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Soldier shot himself in head before Cybertruck exploded outside Trump's Las Vegas hotel, officials say

LAS VEGAS

The highly decorated U.S. Army soldier inside the Tesla Cybertruck that burst into flames outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel shot himself in the head before the explosion and likely planned to cause more damage but the steel-sided vehicle absorbed much of the force from the rudimentary explosive, officials said Thursday.

Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference that a handgun was found at the feet of the man in the driver's seat, who officials believe is Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado. The shot appeared to be self-inflicted, officials said.

Damage from the blast was mostly limited to the interior of the truck. The explosion “vented out and up” and didn’t hit the Trump hotel doors just a few feet away, the sheriff said.

“The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience,” said Kenny Cooper, a special agent in charge for the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Among other charred items found inside the truck were a second firearm, a number of fireworks, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone and a smartwatch, McMahill said. Authorities said both guns were purchased legally.

Investigators have not definitively identified the remains as Livelsberger, but the IDs and tattoos on the body “give a strong indication that it’s him,” the sheriff said.

Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners. He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said.

He was awarded a total of five Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. Livelsberger was on approved leave when he died, according to the statement.

McMahill said Livelsberger rented the Tesla electric vehicle in Denver on Saturday and the sheriff displayed a map showing that it was charged in the Colorado town of Monument near Colorado Springs on Monday. On New Year’s Eve, it was charged in Trinidad, Colorado, and the towns of Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Gallup in New Mexico, along the Interstate 40 corridor.

Then on Wednesday, the day of the explosion, it was charged in the Arizona towns of Holbrook, Flagstaff and Kingman before video showed it on the Las Vegas Strip about 7:30 a.m.

The FBI said Thursday in a post on X that it was “conducting law enforcement activity” at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday's explosion but provided no other details.

The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack. The FBI said Thursday that they believe Jabbar acted alone, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others.

Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.

Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found ‘no definitive link’ between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.

Seven people nearby suffered minor injuries when the Tesla truck exploded. Video showed a tumble of charred fireworks mortars, canisters and other explosive devices crowded into the back of the pickup. The truck bed walls were still intact because the blast shot straight up rather than to the sides.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday afternoon on X that “we have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself."

"All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk wrote.

Musk has recently become a member of Trump’s inner circle. Neither Trump nor Musk was in Las Vegas early Wednesday. Both had attended Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at his South Florida estate.

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Rakuten Wallet, Caliverse to collaborate on Web3 and metaverse business Expansion

TOKYO

Rakuten Wallet Inc, a Rakuten Group company and operator of a crypto asset (virtual currency) exchange business, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Caliverse Inc, a South Korean metaverse development company that belongs to the Lotte Group, to form a strategic partnership in the Web3 space.

The two companies will actively explore opportunities for collaboration and cooperation in Web3 services such as gaming, NFT sales, shopping and live artist events within the metaverse.

Rakuten Wallet offers spot and margin trading of crypto assets as both a crypto asset exchange operator and a financial instruments business operator. Since 2023, the company has gradually expanded into the Web3 space and plans to launch new Web3 services in 2024. These services will feature integrated management of digital assets, including crypto assets and NFTs, through a smartphone app, connectivity to Web3-oriented services from other providers, and seamless integration with Rakuten Wallet's existing crypto asset trading platform.

Caliverse is enhancing its collaboration with Web3 services centered around its metaverse platform, "CALIVERSE," to create an immersive next-generation metaverse experience powered by a high-precision 3D engine. This advanced metaverse allows users to explore a virtual world that feels real, featuring detailed cityscapes with buildings and shops, customizable high-definition avatars, and dynamic K-POP concerts or EDM stages generated through real-time AI synthesis of live-action and graphics.

Source: Rakuten Group

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Nissan trialing paint technology to make car interiors cool in summer

YOKOHAMA

Nissan Motor Co is trialing an innovative automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle’s ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system.

Developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products, the paint incorporates metamaterial, synthetic composite materials with structures that exhibit properties not usually found in nature.

The project is part of Nissan’s pursuit of differentiated innovations that empower journeys and to help create a cleaner more sustainable society.

In November 2023, Nissan commenced a 12-month feasibility trial at Tokyo International Air Terminal at Haneda. In collaboration with Japan Airport Terminal Co Ltd, Radi-Cool Japan and All Nippon Airways (ANA) airport service, Nissan’s cool paint has been applied to a Nissan NV100 service vehicle operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) airport services.

With its large, open tarmac, Haneda airport provided the perfect environment to conduct real-world evaluation of the paint’s performance under an exposed high-temperature environment.

Although still in testing phase, the results to date have been impressive. Parked side-by-side under the sun, a vehicle treated in Nissan’s cool paint has shown yields of up to a 12-degree Celsius reduction in exterior surface temperatures and up to 5-degree Celsius cooler interior, compared to a vehicle featuring traditional automotive paint.

The paint’s cooling performance is particularly noticeable when a vehicle is parked in the sun for an extended period. A cooler cabin is not only more pleasant to enter, but also requires less air-conditioning run-time to cool the cabin to a comfortable temperature. This helps reduce load to the engine, or in the case of an electric vehicle, draw on the battery. In both powertrains, an improvement in efficiency is expected, as well as occupant comfort.

The metamaterial embedded within Nissan’s cool paint features two microstructure particles that react to light. One particle reflects near-infrared rays in the sunlight that would typically cause molecular level vibrations within the resin of traditional paint to produce heat.

The second particle enables the real breakthrough. It creates electromagnetic waves, that counteract the sun's rays, redirecting the energy away from the vehicle into the atmosphere. Combined, the particles in Nissan’s cool paint reduce the transfer of heat into surfaces such as the roof, hood, doors and panels.

Leading the development is Dr. Susumu Miura, senior manager and expert at the Advanced Materials and Processing Laboratory, Nissan Research Center. He played a leading role in Nissan’s award-winning noise-reducing acoustic material, and has dedicated much of his career at Nissan to exploring ways to make cars quieter, cooler and more efficient.

“My dream is to create cooler cars without consuming energy” explained Miura. “This is especially important in the EV era, where the load from running air-conditioning in summer can have a sizable impact on the state of charge,” he said.

