Author: Tomas

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, is taking a major step toward expanding the reach of its chatbot, Grok, by integrating it with Telegram, one of the world’s largest messaging platforms. The deal, reportedly valued at $300 million over one year, is structured to offer significant financial and strategic advantages to both parties while positioning Grok for broader consumer adoption.

Under the terms of the agreement, Telegram will receive a combination of cash and equity from xAI, along with 50% of revenue from Grok Premium and Premium+ subscriptions sold through the Telegram platform. Telegram founder Pavel Durov confirmed the partnership, emphasizing the mutual benefits and strategic alignment between the two companies.

For xAI, the deal opens access to Telegram’s user base of over one billion monthly active users—a significant leap from the estimated 500 million monthly users of X (formerly Twitter), where Grok is currently deployed. By embedding Grok into Telegram, xAI aims to place its AI assistant directly within users’ daily communication tools, a move that could drastically increase engagement and exposure.

Data Access and AI Training Potential

While the agreement signals a clear expansion in Grok’s distribution, it also raises questions about data usage and training rights. On platform X, Grok is trained in part using public user content—outside of jurisdictions like the EU. Whether a similar arrangement applies to Telegram remains unclear.

Telegram hosts a large number of public Channels, used for broadcasting messages to wide audiences. These Channels could, in theory, provide a valuable source of structured and domain-specific text data—particularly appealing at a time when high-quality training data for large language models is increasingly scarce and fragmented. If xAI gains access to such data, the deal could serve both distribution and model improvement goals simultaneously.

Distribution as the Next Frontier in AI

The Telegram integration reflects a broader trend in the AI space: distribution and embedded access are becoming as critical as model quality. While developing state-of-the-art AI systems remains essential, success increasingly depends on making those systems accessible where users already are. With its integration into a widely used messaging app, Grok follows a path similar to AI assistants from Meta, Google, and OpenAI, which are being embedded in chat apps, productivity tools, and hardware.

This also points to a future where messaging platforms could become key revenue channels for AI services. With Grok Premium subscriptions now accessible via Telegram, xAI taps into not only a massive user base but also a new monetization layer, shared directly with the platform hosting the interaction.

For consumers, the move means another AI assistant—this time with Elon Musk’s branding and capabilities—will become natively available within Telegram, offering potential benefits in productivity, conversation, and content generation. For the industry, it underscores the strategic importance of pairing AI technologies with high-traffic, high-frequency user platforms in order to win the race for user engagement.

Samsung is offering Galaxy S25 series users an early preview of its latest mobile experience with the launch of the One UI 8 Beta Program on May 28, 2025. Based on Android 16, the beta is initially available for Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra users in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and Korea, with enrollment open via the Samsung Members app.

One UI 8 introduces a major advancement in AI-driven functionality, featuring what Samsung calls a “true multimodal AI agent.” Building on the AI features first introduced with the Galaxy S25 lineup, this system enables more natural interaction by understanding both visual and auditory context. New features such as “Now bar” and “Now brief” provide personalized, proactive assistance, shifting mobile AI from reactive responses to predictive support that anticipates user needs.

Samsung emphasizes its close partnership with Google, positioning One UI 8 as an early adopter of Android 16. The rapid rollout for flagship devices highlights Samsung’s focus on timely software updates and its commitment to integrating the latest Android innovations, strengthening its competitive edge among smartphone manufacturers.

In addition to AI enhancements, One UI 8 delivers several practical improvements:

• Auracast audio sharing: Uses Bluetooth LE Audio to allow seamless audio streaming to multiple devices like Galaxy Buds3 via a QR code.
• Enhanced Quick Share: Enables faster file transfers with a single tap in Quick Settings.
• Upgraded Reminder App: Adds better travel support, list-sharing capabilities, and voice input.
• Streamlined Repair Center Check-in: QR and NFC-based support simplifies service requests.

For Galaxy S25 users, the beta provides early access to a smarter, more personalized mobile experience ahead of One UI 8’s official launch, expected to debut alongside Samsung’s latest foldable devices this summer.

Source: https://news.samsung.com/uk/samsung-launches-one-ui-8-beta-program-the-first-generation-upgrade-starting-with-the-new-galaxy-foldables

On May 23, 2025, the Higher Regional Court of Cologne dismissed an emergency injunction filed by German consumer protection groups, allowing Meta to continue its AI training initiative, which began on May 27, 2025. The decision is a notable development in Europe’s ongoing discussion about balancing AI innovation with data privacy, particularly regarding the use of publicly available information.

Meta defended its approach by stating that it adheres to EU regulations, using only publicly accessible data while offering users clear opt-out options or the ability to privatize their profiles by May 26, 2025. The court ruled that these measures sufficiently address privacy concerns and found no feasible alternative that would be less intrusive, especially since such public data is already accessible through search engines. While Meta’s AI training plans had previously received conditional approval from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), the case highlights gaps in regulatory oversight. The ruling may serve as a precedent, prompting other companies to adopt similar practices while increasing calls for AI-specific regulatory frameworks across the EU.

The UK government is inviting applications to establish a national AI hub that would connect British researchers to Europe’s high-performance computing infrastructure. This initiative is part of a broader effort to advance AI development and strengthen collaboration between the UK and the European Union. The planned facility, called the ‘AI Factory Antenna,’ would work alongside a European AI factory supported by the European High Performance Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC).

The project has up to €5 million in joint UK-EU funding available, including a £2.5 million contribution from the UK. The AI Factory Antenna aims to serve as a gateway to advanced computing resources, enabling UK researchers and startups to access powerful systems for AI-driven innovations in fields such as healthcare and clean energy. Minister for AI, Feryal Clark, highlighted the importance of this initiative in providing the necessary computational capabilities to drive economic growth and job creation, aligning with the UK’s “Plan For Change” and supporting its role in the global AI sector.

The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued a critical alert about a newly identified vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2025. Security researchers from Akamai, who publicly disclosed the flaw—named “BadSuccessor”—warn that it allows attackers to exploit the delegated Managed Service Account (dMSA) feature in Active Directory to escalate privileges. While Microsoft initially classified the issue as “moderate” and has not yet assigned a CVE identifier, BSI has rated its severity at 9.9 out of 10.

Akamai’s analysis found that 91% of examined environments included users outside the domain administrators group with the necessary permissions to execute this attack. This widespread risk underscores the need for stricter access controls within enterprise networks. As a formal patch is not yet available, both BSI and Akamai recommend organizations identify and limit dMSA creation permissions to trusted administrators. The advisory highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by modern IT infrastructure, urging immediate action from enterprises using Windows Server 2025.