O2 Telefonica, Tech Mahindra & Nvidia to Build Generative AI for Telecom Operations
O2 Telefonica is partnering with Tech Mahindra and Nvidia to develop a generative AI model designed to revolutionize telecom network operations. The “Large Telco Model” (LTM) aims to significantly improve operational efficiency and customer service reliability. This advanced system will empower technicians to identify network disruptions faster and coordinate field operations more effectively. Built on Nvidia’s AI Enterprise software, the model leverages agent-based AI specifically tailored for the telecommunications sector. This initiative is a key part of O2 Telefonica’s strategy to pioneer data-driven and autonomous network management in Germany.
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OpenAI Acquires Statsig, Appointing Vijaye Raji as New Applications CTO
OpenAI has announced its acquisition of Statsig, a product analytics and A/B testing software company. In a significant leadership change, Statsig’s CEO, Vijaye Raji, will join OpenAI as the new Chief Technology Officer of Applications. This strategic acquisition, announced on September 2, 2025, is expected to bolster OpenAI’s application development and enhance its product strategy across its suite of AI tools.
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University of Surrey Develops PEnG AI for GPS-less Autonomous Vehicle Navigation
Researchers at the University of Surrey have created a groundbreaking AI system named PEnG (Pose-Enhanced Geo-Localisation) that enables precise device location in dense urban environments without GPS. The system achieves remarkable accuracy by fusing satellite and ground-level imagery, significantly reducing localization errors. PEnG uses a two-step process: it first narrows down the location to the street level and then refines the position using relative pose estimation. This technology is a game-changer for autonomous vehicles (AVs) and other navigation systems operating in GPS-denied areas like tunnels or “urban canyons.” The research has been made open source to accelerate innovation in autonomous navigation.
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Skana Robotics Launches Bull Shark ASV and Stingray AUV for Autonomous Maritime Missions
Defense-tech innovator Skana Robotics has unveiled a new class of autonomous maritime systems, introducing the Bull Shark Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) and the Stingray Autonomous Underwater Vessel (AUV). The Bull Shark is a tactical ASV engineered for diverse missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and interdiction, boasting a 150 kg payload capacity and a top speed of 50 knots. The Stingray is a deep-sea AUV designed for ISR, anti-submarine warfare, and critical infrastructure protection, capable of operating at depths of 300 meters. Both platforms are software-defined, mission-adaptive, and can operate fully autonomously or via remote control. Skana has already secured initial orders for these next-generation systems.
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AMP-Diffusion: Generative AI from UPenn Designs Novel Antibiotics
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed AMP-Diffusion, a generative AI model that can design entirely new synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from scratch. The model generated tens of thousands of unique peptide sequences. Two of these were synthesized and successfully treated skin infections in mice, showing efficacy comparable to existing FDA-approved antibiotics. This research provides a powerful proof-of-concept for using generative AI to create novel molecules that follow biological rules. AMP-Diffusion is built on a diffusion model, similar to image generators, but refines amino acid strings instead of pixels. It integrates Meta’s pre-trained ESM-2 protein language model to efficiently generate biologically viable sequences.
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Google Updates Gemini AI with Enhanced Productivity and Creative Features
Google is rolling out a significant update to its Gemini suite of generative AI models, introducing new features focused on productivity, creativity, and learning. This update aims to position Gemini as a comprehensive AI platform for both personal and professional use. New capabilities include guided learning modules, productivity planners, and deeper integration with smartwatches. For creative professionals, the Gemini app now features the ‘Nano Banana’ image editing model, allowing users to modify images with simple text prompts. This strategic enhancement sharpens Google’s competitive edge against rivals like Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
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Kubernetes 1.34 ‘Of Wind & Will’ Released with 58 Major Enhancements
The official release of Kubernetes v1.34, codenamed “Of Wind & Will”, is now available, delivering 58 significant enhancements. This version promotes 23 features to stable, moves 22 to beta, and introduces 13 new alpha features. A key milestone is the graduation of Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) to General Availability (GA), enabling advanced management of specialized hardware like GPUs and FPGAs. Other major updates include improved pod-level resource management, more efficient scheduler requeueing, and finer control over pod replacement for Jobs. Notably, this release extends graceful node shutdown handling to Windows nodes, a critical feature previously exclusive to Linux.
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IQM Quantum Computers Secures Record $320M Series B for Global Expansion
IQM Quantum Computers has closed a $320 million Series B funding round, the largest ever for a quantum computing company in Europe and outside the US. This brings IQM’s total financing to $600 million. The round was led by US-based cybersecurity investment firm Ten Eleven Ventures. The new capital will fuel IQM’s expansion in the U.S. and other global markets and accelerate its roadmap toward building error-corrected quantum systems capable of scaling from thousands to millions of qubits. Specializing in superconducting quantum computers, IQM has already sold over 13 full-stack systems to scientific computing centers for integration with supercomputers.
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