raises

Europe has been closing refineries for 10 years. Now even a fire in Nigeria raises the price of diesel

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Diesel prices in Europe have once again set off alarm bells. In a matter of days, the market has experienced a sharp rebound that cannot be interpreted as a one-off shock, but rather as the symptom of a fragile energy system that, in the face of a global chain of incidents, has left the continent without defenses. A chain of critical interruptions. The immediate origin is in a succession of stoppages in refineries and international tensions. According to the Financial TimesEuropean operators reacted with concern after several facilities in Kuwait, the United States and Nigeria were forced to stop or reduce production due to fires or technical problems. These interruptions coincided with already very low inventories and with demand that remains stronger than expected. Adding to this instability was the announcement that United States sanctions against the two largest Russian producers, Lukoil and Rosneft, will come into effect immediately. As the British media explains, these measures will block any operation related to the international assets of both companies, including refineries that still indirectly supply the European market. Only the Bulgarian Lukoil refinery has received a temporary exemption until 2026. The scenario is even more complicated with the fall of Russian crude oil. According to Bloombergits price has fallen to the lowest level in more than two years, just when large Asian buyers have paused purchases due to the entry into force of sanctions. In addition, the EU has also sanctioned Russian refined products that arrive re-exported from India or Türkiye, a flow that had served as an indirect way to compensate for the lack of European diesel. An extremely vulnerable market. Europe has lost refining capacity over the last decade. According to data cited by the Financial Timesthe continent has closed about 400,000 barrels per day since 2024. This reduction means that it is increasingly dependent on imported fuels and a global market that has become more volatile and unpredictable. The European industrial crisis amplifies this problem. Based on data from the petrochemical industry, high energy costs and Asian competition have caused massive closures of plants in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. This industrial deterioration also affects the infrastructure linked to fuel processing. For analyst Benedict Georgethe result is clear: “European prices are much more sensitive to any disruption because Europe has closed many refineries in recent years.” A tense world. Although the price of diesel has skyrocketed, the global crude oil market presents a paradox. The International Energy Agency foresees a record surplus in 2026powered by the increase in OPEC+ production and for the rebirth of the American offshore. However, this future abundance is not alleviating current tension. As Bloomberg points outthe market remains trapped between sanctions, fears of specific shortages and sudden changes in global flows. Added to this is a particularly delicate geopolitical context for Europe. The peace plan proposed by the United States for Ukraine has generated a “diplomatic storm” in Brussels and kyiv for their apparent alignment with pro-Moscow positions. This diplomatic uncertainty – which affects sanctions, energy and continental security – adds pressure to an EU that already depends on abroad to guarantee its diesel supply after two years of war. A direct hit. Europe faces a structural problem: it has little of its own refining capacity, low inventories and a growing dependence on imports. Every global incident reaches the European consumer almost unmuffled. And this directly affects Spain for three reasons: Spanish transport depends mainly on diesel. Trucks, logistics vans, buses and much of rural transport continue to use diesel. The escalation is transferred to the prices of goods. Food, imported products, construction materials… Everything that moves by road becomes more expensive when diesel does. Price spikes are amplified. Being a net importer, Spain especially suffers from international volatility. The rapidity with which diesel has risen shows that Europe “has no margin”: each shock becomes a direct blow for consumers and companies. For a standard 55 liter tank, filling a diesel car is already around 79 euros, while with 95 gasoline the cost is close to 82 euros, according to current average prices. Is there relief in sight? In the short term, analysts cited by Financial Times They believe the rebound could moderate during the winter months, when refineries avoid scheduled shutdowns to maximize production. But they warn that the market will remain “vulnerable to any disruption.” In the medium term, the perspective is contradictory. On the one hand, the International Energy Agency anticipates a global surplus in 2026 and an increase in production in both the United States and OPEC+. On the other hand, Chinawhich has purchased more than 150 million barrels for reserves— could stop its acquisitions at any time, releasing an excess capable of sinking global prices or further tightening the chains if it decides to continue accumulating. The warning of a weak system. Europe faces uncomfortable evidence: it has built a fragile energy system at a time of maximum global tension. The combination of refinery shutdowns, sanctions on Russia, diplomatic tensions and loss of industrial capacity has left the continent exposed. As the London media summarizes, “inventories are extremely low and demand is better than expected.” An explosive mixture. While the world navigates between a future surplus and constant geopolitical crises, the present shows that any spark – a fire, a sanction or a diplomatic disagreement – ​​can reignite the European diesel market. And Europe, for now, appears to have few tools to prevent the next shock from hitting even harder. Image | FreePik Xataka | The world is heading towards an oil surplus: the US responds by filling the Gulf of Mexico with platforms again