While radiant cooling paint isn’t new, it is typically used for buildings and structures. It’s often very thick, requiring application by a paint roller. Devoid of any clear topcoat, it can leave a chalky residue when touched.

Key challenges Miura had to consider when developing an automotive version, was to ensure it could incorporate a clear topcoat, be applied via a spray gun (not a roller), and meet Nissan’s rigorous internal standards for paint quality.

Since commencing the development in 2021, Miura and his team have tested over 100 samples, and are currently evaluating a thickness of 120 microns, approximately six times thicker than typical automotive paint. They have confirmed resistance to salt and chipping, peeling, scratches, chemical reactions, along with color consistency and repairability. As development progresses, Miura and his team continue to explore thinner options that deliver the same level of cooling performance.

While the testing and development is ongoing, for Miura and his team, the hope is that it can one day be offered for special orders and in a variety of colors.

Miura sees strong potential, particularly for light commercial vehicle applications such as vans, trucks and ambulances that spend most of the day out driving.

Source: Nissan Motor Co

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MyVisaJapan launches AI-powered platform to simplify spouse visa applications in Japan

TOKYO

MyVisaJapan, an innovative tech startup, has announced the launch of its cutting-edge AI-powered platform designed to streamline the spouse visa application process. This groundbreaking solution aims to simplify one of the most challenging aspects of spouse visa applications, offering a user-friendly alternative to traditional, often costly visa application methods.

The spouse visa application process in Japan is notoriously complex, requiring extensive documentation and adherence to strict guidelines. Many applicants face significant hurdles, including language barriers and intricate bureaucratic procedures. MyVisaJapan addresses these challenges head-on by leveraging advanced artificial intelligence to guide users through every step of the application process.

Key features of the MyVisaJapan platform include:

AI-powered document analysis and checklist generation

Automated Japanese translation for required documents

Step-by-step guidance through the application process

Expert review options for additional assurance

Application submission assistance

"Our goal is to make the spouse visa application process as stress-free as possible," said Aymeric, CEO of MyVisaJapan. "By combining AI technology with expert knowledge, we're able to offer a service that's not only more efficient but also more accessible and affordable than traditional methods."

The platform offers flexible pricing plans starting at 4,500 yen for basic services, with options for more comprehensive support including expert review and application submission. This tiered approach ensures that assistance is available to applicants with varying needs and budgets.

Early adopters of MyVisaJapan have reported significant time savings and increased confidence in their applications. One success story involves an American-Japanese couple who successfully navigated the visa process using the platform, obtaining approval within three months of submission.

As Japan continues to attract international residents, MyVisaJapan's innovative approach to visa applications represents a significant step forward in simplifying the immigration process. The company's launch comes at a time when efficient, technology-driven solutions are increasingly in demand for navigating complex bureaucratic procedures.

For more information about MyVisaJapan and its services, visit myvisajapan.com.

About MyVisaJapan:

MyVisaJapan, a part of 合同会社 The Good Managers, is a tech startup dedicated to simplifying the visa application process. By leveraging AI technology and expert knowledge, the company provides an accessible, efficient, and user-friendly platform for navigating Japan's complex immigration procedures.

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Data centers are guzzling up too much electricity. Can we make them more efficient?

PERTH, Australia/PLYMOUTH, England

Our insatiable demand for digital content and services has been driving a rise in energy-hungry data centers.

The International Energy Agency reports global data center electricity consumption could double in a few short years, reaching 1,000 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2026. That’s roughly the same as generated by the whole of Japan per year.

Some predictions estimate 8–10% of the planet’s electricity production will be needed to sustain the relentless growth in data centers.

These figures are not uniformly distributed across the globe. In Ireland, where the sector is incentivised, data centers are predicted to exceed 30% of the country’s electricity demand within the next two years. Similar reports predict an increase in Australia from 5% to 8–15% of electricity by 2030.

So why do data centers need so much electricity, and is there anything we can do to make them more energy efficient?

Why so much power?

Browsing the web, catching up on our social media feeds and binge-streaming the latest series are just some of the activities data centers support. In addition to these uses, power is also consumed at scale for artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency.

We may imagine data centers as rows of computers (servers) in racks with flashing lights, but, in terms of power usage, this is only part of the story.

When computers work hard, they tend to generate heat – lots of it. This heat is usually bad for the components within the computer or slows it down. With neither option desirable, data centers use extensive cooling systems to keep the systems running at a tolerable temperature.

Of the power consumed by an entire data centre, computers may use around 40%. A similar proportion is typically dedicated to simply keeping the computers cool. This can be highly inefficient and costly.

Where data centers are designed for liquid cooling – for example, by immersing the “hot” equipment in fluid, or cooling air directly – this can result in the waste of considerable volumes of water.

How can we make data centers more energy efficient?

Using more renewable energy can decrease the demand on the electricity grid and the ultimate carbon footprint of a data center. However, there are also many ways to reduce electricity usage in the first place.

Airflow: older data centers may still operate as a single large room (or multiple rooms) where the entire space is cooled. More modern designs make use of warm and cold zones, only cooling the specific equipment where heat production is a problem.

Energy recovery: rather than forcibly cooling air (or liquids) using electricity, the warm exhaust from data centers can be repurposed. This could replace or supplement water heating or central heating functions for the human-centric parts of the building, or even supply surrounding premises.

Examples have included heating homes and businesses in Finland, a swimming pool in the United Kingdom, and even a trout farm in Norway.

Aquifer cooling: In locations with convenient access to underground water sources, groundwater cooling is a viable option to disperse excess heat. One example can be found in Western Australia with a CSIRO Geothermal Project helping to cool the Pawsey data center in Perth.

Optimization: Although there are no reliable figures to quantify this type of waste, inefficiently configured software or hardware can use up some of the computing power consumed at a data centre. Optimizing these can help reduce power consumption.

Ironically, an increasing number of cooling approaches involve the use of AI or machine learning to monitor the system and produce an optimal solution, requiring additional computing power.

Optimising energy consumption, in general, can improve the costs of energy production. This idea opens a significant field of research on efficiently running all of the hardware in a data centre.

Physical location: By planning where a data center is located, it is possible to significantly reduce cooling requirements. In northern Europe, the local climate can provide a natural cooling solution.

Similarly, recent trials using underwater data centers have proven not only effective in terms of cooling requirements, but also with the reliability of equipment.

