Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer faced pro-Palestinian protests at the company's 50th anniversary celebration event. A Microsoft employee, identified as Ibtihal Aboussad was seen raising pro-Palestine slogans while Mustafa Suleyman was present on the stage to provide updates on the company's AI assistant product, Copilo.
Read More | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-18-including-9-children-killed-in-zelenskys-hometown-moscow-says-was-targeting-military-8927675" rel="dofollow">Ukraine war: 18, including 9 children, killed in Zelensky's hometown, Moscow says was targeting 'military'</a>
"Mustafa, shame on you," Aboussad can be heard screaming on the videos doing rounds on social media.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m93p38kp-bdachkaw-r3r3iwn4">
🚨A Microsoft employee disrupted the company&rsquo;s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI. &ldquo;Shame on you,&rdquo; said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. &ldquo;You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/PdIqa6TSHo">pic.twitter.com/PdIqa6TSHo</a>
&mdash; Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/RamAbdu/status/1908268009614958981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Read More | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-kills-hamas-commander-in-lebanon-strike-expands-ground-offensive-in-gaza-8925247" rel="dofollow">Israel kills Hamas 'commander' in Lebanon strike, expands ground offensive in Gaza</a>
<h2>Ibtihal Aboussad's letter to Microsoft employees</h2>
After the event, as per multiple reports, she sent an email to hundreds or thousands of Microsoft employees stating that she had no moral choice when she learned that her organisation was powering the genocide of my people in Palestine.&nbsp;
She alleged that AI has powered surveillance and murder in Gaza. Condemning Microsoft for its deep ties with the Israeli military, she further wrote that Microsoft's data allows the military to be "more lethal and destructive in Gaza". She also added that Microsoft AI powers the most "sensitive and highly classified projects" for the Israeli military and Palestinian population registry.&nbsp;
Wion does not independently verify the authenticity of this letter.
Read More | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-pm-netanyahu-travels-to-hungary-in-open-defiance-of-icc-arrest-warrant-8919304" rel="dofollow">Israeli PM Netanyahu travels to Hungary in open defiance of ICC arrest warrant</a>
Another protesting Microsoft employee, identified as Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted another part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration during which Bill Gates, Ballmer and current CEO Satya Nadella were on stage.
As per reports, Microsoft did not comment on whether it would take further action in response to the protest.
Read More | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-in-touch-with-india-and-two-other-nations-to-negotiate-trade-deals-that-could-revise-tariffs-report-8927592" rel="dofollow">Trump in touch with India and two other nations to negotiate trade deals that could revise tariffs: Report</a> 
(With inputs from agencies)

Trending, world | Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer faced pro-Palestinian protests at an event

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer faced pro-Palestinian protests at the company's 50th anniversary celebration event. A Microsoft employee, identified as Ibtihal Aboussad was seen raising pro-Palestine slogans while Mustafa Suleyman was present on the stage to provide updates on the company's AI assistant product, Copilo. Read More | Ukraine war: 18, including 9 children, killed in Zelensky's hometown, Moscow says was targeting 'military' "Mustafa, shame on you," Aboussad can be heard screaming on the videos doing rounds on social media. 🚨A Microsoft employee disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI. “Shame on you,” said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI… pic.twitter.com/PdIqa6TSHo — Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) April 4, 2025 Read More | Israel kills Hamas 'commander' in Lebanon strike, expands ground offensive in Gaza Ibtihal Aboussad's letter to Microsoft employees After the event, as per multiple reports, she sent an email to hundreds or thousands of Microsoft employees stating that she had no moral choice when she learned that her organisation was powering the genocide of my people in Palestine. She alleged that AI has powered surveillance and murder in Gaza. Condemning Microsoft for its deep ties with the Israeli military, she further wrote that Microsoft's data allows the military to be "more lethal and destructive in Gaza". She also added that Microsoft AI powers the most "sensitive and highly classified projects" for the Israeli military and Palestinian population registry. Wion does not independently verify the authenticity of this letter. Read More | Israeli PM Netanyahu travels to Hungary in open defiance of ICC arrest warrant Another protesting Microsoft employee, identified as Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted another part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration during which Bill Gates, Ballmer and current CEO Satya Nadella were on stage. As per reports, Microsoft did not comment on whether it would take further action in response to the protest. Read More | Trump in touch with India and two other nations to negotiate trade deals that could revise tariffs: Report (With inputs from agencies)

Bill Gates, Microsoft AI CEO face pro-Palestine protest at company's 50th anniversary event

It’s been a rough year for the tech giants known as the "magnificent seven. " these major companies, including Tesla, Meta, Nvidia, Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon, have all seen significant losses in 2025 so far. Tesla is the hardest hit, with shares down over 40%. Meta is the only one still in positive territory, showing small gains, while the others have faced steep drops in value. Tesla’s market value has fallen by $780 billion, Apple’s by nearly $700 billion, and Nvidia has seen a 14% decline.

2025 tech market: The magnificent 7’s tough start

Around 300 million people worldwide use AI today, and that number is set to soar to 739 million by the year 2030. Like the advent of machines and computers, AI promised to revolutionize our lives, making work faster, simpler, and more efficient. But at what cost?

AI is transforming daily life at an unprecedented pace

AI is everywhere. It's in our smartphones, computers, and even used by big corporations and governments. From everyday work life when writing an email or doing homework, AI comes in handy. It is also helping in more complex jobs like diagnosing diseases, accelerating drug development, and even on the battlefield. It is helping to identify and destroy enemy targets. Around 300 million people worldwide use AI today, and that number is set to soar to 739 million by the year 2030. Like the advent of machines and computers, AI promised to revolutionize our lives, making work faster, simpler, and more efficient. But at what cost?

Microsoft sounds AI dependency alarm

In his new memoir, 'Source Code', Bill Gates reveals that despite co-founding Microsoft in 1975 and becoming a billionaire, he spent years fearing that a single misstep could ruin the company. It wasn&rsquo;t until 1998&mdash;more than two decades into Microsoft&rsquo;s journey&mdash;that he finally felt the company was strong enough to survive mistakes.
&ldquo;I thought I was one mistake away from failure,&rdquo; Gates told CNBC Make It, recalling the pressure of leading Microsoft through its rapid rise.
Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-zelensky-ready-to-talk-putin-if-us-europe-assure-they-wont-abandon-ukraine-8707810"> </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-zelensky-ready-to-talk-putin-if-us-europe-assure-they-wont-abandon-ukraine-8707810">'Give security guarantees': Zelensky ready to talk if US, Europe assure they &lsquo;won't abandon&rsquo; Ukraine</a>
<h2>Long hours and constant pressure &nbsp;</h2>
Gates describes working 80-hour weeks, writing code, and pushing the company to stay ahead in the competitive tech industry. Even as Microsoft became the most valuable public company, he remained consumed by the fear of losing everything.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-leaves-for-france-us-visit-have-very-warm-recollection-of-working-together-in-trumps-first-term-8706633">PM Modi embarks on key visit to France, US; 'Have very warm recollection of working together in Trump&rsquo;s first term&rsquo;</a>
By the late 90s, Microsoft was worth over $250 billion and Gates had a personal fortune of $58 billion. He said, &ldquo;Not until the late 90s did I feel like, &lsquo;Wow, we can even make a few mistakes and still be okay.'&rdquo; He added, "I thought I was one mistake away from death until then. That was just my mentality."
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-reacts-to-horrible-condition-of-israeli-hostages-says-us-will-lose-patience-with-gaza-ceasefire-8707549">Trump reacts to 'horrible condition' of Israeli hostages, says US will 'lose patience' with Gaza ceasefire</a>
<h2>Legal battles</h2>
Microsoft&rsquo;s dominance in the personal computing industry also made it a target. In the late 90s, the company faced antitrust lawsuits as competitors and regulators accused it of monopolistic practices.&nbsp;
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hajj-2025-saudi-arabia-bans-pilgrims-from-taking-their-children-along-8707786">Hajj 2025: Saudi Arabia bans pilgrims from taking their children along</a>
Reflecting on that period, Gates noted, &ldquo;I understand why my competitors are so jealous that they think they need the Justice Department to help them out.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

Trending: He spent years fearing that a single misstep could ruin the company. It wasn’t until 1998—more than two decades into Microsoft’s journey—that he finally felt the company was strong enough to survive mistakes. 

In his new memoir, 'Source Code', Bill Gates reveals that despite co-founding Microsoft in 1975 and becoming a billionaire, he spent years fearing that a single misstep could ruin the company. It wasn’t until 1998—more than two decades into Microsoft’s journey—that he finally felt the company was strong enough to survive mistakes. “I thought I was one mistake away from failure,” Gates told CNBC Make It, recalling the pressure of leading Microsoft through its rapid rise. Also Read | 'Give security guarantees': Zelensky ready to talk if US, Europe assure they ‘won't abandon’ Ukraine Long hours and constant pressure Gates describes working 80-hour weeks, writing code, and pushing the company to stay ahead in the competitive tech industry. Even as Microsoft became the most valuable public company, he remained consumed by the fear of losing everything. Also Read | PM Modi embarks on key visit to France, US; 'Have very warm recollection of working together in Trump’s first term’ By the late 90s, Microsoft was worth over $250 billion and Gates had a personal fortune of $58 billion. He said, “Not until the late 90s did I feel like, ‘Wow, we can even make a few mistakes and still be okay.'” He added, "I thought I was one mistake away from death until then. That was just my mentality." Also Read | Trump reacts to 'horrible condition' of Israeli hostages, says US will 'lose patience' with Gaza ceasefire Legal battles Microsoft’s dominance in the personal computing industry also made it a target. In the late 90s, the company faced antitrust lawsuits as competitors and regulators accused it of monopolistic practices. Also Read | Hajj 2025: Saudi Arabia bans pilgrims from taking their children along Reflecting on that period, Gates noted, “I understand why my competitors are so jealous that they think they need the Justice Department to help them out.” (With inputs from agencies)

‘Worked 80 hours a week’:  Bill Gates opens up about early Microsoft beginnings

US President Donald Trump stated on Monday (Jan 27) that Microsoft is in talks to acquire video-sharing platform TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app.
While speaking to the media about TikTok, the US President said that Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok in the country. &ldquo;I would say yes&hellip; A lot of interest in TikTok. There&rsquo;s great interest in TikTok", Trump said.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-in-talks-with-multiple-people-over-buying-tiktok-8655469">US President Donald Trump in talks with multiple people over buying TikTok</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">TikTok ban in US</h2>
The US Supreme Court had earlier this month upheld a law that banned TikTok in the country due to national security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned application's data privacy.
However, President Trump, who has credited the app with helping him engage with younger voters during his campaign, has reserved the ban temporarily and signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to orchestrate a sale for the app so that it is no longer Chinese-owned.
Amid these legal and political challenges, TikTok&rsquo;s popularity in the US continues to soar. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 33 per cent of US adults now use TikTok, a significant increase from just 21 per cent in 2021.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-accuses-police-of-coercing-false-testimony-in-corruption-trail-8660563">Netanyahu accuses police of coercing &lsquo;false testimony&rsquo; in corruption trail</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">Trump on TikTok's future</h2>
The President had earlier also expressed that he would like Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison to take over the video-sharing platform as he did not want it to have Chinese ownership.
On Saturday, Trump said about the TikTok sale, &ldquo;Numerous people are talking to me. Very substantial people. We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary&hellip; I'd only do it if the United States benefits.&rdquo;
Perplexity AI has also thrown its hat in the ring wherein the company has proposed a merger with TikTok's US business as well as a joint venture with the US government.
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