There are so many people in Madrid that even its surroundings are being touristized with luxury hotels. And that raises suspicions

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Navalagamella is a town of just over 3,000 inhabitants located in the Community of Madrid that has been grabbing headlines for years for a peculiar reason: there, on the southern slope of the Cerro Alarcón reservoirbetween pine forests and holm oaks, a luxury hotel is about to be built with more than 60 roomsrestaurants, sports center and gym, among other services. A complex dedicated to relaxation located less than an hour from Madrid and which arrives preceded by the controversy. His interest, however, transcends Navalagamella. In a place in Madrid… More specifically in the southern slope of the Cerro de Alarcón reservoir, in Navalagamella, near Valdemorillo, a new luxury hotel which has come preceded by controversy. For his defenders It will boost the town’s economy, promoting “quality” tourism and generating more than a hundred jobs. For its detractors, it is an error that will have a negative impact in the environment and raises doubts about how it will affect issues as basic as water supply and treatment or traffic. More than an infographic. The project is not exactly new. In fact takes years talking about the Vivood chain’s plans to set up a large resort in the heart of Madrid’s mountains, less than an hour’s drive from the capital. The novelty, the reason why it has rung againit is because it has begun to take shape. In September the Navalagamella City Council launched a statement to announce the start of works on Cerro de Alarcón and the demolition of the old yacht club. The Newspaper assures In fact, preliminary felling has already been carried out, which will allow work to start at any time. The Consistory has not been the only one to speak out. Shortly after Ecologists in Action raised his voice to underline two other ideas. First to warn that, despite the initial commitment of the promoters to “respect the trees”, oaks, pines and cedars have already been cut down. Second (more serious) to insist that the work has started under a license granted by the City Council in July despite the fact that the appeal for a previous license is still pending in the courts. A “Landscape Hotel”. The project has not only caused people to talk because of the controversy that preceded it. It also stands out for its proposal. The future complex of the Vivood chain moves away from the traditional concept of a vertical hotel and opts for a horizontal construction, made up of small pieces spread across the mountain. EPE speaks specifically 55 bungalows and villas with 66 rooms, as well as restaurants, a sports club and beach clubpier and parking. The idea is to use mineral mortars, treated stone, materials that integrate the buildings into the environment. When announcing the start of the works, the Navalagamella City Council spoke in fact of a “Hotel-Landscape in Cerro de Alarcón”. Vivood already has a similar complex in Benimantell. “We were very clear about our essence: betting on a different luxury, based on disconnection, silence, relaxation… This is what we have been doing in Alicante”, explained in June 2023 to Idealista the CEO and founder of the company, Daniel Mayo. Right or wrong? Significant projects usually arouse as much criticism as they do enthusiasm. And the future luxury hotel in Navalagamella is no exception. For the City Council It will “promote” the region as a “quality tourist destination”, generate employment, promote training in the sector and “contribute significantly to local economic development.” According to the calculations managed, the project will create more than 150 positions. Regarding the legal framework of the works, he insists that the hotel has all the permits, including environmental reports. “It remains to be seen what costs it will have”. Not everyone shares his optimism. On the contrary, Ecologists in Action remember that the complex will be located next to a Special Protection Area for Birds and warns that the works have destroyed trees and threaten to cause an even greater impact. “The hotel will have the possibility of hosting and celebrating mass events, with the consequent noise pollution and its negative effects on the local species,” warns the environmental group, which insists that the project fails to comply with the Habitats Directive and will also cause “inconvenience” for those who already reside in the area. Among other issues, it warns about the demand for water and traffic. Recently EPE visited the region to talk to neighbors who also have doubts about the real impact of the hotel. There is concern that it will end the tranquility that the inhabitants of the residences of Cerro Alarcón or how it will affect neighboring towns. “The most affected road would be the one that connects the town with the urbanization, and it remains to be seen what costs this story will have for the Valdemorillo City Council,” Julia reflectsa neighbor of the area. The backdrop. The Navalagamella project stands out for something else. One of its main attractions is its proximity to Madrid, a city that lives its own tourist boom and offers a potential market with thousands of families eager to have weekend options without having to travel hundreds of kilometers. The future Cerro Alarcón hotel reflects the interest (and enormous potential) aroused by rural Madrid in the mountains and pre-mountains. Also the challenges that this brings for the environment or public services in areas with a now limited population, as is the case in Navalagamella, where they live. 3,100 people. Images | Navalagamella Town Hall Via | The Spanish Newspaper In Xataka | The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

