Category: Tech

OpenAI has discontinued its AI video tool Sora, a move that caught partner teams at Walt Disney Co off guard.

On Monday evening, teams from both companies were working on a project linked to Sora. Around 30 minutes after that meeting, Disney’s team was informed that OpenAI would be shutting down the tool.

The decision was announced publicly on Tuesday.

The development also brings an end to a proposed $1 billion agreement between the two companies. The deal, announced a little over three months ago, involved Disney investing $1 billion in OpenAI over three years and allowing the use of more than 200 of its characters in AI-generated short videos. 

OpenAI’s decision reflects a shift in its business priorities toward areas such as coding tools and enterprise services.

The announcement also came as a surprise to some employees working at Sora, who were informed of the change on Tuesday morning. This followed a company blog post published a day earlier outlining safety standards for the tool.

“We’re saying goodbye to Sora … we know this news is disappointing,” the Sora team said in a post on X, adding that details about timelines for the app, its Application Programming Interface (API), and user data handling would be shared later.

OpenAI is now directing its efforts toward other areas, including robotics and artificial general intelligence. As part of this shift, Fidji Simo’s role was changed from CEO of applications to CEO of AGI deployment.

In a separate move, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company’s safety and security teams would no longer report directly to him.

A Disney spokesperson said the company respects “OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere”.

OpenAI first introduced Sora in early 2024, presenting a system capable of generating video from text prompts. The standalone app was launched in September 2025, allowing users to create and share AI-generated content.

The decision comes as competition in the AI sector increases, particularly in enterprise and coding-focused products. Rival firms, including Anthropic, have expanded their focus on coding-based models with its Claude Code product gaining traction among developers.

A new AI-powered translator is turning ordinary text into the language of LinkedIn, and it is gaining attention across social media platforms. Kagi, a Palo Alto-based search engine, introduced the “LinkedIn Speak” feature as part of its suite of AI tools.

The translator automatically converts simple statements into posts that resemble typical LinkedIn updates, complete with phrases emphasizing personal growth, reflection, and career development.

The tool is designed to replicate the structure often seen on LinkedIn, where short, punchy sentences combine with calls to action and mentions of achievements. Users can enter any text and receive an instant translation. For example, when prompted to translate “I need a job,” the tool produced: “I’m excited to announce that I’m officially transitioning into a new chapter and am actively seeking my next challenge! I’m looking to bring my expertise and passion to a forward-thinking team where I can drive impact and continue to grow professionally. If you know of any opportunities or would be open to connecting, I’d love to chat! #OpenToWork #NewBeginnings #CareerGrowth.”

Kagi already offered a “Corporate Jargon” translator, which turns plain language into formal business terminology. Using the same prompt, it produced: “I am currently seeking to pivot into a new strategic role where I can leverage my core competencies and provide immediate value-add to a high-growth organization. I am actively exploring opportunities to align my professional roadmap with a disruptive team to drive scalable results and optimize overall ROI.”

The LinkedIn translator has drawn diverse reactions across social media platforms including X and LinkedIn. Some users have shared humorous responses. One user wrote: “My toddler woke me up at 5 AM,” which was converted by the translator into: “My 5 AM wake-up call from my toddler isn’t just a disruption—it’s a master class in discipline and early morning productivity. Success doesn’t wait for the sun to rise. It starts with showing up, staying resilient, and embracing the grind before the rest of the world even hits snoozer. Grateful for these daily reminders that leadership starts at home.  #EntrepreneurMindset #EarlyRiser #Leadership.”

Reactions to the tool highlight its dual impact. One user wrote that they “never loved and hated something so much at the same time.” 

Others suggested future applications, such as converting AI prompts back into plain English or decoding common business buzzwords. Comments included: “Finally, a way to decode all those ‘synergistic partnerships’ and ‘outside-the-box thinking’ buzzwords!” and “Some day there will be a tool where AI prompts will be converted to human language.” 

Some users noted that the translator could also work in reverse, turning LinkedIn posts back into plain English for clarity.

The feature is part of Kagi’s broader focus on privacy and ad-free search, which the company emphasizes as a key differentiator from other search services.

Pakistan is preparing a policy to allow citizens to purchase smartphones on instalments as part of efforts to expand access to digital services, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Thursday.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad where additional telecom spectrum was released to operators, the minister said that the government was working on a framework that would enable people to obtain smart mobile devices through instalment plans.

“Pakistan will soon have a policy to have smart mobile devices on instalments,” she said. “This will help the spread of smart phones among all segments of the society.”

Fatima also said that a growing number of mobile phones used in Pakistan are now assembled or manufactured within the country, pointing to changes in the local mobile device sector.

