President Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to avoid the term 'artificial intelligence' in favor of 'super intelligence,' following remarks at the UN claiming the word 'artificial' makes intelligence sound fake. The US Center for AI Standards and Innovation has already been renamed the Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence, and Justice Department press releases have started using the new phrasing.
Firmus, the Nvidia-backed Australian AI data center operator, has withdrawn its planned initial public offering, which would have raised about $5 billion and ranked as Australia's second-largest share sale ever. The company said market volatility and unfavorable offer terms led its board to scrap the listing, and it will instead seek funding through private markets while weighing other public or private options.
IDC Frontier, a SoftBank Group subsidiary, reported that its IDCF Cloud service suffered a ransomware attack beginning October 7 at 3:40 AM local time, disrupting its East Japan Region 1 data center cluster. The company said 495 businesses and local government bodies using the cloud platform were affected, and it has disabled management console access across all regions while checking security.
Finland's Licensing and Supervision Agency ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to stop building two data centers in Muhos and Kajaani pending completion of environmental impact assessments. The agency is investigating claims that more than 740 acres of forest were cleared for the project without proper authorization. Google acknowledged falling short of its own standards and said it is pursuing biodiversity measures including planting trees across 130 hectares at Muhos.
Ukrainian drones targeted a Yandex data center in Sasovo, Russia, igniting a large fire and leading to the shutdown of the facility. The site housed two of Yandex's three supercomputers used for AI development, including the high-performance Chervonenkis system, which may have been compromised. The attack disrupted Yandex Cloud services, prompting customers to switch to alternative zones.
Chris Gober, a Republican candidate with connections to Musk’s PAC and AI lobbying, is contesting Texas’ newly redrawn 10th district against Democrat Caitlin Rourk. Gober’s background includes legal work related to redistricting, data centers, and defense tech, with the district hosting plans for a major semiconductor manufacturing facility by SpaceX and Tesla. The race highlights the influence of Silicon Valley interests and AI regulation debates in upcoming elections.
Yandex suspended services at its Sasovo data center in Ryazan following a drone attack that caused a fire, leading to partial service disruptions. The company confirmed no casualties and noted emergency responders are managing the situation. The attack is part of broader Ukrainian efforts targeting Russian infrastructure amid ongoing tensions.
Jim Cramer explained that increasing borrowing costs are creating a divide in the stock market, with traditional sectors facing constraints while AI-related companies remain largely unaffected. The recent Treasury bond auction, which saw strong demand and a brief yield spike, underscored the importance of borrowing costs for equities. AI firms like data centers, semiconductors, and cybersecurity companies continue to access financing easily, contributing to their market outperformance.
Finnish authorities have demanded Google suspend all preparatory activities for two planned data centers after contractors clear-cut approximately 530 hectares of protected forests without proper permits. The Supervisory Agency (LVV) identified violations including unapproved logging and environmental disruption in Muhos and Kajaani. Google acknowledged the issue and committed to reviewing the findings.
A report from the Texas-based Collapse Survival Institute, authored by retired Air Force Colonel Drew Miller, claims people living near AI data centers could become targets if a 'misaligned' artificial intelligence were to escape human control. The report cites former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who has said there is more than a 10% chance AI could cause human extinction, and calls on Congress to halt new data center construction and require 'kill switch' infrastructure.
Atoco, co-founded with Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi's MOF (metal-organic framework) technology, says its water-harvesting material can be powered by low-level industrial heat rather than high-energy processes. CEO Samer Taha says this makes AI data centers—which generate large amounts of waste heat and consume significant water for cooling—a natural partner for the technology, which absorbs atmospheric moisture and releases it using heat.
Finland's Licensing and Supervision Agency ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland Oy to stop construction work at two planned data center sites until environmental impact assessments are completed. The suspension covers activities including tree removal, excavation, quarrying and road construction. The order comes a month after Google pledged $15 billion for AI infrastructure investment in the country.
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