Nvidia unveils AI models for faster, cheaper weather forecasts

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Nvidia has released three open-source artificial intelligence models designed to improve the speed and cost efficiency of weather forecasting. The announcement was made at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting, highlighting the chipmaker’s broader push to apply AI software beyond traditional computing workloads.

The new models aim to replace conventional weather simulations, which are often expensive and time-consuming to run. Nvidia said its AI-driven approach can match or exceed the accuracy of traditional methods while delivering results significantly faster and at a lower operational cost once the models are trained.

One of the key commercial use cases is expected to be in the insurance sector, where companies rely on large-scale weather simulations to assess rare but damaging events such as floods and hurricanes. Traditional forecasting requires running large ensembles of simulations, a process that can be slow and costly. Nvidia said AI removes this bottleneck by enabling massive ensembles to be processed at unprecedented speed.

The models are part of Nvidia’s Earth-2 initiative and include tools for 15-day global forecasts, short-term severe storm prediction over the United States, and systems that combine data from multiple weather sensors to improve forecasting accuracy.

EU starts proceedings to assist Google in complying with tech rules

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The European Commission has launched formal proceedings aimed at assisting Google in complying with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, a landmark set of rules designed to curb the market power of large technology companies. The move signals closer engagement between EU regulators and Alphabet’s Google as the bloc enforces its new digital competition framework.

The Commission said the proceedings are intended to clarify how Google can meet its obligations under the DMA, which requires designated gatekeepers to ensure fair competition and greater openness in digital markets. Google has already taken steps to comply, including licensing certain search data to competitors and maintaining that its Android operating system is open by design.

However, Google warned that additional requirements could have unintended consequences. A senior company lawyer said some rules appear to be driven by complaints from rivals rather than consumer interests, and argued that excessive constraints could undermine user privacy, security and innovation.

The case highlights the balancing act facing EU regulators as they seek to rein in Big Tech while avoiding measures that could disrupt services used by millions of consumers and businesses across Europe.

Indian tourist state of Goa weighs social media ban for children

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India’s top tourist state of Goa is considering a potential ban on social media use for children, drawing inspiration from Australia’s recent restrictions amid growing concerns over the impact of online platforms on young users’ mental health. The proposal comes as India remains one of the world’s largest markets for social media, with millions of users estimated to be under 18.

Goa’s information technology minister said state authorities are studying Australia’s law, which restricts social media access for children under 16, to assess whether a similar approach could be adopted locally. Officials said details of any proposal would follow after further review.

The discussion highlights the absence of nationwide rules in India governing minors’ access to social media, despite increasing debate over screen time, online safety and psychological well-being. Another Indian state, Andhra Pradesh, has also indicated it is exploring comparable measures after reviewing global regulatory efforts.

Australia last year became the first country to implement a nationwide social media ban for children under 16, a move that deactivated millions of teen accounts within weeks. Other countries, including France and several in Southeast Asia, are closely watching the outcome as they consider similar policies.