FTI Consulting News Bytes – 06 March 2026

FTI Consulting News Bytes

We begin with escalating conflict in the Middle East, as US-Israeli attacks and a subsequent Iranian response prompt some of the world’s largest tech companies – including Amazon, Google, and Snap – to activate emergency protocols to protect employees and facilities across the region. We then turn to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where AI dominated under the show’s “The IQ Era” theme, with Nvidia announcing a major 6G partnership and the GSMA launching a new open forum to align AI development with operator needs. Next, the UK unveils a government-backed AI research lab with £40m in initial funding, before Sony reverses course on PC gaming, returning to PlayStation exclusivity after six years of multi-platform releases. Finally, OpenAI’s former chief research officer raises $70m for Arda, a startup automating manufacturing with AI.

This week’s news

Tech caught in the crossfire

All eyes this week have been laser-focused on developments in the Middle East, following US-Israeli attacks beginning on Saturday, and the subsequent Iranian response on US bases and its allies across the region. BBC News reports that some of the world’s largest companies are moving to protect employees and facilities in the region, with the likes of Amazon, Google, and Snap among the firms to have implemented emergency protocols as the safety of thousands of their workers across the region is brought into sharp focus. Francisco Jeronimo, a specialist covering the Middle Eastern and European markets for data firm IDC, said the escalation raised “red flags” for technology companies which have committed “billions of dollars” to the region. Specifically, Amazon has begun an assessment of its regional sites, which spans corporate offices, fulfilment centres, delivery stations, and quick commerce outlets, following confirmation from AWS that drones had hit three of its facilities in the UAE and Bahrain.

MWC 2026: The IQ Era 

Ahead of the official opening of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday, Nvidia announced a partnership with telecommunications companies including Nokia, SoftBank, and T-Mobile, who have committed to building 6G networks on AI-native software-defined platforms capable of directing radio traffic more safely and efficiently. Bloomberg quoted Nvidia’s positioning that the shift is necessary given the “myriad devices that will be attached to networks in the future and their more complex requirements.” It will come as no surprise that this set the tone for MWC’s official theme of “The IQ Era,” with AI emerging as the undisputed central thread running through the week’s announcements. As such, Mobile World Live reports that the GSMA moved to address a persistent gap between AI’s current capabilities and the industry’s real-world demands, launching a new open forum to put operator needs at the center of AI development. “Today’s AI models still fall short of the complexity, precision and reliability the telecom industry demands,” said Louis Powell, GSMA Director of AI Initiatives.

Blue Sky AI

The UK is launching a state-backed research lab for “blue-sky” works, reports the Financial Times, as part of a wider push to leverage Britain’s research base and overseas scientists, and gain greater technological autonomy from the US. The government initially plans to commit £40m to establish the new body that will focus on fundamental AI research that could lead to breakthroughs in science, healthcare and transport. The outlet positions the news within the context of countries around the world increasingly seeking to build “sovereign” AI capabilities to reduce their reliance on American AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Speaking on the announcement, AI minister Kanishka Narayan said, “This is a long-term investment in the brilliant minds who will keep the UK in the AI fast lane.” He added that “if we want this technology to be a force for good, we need to make sure the next big AI breakthroughs are made in Britain.”

Bring back console wars

Sony no longer plans to release its big PlayStation 5 games on PC, according to Bloomberg, marking a major shift in strategy that sees the entertainment group returning to console exclusivity after six years of flirting with multi-platform releases. Popular single-player titles such as last year’s samurai hit ‘Ghost of Yotei’ and the upcoming action game ‘Saros’ will remain exclusive to PlayStation 5. The outlet notes a likely reason is that several recent PlayStation games have not sold well on PC and that a faction within PlayStation has also expressed concern that releasing their games on PC risks damaging the console’s brand and will hurt sales of the PlayStation 5 and its successors. Another factor behind Sony’s pivot may be Microsoft’s next Xbox, which is rumored to use Windows and be capable of playing PC games. Sony so far has declined to comment.

Everything automated all at once

OpenAI’s former chief research officer Bob McGrew is raising $70 million for a new startup building an AI and software platform to automate manufacturing, according to The Wall Street Journal. The startup, called Arda, is raising at a valuation of $700 million. Founders Fund and Accel are reportedly co-leading the round, with participation from Khosla Ventures and XYZ Venture Capital, though the round has not yet closed and terms could still change. Arda is developing an AI and software platform that includes a video model capable of analysing factory floor footage to train robots for autonomous operations. Its software will also coordinate machines and human workers across the entire production process. The company’s broader goal, per the Journal, is to make manufacturing cost-effective in the West, reducing reliance on China amid growing geopolitical and national security concerns. McGrew is co-founding Arda alongside Augustus Odena, a former co-founder of Adept AI, and Palantir alumni Jakob Frick and Alex Mark.

Top Tweets of the Week

• The Wall Street Journal: Heard on the Street: Nvidia’s decision to no longer exclude stock-based compensation expense from its nonstandard financial metrics will put pressure on other tech companies to follow.
• Shirin Ghaffary, Reporter, Bloomberg Business: Anthropic is on track to surpass $19 billion in revenue run rate, up from $14 bil several weeks ago, a sign of how quickly the company has been growing in the lead up to its conflict w/ the Pentagon.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Space X, and xAI: “Tesla will be one of the companies to make AGI and probably the first to make it in humanoid/atom-shaping form.” 

Number of the week

295% The surge of users uninstalling ChatGPT, following the announcement of its deal with the US Department of War (TechCrunch).