Disney and Universal Studios recently filed a lawsuit against the generative AI tool Midjourney. You’ve probably already guessed the reason: this tool allows users to create new images featuring well-known movie characters created by the film studios. Think, for example, of Disney princesses or the Minions from Despicable Me. This is actually the first time that major Hollywood names have publicly spoken out against the use of AI tools in connection with creative expressions!
What are the charges against Midjourney?
Disney and Universal allege that Midjourney’s tool has hijacked the libraries of both film studios to create unauthorized copies. After all, the tool allows users to create new images featuring existing film characters, which are, of course, protected by copyright. Disney and Universal therefore claim that Midjourney has infringed their copyright. The complaint states that plagiarism remains plagiarism even when generated by AI. According to the film studios, they asked the developers of the AI tool multiple times to stop this, but never received a response.
AI Faces Significant Criticism from the Creative Industry
From the moment generative AI began to emerge, there was already a great deal of criticism from the creative industry. That criticism is naturally growing louder now, as the capabilities of AI tools continue to expand. We’re already seeing music that’s been entirely generated by AI tools, complete with lyrics and all. Recently, it even came to light that certain authors had had their entire books written by AI. So it’s no surprise that people in creative professions are feeling anxious about this rapid progress. After all, it seems plausible that artificial intelligence could take over their work in the future!
Will AI really cause jobs to disappear?
Opinions are naturally divided on this, as much of it is still speculation. We cannot predict how quickly AI will advance or how far we can take it. However, many experts say it is alarmist to claim that artificial intelligence will take away jobs. That said, many jobs will look different, as we increasingly use AI as a support tool. So there’s a good chance you’ll have to learn to work with artificial intelligence, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your job will no longer exist in a few years. After all, someone has to control the AI agents so they produce the right output.
Starting today, Meta will begin training its AI model. To do so, the company is using publicly available content from adult users in Europe. Naturally, this is something most people aren’t very happy about. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has already warned Meta users to object to this data collection in a timely manner. Have you objected yet? Today is your last chance to do so!
What data will Meta use?
Meta collects public posts, images, and comments from Facebook and Instagram to train its AI models. Data from private chats is, of course, not used, according to Meta. WhatsApp messages sent to Meta’s AI bot are also not included in the training process. The data collection process for the AI models began on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Meta’s goal is to use user data to build a high-quality generative AI. To do this, the model first needs a large amount of data.
Does this violate privacy laws?
According to Meta itself, this does not violate privacy laws. The company explains that this is because it does not include private messages in its data collection and does not use content from users under the age of 18 to train its generative AI. Nevertheless, this does involve personal content that people do not post online with the expectation that it will be used for something they have not explicitly consented to. For this reason, the Dutch Data Protection Authority takes a different view and is warning users about this.
What can you do about it?
Do you object to Meta using your personal photos and text to train artificial intelligence? Users who do not want this and do not wish to give their consent had to submit an opt-out request via special web forms on both Facebook and Instagram before the data collection start date. The start date is today, so if you haven’t done this yet, you can still do it quickly today. Even after the deadline has passed, you can still fill out the forms. However, according to the AP, there is no guarantee that your data hasn’t already been used if you indicate after the deadline that you do not consent.
It's not the first time…
This isn’t the first time Meta has tried to use public data for its AI models. They tried it last year as well, but back then they were reprimanded by European regulators and the plans were scrapped. Or at least postponed, as it now turns out. The reason it’s being allowed this time is that Meta is giving users the chance to opt out. So, if you don’t want Meta to use your data for their artificial intelligence, be sure to fill out the forms quickly—both on Facebook and Instagram!
Scientists have recently succeeded in transmitting coherent quantum messages over 254 kilometers of commercial optical fiber. This sets a new world record for quantum communication. The researchers did not use cryogenic systems for this, but instead utilized an existing telecommunications infrastructure in Germany. Are you curious about how this project was set up? In this article, we’ll tell you all about it!
A new speed record for fiber-optic cables
A team of scientists in Germany successfully transmitted quantum messages over 254 kilometers of conventional fiber-optic cables. These cables connect the German cities of Frankfurt, Kehl, and Kirchfeld. This is the first time this has been achieved without the use of expensive cryogenic cooling systems. The system the researchers used for this was developed by Toshiba Europe. During the tests, this system transmitted quantum-encoded messages at a speed of 110 bits per second. Is that fast? Absolutely—it’s actually a record speed for quantum technology.
How does this revolutionary system work?