World: President Trump announced Microsoft is negotiating to buy TikTok, hinting at a potential bidding war for the popular video app on January

US President Donald Trump stated on Monday (Jan 27) that Microsoft is in talks to acquire video-sharing platform TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app. While speaking to the media about TikTok, the US President said that Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok in the country. “I would say yes… A lot of interest in TikTok. There’s great interest in TikTok", Trump said. Also read | US President Donald Trump in talks with multiple people over buying TikTok TikTok ban in US The US Supreme Court had earlier this month upheld a law that banned TikTok in the country due to national security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned application's data privacy. However, President Trump, who has credited the app with helping him engage with younger voters during his campaign, has reserved the ban temporarily and signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to orchestrate a sale for the app so that it is no longer Chinese-owned. Amid these legal and political challenges, TikTok’s popularity in the US continues to soar. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 33 per cent of US adults now use TikTok, a significant increase from just 21 per cent in 2021. Also read | Netanyahu accuses police of coercing ‘false testimony’ in corruption trail Trump on TikTok's future The President had earlier also expressed that he would like Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison to take over the video-sharing platform as he did not want it to have Chinese ownership. On Saturday, Trump said about the TikTok sale, “Numerous people are talking to me. Very substantial people. We have a lot of interest in it, and the United States will be a big beneficiary… I'd only do it if the United States benefits.” Perplexity AI has also thrown its hat in the ring wherein the company has proposed a merger with TikTok's US business as well as a joint venture with the US government. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says Microsoft in talks to buy TikTok, encourages bidding war

A group of US news organisations is taking ChapGPT&rsquo;s parent company OpenAI to federal court and the hearing on Tuesday (Jan 14) will determine the fate of the AI giant faced with a massive copyright infringement case.
The Times, The New York Daily News and the Center for Investigative Reporting are leading the legal campaign against OpenAI and its backer Microsoft. The cases against the two entities have now been merged into one.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/autonews/us-probing-26-million-tesla-vehicles-over-remote-driving-feature-8601342">US probing 2.6 million Tesla vehicles over remote driving feature</a>
The hearing on Tuesday will decide whether OpenAI&rsquo;s plea to dismiss the trial will get approval or the news organisations will be allowed to pursue the case further.
<h2>Arguments of news publishers</h2>
The news organisations argue that ChatGPT was fed with millions of copyrighted works from their websites, including archives, for training purposes and it was done without consent or remuneration. According to the publishers, this data scraping amounts to copyright infringement on a massive scale.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-tech-bets-big-on-donald-trump-google-donates-1-mn-to-us-president-elects-inauguration-fund-8606136">Big Tech bets big on Trump: Google donates $1mn to US President-elect&rsquo;s inauguration fund</a>
"[OpenAI's] unlawful use of The Times's work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it threatens The Times's ability to provide that service," the newspaper's attorneys wrote in an amended complaint filed in August 2023.
"Using the valuable intellectual property of others in these ways without paying for it has been extremely lucrative for [OpenAI]."
<h2>Argument by OpenAI and Microsoft</h2>
On the contrary, attorneys for Microsoft argue that using journalistic text for training an AI model was not illegal.
"In this case, The New York Times uses its might and its megaphone to challenge the latest profound technological advance: the Large Language Model, or LLM," wrote the lawyers in their court filing.
Earlier, other news publishers, including the Associated Press, News Corp. and Vox Media, struck a deal with OpenAI over content-sharing. But the Times and company are going full offensive, who argue that ChatGPT's dataset must be deleted and billions should be paid in damages.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | The Times, The New York Daily News and the Center for Investigative Reporting are leading the legal campaign against OpenAI and its backer Microsoft

A group of US news organisations is taking ChapGPT’s parent company OpenAI to federal court and the hearing on Tuesday (Jan 14) will determine the fate of the AI giant faced with a massive copyright infringement case. The Times, The New York Daily News and the Center for Investigative Reporting are leading the legal campaign against OpenAI and its backer Microsoft. The cases against the two entities have now been merged into one. Also read: US probing 2.6 million Tesla vehicles over remote driving feature The hearing on Tuesday will decide whether OpenAI’s plea to dismiss the trial will get approval or the news organisations will be allowed to pursue the case further. Arguments of news publishers The news organisations argue that ChatGPT was fed with millions of copyrighted works from their websites, including archives, for training purposes and it was done without consent or remuneration. According to the publishers, this data scraping amounts to copyright infringement on a massive scale. Also read: Big Tech bets big on Trump: Google donates $1mn to US President-elect’s inauguration fund "[OpenAI's] unlawful use of The Times's work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it threatens The Times's ability to provide that service," the newspaper's attorneys wrote in an amended complaint filed in August 2023. "Using the valuable intellectual property of others in these ways without paying for it has been extremely lucrative for [OpenAI]." Argument by OpenAI and Microsoft On the contrary, attorneys for Microsoft argue that using journalistic text for training an AI model was not illegal. "In this case, The New York Times uses its might and its megaphone to challenge the latest profound technological advance: the Large Language Model, or LLM," wrote the lawyers in their court filing. Earlier, other news publishers, including the Associated Press, News Corp. and Vox Media, struck a deal with OpenAI over content-sharing. But the Times and company are going full offensive, who argue that ChatGPT's dataset must be deleted and billions should be paid in damages. (With inputs from agencies)

Court to decide ChapGPT’s fate in copyright infringement case brought by news publishers

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has announced a $3 billion investment in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure in India over the next two years. This initiative includes the establishment of new data centers and aims to position India as a global leader in AI innovation. Watch in for more details!

Microsoft To Build AI Hubs In India

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened a sweeping antitrust probe of Microsoft, examining the technology giant's software licensing and cloud computing business, said people familiar with the matter.

It approved the probe days before the expected exit of Chairman Lina Khan, which some anticipate will lead to the FTC chair being replaced by a Republican under a new administration that could change the way the investigation plays out.

The FTC is investigating allegations that Microsoft is using its market power in the productivity software space to enforce restrictive licensing terms, particularly designed to prevent customers from migrating data from its Azure cloud service to competing platforms.

This issue was highlighted earlier this month, with competitors and other industry players raising concerns over the company's practices.

Along with scrutinising Microsoft's cloud services, the FTC is looking into the company's cybersecurity and AI products. The software giant has faced criticism on practices that critics argue lock customers into its ecosystem, particularly for Azure and the integration of AI tools into Office and Outlook.

NetChoice, a lobbying group that represents tech giants like Amazon and Google, attacked Microsoft's licensing practices, pointing out the company's dual dominance in both productivity software and operating systems. "The scale and consequences of its licensing decisions are extraordinary," the group said.

Google has raised similar concerns with the European Commission lately, accusing Microsoft of excessive fees and restrictive security updates for customers running Windows Server on rival cloud platforms. According to Google, such practices by Microsoft resulted in a 400 per cent price markup and delayed, limited security patches for these customers.

The investigation by the FTC spans wide-ranging practices, as the agency requires detailed information from Microsoft. This is following previous scrutiny of the company's involvement in artificial intelligence, such as the $650 million acquisition of AI startup Inflection AI.

The FTC had already investigated competition in the cloud computing market and the relationship of Microsoft with OpenAI, where it raised concerns about how the company might impact competition in the emerging AI sector.

While Microsoft has traditionally been less affected by US antitrust enforcement compared to other Big Tech firms, such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Apple, and Amazon, it has experienced legal challenges in the past.

Alphabet's Google is also currently involved in two major anti-competitive behaviour lawsuits, one of which resulted in a judge ruling the company illegally stifled competition in the online search engine market.

The timing of the FTC's investigation raises questions about the future of antitrust enforcement under the next US administration. "Changes in administration can lead to evolving enforcement priorities and shifts in how aggressively certain types of conduct are scrutinised," said Andre Barlow, an attorney at Doyle Barlow &amp; Mazard. It is unclear whether a change in leadership under President-elect Donald Trump will ease the scrutiny on Big Tech firms.

Despite these, Microsoft has previously benefited from some Trump administration policies. For instance, in 2019, the Pentagon awarded Microsoft a $10 billion cloud computing contract. The award was challenged by Amazon, which accused Trump of influencing the award process.

(With inputs from agencies)<o:p></o:p>

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened a sweeping antitrust probe of Microsoft, examining the technology giant's software licensing and cloud computing business, said people familiar with the matter.

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened a sweeping antitrust probe of Microsoft, examining the technology giant's software licensing and cloud computing business, said people familiar with the matter. It approved the probe days before the expected exit of Chairman Lina Khan, which some anticipate will lead to the FTC chair being replaced by a Republican under a new administration that could change the way the investigation plays out. The FTC is investigating allegations that Microsoft is using its market power in the productivity software space to enforce restrictive licensing terms, particularly designed to prevent customers from migrating data from its Azure cloud service to competing platforms. This issue was highlighted earlier this month, with competitors and other industry players raising concerns over the company's practices. Along with scrutinising Microsoft's cloud services, the FTC is looking into the company's cybersecurity and AI products. The software giant has faced criticism on practices that critics argue lock customers into its ecosystem, particularly for Azure and the integration of AI tools into Office and Outlook. NetChoice, a lobbying group that represents tech giants like Amazon and Google, attacked Microsoft's licensing practices, pointing out the company's dual dominance in both productivity software and operating systems. "The scale and consequences of its licensing decisions are extraordinary," the group said. Google has raised similar concerns with the European Commission lately, accusing Microsoft of excessive fees and restrictive security updates for customers running Windows Server on rival cloud platforms. According to Google, such practices by Microsoft resulted in a 400 per cent price markup and delayed, limited security patches for these customers. The investigation by the FTC spans wide-ranging practices, as the agency requires detailed information from Microsoft. This is following previous scrutiny of the company's involvement in artificial intelligence, such as the $650 million acquisition of AI startup Inflection AI. The FTC had already investigated competition in the cloud computing market and the relationship of Microsoft with OpenAI, where it raised concerns about how the company might impact competition in the emerging AI sector. While Microsoft has traditionally been less affected by US antitrust enforcement compared to other Big Tech firms, such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Apple, and Amazon, it has experienced legal challenges in the past. Alphabet's Google is also currently involved in two major anti-competitive behaviour lawsuits, one of which resulted in a judge ruling the company illegally stifled competition in the online search engine market. The timing of the FTC's investigation raises questions about the future of antitrust enforcement under the next US administration. "Changes in administration can lead to evolving enforcement priorities and shifts in how aggressively certain types of conduct are scrutinised," said Andre Barlow, an attorney at Doyle Barlow & Mazard. It is unclear whether a change in leadership under President-elect Donald Trump will ease the scrutiny on Big Tech firms. Despite these, Microsoft has previously benefited from some Trump administration policies. For instance, in 2019, the Pentagon awarded Microsoft a $10 billion cloud computing contract. The award was challenged by Amazon, which accused Trump of influencing the award process. (With inputs from agencies)

FTC opens antitrust investigation against Microsoft's business practice

Will Google be forced to sell Chrome, world's most popular web browser? The US justice department is moving to make the Big Tech giant part with the browser over antitrust concerns and a decision from a federal judge might come in coming days, according to reports.

Chrome will be worth around $20 billion if it is ordered to be sold, reported Bloomberg news agency, which cited people in the know.

Watch: Gravitas: Google loses anti-trust battle in India

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-google-loses-anti-trust-battle-in-india-554600/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, reacted with alarm. Its vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland claimed that the justice department continues to push a "radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case.”

Mulholland said the government is "putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.”

