Poland Hopes for AI Chip Export Restrictions to Be Lifted Under Trump

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Poland is optimistic that the Trump administration will reverse the AI chip export restrictions imposed during the final days of President Joe Biden’s tenure. Dariusz Standerski, Poland’s deputy digital minister, expressed hopes on Wednesday that these restrictions, which limit Poland’s access to U.S.-designed AI chips, may be lifted under the new leadership.

The law, which was implemented by the Biden administration, categorized countries into three tiers. While 18 nations, including Japan, Britain, and France, were largely exempt from the restrictions, Poland and 120 other countries faced strict caps. Countries like Russia, China, and Iran were entirely barred from receiving the technology. Standerski criticized the decision, calling it “irresponsible” and stating that the Biden administration failed to provide a clear explanation for Poland’s placement in the second tier.

However, Standerski noted that Poland’s dialogue with the Trump administration had been “very constructive,” and he believes there is a “big chance” that Poland could be moved to the first tier, which would provide it with unrestricted access to the technology. Ongoing consultations are expected to last until May 15.

In addition, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski discussed the potential rollback of these restrictions with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the AI Action Summit in Paris last month. Tech groups, including Microsoft, have also urged the Trump administration to ease these restrictions, advocating that such measures should not be extended to U.S. allies.

Furthermore, the European Commission has voiced support for the idea, stating that the EU should be able to access advanced AI chips from the U.S. without limitations.

Spotify Pays Record $10 Billion in Royalties in 2024

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Spotify announced on Wednesday that it paid a record $10 billion in royalties to the music industry in 2024, marking the largest annual payout in its history. The Swedish streaming giant reported that nearly 1,500 artists earned over $1 million each in royalties last year, underscoring the platform’s significant financial contribution to the music world.

Spotify also highlighted that its annual payouts have increased substantially over the years, rising by 10 times from $1 billion in 2014. Despite this impressive growth, the company faced a legal challenge last year when it was sued in the U.S. for allegedly underpaying songwriting royalties for millions of songs. However, a federal judge in New York ruled to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this year, clearing the company of the claims.

Amazon and Google Support Pledge to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050

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Amazon and Google are among the major companies that signed a pledge on Wednesday to help achieve the goal of tripling the world’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050. This commitment was announced at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. The pledge also garnered support from companies like Occidental (a shale company) and Dow (a chemical giant).

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted the significance of the pledge, stating, “We are truly at the beginning of a new industry,” during an interview at the conference. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), which facilitated the pledge, support for this initiative is expected to grow in the coming months, with additional backing anticipated from sectors like maritime, aviation, and oil and gas. This commitment builds upon the vow made by over 30 countries in 2023 to triple nuclear capacity by 2050.

Nuclear energy currently provides 9% of the world’s electricity from 439 power reactors, according to WNA data. It has also gained traction as a solution for energy-intensive data centers, with Big Tech companies already signing billion-dollar deals with utilities. In addition, uranium prices reached a 16-year high in January last year due to supply uncertainties and rising demand, further emphasizing the growing importance of nuclear power.

However, uranium supply remains constrained as global production is concentrated in just Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia, which together accounted for around two-thirds of global output in 2022. As of early 2025, the world had 411 nuclear reactors in operation, with a combined capacity of 371 gigawatts.

Amazon, having invested over $1 billion in nuclear energy projects, is exploring small modular reactors as part of its strategy. Other companies, including Meta and Google, are also looking into this emerging technology.