Company News in Brief

Meta to create standalone AI tool Meta plans to add an artificial intelligence app to its stable of stand-alone offerings including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, according to a report Thursday by CNBC. Meta is battling rivals including Amazon, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, when it comes to models for powering AI, and has been incrementally weaving the technology into its platforms since launching its own AI chatbot in 2023. An independent app devoted to AI would fit into Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg's stated vision of having the most used AI assistant in the world. CNBC cited people familiar with the matter as saying Meta plans to debut a standalone AI app by the middle of this year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired off a post on X, formerly Twitter, with a link to the CNBC story, writing: "OK, fine maybe we'll do a social app." Meta is also planning to test a paid subscription tier for its AI platform, in a revenue generating tactic used by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, according to the report. - AFPUS lawmakers probe big tech's role in foreign censorship of American contentA Congressional committee has sent subpoenas to eight US internet giants demanding to know whether foreign governments are curbing what can be seen online in the United States. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan this week sent subpoenas seeking company communications with foreign governments on "compliance with foreign censorship laws, regulations, judicial orders, or other government-initiated efforts," a statement released on Wednesday said. "The Committee must understand how and to what extent foreign governments have limited Americans' access to lawful speech in the United States," the statement said. It added the committee wanted to probe if and how the administration of Democratic former president Joe Biden "aided or abetted these efforts." The heads of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Rumble, TikTok and X, received subpoenas citing threats to "Americans' civil liberties." "This subpoena stems from a fundamental disagreement between the United States Congress and certain foreign governments regarding Americans' right to free expression online," the letters sent to company heads said. The demand comes two weeks after US Vice President JD Vance gave a combative speech in Germany accusing European countries of limiting free speech. - AFPAfrican drugmaker Aspen posts 5% rise in half-year earnings South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare reported a 5% rise in half-year earnings on Monday, buoyed by strong performances in both its commercial pharmaceuticals and manufacturing businesses.For the six months to December 31, Africa's biggest drugmaker recorded normalised headline earnings per share (HEPS) of 724.2 South African cents, up from 688.3 cents in the prior comparable year. On a constant currency basis, HEPS were up by 17%.-REUTERS

Company News in Brief

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