But how exactly does this newly developed system work? Toshiba based it on a technique known as “Twin Field Quantum Key Distribution.” In this technique, two parties send light pulses to an intermediate point that measures the interference between the two signals. This method effectively doubles the secure transmission distance without requiring physical protection of the central node. This makes expanding urban quantum networks a whole lot easier!
Long distances
The biggest obstacle to quantum communication is maintaining the coherence of quantum states over long distances. This is quite a challenge, as it’s akin to whispering a secret to someone during a violent thunderstorm. Yet these German scientists have succeeded. Thanks to innovative phase stabilization techniques, they managed to maintain coherence over hundreds of kilometers of fiber-optic cables. A successful proof of concept, then, from the scientists. With this, they are paving the way toward an unbreakable “quantum internet.” This means that quantum communication can be integrated via the fiber-optic cables that have already been installed in all our cities. No entirely new networks are needed; we can simply use the existing infrastructure. This would allow the technology to be deployed much more quickly worldwide.
The United States is actively imposing import tariffs, particularly on European countries. The U.S. is imposing a 20% import tariff on European products, which naturally has a significant impact on our trade with the United States. This is being felt in nearly all sectors, including the IT and telecommunications sectors. The EU is currently considering potential countermeasures, particularly against American IT services and technology companies. But what exactly is the impact of the trade war with the U.S. on our IT and telecommunications sector? We’ll explore that in this article!
Start of the trade war with the U.S.
On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a series of global tariffs, including 20% import duties on European products. This move could, of course, pose a major threat to the global economy, so the EU is not pleased with it. Millions of people will feel the impact of this, especially since it will cause products to become more expensive, both in the United States itself and around the world. The EU is considering countermeasures against this action, which will be aimed primarily at American technology companies and the IT sector.
Meta and Apple were fined by the EU
In late April, the EU imposed hefty fines on the American tech giants Meta and Apple for violating European law. Apple must pay 500 million euros because it overly promotes its own App Store, causing users to sometimes miss out on cheaper subscriptions. Meta must pay 200 million because it forced users to choose between a paid version of its apps or a free version in exchange for the use of their personal data. Trump was not pleased with the EU’s decision to impose the fines, so experts fear there may be further developments.
Price increases for cloud services and software
If Europe decides to impose a 20% tariff on U.S. products and services as well, prices will rise in the Netherlands too. This applies particularly to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud; licenses for popular software, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe; and American SaaS services focused on CRM, ERP, and marketing. This could become a major problem, as these services and software are a crucial part of the digital infrastructure for many European companies. The higher costs incurred by companies will most likely be passed on to end users. As a result, products and services will also become significantly more expensive for consumers in Europe. Experts fear that this will also hinder the transition to cloud solutions.
Is the trade war also affecting telecommunications services?
There is certainly a possibility that telecom services will also feel the effects of the trade war between Europe and the United States. Higher costs are likely, particularly in the areas of international calling and roaming. International voice termination could become significantly more expensive if U.S. carriers pass on their increased costs. In addition, services such as Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet would become less competitive in terms of price if tariffs are imposed on them.
What will Europe do?
Europe faces an important decision. How should we respond to the import tariffs imposed by the United States, and what impact will this have on our economy? Looking at it from another angle, we could also say that this situation creates opportunities for European providers of telecom and cloud services. They can now easily strengthen their position in the European market. The only problem is that switching providers isn’t always a quick process, so many companies will still be dependent on American tech companies for the time being.
Orange Belgium is no longer allowed to advertise in the Netherlands using the terms “glasvezel,” “fiber,” and “fibre” without further justification. Why? This was determined by the judge of the Court of Appeal in Antwerp following the lawsuit filed by Proximus against Orange. The reason Proximus filed the lawsuit was that Orange’s network does not yet consist entirely of high-speed fiber-optic cables, but still partly of slower coaxial cables. In this article, we’ll tell you more about it!
Misleading advertising
Proximus found Orange’s advertising in the Netherlands to be misleading. After all, Orange was advertising a fiber-optic network, while its network is actually a hybrid network. Proximus itself does have a network that consists entirely of fiber optics. The Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Proximus in this matter, since the terms “glasvezel” and “fiber” imply a network consisting entirely of fiber-optic cables, and Orange’s advertising could indeed be misleading. After all, consumers are influenced in their purchasing decisions because they believe that Orange’s network is truly a fiber-optic network.