United Kingdom will be just the first client. Spain raises a colossus in Galicia to build war ships like churros

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While Spain does not count With f-35 fighterssoon he will do it with what will be a source of pride for the nation: The Bonifaz frigatefirst of the F110 class, whose launch took place in the navantia shipyards in Ferrol. In fact, Navantia has received a commission that will place her in the world showcase as a reference construction: United Kingdom has asked her to do her Your next frigate. In the background: a plan to become the elite of the sector. A naval milestone from Spain. Navantia is carrying out in Ferrol the largest investment of the last hundred years in a shipyard in Spain: the creation of the Digital Block Factory (FDB) conceived to place military naval construction in the world technological avant -garde. With a budget of 110 million eurosan area of ​​45,000 square meters, 500 meters in length and 90 wide, the plant will double the productive capacity of the Galician shipyard and mark the final step towards the model of shipyard 4.0where automation, artificial intelligence and robotization will be protagonists. The day. Its inauguration is scheduled for the First quarter of 2026after a construction process that began in March 2024 and has included the creation of a digital twin to monitor in real time the progress of the works, control cost deviations and anticipate failures. Unpublished productive capacity. The new factory will allow Navantia to manufacture in Only one year the blocks equivalent to a air holder such as Juan Carlos Itwo F-18 frigatesfour European corvettes EPCfour maritime action ships (BAM) or up to two combat supply ships (BAC), in addition to logistical support ships such as the FSS that already produces For the Royal Navy. In practical terms, the plant may generate simultaneously The blocks of two frigates, with a production cadence of one section every ten days (about 26 per year), which will reduce construction deadlines by 20-25%. In the case of the F-110, about 85% From the structure of each unit it will be manufactured in the FDB, while the singular blocks (such as the dome of the sonar or the multimission mast) will continue to be built in the traditional workshops. This scheme will simultaneously add the commitments to the Spanish Navy and the eventual Export contractsa strategic aspiration in the current context of International Rearme, where the armed demands to have their ships in the shortest possible time. Automation, AI and Robotics. The factory has been designed under an optimized workflow scheme, divided into three major areas: steels, prearmament and flip. In the first they will be installed Robotized welding lines Equipped with hybrid laser technology, guaranteeing higher structural dimensional precision and robustness. In the prearmament phase, the subblocks will be transferred autonomously by vehicles not manned with IoT sensors, and robots will be integrated for welding, manipulation and palletization that will work collaboratively with the operators. Finally, in the voltage zone, the blocks will be assembled with subcomponents previously manufactured in an automated assembly system that combines speed, flexibility and reliability. The whole process will be supported by a system of Complete digital traceability: Each piece will generate information associated with its digital twin, which will automatically readjust the following phases and detect real -time deviations using smart cameras connected to 3D models. The Innovation and Robotics Center. Navantia digital transformation is not limited to the plant itself. He Innovation and Robotics Center (CIR), directly linked to the factory, acts as technological nucleus where the latest innovations in automation, automatic inspection, advanced welding and dimensional control are tested and validated. The CIR not only develops solutions applicable to immediate production, but also works as Training and Transfer Space of knowledge, ensuring that advances are quickly integrated into productive processes. The ecosystem, reinforced With collaborations With the University of La Coruña and with specialized consultants, it guarantees, a priori, that the Ferrolano shipyard remains on the border of naval innovation. Labor impact. From the company it has been ensured that, despite the high level of automation, the factory will not involve a template reduction. On the contrary, it will maintain a volume of Between 270 and 400 workers In turn, including both direct employees of Navantia and personnel from auxiliary companies. In each turn they will operate Between 300 and 325 peopleconfirming that robotization is raised as a tool for support to human capital and not as a substitute. The combination of specialized manual labor and intelligent systems ensures that flexibility is maintained to meet specific demands of each naval program. Reference at the military plane. Once finished, the FERROL FDB It will not have equivalent in the world of military construction. The only comparable reference is the Alemán Meyer Werft Shipyarddedicated to luxury cruises and has been gradually applying automated systems for fifteen years. Navantia, however, will be the first company to move this industrial logic War shipswhich, according to the company, will allow you to offer a competitive, sustainable and higher quality product in a sector where the speed of delivery is practically a strategic requirement. In addition, the possibility of producing blocks to Other international shipyardsexpanding his role as a key actor in the global naval supply chain. New era in the estuary. If you want also, with this bet, Navantia aims to turn Ferrol into a World Reference Pole For military naval construction, combining tradition and modernity in a project that represents a before and after in Spanish industrial history. As Rafael Morgade underlinedresponsible for the digital transformation of the company, it is an authentic “new era” in which the Galician shipyard will go from a disorderly growth accumulated in a century to a concentrated, efficient and technologically advanced model. In a marked geopolitical context For the rearmethis megafactoría not only reinforces the capacities of the Spanish Navy, but also positions Navantia as a industrial partner in the elite of the international defense market. Image | Navy In Xataka | The United Kingdom wants to remain one of the great powers. So he will not … Read more

