In today’s Digest, we cover Comcast looking to buy ITV’s broadcast arm for £2bn, Apple nearing a USD$1bn deal to power a Siri overhaul with Google’s Gemini AI, and the EU weakening its landmark AI Act amid Big Tech pressure.

Comcast in talks to buy ITV’s broadcast arm

Comcast, the American media giant behind Universal Studios and owner of Sky, is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire ITV’s broadcasting division for approximately £2bn. The deal would encompass ITV’s traditional TV channels and its streaming platform ITVX, but notably exclude ITV Studios, which remains the subject of separate acquisition interest.

Apple nears $1bn Deal to Power Siri 

Apple Inc. is nearing a billion-dollar annual agreement with Alphabet Inc. to license Google’s Gemini AI model. The deal, expected to be finalised soon, would grant Apple access to the 1.2 trillion-parameter system, one of the most powerful AI models publicly known to support a comprehensive revamp of Siri. 

The almost finalised partnership follows an evaluation period during which Apple evaluated models from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Ultimately, Google’s Gemini emerged as the preferred choice. The AI model will be integrated into Siri’s backend to enhance capabilities such as contextual understanding, summarisation, and multi-step task execution. Internally code-named “Linwood”, the new Siri is expected to debut with iOS 26.4 next spring.

EU to weaken landmark AI act amid big tech pressure

The European Commission is preparing to soften parts of its landmark AI legislation in response to mounting pressure from major tech firms and the US government. A draft proposal is being prepared to ease elements of its sweeping digital legislation, expected to be unveiled on 19th November as part of a broader simplification package which would delay enforcement of certain provisions in the AI Act.

At the heart of the proposal is a one-year grace period for companies deploying high-risk AI systems that could impact health, safety, or fundamental rights allowing them more time to comply without market disruption. The Commission is also considering postponing penalties for breaches of AI transparency rules until August 2027. These adjustments come amid concerns that strict enforcement could trigger retaliatory measures from the Trump administration, including threats to intelligence sharing and trade relations.