The decision of the Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeal therefore ruled in favor of Proximus. This means that Orange may no longer use the terms “glasvezel,” “fiber,” and “fibre” in its advertisements in the Netherlands without further clarification. Its advertising must clearly state that it is a hybrid network and not a fully fiber-optic network. If Orange fails to comply with this ruling, the telecom company will be subject to penalty payments.
Ziggo was also guilty of this
Orange isn’t the only provider ever accused of misleading advertising in the telecom industry. In 2013, Ziggo was also barred from using the term “fiber-optic cable network” in its advertisements. A few years earlier, the provider had already been called out on this by the Advertising Code Committee, but unfortunately, the company did nothing about it. The Advertising Code Committee is not a court, so Ziggo was not obligated to act on this ruling. The Consumers’ Association did not view Ziggo’s advertising as a major issue, as the minor inaccuracies in the provider’s advertisements had no significant consequences for consumers. For them, it would only have been a problem if the internet Ziggo offers were not as fast as the provider promises.
Apple and Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, have been hit with fines totaling 700 million euros by the European Union. But why exactly? They violated a new European law targeting large tech companies. Apple must pay 500 million euros and Meta 200 million euros. We’ll explain exactly what the companies did to violate this law in this article!
Why were Meta and Apple fined by the EU?
Apple is being fined because the company strongly encourages users to purchase subscriptions through its own App Store, even though subscriptions may be available at a lower price outside the App Store. The restrictions that Apple intentionally imposes hinder developers. Meta is being fined because, for two months, the company offered Instagram and Facebook users two options: a paid subscription to the apps without ads, or free use of Facebook and Instagram in exchange for sharing personal data for advertising purposes. According to the EU, these actions violated the new law designed to prevent large companies from abusing their market power.
How are Meta and Apple responding to the fines?
Apple has already indicated that it plans to challenge the EU’s decision. Meta has criticized the decision. The new EU legislation took effect in March 2024. Immediately upon its implementation, the EU launched an investigation into Meta and Apple and essentially already determined that the tech giants had engaged in “abuse of power.” The fines were actually supposed to be imposed last year, but reports indicate this was postponed due to the trade war with the United States. Even now, there are still concerns about the impact these fines will have on tariff negotiations with President Trump.
How is the U.S. responding to the EU's decision?
The White House disagrees with the fines imposed on Apple and Meta, even calling them “a new form of economic extortion.” A White House spokesperson stated that the U.S. cannot tolerate this, hinting at a countermeasure. “Regulations that target American companies and undermine them, hinder innovation, and enable censorship will be recognized as trade barriers and a direct threat to free civil society,” the spokesperson told the media.
Import duties for the EU
President Trump had previously threatened to impose higher import tariffs on countries that penalize American companies. There are now fears that the fines imposed on Meta and Apple will escalate tensions between the EU and the United States. Trump reportedly already had a phone call with Apple’s CEO regarding fines that Apple was already worried about at the time. The EU’s Democratic Senator wrote a letter to Apple’s CEO last Wednesday asking for clarification on the support the company is receiving from President Trump. There is growing concern within the EU about Trump’s favoritism toward American companies and the consequences this could have for global trade.
It appears that the Dutch government is in the process of setting up its own cloud for sensitive data. This cloud will replace the current public cloud services used by the government. State Secretary for Digitalization, Szabó, is currently actively working on this. This initiative responds to a request from the House of Representatives to strengthen the Dutch government’s digital autonomy and reduce its reliance on third parties. But what will this private cloud look like?
Motion from the House of Representatives regarding the government’s own cloud
The government’s sudden interest in establishing its own cloud is partly driven by three motions from the House of Representatives. In these motions, the House of Representatives makes it clear that it wants the Dutch government to gain greater independence and autonomy in the area of digitization. Currently, the Dutch government relies on cloud services provided by American tech giants. This naturally creates a strong dependence on the United States in the areas of data security and storage. The House of Representatives wants to see this changed as soon as possible.
A complete turnaround is not possible
Szabó agrees with the House of Representatives’ position that it is not advisable to be entirely dependent on the United States and major tech companies such as Microsoft. However, he notes that it is not possible to immediately halt the migration of government IT systems to U.S. cloud services entirely. Doing so could jeopardize the continuity of services provided to the Dutch public. In addition, Szabó indicates that it is not within his role as State Secretary to approve or disapprove of individual migration projects.