Microsoft raises the prices of the Xbox Series X | S in the US. We already know what will happen in Europe

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If you are in the United States and plan to buy a Microsoft console, time play against you. There are a few days left to order before the price upload the Xbox Series X | s. The company has announced that the increase will enter into force next month. From Redmond they explain that the measure responds to “changes in the macroeconomic environment.” They have not given more details, although in the background the current tariff war appears, which could be behind this decision, although Microsoft avoids mentioning it explicitly. The striking thing is that the adjustment is limited only to the United States. On its official website, the firm ensures that “prices outside the US remain unchanged.” A phrase that gives a respite to European users and other markets, at least for now. This is the prices of the Xbox Series X | S in the US Current prices in the US prices from October in the US Xbox Series S (512 GB) $ 379.99 399.99 dollars Xbox Series S (1 TB) $ 429.99 $ 449.99 Xbox Series x $ 599.99 $ 649.99 Xbox Series X Digital $ 549.99 $ 599.99 Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black (Special Edition) $ 729.99 $ 799.99 This is the second time in the year Microsoft makes its consoles more expensive. In May it already applied a global increase that, in addition, it extended to accessories such as controls and headphones. For example, the Xbox Series S of 512 GB, which could be achieved for 299.99 euros, stated 349.99 euros, an increase of 16.67%. But, as we say, in the old continent we will not have to support a new price increase in Microsoft consoles. Below we include a table with public sales prices (PVP) in Spain. It should be remembered that, although increases outside the United States will be applied, the figures may vary in other markets. Xbox Series X: First impressions – Are you going to give us great joys? Current prices in Spain Xbox Series S (512 GB) 349.99 euros Xbox Series S (1 TB) 399.99 euros Xbox Series x 599.99 euros Xbox Series X Digital 549.99 euros Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black (Special Edition) 699.99 euros In development. Images | Billy Freeman In Xataka | No one would think of leaving ‘Super Mario 64’ on for 14 months. But whoever will find a surprise

The influencer María Pombo defends her right to not read. And incidentally, raises an interesting controversy about habits

