James Riley

Sydney, Ultimo

Editorial Director at InnovationAus, providing news and commentary on public policy in the tech and innovation sectors. Cycles for sanity :)

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Articles

Zuck testifies, disputes US antitrust case about Insta, WhatsApp

1 week ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley |Jody Godoy |Katie Paul

Meta Platforms chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has taken the stand at a high-stakes trial in Washington over US antitrust enforcers’ claims that the company spent billions of dollars to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp to fend off Facebook competitors.
South Korea unveils US$23b support package for semiconductors

1 week ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley |Yim Hyun-su |Jihoon Lee

The South Korea government has increased its support package for the country’s semiconductor industry to ₩33 trillion (US$23.25 billion), up about 25 per cent from a ₩26 trillion package unveiled last year. The measures come in response to calls on the government to expand support at a time of growing policy uncertainty under the current US administration and rising competition from Chinese rivals, the government said in a statement.
Cybersecurity industry silent as Trump turns on SentinelOne

1 week ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley |Raphael Satter

The cybersecurity industry has gone mostly quiet after President Donald Trump took action against one of its prominent members. Trump on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of security clearances of SentinelOne executives and employees, part of a campaign to use the might of the US government to crush his political opponents. SentinelOne’s offense was hiring former Trump appointee Chris Krebs as chief intelligence and public policy officer.
Gas guzzler: xAI cranks up data centre turbines without permits

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Elon Musk’s xAI has nearly doubled gas turbines at its Tennessee data centre, exceeding previously known figures and surpassing the number for which the company has submitted permits, according to a letter from community groups to local health authorities. The Southern Environmental Law Center and others have called on the health department to cease operating all the turbines till the company complies with the critical Clean Air Act and local protections.
Lightmatter shows new type of chip may reduce AI energy use

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Silicon Valley startup Lightmatter said on Wednesday it had developed a new type of computer chip that could both speed up artificial intelligence work and use less electricity in the process. Valued at US$4.4 billion (A$7.1 billion) after raising $850 million in venture capital, Lightmatter is one of a number of companies seeking to use beams of light, rather than electronic signals, to move data around more quickly between computers.
Europeans move to supercharge AI capability, ease regulation

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

The European Union will spend €200 billion (A$366 billion) supercharging its AI development and deployment capabilities, investing in a new generation of AI data centres and relaxing AI regulation. The massive investment announced on Wednesday is aimed at improving Europe’s competitive position in artificial intelligence with the US, boosting the continent’s domestic AI capacity and capability.
‘Urgent action’ needed on life sciences and medical research

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Two of Australia’s leading life sciences and biotech associations have called on all political parties to address the challenges of commercialising locally developed products and services as an election policy priority.
Andreessen Horowitz to raise $33.5 billion AI megafund

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is seeking to raise about US$20 billion ($33.5 billion) in what will be the largest fund in its history, to capitalise on global investors’ interest in backing US artificial intelligence companies, industry sources have revealed.
‘Just get out of the way’ is a tech industry cop out

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

When a tech industry chief executive as successful and respected as Atlassian’s Mike Cannon-Brookes speaks on the record with advice for the government, you feel compelled to listen. But when the advice is as fatuous as telling government it should “just get out of the way,” it’s hard not to be underwhelmed. What does that even mean? What does a government getting out of the way look like? How does it manifest? Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.
White House orders expansion in US government use of AI

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Donald Trump’s Executive Office has ordered federal agencies to name a chief AI officer, develop strategies for expanding their use of artificial intelligence, and to make the purchase of American AI products and services a chief priority. The memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Tuesday (AEST) puts into effect an executive order Mr Trump signed in his first week at the White House, effectively ending the Biden-era orders aimed at putting safeguards on the use of AI technology.