Top 3 tech, startup and sustainability stories of the week, 12th

This week’s strories are about tech and startup, coming from Korea, the UK and the USA

1-Agahtha Christie revives with AI, teaching to write on BBC

Agatha Christie, ‘Queen of Crime,’ has been digitally revived through AI as part of a new project by BBC Studios in partnership with Agatha Christie Limited.

Though Christie passed away in 1976, her legacy continues with a new writing course titled Agatha Christie Writing, available via the BBC Maestro platform.

Developed using archival material such as interviews, letters, and writings, and guided by Christie scholars, the course delves into her methods for building suspense, crafting plot twists, and creating memorable characters. AI and traditional production methods were combined to bring Christie’s likeness and voice to life, with actress Vivien Keene portraying her on set. Using AI tools, visual effects artists superimposed Christie’s recreated image and voice onto Keene’s performance, using licensed photos and restored audio.

The course was shaped by renowned Christie experts including Dr. Mark Aldridge, Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown, and Jamie Bernthal-Hooker. James Prichard, Christie’s great-grandson and head of Agatha Christie Limited, noted that the team distilled her thoughts on writing from various sources to provide a rich learning experience straight from Christie’s own perspective.

Agahtha Christie revives with AI, teaching to write on BBC

2-How YouTube transformed South Korea: from pop culture powerhouse to political battleground

When YouTube launched its Korean-language service on January 23, 2008, few could have predicted how deeply the platform would embed itself into the fabric of South Korean society. Now, nearly two decades later, the country stands as one of the most YouTube-driven societies in the world — where the platform has evolved far beyond entertainment to become a central force in politics, news, and digital culture.

According to a 2024 government-backed survey by the Korea Creative Content Agency, YouTube commands 84.9% of South Korea’s streaming audience, far ahead of Netflix’s 44.4%.

I saw this story at Korea Herald and South Koreans spent more than 1.04 billion hours on YouTube in October 2023 alone, more than triple the time spent on messaging app KakaoTalk and nearly five times that of local search giant Naver, according to Wise App analytics. Mobile Index data shows the average Korean user spends 139 minutes per day on YouTube — nearly 10% of their waking hours — making it the most-used app in the country, as the story put it.

A joint 2024 study by the Korea Press Foundation and the Reuters Institute found that 51% of South Koreans turn to YouTube for news — the highest rate among 47 countries surveyed, and well above the 31% global average. In contrast, Facebook’s share dropped to just 9% domestically. (By the way I have a story here about Samsung)

Let me add that the platform’s power came into sharp focus during South Korea’s 2024 constitutional crisis, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over allegations of unlawfully declaring martial law. During widespread unrest, YouTube became the go-to source for live updates, with independent creators broadcasting protests and, at times, violent confrontations in real time.

How YouTube transformed South Korea: from pop culture powerhouse to political battleground (Photo: Getty Images)

3-Google unveils new fund to support AI-focused startups

Google has launched a new program, the AI Futures Fund, aimed at investing in startups that utilize advanced AI tools developed by its research arm, Google DeepMind. I saw this story at Techcrunch and the initiative will support companies at various growth stages.

Participating startups will gain early access to Google DeepMind’s AI models, receive guidance from experts at DeepMind and Google Labs, and benefit from Google Cloud credits, according to the story. In select cases, Google may also provide direct financial investment.

The AI Futures Fund already has a few participants, including meme generator Viggle and webtoon platform Toonsutra. Applications for the program opened last week.

This new effort is part of Google’s broader push to nurture emerging AI talent and innovation. Last November, Google.org pledged $20 million to support AI researchers. In September, CEO Sundar Pichai introduced a $120 million Global AI Opportunity fund to expand AI education and training worldwide. Additionally, Google.org launched a $20 million generative AI accelerator for nonprofits, according to the story.