![A view of Microsoft logo [File].](https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/y7yuay/article67539684.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/Meta_AI_Election_Ads_29425.jpg "A view of Microsoft logo [File].")
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Microsoft introduces AI chip
Microsoft announced a duo of custom-designed computing chips to speed up AI computing tasks and provide a foundation for its $30-a-month “Copilot” service for business software users, as well as for developers.
Microsoft said it does not plan to sell the chip but instead will use them to power its own subscription software offerings as part of its Azure cloud computing service. The announcement from Microsoft comes even as tech companies are grappling with the high cost of delivering artificial intelligence services, which can be 10 times greater than for traditional services such as search engines.
Meta challenges EU’s “gatekeeper” designation
Meta appealed against “gatekeeper” designation for its Messenger and Marketplace platforms in the EU, becoming the first company to challenge new rules setting out dos and don’ts for online services. Meta said that while it will not challenge the designation for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, its appeal seeks clarification on specific points of law regarding the designations of Messenger and Marketplace.
The European Union in September picked 22 “gatekeeper” services, run by six of the world’s biggest tech companies, to face new rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA requires Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet’s Google, Amazon, Meta and ByteDance’s TikTok to allow third-party apps or app stores on their platforms and to make it easier for users to switch from default apps to rivals.
China thwarts U.S. chipmaking curbs despite new rules
Chinese companies were found buying up U.S. chipmaking equipment to make advanced semiconductors, despite a raft of new export curbs aimed at thwarting advances in the country’s semiconductor industry.
The news comes as the United States scrambles to figure out how Chinese telecoms giant Huawei was able to produce an advanced 7 nanometer chip to power its Mate 60 Pro smartphone at China’s top chipmaker SMIC, despite the export curbs announced last year.
