The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has affected all sorts of areas, including technology.

At a recent conference, some experts said the geopolitical situation illustrated the complexities surrounding technology and AI sovereignty.

Others said the problems in the strait demonstrated the importance of supply chain partnerships to ensure the AI boom keeps booming.

However, there is much room for nuance, with discussions on AI and supply chains showing no sign of abating.

The big story

To everything, there is a season

In brief | The week started with a digital bang, so to speak, when it was announced that Apple chief executive Tim Cook is stepping down in September.

Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, was quickly named as Mr Cook's successor, filling any potential power vacuum.

“At the exact moment everyone says physical products don't matter any more, Apple bets on a builder,” Dan Burgar, founder and chief executive of Frontier Collective, told The National's Alvin R Cabral.

Why it matters | We live in a time of unprecedented noise from companies at the centre of the AI race.

AI, many have argued, isn't Apple's forte and yet the California company commands tremendous respect, admiration and unprecedented attention around the world.

Even when it seems that AI is all that matters, Apple sets the pace for the countless devices we use every day, so paying attention to who is steering the company is completely justified.

It's also worth noting that the smooth transition to a new chief executive is what Steve Jobs hoped for shortly before his death in 2011.

Quoted | “It’s always been a drama. Part of my goal has been to make Apple the world’s best company and having an orderly transition is key to that”

– Steve Jobs, lamenting to biographer Walter Isaacson about some of the boardroom coups that resulted in previous Apple CEOs being replaced

Future in focus

• Ready for take-off | First look inside Dubai's air taxi vertiport

• Excessive tech | Social-media ban not enough to address 'emotional overload' of young people

• No one can hear you screen | US Space Command keeps watch on Iran's missile launches

• Welcome aboard | Jordan joins Nasa-led Artemis Accords

• Opinion | AI needs to understand the world, not just describe it

Predicting the future: Signal or noise?

Some have speculated that Anthropic’s expansion in London could be a “political signal” to the US, after a dispute between President Donald Trump's administration and the AI company.

This is a signal: Even though it faced an uphill battle, as its rival, OpenAI, had first-mover advantage with the emergence of ChatGPT several years ago, Anthropic has methodically gained a loyal following and chipped away at OpenAI's market share.

The Pentagon's promise to sever contracts with Anthropic over policy differences could have struck a fatal financial blow to the company, but the opposite has occurred, with many applauding Anthropic for standing up to the White House and erring on the side of AI altruism.

The company's expansion into London is nothing to scoff at, and you can bet there will be more expansion in the months ahead.

In case you missed it

• Game, set and watch: Whoop celebrates device approval for three Grand Slam tennis events

• iPhone 17e review: Apple flexes those price muscles once again

• Fraudsters offer vessels Strait of Hormuz passage in exchange for crypto

• Abu Dhabi's AIQ targets US and Canada for energy AI exports

• Why designers are turning to cardboard as next luxury material

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