UK and US agree AI safety deal; AWS axes hundreds of roles

UK and US sign landmark AI deal

The US and UK governments have signed a landmark deal that will see both countries co-operate on testing artificial intelligence.

The safety agreement, signed on Monday, is the first bilateral agreement of its kind and will see both the US and UK develop “robust” methods to evaluate AI tools and the systems that underpin them.

The agreement builds on commitments made during the AI Safety Summit which was held at Bletchley Park last year, according to UK tech minister Michelle Donelan.

“We have always been clear that ensuring the safe development of AI is a shared global issue,” she said.

“Only by working together can we address the technology’s risks head on and harness its enormous potential to help us all live easier and healthier lives.”

Read more about the AI deal here

Orange Spain merges with Masmovil to launch “MasOrange”

The merged Spanish telco MasOrange has unveiled plans to invest €4 billion in 5G and fibre over the next three years.

MasOrange, which was formed from the merger of Orange’s Spanish arm and MasMovil, has more than 30 million customers in Spain. The deal was completed on 26 March after it was rubber stamped by regulators in Brussels and Madrid.

Meinrad Spenger, CEO of MasOrange, said: “MasOrange is a reliable partner for all our clients, including companies and public administrations. We are going to invest and innovate more to offer the highest quality service in a sustainable way.”

Read more about MasOrange here

Amazon cuts hundreds of roles at AWS

Amazon Web Services has announced plans to axe hundreds of jobs across sales, marketing and its global services division.

The plans were revealed in an email sent to staff on Wednesday, with executives saying the cloud company is shifting its focus to self-serve digital training and training programs run by external partners.

AWS also cited overlap in some programme management and sales operations roles.

“We do not take these decisions lightly, and I know change can be difficult,” wrote Matt Garman, AWS senior vice president. “We operate in an incredibly fast-moving industry, and it is important that we stay agile as an organisation.”

He added: “The changes we are making are preparing the organisation for the future, aligning with our strategy and priorities, and reducing duplication and inefficiency. I recognise the effect this has on every individual impacted.”

Read more here

BT to pause digital telco switchover

BT and Virgin Media are set to delay plans to switch off analogue phone lines in the UK due to concerns over safety alarms for the elderly.

The UK was set to switch off its 14 million+ network of copper-powered landlines by the end of 2025 in an agreement struck by the key telecoms providers in 2017. However, according to reports, industry bosses are considering a two-year delay due to compatibility issues with personal alarm systems.

The switch off would see voice calls switched over to a voice over IP (VoIP) network, but it has been reported that some emergency alarms – worn by around 1.8 million elderly and vulnerable people – have seen calls fail using VoIP, prompting the telcos to rethink the deadline.

A spokesperson for BT said: “We’re working closely with the Government and Ofcom as we continue the important programme to move customers onto digital landlines.

“Our priority remains doing this safely, supporting our vulnerable customers and those with additional needs in particular, and we’re working with key organisations that represent these groups to achieve that.”

Read more here.