The US antitrust watchdogs and several American states have sued Google for dominating the search and online advertising markets.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-spends-27-billion-to-bring-back-ai-genius-noam-shazeer-who-quit-after-it-rejected-his-chatbot-763274">Also read: Google spends $2.7 billion to bring back AI genius Noam Shazeer who quit after firm rejected his chatbot</a> 
 
Besides suggesting the sale, justice depatment will also ask that Google implements steps on artificial intelligence and Android, said the Bloomberg report.

If the sale and other demands are implemented, it would be the most far-reaching crackdown on a tech company in the US, two decades after the govenement's failed attempt to break up the other Big Tech giant, Microsoft.

With more than three billion monthly active users, Chrome enjoyed web browser market share of nearly 65 per cent as of October, according to the web traffic tracker Similarweb.

Google has recently introduced its AI-generated answers from its chatbot Gemini on its flagship search engine.

While there's no clear mention of how much money Chrome makes, it is an integral part of Google ecosystem, which generates nearly 56 per cent of its revenue from search advertising.

Together with its number one search engine, Chrome web browser, YouTube video platform and Android operating system for smartphones, Google is the undisputed leader in online traffic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-ordered-to-open-its-app-store-to-competition-in-landmark-ruling-765416">Also read:&nbsp; Google ordered to open its app store to competition in landmark ruling</a>

But over the past few years, Google has faced several accusations and court cases including some from the US government about its monopolistic practices.

The antitrust court case dates back years and a judge concluded this August that Google illegally monopolised the search market.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Will Google be forced to sell Chrome, world's most popular web browser? The US justice department is moving to make the Big Tech giant part with the browser over antitrust concerns and a decision from a federal judge might come in coming days, according to reports.

Will Google be forced to sell Chrome, world's most popular web browser? The US justice department is moving to make the Big Tech giant part with the browser over antitrust concerns and a decision from a federal judge might come in coming days, according to reports. Chrome will be worth around $20 billion if it is ordered to be sold, reported Bloomberg news agency, which cited people in the know. Watch: Gravitas: Google loses anti-trust battle in India × Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, reacted with alarm. Its vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland claimed that the justice department continues to push a "radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case.” Mulholland said the government is "putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.” The US antitrust watchdogs and several American states have sued Google for dominating the search and online advertising markets. Also read: Google spends $2.7 billion to bring back AI genius Noam Shazeer who quit after firm rejected his chatbot Besides suggesting the sale, justice depatment will also ask that Google implements steps on artificial intelligence and Android, said the Bloomberg report. If the sale and other demands are implemented, it would be the most far-reaching crackdown on a tech company in the US, two decades after the govenement's failed attempt to break up the other Big Tech giant, Microsoft. With more than three billion monthly active users, Chrome enjoyed web browser market share of nearly 65 per cent as of October, according to the web traffic tracker Similarweb. Google has recently introduced its AI-generated answers from its chatbot Gemini on its flagship search engine. While there's no clear mention of how much money Chrome makes, it is an integral part of Google ecosystem, which generates nearly 56 per cent of its revenue from search advertising. Together with its number one search engine, Chrome web browser, YouTube video platform and Android operating system for smartphones, Google is the undisputed leader in online traffic. Also read: Google ordered to open its app store to competition in landmark ruling But over the past few years, Google has faced several accusations and court cases including some from the US government about its monopolistic practices. The antitrust court case dates back years and a judge concluded this August that Google illegally monopolised the search market. (With inputs from agencies)

Will Google be forced to sell Chrome, the world's most-used web browser? Decision likely soon

Shares of Nvidia rallied to a record high on Thursday, making the chipmaker the first company in history to surpass a stock market value of $3.6 trillion as Wall Street extended a rally sparked by Donald Trump's return to the White House, as detailed in a report by Reuters.

The dominant AI chipmaker's shares rose 2.2 per cent, lifted by broad investor optimism about tax cuts and lower regulations after the Republican candidate Donald Trump clinched election victory on Tuesday.

First company in history to surpass a stock market value of $3.6 trillion<o:p></o:p>

Nvidia's stock market value ended the day at $3.65 trillion, beating Apple's record closing market capitalization of $3.57 trillion reached on October 21, before the chipmaker on Tuesday overtook the iPhone maker as the world's most valuable company, according to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data, the Reuters report detailed further.

Apple's stock rose 2.1 per cent on Thursday, leaving it with a market value of $3.44 trillion. The S&amp;P 500 technology index has surged over 4 per cent in the two sessions since Trump won the election on Tuesday. 

Nvidia has been the biggest winner in AI computing capacity building<o:p></o:p>

Nvidia has been the US stock market's biggest winner from a race between Microsoft, Alphabet and other heavyweights to build out their AI computing capacity and dominate the emerging technology.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

The Silicon Valley chip designer's stock has climbed 12 per cent in November, with its value tripling so far in 2024. Following this year's surge, Nvidia now exceeds the combined value of Eli Lilly, Walmart, JPMorgan, Visa, UnitedHealth Group and Netflix. 

Analysts on average see Nvidia increasing its quarterly revenue by over 80 per cent to $32.9 billion when it reports its results on November 20, according to London Stock Exchange Group data.

Tech trio’s market capitalization has been neck-and-neck<o:p></o:p>

In June, Nvidia briefly became the world's most valuable company before it was overtaken by Microsoft and Apple. The tech trio's market capitalizations have been neck-and-neck for several months. Microsoft's market value stood at nearly $3.16 trillion, with its stock up 1.25 per cent on November 7.

Shares of Nvidia rallied to a record high on Thursday, making the chipmaker the first company in history to surpass a stock market value of $3.6 trillion as Wall Street extended a rally sparked by Donald Trump's return to the White House, as detailed in a report by Reuters.

Shares of Nvidia rallied to a record high on Thursday, making the chipmaker the first company in history to surpass a stock market value of $3.6 trillion as Wall Street extended a rally sparked by Donald Trump's return to the White House, as detailed in a report by Reuters. The dominant AI chipmaker's shares rose 2.2 per cent, lifted by broad investor optimism about tax cuts and lower regulations after the Republican candidate Donald Trump clinched election victory on Tuesday. First company in history to surpass a stock market value of $3.6 trillion Nvidia's stock market value ended the day at $3.65 trillion, beating Apple's record closing market capitalization of $3.57 trillion reached on October 21, before the chipmaker on Tuesday overtook the iPhone maker as the world's most valuable company, according to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data, the Reuters report detailed further. Apple's stock rose 2.1 per cent on Thursday, leaving it with a market value of $3.44 trillion. The S&P 500 technology index has surged over 4 per cent in the two sessions since Trump won the election on Tuesday. Nvidia has been the biggest winner in AI computing capacity building Nvidia has been the US stock market's biggest winner from a race between Microsoft, Alphabet and other heavyweights to build out their AI computing capacity and dominate the emerging technology. The Silicon Valley chip designer's stock has climbed 12 per cent in November, with its value tripling so far in 2024. Following this year's surge, Nvidia now exceeds the combined value of Eli Lilly, Walmart, JPMorgan, Visa, UnitedHealth Group and Netflix. Analysts on average see Nvidia increasing its quarterly revenue by over 80 per cent to $32.9 billion when it reports its results on November 20, according to London Stock Exchange Group data. Tech trio’s market capitalization has been neck-and-neck In June, Nvidia briefly became the world's most valuable company before it was overtaken by Microsoft and Apple. The tech trio's market capitalizations have been neck-and-neck for several months. Microsoft's market value stood at nearly $3.16 trillion, with its stock up 1.25 per cent on November 7.

Nvidia surpasses $3.6 trillion market value after Trump election victory

Nvidia Corp. became the largest company in the world on November 5, surpassing Apple Inc. and underlined&nbsp;just how dominant artificial intelligence has become on Wall Street, as detailed in a report by Bloomberg.

Nvidia touches a market capitalization of $3.43 trillion <o:p></o:p>

The shares of the company rose 2.9 per cent to $139.93, resulting in a market capitalization of $3.43 trillion, ahead of Apple at $3.38 trillion. Microsoft Corp., which Nvidia passed last month, has a market cap of $3.06 trillion. Nvidia has soared more than 850 per cent since the end of 2022, the Bloomberg report explained further.

“Over the past several quarters, it has felt like people basically care about inflation numbers, job numbers, and Nvidia numbers,” said Fall Ainina, director of research at James Investment Research. “Nvidia overtaking Apple in market cap not only conveys that it is the biggest beneficiary of the AI infrastructure cycle, but it suggests people expect the AI boom will continue.”

The chipmaker accounts for 7 per cent of the weight of the S&amp;P 500 Index and is responsible for about a quarter of the benchmark’s 21 per cent gain this year. Nvidia previously closed with the title of largest company in June, although it only held the record for a day.

Biggest companies on Wall Street remain exposed to artificial intelligence<o:p></o:p>

The biggest companies on Wall Street are all heavily exposed to artificial intelligence: Apple with its newly launched AI iPhones; Microsoft, Amazon.com Inc., and Alphabet Inc. with their cloud businesses and AI services; and Meta Platforms Inc.’s AI features and ad targeting. With the exception of Apple, these companies are all among Nvidia’s largest customers, and they have stressed their commitment to continuing to spend on AI. AI hence might be the theme of the decade.

Last week, Apple’s results underlined concerns about its revenue growth, along with weakness in China. Nvidia is set to report its numbers later this month.

Not only are the biggest companies by market cap AI plays, but so are the year’s top stock performers. Nvidia’s 183 per cent advance is the third-largest in the S&amp;P 500 this year, behind Vistra Corp, the power producer that has seen a surge in demand related to AI and data-analysis software firm Palantir Technologies Inc.

Recent strength has come as the company calmed investor concerns about issues involving its Blackwell chip, which was delayed due to engineering snags, as well as its long-term growth prospects.

Nvidia’s is expected to double its revenue<o:p></o:p>

Analysts expect Nvidia’s revenue to more than double in its current fiscal year and rise another 44 per cent during the following year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Wall Street analysts have continually raised estimates for Nvidia’s earnings and profit over the past quarter.

Beyond the Blackwell optimism, recent sales from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. showed strong AI demand, while a funding round for OpenAI resulted in a $157 billion valuation. OpenAI recently released an AI model with reasoning capabilities, something Alphabet Inc. is also working on.

“The implication of AI is extraordinarily large, and these big technology companies are investing hundreds of billions into it, with Nvidia benefiting the most,” said James Investment’s Ainina. “Overall there continues to be a good picture for its prospects.”

Market participants and investors will closely follow these developments and the results of leading companies working in artificial intelligence. This will help them in taking better and informed investment decisions.

Nvidia Corp. became the largest company in the world on November 5, surpassing Apple Inc. and underlined just how dominant artificial intelligence has become on Wall Street, as detailed in a report by Bloomberg.

