Another AI-heavy issue to send you into the weekend

Good morning, friends, and happy Friday to you all. We have an AI-heavy issue for you this morning, including a look at how the technology is playing in the wartime slowdown in hiring across the GCC. We’re also skeptical of the notion that G42, the UAE’s state-controlled AI champion, is about to rebadge as American and become majority US-owned.

Also from The Matrix: Beijing is trying to steal a march on Washington, launching the World Artificial Intelligence Organization (WAICO), in Shanghai late yesterday on the eve of a major Chinese AI gathering. Some 29 countries have so far joined the Shanghai-headquartered group, all of them emerging markets. Algeria and Oman are the only Arab countries to have signed up so far.

Why it matters: While Washington has taken a largely hands-off and America-first approach to AI regulation, Beijing wants to play a major role in global governance of the technology. In remarks earlier this morning, Xi pushed for human oversight of AI, saying it represents both a huge opportunity and a threat to humanity. He called on governments to work together to “navigate a world where humans live alongside thinking machines.”

Weekend project for our fellow AI nerds: Go check out Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3, a massive 2.8 tn-parameter model built for coding, research, and other long-running agentic tasks. The Chinese open weights model has kicked the fanboys on X into high gear. Less hyperbolic folks are more measured, but impressed. (And K3 still doesn’t want to talk about Tiananmen Square or 9/11…) –Patrick