance. “The entire search category is now going through a sea change,” chief executive officer Satya Nadella said at the time. “That opportunity comes very few times.” Almost a year later, the sea has yet to change. The new Bing – powered by OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence (AI)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3249012/chatgpt-boosted-user-numbers-and-time-spent-microsofts-bing-fails-dent-googles-search-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3249012/chatgpt-boosted-user-numbers-and-time-spent-microsofts-bing-fails-dent-googles-search-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2024 03:51:29 +0000 Alphabet’s Google is laying off hundreds of people working on its digital assistant, hardware and engineering teams as part of a continued effort to lower costs and focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The affected employees included those working on the voice-based Google Assistant and the augmented reality hardware team. The central engineering organisation was also hit by cuts, the company said. The reductions come as Google’s core internet search business feels the heat from the AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3248158/google-slashes-over-1000-jobs-focus-ai-amid-competition-microsoft-openai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3248158/google-slashes-over-1000-jobs-focus-ai-amid-competition-microsoft-openai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 03:55:11 +0000 Google took its next leap in artificial intelligence (AI) on Wednesday with the launch of project Gemini, an AI model trained to behave in humanlike ways that is likely to intensify the debate about the technology’s potential promise and perils. The roll-out will unfold in phases, with less sophisticated versions of Gemini called “Nano” and “Pro” being immediately incorporated into Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard and its Pixel 8 Pro smartphone. With Gemini providing a helping hand, Google... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3244145/google-launches-gemini-upping-stakes-global-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3244145/google-launches-gemini-upping-stakes-global-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Dec 2023 03:11:16 +0000 Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said he expects China to be “at the forefront” of artificial intelligence (AI), and said it is important for the US to collaborate with the Asian nation on both regulation and innovation. The scale of AI work in China “is just astounding to see”, Pichai said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco, in an onstage interview by Bloomberg’s Emily Chang. “In some ways, China is going to be at the forefront of AI and that’s a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241861/china-will-be-forefront-ai-alphabet-ceo-pichai-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241861/china-will-be-forefront-ai-alphabet-ceo-pichai-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2023 03:50:09 +0000 When he was invited to the 2017 World Internet Conference (WIC), China’s largest gathering of web industry luminaries and cyberspace regulators, Zhang Hongjun was sure he’d reached the home straight on the road to success. The event was held that December in Wuzhen, a picturesque water town 100km (60 miles) west of Shanghai. Those in attendance included Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Tencent founder Pony Ma, JD.com founder Richard Liu, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google’s Sundar Pichai. With so many... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3241086/chinas-internet-entrepreneurs-had-world-their-feet-what-changed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3241086/chinas-internet-entrepreneurs-had-world-their-feet-what-changed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 22:00:13 +0000 American technology leaders including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai met US lawmakers at Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a closed-door forum that focused on regulating artificial intelligence. Lawmakers are grappling with how to mitigate the dangers of the emerging technology, which has experienced a boom in investment and consumer popularity since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. “It’s important for us to have a referee,” Musk told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234456/elon-musk-says-ai-referee-needed-after-tech-ceos-meet-us-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234456/elon-musk-says-ai-referee-needed-after-tech-ceos-meet-us-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 17:41:39 +0000 Google argued on Tuesday that the US was wrong to say the search and advertising giant broke the law to hold onto its massive market share, noting its search engine was wildly popular because of its quality and that dissatisfied users could switch with “a few easy clicks”. The US Justice Department has accused Alphabet’s Google of paying US$10 billion annually to device makers like Apple, wireless companies like AT&T, and browser makers like Mozilla to keep its search engine’s market share at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234325/us-accuses-google-paying-billions-maintain-search-dominance-antitrust-trial-opens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3234325/us-accuses-google-paying-billions-maintain-search-dominance-antitrust-trial-opens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2023 23:05:01 +0000 The tech story of the century so far has been the mainstream arrival of generative artificial intelligence, which drives the uncanny capabilities of systems such as ChatGPT, and is fast being absorbed into our everyday lives. Whether to mimic human creativity, double as empathetic counsellor or eliminate clerical drudgery, generative AI has delivered an unprecedented surge in excitement for its potential benefits. Of equal concern are possible negatives: catastrophic job losses, widespread... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3230746/quantum-computing-could-give-ai-rocket-fuel-it-needs-become-transformative-its-not-there-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3230746/quantum-computing-could-give-ai-rocket-fuel-it-needs-become-transformative-its-not-there-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 23:45:14 +0000 Tech titans Google and Microsoft announced better-than-expected earnings on Tuesday as the frenzy over artificial intelligence (AI) stokes investor excitement and breathes a new life into the sector. The release of ChatGPT last year landed as technology giants were embarking on major lay-offs and cost-cutting plans, with share prices hammered after flying high during the coronavirus pandemic. For the second consecutive quarter, Microsoft has more than reversed the trend, seeing profits and sales... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3228930/microsoft-google-beat-earnings-expectations-amid-ai-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3228930/microsoft-google-beat-earnings-expectations-amid-ai-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jul 2023 02:52:23 +0000 Google is exploring using artificial intelligence tools to write news articles and is in talks with news organisations to use the tools to assist journalists, a company spokesperson said late on Wednesday. The spokesperson did not name the publishers, but The New York Times reported that Google has held discussions with The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal-owner News Corp and even The New York Times, among others. These AI tools could assist journalists with options for headlines or... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3228314/google-explores-ai-tools-journalists-talks-provide-artificial-intelligence-devices-publishers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3228314/google-explores-ai-tools-journalists-talks-provide-artificial-intelligence-devices-publishers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:15:10 +0000 India’s defence capabilities are set for a boost following a series of deals signed with the United States, in what experts say is also an indication of Washington’s desire to draw New Delhi closer to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The agreements, signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington last week, spanned everything from clean energy to medicines. Two on defence and technology stand out as they are likely to mark a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3226171/how-us-deals-natural-partner-india-could-boost-defence-tech-cooperation-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3226171/how-us-deals-natural-partner-india-could-boost-defence-tech-cooperation-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 01:30:14 +0000 US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed challenges that China poses to both their countries during a bilateral meeting on Thursday, a top White House official said on Friday. “The challenges presented by the PRC to both our nations were on the agenda yesterday, no question about that,” said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby of the talks. It was when Kirby was asked whether India served as a counterweight to China that he explained the leaders had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3225236/mutual-china-challenges-discussed-between-us-president-joe-biden-and-indian-prime-minister-narendra?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3225236/mutual-china-challenges-discussed-between-us-president-joe-biden-and-indian-prime-minister-narendra?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jun 2023 22:20:31 +0000 Titans of business, fashion, entertainment and more made the guest list for Thursday’s big White House dinner in honour of India’s Narendra Modi, with the likes of designer Ralph Lauren, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and tennis legend Billie Jean King rubbing shoulders with tech leaders from Apple, Google and Microsoft. Shyamalan powered past reporters as he arrived, declaring it “lovely” to be at the White House. Lauren, who paired his tuxedo with grey New Balance sneakers, revealed he’d... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3225196/modis-moment-indias-pm-gets-big-white-house-dinner-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3225196/modis-moment-indias-pm-gets-big-white-house-dinner-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:34:37 +0000 President Joe Biden said his administration wants to ensure that artificial intelligence systems are safe before they reach the public as he met business leaders and experts to discuss new safeguards for the emerging technology. “In seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy and our national security,” Biden said in San Francisco on Tuesday. He said he was committed to “making sure AI systems are safe before they are released”. The president reiterated his... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3224820/us-must-manage-ai-risks-society-and-national-security-biden-says-he-pushes-privacy-protections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3224820/us-must-manage-ai-risks-society-and-national-security-biden-says-he-pushes-privacy-protections?