Tag: AI

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Leaders

Infraeo names Rakesh Sambaraju as CEO

Infraeo has appointed Rakesh Sambaraju as its President and Chief Executive Officer, placing an experienced optical communications executive at the helm as demand for high-speed connectivity continues to grow across artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centres.

The appointment comes at a crucial time for the AI infrastructure industry. As companies build increasingly powerful AI systems, data centres need faster connections, higher bandwidth and lower latency to move enormous volumes of data between servers, processors and storage systems. Infraeo is positioning its networking technology to address these requirements.

Sambaraju brings more than 20 years of experience in optical communications and high-speed interconnects. Before taking over as CEO, he served as Executive Vice President at Infraeo, giving him direct knowledge of the company’s technology, customers and markets.

Over his career, Sambaraju has held technology and business development leadership positions at companies including Sterlite Technologies, Nexans and Corning. His experience spans optical networking, photonics and the development of technologies designed for high-speed data transmission.

He holds a PhD, master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in Optical Communications from the Universitat Politècnica de València. His academic and industry background has focused on technologies that enable faster and more efficient communications networks.

Sambaraju takes charge as the artificial intelligence industry moves towards increasingly demanding workloads. AI training requires large clusters of computing systems to exchange data at extremely high speeds, while AI inference is increasingly being distributed closer to users and applications.

That shift is creating demand for networking technologies that can deliver high bandwidth without significantly increasing power consumption or latency. Infraeo says its strategy will focus on supporting both large-scale AI training environments and distributed AI inference.

Under Sambaraju, the company plans to continue developing its portfolio of 800G and 1.6T optical and copper interconnect products. These technologies are designed to provide the high-speed connectivity required by modern data centres and AI computing systems.

The company is also working on technologies for AI inference at the edge, where computing takes place closer to where data is generated or consumed. Such applications can require low-latency and long-reach connectivity, particularly as AI workloads become more distributed.

One area of focus will be near-package optics, or NPO. The technology places optical connectivity closer to high-performance computing components, potentially helping data-centre operators manage the growing bandwidth requirements of AI systems while addressing power and performance challenges.

Infraeo has already been demonstrating its high-speed connectivity technologies. At OFC 2026, the company showcased 800G and 1.6T interconnect solutions in collaboration with VIAVI. The demonstrations focused on line-rate performance, power efficiency and interoperability for next-generation AI fabrics and data-centre architectures.

The company has also highlighted a 400G QSFP112 LPO SR4 optical transceiver designed to provide high-performance connectivity while reducing power consumption in data-centre networks. Low-power optical technologies are becoming increasingly important as AI data centres consume more electricity and require larger numbers of high-speed connections.

Sambaraju’s appointment therefore reflects more than a routine leadership change. It comes as the market for AI infrastructure is expanding rapidly, with hyperscalers, cloud providers and AI companies investing heavily in computing capacity.

The rapid development of AI models has increased pressure on data-centre operators to upgrade their networking infrastructure. Faster processors alone are not enough to improve overall system performance if data cannot move between computing resources quickly and efficiently.

This makes optical interconnects an increasingly important part of the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Optical technologies can support high-speed data movement over longer distances and are becoming increasingly relevant as data centres scale.

Infraeo says it intends to invest further in advanced optical technologies as AI workloads evolve. The company’s roadmap includes optical solutions designed for both centralised training clusters and distributed inference applications.

Sambaraju said his focus would be on taking the company to its next stage of growth while investing in technologies such as NPO, co-packaged optics and coherent optics. These technologies are being developed to address the networking challenges created by increasingly demanding AI workloads.

The leadership change also comes as the broader technology industry moves towards higher-speed Ethernet and optical connectivity. The transition from 800G towards 1.6T networking is expected to become increasingly important as AI clusters expand and computing requirements rise.

For Infraeo, the challenge will be turning this growing market opportunity into sustained commercial growth. The company will need to scale production, strengthen its technology portfolio and work closely with data-centre operators, system companies and other partners.

Sambaraju’s combination of technical expertise and experience within Infraeo could help the company navigate that transition. His previous leadership role means he already has familiarity with its products and strategic direction.

The appointment places Infraeo firmly within the race to build the connectivity layer required by next-generation AI infrastructure. As AI adoption expands across industries, the demand for faster, more efficient and lower-latency data-centre networks is expected to remain a key driver of the optical interconnect market.

With Sambaraju now leading the company, Infraeo is looking to use that opportunity to expand its presence in high-speed AI connectivity while developing technologies capable of supporting the next generation of data-centre architectures.

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Corporate

AMD invests $5 bn in Anthropic AI partnership

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has announced a landmark partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, committing to invest up to $5 billion in the company as both firms strengthen their position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The deal combines a major financial investment with a long-term technology collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation AI systems.