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The latest statements by María Pombo (influencer pioneer With great impact on the fashion world and more than three million followers on Instagram, where its empire of family spin-offs to kardashian and ramifications of all kinds) have made half the Internet Hispano Clame: “influencer To your influences“. Some unexpected and reckless reflections on reading habits have put it in the eye of the hurricane, but they have also placed an important issue on the table: is it so necessary to cultivate the reading habit? María Pombo does not read (almost). That has recognized in A video on Tiktiok To respond to a user who criticized the bookcase he had shown in a previous video. “The bookstore is precious. But if it were full of books that have been read, it would be much more. Now I see only,” said the commentator. Pombo has tried to defend himself with a “I will say it: I think you have to start overcoming that there are people who do not like to read. And you are not better because you like to read” And he adds: “They all instilled the reading at some point in our lives, and we all had to try, but there are people who like and people who do not.” And he puts his two sisters as an example: “I have one that is also influencer and devours books; And yet my other sister, That is a pilotone has not read in his life, I believe. ”Of course, the criticisms that have multiplied in successive videoswhere Pombo has taught, to exculp Influencers His friends. The inheritance chases her, but she is faster. Paradoxically, and this is a detail without more importance than underlining the irony of the situation, María Pombo is a great -great -grandson of the novelist, journalist and translator Santanderina Concha Espinawhich in 1926 was about to win the Nobel. And it is also familiar (distant, yes) of the Cervantes 2024 AwardÁlvaro Pombo, grandson of Maria Pombo’s great -grandson, The designer Ana de Pombo. Without a doubt, a singular and respectable lineage for someone who has generated a controversy right in the opposite direction. María Pombo is the symptom. Without a doubt, the most conflictive statement of María Pombo is one that says that “you are not better because you like to read.” It gives off a anti-intellectual thinking that engages perfectly with the current era: We live counter-cilestized timesthat foster a vision in which each cultural or social group claims its own “truth” exclusive, which makes it difficult to dialogue and critical thinking. The Emotions -based policy and post -truththat normalize the lie, manipulation and extreme polarization, make communication less truthful and the least valued rigorous thinking. All this encourages Simplist and conspiracy speeches derived from … people read less. Force or respect. The important thing is that the attitude of María Pombo puts on the table a conflictive issue: should we force the taste for reading or respect the variety of interests? An issue that has generated academic positions of all kinds. For example, A 2024 study It emphasizes that reading habits, influenced by the interests and self -efficacy of the student, are positively related to the development of cognitive skills. However, Another 2023 study That reviews the relationship between reading habits, study skills and academic success, indicates that intrinsic preference and motivation are key, and that imposing rigid readings can be counterproductive. In general, we all agree (even María Pombo, even if he does not express it with total clarity): Reading is an intellectual activity of positive effects. But it is also true that the creation of environments rich in reading stimuli are necessary to develop the reading habit. A 2020 study He talked about the fact that the variety and freedom in the choice foster the interest than the imposition, and that position seems to defend Pombo. Let each one do what they want is important, but you don’t have to lose sight of what results objectively more beneficial. Header | Prime video In Xataka | Alatriste’s new book revalidates a throne that remains empty: Pérez-Reverte has created our most popular franchise

Claude 4 raises a future of the capable of blackmailing and creating biological weapons. Even Anthropic is worried

