Cognizant has partnered with several companies to drive AI fluency across its talent ranks. The company is attempting a Guinness World Records title for most participants in an online generative AI hackathon, with over 250,000 employees from various departments including HR, sales, engineering, and marketing registered to participate.
Guy Brenner and Jonathan Slowik from Proskauer discuss laws requiring employers using AI to conduct bias audits and impact assessments. They focus on two high-profile laws: New York City's Fairness in Hiring Act and Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act. Employers must ensure compliance by implementing procedures for monitoring and mitigating algorithmic bias, such as training data audits and human oversight. The duo speculate about the potential expansion of these requirements to other jurisdictions, citing the growing trend of government regulations addressing AI-driven decision-making.
Google has integrated real-time information systems to enhance its models, allowing for more accurate calls on Google Finance and other services. This integration enables access to vast amounts of data, including 50 billion products in the shopping catalog, updated every hour. The approach mirrors a Google patent from December that outlines "thematic search," which creates sub-queries based on inferred themes, groups results by topic, and generates summaries using language models.
Guidehouse praises the White House's release of America's AI Action Plan as a crucial step towards securing US leadership in artificial intelligence. The plan focuses on infrastructure modernization, regulatory innovation, and global competitiveness, aligning with Guidehouse's mission to help clients build a secure foundation for AI adoption. The firm emphasizes the need for speed and safeguards, highlighting trust, transparency, and accountability as essential for ensuring AI systems serve the public good.
Italy's antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Meta Platforms over allegations that it abused its dominant position by installing its artificial intelligence tool on WhatsApp without user consent, potentially violating European Union competition rules. Meta is cooperating with the Rome-based authority and claims its AI service benefits customers, offering free access to features in a familiar platform. The Italian antitrust authority AGCM has accused Meta of violating EU competition laws by integrating its AI chatbot into WhatsApp, potentially abusing its dominant position in the market. Meta's decision to pre-install its AI service on WhatsApp may be seen as steering users towards its AI services through unfair means, rather than fair competition. The move comes after concerns over Meta's AI models were raised in Brussels and an inquiry was launched by the European Commission into whether Meta's AI tool falls within the scope of the Digital Services Act. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is under investigation by Italian authorities for embedding AI in its messaging app. The company has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the AI-powered features are designed to improve user experience. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has also testified before a US grand jury as part of the investigation.
Mindhyve.ai, a Nigeria-based innovation firm, is partnering with SO TECHAFRICA LTDA to bring its autonomous system technology, powered by the Ava-Fusion large reasoning model, to Africa. The company, backed by HYVE Labs, aims to democratize access to transformative intelligence and architect infrastructure for post-scarcity economies through its operations in North America, Asia, and soon in Africa.
Ozak AI's presale has gained significant attention due to its promising combination of blockchain and artificial intelligence through a decentralized infrastructure network (DePIN). The platform addresses practical challenges in finance, logistics, data security, and automation by providing real-time AI services and secure data handling. Strong investor interest is driven by the commitment to tangible utility, with features such as Prediction Agents, Ozak Stream Network, and smart contract execution, which enable companies to scale efficiently and make data-driven decisions.
Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2025, aiming to transform the country into a digitally empowered economy by establishing a comprehensive national AI ecosystem and promoting inclusive access to emerging technologies. Chairing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of investing in modern education for Pakistan's youth, who are considered the nation's most valuable asset. The policy outlines a strategic roadmap to integrate AI across various sectors, including public services, education, agriculture, and economic development, while addressing data security, ethics, and environmental concerns. Key highlights include creating an AI Innovation Fund and Venture Fund, training 1 million AI professionals by 2030, and establishing scholarships for women and differently-abled persons in the AI workforce.
The adoption of AI in clinical trials is expected to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry by increasing success rates, drug approvals, and reducing development costs. This shift will help large biotech startups and major companies like Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, as well as smaller firms, to develop more effective treatments at lower costs. As a result, the industry may finally see a decline in rising medication prices, with potential benefits including increased R&D budgets for new drugs and treatments, and more affordable options for consumers worldwide.