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SoftBank's Masayoshi Son sees fusion power as key to AI's future

The Japan Times

Masayoshi Son speaks at an annual SoftBank World event in Tokyo on Tuesday. SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son said that in the not-so-distant future, nuclear fusion technology will offer the most realistic solution for powering AI data centers' ballooning needs. Natural gas will provide the bulk of data centers' power needs for the time being, Son said Tuesday. But he predicted that nuclear fusion -- the process by which the sun and other stars generate energy -- has a role to play, predicting the world will need 3 terawatts of data center capacity in 2040. Many technological and financial challenges remain for fusion technology to become a viable energy source, however, according to BloombergNEF. "Fusion will become the main source of a new kind of cheaper, clean and safe energy here on Earth," said Son, 68, at an annual SoftBank World event in Tokyo.


Japan aims to protect image and voice rights from generative AI use

The Japan Times

Damage caused by the use of generative AI is becoming a serious concern, including from AI covers, in which people have AI tools learn the voices of singers and voice actors, and sing songs using the professionals' voices. The Justice Ministry has come up with a draft report calling for the protection of the voices and images of famous individuals as the use of generative artificial intelligence grows. The draft report on civil responsibility over the unauthorized use of portraits and voices of famous people was submitted to an expert committee Monday. The ministry will release a final report as early as August after receiving expert feedback. Many things remain unclear regarding what constitutes the illegal use of voices, as no Japanese court ruling has been issued on related rights. The ministry said that it hopes the final report will be used as a reference in lawsuits and AI development.


How is the US tech industry regulated?

Al Jazeera

Inside Story How is the US tech industry regulated? How is the US tech industry regulated? Apple is taking on OpenAI in court. The tech giant has filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company for what it calls pervasive theft. OpenAI has denied the accusations.


Ukrainian prime minister resigns in Zelenskyy shake-up

FOX News

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Explosions and large fires following Ukrainian attacks on Russia

Al Jazeera

Is the war entering a new phase? Surveillance video shows an explosion in a residential area near Russia's capital following overnight Ukrainian drone attacks. Ukrainian strikes have also caused a large fire in southern Russia. Israel releases video of hidden tunnels below Lebanon's Beaufort Castle


New Iran strikes on Gulf as US attacks escalate: What we know

Al Jazeera

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has targeted US military facilities in Bahrain, claimed it has destroyed radar systems in Oman and hit Jordan and Kuwait in its latest round of overnight retaliatory strikes against the United States. Tehran's attacks on Monday came as a response to Washington's escalating strikes as prospects of peace between the two countries recede. Where were the latest Iran attacks? The IRGC said it attacked Oman as part of its latest phase of retaliation. It said it targeted "the FPS long-range aerial radar and the vessel detection radar in Oman", adding that these radar systems were destroyed.


Six out of 10 in Japan using generative AI to plan summer trips, survey finds

The Japan Times

More people are using generative artificial intelligence to make travel plans for their summer vacation and letting their children use the technology when doing their homework during summer holidays. Six out of 10 people who responded to a survey on this year's summer holidays said they are using generative artificial intelligence to make travel plans. The survey, conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance on 1,120 people in their 20s to 50s in June, showed that 61.2% of those planning to travel in Japan or abroad refer to generative AI to make travel itineraries, as well as obtain information on local food and transportation. "The main tool people use for planning trips and doing research when they get there is shifting from travel guidebooks to generative AI," the firm said. Asked how they plan to spend their summer holidays, 58.4% said they are going out, down by 6.3 percentage points from last year. The rate of those traveling in Japan was 57.6%, up by 1 percentage point, while the ratio of those traveling overseas halved from 13.5% last year to 6.4%.


OpenAI, Meta, SpaceXAI compete for more cost-efficient AI models

The Japan Times

Tech companies' renewed emphasis on cost coincides with business customers scrutinizing AI spending. Three prominent artificial intelligence developers released new models over the past week. They all promise to be more advanced, but their biggest immediate selling point may not be what they can do, but how little they charge to do it. OpenAI said its most advanced offering, GPT-5.6, is designed to complete more work while using significantly fewer tokens, a unit of data processed by AI models. This will make the software far more cost efficient for customers. Grok 4.5, from Elon Musk's SpaceXAI, is billed as having twice the token efficiency as comparable models from other firms.


'They don't need people': the workers left behind by China's robot drive

The Japan Times

'They don't need people': the workers left behind by China's robot drive KUNSHAN, China - The park was in the center of China's richest county. Willow trees clustered around a well-manicured pond. Joggers in performance gear circled shiny new playgrounds filled with children. But in a quieter part of the park, Hu Xinbing was resting after another day of trying, unsuccessfully, to win his share of the local prosperity. After failing to find a job that morning, Hu, 31, lay behind some bushes, using a windbreaker as a pillow, and waited until he could try again the next day. Around him, about a dozen other out-of-work men had claimed their own corners of the park in Kunshan, about 30 miles outside Shanghai, dozing on benches or inside tents.


The Papers: Burnham's 'bumper Budget' and Widdecombe murder 'not political'

BBC News

Image caption, Andy Burnham is exploring holding an expanded Budget this autumn to set out strategic priorities, reports the Financial Times. New strikes on Iran by the US pose biggest test for interim deal, it headlines. Image caption, As part of Burnham's Budget, the Telegraph reports he has a plan for £38bn tax raid. The paper leads with the latest in the murder of Ann Widdecombe, saying that the suspect drove 300 miles to her house. Image caption, The Metro also leads with the Widdecombe murder, leading on police comments that the killing was not political.