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| Here’s a look at today's tech briefing: - Microsoft to invest $1.5B in UAE tech giant G42.
- Zuckerberg avoids personal liability in Meta addiction suits.
- YouTube cracks down on third-party apps that block ads.
- Boston Dynamics retiring humanoid robot.
- Microsoft-backed Rubrik seeks to raise $713M in IPO.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Microsoft will invest $1.5B in UAE-based tech giant G42. The deal was created "in close consultation" with the U.S. and UAE governments, Microsoft said. More: - The investment strengthens the companies' existing partnership, with Microsoft acquiring a minority stake in G42.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith will join G42's board of directors.
- The Abu Dhabi-based company will use Microsoft Azure for its AI applications and services.
- Microsoft and G42 also announced a $1B fund for developers and plans to foster AI talent in the UAE.
Zoom out: - G42, which operates data centers and sells AI apps, is chaired by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family.
- The agreement will boost the UAE's status as a tech hub in the Middle East.
- It follows G42 cutting ties with Chinese suppliers, which came under scrutiny in the U.S.
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| 2 | | A judge ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg should not be held personally liable for children's addiction to Facebook and Instagram. Zuckerberg won a bid to dismiss 25 lawsuits against him, though the cases against Meta as a company still stand. More: - Monday's ruling dismissed the CEO as an individual defendant in the suits, which argued that he ignored warnings that the social media platforms were unsafe for kids.
- U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Zuckerberg's public-facing role is insufficient grounds to hold him liable.
- Rogers said Zuckerberg wasn't obligated to disclose safety information as he does not have a "special relationship" with young users.
Zoom out: - The lawsuits against Zuckerberg are part of over 1,000 cases filed against Meta and other tech giants like Google and TikTok by families and schools.
- The suits accuse the companies of harming children through social media.
- Rogers, who is overseeing the cases, allowed some claims to proceed while dismissing others.
- Those who sued can revise and resubmit their complaints, she said.
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| 3 | | YouTube is cracking down on third-party mobile apps that block ads in videos. Users of the apps will experience buffering or see a message saying, "The following content is not available on this app." More: - YouTube's terms prohibit third-party apps using its API from blocking ads.
- The company states that ad blocking prevents creators from being compensated for viewership.
- Violations of its API terms could result in an app shutdown.
- Adblocking software AdGuard is not impacted by the change as its app doesn't use YouTube's API.
Zoom out: - All ad blockers, including apps and extensions, are banned under YouTube's terms.
- Last year, YouTube started blocking videos for free users with ad blockers.
- The company urges users to subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.
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| 4 | | Cybersecurity company Rubrik is aiming for an up to $5.4B valuation in its U.S. IPO. The Microsoft-backed data security startup seeks to raise up to $713M by offering 23 million shares priced from $28 to $31. More: - Rubrik will debut on the NYSE under the ticker "RBRK" as early as this month.
- The company provides enterprise customers with secure data management.
- Its SaaS architecture uses AI to analyze business data and identify emerging threats
- The company claims over 6,100 customers, including Goldman Sachs, Whirlpool, and PepsiCo.
Zoom out: - Rubrik was valued at $4B in 2021 after Microsoft made an equity investment of an undisclosed sum.
- The company will join the recent wave of tech IPOs, including Reddit and Astera Labs.
- Walmart-backed Ibotta, a digital marketing firm, aims to raise $551M in its IPO later this week.
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| 5 | | Boston Dynamics will retire its hydraulic humanoid robot Atlas. The bipedal robot gained popularity through videos of it running, jumping, dancing, and doing parkour. Boston marked the retirement of the hydraulic Atlas with a video of its highlights and failures. More: - Boston collaborated with DARPA on Atlas' early development.
- When it debuted, it was among the most advanced humanoid robots and a vessel for software developed by the teams.
- Boston recently updated Atlas with more object recognition and robotic grippers.
- The robot celebrated its 10th anniversary last summer.
Zoom out: - Atlas's retirement coincides with major investments flowing into humanoid robotics.
- The robots resemble humans and can do tasks in areas like manufacturing, logistics, and retail.
- Tesla, for example, continues to develop Optimus, its bot that will use its AI software to navigate the world.
What the numbers show: - 2024 has seen record funding for humanoid robot development, led by Figure's $675M Series B in February.
- Figure, which developed a human-like general-purpose robot, raised money from the investment arms of Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, and others, valuing the company at $2.6B.
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| 6 | | OpenAI has expanded into Asia with the opening of its Tokyo office. In a blog post, the ChatGPT maker said it chose Tokyo due to its tech leadership, service culture, and innovation-friendly community. More: - Tadao Nagasaki was hired as president of OpenAI Japan to oversee commercial, marketing efforts, and team building in the country.
- The office will be close to tech firms like Daikin, Rakuten, and Toyota Connected, which currently use OpenAI's corporate subscription known as ChatGPT Enterprise.
- Local governments like Yokosuka City have given their employees access to ChatGPT, with 80% reporting increased productivity, OpenAI noted.
Zoom out: - OpenAI is also giving Japanese businesses early access to a specialized GPT-4 model optimized for Japanese.
- The custom model is more cost-effective and better at Japanese text translation and summarization.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for publications including USA Today, the Arizona Business Gazette, and The Arizona Republic, where she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for collaborative reporting on state pension cost increases. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Beth Duckett | |
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