🖥️ Tech Futures #27

Happy Monday 👋

This week in Tech News, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's upended the massive bull run US tech stocks have been enjoying. Reportedly costing approximately $6M, DeepSeek’s LLM model challenges Western AI dominance, with companies like NVIDIA losing close to $600B in market value, and the US Stock market recording an approximate $1T wipeout. Amidst this, The US Government announced plans to impose tariffs on Taiwan's semiconductor imports to encourage US manufacturing, potentially increasing electronics prices. UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare experienced a cyberattack compromising the personal data of approximately 190 million individuals. SoftBank and Quantinuum collaborating to advance AI using hybrid quantum-classical computing approaches. ElevenLabs, a voice AI company, raised $250M, valuing it over $3B, to enhance natural speech synthesis technology.

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⚙️ Artificial Intelligence

🤖 Chinese AI Model Challenges Western Tech Dominance. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, released a groundbreaking $6M model that shook investor confidence and caused the Nasdaq to drop, challenging Western tech supremacy.

📤 South Korea Launches Massive AI Project. South Korea selected the 'Universal Artificial Intelligence (AGI) Development Project', which cost around $700M, for a preliminary feasibility study. The project aims to develop advanced AI technology.

🔌 US Copyright Office Allows AI-Generated Content to be Copyrighted. The US Copyright Office announced that AI-generated content can be copyrighted, allowing AI filmmakers and creatives to receive copyright protections on their work.

💾 Semiconductors

⚠️ The US Government Threatens Taiwan with High Semiconductor Tariffs. The US government has threatened to impose up to 100% tariffs on semiconductors imported from Taiwan to enhance domestic semiconductor production capacity. This move could lead to higher prices for electronics and disrupt global supply chains.

🏭 Tata Projects to Complete Micron's Semiconductor Facility. Tata Projects, an Indian construction company, is set to complete the construction of Micron Technology's semiconductor assembly and test facility near Ahmedabad, India by the end of the year.

🚨 Cybersecurity

🔐 Massive data breach at UnitedHealth's tech unit. A cyberattack at UnitedHealth's tech unit Change exposed the personal information of 190 million Americans, according to a report by TechCrunch.

🧱 SonicWall confirms zero-day bug exploited by hackers. SonicWall, a cybersecurity company, disclosed that a zero-day vulnerability in its products is being actively exploited by malicious hackers to breach customer networks.

📞 Communication and Networking

💸 Nigerian Telecom Operators Lose $11.3B Due to Tariff Delay. Nigerian telecom operators lost $11.3B in revenue over an 11-year delay in implementing a tariff hike, prompting an urgent push for increased tariffs.

🛰️ Oracle Partners with SpaceX's Starlink for Enterprise Connectivity. Oracle, a major technology company, partnered with SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service to provide high-speed connectivity for its enterprise platform.

🌳 EU Consortium Aims to Reduce Environmental Impact of 6G. The EXIGENCE consortium, comprising partners from the telecommunications, academic, and digital transformation sectors, aims to mitigate the environmental impacts of 6G mobile systems.

💻 Quantum Computing

🔬 SoftBank and Quantinuum collaborate on quantum computing for AI. SoftBank and Quantinuum, a quantum computing company owned by Honeywell, plan to work together on using hybrid quantum-classical computing to advance artificial intelligence.

💻 Australia invests $1B in US quantum computing firm PsiQuantum. The Australian government announced a $1B investment in the US quantum computing company PsiQuantum as part of its 'Future Made in Australia' plan.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

With reskilling and upskilling playing a key role in closing workforce gaps, HolonIQ is now tracking these impactful initiatives shaping the tech industry. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

🌐 Microsoft South Africa launched an AI skilling initiative to train one million South Africans in digital skills by 2026. The program focuses on AI, cybersecurity, and digital technologies to bridge the critical skills gap highlighted by the World Economic Forum. It offers AI training, certifications, and a free AI Skills Navigator portal. Microsoft partners with educational institutions, governments, and NGOs to ensure industry relevance. The initiative aims to boost youth employment, drive economic growth, and foster innovation across sectors.

💡 Infosys and Siemens AG are expanding their collaboration to enhance Siemens’ digital learning with generative AI. Siemens' My Learning World will integrate Infosys Topaz and Wingspan, providing over 250,000 employees with AI-driven upskilling. Key features include an AI knowledge assistant for instant answers, an AI chatbot for real-time course navigation, and a virtual tutor for summaries, translations, and personalized learning. The platform aims to improve accessibility and efficiency in corporate learning.

🦾 NVIDIA launches its “Cours NVIDIA” initiative aiming to revolutionize AI and VR-driven training. Covering GPU programming, AI, quantum computing, and robotics, the program adapts to learners through AI-driven analytics for a personalized experience. The approach merges cutting-edge technology with hands-on learning, enhancing accessibility and relevance in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. By integrating education with experience, NVIDIA positions itself as both a technology leader and a driving force in educational innovation.

HolonIQ has also launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Tech Deals

💵 AI voice cloning startup ElevenLabs raises $250M. AI voice cloning startup ElevenLabs raised $250M in a Series C funding round.

💴 Spanish Unicorn TravelPerk Acquires Swiss Fintech Yokoy. The travel management startup TravelPerk raised $200M in a Series E funding round, reaching a valuation of unicorn status. As part of this, TravelPerk acquired the Swiss fintech company Yokoy.

💶 🔬 Alice & Bob raises $108M for quantum computing. Alice & Bob, a technology company, raised $108M  to build the world's first error-resistant quantum computer by 2030.

💷 Cybersecurity startup Eclypsium raises $45M in funding. Eclypsium, a cybersecurity startup based in Portland, Oregon, raised $45M in Series C funding led by Bain Capital Ventures. The company helps organizations secure their infrastructure by identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in firmware and hardware supply chains.

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Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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