Ancient Olympia to be preserved digitally

Published

4 years ago

November 12, 2021

Greek Government is partnering with Microsoft to create a virtual reality experience

Ancient Olympia will no longer be vulnerable to weathering and ageing as it adopts virtual reality to becomes digitally preserved.

In a deal between the Greek Government and Microsoft… artificial intelligence will be used to map the site… and augmented reality to restore it to its original state.

Viewers will be able to explore the original home of the Olympic Games as it was 2,000 years ago.

This comes as Microsoft attempts to create its own metaverse, following Facebook’s transition to Meta.

Microsoft teams recently announced a metaverse for meetings and is considering the same transition for Minecraft and other games.

The move will allow people to tour the site remotely or in person with the use of an augmented-reality mobile app.

The Olympic Museum in Athens will allow visitors to wear HoloLens headsets that will overlay a digital version of the site.

27 monuments will be preserved virtually including the original Olympic Stadium, the temples of Zeus and Hera and the workshop of the renowned sculptor Phidias.

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips in new data centres

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips, tightening tech control and pushing for domestic AI innovation amid U.S. restrictions.

Published

1 hour ago

November 27, 2025

Harvey Vargas

China blocks ByteDance from using Nvidia chips, tightening tech control and pushing for domestic AI innovation amid U.S. restrictions.

Chinese regulators have moved to block ByteDance from deploying Nvidia chips in newly built data centres, tightening control over foreign technology used by major Chinese tech giants. The decision comes after ByteDance made substantial purchases of Nvidia hardware amid fears of shrinking supply from the United States.

Washington has already restricted the sale of advanced chips to China, allowing only weakened versions into the market. Beijing’s latest move reflects its push to reduce dependence on U.S. technology and accelerate home-grown AI innovation.

The ban places operational and financial pressure on ByteDance, which must now work around a growing pile of Nvidia chips it is no longer allowed to use. Domestic suppliers like Huawei are expected to step in as China intensifies its pursuit of tech self-reliance.
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Tech

OpenAI launches shopping research tool for ChatGPT users

OpenAI launches shopping research tool to enhance e-commerce experience ahead of holiday season spending boost

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Ahron Young

OpenAI launches shopping research tool to enhance e-commerce experience ahead of holiday season spending boost

In Short:
– OpenAI’s “shopping research” tool helps users find detailed shopping guides tailored to their preferences.
– Users can access Instant Checkout for purchases while ensuring user chats are not shared with retailers.

OpenAI has launched a new tool called “shopping research,” coinciding with an increase in consumer spending ahead of the holiday season.This tool is aimed at ChatGPT users seeking comprehensive shopping guides that detail top products, key differences, and the latest retailer information.

Users can customise their guides based on budget, features, and recipients. OpenAI notes that while the tool takes a few minutes to generate responses, users can still use ChatGPT for quicker queries like price checks.

When users ask specific prompts, such as finding a quiet cordless stick vacuum or a gift for a niece who loves art, the shopping research tool will appear automatically. It can also be accessed via the menu.

Shopping Research

OpenAI has been expanding its e-commerce capabilities, with the introduction of the Instant Checkout feature in September, enabling purchases directly through ChatGPT.

Soon, users of the shopping research tool will also be able to use Instant Checkout for making purchases.

OpenAI assures that shopping research results are derived from publicly available retail websites and will not disclose user chats to retailers, although it does warn that inaccuracies may occur in product availability and pricing.

Shopping research is now available to OpenAI’s Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users logged into ChatGPT.

Tech

Big Tech’s record debt fuels AI infrastructure concerns

Big Tech raises over $120 billion in debt to fund AI infrastructure amidst market instability concerns

Published

5 days ago

November 22, 2025

Ahron Young

Big Tech raises over $120 billion in debt to fund AI infrastructure amidst market instability concerns

In Short:
– Major U.S. tech firms raised over $120 billion in debt for AI, replacing cash strategies, causing investor concerns.
– Significant bond issuance raised market credit spreads, with fears over debt sustainability and investment returns increasing volatility.

Major U.S. technology companies have raised over $120 billion in debt this year for artificial intelligence infrastructure, shifting from their traditional cash-funded strategies.

The change has generated concerns among investors regarding market stability and expected returns.In September, four prominent hyperscaler companies issued nearly $90 billion in public bonds. Alphabet raised $25 billion, Meta $30 billion, Oracle $18 billion, and Amazon $15 billion in its first U.S. dollar bond sale in three years.

Only Microsoft has avoided borrowing from debt markets recently. Total debt issuance has increased substantially from an average of $28 billion over the past five years.

The surge in debt has exacerbated U.S. investment-grade credit spread widening from 74 basis points in mid-September to 84 basis points in mid-November. Alphabet and Meta both paid around 10-15 basis points over their existing debt for these new offerings, indicating investor caution. Oracle’s long-term bonds have faced scrutiny, declining by about 8% and trading at 65 cents on the dollar, with some analysts predicting a potential downgrade to junk status.

Market Pressures

AI capital expenditure is expected to hit $600 billion by 2027, up from $200 billion in 2024. Despite significant borrowing, around 80-90% of planned expenditures rely on cash flows. The mounting debt concerns have contributed to market volatility.

Following Nvidia’s earnings report on November 19, stocks initially rallied before a sharp reversal, with the S&P 500 declining 3% this month due to doubts about AI investment returns.