The future of data centers

The evolution of AI is currently having the biggest impact on data center power consumption. Training AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot and others is having such an impact, organizations like Google have recently increased their greenhouse gas emissions, despite global efforts to invest in carbon-neutral initiatives.

Even once trained, the use of AI-enabled applications represents significant power usage. One estimate suggests AI searches use ten times the power of a more typical Google search.

Our desire to use AI-driven products (and the enthusiasm for vendors to develop them) shows no sign of slowing down. It is likely the predictions for data center energy usage in the coming years are in fact conservative.

The lights are not going out just yet, but we are close to a tipping point where the power requirements of the systems we depend on will outstrip the generation capacity.

We must invest in clean energy production and effective energy-recovery solutions at data centers. And for now, perhaps we should consider if we really need ChatGPT to draw a silly picture.

Paul Haskell-Dowland is professor of Cyber Security Practice, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. Bogdan Ghita is associate dean (International), Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, England.

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An 83-year-old short story by Borges portends a bleak future for the internet

MEMPHIS, Tenn

Fiction writers have explored some possibilities.

In his 2019 novel “Fall,” science fiction author Neal Stephenson imagined a near future in which the internet still exists. But it has become so polluted with misinformation, disinformation and advertising that it is largely unusable.

Characters in Stephenson’s novel deal with this problem by subscribing to “edit streams” – human-selected news and information that can be considered trustworthy.

The drawback is that only the wealthy can afford such bespoke services, leaving most of humanity to consume low-quality, noncurated online content.

To some extent, this has already happened: Many news organizations, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have placed their curated content behind paywalls. Meanwhile, misinformation festers on social media platforms like X and TikTok.

Stephenson’s record as a prognosticator has been impressive – he anticipated the metaverse in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash,” and a key plot element of his “Diamond Age,” released in 1995, is an interactive primer that functions much like a chatbot.

On the surface, chatbots seem to provide a solution to the misinformation epidemic. By dispensing factual content, chatbots could supply alternative sources of high-quality information that aren’t cordoned off by paywalls.

Ironically, however, the output of these chatbots may represent the greatest danger to the future of the web – one that was hinted at decades earlier by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

The rise of the chatbots

Today, a significant fraction of the internet still consists of factual and ostensibly truthful content, such as articles and books that have been peer-reviewed, fact-checked or vetted in some way.

The developers of large language models, or LLMs – the engines that power bots like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini – have taken advantage of this resource.

To perform their magic, however, these models must ingest immense quantities of high-quality text for training purposes. A vast amount of verbiage has already been scraped from online sources and fed to the fledgling LLMs.

The problem is that the web, enormous as it is, is a finite resource. High-quality text that hasn’t already been strip-mined is becoming scarce, leading to what The New York Times called an “emerging crisis in content.”

This has forced companies like OpenAI to enter into agreements with publishers to obtain even more raw material for their ravenous bots. But according to one prediction, a shortage of additional high-quality training data may strike as early as 2026.

As the output of chatbots ends up online, these second-generation texts – complete with made-up information called “hallucinations,” as well as outright errors, such as suggestions to put glue on your pizza – will further pollute the web.

And if a chatbot hangs out with the wrong sort of people online, it can pick up their repellent views. Microsoft discovered this the hard way in 2016, when it had to pull the plug on Tay, a bot that started repeating racist and sexist content.

Over time, all of these issues could make online content even less trustworthy and less useful than it is today. In addition, LLMs that are fed a diet of low-calorie content may produce even more problematic output that also ends up on the web.

An infinite − and useless − library

It’s not hard to imagine a feedback loop that results in a continuous process of degradation as the bots feed on their own imperfect output.

A July 2024 paper published in Nature explored the consequences of training AI models on recursively generated data. It showed that “irreversible defects” can lead to “model collapse” for systems trained in this way – much like an image’s copy and a copy of that copy, and a copy of that copy, will lose fidelity to the original image.

How bad might this get?

Consider Borges’ 1941 short story “The Library of Babel.” Fifty years before computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee created the architecture for the web, Borges had already imagined an analog equivalent.

In his 3,000-word story, the writer imagines a world consisting of an enormous and possibly infinite number of hexagonal rooms. The bookshelves in each room hold uniform volumes that must, its inhabitants intuit, contain every possible permutation of letters in their alphabet.

Initially, this realization sparks joy: By definition, there must exist books that detail the future of humanity and the meaning of life.

The inhabitants search for such books, only to discover that the vast majority contain nothing but meaningless combinations of letters. The truth is out there –but so is every conceivable falsehood. And all of it is embedded in an inconceivably vast amount of gibberish.

Even after centuries of searching, only a few meaningful fragments are found. And even then, there is no way to determine whether these coherent texts are truths or lies. Hope turns into despair.

Will the web become so polluted that only the wealthy can afford accurate and reliable information? Or will an infinite number of chatbots produce so much tainted verbiage that finding accurate information online becomes like searching for a needle in a haystack?

The internet is often described as one of humanity’s great achievements. But like any other resource, it’s important to give serious thought to how it is maintained and managed – lest we end up confronting the dystopian vision imagined by Borges.

Roger J Kreuz is Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis.

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AI has been a boon for marketing, but the dark side of using algorithms to sell products and brands is little studied

KINGSTON, Rhode Island

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way companies market their products, enabling them to target consumers in personalized and interactive ways that not long ago seemed like the realm of science fiction.

Marketers use AI-powered algorithms to scour vast amounts of data that reveals individual preferences with unrivaled accuracy. This allows companies to precisely target content – ads, emails, social media posts – that feels tailor-made and helps cultivate companies’ relationships with consumers.

As a researcher who studies technology in marketing, I joined several colleagues in conducting new research that shows AI marketing overwhelmingly neglects its potential negative consequences.

Our peer-reviewed study reviewed 290 articles that had been published over the past 10 years from 15 high-ranking marketing journals. We found that only 33 of them addressed the potential “dark side” of AI marketing.

This matters because the imbalance creates a critical gap in understanding the full impact of AI.

AI marketing can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, such as producing hypersexualized depictions of women, for example. AI can also infringe on the individual rights of artists. And it can spread misinformation through deepfakes and “hallucinations,” which occur when AI presents false information as if it were true, such as inventing historical events.

