Tag: Microsoft

Russia ramps up disinfo ahead of Paris Games: Microsoft

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2024 (AFP) – Russia is waging an intense disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the International Olympic Committee and stoking fears of violence at this summer’s Paris Games, according to a new report from Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center. According to Microsoft, the influence operations utilize a potent mix of fake videos, fictitious news stories, and AI-generated impersonations, including the faked voice of Hollywood star Tom Cruise. “Russia is ramping up […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft, Google earnings shine as AI drives revenue

By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft and Google on Thursday drubbed quarterly earnings expectations as the tech titans continued investing heavily in artificial intelligence promising to shake up the way people live. The results were cheered by Wall Street investors who pushed up Alphabet’s share price more than 11 percent and Microsoft shares up nearly 4 percent in after-market trades. Google parent Alphabet reported profit of $23.7 billion on revenue of $80.5 billion, crediting growth in cloud […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft to invest $1.5bn in AI firm in UAE, take board seat

DUBAI, April 16, 2024 (AFP) – Microsoft is to invest $1.5 billion in United Arab Emirates artificial intelligence firm G42, taking a minority stake and a seat on the board, the companies said on Tuesday. The deal, in which G42 will run its applications and services on Microsoft’s Azure platform, comes days after the US giant said it would plough $2.9 billion into Japanese AI. Microsoft has become a major player in the advancement of […]

Continue Reading →

Four Xbox exclusives heading to rivals in big shift

By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft on Thursday shook up the video game world with word it is making some once-exclusive Xbox video games available for play on rival consoles. Xbox head Phil Spencer did not specify which titles were expanding beyond the Xbox, but the Verge, citing unnamed sources, said they will be “Hi-Fi Rush”, “Pentiment”, “Sea of Thieves” and “Grounded.” “Over the next five or 10 years, games that are exclusive to one piece of […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft, Google ride AI wave as revenues surge

By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft and Google delivered solid corporate earnings on Tuesday as the tech giants said demand for artificial intelligence services stoked revenue. The tech titans have made big bets on generative AI, with their cloud computing divisions seeing a boost in demand as clients seek the hefty — and more expensive – computing power that drives the technology. Microsoft has moved the fastest and furthest into the AI space, investing in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft joins Apple in $3 trillion club

Microsoft joined Apple on Wednesday as a three trillion dollar company, as its big bet on artificial intelligence continued to impress Wall Street. Now second to Apple as the world’s biggest company by market capitalization, Microsoft’s shares were up 1.31 percent at $404. Apple remains narrowly in first place at $3.02 trillion after reaching the $3 trillion market capitalization mark for the first time in January 2022. But it has fallen below the milestone, even […]

Continue Reading →

EU examines Microsoft investment in OpenAI

BRUSSELS, Jan 9, 2024 (AFP) – The European Union’s competition regulator said Tuesday it was looking into Microsoft’s investment into ChatGPT developer OpenAI to see if it merits further investigation under the bloc’s merger rules. The European Commission said in a statement it was “checking whether Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the EU Merger Regulation”. The move is part of efforts by Brussels to make sure its oversight can catch up with […]

Continue Reading →

After chaos, Microsoft wins observer seat at OpenAI

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given a seat on the startup’s board. The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff on Wednesday that was later posted to the company’s blog and included a list of priorities from CEO Sam Altman about how the company would move forward. The boardroom addition comes after OpenAI was thrown […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft to hire OpenAI’s Sam Altman after sacking

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 20, 2023 (AFP) – Microsoft announced Monday the hiring of OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman following his shock sacking from the company whose ChatGPT chatbot has led the rapid rise of artificial intelligence technology. OpenAI has appointed Emmett Shear, a former chief executive of Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch, as its new CEO despite reported pressure from Microsoft and other major investors to reinstate Altman. OpenAI’s board sacked Altman on Friday, with US media […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft announces $3.2 billion investment in Australia

Microsoft announced Tuesday a Aus$5 billion (US$3.2 billion) investment in Australia focused on cloud computing and artificial intelligence, saying it would boost the country’s economy and cyber defences. Details of the deal were outlined by bosses at the US tech giant and by Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who is on a four-day official visit to the United States. It represents Microsoft’s largest investment in Australia in its 40-year history in the country, the company […]

Continue Reading →

Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2023 (AFP) – Tech titans Google and Microsoft announced better-than-expected earnings on Tuesday as the frenzy over artificial intelligence 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 layoffs 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, […]

Continue Reading →

US fines Microsoft $20 million over child data violations

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2023 (AFP) – Microsoft will pay $20 million to settle government charges that it collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent, officials said Monday. The Federal Trade Commission alleged that from 2015 to 2020 Microsoft collected personal data from children under age 13 who signed up to its Xbox gaming system without their parents’ permission and retained this information. To open an account, users had to provide their first and […]

Continue Reading →
1 2 3 … 8