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EDF, Hypervolt Partner to Use EVs for Grid Balance

EDF Energy Holdings Ltd. has partnered with EV charge-point manufacturer and software provider Hypervolt on an industry first. EDF said in a media release that, through its Wholesale Market Services’ PowerShift technology, the collaboration aims to leverage Hypervolt’s UltraGrid software to offer a frequency response service using electric vehicles (EVs). Working with Britain’s National Electricity […]

EDF Energy Holdings Ltd. has partnered with EV charge-point manufacturer and software provider Hypervolt on an industry first. EDF said in a media release that, through its Wholesale Market Services’ PowerShift technology, the collaboration aims to leverage Hypervolt’s UltraGrid software to offer a frequency response service using electric vehicles (EVs).

Working with Britain’s National Electricity System Operator (NESO), this initiative will use Hypervolt EV chargers to support the grid at times when it is facing challenges maintaining the required frequency, EDF said. 

The offer aligns with NESO’s Clean Power 2030 Report, emphasizing quicker responses to maintain system frequency near 50 Hz and increasing services through frequency markets, according to EDF. Using its PowerShift capability, EDF said it will automatically adjust Hypervolt EV chargers to balance the grid during peak demand or when there is excess renewable energy. This approach helps customers save on electricity costs, reduce their carbon footprint, and maximize renewable energy use, it said.

Current and future Hypervolt charger owners will have access to an innovative smart charging tariff from EDF, providing the best value for those who frequently charge their EVs. Customers who enroll in this tariff will always have control over their charging preferences, including the desired level of charge and the time of day they want their EV charged. Charging will be managed automatically, requiring no manual intervention, and savings will be available on the EDF app, the company said.

Hypervolt charger owners who are not EDF customers can also benefit from flexibility savings through PowerShift, EDF’s virtual power plant. PowerShift optimizes flexibility value from grid-scale and behind-the-meter assets by utilizing artificial intelligence, real-time data analytics, and advanced algorithms. EDF said it offers its multi-market flexibility trading capability to EV charge point manufacturers, helping capture value and reduce costs for all EV drivers.

“Our partnership with Hypervolt highlights EDF Wholesale Market Services’ commitment to integrating EV solutions into our award-winning PowerShift solution, leveraging our unique capability to create value in all available markets. We look forward to helping more customers optimize their energy usage and actively engaging in the transition towards a low carbon future”, Stuart Fenner, Wholesale Market Services Commercial Director at EDF, said.  

“We are thrilled to partner with EDF to expand our innovative smart tariff offerings. Together, we aim to deliver unmatched affordability, quality, and user experience, driving forward the energy transition”, Flavian Alexandru, Founder and CEO of Hypervolt, added.

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A CSO’s perspective: 8 cyber predictions for 2025

As we step into 2025, the cyberthreat landscape is once again more dynamic and challenging than the year before. In 2024, we witnessed a remarkable acceleration in cyberattacks of all types, many fueled by advancements in generative AI. For security leaders, the stakes are higher than ever. In this post,

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Ericsson unveils genAI assistant for 5G network operations

Telecommunications and networking provider Ericsson recently launched its generative AI-based virtual assistant that uses large language model (LLM) technology to read, understand, and generate new content to provide personalized answers for network operators configuring wireless 5G networks, troubleshooting problems, and creating policies. Ericsson’s AI-based NetCloud Assistant, or ANA, is LLM-based

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Next-gen Ethernet standards set to move forward in 2025

Metz noted that in addition to vendor participation growth there was a lot of technical innovation. Significant developments were made across the physical, link, transport, and software layers, including innovative congestion schemes, built-in security and optimized packet delivery.  “More than 25 individual projects contributed to the development of a finely

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HPE beats Dell and Supermicro in $1B AI server deal with X

The financial scope of the deal underscores its significance. Analysts see HPE’s landmark $1 billion deal with X as a major endorsement of its AI capabilities, but competition remains fierce in the high-growth AI server market. “HPE’s $1 billion deal with X not only enhances its credibility but also highlights

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CNOOC, Shell to Expand Petrochemical Complex in Huizhou, China