It can also negatively affect mental health. The prevalence of AI-powered beauty filters on social media, for instance, can foster unrealistic ideals and trigger depression.

These concerns loom large, prompting anxiety about the potential misuse of this powerful technology. Many people experience these worries, but young women are notably vulnerable. As AI apps gain acceptance, beauty standards are moving further from reality.

Our research finds there is an urgent need to address AI’s ethical considerations and potential negative consequences. Our intent is not to discredit AI. It’s to make sure that AI marketing benefits everyone, not just a handful of powerful companies.

I believe researchers should consider exploring the ethical problems with AI more thoroughly, and how to use it safely and responsibly.

This is important because AI is suddenly being used everywhere – from social media to self-driving cars to making health decisions. Understanding its potential negative effects empowers the public to be informed consumers and call for responsible AI use.

Lauren Labrecque is Professor of Marketing, University of Rhode Island.

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Redefining connectivity across borders: Introducing Global-EX by Nomad

TOKYO

In a world where seamless connectivity is paramount, Nomad, a trailblazer in innovative technological solutions, proudly presents Global-EX – a cutting-edge product designed to transcend geographical barriers and revolutionize the way we stay connected across borders. With an extensive reach covering 54 or 81 countries worldwide, all within a single eSIM, Global-EX offers unparalleled convenience and connectivity like never before. What sets Global-EX apart is not just its comprehensive coverage but also its flexibility, with data validity options of 180 or 365 days, add-on data availability, and support for hotspot and tethering functionalities, making it a versatile choice for modern-day connectivity needs.

Key Features of Global-EX

1. Extensive Global Coverage:

Global-EX Plans come with two options: one bundle covers 54 countries, and the other covers 81 countries worldwide, with long validity of 180 days and 365 days, ensuring that users stay connected wherever their journey takes them. Travelers can choose to buy 10 GB to last 180 days, or 20 / 30 / 50 GB to last 365 days. Whether it's for business or leisure, Global-EX provides a reliable network in a multitude of destinations.

2. Long Data Validity:

Say goodbye to the hassle of installing multiple eSIMs or of frequent recharges with Global-EX's data validity options of 180 or 365 days. This extended validity period ensures uninterrupted connectivity, allowing users to stay connected without the need to install multiple eSIMs or for constant data top-ups.

3. Flexible Add-On Data:

Need additional data or to extend your data validity on the go? Global-EX offers convenient add-on data packages, allowing users to tailor their connectivity needs according to their usage patterns. This flexibility ensures that users always have access to the data they require. You can always extend the validity of your Global-EX eSIM for even longer than 365 days by purchasing an add-on data pack.

4. Hotspot and Tethering Support:

Share your connection effortlessly with Global-EX's hotspot and tethering support. Whether you're working on multiple devices or traveling with companions, Global-EX makes it easy to share your connectivity and stay productive on the go.

Embracing Seamless Connectivity

1. For Avid Travelers:

For individuals with exciting travel plans that span the globe, Global-EX is the ultimate travel companion. Say goodbye to the fear of exorbitant roaming charges and the hassle of purchasing local SIM cards on every trip. With Nomad Global-EX, users can embark on multiple adventures with confidence, relying on the same eSIM and same plan each time.

2. For Business Professionals:

Business professionals who traverse international borders frequently understand the value of time. With Global-EX, the inconvenience of switching SIM cards or setting up eSIMs before each trip becomes a thing of the past. Stay connected seamlessly and focus on what truly matters – achieving your business objectives.

3. For Frequent Return Trips:

If you find yourself making multiple return trips to the same destination each year, Global-EX offers a hassle-free solution. With Global-EX, users can stay connected the moment they arrive at their second home, eliminating the need for repeated installations and ensuring continuous connectivity.

Experience Unparalleled Connectivity with Global-EX

Global-EX by Nomad redefines the boundaries of connectivity, empowering users to stay connected wherever life takes them. Embrace a world without connectivity barriers and experience the freedom of seamless connectivity with Global-EX.

Learn more about Nomad Global-EX here.

Get Nomad Global-EX with an exclusive 15% off promo code: JPTGLEX15

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AI at Tokyo Game Show 2024: Revolution or replacement?

TOKYO

As the Tokyo Game Show 2024, which ended Sunday, the gaming industry was buzzing with questions about the future of generative AI. Developers are increasingly integrating AI into game creation, utilizing it for procedural content generation, enhancing NPC behavior and automating backend processes like quality assurance and server optimization.

While some developers are excited about its potential to push the boundaries of game design, others voice concerns about the erosion of creativity and the human touch.

Despite these criticisms, many in the industry are embracing AI. During EA's recent Investor Day, CEO Andrew Wilson described AI as "the very core of our business," noting that EA is currently running over a hundred active AI projects.

At this year's Tokyo Game Show, the "AI Technology Pavilion" offered a glimpse into the future, with companies showcasing tools designed to streamline development, reduce costs and minimize reliance on large teams.

Kiyomichi Arai, senior manager at Equinix, expressed optimism about AI's ability to accelerate game development. "AI could increase efficiency by 100 times," he said, adding that it can also improve marketing strategies and customer support. Yet, Arai cautioned that AI poses risks, particularly when it comes to the accuracy of its outputs. Equinix, a global infrastructure company, plays a vital role in optimizing data centers and cloud services for gaming and AI development.

Another technology on display was StoryAI, a platform developed by ZEAL. It analyzes audience emotions and provides insights that help developers refine narrative elements before launch, offering a glimpse into how AI might shape storytelling.

Indie developers are also experimenting with AI. VR Imaginators, a small Japan-based developer, showcased Isekai Ryouri (Other-World Cooking), where players create unique dishes through generative AI — work that could take human artists weeks or months is created in an instant.

Álvaro Sáez, co-founder and CEO of the Spanish startup HechicerIA, which specializes in using AI to turn text into 3D videos, sees Japan as a key market for AI's future.

"What takes months or years now could be reduced to weeks or days in the future," said Sáez, while acknowledging the importance of navigating copyright regulations in AI development.

Still, not everyone in the industry is sold on AI's benefits. Robert Pontow, director of operations for the Japan-based publisher Beep, voiced concerns about AI's role in creative storytelling.

