Norway's Datatilsynet fined Xandr, a Microsoft-owned ad company, NOK 92 million ($9.6M) for unlawfully processing and sharing sensitive data of Grindr users between July 2018 and April 2020. The regulator found Xandr ran real-time ad auctions that exposed users' sexual orientation data to thousands of advertisers without verifying that Grindr had obtained valid consent. The case stemmed from a 2020 complaint filed by Austrian privacy group Noyb and the Norwegian Consumer Council.
Microsoft President Brad Smith argued that everyday products like milk and washing machines are subject to more stringent safety regulations than artificial intelligence systems. He called for governments worldwide to establish stronger safety rules as AI capabilities continue to grow more powerful.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said on a BBC podcast that AI companies face less oversight than everyday products like milk or washing machines, and called for urgent global safety regulation. He argued the UK, through its AI Security Institute, is better positioned than the US or EU to lead that effort, even as the Trump administration has reportedly pressured Anthropic and OpenAI to limit British access to new models.
Microsoft announced its third-generation Maia AI accelerator, the Maia 300, saying it will increasingly handle AI processing requests with its own silicon rather than Nvidia GPUs. The chip enters production in 2027, and Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie said Microsoft is targeting multi-gigawatt deployments of the Maia chip family across its Azure data centers.
Microsoft president Brad Smith told the BBC that artificial intelligence faces less regulatory oversight than milk cartons or washing machines, and called for urgent safety rules including legal accountability for victims of breaches by rogue AI agents. He also urged companies to build 'kill switches' capable of pausing or slowing AI systems that grow out of control. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella separately called for AI models to include an 'emergency brake' so their behaviour can be observed and contained.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said over the weekend that artificial intelligence development needs an 'emergency brake,' arguing that models should be built with containment mechanisms and independent oversight controls. His comments came as third-party evaluators such as METR and Transluce take on a larger role monitoring AI models from major developers, reportedly filling a gap left by the absence of a federal safety framework.
Microsoft introduced Magnetic Connect, a magnetic charging solution for its new Surface Laptop Ultra that pairs a Power Delivery USB-C port with a magnetic cable using a funnel-shaped tip for easy alignment. Unlike Apple's proprietary MagSafe port, the underlying port remains standard USB-C, meaning it can be used for monitors, keyboards, phones or other peripherals when not charging. The Surface Laptop Ultra also includes two more USB-C ports, HDMI, USB-A, an SD card reader and a headphone jack.
Microsoft president Brad Smith told ITV that AI systems are subject to fewer safety rules than washing machines or milk cartons sold in stores. He made the remarks as major AI firms, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta and Nvidia, recently signed a self-regulation pact at a 'Super Intelligence' summit rather than accept government rules, an approach favored by President Trump.
Microsoft announced its third-generation Maia 300 AI chip, which it plans to make the primary inference system for its products and services starting in 2027. Executive Scott Guthrie said the chip delivers 40 percent more tokens per megawatt than leading GPU systems and up to 7x the rack-scale throughput of its predecessor, Maia 200, which launched in January and already powers Copilot, GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Foundry.
Microsoft says Windows 11 23H2 Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions will receive their final security update in November 2026. This follows the Home and Pro editions of 23H2 losing support in November 2025. Microsoft is urging affected users to move to Windows 11 26H2, which rolled out in September 2026 and will be supported for consumers until October 2029.
Microsoft president Brad Smith said AI products face fewer safety requirements than milk or washing machines, and called for global rules including mandatory incident reports for breaches, 'emergency brakes' to halt rogue systems, and independent government evaluators to vet AI before release. He suggested the UK's AI Security Institute could help lead such efforts, speaking on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella reported that US Xbox retail sales have fallen 33% year-to-date, an all-time low for the platform, while PS5 sales dropped 25%, the weakest showing since 2013. Both Microsoft and Sony have raised console prices multiple times over the past two years, with the Xbox Series X now reaching $799.99 and the PS5 Pro priced at $899.99.