Nvidia Corp. became the largest company in the world on November 5, surpassing Apple Inc. and underlined just how dominant artificial intelligence has become on Wall Street, as detailed in a report by Bloomberg. Nvidia touches a market capitalization of $3.43 trillion The shares of the company rose 2.9 per cent to $139.93, resulting in a market capitalization of $3.43 trillion, ahead of Apple at $3.38 trillion. Microsoft Corp., which Nvidia passed last month, has a market cap of $3.06 trillion. Nvidia has soared more than 850 per cent since the end of 2022, the Bloomberg report explained further. “Over the past several quarters, it has felt like people basically care about inflation numbers, job numbers, and Nvidia numbers,” said Fall Ainina, director of research at James Investment Research. “Nvidia overtaking Apple in market cap not only conveys that it is the biggest beneficiary of the AI infrastructure cycle, but it suggests people expect the AI boom will continue.” The chipmaker accounts for 7 per cent of the weight of the S&P 500 Index and is responsible for about a quarter of the benchmark’s 21 per cent gain this year. Nvidia previously closed with the title of largest company in June, although it only held the record for a day. Biggest companies on Wall Street remain exposed to artificial intelligence The biggest companies on Wall Street are all heavily exposed to artificial intelligence: Apple with its newly launched AI iPhones; Microsoft, Amazon.com Inc., and Alphabet Inc. with their cloud businesses and AI services; and Meta Platforms Inc.’s AI features and ad targeting. With the exception of Apple, these companies are all among Nvidia’s largest customers, and they have stressed their commitment to continuing to spend on AI. AI hence might be the theme of the decade. Last week, Apple’s results underlined concerns about its revenue growth, along with weakness in China. Nvidia is set to report its numbers later this month. Not only are the biggest companies by market cap AI plays, but so are the year’s top stock performers. Nvidia’s 183 per cent advance is the third-largest in the S&P 500 this year, behind Vistra Corp, the power producer that has seen a surge in demand related to AI and data-analysis software firm Palantir Technologies Inc. Recent strength has come as the company calmed investor concerns about issues involving its Blackwell chip, which was delayed due to engineering snags, as well as its long-term growth prospects. Nvidia’s is expected to double its revenue Analysts expect Nvidia’s revenue to more than double in its current fiscal year and rise another 44 per cent during the following year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Wall Street analysts have continually raised estimates for Nvidia’s earnings and profit over the past quarter. Beyond the Blackwell optimism, recent sales from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. showed strong AI demand, while a funding round for OpenAI resulted in a $157 billion valuation. OpenAI recently released an AI model with reasoning capabilities, something Alphabet Inc. is also working on. “The implication of AI is extraordinarily large, and these big technology companies are investing hundreds of billions into it, with Nvidia benefiting the most,” said James Investment’s Ainina. “Overall there continues to be a good picture for its prospects.” Market participants and investors will closely follow these developments and the results of leading companies working in artificial intelligence. This will help them in taking better and informed investment decisions.

Riding the AI wave Nvidia overtakes Apple as the world’s largest company

In tech earnings, Microsoft and Meta beat forecasts, but both raised concerns over hefty Ai investments. Microsoft plans to spend $80 billion this year, while meta warned costs could impact ad revenue. Meanwhile, Samsung saw profit growth but struggles in the Ai market.

AI Investments Raise Red Flags for Investors

An Iranian hacking group is currently targeting US election websites and media outlets as Election Day approaches, according to a blog post from Microsoft on Wednesday (Oct&nbsp;23). The research shows that this may be part of a plan for "preparations for more direct influence operations."

While the research of election-related websites occurred back in April, Microsoft analysts have only recently uncovered the activity. Additionally, the hackers reportedly conducted surveillance on major US media outlets in May, as per the tech giant.

Microsoft researchers noted, "Cotton Sandstorm will increase its activity as the election nears given the group's operational tempo and history of election interference." This is concerning given the group's previous attempts to meddle in elections.

A representative for Iran’s mission to the United Nations dismissed the accusations, saying, "Such allegations are fundamentally unfounded and wholly inadmissible." They added, "Iran neither has any motive nor intent to interfere in the US election."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/justin-trudeaus-leadership-in-jeopardy-as-his-own-partys-mps-ask-him-to-resign-by-october-28-770257">Justin Trudeau asked to 'resign by October 28' by his own party MPs</a>

This incident is the latest indication of attempts by hacking groups from Iran, Russia, and China to either sway or monitor the US election as the presidential campaign reaches its final stages.

Back in 2020, Cotton Sandstorm carried out another cyber operation just before the presidential election. Posing as members of the far-right group "Proud Boys," the hackers sent numerous emails to Florida voters, warning them to "vote for Trump or else!"

The group also posted a video on social media, allegedly from hacktivists, showing an election system being probed. Although the operation did not directly affect voting systems, the primary aim was to create confusion, panic, and doubt, according to senior US officials at the time.

After the 2020 election, Cotton Sandstorm launched a separate operation that encouraged violence against US election officials who rejected allegations of widespread voter fraud, Microsoft said.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Iranian hacking group is currently targeting US election websites and media outlets as Election Day approaches, according to a blog post from Microsoft on Wednesday (Oct 23).

An Iranian hacking group is currently targeting US election websites and media outlets as Election Day approaches, according to a blog post from Microsoft on Wednesday (Oct 23). The research shows that this may be part of a plan for "preparations for more direct influence operations." While the research of election-related websites occurred back in April, Microsoft analysts have only recently uncovered the activity. Additionally, the hackers reportedly conducted surveillance on major US media outlets in May, as per the tech giant. Microsoft researchers noted, "Cotton Sandstorm will increase its activity as the election nears given the group's operational tempo and history of election interference." This is concerning given the group's previous attempts to meddle in elections. A representative for Iran’s mission to the United Nations dismissed the accusations, saying, "Such allegations are fundamentally unfounded and wholly inadmissible." They added, "Iran neither has any motive nor intent to interfere in the US election." Also read: Justin Trudeau asked to 'resign by October 28' by his own party MPs This incident is the latest indication of attempts by hacking groups from Iran, Russia, and China to either sway or monitor the US election as the presidential campaign reaches its final stages. Back in 2020, Cotton Sandstorm carried out another cyber operation just before the presidential election. Posing as members of the far-right group "Proud Boys," the hackers sent numerous emails to Florida voters, warning them to "vote for Trump or else!" The group also posted a video on social media, allegedly from hacktivists, showing an election system being probed. Although the operation did not directly affect voting systems, the primary aim was to create confusion, panic, and doubt, according to senior US officials at the time. After the 2020 election, Cotton Sandstorm launched a separate operation that encouraged violence against US election officials who rejected allegations of widespread voter fraud, Microsoft said. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft warns Iranian hackers ramping up attacks on US websites in lead-up to election day

Microsoft announces Copilot Studio: A sales agent to prioritise leads and craft personalised outreach. A communications agent that will monitor supply chain performance. Customer intent and knowledge management agents that will resolve issues and disseminate best practices autonomously. These are some of the artificial intelligence-powered virtual employees Microsoft is unveiling in November under its Copilot Studio programme.

'AI employees' are autonomous AI virtual assistants&nbsp;that can perform tasks without human intervention.

Watch: Microsoft bets on Germany in $3.4 bn AI push

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/microsoft-bets-on-germany-in-34-bn-ai-push-690777/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In a blog post on Monday (Oct 21), the tech giant said the Copilot Assistants will be available for public preview next month on Copilot Studio.&nbsp;

Copilot users can create and manage agents through&nbsp;Copilot Studio, part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 productivity applications. 
 
It&nbsp;is like a Play Store of AI bots. 
 
Ten such virtual assistants will be launched in the first phase, the blog post said.

The Copilot bots can do simple inquiries as well as complex operations in sales, service, finance, and supply chain management.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/openai-trudges-towards-for-profit-structure-amid-high-profile-exits-762285">Also read: OpenAI trudges towards for-profit structure amid high-profile exits</a>

Some of these pre-built bots have already been adopted by big companies like McKinsey.

Microsoft itself has been using these agents internally to improve sales revenue, customer case resolution, and marketing conversion rates.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that AI agents can enhance productivity and reduce monotonous tasks.

“These tools are fundamentally changing outsourcing, increasing value and reducing waste,” he said.

The Copilot Studio will allow users, including those without coding skills, to build agents using Microsoft’s AI models, some of which are developed by OpenAI, which made ChatGPT.

Nadella called this a 'no-code way for you to be able to build agents'.&nbsp;

Charles Lamanna, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, was dismissive when asked about the impact the Copilots can have on employment.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/openai-secures-66-billion-in-funding-now-valued-at-157-billion-764082">Also read: OpenAI secures $6.6 billion in funding, now valued at $157 Billion</a>

Saying that the bots will help remove 'mundane, monotonous' aspects of jobs, Lamanna told The Guardian newspaper, “It’s much more of an enabler and an empowerment tool than anything else.”&nbsp;

He compared AI tools such as agents to the arrival of personal computers decades ago.

“The personal computer didn’t show up on every desk to begin with, but eventually it was on every desk because it brought so much capability and information to the fingertips of every employee. 
 
"We think that AI is going to have the same type of journey," he was quoted as saying. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft announces Copilot Studio: A sales agent to prioritise leads and craft personalised outreach. A communications agent that will monitor supply chain performance.

Microsoft announces Copilot Studio: A sales agent to prioritise leads and craft personalised outreach. A communications agent that will monitor supply chain performance. Customer intent and knowledge management agents that will resolve issues and disseminate best practices autonomously. These are some of the artificial intelligence-powered virtual employees Microsoft is unveiling in November under its Copilot Studio programme. 'AI employees' are autonomous AI virtual assistants that can perform tasks without human intervention. Watch: Microsoft bets on Germany in $3.4 bn AI push × In a blog post on Monday (Oct 21), the tech giant said the Copilot Assistants will be available for public preview next month on Copilot Studio. Copilot users can create and manage agents through Copilot Studio, part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 productivity applications. It is like a Play Store of AI bots. Ten such virtual assistants will be launched in the first phase, the blog post said. The Copilot bots can do simple inquiries as well as complex operations in sales, service, finance, and supply chain management. Also read: OpenAI trudges towards for-profit structure amid high-profile exits Some of these pre-built bots have already been adopted by big companies like McKinsey. Microsoft itself has been using these agents internally to improve sales revenue, customer case resolution, and marketing conversion rates. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that AI agents can enhance productivity and reduce monotonous tasks. “These tools are fundamentally changing outsourcing, increasing value and reducing waste,” he said. The Copilot Studio will allow users, including those without coding skills, to build agents using Microsoft’s AI models, some of which are developed by OpenAI, which made ChatGPT. Nadella called this a 'no-code way for you to be able to build agents'. Charles Lamanna, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, was dismissive when asked about the impact the Copilots can have on employment. Also read: OpenAI secures $6.6 billion in funding, now valued at $157 Billion Saying that the bots will help remove 'mundane, monotonous' aspects of jobs, Lamanna told The Guardian newspaper, “It’s much more of an enabler and an empowerment tool than anything else.” He compared AI tools such as agents to the arrival of personal computers decades ago. “The personal computer didn’t show up on every desk to begin with, but eventually it was on every desk because it brought so much capability and information to the fingertips of every employee. "We think that AI is going to have the same type of journey," he was quoted as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

AI employees are here: Microsoft Copilot assistants coming to a device near you in November

Iran has increased&nbsp;its cyberattacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. However, Tehran earlier used to focus primarily on the United States before the conflict, a report by Microsoft stated on Tuesday (Oct 15).

“Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran surged its cyber, influence, and cyber-enabled influence operations against Israel,” Microsoft said in an annual report.

The report stressed that from the start of the war on October 7 to July 2024, nearly half of the Iranian operations targeted Israeli companies.&nbsp;

“From October 7, 2023, to July 2024, nearly half of the Iranian operations Microsoft observed targeted Israeli companies,” the Microsoft Digital Defense Report stated.

Watch | Digital warfare becomes new battlefront enabling rise in cyber influenced operations | WION

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/digital-warfare-becomes-new-battlefront-enabling-rise-in-cyber-influenced-operations-wion-664270/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

However, from July to October 2023, only 10 per cent of Iranian cyberattacks targeted Israel, while 35 per cent aimed at American&nbsp;entities and 20 per cent at the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.

With the aim of destabilising Israel, Iran has launched numerous social media operations since the war in Gaza began.&nbsp;

“Within two days of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Iran stood up several new influence operations,” Microsoft said.