Taking trade agreements into account
Although Szabó agrees with the House of Representatives that the Netherlands should not become overly dependent on certain parties, he advises against giving European companies priority as a matter of principle. Doing so would violate the Government Procurement Agreement and global trade agreements. He is, however, willing to promote open source wherever possible. The Netherlands is currently collaborating with government agencies from other countries, including France and Germany, on a solution for an open-source workplace. That project is set to launch this quarter!
By now, everyone is aware that the use of AI consumes a lot of energy and therefore does not necessarily have a positive impact on the environment. While some attention is already being paid to this issue, 55% of Dutch people believe that even more should be done. This applies primarily to companies that use artificial intelligence on a large scale but simultaneously claim to support sustainability. Can companies use AI to solve their own sustainability challenges? We’ll explore this in more depth in this article!
What is the environmental impact of AI?
The environmental impact of artificial intelligence is far greater than most people realize. Currently, our digital lives already account for 4% of global emissions. That makes it more polluting than aviation. Research shows that with new AI technology, this percentage could rise to 14%. The use of AI therefore certainly has a major impact on the climate. For example, training ChatGPT in 2024 resulted in 500 tons of greenhouse gases. That is equivalent to a thousand cars driving a thousand kilometers. Every question you ask ChatGPT results in 4 grams of CO2 emissions. That is equivalent to the production of a plastic bag and ten times as much as a regular Google search. If this continues at the same rate, by 2027 ChatGPT will consume as much electricity as the entire Netherlands combined.
Companies that use AI
Most emissions, of course, come from companies that use artificial intelligence on a large scale. Research shows that a large proportion of the Dutch population believes that companies which claim to be sustainable but also make extensive use of AI lack credibility. This is not surprising, since the large-scale use of artificial intelligence is not particularly sustainable at present. In some cases, experts are already advocating for an AI tax, similar to the one currently in place in the aviation industry. After all, it is difficult to place the responsibility solely on companies or solely on consumers. It is therefore important that the government monitors and regulates the use of AI and its impact on sustainability through appropriate measures.
Can we let AI solve its own sustainability problem?
Could we use AI to solve the sustainability problem that AI itself causes? That is the question researchers are currently working hard to answer. Despite the fact that artificial intelligence consumes a lot of energy, it has already solved or mitigated many sustainability issues across various sectors. For example, AI can significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings through the real-time use of heating and cooling. This can already yield savings of up to 40% per building—ideal for large office buildings or factories. Energy consumption is also starting to drop in data centers thanks to AI, which makes processors more efficient. For example, new processors from NVIDIA already use 20 times less energy than regular processors!
Artificial intelligence is also crucial for the deployment of smart energy grids. It does this by balancing supply and demand in real time and better integrating renewable energy sources into the grids. This also helps prevent overloading of the energy grids caused by solar panels, for example. Finally, AI accelerates the development of clean technologies. Think, for example, of improved solar cells and alternative proteins. Over time, these kinds of innovations will lead to significantly lower emissions and pollution!
So what about Generative AI?
The type of artificial intelligence that consumes the most energy is generative AI. Think, for example, of image generation. Tasks like these can sometimes consume as much energy as fully charging a phone. Generating images with AI is therefore not necessarily high on the sustainability scale. Text generation, on the other hand, is 160 times more energy-efficient, so that task isn’t as bad. Still, the AI models themselves can also be a lot more energy-efficient, according to research by DeepSeek. Data centers used for AI processing account for 2.5% to 3.7% of global emissions. Currently, AI’s share of the data technology sector’s global emissions is still relatively low, at 0.1%. That is comparable to Sweden’s annual emissions.
Is an AI tax a good idea?
Many people are calling for an AI tax, but is this actually a good idea? We now know that artificial intelligence can actually help save energy and reduce emissions, especially for large companies. But will large companies still use these applications in the same way if an AI tax is introduced? After all, this would cost them a lot of extra money. This could therefore also hinder innovation in the field of sustainable technologies. Finding a good middle ground here is important, rather than imposing a generic AI tax. Governments should specifically examine AI-related energy consumption per company and the savings these innovations generate. This way, we can all ensure that AI contributes to sustainability within companies!
Experts are constantly working to improve fiber-optic technology and find ways to make fiber-optic networks even faster. There are many factors that influence data transfer speeds within a fiber-optic network. Experts have now discovered that the shape of fiber-optic cables may also affect transfer speeds. In this article, we’ll tell you all about it!
Square fiber-optic cables instead of round ones?
