Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is nearing a $400 billion funding agreement led by SoftBank, potentially valuing the company at $3 trillion. This would be the largest funding round in the AI industry, marking a significant milestone for OpenAI and highlighting the rapid growth and investor interest in the sector. Participants include SoftBank Group, Magnetar Capital, Coatue Management, and Founders Fund.

IFLYTEK Group announced the official launch of the IFLYTEK Foshan Artificial Intelligence Industrial Base. The base will focus on scenario applications and ecosystem cultivation to promote the upgrading and development of the regional AI industry. Handuan Technology, Shenglin Qijing, Lingdong Future, and Zhongyuan Huiko signed agreements with IFLYTEK, becoming the first batch of companies to enter the IFLYTEK Foshan Artificial Intelligence Industrial Base.

On March 25th, Cai Chongxin, Chairman of the Alibaba Group, expressed his views at the HSBC Global Investment Summit, pointing out that a bubble is beginning to form in the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. He believes that many investment announcements in US data centers are "duplicated" or overlapping. Meanwhile, Cai Chongxin revealed that Alibaba's employee count has bottomed out and the company will restart its hiring plan. Regarding the current booming AI wave, Cai Chongxin broadly categorized companies involved into three types: the first focuses on model research and development, such as OpenAI; the second focuses on AI applications and integrations; and the third comprises infrastructure providers.

The renowned Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in India has announced its plans to become the first Hindu temple to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). The temple's governing body has signed an agreement with Google to integrate an AI system aimed at improving the pilgrim experience and ensuring a smoother journey for devotees. The decision was made at a board meeting of the TTD, with chairman BR Naidu and other members in attendance.

As of March 24th, OpenAI's COO, Brad Lightcap, will expand his responsibilities to oversee daily operations and global expansion. This change elevates Lightcap's role to accommodate OpenAI's rapid growth. Simultaneously, Mark Chen has been appointed Chief Research Officer, leading the company's research direction and driving technological innovation and product development. Current CEO Sam Altman will focus more intently on research and product development, aiming to advance the company's position in the artificial intelligence field.

In geoscience, geological maps are crucial tools for understanding the Earth's surface and subsurface structures. However, interpreting these complex diagrams requires specialized knowledge and extensive experience. To enhance intelligence in this field, Microsoft Research Asia recently introduced GeoMap-Bench, a new benchmark dataset for evaluating the performance of multimodal large language models (MLLMs) in understanding geological maps. The launch of GeoMap-Bench marks a significant step forward in AI applications for geological map interpretation. Microsoft researchers, in collaboration with...

Meta is testing a new feature that allows users to generate comment suggestions on Instagram using artificial intelligence. X user Jonah Manzano discovered and shared this test feature, showing users can tap a pencil icon below a post to access Meta AI, which analyzes the photo and provides three possible comments. Users can refresh for more suggestions if unsatisfied. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the company is testing Meta AI in multiple areas.

A medical team at Ningbo University Affiliated People's Hospital recently used artificial intelligence to successfully detect early-stage pancreatic cancer in a seemingly routine case. 65-year-old Mr. Qiu visited the hospital due to dizziness for three consecutive days. While routine examinations revealed no abnormalities, the AI system, through in-depth analysis of his imaging data, issued a timely alert indicating a potential risk of pancreatic cancer. This case utilized a "Plain CT Scan + AI" approach, a cutting-edge technology that...

Google announced a major upgrade to its Gmail search functionality on Thursday, introducing artificial intelligence to optimize email search results. This new feature will consider factors such as recency, click frequency, and contact usage to help users find the emails they need faster. Previously, Gmail search only displayed emails containing keywords in chronological order. Google stated: "With this update, the email you're looking for is more likely to appear at the top of your search results—saving you valuable time and helping you find important information more easily."

Amidst the rapid global advancement in technology, Hong Kong is striving to transform itself into an innovation and technology hub, leading to a significant surge in demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals. Recent reports indicate that Hong Kong employers are currently seeking to fill over 2000 AI-related positions, which will be showcased at the upcoming NetEase Hong Kong Career Expo. The expo, scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, will feature over 580 organizations, including startups, tech companies, government bodies, and large corporations such as Hang Seng Bank and Centaline Property.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration of Radio and Television have jointly formulated the "Regulations on Identifying AI-Generated Synthetic Content." This new regulation aims to address societal issues stemming from the proliferation of AI-generated content, particularly the spread of misinformation affecting public rights and interests. The regulations mandate prominent labeling of all AI-generated synthetic content, including text, audio, images, and videos. This measure will effectively protect citizens, legal persons, and other organizations.

Recently, the Daye City People's Court in Hubei Province issued a verdict in a landmark case involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to write and profit from pornographic novels. Defendant Ke Mou was sentenced to ten months imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 yuan for the crime of producing, selling, and disseminating obscene materials for profit, and ordered to return his illegal gains. According to the prosecution, from November 2022 to March 2023, Ke Mou, a college-educated online literature author, used an AI program to write pornographic novels and published them on overseas pornographic websites, simultaneously...

Microsoft is testing a new AI-powered summarization feature within its Notepad app for Windows. Currently available in the Canary and Dev channels of the Windows Insider Program, this update aims to help users quickly grasp the core meaning of text. Users simply select the text they want summarized, right-click, and choose the 'Summarize' option. Notepad will then automatically generate a concise overview of the selected passage.

OpenAI has announced that the research preview of its AI agent, Operator, is now open to users aged 18 and over in Europe, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. The feature is currently only available to Pro users with a $200 monthly subscription. According to OpenAI, the company plans to expand Operator functionality to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users after the initial testing period and integrate it directly into the ChatGPT platform. Previously, on February 2nd, 2025...

According to exclusive news from Blue Whale News, Luying Technology (Avolution.ai), an AI video startup, is reportedly being acquired by prominent AI company MiniMax. Multiple sources revealed that both parties have reached a preliminary agreement on the acquisition, and relevant procedures are underway. As of press time, MiniMax has not responded to this news. Luying Technology's valuation during its Angel round financing in 2024 was reportedly around 100 million RMB, less than 20 million USD. Sources say Luying Technology has been seeking a second round of funding since last year.

The Spanish government has recently passed a new law imposing substantial fines on companies that fail to properly label AI-generated content, aiming to combat the spread of deepfakes. Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez announced that the law, inspired by the EU's AI Act, mandates strict transparency requirements for AI systems deemed high-risk. Image caption: Image generated by AI, image licensing provider Midjourney. Lopez noted...

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, stated at a U.S. Council on Foreign Relations forum that he believes AI will handle 90% of coding within the next 3-6 months. Amodei's prediction that AI could potentially write nearly all code within 12 months has garnered significant attention. The statement was made during a discussion with Mike Froman, President of the Council on Foreign Relations.

At the recent Human [X] conference, Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer at AI startup Anthropic, revealed the company has no plans to enter the hardware or consumer entertainment market. Instead, Anthropic is concentrating on developing general foundation models for enterprise use. As the developer of Claude AI, Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Google, aims to provide practical AI solutions across various industries. Krieger stated that Anthropic...

According to the South China Morning Post, Alibaba is aggressively pushing the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, aiming for 100% adoption of AI tools by all merchants by the end of 2025, according to Zhang Kuo, president of Alibaba International Wholesale. Currently, over half of the approximately 200,000 merchants are using Alibaba's AI applications weekly. Launched in early 2024, these AI tools are designed to assist merchants with marketing, product management, customer interaction, and risk control. These measures are part of Alibaba's...