According to the report, an account called "Tears of War" impersonated Israeli activists critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of a crisis over scores of hostages taken by Hamas.&nbsp;

Moreover, an account called “KarMa,” created by an Iranian intelligence unit, claimed to represent Israelis calling for Netanyahu’s resignation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-power-firm-denies-cyberattack-claims-after-reports-of-major-blackout-673557">Also read:&nbsp;Israeli power firm denies cyberattack claims after reports of major blackout</a>

Microsoft added that Tehran also began impersonating partners after the war started.&nbsp;

Notably, Iranian services created a Telegram account, using the logo of the Hamas military wing to spread false messages related to the hostages in Gaza and threaten Israelis. Microsoft stated that it was unclear whether Iran acted with Hamas’ consent or not.&nbsp;

“Iranian groups also expanded their cyber-enabled influence operations beyond Israel, with a focus on undermining international political, military, and economic support for Israel’s military operations,” the report said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran has increased its cyberattacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. However, Tehran earlier used to focus primarily on the United States before the conflict, a report by Microsoft stated on Tuesday (Oct 15).

Iran has increased its cyberattacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza. However, Tehran earlier used to focus primarily on the United States before the conflict, a report by Microsoft stated on Tuesday (Oct 15). “Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran surged its cyber, influence, and cyber-enabled influence operations against Israel,” Microsoft said in an annual report. The report stressed that from the start of the war on October 7 to July 2024, nearly half of the Iranian operations targeted Israeli companies. “From October 7, 2023, to July 2024, nearly half of the Iranian operations Microsoft observed targeted Israeli companies,” the Microsoft Digital Defense Report stated. Watch | Digital warfare becomes new battlefront enabling rise in cyber influenced operations | WION × However, from July to October 2023, only 10 per cent of Iranian cyberattacks targeted Israel, while 35 per cent aimed at American entities and 20 per cent at the United Arab Emirates, according to the report. With the aim of destabilising Israel, Iran has launched numerous social media operations since the war in Gaza began. “Within two days of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Iran stood up several new influence operations,” Microsoft said. According to the report, an account called "Tears of War" impersonated Israeli activists critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of a crisis over scores of hostages taken by Hamas. Moreover, an account called “KarMa,” created by an Iranian intelligence unit, claimed to represent Israelis calling for Netanyahu’s resignation. Also read: Israeli power firm denies cyberattack claims after reports of major blackout Microsoft added that Tehran also began impersonating partners after the war started. Notably, Iranian services created a Telegram account, using the logo of the Hamas military wing to spread false messages related to the hostages in Gaza and threaten Israelis. Microsoft stated that it was unclear whether Iran acted with Hamas’ consent or not. “Iranian groups also expanded their cyber-enabled influence operations beyond Israel, with a focus on undermining international political, military, and economic support for Israel’s military operations,” the report said. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran increased cyberattacks on Israel after Gaza war broke out: Report

Amid high-profile exits from the company, OpenAI is reportedly planning to become a for-profit entity and is already preparing to change its corporate structure. News agency Reuters reported that the US-based AI startup is seeking to raise $6.5 billion in funding. However, the company will use its profits only ‘for the welfare of society and public.’ The company will no longer be controlled by its non-profit board.

The report comes after the chief technology officer at OpenAI, Mira Murati, announced her departure from the San Francisco company.

<h2>‘Non-profit core to our mission’</h2>

A spokesperson of the company, however, said non-profit was core to their mission. “We remain focused on building AI that benefits everyone, and we’re working with our board to ensure that we’re best positioned to succeed in our mission. The nonprofit is core to our mission and will continue to exist,” the spokesperson said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjOk9W_6OCIAxVs8zgGHUQoA7sQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/openais-fundraising-poised-to-boost-startups-valuation-to-150-billion-758422" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/openais-fundraising-poised-to-boost-startups-valuation-to-150-billion-758422&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOk9W_6OCIAxVs8zgGHUQoA7sQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE">OpenAI`s fundraising poised to boost startup`s valuation to $150 billion</a>

Notably, the startup was founded in 2015 as a non-profit entity but it conceived a for-profit entity, backed by Microsoft, four years later.

According to OpenAI’s website, the company is established as “a partnership between our original nonprofit and a new capped profit arm”.

<h2>Who are OpenAI’s new investors?</h2>

According to reports, OpenAI is aiming to achieve a valuation of $150bn under the new fundraising campaign. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, often projected as the poster boy of the global AI boom, is in talks with US majors like Apple and the chipmaker Nvidia for the fundraising round.

<h2>High profile exits</h2>

OpenAI’s plans to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) have&nbsp;alarmed its senior employees, who fear the AI giant may drift away from its original goal. The company described AGI as “AI systems that are generally smarter than humans”. William Sunders, a senior research engineer, left OpenAI earlier this year after saying he had “lost faith” in the company regarding AGI plans.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjOk9W_6OCIAxVs8zgGHUQoA7sQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musk-revives-lawsuit-against-openai-and-ceo-sam-altman-747463" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musk-revives-lawsuit-against-openai-and-ceo-sam-altman-747463&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOk9W_6OCIAxVs8zgGHUQoA7sQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE">Elon Musk revives lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman</a>

Earlier, Jan Leike, a safety researcher at the company, left the firm accusing OpenAI of prioritising “shiny products” over safety.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid high-profile exits from the company, OpenAI is reportedly planning to become a for-profit entity and is already preparing to change its corporate structure.

Amid high-profile exits from the company, OpenAI is reportedly planning to become a for-profit entity and is already preparing to change its corporate structure. News agency Reuters reported that the US-based AI startup is seeking to raise $6.5 billion in funding. However, the company will use its profits only ‘for the welfare of society and public.’ The company will no longer be controlled by its non-profit board. The report comes after the chief technology officer at OpenAI, Mira Murati, announced her departure from the San Francisco company. ‘Non-profit core to our mission’ A spokesperson of the company, however, said non-profit was core to their mission. “We remain focused on building AI that benefits everyone, and we’re working with our board to ensure that we’re best positioned to succeed in our mission. The nonprofit is core to our mission and will continue to exist,” the spokesperson said. Also read: OpenAI`s fundraising poised to boost startup`s valuation to $150 billion Notably, the startup was founded in 2015 as a non-profit entity but it conceived a for-profit entity, backed by Microsoft, four years later. According to OpenAI’s website, the company is established as “a partnership between our original nonprofit and a new capped profit arm”. Who are OpenAI’s new investors? According to reports, OpenAI is aiming to achieve a valuation of $150bn under the new fundraising campaign. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, often projected as the poster boy of the global AI boom, is in talks with US majors like Apple and the chipmaker Nvidia for the fundraising round. High profile exits OpenAI’s plans to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) have alarmed its senior employees, who fear the AI giant may drift away from its original goal. The company described AGI as “AI systems that are generally smarter than humans”. William Sunders, a senior research engineer, left OpenAI earlier this year after saying he had “lost faith” in the company regarding AGI plans. Also read: Elon Musk revives lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman Earlier, Jan Leike, a safety researcher at the company, left the firm accusing OpenAI of prioritising “shiny products” over safety. (With inputs from agencies)

OpenAI trudges towards for-profit structure amid high-profile exits

The threat of foreign interference in the US election will spike during the last two days of the presidential campaign, said Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith, according to a report by Bloomberg.

“The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election,” Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

That was the "lesson to be learned," Smith said, referring to the Slovakian election last fall, when fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election.

Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the US presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified.

Smith said that earlier on Wednesday, Microsoft identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally.

Groups from adversarial nations, including Russia, China and Iran, have spread false information and news reports about both Harris and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said.

The hearing took testimony from Smith, Alphabet Inc. parent Google's president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Meta Platforms Inc.

New developments in artificial intelligence are shaping those attacks, Walker said.

“We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyber attacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spear phishing emails,” Walker said. “We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing focused on foreign interference in US elections, which follows a recent Microsoft report saying the Russian effort to influence the US election has now turned to smear Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta said on Tuesday it would ban the Russian state media outlet Russia Today from its services over "foreign interference.".

The Biden administration and America's leading tech companies stopped talking to each other about risks online to US elections as they waited for a decision in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centred on whether it is constitutional for government officials to request social media companies to take down certain posts.

In June, the US Supreme Court opened the gates for the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, and an election-year ruling strengthened the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies.

Mark Warner, the Democrat senator of Virginia and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times voiced frustration over the refusal of Elon Musk's X Corp. to send a representative to testify before the committee.

The threat of foreign interference in the US election will spike during the last two days of the presidential campaign, said Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The threat of foreign interference in the US election will spike during the last two days of the presidential campaign, said Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith, according to a report by Bloomberg. “The most perilous moment will come, I think, 48 hours before the election,” Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. That was the "lesson to be learned," Smith said, referring to the Slovakian election last fall, when fake audio of one of the top candidates circulated online days before the election. Foreign actors already have been spreading manipulated videos and false posts to sow discord around the US presidential election, Smith and other executives with the country's largest tech companies testified. Smith said that earlier on Wednesday, Microsoft identified an "AI-enhanced" video from a Russian group showing Vice President Kamala Harris saying words she didn't say at a recent rally. Groups from adversarial nations, including Russia, China and Iran, have spread false information and news reports about both Harris and Donald Trump's campaigns, the executives said. The hearing took testimony from Smith, Alphabet Inc. parent Google's president and chief legal officer Kent Walker, and Nick Clegg, the president of global affairs at Meta Platforms Inc. New developments in artificial intelligence are shaping those attacks, Walker said. “We are seeing some foreign state actors experimenting with generative AI to improve existing cyber attacks, like probing for vulnerabilities or creating spear phishing emails,” Walker said. “We see generative AI being used to more efficiently create fake websites, misleading news articles and robot social media posts.” The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing focused on foreign interference in US elections, which follows a recent Microsoft report saying the Russian effort to influence the US election has now turned to smear Harris with doctored and misleading videos. Meta said on Tuesday it would ban the Russian state media outlet Russia Today from its services over "foreign interference.". The Biden administration and America's leading tech companies stopped talking to each other about risks online to US elections as they waited for a decision in Murthy v. Missouri, a case centred on whether it is constitutional for government officials to request social media companies to take down certain posts. In June, the US Supreme Court opened the gates for the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies, and an election-year ruling strengthened the government's ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation. The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. Mark Warner, the Democrat senator of Virginia and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, several times voiced frustration over the refusal of Elon Musk's X Corp. to send a representative to testify before the committee.

Microsoft executive raises alarm over potential election interference in final 48 hours

Microsoft has traced a fake hit-and-run video involving Vice President Kamala Harris back to a Russian troll farm. The disinformation campaign highlights the ongoing efforts to manipulate public opinion using fabricated content. Learn more about the investigation and its implications.

Microsoft Links Fake Kamala Harris Hit-and-Run Video To Russian Troll Farm

OpenAI is in talks to raise $6.5 billion from investors at a valuation of $150 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The new valuation, a figure that excludes the money being raised, is substantially higher than the $86 billion valuation from the company's tender offer earlier this year and cements its place as one of the most valuable startups in the world.

The company is also in talks to secure $5 billion of debt from banks as part of a revolving credit facility, said one of the people, all of whom asked not to be identified because the information is private.

The startup wouldn't comment. People close to the deal said the discussions are ongoing, and terms may still change.

The funding round is set to be led by Thrive Capital, Bloomberg earlier reported. Thrive declined to comment on the new valuation. Microsoft Corp., the company's biggest investor, is also poised to take part, while Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp. have been discussing investments.