She said that internet access had become essential in Pakistan and noted that additional infrastructure had recently been added to support connectivity.

“Internet is a basic need of Pakistan today and three new submarine cables have landed in Pakistan increasing the availability of internet,” the minister said.

The remarks came during a ceremony where 480 MHz of spectrum was released to three telecom operators, increasing the country’s total available spectrum to more than 7,500 MHz. According to the minister, the move will expand network capacity.

“Our capacity has now increased three times,” she said, adding that preparations for next-generation connectivity were already under way.

“5G pilot launch will start in major cities from next week,” Fatima said. 

The allocation of frequency slots took place at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and was attended by senior management from Jazz, Ufone and Zong.

According to officials present at the event, the telecom companies acknowledged the transparency of the spectrum auction process and said testing of 5G services had already started in several locations.

She also said that the government was working to establish an AI Council that would bring together professionals to help shape policy on artificial intelligence. She added that the initiative forms part of broader government efforts aimed at strengthening the country’s digital economy and promoting work in emerging technologies.

Addressing taxation on mobile phones, the minister said the IT ministry and the telecom regulator had advocated reducing taxes on mobile devices. However, she said decisions on such taxes are made by the Federal Board of Revenue.

Pakistan concluded its 5G spectrum auction on Tuesday, selling 480 megahertz for $507 million by the end of the third round of bidding.

The auction saw participation from three telecom operators, Zong, Jazz, and Ufone competing primarily for the 2600 megahertz frequency band. Zong secured 110MHz, Ufone 180MHz, and Jazz 190MHz.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had offered multiple frequency bands, including 700 MHz for $32.5 million, 1800 MHz for $16.8 million, 2100 MHz for $70 million, 2300 MHz for $10 million, 2600 MHz for $12.5 million, and 3500 MHz for $6.5 million per lot.

The bidding process began in the presence of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar, former IT Minister Syed Aminul Haque, and the chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, along with committee members.

After the first round, the compiled results were released. PTA had offered 190MHz in lots of 10MHz each, but bidders requested 30 lots. Eleven additional lots totaling 110MHz were added to the auction, and the PTA increased the bid price of the 2600MHz band by five percent of its base price.

For the 3500MHz band, 28 lots of 10MHz were available, but bids were placed for only 20 lots. Breaks were observed before the second and third rounds of bidding.

Addressing the event, Finance Minister Aurangzeb acknowledged the role of the spectrum committee and the IT ministry in ensuring the auction. He said, “I’ve always said digital is not an end in itself; it’s a means to an end. Faster, cheaper, better it’s as simple as that.”

He added, “When we talk about jobs, when we talk about how the private sector has to lead the country, this is exactly what the government should be doing … providing the ecosystem and helping out.” 

He also mentioned the relevance of the auction to new technologies, including AI, blockchain, and Web 3.0, as well as its role in supporting 5G rollout.

IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja called the day “maybe one of the most important days in the history of Pakistan” and highlighted challenges in connectivity due to the absence of major auctions since the introduction of 3G and 4G. 

She said the spectrum availability would double and users could expect improved 4G quality within four to five months.

Shaza also outlined government efforts in satellite internet, international cable connections, and fibre network expansion, noting the removal of right of way charges to reduce internet costs.

Telecom companies described spectrum as an invisible infrastructure central to digital connectivity.

Under a proposed UK law, tech platforms operating in the country would be required to remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours. The government said tackling such abuse should carry the same urgency as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and terrorist content.

Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global revenue or the blocking of its services in the UK.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC Breakfast that the measures form part of an “ongoing battle” with platform providers on behalf of victims. He added that the rule would allow a victim of intimate image abuse “doesn’t have to do a sort of whack-a-mole chasing wherever this image is next going up”. 

Keir noted that tech companies are “already under that duty when it comes to terrorist material so it can be done. It’s a known mechanism,” and said the government “needs to pursue this with the same vigour”.

The proposals are being introduced as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently under consideration in the House of Lords. Once implemented, victims would only need to flag an image once instead of contacting multiple platforms. Companies would also have to prevent the images from being re-uploaded after removal.

The plans would give internet service providers guidance to block access to sites hosting illegal content, targeting rogue platforms currently outside the scope of the Online Safety Act.

Janaya Walker, interim director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said the move places the responsibility on tech companies to act.  Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “The days of tech firms having a free pass are over… no woman should have to chase platform after platform, waiting days for an image to come down”.

Keir also said enforcement would involve fines and other measures determined by a “combination of oversight bodies in relation to what’s online and then it will be a criminal matter”.