The partnership marks one of AMD’s biggest strategic moves in the AI sector and reflects the growing competition among technology companies to build the computing infrastructure needed for increasingly powerful AI models. As businesses worldwide adopt generative AI at an unprecedented pace, demand for advanced AI chips and high-performance computing continues to surge.

As part of the agreement, AMD will make a strategic investment of up to $5 billion in Anthropic over several years. The AI startup, known for developing the Claude family of AI models, will also use AMD’s latest AI accelerators to train and run future generations of its artificial intelligence systems.

The collaboration gives Anthropic another major hardware partner beyond Nvidia and broadens AMD’s role in the fast-growing AI chip market. For AMD, the agreement represents an opportunity to showcase the performance of its AI processors while expanding its presence among leading AI developers.

The announcement comes at a time when technology companies are investing billions of dollars to secure access to advanced computing resources. Training large language models requires enormous computing power, making specialised AI chips one of the most valuable assets in the global technology industry.

AMD Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to building an open AI ecosystem and providing customers with greater choice in AI infrastructure. She noted that developers increasingly want alternatives that can deliver high performance while avoiding dependence on a single hardware supplier.

Anthropic has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s leading AI companies through its Claude chatbot and enterprise AI solutions. The company focuses on developing reliable and responsible artificial intelligence systems for businesses, researchers and consumers. As demand for its AI services grows, expanding computing capacity has become a critical priority.

For Anthropic, partnering with AMD offers access to advanced AI hardware that can support the growing computational demands of developing increasingly capable AI models. Diversifying its hardware suppliers may also improve resilience and flexibility as competition for AI chips intensifies worldwide.

The partnership extends beyond investment alone. The two companies plan to optimise Anthropic’s AI models for AMD’s latest AI accelerators, improving performance, efficiency and scalability. Engineers from both organisations are expected to work closely to fine-tune software and hardware for large-scale AI training and inference.

Industry analysts view the agreement as another sign that the AI hardware market is becoming increasingly competitive. Nvidia continues to dominate the sector with its graphics processing units (GPUs), but rivals such as AMD are investing aggressively to capture a larger share of the rapidly expanding market.

The deal also highlights the enormous capital flowing into artificial intelligence. Over the past two years, leading AI companies have attracted billions of dollars in funding from technology giants and institutional investors as competition intensifies to develop the most advanced generative AI models.

For enterprises, increased competition among AI chip providers could eventually reduce costs, improve hardware availability and accelerate innovation. Businesses deploying AI applications are seeking powerful yet flexible computing platforms capable of supporting everything from chatbot services to scientific research and enterprise automation.

AMD has significantly expanded its AI strategy in recent years through new product launches, software investments and partnerships with cloud providers and AI developers. The collaboration with Anthropic further strengthens its position in the evolving AI infrastructure ecosystem and demonstrates its ambition to become a leading supplier of AI chips for generative AI workloads.

Meanwhile, Anthropic continues to grow its global presence as demand rises for enterprise-grade artificial intelligence solutions. The company has increasingly focused on building secure and trustworthy AI systems that can be deployed across industries including finance, healthcare, education and software development.

The AMD-Anthropic partnership underscores how artificial intelligence has become one of the world’s most competitive technology sectors. As companies race to develop faster AI models and more powerful computing infrastructure, collaborations between semiconductor manufacturers and AI developers are expected to play a central role in shaping the future of generative AI, AI chips, cloud computing and advanced AI infrastructure. With billions of dollars now committed to the partnership, both companies are positioning themselves for the next phase of the global AI revolution.

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Corporate

HCLTech secures $1.14 bn AI transformation deal

HCLTech has signed a $1.14 billion (around ₹9,500 crore) artificial intelligence-led digital transformation deal with a Europe-based Fortune Global 50 company, marking one of the largest contracts in the company’s history and reinforcing its growing presence in the global AI services market.

The multi-year agreement will see HCLTech deliver advanced AI-powered solutions and digital transformation services to its client. While the company has not disclosed the customer’s identity because of confidentiality agreements, it said the partnership highlights increasing demand for large-scale AI adoption among global enterprises.

The announcement was well received by investors, sending HCLTech shares up nearly 6% in Friday’s trade. The stock emerged as one of the top gainers on the Sensex as market participants welcomed the deal, viewing it as a strong endorsement of the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities and long-term growth prospects.

The contract is expected to strengthen HCLTech’s revenue pipeline at a time when global technology companies are witnessing rising demand for AI-driven automation, cloud computing and data modernisation services. Businesses worldwide are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs and enhance customer experience.

The announcement comes as Indian IT firms continue to adapt to changing market conditions. Although discretionary spending has remained under pressure in some sectors, demand for AI solutions has opened fresh opportunities for technology companies with strong digital capabilities.

