The company announced the move on Wednesday during the ATx Summit in Singapore, where it also launched “OpenAI for Singapore”, a partnership with the country’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

Under the initiative, OpenAI said it will commit more than S$300 million to Singapore and create about 200 technical roles over the next few years.

The company added that Singapore will become one of its global bases for Forward-Deployed Engineers, teams that work directly with businesses and public institutions to deploy AI systems.

The new lab will support projects tied to Singapore’s national AI priorities, especially in public services, healthcare, finance and digital infrastructure.

Denise Dresser, chief revenue officer at OpenAI, said the company sees Singapore as a key market because of its technical talent and long-term AI ambitions.

“We’re excited to partner with Singapore as it builds on its position as a global leader in AI,” she said.

“Singapore has strong technical talent, trusted institutions, and a clear ambition to use AI to drive long-term growth and improve people’s lives.”

She added: “Through OpenAI for Singapore, we want to help more organisations benefit from frontier AI, support the next generation of local AI talent, and widen access to these tools across the country.”

Singapore has spent the past few years positioning itself as a neutral and trusted centre for AI development in Asia. The government has steadily increased spending on AI research and infrastructure while encouraging global technology firms to expand operations in the country.

Authorities earlier pledged S$1 billion between 2025 and 2030 to strengthen public AI research capabilities. Tech giants including Google, Nvidia, AWS and Microsoft have also announced AI-related investments and partnerships in Singapore.

Alongside the OpenAI AI Lab deal, Singapore recently unveiled a National AI Partnership with Google focused on education, healthcare and enterprise innovation. Nvidia is also establishing a new AI research lab in the country to work with universities and government agencies.

The partnership with OpenAI will also include education and workforce programmes. OpenAI said it plans to work with Singapore’s Ministry of Education and GovTech on AI-powered learning tools, including support for Mother Tongue language learning.

The company will also launch a Singapore chapter of the OpenAI Academy, organise Codex hackathons for teachers and introduce a training programme for Forward-Deployed Engineers.

Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Digital Development and Information, Chng Kai Fong, said the partnership shows the government’s drive to prepare its workforce and economy for AI adoption.

“With AI reshaping economies, businesses and the workforce, Singapore’s response has been deliberate: growing new sectors, anchoring global frontier companies here, and equipping our people with the skills to thrive in this new environment,” he said.

“This partnership with OpenAI reflects the Government’s commitment to developing Singapore’s AI capabilities, strengthening enterprise adoption of AI, and securing good jobs for Singaporeans.”

OpenAI said it also plans to support smaller businesses and startups through workshops, accelerator programmes and practical AI adoption initiatives.

Countries are currently competing to attract AI investment, talent and infrastructure. Singapore is not left out, standing alongside hubs such as London, Dubai and Silicon Valley to lead AI development.

Recent data from Slack’s Workforce Index showed that about 52% of workers in Singapore already use AI tools in their jobs, underlining how quickly adoption is spreading across the country’s economy.

The post OpenAI to Launch First Overseas Applied AI Lab in Singapore, Invest S$300 Million appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The team received ₦2 million for their innovative solution, designed under this year’s theme: “From Data to Prevention: AI as Your Health Partner.”

The hackathon, now in its fourth edition, saw participation from Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech), Pan-Atlantic University, and the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The top 10 teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges, with awards distributed across the first five places.

Team Mannalon from Pan-Atlantic University took second place with ₦1 million, while Team Nibbles from LASUSTECH came third, receiving ₦500,000.

Fourth and fifth place winners were awarded ₦400,000 each, courtesy of Cavista Holdings Chairman, Niyi John Olajide.

In her opening remarks, Oyebola Morakinyo, general manager of Cavista Technologies, encouraged participants to push boundaries.

She said, “With technology evolving almost at the speed of light, hackathons remind us why pushing boundaries matters. We are not here just to host a competition, but to create a space for the visionaries who will define tomorrow.”

Morakinyo also reiterated Cavista’s focus on nurturing talent. “We always want to hire the best and the brightest. We want to ensure that talent is available here at Cavista Tech, talent that embodies our innovative corporate values and has the confidence to take on challenges anywhere in the industry.”

Delivering her message via the event’s jumbo screen, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, commended Cavista Technologies for enabling innovation and youth-led problem solving.

She said the hackathon empowers young Nigerians to transform their skills into solutions that drive economic growth and strengthen the nation’s creative ecosystem.

Participants tackled real-life issues through AI-powered preventive health solutions. Several teams developed apps, tools, and platforms aimed at monitoring health and predicting potential risks.

Beyond prizes, participants benefited from mentorship, networking opportunities, and exposure to the technology ecosystem. Special category awards were sponsored by event partners, including Fearless Energy Drink, Mouka Foam, Rite Foods, and Rack Centre.

The event stressed Cavista Technologies’ goal of cultivating the next generation of tech talent in Nigeria and providing pathways for innovation and career growth.

During a post-event interview, Oyebola Morakinyo spoke on the role of hackathons in skill development.

She said AI does not replace engineers but “multiplies the skill sets of human beings,” helping them remain relevant.

On retaining talent in Nigeria, she added, “One of the first things we are doing is we are giving them a voice. We’re engaging them, we’re making them relevant, we’re building their confidence, and we’re telling them that your knowledge, your skill set, is valid, not just locally, but on the world stage.”

Morakinyo also stressed the importance of innovation as a mindset rather than a department. “Innovation is how we operate every day, it’s how we deliver all our work,” she said. “We are preparing talents that are well-equipped, ready to enter the workforce with a problem-solving mindset and an ownership mindset.”

The 4th hackathon aligns with Cavista Technologies’ long-term strategy of investing in youth and technology.