Shell PLC and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) have approved an expansion of their petrochemical complex in Daya Bay, Huizhou, south China, primarily aimed at meeting domestic demand. The expansion includes a third ethylene cracker with a planned capacity of 1.6 million metric tons a year and associated downstream derivatives units to produce chemicals including linear alpha olefins. A new facility will also be built to produce 320,000 metric tons per annum of high-performance specialty chemicals such as polycarbonates and carbonate solvents. “The new facilities, primarily aimed at meeting domestic demand in China, will produce a range of chemicals that are widely used in the agriculture, industrial, construction, healthcare and consumer goods sectors”, Shell said in an online statement Wednesday. The partners expect to complete construction 2028. Put into operation 2006, the complex is operated by CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Co. Ltd, a 50-50 venture between Shell subsidiary Shell Nanhai BV and CNOOC subsidiary CNOOC Petrochemicals Investment Ltd. Phase 2 of the complex started operation 2018. The complex currently supplies over six million metric tons per year of chemical products to the Chinese market, according to Shell. In May 2020, the CSPC partners and the Huizhou government signed a strategic cooperation agreement to invest in the phase 3 expansion of the complex. “This investment will contribute to CSPC’s competitiveness by extending its value chains, drive further integration with the existing site, and enable greater innovation capability to meet customer demand in the fast-growing Chinese market”, Shell said Wednesday. Huibert Vigeveno, Shell director for downstream, renewables and energy solutions said, “For more than two decades, CSPC has provided high-value products to the market, becoming one of the largest petrochemical joint ventures in China”. “This new investment is a key enabler to realize CSPC’s transformation strategy towards more premium and highly

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Macquarie Strategists Forecasting USA Crude Inventory Build

In an oil and gas report sent to Rigzone by the Macquarie team this week, Macquarie strategists revealed that they are forecasting that U.S. crude inventories will be up 3.0 million barrels for the week ending January 10. “This compares to our early look for the week which anticipated a 4.3 million barrel build, and a 1.0 million barrel draw realized for the week ending January 3,” the strategists said in the report. “On the product side of the ledger, in aggregate, our expectations for another large build are little changed from our early view,” the strategists added. In the report, the Macquarie strategists noted that, “for this week’s crude balance, from refineries”, they “model crude runs lower (-0.4 million barrels per day)”. “Among net imports, we model a modest decrease, with exports (-0.2 million barrels per day) and imports lower (-0.3 million barrels per day) on a nominal basis,” they added. The strategists warned in the report that timing of cargoes remains a source of potential volatility in this week’s crude balance. “Likewise, the shadow of potential year-end/timing effects in the prior week’s balance could insert additional volatility in this week’s stats,” the strategists said in the report. “From implied domestic supply (prod.+adj.+transfers), we look for a moderate increase (+0.4 million barrels per day) following a soft print last week, although here too we note potential volatility due to winter weather,” they noted. “Rounding out the picture, we anticipate another small increase in SPR [Strategic Petroleum Reserve] inventory (+0.5 million barrels) on the week,” they went on to state. The Macquarie strategists also noted in the report that, “among products”, they “look for another large gasoline build (+4.4 million barrels), with distillate (+1.3 million barrels) and jet stocks (+1.9 million barrels) also higher”. “We model implied demand for these

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NSTA Fines CNOOC for Unauthorized Venting

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has fined CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited $152,593 (GBP 125,000) for venting without consent at the company’s Buzzard field, 60 miles northeast of Aberdeen in Scotland. The NSTA said in a statement that venting was done on two separate occasions in two weeks. Venting is when gas, primarily methane, is emitted directly into the atmosphere without combustion. In May 2022, CNOOC detected a leak in the line that supplies fuel needed to keep the flame lit on Buzzard’s flare stack. CNOOC shut off the fuel line and began venting excess gas into the atmosphere unignited. The company confirmed to the NSTA in June 2022 that it had breached the annual consent for Buzzard, “only to continue venting until a fault with a generator led to production operations shutting down” in the same month, the regulator said. CNOOC then restarted production and export activities from Buzzard and further venting took place due to a faulty valve on the fuel gas system, according to the statement. The NSTA stated that between May 31 and June 13, 2022, CNOOC exceeded its annual venting limit for Buzzard by a total of 435.13 metric tons of gas. The regulator gave revised consent on June 14, 2022, bringing Buzzard back in compliance for any further venting for the rest of the year. The regulator noted that the company “cooperated throughout the investigation and introduced measures to prevent recurrences, including improved monitoring and a new approach to consent applications”. Previously, CNOOC had only requested consent to vent minimal volumes of gas, as venting was uncommon on Buzzard, according to the statement. Jane de Lozey, NSTA Director of Regulation, said, “North Sea operators have taken up the challenge of cutting flaring and venting, almost halving emissions from these processes since 2018. However, at