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:00:25 +0000 Google has opened its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Bard to “over 180 countries and territories around the world”, but Hong Kong is not among them. Google said on Wednesday that it has removed the wait list for Bard, which was launched in March this year with limited access for users in the US and the UK. The tech giant has now nixed the wait list in most parts of the world, it announced at its I/O developer conference, with plans to integrate it into search after Microsoft made a similar... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220198/googles-chatgpt-rival-bard-still-missing-hong-kong-after-opening-180-countries-and-territories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220198/googles-chatgpt-rival-bard-still-missing-hong-kong-after-opening-180-countries-and-territories?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 May 2023 09:00:12 +0000 Google on Wednesday disclosed plans to infuse its dominant search engine with more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a drive that is in response to one of the biggest threats to its long-established position as the internet’s main gateway. The gradual shift in how Google’s search engine runs is rolling out three months after Microsoft’s Bing search engine started to tap into technology similar to that which powers the artificially intelligent chatbot ChatGPT, which has created... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220145/google-opens-chatgpt-rival-bard-180-countries-plans-give-internet-search-ai-upgrade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220145/google-opens-chatgpt-rival-bard-180-countries-plans-give-internet-search-ai-upgrade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 May 2023 03:00:26 +0000 Artificial intelligence could pose a “more urgent” threat to humanity than climate change, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton told Reuters in an interview on Friday. Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as one of the “godfathers of AI”, recently announced he had quit Alphabet after a decade at the firm, saying he wanted to speak out on the risks of the technology without it affecting his former employer. Hinton’s work is considered essential to the development of contemporary AI systems. In 1986, he... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3219607/ai-pioneer-says-its-threat-world-may-be-more-urgent-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3219607/ai-pioneer-says-its-threat-world-may-be-more-urgent-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 May 2023 02:50:29 +0000 The White House on Thursday told the CEOs of US AI giants that they have a “moral” responsibility to protect society from the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Vice-President Kamala Harris had summoned the heads of Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic to strategise about the impact of AI, afraid that companies are running blindly into technology that could pose serious harms to society. Harris told the CEOs, which included Sundar Pichai of Google and Satya Nadella of Microsoft,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3219451/white-house-says-tech-giants-have-moral-duty-potential-ai-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3219451/white-house-says-tech-giants-have-moral-duty-potential-ai-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 03:17:22 +0000 TikTok’s ownership by a Chinese company, and the national security risk that could pose to the viral video app’s users, have drawn most of the attention ahead of its chief executive's testimony to Congress. TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi is prepared for a variety of questions, including about kids’ mental health, from a House committee on Thursday. The short video app’s 150 million users in the US and the strength of its content-recommendation engine mean any infraction is viewed as a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214523/tiktoks-ceo-set-enter-washington-fight-he-cannot-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214523/tiktoks-ceo-set-enter-washington-fight-he-cannot-win?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2023 03:31:45 +0000 The resignation of YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki after 25 years at Google is another example of an unsettling trend in Silicon Valley: high-profile women are heading for the exits. Just this week, Meta Platforms Inc chief business officer Marne Levine stepped down after 12 years at the social media juggernaut. Last year, Sheryl Sandberg left her role as chief operating officer of Meta. To be sure, powerful female figures remain in tech, but they tend to have a lower public profile. Safra Catz,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3210501/youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-resigns-joining-exodus-high-profile-women-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3210501/youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-resigns-joining-exodus-high-profile-women-silicon-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 02:21:53 +0000 Google’s parent company Alphabet is cutting about 12,000 jobs, or 6 per cent of its workforce, it said in a staff memo on Friday, as the technology sector reels from layoffs and companies stake their futures on artificial intelligence (AI). Alphabet’s shares were up nearly 3 per cent in pre-market trading. The cuts come at a delicate moment for the US company, which has long been the leader in key areas of AI research. Alphabet now faces a challenge from Microsoft in a branch of tech that can,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3207638/google-parent-company-alphabet-lay-12000-workers-ai-focus-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3207638/google-parent-company-alphabet-lay-12000-workers-ai-focus-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2023 16:07:16 +0000 As the World Internet Conference (WIC) prepares to wrap up on Friday, a new trend has emerged for China’s premiere political technology event that puts more focus on business-to-business use cases as consumer sentiment remains weak in a slowing economy and Covid-19 controls keep high-profile foreign executives away. While a few US-based executives made virtual appearances this year at a low point in relations between the two countries, many of the biggest names in China’s tech industry did not... