UK Opens Antitrust Investigation Into Microsoft's Proposed Activision Blizzard Deal
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:31s - Published
UK Opens Antitrust Investigation Into Microsoft's Proposed Activision Blizzard Deal
UK Opens Antitrust Investigation , Into Microsoft's Proposed , Activision Blizzard Deal.
On July 6, the United Kingdom's competition regulator announced an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's
$6.87 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard.
On July 6, the United Kingdom's competition regulator announced an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's
$6.87 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard.
CNN reports that the probe will investigate whether the deal would significantly reduce competition in the video game industry, app stores and even labor markets.
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CNN reports that the probe will investigate whether the deal would significantly reduce competition in the video game industry, app stores and even labor markets.
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According to a statement from Microsoft's corporate vice president and general counsel, the scrutiny by antitrust regulators was expected.
We expect and think it's appropriate for regulators to take a close look at this acquisition.
We have been clear about how we plan to run our gaming business and why we believe the deal will benefit gamers, developers, and the industry, Lisa Tanzi, corporate vice president &
general counsel at Microsoft, via CNN.
We expect and think it's appropriate for regulators to take a close look at this acquisition.
We have been clear about how we plan to run our gaming business and why we believe the deal will benefit gamers, developers, and the industry, Lisa Tanzi, corporate vice president &
general counsel at Microsoft, via CNN.
We remain confident the deal will close in fiscal year 2023 as initially anticipated, Lisa Tanzi, corporate vice president
& general counsel at Microsoft, via CNN.
According to Microsoft, the deal would make
the company the third-largest game publisher
in the world after Tencent and Sony.
According to Microsoft, the deal would make
the company the third-largest game publisher
in the world after Tencent and Sony.
In February, Sony announced
a $3.6 billion deal to acquire
game studio Bungie.
Around the same time,
Microsoft took steps to
preempt regulatory concerns.
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The company announced an 11-point pledge to address
concerns that the deal would give it anticompetitive
leverage over publishers and developers.
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The company announced an 11-point pledge to address
concerns that the deal would give it anticompetitive
leverage over publishers and developers.
.
It really behooves us to step forward quickly and proactively and be very transparent about how we will manage this business, with a clear eye toward the competition law issues and responsibilities that we have, Brad Smith, Microsoft President, via CNN.
It really behooves us to step forward quickly and proactively and be very transparent about how we will manage this business, with a clear eye toward the competition law issues and responsibilities that we have, Brad Smith, Microsoft President, via CNN
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The UAE's national security adviser,
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the
current chairman of G42's board of directors. .
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
G42, which runs data centers in the Middle East
and elsewhere, has built the world's leading
Arabic-language AI model, Jais. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
The deal will also look to bring digital infrastructure
to regions that G42 has already established
a presence, including the Middle East and Africa.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
Prior to Microsoft's investment, the company
reportedly faced allegations of spying for its
connection to a mobile phone app identified as spyware.
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government. .
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
US Government Emails With Microsoft , Were Stolen by Russian Hackers.
On April 11, American officials confirmed
that emails sent between Microsoft and
U.S. government agencies have been
stolen by Russian hackers, CNN reports. .
According to Eric Goldstein, a senior
official at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), .
those emails may have included login information like usernames and passwords.
At this time, we are not aware of any
agency production environments that
have experienced a compromise as
a result of a credential exposure. , Eric Goldstein, a senior official at the U.S. Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), via CNN.
Even though there is currently no evidence that the stolen credentials have been used to compromise federal computer systems, .
CISA described the occurrence as an "unacceptable risk to agencies.".
As a result, the agency released an "emergency directive" on April 11 ordering those potentially affected by the hack to bolster their defenses. .
The hack was first revealed by
Microsoft in January, but it has gotten more serious as new details continue to emerge.
CNN reports that the U.S. has
previously linked the hackers in question
to Russia's foreign intelligence service. .
A Microsoft spokesperson
issued a statement on April 11.
As we shared in our March 8 blog,
as we discover secrets in our
exfiltrated email, we are working
with our customers to help them
investigate and mitigate, Microsoft spokesperson, via CNN.
This includes working with CISA on
an emergency directive to provide
guidance to government agencies, Microsoft spokesperson, via CNN
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
NYC’s AI Chatbot Has Been , Telling Businesses to Break the Law.
New York City's AI chatbot was created to help small business owners, but it's been dispensing concerning advice, AP reports. .
For example, many small business owners have
been given inaccurate information about local policies or been encouraged to break the law.
