Meta May be Taking AI to Instagram; Microsoft Chief Meets UK Chancellor Over Activision Deal

by Hannah Dillon on 7th Jun 2023 in News

In today's ExchangeWire news digest: Meta is reportedly developing a new AI feature for Instagram; Microsoft's president meets the UK chancellor "seeking solutions" over the blocked Activision deal; and Japan renews its strategy for domestic production of semiconductor chips.

Is Meta bringing chatbots to Instagram?

Instagram-parent Meta may be working on taking AI chatbots to the platform. Although the company has not announced plans for such an update, a leaked screenshot appears to reveal a feature in which chatbots offer to answer users’ questions, give advice, and help to draft messages. The apparent development follows assertions from CEO Mark Zuckerberg that Meta is “developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways”.

Microsoft boss appeals to UK chancellor over blocked acquisition

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, has met with UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt “in search of solutions” after the country blocked its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) objected to the billion-dollar deal in April due to antitrust concerns. “If the UK wants to impose regulatory requirements that go beyond those in the EU, we want to find ways to fulfil them,” Smith asserted.

Japan revamps chip strategy

The Japanese government has resurrected its chip strategy, setting out a new target for domestic sales to surpass ¥15tn (~£86.4bn) by 2030. The renewed strategy, announced on Tuesday (6th June), aims to bolster Japan’s efforts to produce state-of-the-art semiconductors critical for emerging technology, such as generative AI.