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3199162/quieter-world-internet-conference-year-kept-big-tech-executives-away-amid-shift-away-consumer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3199162/quieter-world-internet-conference-year-kept-big-tech-executives-away-amid-shift-away-consumer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:00:13 +0000 After reporting earnings and revenue that missed expectations, Google parent Alphabet Inc said on Tuesday it would slow hiring and control expenses, signalling that it was girding for tough times ahead as the economy falters. Google’s advertising juggernaut, which had largely dodged the digital-ad slowdown that hit rivals earlier this year, is no longer immune. Alphabet said third-quarter sales, excluding payments to distribution partners, were US$57.27 billion. That compared with the average... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3197265/google-parent-alphabet-hit-advertising-slump-sales-miss-estimates-cloud-losses-narrow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3197265/google-parent-alphabet-hit-advertising-slump-sales-miss-estimates-cloud-losses-narrow?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 03:17:06 +0000 Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister, just as Hindus like him celebrated Diwali across the world on Monday. Sunak is set to take the top job after his rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race to replace Liz Truss as leader of the Conservative Party. Truss quit after a month and a half as her support evaporated and Sunak is poised to formally take over as prime minister on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3197112/diwali-delight-indians-rishi-sunak-set-become-uk-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3197112/diwali-delight-indians-rishi-sunak-set-become-uk-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 21:30:07 +0000 Google Translate, one of the few remaining consumer services that the US tech giant made available in mainland China, is no longer accessible in the country, marking the company’s latest retreat from the world’s largest internet market. The app has been inaccessible to mainland Chinese users since Saturday. They have been redirected to a generic search bar, with a notice asking users to bookmark the service’s Hong Kong webpage, which is also inaccessible on the mainland. The built-in translation... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3194599/google-translate-app-no-longer-available-china-marking-us-tech-giants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3194599/google-translate-app-no-longer-available-china-marking-us-tech-giants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Oct 2022 22:00:23 +0000 When Ashley Storino wants a new pair of black boots or book recommendations, she knows what gets results – and it isn’t Google. Rather than scour pages of search results, she opens TikTok, quickly scans video after video and checks the comments to make sure she can trust the content. Only when she knows precisely what she’s looking for does she turn to Google. “Let’s say I want to find the best mascara. Before, I used to look it up on Google, and those results would feature articles and blogs... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3193254/tiktok-not-google-increasingly-turned-gen-z-information-can-we?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3193254/tiktok-not-google-increasingly-turned-gen-z-information-can-we?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:45:11 +0000 Apple is the latest major technology company to rein in hiring and spending plans, adding to the evidence that even Silicon Valley stalwarts are worried about a recession in the coming months. The iPhone maker is looking to limit expenditures and job growth at some of its divisions, Bloomberg reported on Monday, though Apple has not adopted a companywide policy. The more cautious stance mimics the approach of its tech peers, including Amazon, Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft, which have all taken... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3185748/apple-joins-fellow-tech-giants-putting-lid-hiring-amid-recession?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3185748/apple-joins-fellow-tech-giants-putting-lid-hiring-amid-recession?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 02:47:08 +0000 China’s World Internet Conference (WIC), an annual event that promoted the country’s model of internet governance, said it has transformed into an “international organisation” as part of Beijing efforts to push its vision of global cyberspace. Although WIC did not not publish a list of the founding members of the new body, the official Xinhua news agency reported that they include “institutions, organisations, businesses and individuals” from nearly 20 countries. Zhuang Rongwen, the director of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3185151/chinas-world-internet-conference-goes-international-beijing-seeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3185151/chinas-world-internet-conference-goes-international-beijing-seeks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 10:00:32 +0000