HCLTech has been steadily expanding its AI portfolio through investments in generative AI, automation platforms and strategic partnerships. The latest contract further strengthens its position in the competitive global IT services industry, where companies are racing to secure large AI-focused transformation projects.

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Beyond

BIS warns AI boom faces rising global financial risks

The global boom in artificial intelligence could lose momentum if rising debt, persistent inflation and excessive investment continue to build financial risks, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned in its latest annual report.

Often described as the “central bank for central banks”, the BIS said the rapid surge in AI-related spending has created strong optimism among investors. However, it cautioned that expectations may have moved ahead of economic reality, increasing the risk of financial instability if companies fail to generate the returns investors anticipate.

The report noted that major technology companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure, including data centres, chips and computing power. While these investments could transform productivity and drive long-term economic growth, the BIS warned that excessive spending financed through debt could leave companies and financial markets vulnerable if demand slows or profits disappoint.

The BIS compared the current AI investment wave with previous periods of market exuberance, including the dot-com boom, saying history shows that breakthrough technologies can attract more capital than markets can sustainably absorb. If investor confidence weakens, technology stocks could face sharp corrections with wider consequences for the global financial system.

Apart from AI, the institution also highlighted rising public debt, stubborn inflation and vulnerabilities in financial markets as key threats to the global economy. It urged governments and central banks to maintain sound fiscal policies, keep inflation under control and strengthen oversight of non-bank financial institutions to reduce systemic risks.

Despite its caution, the BIS stressed that artificial intelligence remains one of the most promising technological advances of recent decades. It said AI has the potential to improve productivity, boost innovation and support long-term economic growth if investments are made responsibly and supported by sustainable business models.

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1 Minute-Read

TCS partners Anthropic to scale enterprise AI adoption

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with artificial intelligence firm Anthropic to accelerate enterprise AI adoption and strengthen its workforce capabilities.

Under the collaboration, TCS will provide access to Anthropic’s Claude AI platform to 50,000 employees across functions such as engineering, finance, legal, marketing and sales. The companies will also jointly develop AI-powered solutions for industries including banking, healthcare, telecommunications and public services.

TCS said the partnership combines its industry expertise with Anthropic’s advanced AI technology to help clients improve productivity and drive digital transformation. The move reflects growing demand for enterprise AI solutions globally.

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Beyond

FSB sets AI governance rules for financial firms

The Financial Stability Board (FSB), the international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system, has released a set of guidelines to help banks, insurers and other financial institutions adopt artificial intelligence (AI) safely and responsibly.

The recommendations come as the financial sector increasingly uses AI technologies across a wide range of functions, including customer service, fraud detection, risk assessment, compliance monitoring and investment management. While AI offers significant opportunities to improve efficiency and decision-making, regulators have also raised concerns about potential risks associated with its rapid adoption.

In its report, the FSB outlined a series of sound practices designed to help financial institutions strengthen governance, oversight and risk management frameworks when deploying AI systems. The organisation emphasised that firms should ensure clear accountability for AI-related decisions and maintain adequate human supervision over critical processes.

The guidelines also call on financial institutions to improve transparency around AI models and establish controls to monitor their performance. Firms are encouraged to regularly assess risks linked to data quality, cybersecurity, model bias and operational resilience.

According to the FSB, financial institutions should ensure that AI systems are reliable, secure and aligned with existing regulatory requirements. The body warned that excessive reliance on complex AI models without proper safeguards could create vulnerabilities for individual firms and the broader financial system.

The recommendations were developed based on industry consultations and reviews of AI practices across major financial markets. The FSB noted that while AI adoption remains at varying stages globally, the technology is expected to play an increasingly important role in financial services in the coming years.

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Leaders

AI speeds up drug development says AstraZeneca CEO

AstraZeneca is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve how new medicines are discovered and developed, with the company saying the technology is helping scientists make better decisions and improve the odds of success.

Speaking at a recent industry event, AstraZeneca Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said AI is changing the way pharmaceutical research is carried out. By processing huge volumes of data quickly, AI helps researchers spot promising drug candidates earlier and avoid spending time and money on projects that are unlikely to work.

Developing a new medicine is often a long and costly journey. It can take more than a decade and billions of dollars to bring a drug to market, and many candidates fail during clinical trials. Soriot said AI can help tackle these challenges by guiding researchers towards better choices from the start.

He stressed that AI is not replacing scientists. Instead, it acts as a powerful assistant, helping researchers analyse information faster and make more informed decisions. The goal is to combine human expertise with advanced technology to improve productivity across the company’s research programmes.