"Nowadays, you can create a visual novel using only AI. It can write stories and even create art. To be honest, I don't like it. I can see it being used for cheap content, but I hope it stays targeted to a specific audience."

Jan Koenigsfeld, production manager at Wizcorp, a company that supports Japanese developers, criticized the technology as "sophisticated automation" rather than genuine creativity. He also doubts the feasibility of replacing translators with AI. "Machine translation is fundamentally flawed because it relies on the people it's trying to replace to train the AI."

While AI's role in the gaming industry continues to expand, the debate over its limits and potential remains as dynamic as ever. As Koenigsfeld concluded, "You need the human element to express something. AI can't do that for you — there's nothing creative about it."

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Super Bundling: Bango’s strategy for transforming the subscription economy

TOKYO

Bango, a major player in mobile payments and subscription bundling, helps consumers to charge digital content and services directly to their mobile phone bills through its Digital Vending Machine technology.

In an interview with Japan Today, Bango’s Chief Marketing Officer Anil Malhotra and Senior Vice President for APAC, Andy Suzuki, share valuable insights into the rapidly evolving subscription economy in Japan and East Asia.

With 65% of Japanese consumers frustrated by managing multiple subscriptions and 68% unable to afford all the services they want, the pair argue in favor of Super Bundling — Bango’s service that seeks to simplify subscription management.

In addition, Malhotra and Suzuki provided advice for foreign companies seeking to enter Japan’s competitive subscription market, noting two major elements of success: finding a good local partner and staying in the market for the long-term.

Can you tell us more about Bango and its services?

Malhotra: Bango is based in Cambridge, England, and Andy manages our Southeast Asia operations from Tokyo. We’ve been in business for about 25 years, starting when mobile internet began to take off in Europe. At the time, we focused on figuring out how to monetize content and services on mobile devices.

Our key innovation was carrier billing, which allows consumers to charge online services directly to their phone bills. This method became widely used around the world, including here in Japan, where mobile carriers like NTT Docomo and KDDI adopted the technology. Today, Bango handles around $8-9 billion in consumer spending annually, supporting services for companies like Google Play and Microsoft.

How has the company evolved with the market?

In recent years, we’ve shifted focus toward subscription services. We’ve seen more and more consumers signing up for recurring monthly payments across various sectors — everything from entertainment and gaming to education and health. As a result, we identified an opportunity to help telcos bundle these subscriptions with their core products, such as broadband or mobile plans.

For example, Verizon in the U.S. has launched a platform called +play, allowing customers to manage around 50 different subscription services in one place. We call this approach "Super Bundling," and it offers consumers a unified way to manage and pay for multiple subscriptions, often at a discounted rate.

In the “Subscription Wars: Super Bundling Awakens” report, which explores consumer trends across Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, there’s a section on Japan. Could you talk a bit more about the subscription ecosystem here, and how it compares markets in the region?

Malhotra: Yes, Japan is an interesting market. When comparing Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, you notice that these regions are starting to follow global trends, particularly those in North America. In the U.S., for example, many people have people have an average 4.5 subscriptions, but here in East Asia, the average consumer has around 3-4 subscriptions. Japan is lower than Korea and Taiwan in terms of subscriptions per user.

Taiwan has the highest number of subscriptions per user, and South Korea is slightly lower. However, Japan stands out because a significant percentage of subscriptions — 39% — are acquired through indirect channels, which is the highest in the world. By comparison, only 20% of U.S. subscribers use indirect channels.

Another notable trend in Japan is the strong adoption of gaming subscriptions, especially among younger consumers. There’s also a significant focus on local content, like anime and J-dramas, which plays a role in the high engagement levels we see here.

One of the most striking stats from the report was the issue of affordability in Japan. It says that 68% of subscribers are unable to afford all the services they want, which is the highest in the region.

Can you talk about how Super Bundling helps reduce costs and increase customer loyalty?

Malhotra: Absolutely. One of the main benefits of bundling is that it often provides better value than buying individual subscriptions. For instance, Verizon’s +play offers a movie bundle that includes Netflix, Showtime and Paramount for $27.99, compared to $35 if you bought them separately; that’s about a $60 saving per year.

Additionally, as services crack down on things like password sharing, bundles become an even more attractive way to get value for money. Consumers are also drawn to bundles because they simplify management—everything is consolidated into one bill.

In terms of loyalty, bundling helps reduce churn. Subscribers tend to stay longer with both their telco and their subscription services. For instance, the average duration of a subscription increases from 12 to about 18 months when part of a bundle. If a consumer has multiple subscriptions tied to their telco, they’re less likely to switch providers because it’s more complicated to move everything.

Suzuki: Yes, that's a great point. Our analysis shows that when consumers have multiple subscriptions through a telco, they’re much less likely to cancel. For example, if someone has a streaming subscription, an education service, and a fitness app bundled together, they’re much more likely to stay loyal to their telco because it simplifies their life.

That’s very interesting. We noticed in your earlier comments, Mr Malhotra, that you mentioned health subscriptions are becoming a major growth area. Could you expand on that?

Malhotra: Yes, that’s right. We’re seeing health-related subscriptions become a significant growth area globally, and Japan is no exception. These range from fitness and wellness apps to medication and supplements being offered as subscription services. It’s a whole new category that’s emerging.

Another area of growth is user-generated content platforms, such as YouTube Premium. Over the past couple of years, platforms like Patreon (a monetization platform) and Substack (an online publishing platform) have seen massive growth, allowing creators to monetize their content through subscription-based models. While this trend is still developing in Japan, I believe that over the next five to ten years, we’ll see a lot of interesting developments in this space.

Bango has been active in Japan for a while now, so what advice would you give to foreign companies looking to enter Japan’s subscription economy.

Malhotra: The key to success in Japan is recognizing that while there are similarities with other markets, the differences are just as important. First, find a good local partner—someone who understands the market and can guide you through the complexities. It’s crucial to have local expertise to help navigate everything from consumer preferences to regulatory issues.