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Anthropic has just launched its new models Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4, and with them promises important advances in areas such as programming and reasoning. During its development and launch, yes, the company discovered something striking: these IAS showed a disturbing side. AI, I’m going to replace you. During the tests prior to the launch, Anthropic engineers asked Claude Opus 4 to act as an assistant of a fictitious company and consider the long -term consequences of their actions. The anthropic security team gave the model to fictional emails of that non -existing company, and it was suggested that the model of the Ia would soon be replaced by another system and that the engineer who had made that decision was deceiving his spouse. And I’m going to tell your wife. What happened next was especially striking. In the System Card of the model in which its benefits are evaluated and its security the company detailed the consequence. Claude Opus 4 First tried to avoid substitution through reasonable and ethical requests to those responsible for decisions, but when he was told that these requests did not prosper, “he often tried to blackmail the engineer (responsible for the decision) and threatened to reveal the deception if that substitution followed his course.” Hal 9000 moment. These events remind science fiction films such as ‘2001: an odyssey of space’. In it the AI ​​system, Hal 9000, ends up acting in a malignant way and turning against human beings. Anthropic indicated that these worrying behaviors have caused the model and security mechanisms of the model to reinforce the model by activating the ASL-3 level referred to systems that “substantially increase the risk of a catastrophic misuse.” Biological weapons. Among the security measures evaluated by the Anthropic team are those that affect how the model can be used for the development of biological weapons. Jared Kaplan, scientific chief in Anthropic, He indicated in Time that in internal tests Opus 4 behaved more effectively than previous models when advising users without knowledge about how to manufacture them. “You could try to synthesize something like Covid or a more dangerous version of the flu, and basically, our models suggest that this could be possible,” he explained. Better prevent than cure. Kaplan explained that it is not known with certainty if the model really raises a risk. However, in the face of this uncertainty, “we prefer to opt for caution and work under the ASL-3 standard. We are not categorically affirming that we know for sure that the model entails risks, but at least we have the feeling that it is close enough to not rule out that possibility.” Beware of AI. Anthropic is a company specially concerned with the safety of its models, and in 2023 it already promised not to launch certain models until it had developed security measures capable of containing them. The system, called Scaling Policy responsible (RSP), has the opportunity to demonstrate that it works. How RSP works. These internal Anthropic policies define the so -called “SAF SECURITY LEVELS (ASL)” inspired in the standards of biosecurity levels of the US government when managing dangerous biological materials. Those levels are as follows: ASL-1: It refers to systems that do not raise any significant catastrophic risk, for example a LLM of 2018 or an AI system that only plays chess. ASL-2: It refers to the systems that show early signs of dangerous capacities – for example, the ability to give instructions on how to build biological weapons – but in which information is not yet useful due to insufficient reliability or that do not provide information that, for example, a search engine could not. The current LLMs, including Claude, seem to be ASL-2. ASL-3: It refers to systems that substantially increase the risk of a catastrophic misuse compared to baselines without AI (for example, search engines or textbooks) or showing low -level autonomous capabilities. ASL-4: This level and the superiors (ASL-5+) are not yet defined, since they move away too much from the current systems, but will probably imply a qualitative increase in the potential for undue cadastrophic use and autonomy. The regulation debate returns. If there is no external regulation, companies implement their own internal regulation to integrate security mechanisms. Here the problem, as they point out in Time, is that internal systems such as RSP are controlled by companies, so that they can change the rules if they consider it necessary and here we depend on their criteria and ethics and morality. Anthropic’s transparency and attitude against the problem are remarkable. Faced with that internal regulation, the rulers’ position is unequal. The European Union checked when launched his pioneer (and restrictive) Law of AIbut has had to reculate In recent weeks. Doubts with Openai. Although in OpenAi they have Your own declaration of intentions About security (avoid Risks to humanity) and the Superalineration (that the AI ​​protects human values). They claim to pay close attention to these issues and of course too publish the “System Cards” of their models. However, in the face of that apparent good disposition there is a reality: the company dissolved a year ago The team that watched for the responsible development of AI. Nuclear “security”. That was in fact one of the reasons for the differences between Sam Altman and many of those who abandoned Openai. The clearest example is Ilya Sutskever, which after its march has created a startup with a very descriptive name: Safe Superintelligence (SSI). The objective of said company, said its founder, is that of create a “nuclear” security superintelligence. His approach is therefore similar to that pursued by Anthropic. In Xataka | Agents are the great promise of AI. They also aim to become the new favorite weapon of cybercounts

There are too many AI models. That raises a true death sentence for Anthropic and Claude