OpenAI isn't the first big tech startup to head to Wall Street banks for a revolving credit facility. A spate of technology companies, including Facebook Meta Platforms Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Uber Technologies Inc. and DoorDash Inc., drawn on Wall Street for credit lines before a public offering, often in part to solidify relationships with banks. Historically, companies tend to reward banks that make big credit commitments with roles on their IPOs. In return, lenders sometimes offer better terms for financing.

Founded in 2015, OpenAI has been at the white-hot centre of the technology industry's rapid pivot to AI, with the release in 2022 of its user-friendly chatbot, ChatGPT, kicking off an investing frenzy. Its products, which generate realistic images and human-sounding text using only a few words of prompting, have captured the attention of both consumers and investors.

It is a far cry from the organisation it was upon inception. It briefly booted its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, last year. Only a few of that founding team remain today, and the company has moved to revamp its board of directors, adding to the executive suite.

The financing will back the computing power needed as well as other operational expenses, said OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar in a note to employees last month, Bloomberg reported. In that note, she added that the startup is planning a tender offer for staff to sell some shares at the end of this year.

OpenAI is in talks to raise $6.5 billion from investors at a valuation of $150 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg. The new valuation, a figure that excludes the money being raised, is substantially higher than the $86 billion valuation from the company's tender offer earlier this year and cements its place as one of the most valuable startups in the world.

OpenAI is in talks to raise $6.5 billion from investors at a valuation of $150 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg. The new valuation, a figure that excludes the money being raised, is substantially higher than the $86 billion valuation from the company's tender offer earlier this year and cements its place as one of the most valuable startups in the world. The company is also in talks to secure $5 billion of debt from banks as part of a revolving credit facility, said one of the people, all of whom asked not to be identified because the information is private. The startup wouldn't comment. People close to the deal said the discussions are ongoing, and terms may still change. The funding round is set to be led by Thrive Capital, Bloomberg earlier reported. Thrive declined to comment on the new valuation. Microsoft Corp., the company's biggest investor, is also poised to take part, while Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp. have been discussing investments. OpenAI isn't the first big tech startup to head to Wall Street banks for a revolving credit facility. A spate of technology companies, including Facebook Meta Platforms Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Uber Technologies Inc. and DoorDash Inc., drawn on Wall Street for credit lines before a public offering, often in part to solidify relationships with banks. Historically, companies tend to reward banks that make big credit commitments with roles on their IPOs. In return, lenders sometimes offer better terms for financing. Founded in 2015, OpenAI has been at the white-hot centre of the technology industry's rapid pivot to AI, with the release in 2022 of its user-friendly chatbot, ChatGPT, kicking off an investing frenzy. Its products, which generate realistic images and human-sounding text using only a few words of prompting, have captured the attention of both consumers and investors. It is a far cry from the organisation it was upon inception. It briefly booted its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, last year. Only a few of that founding team remain today, and the company has moved to revamp its board of directors, adding to the executive suite. The financing will back the computing power needed as well as other operational expenses, said OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar in a note to employees last month, Bloomberg reported. In that note, she added that the startup is planning a tender offer for staff to sell some shares at the end of this year.

OpenAI's fundraising poised to boost startup's valuation to $150 billion

This is according to a memo from Phil Spencer, chief executive of Microsoft Gaming, and comes after the giant $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. According to a CNBC report this memo was sent to the employees on Thursday.

What the layoffs mean 
 
Spencer's words were tinged with praise and the contributions of the employees that were going to be affected, as he said in a truly humble manner, "We are profoundly thankful for the contributions our colleagues are making as they are being affected." This utterance speaks volumes about the painful nature of such decisions in a corporate setup. 
 
Layoffs in this respect would be majorly in corporate and supportive functions whereby Microsoft apparently tries to bring rationalization into the ongoing operations. Spencer assured these laid-off people that the corporation was going to provide comprehensive care packages: severance packages, extended health-care benefits, proving that Microsoft really cared about its workforce in this transitional process. 
 
While jobs are being axed, Spencer made a point to underline that no games, devices or gaming experiences are axed as part of this restructuring. He underlined that alignment is critical for growth in a sustainable way in the future. 
 
Broader industry trends 
 
Recently, a wave of layoffs hit the gaming world, where some of the most major companies, such as Sony and Unity, aligned with the reduction of staff. This particular trend seems to reflect a possible shift within the gaming sector whereby firms seek to answer the market pressures and face financial stability in this industry. 
 
Microsoft's new layoffs are the results of successive rounds of layoffs in the company's gaming department-the third since purchasing Activision Blizzard. The company laid off 1,900 gaming sector roles back in January. In May, the company shut down a series of studios that belonged to its gaming division, leading to layoffs.

Hence, these job cuts mark the efforts of Microsoft in operational efficiency and how, after a huge acquisition, the company still tries very hard to support its dedicated staff through this transition. In the development of the story, it would be worth mentioning how all these changes will mold the future of Microsoft's ambitions concerning gaming. 
 
This forms part of the strategy that the technology and gaming giant is using to support its employees in such tough times, as it were, navigating such a difficult period. Regarding the changes or adjustments and how they will play a role in respect of Microsoft in the competitive gaming market, that is what the industry will be looking up to keenly. 
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

This is according to a memo from Phil Spencer, chief executive of Microsoft Gaming, and comes after the giant $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. According to a CNBC report this memo was sent to the employees on Thursday.

This is according to a memo from Phil Spencer, chief executive of Microsoft Gaming, and comes after the giant $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. According to a CNBC report this memo was sent to the employees on Thursday. What the layoffs mean Spencer's words were tinged with praise and the contributions of the employees that were going to be affected, as he said in a truly humble manner, "We are profoundly thankful for the contributions our colleagues are making as they are being affected." This utterance speaks volumes about the painful nature of such decisions in a corporate setup. Layoffs in this respect would be majorly in corporate and supportive functions whereby Microsoft apparently tries to bring rationalization into the ongoing operations. Spencer assured these laid-off people that the corporation was going to provide comprehensive care packages: severance packages, extended health-care benefits, proving that Microsoft really cared about its workforce in this transitional process. While jobs are being axed, Spencer made a point to underline that no games, devices or gaming experiences are axed as part of this restructuring. He underlined that alignment is critical for growth in a sustainable way in the future. Broader industry trends Recently, a wave of layoffs hit the gaming world, where some of the most major companies, such as Sony and Unity, aligned with the reduction of staff. This particular trend seems to reflect a possible shift within the gaming sector whereby firms seek to answer the market pressures and face financial stability in this industry. Microsoft's new layoffs are the results of successive rounds of layoffs in the company's gaming department-the third since purchasing Activision Blizzard. The company laid off 1,900 gaming sector roles back in January. In May, the company shut down a series of studios that belonged to its gaming division, leading to layoffs. Hence, these job cuts mark the efforts of Microsoft in operational efficiency and how, after a huge acquisition, the company still tries very hard to support its dedicated staff through this transition. In the development of the story, it would be worth mentioning how all these changes will mold the future of Microsoft's ambitions concerning gaming. This forms part of the strategy that the technology and gaming giant is using to support its employees in such tough times, as it were, navigating such a difficult period. Regarding the changes or adjustments and how they will play a role in respect of Microsoft in the competitive gaming market, that is what the industry will be looking up to keenly.

Microsoft to cut 650 jobs at its Xbox gaming unit

Microsoft will convene a summit for the improvement of cybersecurity systems in September, it said on Friday, after last month's CrowdStrike faulty update propelled a global IT outage.&nbsp;

The summit is the first of many giant steps the company shall take to forestall issues that affected nearly 8.5 million Windows devices on July 19, paralysing operations across major airlines, banks, and health services.

The event will be held on September 10 at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. The company also plans to invite government representatives to the event, it added in a blog.

"The CrowdStrike outage in July presents important lessons for us to apply as an ecosystem," Microsoft said.

It has already made many people question whether many organisations have adequate plans in place for when something as simple as an IT system or, worse still, a piece of software within it goes down.

"We look forward to bringing our perspective to the discussions with Microsoft and industry and government stakeholders on the need for a more resilient ecosystem," a CrowdStrike spokesperson said when contacted for a comment.

Analysts have pointed out that this outage exposed the risk associated with depending on a single vendor for security solutions.

CrowdStrike lost about $9 billion of its market value since the outage and has been sued by shareholders who said the cybersecurity company defrauded them by concealing how its inadequate software testing could cause global disruption.

Earlier this month, Delta Air Lines said it had filed legal claims against CrowdStrike and Microsoft, alleging that the outage caused mass flight cancellations and at least $500 million in costs to the carrier.

CrowdStrike is scheduled to report its second-quarter financial results after the close of the US market on August 28.

Microsoft will convene a summit for the improvement of cybersecurity systems in September, it said on Friday, after last month's CrowdStrike faulty update propelled a global IT outage.

Microsoft will convene a summit for the improvement of cybersecurity systems in September, it said on Friday, after last month's CrowdStrike faulty update propelled a global IT outage. The summit is the first of many giant steps the company shall take to forestall issues that affected nearly 8.5 million Windows devices on July 19, paralysing operations across major airlines, banks, and health services. The event will be held on September 10 at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. The company also plans to invite government representatives to the event, it added in a blog. "The CrowdStrike outage in July presents important lessons for us to apply as an ecosystem," Microsoft said. It has already made many people question whether many organisations have adequate plans in place for when something as simple as an IT system or, worse still, a piece of software within it goes down. "We look forward to bringing our perspective to the discussions with Microsoft and industry and government stakeholders on the need for a more resilient ecosystem," a CrowdStrike spokesperson said when contacted for a comment. Analysts have pointed out that this outage exposed the risk associated with depending on a single vendor for security solutions. CrowdStrike lost about $9 billion of its market value since the outage and has been sued by shareholders who said the cybersecurity company defrauded them by concealing how its inadequate software testing could cause global disruption. Earlier this month, Delta Air Lines said it had filed legal claims against CrowdStrike and Microsoft, alleging that the outage caused mass flight cancellations and at least $500 million in costs to the carrier. CrowdStrike is scheduled to report its second-quarter financial results after the close of the US market on August 28.

Microsoft to convene cybersecurity summit following CrowdStrike-induced disruption

Microsoft has restructured the way it reports results for its business units to include some search and news advertising revenue under the Azure cloud-computing unit—a move designed to put more focus on AI contributions at a time when investors have a growing appetite for AI.

The company said that henceforth, revenue from the AI and speech technology services that its Nuance unit offers would now come under its productivity business, home to the Office suite of apps. Earlier, it was an intelligent cloud division. It said the rejig will help align Microsoft's reporting structure to how its businesses are managed.

The company restated its revenue growth in its divisions for the last fiscal year and revised its forecast for the July-September quarter.

Big tech companies like Microsoft and Google face pressure from investors to show billions of dollars that they have invested in AI infrastructure.

Microsoft is one of the few large companies that break out AI contributions in their quarterly earnings. Most companies have yet to see a big boost from their AI investments.

Last month, the Windows maker reported that AI provided a bigger boost to Azure in the June quarter, even as the overall business was dampened. Microsoft projects growth for Azure to accelerate over the second half of fiscal 2025.

For the first quarter, the company forecasts intelligent cloud revenue of $23.80 billion to $24.10 billion, trimming its previous expectations of $28.6 billion to $28.9 billion.

The company moved some units from the business to the productivity division, trimming quarterly revenue expectations at its personal computing segment to $12.25 billion to $12.65 billion from $14.9 billion to $15.3 billion.

Productivity and business processes revenue would remain in the range of $27.75 billion to $28.05 billion, compared with previous estimates of $20.3 billion to $20.6 billion.