Second, you need to invest time. Unlike some other markets, where deals can happen quickly, Japan requires time to build trust and relationships. But once you invest that time, the rewards can be substantial, and those relationships tend to last longer. There’s a lot of integrity in how business is conducted, and it’s essential to understand that you need to commit to the market​

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Your next favorite story won’t be written by AI – but it could be some day

GAINESVILLE, Fla

Stories define people – they shape our relationships, cultures and societies. Unlike other skills replaced by technology, storytelling has remained uniquely human, setting people apart from machines. But now, even storytelling is being challenged. Artificial intelligence, powered by vast datasets, can generate stories that sometimes rival, or even surpass, those written by humans.

Creative professionals have been among the first to feel the threat of AI. Last year, Hollywood screenwriters protested, demanding – and winning – protections against AI replacing their jobs. As university professors, we’ve seen student work that seems suspiciously AI-generated, which can be frustrating.

Beyond the threat to livelihoods, AI’s ability to craft compelling, humanlike stories also poses a societal risk: the spread of misinformation. Fake news, which once required significant effort, can now be produced with ease. This is especially concerning because decades of research have shown that people are often more influenced by stories than by explicit arguments and entreaties.

We set out to study how well AI-written stories stack up against those by human storytellers. We found that AI storytelling is impressive, but professional writers needn’t worry – at least not yet.

The power of stories

How do stories influence people? Their power often lies in transportation – the feeling of being transported to and fully immersed in an imagined world. You’ve likely experienced this while losing yourself in the wizarding world of Harry Potter or 19th-century English society in “Pride and Prejudice.” This kind of immersion lets you experience new places and understand others’ perspectives, often influencing how you view your own life afterward.

When you’re transported by a story, you not only learn by observing, but your skepticism is also suspended. You’re so engrossed in the storyline that you let your guard down, allowing the story to influence you without triggering skepticism in it or the feeling of being manipulated.

Given the power of stories, can AI tell a good one? This question matters not only to those in creative industries but to everyone. A good story can change lives, as evidenced by mythical and nationalist narratives that have influenced wars and peace.

Studying whether AI can tell compelling stories also helps researchers like us understand what makes narratives effective. Unlike human writers, AI provides a controlled way to experiment with storytelling techniques.

Head-to-head results

In our experiments, we explored whether AI could tell compelling stories. We used descriptions from published studies to prompt ChatGPT to generate three narratives, then asked over 2,000 participants to read and rate their engagement with these stories. We labeled half as AI-written and half as human-written.

Our results were mixed. In three experiments, participants found human-written stories to be generally more “transporting” than AI-generated ones, regardless of how the source was labeled. However, they were not more likely to raise questions about AI-generated stories. In multiple cases, they even challenged them less than human-written ones. The one clear finding was that labeling a story as AI-written made it less appealing to participants and led to more skepticism, no matter the actual author.

Why is this the case? Linguistic analysis of the stories showed that AI-generated stories tended to have longer paragraphs and sentences, while human writers showed more stylistic diversity. AI writes coherently, with strong links between sentences and ideas, but human writers vary more, creating a richer experience. This also points to the possibility that prompting AI models to write in more diverse tones and styles may improve their storytelling.

These findings provide an early look at AI’s potential for storytelling. We also looked at research in storytelling, psychology and philosophy to understand what makes a good story.

We believe four things make stories engaging: good writing, believability, creativity and lived experience. AI is great at writing fluently and making stories believable. But creativity and real-life experiences are where AI falls short. Creativity means coming up with new ideas, while AI is designed to predict the most likely outcome. And although AI can sound human, it lacks the real-life experiences that often make stories truly compelling.

Closing in?

It’s too early to come to a definitive conclusion about whether AI can eventually be used for high-quality storytelling. AI is good at writing fluently and coherently, and its creativity may rival that of average writers. However, AI’s strength lies in predictability. Its algorithms are designed to generate the most likely outcome based on data, which can make its stories appealing in a familiar way. This is similar to the concept of beauty in averageness, the documented preference people have for composite images that represent the average face of a population. This predictability, though limiting true creativity, can still resonate with audiences.

For now, screenwriters and novelists aren’t at risk of losing their jobs. AI can tell stories, but they aren’t quite on par with the best human storytellers. Still, as AI continues to evolve, we may see more compelling stories generated by machines, which could pose serious challenges, especially when they’re used to spread misinformation.

Haoran Chu is Assistant Professor of Communications, University of Florida. Sixiao Liu is Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences, University of Central Florida.

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Is AI dominance inevitable? A technology ethicist says no, actually

BOSTON

Anyone following the rhetoric around artificial intelligence in recent years has heard one version or another of the claim that AI is inevitable. Common themes are that AI is already here, it is indispensable, and people who are bearish on it harm themselves.

In the business world, AI advocates tell companies and workers that they will fall behind if they fail to integrate generative AI into their operations. In the sciences, AI advocates promise that AI will aid in curing hitherto intractable diseases.

In higher education, AI promoters admonish teachers that students must learn how to use AI or risk becoming uncompetitive when the time comes to find a job.

And, in national security, AI’s champions say that either the nation invests heavily in AI weaponry, or it will be at a disadvantage vis-à-vis the Chinese and the Russians, who are already doing so.

The argument across these different domains is essentially the same: The time for AI skepticism has come and gone. The technology will shape the future, whether you like it or not. You have the choice to learn how to use it or be left out of that future. Anyone trying to stand in the technology’s way is as hopeless as the manual weavers who resisted the mechanical looms in the early 19th century.

In the past few years, my colleagues and I at UMass Boston’s Applied Ethics Center have been studying the ethical questions raised by the widespread adoption of AI, and I believe the inevitability argument is misleading.

History and hindsight

In fact, this claim is the most recent version of a deterministic view of technological development. It’s the belief that innovations are unstoppable once people start working on them. In other words, some genies don’t go back in their bottles. The best you can do is harness them to your good purposes.

This deterministic approach to tech has a long history. It’s been applied to the influence of the printing press, as well as to the rise of automobiles and the infrastructure they require, among other developments.

But I believe that when it comes to AI, the technological determinism argument is both exaggerated and oversimplified.

AI in the field(s)

Consider the contention that businesses can’t afford to stay out of the AI game. In fact, the case has yet to be made that AI is delivering significant productivity gains to the firms that use it. A report in The Economist in July suggests that so far, the technology has had almost no economic impact.

AI’s role in higher education is also still very much an open question. Though universities have, in the past two years, invested heavily in AI-related initiatives, evidence suggests they may have jumped the gun.

