Business

Oil prices continue their slide on Thursday as traffic through the Hormuz Strait has picked up over the past few days. Uncertainty lingers for the shipping industry, though, as disagreements over a potential toll to pass through the Strait could be a stumbling block in US-Iran talks. Also in this edition, US chipmaker Micron's better-than-expected sales forecast sends AI stocks surging again.

Power outages, train delays, and melting roads – the current heatwave is straining France's infrastructure. Electricity provider EDF says it has had to reduce its nuclear power output, but that it still has enough capacity to meet demand. Also in the show: the UN's International Maritime Organization starts evacuating some of the 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's defence industry prepares for a boost with the IPO of Franco-German tank maker KNDS. 

Tech stocks around the world fell on Tuesday, with the flagship Nasdaq index closing 2.2 percent down at the end of the session. In this edition, we look at how markets reacted this Wednesday and some of the reasons why investors sold their shares: massive projected capital expenditure on AI, as well as the prospect of higher interest rates. Also, we examine Spain's pioneering climate leave policy.

As Europe swelters under a major heatwave, the high energy consumption of artificial intelligence has come into the spotlight. At a climate conference in London, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on AI companies to disclose the environmental impact of their systems. Plus, Iran rejects the US’s claim that any potentially unfrozen Iranian assets would be controlled by the US and Qatar and used exclusively to buy American food and medicine.

The United States temporarily waived sanctions on Iranian oil exports on Monday, opening the door for Tehran to return to global energy markets as negotiations between the two countries continue. In this edition, we look at the impact this has had on oil prices, while also examining major job cuts at Oracle linked to AI-driven restructuring and a sharp sell-off in technology stocks that's rippled from Wall Street to Asian and European markets.

As consumers increasingly turn to AI assistants for advice and recommendations, companies are rethinking how they reach and engage with customers. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, L'Oréal Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Asmita Dubey explains how the beauty leader is deploying artificial intelligence across marketing, product discovery and personalised consumer experiences.

How can Europe better support tech startups? That's a question being asked at VivaTech, Europe's biggest event for innovation and technology. Business Editor Kate Moody has been speaking to Eleonore Crespo – co-founder and co-CEO of Pigment, a business planning platform that helps firms make strategic decisions using artificial intelligence. The company was founded as a startup in 2019 and has since become one of just a handful of French tech unicorns, valued at over $1 billion. 

With France's Emmanuel Macron and India's Narendra Modi championing the idea of tech sovereignty, French startup BeeAlp is trying to build a circular smartphone designed and manufactured in Europe. CEO Olivier Dufour joins FRANCE 24 to discuss the company's subscription model, Europe's industrial ambitions and the challenges of competing with global smartphone leaders.

From boosting productivity to transforming recruitment and consulting, artificial intelligence is changing the way companies operate. Speaking to FRANCE 24 at VivaTech in Paris, EY executive Jad Shimaly explains where AI is delivering results and what it could mean for the future of work. 

What role will artificial intelligence play in business development and daily life? It’s one of the questions dominating this year's VivaTech, Europe's biggest event focused on startups and innovation. Our Business Editor Kate Moody sat down with Julia White, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Amazon Web Services, to find out about the tech giant's new AI shopping assistant, what jobs AI can and cannot do, and how to bring more women into leadership positions in Silicon Valley.