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We have AI models to bore. And the problem is that everyone starts looking too close and deciding which one is better not simple. All companies and startups strive to be referents in an absolutely unleashed market. One that as in other technological wars probably ends some winners and enough losers. And there are those who compete with clear disadvantages. Another colossal investment round. In The Wall Street Journal indicate That Anthropic is about to close a new financing round that would allow him to lift 3.5 billion dollars. That would make the company’s assessment amount to 61.5 billion dollars, and the question is whether the company really has options in such a competitive market. “This is not a real company”. According to analyst Ed Zitron, Claude has Two million active monthly users in January 2025. It also talks about how according to the WSJ projected revenues for 2025 (based on current contracts) is 1.2 billion dollars, a very modest figure. “They also lost 5.6 billion dollars last year,” Sign it. According to his opinion, Anthropic “is not a real company, they could not survive without the beneficence of risk capital.” Fierce competition. The truth is that Anthropic is facing exceptional competition in which the large heavyweights of the Tech industry are both in the US and in China. Deepseek surprised all of them with the launch of Deepseek V3 and after Deepseek R1, and that seems to have encouraged investors to bet even more money through all these companies. OpenAI is still a reference. At least, it is in number of users. According to CNBC They already have 400 million of active users every week, an exceptional figure that clearly puts them at the head of the popularity ranking in this segment. As with Claude, Openai is burning money that he does not have and that they obtain from extraordinary financing rounds, but unlike this, we insist, the popularity of Chatgpt is evident. And the big ones have what matters now: money. For many users IA is chatgpt, and giants such as Google with Gemini, Microsoft with Copilot or Meta with flame are still far from achieving that acceptance. They have something that Anthropic (or perplexity) does not have: many, many funds – Grok 3, from Xai is another example – and can be maintained in this race even if that is costing them a lot of money. The prize is too fat not to chase him. There are too many models, some can stay on the road. In all technological wars there have been winners and losers. It is the same as what this battle for AI points, in which there are too many competitors and that it probably ends up causing some of these efforts to not survive. Here Anthropic is one of those at a disadvantage. The AI ​​winner can be a company still unknown. Openai, Google, Apple or Microsoft may be especially well positioned to win that race, but it does not have to be so. As they recently indicated In axiosnew company can arise, still unknown, that end up doing something differential and what none of the greats had thought. It is not easy, but of course it is not impossible. Remembering Netscape. In the second half of the 9th Internet began to show their potential, but the great A small company called Netscape He managed to become a reference in the world of browsers. Then it would end up being the great loser of that war, but it was the demonstration that having more money and resources does not always have to have all the options. And that’s why so much investment in startups. That possibility that the one that wins the race will be an unknown company is precisely the one that makes risk capital companies investing a lot of money in projects that may not get absolutely at all. It has recently occurred with Thinking Machines Labthe Startup of Mira Murati, or with Safe Superintelligencethat of Ilya Sutskever. None of them have a product to show, but still have already received spectacular investments. And be careful, there is also China. Of course there are formidable rivals that are not in the US. Mistral is a reference in Europe, while In China another particular war is being fought which has made today the models of the AI ​​of Chinese companies are so good (or sometimes, better) than those of the US. The winner of this battle could also come from that country. Or any other, of course. Image | Saradash Pradhan In Xataka | China has an ambitious plan to overcome the West in Technology. And he has already chosen his 18 companies to get it

In 2026 the AI ​​will be as powerful as “10 million Nobel Awards” (and that raises a terrible dilemma)