Microsoft has restructured the way it reports results for its business units to include some search and news advertising revenue under the Azure cloud-computing unit—a move designed to put more focus on AI contributions at a time when investors have a growing appetite for AI.

Microsoft has restructured the way it reports results for its business units to include some search and news advertising revenue under the Azure cloud-computing unit—a move designed to put more focus on AI contributions at a time when investors have a growing appetite for AI. The company said that henceforth, revenue from the AI and speech technology services that its Nuance unit offers would now come under its productivity business, home to the Office suite of apps. Earlier, it was an intelligent cloud division. It said the rejig will help align Microsoft's reporting structure to how its businesses are managed. The company restated its revenue growth in its divisions for the last fiscal year and revised its forecast for the July-September quarter. Big tech companies like Microsoft and Google face pressure from investors to show billions of dollars that they have invested in AI infrastructure. Microsoft is one of the few large companies that break out AI contributions in their quarterly earnings. Most companies have yet to see a big boost from their AI investments. Last month, the Windows maker reported that AI provided a bigger boost to Azure in the June quarter, even as the overall business was dampened. Microsoft projects growth for Azure to accelerate over the second half of fiscal 2025. For the first quarter, the company forecasts intelligent cloud revenue of $23.80 billion to $24.10 billion, trimming its previous expectations of $28.6 billion to $28.9 billion. The company moved some units from the business to the productivity division, trimming quarterly revenue expectations at its personal computing segment to $12.25 billion to $12.65 billion from $14.9 billion to $15.3 billion. Productivity and business processes revenue would remain in the range of $27.75 billion to $28.05 billion, compared with previous estimates of $20.3 billion to $20.6 billion.

Microsoft's revenue reshuffle signals AI ambitions amid investor pressure

Microsoft researchers said on Friday that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;government-tied hackers tried breaking into the account of a "high-ranking official" on the US&nbsp;presidential campaign in June, weeks after breaching the account of a county-level US&nbsp;official.

The breaches were part of&nbsp;Iranian groups' increasing attempts to influence the US&nbsp;presidential election in November, the researchers said in a report that did not provide any further detail on the "official" in question.

The report follows recent statements by senior US&nbsp;Intelligence officials that they'd seen&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;ramp up use of clandestine social media accounts with the aim to use them to try to sow political discord in the United States.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York told Reuters in a statement that its cyber capabilities were "defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces" and that it had no plans to launch cyber attacks. "The US&nbsp;presidential election is an internal matter in which&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;does not interfere," the mission added in response to the allegations in the Microsoft report.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-harris-to-debate-on-abc-trump-calls-for-two-additional-debates-748577">Trump and Harris to debate on Sep 10; Trump calls for two additional debates</a>

"A group run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit sent a spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign” and “another group with assessed links to the IRGC compromised a user account with minimal access permissions at a county-level government,” the report said.

It said the activity appeared part of a broader push by&nbsp;Iranian groups to gain intelligence on US&nbsp;political campaigns and target US&nbsp;swing states. It said the county employee's account was breached in May as part of a wider "password spray operation" - one where hackers use common or leaked passwords en masse on many accounts until they can break into one.

The hackers weren't able to access any other accounts through that breach and the targets were notified, the report added.

The researchers also said another&nbsp;Iranian group had been launching "covert" news sites that used artificial intelligence to lift content from legitimate news sites, and targeted US&nbsp;voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum. It named the two sites as Nio Thinker -- a left-leaning site -- and a conservative site called Savannah Time.

When browsed on Friday, both websites had similar formats on their 'About Us' page, and neither listed any contact detail. Nio Thinker calls itself "your go-to destination for insightful, progressive news and analysis that challenges the status quo", while Savannah Time says it is "a reflection of the values that make Savannah unique" and a place "where conservative values meet local insight."

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Microsoft researchers said on Friday that Iran government-tied hackers tried breaking into the account of a "high-ranking official" on the US presidential campaign in June, weeks after breaching the account of a county-level US official.

Microsoft researchers said on Friday that Iran government-tied hackers tried breaking into the account of a "high-ranking official" on the US presidential campaign in June, weeks after breaching the account of a county-level US official. The breaches were part of Iranian groups' increasing attempts to influence the US presidential election in November, the researchers said in a report that did not provide any further detail on the "official" in question. The report follows recent statements by senior US Intelligence officials that they'd seen Iran ramp up use of clandestine social media accounts with the aim to use them to try to sow political discord in the United States. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York told Reuters in a statement that its cyber capabilities were "defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces" and that it had no plans to launch cyber attacks. "The US presidential election is an internal matter in which Iran does not interfere," the mission added in response to the allegations in the Microsoft report. Also Read | Trump and Harris to debate on Sep 10; Trump calls for two additional debates "A group run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit sent a spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign” and “another group with assessed links to the IRGC compromised a user account with minimal access permissions at a county-level government,” the report said. It said the activity appeared part of a broader push by Iranian groups to gain intelligence on US political campaigns and target US swing states. It said the county employee's account was breached in May as part of a wider "password spray operation" - one where hackers use common or leaked passwords en masse on many accounts until they can break into one. The hackers weren't able to access any other accounts through that breach and the targets were notified, the report added. The researchers also said another Iranian group had been launching "covert" news sites that used artificial intelligence to lift content from legitimate news sites, and targeted US voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum. It named the two sites as Nio Thinker -- a left-leaning site -- and a conservative site called Savannah Time. When browsed on Friday, both websites had similar formats on their 'About Us' page, and neither listed any contact detail. Nio Thinker calls itself "your go-to destination for insightful, progressive news and analysis that challenges the status quo", while Savannah Time says it is "a reflection of the values that make Savannah unique" and a place "where conservative values meet local insight." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Microsoft researchers report Iran hackers targeting US officials before election

Microsoft and CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, have joined forces in a bid to debunk allegations by Delta Air Lines that the two firms were to blame for last month's tech outage that grounded thousands of flights. The battle, anchored on accusations from Delta, has just accelerated as each of these tech companies rush to defend their reputation.

On Tuesday, Microsoft lawyer Mark Cheffo wrote a letter to Delta attorney David Boies, pushing back on its claims, saying that the airline's core tech system is probably serviced by other technology vendors, not Microsoft Windows. "Your letter and Delta's public comments are incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation," Cheffo said.

Cheffo further noted the efforts that Microsoft had made to understand why other airlines restored their operations faster than Delta. The remark, in a way, exposes the growing rift between the tech giants and the Atlanta-based airline.

Last week, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said a global tech outage—a faulty CrowdStrike upgrade on machines running Microsoft Windows—ran $500 million. He also intimated that lawsuits against those companies responsible could be in order. For its part, the statement reflected a commitment to reliable service—'billions of dollars in IT capital expenditures' since 2016, and some more as annual IT costs—before refusing to comment further.

Delta's claims were dismissed by CrowdStrike, too. CrowdStrike responded that Delta turned down its - and Microsoft's - offers to help the airline recover following the outage. According to Cheffo, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella even emailed Bastian during the crisis and did not get a response.

The escalating conflict between Delta and the tech companies underlines the complexity and high stakes involved in the maintenance and management of critical tech infrastructure in the aviation sector. And as events unfold, attention remains fixed on accountability and strong, dependable technology solutions to ensure that similar disruptions do not occur in the future.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, have joined forces in a bid to debunk allegations by Delta Air Lines that the two firms were to blame for last month's tech outage that grounded thousands of flights.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, have joined forces in a bid to debunk allegations by Delta Air Lines that the two firms were to blame for last month's tech outage that grounded thousands of flights. The battle, anchored on accusations from Delta, has just accelerated as each of these tech companies rush to defend their reputation. On Tuesday, Microsoft lawyer Mark Cheffo wrote a letter to Delta attorney David Boies, pushing back on its claims, saying that the airline's core tech system is probably serviced by other technology vendors, not Microsoft Windows. "Your letter and Delta's public comments are incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation," Cheffo said. Cheffo further noted the efforts that Microsoft had made to understand why other airlines restored their operations faster than Delta. The remark, in a way, exposes the growing rift between the tech giants and the Atlanta-based airline. Last week, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said a global tech outage—a faulty CrowdStrike upgrade on machines running Microsoft Windows—ran $500 million. He also intimated that lawsuits against those companies responsible could be in order. For its part, the statement reflected a commitment to reliable service—'billions of dollars in IT capital expenditures' since 2016, and some more as annual IT costs—before refusing to comment further. Delta's claims were dismissed by CrowdStrike, too. CrowdStrike responded that Delta turned down its - and Microsoft's - offers to help the airline recover following the outage. According to Cheffo, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella even emailed Bastian during the crisis and did not get a response. The escalating conflict between Delta and the tech companies underlines the complexity and high stakes involved in the maintenance and management of critical tech infrastructure in the aviation sector. And as events unfold, attention remains fixed on accountability and strong, dependable technology solutions to ensure that similar disruptions do not occur in the future.

Microsoft, CrowdStrike in a row with Delta over pricey outage fallout

Technology&nbsp;giant Microsoft has issued an apology after thousands of people reported problems with its products globally. Several services were reportedly affected, with thousands of people taking to social media forums and Downdetector, which tracks websites, to report issues.&nbsp;

The tech giant said that some of its 365 services are facing problems and the customers are unable to use the cloud-based apps. The company said Tuesday it has "identified a potential networking issue" and is working on solving the problem.&nbsp;

The company said that it had implemented a fix for the problem which "shows improvement", and it will monitor the situation "to ensure full recovery". Microsoft earlier said that it was "investigating reports of issues connecting to Microsoft services globally".&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/customs-and-excise-department-in-hong-kong-to-study-ai-use-to-tackle-digital-crimes-745692">Customs and Excise Department in Hong Kong to study AI use to tackle digital crimes</a>

In a post on X, it said, "We're sorry to hear you're running into issues with our services. Our experts are currently investigating the situation in order to resolve it as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."

Notably, the company separately told people it has "no ETA" for how long the issue would take to resolve.&nbsp;

The outage comes less than two weeks after the service suffered a catastrophic breakdown brought on by a fault in a program update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The bug had impacted computers all across the world, resulting in the cancellation of thousands of flights and train services as well as interruptions in numerous other areas, including banking and healthcare.&nbsp;

Microsoft noted in an update that the affected services include Microsoft 365 admin centre, Intune, Entra and Power Platform, among others. The outage was caused by an "unexpected usage spike" in components of Azure Front Door (AFD), which Redmond describes as its "modern" cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN), it confirmed.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texas-biometric-data-lawsuit-meta-agrees-to-pay-14bn-over-illegal-use-of-facial-recognition-tech-745659">Texas biometric data lawsuit: Meta agrees to pay $1.4bn over illegal use of facial-recognition tech</a>&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
We're currently investigating access issues and degraded performance with multiple Microsoft 365 services and features. More information can be found under MO842351 in the admin center.
— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSFT365Status/status/1818267438435147865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
We are investigating an issue impacting the Azure portal. More details will be provided as they become available.
— Azure Support (@AzureSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/AzureSupport/status/1818257201145712898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In a status update, Azure confirmed the global impact across the Americas, APAC, Europe and the Middle East. It wrote, "We are investigating reports of issues connecting to Microsoft services globally. Customers may experience timeouts connecting to Azure services. We have multiple engineering teams engaged to diagnose and resolve the issue."&nbsp;

Azure, in the most recent update, stated that issues started at 11:45 UTC on 30 July 2024, when "a subset of customers may have experienced issues connecting to Microsoft services globally."

