BUSINES

AI companies race to use ‘distillation’ to produce cheaper models

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Leading artificial intelligence firms including OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta are turning to a process called “distillation” in the global race to create AI models that are cheaper for consumers and businesses to adopt. The technique caught widespread attention after China’s DeepSeek used it to build powerful and efficient AI models based on open-source systems released … Read more

Japan’s $1.5bn bet on ultra-thin solar cells in challenge to China

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Japan is betting $1.5bn on a breakthrough in next-generation ultra-thin, light and bendy solar panels, subsidising the commercialisation of a technology that analysts say could disrupt China’s dominance of renewable energy and reduce Tokyo’s dependence … Read more

Could AI make you a better gardener?

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By Victoria Turk Since ChatGPT first launched at the end of 2022, AI has become embedded in many aspects of our lives, from social media to shopping. Now, even gardening is being transformed — and you might be pleasantly surprised at just how useful it turns out to be. One such vision of AI-enabled horticulture … Read more

How each country’s emissions and climate goals compare

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The Financial Times has created a searchable dashboard of 193 countries’ historical emissions and future climate targets, providing information on the energy mix that indicates their progress on renewable energy. The database is in its … Read more

Singapore probes suspected fraud in sales of US-controlled Nvidia chips

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Singapore has charged three men in a case suspected to involve Nvidia semiconductor sales that potentially breach US export controls, the government announced on Monday. The two Singaporeans and one Chinese national were charged last … Read more

EU cracks down on fast fashion and food waste

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The EU has struck a deal to impose sweeping new rules on food and textile waste, putting the costs of clean-up on companies and reshaping the economics for ecommerce platforms operating across the continent. The … Read more