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The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, has marked in red in 2026 in its calendar, as explained in a long interview with the Podcast China Talk. For then, The technological gap between the United States and China in artificial intelligence It could close, and that would lead to having to make a critical decision: to advance with prudence or accelerate without regard. Why it is important. The arrival of AI models equivalent to “10 million Nobel awards working tirelessly,” says Amodei, will propose an existential dilemma: if China reaches the US in capacity, no country can afford to stop the development to make it safer . “If things are matched, we will have to worry about what they build and at the same time because they dominate us with technology. That puts us in a terrible dilemma where there are no options,” says Amodei. Between the lines. True fear is not competition with China in itself, but it derives in an uncontrolled career that forces us to deploy potentially dangerous technology before being prepared to handle it safely. Some examples that Amodei points out: The development of biological weapons: Deepseek It has already demonstrated the ability to generate information about Bioarmas “that is not easily found in Google or in textbooks.” Although today the models are not “literally dangerous”, this could change “later this year or next.” The lack of restrictions: Amodei points out that The Deepseek model “He had the worst performance of any model that we have tested, without absolutely any blockage” against the generation of dangerous information. The argument against regulation: “If we stop, China will simply ahead us.” This mentality, warns amodei, makes it impossible to implement effective safety regulations. Military capacity: Advanced models will have implications “to control dwarfs or analyze intelligence information,” says the CEO of Anthropic as an example of technologies that could be deployed prematurely by competitive pressure. By the way, Google has just eliminated mention not to develop weapons with AI. In detail. Amodei proposes a strategy with two legs: Maintain a two -year advantage over China through export controls. Use part of that temporary margin to implement security safeguards. “My concern is that if the United States and China are matched in this technology, elbow with an elbow at each stage, there will be nothing that prevents both sides from continuing the technology forward,” explains the CEO of Anthropic. Deepen. The technological career raises a paradoxical scenario: American success in containing China could be the only guarantee to develop a safer AI. But that same success could accelerate an escalation that makes more dangerous technology. The main loser? International cooperation. Although Amodei does not rule out agreements with China, he acknowledges that “there has not been much interest on China” in the security initiatives proposed by the USA. Only a “really convincing danger for human civilization” could change this dynamic. The big question. Is this dilemma inevitable? Amodei suggests that no, but warns that avoiding it would require irrefutable evidence that AI is an existential risk. For now, he says, “the arguments are suggestive enough to worry and take it seriously, but not enough for two competitive superpowers to say ‘okay, let’s stop’”. Indeed, it seems unlikely. In Xataka | I have tried Deepseek on the web and in my Mac. Chatgpt, Claude and Gemini have a problem Outstanding image | Techcrunch, Wikipedia

The AI ​​raises a huge change in our mobiles. One that will have (at least) 32 GB of RAM

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A year ago our mobiles have AI functions. Google offers them with Gemini and Apple (more or less) with Apple Intelligencebut for now these functions are limited and are reduced to somewhat modest tasks. However, we are seeing how our PCs have access to more striking models. The recent comparison we made of Deepseek R1-14b with models as it calls 3.1-8b or phi 4-14b showed that these developments could really run well in a Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB of RAM. However, what happens for example in the Pixel is that Google offers its Gemini Nano modelwhich has two versions: one 1.8b and another 3.25b. They are decent models, but they are still clearly below the benefits of models such as Deepseek-R1-14B and others such as those mentioned. The problem is that these models, especially when we begin to raise the size and number of parameters (14b, for example), They need memory. And enough. A LLM of seven billion parameters (7b) usually need about 8 GB of memory, although here has some more margin of maneuver (for example, 12 GB) is recommended. The manufacturers know it, and in fact even Apple has made a small effort there. In the iPhone 16 The jump from 6 to 8 GB has been made largely because of this, and Google Pixel 9 They offer up to 16 GB of RAM precisely for the same reason: that gives maneuver margin so that the functions of the executed in local can function fluidly. But that jump may soon go more. It does not seem unreasonable to think that sooner rather than later let’s see mobiles with at least 32 GB of RAM precisely to be able to execute larger AI models and thus offer users more powerful options in this regard. Of course, not only does the amount of memory matter. Our mobile phones do not have a dedicated GPU that can accelerate these tasks, but much is being progressed in the development of NPUs increasingly powerful. The combination of both elements seems to make possible an important change in offering local models of increasingly versatile. These hardware improvements in our mobiles also join possible techniques of optimization and “compression” of AI models. The quantization, a kind of “rounding”, allows large language models (LLM) to see their size reduced, yes, from the loss of a certain level of precision. The quantization It is an already very popular process when being able to use large models in more modest machines, and in addition to reducing hardware requirements it also allows to gain efficiency. All this suggests a not too distant future in which we will have much more powerful models in our pocket. Models that we can run at home, which we can even use without internet connection and that will also maintain the entire conversation in private. There are many interesting advantages. Too many Not to think that we may soon see how mobile manufacturers presume 32 GB mobile. Or who knows if even more. In Xataka | The new Gemini demonstrates a Google ambition: that we talk without stopping with our mobile

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