Optical fibers, also known as glass fibers, make the high-speed internet we’ve come to expect around the world today possible. The demand for faster and more efficient data transmission continues to grow, especially with the advent of Artificial Intelligence. That’s why scientists and researchers are constantly seeking innovations and ways to optimize fiber-optic technology and make it even faster. In a recent study, experts at the University of Iowa discovered that an alternative fiber geometry can improve data transmission speeds. This research focused on rectangular fibers instead of the traditional circular cross-section. These findings could improve not only telecommunications but also the emerging field of photonic quantum computing.
The difference between optical communication and other methods
Optical communication uses light traveling through transparent fibers to transmit information. Unlike traditional communication methods, which rely on electrical signals or radio waves, fiber-optic technology offers a number of significant advantages over traditional communication methods:
- Optical signals lose very little speed as they are transmitted over longer distances;
- Data transfer rates can sometimes reach hundreds of gigabytes per second;
- A fiber-optic network is virtually impossible to hack.
These advantages are particularly evident in multimode fibers. In multimode fibers, multiple light paths—known as modes—allow multiple signals to travel simultaneously. However, multimode fibers also present a number of challenges.
The Challenges of Multimode Fiber
What are the challenges associated with multimode fibers? One of these challenges is signal distortion. Light traveling along different paths does not always arrive at the cable’s output at the same time or in the same position. This problem is sometimes further complicated by the fact that optical signals consist of multiple wavelengths, each moving at a slightly different speed and following unique paths. As a result, the output may appear distorted—and in some cases actually is. This is a challenge that experts are currently conducting extensive research on. Strategies are needed to improve correlations between waves of different frequencies that make up the signal.
Could modifying the shape of fiber-optic cables help?
Currently, we use a circular core for most optical fibers. The reason for this is that this shape makes it easier to manufacture the fibers. In addition, this shape makes it easier to align fibers with connectors and other optical components. However, research now shows that other shapes offer many advantages. In a study published in Advanced Photonics Research, experts investigated how light propagates through submillimeter-sized fibers with circular and rectangular cross-sections. In this way, the researchers sought to determine whether a different shape could improve frequency correlations.
What is the conclusion?
They investigated how laser pulses consisting of multiple wavelengths propagate through different fiber shapes. The results showed that rectangular fibers offered several advantages, despite the fact that they are more complicated to manufacture. The findings from the study suggest that rectangular optical fibers could improve the capacity of optical communication channels by about 20% compared to optical fibers with a circular cross-section. That’s quite a lot!
Submarine fiber-optic cables have to endure a lot, so they need to be built to last. But what are all the factors in the ocean that need to be taken into account when designing submarine cables? One thing that is often overlooked is the impact of turbidity currents on submarine fiber-optic cables. In this article, we’ll tell you all about it!
What are turbidity currents?
When suspended sediment enters a body of water and this increase in density causes the water to begin moving downhill under the influence of gravity, this is called a turbidity current. There are several processes that can cause these high-energy currents, but three are the most common:
- Beyond the riverbanks during floods: This process carries large amounts of sediment out to sea, where it then begins to move down the continental slope.
- After volcanic eruptions: When the eruption column collapses, as in Tonga.
- During earthquakes: Earthquakes sometimes trigger landslides, causing the finer sediment dislodged by the main landslide to become suspended in the water.
How do turbidity currents affect undersea fiber-optic cables?
Turbidity currents pose a threat to cables laid through undersea canyons. This is particularly true off the coasts of major rivers, such as the Congo Canyon in West Africa. The reason such turbidity currents pose a risk to undersea fiber-optic cables lies in three key mechanisms:
- Turbidity currents are highly erosive near their source: They move across the seafloor, and at the same time, the currents dig into the seafloor and carry more sediment into the flow. This can cause damage to a fiber-optic cable buried in the seafloor.
- Movement of a suspended cable within the water column: This causes wear at the contact points at both ends of the suspension. If the cable is armored, the armor can wear down due to friction. The insulator can also wear through as a result, exposing the conductor and potentially damaging the optical fibers. This, of course, causes malfunctions!
- Debris: Debris carried along by the current can strike the exposed cable, damaging or even severing it.
Is this a major problem for undersea networks?
Worldwide, approximately 200 faults have been identified within the boundaries of mapped undersea canyons. If we exclude faults caused by human error, that leaves about 118 incidents since 1965. This means there would be an average of two faults per year, although faults have occurred more frequently in recent years than before. The reason they seem to occur more frequently is that more and more cable systems are being laid under the sea and that failures are better recorded today. Two failures per year may sound negligible at first, but we must remember that undersea fiber-optic networks perform extremely important tasks. So every failure is one too many!