However, the city is not removing
the chatbot from its official website.
Instead, it has provided a disclaimer stating that the chatbot may "occasionally produce incorrect, harmful or biased" information.
Critics say that the situation highlights
the dangers of AI being used by
governments without proper guardrails.
They’re rolling out software that
is unproven without oversight, Julia Stoyanovich, computer science professor
and director of the Center for Responsible AI
at New York University, via statement.
It’s clear they have no intention
of doing what’s responsible, Julia Stoyanovich, computer science professor
and director of the Center for Responsible AI
at New York University, via statement.
There’s a different level of trust that’s
given to government. Public officials need
to consider what kind of damage they can
do if someone was to follow this advice
and get themselves in trouble, Jevin West, a professor at the University of Washington and
co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public, via statement.
Microsoft, which powers the chatbot, said it
is working with the city "to improve the service
and ensure the outputs are accurate and
grounded on the city’s official documentation.".
On April 2, Mayor Eric Adams said that
letting users find issues with the chatbot is just part of sorting out the new technology.
Anyone that knows technology knows this
is how it’s done. Only those who are fearful
sit down and say, ‘Oh, it is not working the
way we want, now we have to run away from
it all together.’ I don’t live that way, Mayor Eric Adams, via statement.
Julia Stoyanovich, a computer science professor and director of the Center for Responsible AI at New York University, referred to Adams' approach as "reckless and irresponsible," AP reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
OpenAI and Microsoft Make Plans , for $100 Billion Data Center.
According to The Information, the two companies are planning to build a data center that would house an AI supercomputer
called "Stargate," Reuters reports.
According to The Information, the two companies are planning to build a data center that would house an AI supercomputer
called "Stargate," Reuters reports.
The project, which could cost $100 billion or more, is reportedly set to launch in 2028.
The tentative cost is roughly 100 times
more expensive than some of the
biggest data centers that exist today. .
Demand for AI data centers has increased due to
the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence technology, Reuters reports. .
This is because traditional data
centers aren't as capable of handling
the advanced tasks that AI requires. .
Several supercomputers
would be built across five phases.
"Stargate" would be launched in the fifth phase, while a smaller supercomputer would be launched
in the fourth phase, tentatively around 2026.
Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly
in the third phase currently.
We are always planning for
the next generation of infrastructure
innovations needed to continue
pushing the frontier of AI capability, Microsoft spokesperson, to Reuters .
The cost for the next two phases largely revolves around acquiring expensive AI chips.
In March, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said
that the newest "Blackwell" B200 AI chip
will cost between $30,000 and $40,000
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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Former Treasury Secretary , Looking to Form Investor Group , to Purchase TikTok.
NBC reports that former Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin is looking to put together an
investor group to acquire ByteDance's TikTok.
NBC reports that former Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin is looking to put together an
investor group to acquire ByteDance's TikTok.
The news comes as a bipartisan bill works its
way through Congress that threatens to bring an
end to the platform's existence in the United States.
The news comes as a bipartisan bill works its
way through Congress that threatens to bring an
end to the platform's existence in the United States.
On March 13, the House of Representatives passed
the bill, which would force ByteDance to divest
the platform or face a ban on the app in the U.S.
I think the legislation should
pass and I think it should be sold.
It’s a great business and I’m going
to put together a group to buy TikTok, Steven Mnuchin, Former Treasury Secretary, via CNBC’s “Squawk Box”.
This should be owned by
U.S. businesses. There’s no
way that the Chinese would
ever let a U.S. company own
something like this in China, Steven Mnuchin, Former Treasury Secretary, via CNBC’s “Squawk Box”.
NBC points out that the bill still requires Senate approval
before it heads to President Joe Biden, who has indicated
that he would support the bill if it passes through Congress.
NBC points out that the bill still requires Senate approval
before it heads to President Joe Biden, who has indicated
that he would support the bill if it passes through Congress.
However, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has said
that selling TikTok is not a viable option. .
According to PitchBook data, , ByteDance was valued at , $220 billion in 2023. .
Mnuchin has yet to specify the potential valuation
of a deal to acquire the social media platform
or which investors may be interested in the deal.
At the same time, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported that
former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has also
expressed interest in a deal to purchase TikTok.
At the same time, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported that
former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has also
expressed interest in a deal to purchase TikTok
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
If AI ‘is the most powerful technology in the world, shouldn't it have at least as much regulation as a carton of milk?’ says Microsoft President, Brad Smith.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 12:51Published