"An unexpected usage spike resulted in Azure Front Door (AFD) components performing below acceptable thresholds, leading to intermittent errors, timeout, and latency spikes," it wrote.

"We have implemented network configuration changes and have performed failovers to provide alternate network paths for relief. Our monitoring telemetry shows improvement in service availability from approximately 14:10 UTC onwards, but we are investigating reports of specific services and regions that are still experiencing intermittent errors," Azure&nbsp;added.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Technology giant Microsoft has issued an apology after thousands of people reported problems with its products globally. Several services were reportedly affected, with thousands of people taking to social media forums and Downdetector, which tracks websites, to report issues.

Technology giant Microsoft has issued an apology after thousands of people reported problems with its products globally. Several services were reportedly affected, with thousands of people taking to social media forums and Downdetector, which tracks websites, to report issues. The tech giant said that some of its 365 services are facing problems and the customers are unable to use the cloud-based apps. The company said Tuesday it has "identified a potential networking issue" and is working on solving the problem. The company said that it had implemented a fix for the problem which "shows improvement", and it will monitor the situation "to ensure full recovery". Microsoft earlier said that it was "investigating reports of issues connecting to Microsoft services globally". Also read: Customs and Excise Department in Hong Kong to study AI use to tackle digital crimes In a post on X, it said, "We're sorry to hear you're running into issues with our services. Our experts are currently investigating the situation in order to resolve it as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience." Notably, the company separately told people it has "no ETA" for how long the issue would take to resolve. The outage comes less than two weeks after the service suffered a catastrophic breakdown brought on by a fault in a program update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The bug had impacted computers all across the world, resulting in the cancellation of thousands of flights and train services as well as interruptions in numerous other areas, including banking and healthcare. Microsoft noted in an update that the affected services include Microsoft 365 admin centre, Intune, Entra and Power Platform, among others. The outage was caused by an "unexpected usage spike" in components of Azure Front Door (AFD), which Redmond describes as its "modern" cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN), it confirmed. Also read: Texas biometric data lawsuit: Meta agrees to pay $1.4bn over illegal use of facial-recognition tech We're currently investigating access issues and degraded performance with multiple Microsoft 365 services and features. More information can be found under MO842351 in the admin center. — Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) July 30, 2024 × We are investigating an issue impacting the Azure portal. More details will be provided as they become available. — Azure Support (@AzureSupport) July 30, 2024 × In a status update, Azure confirmed the global impact across the Americas, APAC, Europe and the Middle East. It wrote, "We are investigating reports of issues connecting to Microsoft services globally. Customers may experience timeouts connecting to Azure services. We have multiple engineering teams engaged to diagnose and resolve the issue." Azure, in the most recent update, stated that issues started at 11:45 UTC on 30 July 2024, when "a subset of customers may have experienced issues connecting to Microsoft services globally." "An unexpected usage spike resulted in Azure Front Door (AFD) components performing below acceptable thresholds, leading to intermittent errors, timeout, and latency spikes," it wrote. "We have implemented network configuration changes and have performed failovers to provide alternate network paths for relief. Our monitoring telemetry shows improvement in service availability from approximately 14:10 UTC onwards, but we are investigating reports of specific services and regions that are still experiencing intermittent errors," Azure added. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft apologises over outages for some 365 Office and cloud programmes

Microsoft Corp. said a distributed denial-of-service cyber attack caused an outage of its Azure cloud applications. The attack began early Tuesday, the company said in a status update, which was compounded by a mistake in Microsoft's automated protection mechanisms.

The outage disrupted businesses in many regions, including the ability to run their systems on Azure. For instance, the mobile ordering system for Starbucks —an Azure-driven service, according to a person familiar with the matter— was interrupted for hours by the Azure issues.

Denial-of-service attacks inundate websites with internet traffic in an attempt to shut them down. It has been a nagging problem for financial institutions, as sometimes they face intermittent downtime, and their security teams have to ward off the activity.

Reports of outages on Azure and Microsoft 365 began to spike shortly after 7 a.m. in New York, with hundreds of complaints at the peak of the incident, according to user reports compiled by Downdetector. Microsoft said the issue was resolved by about 5 p.m. in New York.

Earlier this month, some 8 million computers running the Windows operating system crashed following a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Microsoft has also been dealing with the aftermath of a string of cyberattacks that prompted the US government to issue a report that was highly critical and called for company wide action.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called out progress in the company's cybersecurity products on a conference call Tuesday after the company's quarterly earnings report. More than 1.2 million security customers are now using Microsoft, he pointed out, saying, "We continue to prioritise security above all else."

It shows contemporary challenges and vulnerabilities in cloud service providers. As cyber threats evolve, the requirement for better security measures and quick response mechanisms becomes critical to maintain trust and reliability among customers for tech giants such as Microsoft.

Microsoft Corp. said a distributed denial-of-service cyber attack caused an outage of its Azure cloud applications. The attack began early Tuesday, the company said in a status update, which was compounded by a mistake in Microsoft's automated protection mechanisms.

Microsoft Corp. said a distributed denial-of-service cyber attack caused an outage of its Azure cloud applications. The attack began early Tuesday, the company said in a status update, which was compounded by a mistake in Microsoft's automated protection mechanisms. The outage disrupted businesses in many regions, including the ability to run their systems on Azure. For instance, the mobile ordering system for Starbucks —an Azure-driven service, according to a person familiar with the matter— was interrupted for hours by the Azure issues. Denial-of-service attacks inundate websites with internet traffic in an attempt to shut them down. It has been a nagging problem for financial institutions, as sometimes they face intermittent downtime, and their security teams have to ward off the activity. Reports of outages on Azure and Microsoft 365 began to spike shortly after 7 a.m. in New York, with hundreds of complaints at the peak of the incident, according to user reports compiled by Downdetector. Microsoft said the issue was resolved by about 5 p.m. in New York. Earlier this month, some 8 million computers running the Windows operating system crashed following a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Microsoft has also been dealing with the aftermath of a string of cyberattacks that prompted the US government to issue a report that was highly critical and called for company wide action. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called out progress in the company's cybersecurity products on a conference call Tuesday after the company's quarterly earnings report. More than 1.2 million security customers are now using Microsoft, he pointed out, saying, "We continue to prioritise security above all else." It shows contemporary challenges and vulnerabilities in cloud service providers. As cyber threats evolve, the requirement for better security measures and quick response mechanisms becomes critical to maintain trust and reliability among customers for tech giants such as Microsoft.

Azure outage: DDoS attack exposes vulnerabilities in Microsoft's cloud services

The Indian cyber security agency CERT-In has reported that users affected by the recent global computer outage are now targeted by phishing attacks. Fraudsters are posing as CrowdStrike support staff, offering system recovery tools but instead installing malware.

Indian Government warns of phishing attack targeting Crowdstrike users

When a major Global IT outage that disrupted business and government operations across the globe struck on Friday there was one country that was unaffected unlike much of the world which was wrestling with widespread technical issues. Watch in for more details!

Crowdstrike's absence saves China from global tech meltdown

The global outage that created chaos in industries from airline to broadcasting brought daily operations to a standstill and affected nearly 8.5 million devices. The Friday outage impacted less than 1% of all Windows machines worldwide

Microsoft: Global tech outage by CrowdStrike affected 8.5mn devices globally

The state of loneliness is mental or emotional distress one may experience from either being alone or just because you feel as if you are alone despite being among a group of people. Loneliness can leave people feeling isolated and disconnected from others.&nbsp;

In order to combat this feeling (or maybe a phase), an India-based engineer was reportedly seen driving an auto-rickshaw on the weekends in Bengaluru. He was wearing a company hoodie.&nbsp;

A social media user, named Venkatesh Gupta, took to X and shared a post about the techie, who apparently works at Microsoft.&nbsp;"Met a 35-year-old staff software engineer at Microsoft in Koramangala driving Namma Yatri to combat loneliness on weekends," Gupta wrote.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/this-indian-state-has-made-it-mandatory-for-tourist-vehicles-to-carry-garbage-bags-743097">This Indian state has made it mandatory for tourist vehicles to carry garbage bags</a>

This may come under moonlighting, which is the act of working at an extra job, especially without telling your main employer, but this particular case has sparked a debate online, with people flooding the comment section with their opinions. People often lose their jobs when the&nbsp;employer finds out about moonlighting.&nbsp;

Here's the post:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Met a 35 year old staff software engineer at Microsoft in Kormangala driving Namma Yatri to combat loneliness on weekends <a href="https://t.co/yesKDM9v2j">pic.twitter.com/yesKDM9v2j</a>
— Venkatesh Gupta (@venkyHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/venkyHQ/status/1815083810083471778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Some users raised concerns, saying "Loneliness is REAL". Some questioned the legitimacy of the post, saying, "Wearing a Microsoft jacket does not mean he is an employee."&nbsp;

"Don't know if the staff software engineer is real. But I just read a news article talking about workplace stress and this post. Just so you know," another user wrote.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/mukbang-challenge-kills-chinese-woman-who-ate-kilos-of-food-for-over-10-hours-a-day-743012">Mukbang challenge kills Chinese woman who ate kilos of food for over 10 hours a day</a>

"Tats gr8, he knows how imp is mental health. Change of subject is rest. An engineer at my office works as bartender to get relaxed," one user wrote.&nbsp;

"There is a breakdown of interpersonal bonds in present times. The fast pace of life coupled with rising stress in various facets of a person's daily "existence" has driven people apart instead of bringing them together. Digital world has further made us emotional islands," another user wrote.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The state of loneliness is mental or emotional distress one may experience from either being alone or just because you feel as if you are alone despite being among a group of people.

The state of loneliness is mental or emotional distress one may experience from either being alone or just because you feel as if you are alone despite being among a group of people. Loneliness can leave people feeling isolated and disconnected from others. In order to combat this feeling (or maybe a phase), an India-based engineer was reportedly seen driving an auto-rickshaw on the weekends in Bengaluru. He was wearing a company hoodie. A social media user, named Venkatesh Gupta, took to X and shared a post about the techie, who apparently works at Microsoft. "Met a 35-year-old staff software engineer at Microsoft in Koramangala driving Namma Yatri to combat loneliness on weekends," Gupta wrote. Also read: This Indian state has made it mandatory for tourist vehicles to carry garbage bags This may come under moonlighting, which is the act of working at an extra job, especially without telling your main employer, but this particular case has sparked a debate online, with people flooding the comment section with their opinions. People often lose their jobs when the employer finds out about moonlighting. Here's the post: Met a 35 year old staff software engineer at Microsoft in Kormangala driving Namma Yatri to combat loneliness on weekends pic.twitter.com/yesKDM9v2j — Venkatesh Gupta (@venkyHQ) July 21, 2024 × Some users raised concerns, saying "Loneliness is REAL". Some questioned the legitimacy of the post, saying, "Wearing a Microsoft jacket does not mean he is an employee." "Don't know if the staff software engineer is real. But I just read a news article talking about workplace stress and this post. Just so you know," another user wrote. Also read: Mukbang challenge kills Chinese woman who ate kilos of food for over 10 hours a day "Tats gr8, he knows how imp is mental health. Change of subject is rest. An engineer at my office works as bartender to get relaxed," one user wrote. "There is a breakdown of interpersonal bonds in present times. The fast pace of life coupled with rising stress in various facets of a person's daily "existence" has driven people apart instead of bringing them together. Digital world has further made us emotional islands," another user wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

Software engineer in Bengaluru 'drives auto-rickshaw on weekends to combat loneliness'

microsoft

Microsoft, News on Microsoft, stories on Microsoft, articles on Microsoft, Microsoft stories at Wion, Microsoft news, Microsoft latest news