With engineers and specialists across multiple continents, the company is providing state-of-the-art solutions while cultivating local talent in Nigeria’s tech sector.

The post LASU ByteBros Win 4th Cavista Hackathon with AI Health Innovations appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The interim order, issued on Wednesday by the Italian antitrust agency (AGCM), targets clauses that regulators say risk locking competitors out of WhatsApp. 

This is meant to prevent harm while the investigation runs its course, not to prejudge the outcome. Still, it lands heavily on Meta at a time when Europe is stepping up its monitoring of Big Tech companies, keeping a close eye on their policies and market influence.

AGCM first opened the case in July, focusing on how Meta integrated its own AI assistant into WhatsApp. In November, investigators widened the scope to include updated terms tied to WhatsApp’s business platform. 

By December 24, the watchdog concluded that immediate action was needed. Its concern is that Meta’s behaviour could limit output, choke access to the market, and slow technical progress in AI chatbot services, with knock-on effects for users.

“These contractual conditions completely exclude Meta AI’s competitors in the AI chatbot services market from the WhatsApp platform,” the regulator said. 

Given WhatsApp’s scale, that is important. With more than two billion users worldwide, exclusion from the platform can decide which tools survive and which never get traction.

A Meta spokesperson described the decision as “fundamentally flawed,” adding that the rise of AI chatbots “put a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support”. The company’s line is that opening WhatsApp more widely to third-party AI would risk stability and performance.

This is not just an Italian fight. The European Commission launched its own parallel investigation earlier this month, examining whether Meta’s policies breach EU competition rules across the bloc. 

If regulators ultimately find wrongdoing, penalties could reach up to 10% of Meta’s global annual turnover, a figure that runs into tens of billions.

The case fits the European pattern. Brussels and national authorities have taken tough action against Apple over App Store rules, Google over advertising technology, and Amazon over marketplace practices. 

The approach contrasts with the United States, where enforcement has been looser, drawing complaints from the administration of President Donald Trump that Europe is singling out American firms.

Italy’s watchdog says it is working closely with the European Commission to address Meta’s conduct “in the most effective manner”. 

The post Meta Ordered to Stop WhatsApp Terms That Block Rival AI Chatbots appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Apple’s surge came after its stock reached an all-time high of $269.20 before settling around $268.60, briefly pushing its market cap beyond $4 trillion. 

The company’s growth has been commendable, hitting $1 trillion in 2018, $2 trillion in 2020, and $3 trillion in 2022. 

Its latest increase was driven largely by strong sales of the iPhone 17 range, which analysts say is outselling previous models, particularly in China and India. 

The firm is also expected to report solid fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, with notable growth anticipated in services revenue, such as App Store, iCloud, and Apple Music, and wearables, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Vision Pro.

Microsoft, which had briefly slipped below the mark earlier this year, rebounded strongly following its renewed agreement with OpenAI. The deal has deepened the integration of OpenAI’s GPT models across Microsoft’s Azure and Copilot tools. 

According to the company, its 27% stake in OpenAI is now valued at approximately $135 billion, highlighting the scale of investor trust in the AI sector. 

Azure continues to be a central driver of Microsoft’s earnings, with enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and its Microsoft 365 Copilot suite pushing growth to new levels. The company will release its quarterly report on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nvidia continues to lead the trillion-dollar race. The chipmaker was the first to reach the $4 trillion milestone in July 2025 and is now nearing $5 trillion in valuation. 

Its performance has been driven by global demand for its H100 and B200 GPUs, key components in training large-scale AI models. Nvidia’s place in the AI hardware market has made it the fastest-growing tech stock of the year.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is not far behind, trading at a market capitalisation of around $3.25 trillion. If the current growth in AI and cloud services continues, it could soon join Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia and others in the $4 trillion valuation club.

The post Apple, Microsoft Each Hit $4 Trillion Valuation, Joining Nvidia appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Building on the success of previous grant programs, the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants will provide up to $2 million in funding to organisations worldwide.

The Llama 3.1 Impact Grants program invites proposals from organisations with ideas for using Llama 3.1 to address social challenges in their communities. 

Applications in areas such as economic development, science and innovation, public service and more will be given special consideration. Selected recipients will receive up to $500,000 and winners will be announced early next year.

Speaking about the grant, Kojo Boakye, vice president, Public Policy, Africa, the Middle East, and Turkiye, Meta commented, “We’re inspired by the diverse projects we’ve seen developers undertake around the world to positively impact their communities by building with Llama. We believe AI has more potential than any other modern technology to increase human productivity, creativity, and quality of life—and to accelerate economic growth while unlocking progress in medical and scientific research. 

“The Llama 3.1 Impact Grants program presents an opportunity to further empower organisations to leverage AI for social good and to drive meaningful change.”

To support prospective applicants, Meta will host a series of regional events, including virtual events, in-person hackathons, workshops, and training sessions in Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Korea, Latin America, North America, Pakistan, Singapore, Sub-Saharan Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. 

These events will provide technical guidance and mentorship, enabling the development of impactful applications of Llama 3.1 in local contexts. Organisations participating in these events will be eligible for additional specialised awards of up to $100,000.

The inaugural Llama Impact Grants, announced in October 2023, received over 800 applications from 90+ countries. The 20 finalists have submitted their final proposals, and the grant recipients will be announced in September, alongside the recipients of the Llama Impact Innovation Awards.

How to Apply

The application window for the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants is open from Monday, August 5, 2024, to Friday, November 22, 2024. Meta encourages eligible organisations to submit their proposals and take advantage of this opportunity to drive social impact through AI.  All proposals will be evaluated using the selection criteria here.

The post Meta Launches Llama 3.1 Impact Grants with $2 Million for AI-Driven Organisations Globally appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.