The pharmaceutical industry has been embracing AI at a rapid pace. Companies are using the technology to identify disease patterns, design new molecules, analyse clinical trial results and uncover potential treatments more efficiently than before.

AstraZeneca is among the major drugmakers investing heavily in AI-powered research tools. The company sees the technology as an important part of its strategy to speed up innovation and deliver better treatments to patients around the world.

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Corporate

Adani eyes AI growth with green data centres

Adani Group is accelerating its push into data centres and digital infrastructure, positioning itself to play a key role in India’s growing artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. Group Chairman Gautam Adani said the conglomerate is now focused on building assets at scale, with investments spanning renewable energy, data centres, transmission networks and other infrastructure sectors.

Speaking about the group’s strategy, Adani said the focus is on creating long-term infrastructure platforms capable of supporting India’s rapid economic and technological growth. He noted that the next phase of development will be driven by large-scale investments in areas that are critical to the country’s future, including AI-powered digital infrastructure.

A major part of this strategy involves the development of green data centres powered by renewable energy. As AI adoption expands, demand for computing power and data storage is expected to rise significantly. Data centres, which form the backbone of digital services and AI applications, require vast amounts of electricity to operate. The Adani Group aims to meet this demand through clean energy sources, combining its strengths in renewable power generation with digital infrastructure development.

It is believed India’s AI ambitions will require massive investments in data processing capacity, cloud infrastructure and reliable power supply. The Adani Group sees an opportunity to create integrated facilities that combine renewable energy generation, transmission infrastructure and advanced data centre operations.

Gautam Adani said the group’s objective is not merely to participate in emerging sectors but to build infrastructure at a scale that can support national growth for decades. He highlighted that India’s digital economy is expanding rapidly and will require robust infrastructure to meet future demand.

The company has already made substantial investments in solar and wind energy projects and is among the country’s largest renewable energy developers. By linking these capabilities with data centre infrastructure, the group hopes to offer sustainable solutions for technology companies, cloud providers and AI-focused businesses.

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Leaders

Google DeepMind CEO questions AI-led layoffs

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has criticised the growing trend of technology companies using artificial intelligence as a reason for workforce reductions, arguing that AI should be used to increase innovation and productivity rather than eliminate jobs.

In a recent interview, Hassabis said several companies appear to have “got AI backwards” by treating productivity gains as an opportunity to reduce headcount. He argued that if AI tools enable engineers to become three or four times more productive, companies should focus on creating more products, conducting more research and pursuing ambitious projects instead of laying off employees.

His remarks come at a time when several major technology firms, including Meta, Amazon and other companies, have announced layoffs while increasing investments in artificial intelligence. Many of these firms have cited efficiency improvements from AI as one of the factors behind workforce restructuring.

Hassabis strongly disagreed with that approach, describing it as a “lack of imagination” and a failure to understand the long-term impact of AI. He suggested that some companies may be overstating the threat of AI-driven job displacement for reasons unrelated to the technology itself, including business or fundraising considerations.

The DeepMind chief also extended an informal invitation to engineers affected by recent layoffs. He said he has “a million ideas” spanning areas such as drug discovery, scientific research and game development, and would welcome talented engineers to work on such projects. According to Hassabis, AI should free up human talent to tackle bigger challenges rather than make skilled workers redundant.

His comments have added to a broader debate within the technology industry about the future of employment in the age of artificial intelligence.

Hassabis maintained that productivity gains from AI should be viewed as a chance to expand ambitions rather than shrink workforces. As AI tools become increasingly capable, he believes companies that invest in innovation and new ideas will be better positioned to benefit from the technology’s long-term potential.

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Technology

YouTube boosts AI content transparency

YouTube is strengthening its fight against misleading AI-generated content by launching an automatic labelling system for videos created or heavily altered using artificial intelligence tools.

The platform said the new feature will detect realistic AI-generated content independently, even if uploaders do not mention AI usage while publishing videos. The labels are expected to appear mainly on content that may confuse viewers or misrepresent real events and personalities.

The update targets synthetic media such as deepfakes, cloned voices, digitally altered speeches and realistic AI-generated footage. YouTube clarified that basic editing functions and standard creator tools will not be affected under the policy.

The company previously required creators to self-disclose AI-generated content, but rising concerns around misinformation and fake online media have pushed the platform towards automated enforcement.

Technology experts say the move reflects increasing pressure on major digital platforms to address the risks associated with generative AI. Over the past year, AI-generated videos have become more sophisticated, making it harder for users to distinguish between authentic and manipulated content.

YouTube said the feature is intended to improve transparency while helping viewers better understand the nature of the content they consume. The company added that its detection systems will continue evolving as AI tools become more advanced.

Although YouTube has not shared specific technical details, reports suggest the platform will rely on machine learning models trained to identify patterns commonly found in synthetic media.

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