Author: Jaxon Bennett

One of the biggest remaining technical hurdles in the race to build practical quantum computers has been cleared, according to experts in the field, potentially opening the way for the first full-scale systems by the end of this decade.The latest sign of the growing optimism in the decades-long pursuit of practical computers based on the principles of quantum mechanics follows a claim by Google that it had passed an important milestone in overcoming the inherent instability of quantum systems. The findings have been attracting attention in the quantum computing world since they were first published informally in August. On Monday, they…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.China has launched an antitrust probe into chip giant Nvidia, as competition with the US deepens over the development of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence.Chinese state media on Monday night reported that the State Administration of Market Regulation had in recent days opened an investigation into Nvidia for alleged antitrust violations.The state media report indicated that China’s market regulator was also reviewing the US chipmaker’s commitments made during its $6.9bn acquisition of Mellanox, an Israeli-American supplier of networking products. China’s market…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Technology sector myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.The EU’s new tech tsar has struck a conciliatory tone towards Elon Musk as Brussels seeks to repair relations with the US billionaire after a public spat filled with expletives.Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice-president in charge of digital policy who took office earlier this month, told the Financial Times that she would not single out any Big Tech company accused of breaching EU rules. “This is not personal. This is about online platforms and they will have equal treatment because…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The global advertising industry will surpass $1tn in revenue for the first time this year, with Google, Meta, ByteDance, Amazon and Alibaba expected to earn more than half the total in a market dominated by the technology sector.GroupM, the media agency owned by WPP, estimates that global advertising revenue will increase 9.5 per cent in 2024, more than it had expected at the mid-year point, despite tough economic conditions in larger, developed markets such as the US and UK. The group forecasts that…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Aerospace & Defence myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Germany’s largest defence company Rheinmetall is working with a US software specialist to develop common operating standards to control autonomous battlefield drones, in a move that promises to shake up the rapidly evolving industry.Under the partnership, Rheinmetall will integrate its drones with software developed by Virginia-based Auterion with the aim of setting up a military-wide system.“In a general shift from manned to unmanned systems, it is crucial that the autonomous systems can talk to each other,” said Lorenz Meier, chief executive…

TikTok-owner ByteDance has emerged as an early frontrunner in the race to capitalise on generative artificial intelligence in China, poaching top talent from local rivals and becoming Nvidia’s biggest customer in the country.  The Beijing-based company has lured top AI engineers and researchers away from Alibaba and start-ups such as 01.ai and Zhipu in recent months, according to multiple people with knowledge of the hiring spree. It has also created and expanded teams to work on its large language models and AI products. ByteDance is ploughing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure. In the past two years, it has purchased enough…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Meta is pushing forward with plans to develop its artificial intelligence offering to businesses, as the social media platform rolls out a new AI tool internally that aims to boost productivity.The AI software, called Metamate after the internal name for the group’s employees, is built on the tech giant’s large language model, Llama, and is used for coding, conducting research, as well as drafting communications internally and externally.Prashant Ratanchandani, Meta’s VP of engineering who leads Metamate’s development, said there were no plans…

The fate of ByteDance-owned TikTok in the US rests in the hands of the Supreme Court and Donald Trump, who has promised to “save” the app as a potential ban in the country next year looks more possible.The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday upheld a law requiring China’s ByteDance to sell the short form video platform or face a US ban by January 19 2025 — the day before Trump takes over from Joe Biden as US president.TikTok is expected to pursue a legal appeal. If unsuccessful, the app could be banned in…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldA US appeals court on Friday upheld a law requiring TikTok’s owner ByteDance to sell the platform or face a US ban next year, dealing a major blow to the Chinese company behind the video app.The law, signed by US President Joe Biden earlier this year, orders TikTok to be banned in the country if the app does not divest from its parent ByteDance by January 19 2025 — the day before Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president.This is…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.OpenAI is in discussions to ditch a provision that shuts Microsoft out of its most advanced models when the start-up achieves “artificial general intelligence”, as it seeks to unlock billions of dollars of future investment.Under current terms, when OpenAI creates AGI — defined as a “highly autonomous system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work” — Microsoft’s access to such a technology would be void. The OpenAI board would determine when AGI is achieved.The start-up is considering removing the stipulation from its…