The technology can serve as an interesting pedagogical tool. For example, creating a Plato chatbot that lets students have a text conversation with a bot posing as Plato is a cool gimmick.

But AI is already starting to displace some of the best tools teachers have for assessment and for developing critical thinking, such as writing assignments. The college essay is going the way of the dinosaurs as more teachers give up on the ability to tell whether their students are writing their papers themselves. What’s the cost-benefit argument for giving up on writing, an important and useful traditional skill?

In the sciences and in medicine, the use of AI seems promising. Its role in understanding the structure of proteins, for example, will likely be significant for curing diseases. The technology is also transforming medical imaging and has been helpful in accelerating the drug discovery process.

But the excitement can become exaggerated. AI-based predictions about which cases of COVID-19 would become severe have roundly failed, and doctors rely excessively on the technology’s diagnostic ability, often against their own better clinical judgment. And so, even in this area, where the potential is great, AI’s ultimate impact is unclear.

In national security, the argument for investing in AI development is compelling. Since the stakes can be high, the argument that if the Chinese and the Russians are developing AI-driven autonomous weapons, the United States can’t afford to fall behind, has real purchase.

But a complete surrender to this form of reasoning, though tempting, is likely to lead the U.S. to overlook the disproportionate impact of these systems on nations that are too poor to participate in the AI arms race. The major powers could deploy the technology in conflicts in these nations. And, just as significantly, this argument de-emphasizes the possibility of collaborating with adversaries on limiting military AI systems, favoring arms race over arms control.

One step at a time

Surveying the potential significance and risks of AI in these different domains merits some skepticism about the technology. I believe that AI should be adopted piecemeal and with a nuanced approach rather than subject to sweeping claims of inevitability. In developing this careful take, there are two things to keep in mind:

First, companies and entrepreneurs working on artificial intelligence have an obvious interest in the technology being perceived as inevitable and necessary, since they make a living from its adoption. It’s important to pay attention to who is making claims of inevitability, and why.

Second, it’s worth taking a lesson from recent history. Over the past 15 years, smartphones and the social media apps that run on them came to be seen as a fact of life – a technology as transformative as it is inevitable. Then data started emerging about the mental health harms they cause teens, especially young girls. School districts across the United States started to ban phones to protect the attention spans and mental health of their students. And some people have reverted to using flip phones as a quality of life change to avoid smartphones.

After a long experiment with the mental health of kids, facilitated by claims of technological determinism, Americans changed course. What seemed fixed turned out to be alterable. There is still time to avoid repeating the same mistake with artificial intelligence, which potentially could have larger consequences for society.

Nir Eisikovits is Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston.

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Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI chatbots boost human creativity?

HOUSTON, Texas

Think back to a time when you needed a quick answer, maybe for a recipe or a DIY project. A few years ago, most people’s first instinct was to “Google it.” Today, however, many people are more likely to reach for ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational AI, which is changing the way people look for information.

Rather than simply providing lists of websites, ChatGPT gives more direct, conversational responses. But can ChatGPT do more than just answer straightforward questions? Can it actually help people be more creative?

I study new technologies and consumer interaction with social media. My colleague Byung Lee and I set out to explore this question: Can ChatGPT genuinely assist people in creatively solving problems, and does it perform better at this than traditional search engines like Google?

Across a series of experiments in a study published in the journal Nature Human Behavour, we found that ChatGPT does boost creativity, especially in everyday, practical tasks. Here’s what we learned about how this technology is changing the way people solve problems, brainstorm ideas and think creatively.

ChatGPT and creative tasks

Imagine you’re searching for a creative gift idea for a teenage niece. Previously, you might have googled “creative gifts for teens” and then browsed articles until something clicked. Now, if you ask ChatGPT, it generates a direct response based on its analysis of patterns across the web. It might suggest a custom DIY project or a unique experience, crafting the idea in real time.

To explore whether ChatGPT surpasses Google in creative thinking tasks, we conducted five experiments where participants tackled various creative tasks. For example, we randomly assigned participants to either use ChatGPT for assistance, use Google search, or generate ideas on their own. Once the ideas were collected, external judges, unaware of the participants’ assigned conditions, rated each idea for creativity. We averaged the judges’ scores to provide an overall creativity rating.

One task involved brainstorming ways to repurpose everyday items, such as turning an old tennis racket and a garden hose into something new. Another asked participants to design an innovative dining table. The goal was to test whether ChatGPT could help people come up with more creative solutions compared with using a web search engine or just their own imagination.

The results were clear: Judges rated ideas generated with ChatGPT’s assistance as more creative than those generated with Google searches or without any assistance. Interestingly, ideas generated with ChatGPT – even without any human modification – scored higher in creativity than those generated with Google.

One notable finding was ChatGPT’s ability to generate incrementally creative ideas: those that improve or build on what already exists. While truly radical ideas might still be challenging for AI, ChatGPT excelled at suggesting practical yet innovative approaches. In the toy-design experiment, for example, participants using ChatGPT came up with imaginative designs, such as turning a leftover fan and a paper bag into a wind-powered craft.

Limits of AI creativity

ChatGPT’s strength lies in its ability to combine unrelated concepts into a cohesive response. Unlike Google, which requires users to sift through links and piece together information, ChatGPT offers an integrated answer that helps users articulate and refine ideas in a polished format. This makes ChatGPT promising as a creativity tool, especially for tasks that connect disparate ideas or generate new concepts.

It’s important to note, however, that ChatGPT doesn’t generate truly novel ideas. It recognizes and combines linguistic patterns from its training data, subsequently generating outputs with the most probable sequences based on its training. If you’re looking for a way to make an existing idea better or adapt it in a new way, ChatGPT can be a helpful resource. For something groundbreaking, though, human ingenuity and imagination are still essential.

Additionally, while ChatGPT can generate creative suggestions, these aren’t always practical or scalable without expert input. Steps such as screening, feasibility checks, fact-checking and market validation require human expertise. Given that ChatGPT’s responses may reflect biases in its training data, people should exercise caution in sensitive contexts such as those involving race or gender.

We also tested whether ChatGPT could assist with tasks often seen as requiring empathy, such as repurposing items cherished by a loved one. Surprisingly, ChatGPT enhanced creativity even in these scenarios, generating ideas that users found relevant and thoughtful. This result challenges the belief that AI cannot assist with emotionally driven tasks.