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Nigeria Plans 2.1 MMbd of Oil Production This Year

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is aiming for an oil production of at least 2.1 million barrels a day (MMbd) for 2025, its chief executive told the senate. Nigeria currently has 32 rigs, doubled from 2021, NUPRC Chief Executive Engr Gbenga Komolafe said before the Senate Committee on Appropriation when presenting the NUPRC’s achievements since its formation in 2021, according to a press release by the Commission. On November 14, 2024, Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd. (NNPC) said Nigeria’s hydrocarbon production ramped up to 1.8 MMbd of oil and 7.4 billion cubic feet per day of gas, with the possibility of crude production increasing to two MMbd by the end of 2024. The level grew from 1.43 MMbd last June, according to NNPC. The national oil and gas company put online several upstream projects last year. It said May 12, 2024, it had started production at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 in the Niger Delta. OML 13 started up at a rate of 6,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), expected to increase to 40,000 bopd before the end of May. NNPC earlier said it had put online the Madu field and restarted production in the Awoba field, adding a combined 32,000 bpd to Nigeria’s output capacity. Both are also in the Niger Delta. Madu is expected to average 20,000 bpd, NNPC said in a news release April 19, 2024. Meanwhile, Awoba restarted production at an initial rate of 8,000 bpd, expected to scale up to as much as 12,000 bpd within a few weeks, NNPC said April 23, 2024. On September 9, 2024, NNPC said its joint venture with Chevron Corp. is targeting to reach production of 165,000 bopd by the end of 2024 after converting their licenses under the terms of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

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SPE Aberdeen Officially Announces 2025 OAA Finalists

In a release sent to Rigzone on Tuesday, SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Aberdeen Section officially announced the finalists for this year’s Offshore Achievement Awards (OAA). The OAAs recognize outstanding achievements in the energy industry, according to SPE Aberdeen’s website, which notes that the awards “give recognition to the superlative achievements of those who go above and beyond in the energy sector”. The OAAs will take place on March 13 at the P&J Live in Aberdeen this year, the release highlighted. It pointed out that this iteration of the OAAs will mark the 38th time the awards ceremony has taken place. “This year’s event saw the introduction of two new awards and a record number of applicants across all award categories,” SPE Aberdeen noted in the release. The full list of finalists for this year’s event can be seen below: Emerging Technology BP Cavitas Energy Hydrafact Ltd Field Proven Technology Seek Ops TechnipFMC Zelim Collaboration Bp/Weatherford Score Group Wood Sustainability ASCO J+S Subsea TWMA Skills Development 3t Training Services Aberdeenshire Council Foundation Apprenticeships BP Stats Group Offshore Workplace of Choice Bumi Armada Harbour – Lomond Platform Ithaca Serica – Bruce Platform Inclusivity Champion Stork Eilidh Reid, TAQA Well Completions Weatherford Industry Expert Mike Smith, BP Michael Laird, Enermech Fraser Thomson, Oceaneering Dr Rachel Gavey, sustain:able Professor Jon Gluyas, The National Geothermal Centre Young Professional Nandini Nagra, BP Dr Callan Noble, Fennex Stuart Hamilton, Fugro Hamish Adamson, Harlyn Solutions Darrell Lines, Integrity HSE Tanya Gill, PBS Alex McAuley, TAQA UK Industry Returner/Transferer Gypsy Castillo, Harbour Energy Shabnum Hanif, IntrospeXion Mariana Yarnold, PBS Laura Beaton, Wood SPE Aberdeen noted in the release that the Significant Contribution Award will be announced on the evening of this year’s awards ceremony. “The caliber of entries this year has been truly outstanding,” Graham Dallas, Chair of the

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Norway Awards 53 Offshore Hydrocarbon Production Licenses

Norway’s Energy Ministry on Tuesday awarded 53 hydrocarbon production leases on the country’s continental shelf under last year’s licensing round. A total of 20 firms, out of 21 that applied under the 2024 Awards in Pre-Defined Areas (APA), were offered ownership interests. Thirteen companies were offered one or more operatorships, according to a list published on the ministry’s website. “Continued development of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) is important for employment, value creation, and the ripple effects of petroleum activities on the mainland going forward”, Energy Minister Terje Aasland said in a statement. “We need new discoveries to ensure that Norway can remain a stable and predictable supplier of oil and gas to Europe. It is therefore very positive to see such great interest in new exploration areas”. Thirty-three of the new licenses are on Norway’s side of the North Sea. Nineteen are in the Norwegian Sea, while one is in the Norwegian portion of the Barents Sea. The Nordic nation, the top gas supplier for Europe having overtaken Russia since 2022, holds about 7.1 billion standard cubic meters of oil equivalent remaining resources in its continental shelf. The figure includes 3.5 billion standard cubic meters of oil equivalent undiscovered resources, according to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate’s 2024 “Resource Report”. Aker BP ASA has the most operatorships, numbering 16, among the 2024 APA winners. It is a participant in a total of 19 licenses under the 2024 APA. Fornebu, Norway-based Aker BP said in a separate online statement it plans to start drilling in the former Frigg field, which is among its new NCS operatorships, in the second quarter. “Phasing in oil and gas from new discoveries will be crucial to ensuring long-term activity on the shelf”, said Per Øyvind Seljebotn, senior vice president for exploration and reservoir development at

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8 Trends That Will Shape the Data Center Industry In 2025

What lies ahead for the data center industry in 2025? At Data Center Frontier, our eyes are always on the horizon, and we’re constantly talking with industry thought leaders to get their take on key trends. Our Magic 8 Ball prognostications did pretty well last year, so now it’s time to look ahead at what’s in store for the industry over the next 12 months, as we identify eight themes that stand to shape the data center business going forward. We’ll be writing in more depth about many of these trends, but this list provides a view of the topics that we believe will be most relevant in 2025. A publication about the future frontiers of data centers and AI shouldn’t be afraid to put it’s money where its mouth is, and that’s why we used AI tools to help research and compose this year’s annual industry trends forecast. The article is meant to be a bit encyclopedic in the spirit of a digest, less than an exactly prescriptive forecast – although we try to go there as well. The piece contains some dark horse trends. Do we think immersion cooling is going to explode this year, suddenly giving direct-to-chip a run for its money? Not exactly. But do we think that, given the enormous and rapidly expanding parameters of the AI and HPC boom, the sector for immersion cooling could see some breakthroughs this year? Seems reasonable. Ditto for the trends forecasting natural gas and quantum computing advancements. Such topics are definitely on the horizon and highly visible on the frontier of data centers, so we’d better learn more about them, was our thought. Because as borne out by recent history, data center industry trends that start at the bleeding edge (pun intended – also, on the list) sometimes

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Podcast: Data Center and AI Sustainability Imperatives with iMasons Climate Accord Executive Director, Miranda Gardiner

Miranda was a featured speaker at last September’s inaugural Data Center Frontier Trends Summit. The call for speakers is now open for this year’s event, which will be held again in Reston, Virginia from Aug. 26-28. DCF Show Podcast Quotes from Miranda Gardiner, Executive Director, iMasons Climate Accord On Her Career Journey and Early Passion for Sustainability:   – “My goals have always been kind of sustainability, affordable housing. I shared a story last week on a panel that my mother even found a yearbook of me from my elementary school years. The question that year was like, what do you hope for the future? And mine was there’d be no pollution and everyone would have a home.” On Transitioning to Data Centers:   – “We started to see this mission-critical focus in facilities like data centers, airports, and healthcare buildings. For me, connecting sustainability into the performance of the building made data centers the perfect match.” Overview of the iMasons Climate Accord:   – “The iMasons Climate Accord is an initiative started in 2022. The primary focus is emission reductions, and the only requirement to join is having an emission reduction strategy.”   – “This year, we refined our roadmap to include objectives such as having a climate strategy, incentivizing low-GHG materials like green concrete, and promoting equity by supporting small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses.” On Industry Collaboration and Leadership:   – “This year, through the Climate Accord, we issued a call to action on the value of environmental product declarations (EPDs). It was signed by AWS, Digital Realty, Google, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, and Meta—talk about a big initiative and impact!” On EPDs and Carbon Disclosure:   – “EPDs provide third-party verification of materials coming into buildings. Pairing that with the Open Compute Project’s carbon disclosure labels on equipment creates vast opportunities for transparency and

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Accelsius and iM Data Centers Demo Next-Gen Cooling and Sustainability at Miami Data Center

Miami Data Center Developments Update Miami has recently witnessed several significant developments and investments in its data center sector, underscoring the city’s growing importance as a digital infrastructure hub. Notable projects include: Project Apollo:  A proposed 15-megawatt (MW), two-story, 75,000-square-foot data center in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. With an estimated investment of $150 million, construction is slated to commence between 2026 and 2027. The development team has prior experience with major companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Iron Mountain.  RadiusDC’s Acquisition of Miami I:  In August 2024, RadiusDC acquired the Miami I data center located in the Sweetwater area. Spanning 170,000 square feet across two stories, the facility currently offers 3.2MW of capacity, with plans to expand to 9.2 MW by the first half of 2026. The carrier-neutral facility provides connectivity to 11 fiber optic and network service providers.  Iron Mountain’s MIA-1 Data Center: Iron Mountain is developing a 150,000-square-foot, 16 MW data center on a 3.4-acre campus in Central North West Miami. The facility, known as MIA-1, is scheduled to open in 2026 and aims to serve enterprises, cloud providers, and large-scale users in South Florida. It will feature fiber connections to other Iron Mountain facilities and a robust pipeline of carriers and software-defined networks.  EDGNEX’s Investment Plans:  As of this month, Dubai, UAE-based EDGNEX has announced plans to invest $20 billion in the U.S. data center market, with the potential to double this investment. This plan includes a boutique condo project in Miami, estimated to have a $1 billion gross development value, indicating a significant commitment to the region’s digital infrastructure.  All of these developments highlight Miami’s strategic position as a connectivity hub, particularly serving as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. The city’s data center market is characterized by steady growth, with a focus on retail colocation and

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Tract Capital Unveils Fleet Data Centers, Specializing In 500 MW+ Build-to-Suit Megacampuses

Tract Capital has announced the launch of Fleet Data Centers, a new platform dedicated to the development of mega-scale data center campuses with capacities of 500 MW or more, specifically designed for single-user customers.  The initiative is led by Grant van Rooyen, CEO of Tract Capital and Executive Chairman of Fleet Data Centers, and Chris Vonderhaar, the newly appointed President of Fleet Data Centers.  Vonderhaar brings extensive experience to the role, having served as Vice President of Demand and Supply Management at Google Cloud and as a senior leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS) for over a decade, where he oversaw the design, planning, construction, and operation of AWS’s global data center platform.  The Fleet leadership team also includes veterans from hyperscalers, wholesale data center providers, network infrastructure firms, and equipment vendors, with a collective track record of deploying dozens of gigawatts of data center capacity across hundreds of facilities globally. A Two Prong Strategy Defining two distinct strategies, Fleet is the mega-campus vertical development arm of Tract Capital, an alternative asset manager specializing in scaling digital infrastructure, which also operates Tract to refine development sites at ground level for data centers in terms of lining up power, fiber, zoning and entitlements.  Fleet Data Centers will aim to address the next phase of hyperscale data center growth by offering customized gigawatt-level campuses that provide predictability, flexibility, and scalability for hyperscalers navigating increasing infrastructure demands. This new venture from Tract Capital underscores the growing need for innovative, large-scale digital infrastructure solutions, particularly as hyperscalers face mounting challenges in scaling their global platforms to meet the demands of the digital age. The unveiling of Fleet is just another example of the way Tract Capital has consistently demonstrated its expertise in accelerating the scaling of responsible technology infrastructure, combining operational capabilities from industry

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Call for Speakers: Second Annual Data Center Frontier Trends Summit, Aug. 26-28, Reston, VA

Data Center Frontier (DCF) is excited to announce the Call for Speakers for our highly anticipated second annual Data Center Frontier Trends Summit, set to take place from August 26-28, 2025 in Reston, Virginia.  This premier industry event will once again bring together the brightest minds and leaders in the data center and digital infrastructure sectors to explore cutting-edge trends shaping the future of the industry.   Submit Speaking Proposals Here The DCF Trends Summit focuses on delivering deep insights and actionable knowledge for professionals navigating the evolving challenges and opportunities in data center innovation, energy efficiency, sustainability, and advanced technology integration. This year’s event will feature keynote speakers, expert panels, and interactive discussions on topics such as AI workloads, modular and edge computing, renewable energy strategies, and the global expansion of hyperscale facilities.   Call for Papers Details The DCF Trends Summit welcomes paper submissions on a wide range of relevant topics, including but not limited to: Emerging Trends:  AI, machine learning, and edge computing in data center operations. Power: Utility and substation power, renewables and behind-the-meter onsite, battery backup, energy storage. Sustainability:  Innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, and sustainable design. Technology Innovations:  Next-gen cooling systems, advanced automation, and breakthroughs in network infrastructure. National & Global Perspectives:  Regional market dynamics for site selection and regulation plus strategies for addressing evolving customer needs and workforce development.   View the Full DCF Trends ‘Topics of Interest’ Listing Industry professionals, researchers, and thought leaders are encouraged to submit papers that reflect their expertise, insights, and forward-looking perspectives. Submissions should align with the core themes of the Summit and provide actionable takeaways for attendees.   The deadline for paper submissions is January 29, 2025. All speakers will receive complimentary registration and the opportunity to share their work with a diverse audience

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UAE company to invest $20B in U.S. AI data centers

A United Arab Emirates investment firm has pledged $20 billion to build new data centers targeting AI across a number of locations across the United States. Billionaire Hussain Sajwani, CEO and founder of the property development company DAMAC Properties in Dubai, made the announcement at president-elect Donald Trump’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Sajwani is a close friend of Trump, according to news reports. Trump said the first phase of the planned investment will take place in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. And that’s just for starters. “They may go double, or even somewhat more than double, that amount of money,” Trump said of the deal.

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Microsoft will invest $80B in AI data centers in fiscal 2025

And Microsoft isn’t the only one that is ramping up its investments into AI-enabled data centers. Rival cloud service providers are all investing in either upgrading or opening new data centers to capture a larger chunk of business from developers and users of large language models (LLMs).  In a report published in October 2024, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that demand for generative AI would push Microsoft, AWS, Google, Oracle, Meta, and Apple would between them devote $200 billion to capex in 2025, up from $110 billion in 2023. Microsoft is one of the biggest spenders, followed closely by Google and AWS, Bloomberg Intelligence said. Its estimate of Microsoft’s capital spending on AI, at $62.4 billion for calendar 2025, is lower than Smith’s claim that the company will invest $80 billion in the fiscal year to June 30, 2025. Both figures, though, are way higher than Microsoft’s 2020 capital expenditure of “just” $17.6 billion. The majority of the increased spending is tied to cloud services and the expansion of AI infrastructure needed to provide compute capacity for OpenAI workloads. Separately, last October Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said his company planned total capex spend of $75 billion in 2024 and even more in 2025, with much of it going to AWS, its cloud computing division.

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John Deere unveils more autonomous farm machines to address skill labor shortage

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Self-driving tractors might be the path to self-driving cars. John Deere has revealed a new line of autonomous machines and tech across agriculture, construction and commercial landscaping. The Moline, Illinois-based John Deere has been in business for 187 years, yet it’s been a regular as a non-tech company showing off technology at the big tech trade show in Las Vegas and is back at CES 2025 with more autonomous tractors and other vehicles. This is not something we usually cover, but John Deere has a lot of data that is interesting in the big picture of tech. The message from the company is that there aren’t enough skilled farm laborers to do the work that its customers need. It’s been a challenge for most of the last two decades, said Jahmy Hindman, CTO at John Deere, in a briefing. Much of the tech will come this fall and after that. He noted that the average farmer in the U.S. is over 58 and works 12 to 18 hours a day to grow food for us. And he said the American Farm Bureau Federation estimates there are roughly 2.4 million farm jobs that need to be filled annually; and the agricultural work force continues to shrink. (This is my hint to the anti-immigration crowd). John Deere’s autonomous 9RX Tractor. Farmers can oversee it using an app. While each of these industries experiences their own set of challenges, a commonality across all is skilled labor availability. In construction, about 80% percent of contractors struggle to find skilled labor. And in commercial landscaping, 86% of landscaping business owners can’t find labor to fill open positions, he said. “They have to figure out how to do

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2025 playbook for enterprise AI success, from agents to evals

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for enterprise AI. The past year has seen rapid innovation, and this year will see the same. This has made it more critical than ever to revisit your AI strategy to stay competitive and create value for your customers. From scaling AI agents to optimizing costs, here are the five critical areas enterprises should prioritize for their AI strategy this year. 1. Agents: the next generation of automation AI agents are no longer theoretical. In 2025, they’re indispensable tools for enterprises looking to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions. Unlike traditional software, agents powered by large language models (LLMs) can make nuanced decisions, navigate complex multi-step tasks, and integrate seamlessly with tools and APIs. At the start of 2024, agents were not ready for prime time, making frustrating mistakes like hallucinating URLs. They started getting better as frontier large language models themselves improved. “Let me put it this way,” said Sam Witteveen, cofounder of Red Dragon, a company that develops agents for companies, and that recently reviewed the 48 agents it built last year. “Interestingly, the ones that we built at the start of the year, a lot of those worked way better at the end of the year just because the models got better.” Witteveen shared this in the video podcast we filmed to discuss these five big trends in detail. Models are getting better and hallucinating less, and they’re also being trained to do agentic tasks. Another feature that the model providers are researching is a way to use the LLM as a judge, and as models get cheaper (something we’ll cover below), companies can use three or more models to

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OpenAI’s red teaming innovations define new essentials for security leaders in the AI era

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More OpenAI has taken a more aggressive approach to red teaming than its AI competitors, demonstrating its security teams’ advanced capabilities in two areas: multi-step reinforcement and external red teaming. OpenAI recently released two papers that set a new competitive standard for improving the quality, reliability and safety of AI models in these two techniques and more. The first paper, “OpenAI’s Approach to External Red Teaming for AI Models and Systems,” reports that specialized teams outside the company have proven effective in uncovering vulnerabilities that might otherwise have made it into a released model because in-house testing techniques may have missed them. In the second paper, “Diverse and Effective Red Teaming with Auto-Generated Rewards and Multi-Step Reinforcement Learning,” OpenAI introduces an automated framework that relies on iterative reinforcement learning to generate a broad spectrum of novel, wide-ranging attacks. Going all-in on red teaming pays practical, competitive dividends It’s encouraging to see competitive intensity in red teaming growing among AI companies. When Anthropic released its AI red team guidelines in June of last year, it joined AI providers including Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, and even the U.S.’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which all had released red teaming frameworks. Investing heavily in red teaming yields tangible benefits for security leaders in any organization. OpenAI’s paper on external red teaming provides a detailed analysis of how the company strives to create specialized external teams that include cybersecurity and subject matter experts. The goal is to see if knowledgeable external teams can defeat models’ security perimeters and find gaps in their security, biases and controls that prompt-based testing couldn’t find. What makes OpenAI’s recent papers noteworthy is how well they define using human-in-the-middle

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