Alphabet (GOOGL) is expanding its footprint into Poland as part of its artificial intelligence ambitions. The tech giant has initiated a strategic collaboration to accelerate the adoption of AI in various sectors, including energy, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The signing of the memorandum of understanding comes just days after the US tech giant lifted its self-imposed ban on the US of AI to develop weapons and surveillance equipment.
Google-Poland AI Pact
Poland has already committed to investing $240 million in AI development amid rising hybrid threats from Russia. The country is racing against time to strengthen its defence capabilities with cutting-edge technology as it looks to deter the ever-rising threat from Russia. Consequently, it has set up an AI fund to spearhead the efforts and an AI factory to foster innovation.
Alphabet’s decision to lift a ban on using AI for weapons continues to spark mixed reactions. Nevertheless, the company’s top hierarchy remains adamant, reiterating the need to adapt to the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape. Additionally, the company insists it will implement appropriate human oversight and due diligence to ensure AI technologies align with its social responsibility and international law.
Amazon Alexa AI Update
Meanwhile, Amazon (AMZN) intends to release an updated version of its Alexa virtual assistant following several delays since the September 2023 announcement of the AI-powered update. According to internal communications, Alexi’s new public release has been postponed for over a month. During a recent meeting, Amazon employees were informed of the new delay, which they said was partly caused by the new version of the assistant providing inaccurate answers to test questions.
When the updated voice assistant is made available to the general public, it may increase sales of Alexa devices, increasing Amazon’s revenue. With the ability to play music, dim lights, and read headlines, Alexa is available for free on more than 500 million devices worldwide.
Amazon’s inability to release its updated Alexa demonstrates how businesses are finding it difficult to use AI to improve marketable products despite the tech industry investing billions of dollars in the technology. Apple halted an AI feature for iPhones that summarized notifications after it misrepresented news alerts. During a recent earnings call, Amazon executives stated that the company would invest $100 billion this year, with a large portion going toward developing data centres.
Alibaba Baidu AI boost
Separately, the artificial intelligence boom is again fuelling demand for Chinese tech giant equities. Alibaba (BABA) is the latest beneficiary, with shares surging by about 46% since hitting lows early in the year. It represents an unexpected turnabout for Alibaba, which lost investors after Beijing’s crackdown, which negatively impacted its operations on the nation’s tech giants. The rally stems from optimism regarding Alibaba’s efforts to create its own AI platform and services, which gained momentum following the unveiling of technologies by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek that dominated Wall Street.
Baidu (BIDU) is another Chinese tech giant heating up in the market after announcing plans to offer free access to its ERNIE bot. As an early mover in the Chinese generative AI space, the news has helped push the stock up by more than 12%.