Future of AI and creativity

As ChatGPT and similar AI tools become more accessible, they open up new possibilities for creative tasks. Whether in the workplace or at home, AI could assist in brainstorming, problem-solving and enhancing creative projects. However, our research also points to the need for caution: While ChatGPT can augment human creativity, it doesn’t replace the unique human capacity for truly radical, out-of-the-box thinking.

This shift from Googling to asking ChatGPT represents more than just a new way to access information. It marks a transformation in how people collaborate with technology to think, create and innovate.

Jaeyeon Chung is Assistant Professor of Business, Rice University.

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Secret lab developing UK's first quantum clock: defense ministry

LONDON

A top-secret lab in the UK is developing the country's first quantum clock to help the British military boost intelligence and reconnaissance operations, the defense ministry said Thursday.

The clock is so precise that it will lose less than one second over billions of years, "allowing scientists to measure time at an unprecedented scale," the ministry said in a statement.

"The trialling of this emerging, groundbreaking technology could not only strengthen our operational capability, but also drive progress in industry, bolster our science sector and support high-skilled jobs," Minister for Defense Procurement Maria Eagle said.

The groundbreaking technology by the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory will reduce reliance on GPS technology, which "can be disrupted and blocked by adversaries," the ministry added.

It is not a world first, as the University of Colorado at Boulder developed a quantum clock 15 years ago with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

But it is "the first device of its kind to be built in the UK," the statement said, adding it could be deployed by the military "in the next five years".

A quantum clock uses quantum mechanics -- the physics of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scale -- to keep time with unprecedented accuracy by measuring energy fluctuations within atoms.

Accurate timekeeping is crucial for satellite navigation systems, mobile telephones and digital TV, among other applications, and may open new frontiers in research fields such as quantum science.

Companies and governments around the world are keen to cash in on the huge potential benefits quantum technology could bring.

Google last month unveiled a new quantum computing chip it said could do in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete.

The United States and China are investing heavily in quantum research, and the U.S. administration has imposed tight restrictions on exporting such sensitive technology.

One expert, Olivier Ezratty, told AFP in October that private and public investment in such technology had reached $20 billion during the past five years.

The defence ministry said future research would "see the technology decrease in size to allow mass manufacturing and miniaturisation, unlocking a wide range of applications, such as use by military vehicles and aircraft".

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EU universal charger rules come into force

BRUSSELS

EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger have come into force, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste.

Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools.

"Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X.

The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs for consumers.

By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued.

The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with U.S. tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 to adapt.

Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit.

Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant.

The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port.

Makers of electronic consumer items in Europe had agreed on a single charging norm from dozens on the market a decade ago under a voluntary agreement with the European Commission.

But Apple, the world's biggest seller of smartphones, refused to abide by it and ditch its Lightning ports.

Other manufacturers kept their alternative cables going, meaning there were about half a dozen types knocking around, creating a jumble of cables for consumers.

USB-C ports can charge at up to 100 Watts, transfer data up to 40 gigabits per second, and can serve to hook up to external displays.

At the time of its approval, the commission said the law was expected to save at least 200 million euros ($208 million) per year and cut more than a thousand tonnes of EU electronic waste every year.

"It's time for THE charger," the European Commission wrote on X. "It means better-charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need."

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Qualcomm scores key win in licensing dispute with Arm

SAN FRANCISCO

A federal jury in the United States has delivered a key win to mobile computing titan Qualcomm in a licensing dispute with Arm, although proceedings between the chipmakers ended in mistrial.

The jury ruled Friday that Arm central processor designs that Qualcomm had acquired when it bought technology company Nuvia had been properly licensed.

Arm had contested that claim, demanding Qualcomm pay a higher licensing fee under a bilateral agreement between the two chipmakers, rather than the lower fee in Arm's agreement with Nuvia.

The difference in royalties purportedly saved Qualcomm tens of millions of dollars. British chipmaker Arm said it would seek a retrial.

Qualcomm bought Nuvia, a CPU design company, in a $1.4 billion deal that closed in 2021, according to the California-based chip maker. The acquisition was seen as a key move in Qualcomm's expansion into the laptop market.

The federal jury did not, however, reach an agreement on whether Qualcomm breached a licensing agreement with Arm.

"We are pleased with today's decision," Qualcomm said in a statement posted online. "The jury has vindicated Qualcomm's right to innovate and affirmed that all the Qualcomm products at issue in the case are protected by Qualcomm's contract with Arm."

In response to an AFP inquiry, an Arm spokesperson said they would seek a retrial "due to the jury's deadlock."

"From the outset, our top priority has been to protect Arm's (intellectual property) and the unparalleled ecosystem we have built with our valued partners over more than 30 years," they said.

Qualcomm shares were up about 2 percent in after-market trades to $155.99 while Arm shares shed more than one percent to $130.50.

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Google counters bid by U.S. to force sale of Chrome

SAN FRANCISCO

Google late Friday countered a U.S. call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the firm from making favorable treatment of its software a condition of licensing.

Google filed a 12-page proposed order banning the internet giant from requiring favorable distribution or treatment of its software on mobile devices as a condition of licensing popular apps like Chrome, Play or Gemini.

In contrast, the U.S. government in November asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the company.

The U.S. Department of Justice urged a shake-up of Google's business that includes banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.

Determining how to address Google's wrongs is the next stage of the landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta.

Google has proposed that Mehta bar it from using the licensing desirability of its applications to compel mobile device makers to pre-install its search software or make it the default offering, a court filing showed.

"Nothing in this Final Judgment shall otherwise prohibit Google from providing consideration to a mobile device manufacturer or wireless carrier with respect to any Google product or service in exchange for such entity's distribution, placement on any access point, promotion, or licensing of that Google product or service," the proposed order stipulates.

Calling for the breakup of Google marks a profound change by the U.S. government's regulators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.

Regardless of Judge Mehta's eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, prolonging the process for years and potentially leaving the final say to the Supreme Court.

The case could also be upended by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January. His administration will likely replace the current team in charge of the Justice Department's antitrust division.

The newcomers could choose to carry on with the case, ask for a settlement with Google or abandon the case altogether.

The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google's confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple.

These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google's search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.

The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform.