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Technology Drives Creativity: Digital Domain Showcases R&D Achievements at WAIC 2025

Launching an all-in-one content creation platform to empower the “Shanghai Solution” with 
AI-driven innovation

HONG KONG, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (“WAIC 2025”) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance arrived at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center and the Shanghai Expo Center. Under the theme “Global Solidarity in the AI Era,” this grand event continues to serve as a critical platform as the “technology leader, application showcase, industry accelerator, and governance council.” It brought together over a thousand experts, scholars, corporate executives, and elite representatives, along with 300,000 attendees, to witness the forefront of the AI wave. Among them, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, in collaboration with Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport, established the “Hong Kong Pavilion.” Digital Domain Holdings Limited (“Digital Domain”, Stock code: 547) was invited to showcase its R&D achievements in visual effects, virtual humans, and visualization at the exhibition area, demonstrating the positive integration of technological advancement and creative refinement in the AI-driven commercialization process.

With the ongoing rise of AI-powered tools, Digital Domain is dedicated to expanding its product and service offerings. It is shifting from focusing on a single content processing segment to exploring diverse creative methods and pursuing various commercial opportunities within an upstream system. This transition accelerates the development of multi-faceted consumer-grade sensory experiences. At WAIC 2025, Digital Domain launched an AI-powered all-in-one content creation platform, “AI DOMAIN”: integrating large AI models, AI DOMAIN features a comprehensive toolkit for text, images, and audio. With seven main functions, such as text-to-image, image-to-video, local repainting, style transfer, smart image expansion, image-video super-resolution, and virtual human generation, it enables creators of all backgrounds and skill levels to produce high-quality visual content efficiently and effectively.

Create a comprehensive incubation system to revolutionize the creative industry with AI

After more than 30 years of transformation, Digital Domain, born in Hollywood, has achieved global expansion in virtual humans, visual effects, and visualisation. The pursuit of technology and creativity has driven Digital Domain to introduce unparalleled artistic vision into the construction of films and television series. Its representative works include Oscar-winning films for “Best Visual Effects” such as TitanicWhat Dreams May Come, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Since 2017, Digital Domain has consistently contributed to the visual spectacle of China’s Spring Festival film season, including blockbusters like Wolf Warrior 2 and The Eight Hundred, which topped the annual box office charts.

In the consumer sector, AI is gradually expanding across upstream, midstream, and downstream parts of the industry. This evolution has significantly shifted sensory experiences towards experimental and immersive formats. Digital Domain has integrated its core business closely with AI, making it one of the most effective methods for content production.

Digital Domain has recently launched the AI-powered image creation tool “HANBAO.” Using related tools, this solution helps creators produce short videos and has already been used in commercial ads for Alibaba Cloud and MediaTek. The release of AI DOMAIN marks another strategic step by Digital Domain, aimed at enhancing its products and services by creating a comprehensive incubation ecosystem that encompasses everything from idea generation and technology development to content creation. This strategy uses a creative approach that balances efficiency and quality to meet the increasing consumer demand for high-quality sensory experiences.

Mr. William WONG, CEO of Digital Domain, stated: “Amidst the tide of AI, Digital Domain is committed to integrating relevant tools into its core businesses such as virtual humans, visual effects, and visualisation, leveraging products and services to build a highly competitive ‘moat.’ In the face of ever-evolving creative dimensions, Digital Domain has chosen Hong Kong as its hub while bolstering the ‘Shanghai Solution.’ Our colleagues stationed here will actively deploy local operations in HANBAO and AI DOMAIN, driving the integration and mutual success of the industry’s upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.”

During WAIC 2025, Digital Domain and WISE AI reached a collaborative agreement. The latter is committed to introducing solutions such as intelligent agents and was founded by Mr. David LIM, who is a member of the National Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Committee appointed by Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. He also serves as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 2025 ASEAN AI Business Summit. Both parties plan to further explore the empowering role of HANBAO and AI DOMAIN in consumer-level sensory experiences.

Enhance the collaboration mechanism between industry, academia, and research to accelerate the cultivation of interdisciplinary professionals

Multiple reports indicate that the robust momentum demonstrated by AI has led to a year-on-year increase in China’s domestic demand for multidisciplinary talents since 2019. By the first half of 2025, this gap has surged by 37% over the past six months, exceeding a total of 5 million individuals.

Since launching its operations in Beijing, Shanghai, and other locations in 2016, Digital Domain has dedicated itself to creating opportunities for local creative talents and tech elites in China to realize their potential. Guided by this vision, Digital Domain has partnered with the University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Design Institute, Anhui Institute of Information Technology, and the University of International Business and Economics to implement a series of industry-academia-research initiatives, paving a “fast track” for nurturing versatile professionals.

On July 26, the “AI Innovation and Education Forum,” hosted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and organized by its Shanghai Industry-Education Integration Center, was grandly held at WAIC 2025. Dr. Ta-Chien SUN, Executive Director of Digital Domain, and Ms. Hongjie LIU, General Manager of Digital Domain China, attended the event. During the forum, Digital Domain joined forces with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Shanghai Center, Shanghai Film Co., Ltd., and MetaX Integrated Circuits (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. to establish the “Digital Visual Innovation Alliance.” Ms. Hongjie LIU, along with Mr. Yue YU, Special Assistant to the Chief Vice President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Industry Head of its Shanghai Center; Mr. Yun DAI, Director and General Manager of Shanghai Film Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Guoliang SUN, Chief Product Officer and Senior Vice President of MetaX Integrated Circuits (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., jointly unveiled alliance.

By integrating diverse strengths, the alliance aims to pioneer intelligent and scalable content production channels while providing systematic support for cultivating versatile professionals. Its key focus areas are closely tied to AI, encompassing not only the innovation of short video production processes but also the promotion of mass production of short dramas and the unleashing of the commercial potential of digital characters.

“Especially in the realm of pan-entertainment, consumer-grade sensory experiences are transitioning from extensive expansion to meticulous refinement, making the creation of ‘premium content’ a consensus among creators,” emphasized Dr. Ta-Chien SUN. “Digital Domain will strengthen the integration of virtual humans, visual effects, visualisation with AI, providing creators with optimized pathways for content production. Additionally, leveraging an upgraded industry-academia-research collaboration mechanism will enhance the intelligence, efficiency, and effectiveness of the creative process.”

About Digital Domain

Digital Domain is a pioneer in creating transportive experiences. After more than three decades of evolution, the company has transitioned from its Hollywood origins to achieve global expansion in areas such as Visual Effects (VFX), AI Virtual Humans, and Visualization technologies. Digital Domain boasts a rich legacy, having contributed to hundreds of films and television series, thousands of commercials, game graphics, and experimental immersive experiences. Some of its most notable accomplishments include winning Academy Awards for “Best Visual Effects” for films like TitanicWhat Dreams May Come, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, as well as contributing to blockbuster classics such as The Avengers series and the fourth season of the popular series Stranger Things.

Digital Domain has charted a pioneering course into the realms of AI and virtual reality since 2016, revolutionizing the creation of emotionally expressive and photorealistic virtual humans in real-time. The company’s AI Virtual Human technology is widely applicable across diverse sectors, including healthcare, elderly services, training and education, concierge services, BFSI, the public sector, entertainment, etc. It enhances service efficiency, user experience, and business value.

Since establishing the R&D Center at Hong Kong Science Park in Q4 2024, Digital Domain has been actively collaborating with industry partners, universities, and research institutions to explore opportunities in AI development and digital transformation.

Digital Domain is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock code: 547) and is headquartered in Hong Kong. The company operates in multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hyderabad, among others.

For more information, visit the official website – www.digitaldomain.com.

Barry Callebaut Inaugurates Third Chocolate Factory in Neemrana, India

  • The greenfield facility features advanced production lines for chocolate and compound in multiple formats, and integrated warehousing.
  • With this new facility, India has become the Group’s largest chocolate producing market in Region Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA).

NEEMRANA, India, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, today inaugurated its third chocolate manufacturing facility in India. Strategically located in the Ghiloth industrial area of Neemrana, approximately 120 kilometers from Delhi, the 20,000-square-meter greenfield factory is equipped with advanced production lines for chocolate and compound in multiple formats, and integrated warehousing.

Barry Callebaut officially inaugurates its third chocolate factory in India, located in Neemrana
Barry Callebaut officially inaugurates its third chocolate factory in India, located in Neemrana

 

With the opening of the new chocolate factory in Neemrana, India has become Barry Callebaut’s largest chocolate-producing country in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region
With the opening of the new chocolate factory in Neemrana, India has become Barry Callebaut’s largest chocolate-producing country in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region

The new factory marks a major milestone in Barry Callebaut’s long-term growth journey in India. Over the past five years, the company has invested over INR 500 Crores (CHF 50 million) in India, underlining its confidence in the country’s chocolate market and its commitment to strengthening local manufacturing and customer proximity. With the opening of this facility, India is now Barry Callebaut’s largest chocolate-producing market in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region.

India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world. As a global leader in chocolate and cocoa, Barry Callebaut is proud to play a role in supporting this growth. With our newest facility in India, we are reinforcing our leadership position and deepening our commitment to being the trusted partner to India’s food industry, and to customers across the wider AMEA region,” said Vamsi Mohan Thati, President of AMEA, Barry Callebaut.

India’s chocolate market is evolving rapidly, driven by a young population, rising incomes, and a growing taste for premium and innovative products,” said Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, Managing Director, India & Southwest Asia.

“This new factory enables us to meet that demand locally, foster innovation, and deepen our partnerships with local food manufacturers and artisans. Just as importantly, its location in Neemrana allows us to get significantly closer to our customers, particularly those based in the north-central part of this vast country, improving speed to market and customer intimacy.”

India is among the fastest-growing chocolate markets in the world, it is showing strong growth and expected to reach mid high growth. With a per capita chocolate consumption of under 200 grams annually, the country is experiencing a marked shift toward premium, high-quality chocolate products, opening new avenues for growth and innovation.

Barry Callebaut has been present in India for over 18 years, with two existing manufacturing facilities in Baramati, and a Callebaut CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ Center in Mumbai. These facilities have been instrumental in producing high-quality chocolate and compound products for both domestic and international markets. Building on this strong foundation, the new Neemrana factory will serve as Barry Callebaut’s third chocolate factory and a northern hub in India, complementing its existing operations and enhancing its ability to serve its markets more efficiently.

The Mumbai academy continues to serve as a hub for innovation and training, supporting chefs, artisans, and food professionals across the country.

Most recently, Barry Callebaut also officially opens its Global Business Services Hub in Hyderabad to support its global business operations. Today, Barry Callebaut employs more than 400 people in India, serving customers through a growing footprint of manufacturing, innovation, and support capabilities. 

About Barry Callebaut Group (www.barry-callebaut.com):

With annual sales of about CHF 10.4 billion in fiscal year 2023/24, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa products – from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 60 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 13,000 people. The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®, Carma® and the decorations specialist Mona Lisa®. The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.

Follow the Barry Callebaut Group:

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Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited announces interim results for six months ended June 30, 2025


2025 Interim Results – Financial Highlights
(Figures for the corresponding period in 2024 are shown in brackets)

  • Consolidated revenue: HK$ 736 million (HK$ 545 million)
  • Consolidated net loss attributable to equity holders of the Company: HK$ 249 million (HK$ 153 million)
  • Basic loss per share: 12.23 HK cents (7.52 HK cents)
  • No interim dividend (No interim dividend)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 July 2025 – Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited (“PCPD”, SEHK: 00432) announced its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2025.

The consolidated revenue of PCPD and its subsidiaries (together, the “Group”) amounted to HK$ 736 million, compared to HK$ 545 million for the corresponding period of 2024.

The Group’s consolidated loss attributable to equity holders of the Company for the first six months of 2025 totalled HK$249 million, compared to a net loss of HK$153 million for the corresponding period last year. Basic loss per share for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was 12.23 Hong Kong cents, compared to a loss per share of 7.52 Hong Kong cents for the corresponding period of 2024.

The Board of Directors did not declare an interim dividend for the first half of 2025.

Throughout the first half of 2025, the Group continued to build on its growth momentum and delivered a solid set of results. Our operations in Japan were particularly strong, supported in part by robust tourism growth and a relatively weak Japanese Yen. Park Hyatt Niseko, Hanazono, our hospitality business in Niseko, Hokkaido, reported a significant uplift in revenue. During the period, our ski operations remained a standout performer in the region. Earnings from our recreational facilities at the resort, ski lifts, equipment rentals, “Hanazono EDGE” (a restaurant and entertainment centre) and Niseko International Snowsports School continued to grow steadily year-on-year. We will remain focused on enhancing Niseko Hanazono Resort into a world-class, all-season luxury resort, and we are confident in its ability to deliver long-term value.

In Jakarta, our premium commercial building, PCP Jakarta, delivered a steady performance and remained a reliable revenue contributor to the Group. As of June 30, 2025, the office space committed occupancy was 85 %. The gross rental income amounted to HK$100 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, as with the same period in 2024.

As for the development of the project at 3–6 Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong, the construction of its superstructure has been progressing well. The project is scheduled to be completed by early 2026.

Mr. Benjamin Lam, PCPD’s Deputy Chairman and Group Managing Director, said: “The year 2025 has been characterised by geopolitical uncertainties and a global economy continuing to adjust to changes. Despite some optimistic projections at the start of the year, the first half has been marked by slower-than-expected economic growth in some developed nations. Despite these headwinds, the global economy has shown encouraging resilience. Inflation in many advanced economies is moderating, and business investment is gradually picking up as confidence improves. With its diversified portfolio and strong business fundamentals, PCPD is well positioned to navigate the evolving landscape and gain its growth momentum.

Moving into the second half of the year, we aim to leverage our existing key resources, and maximise value for our stakeholders to achieve sustainable business growth.”

Hashtag: #PCPD

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About PCPD

Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited (“PCPD” or the “Group”, SEHK: 00432) is principally engaged in the development and management of premium-grade property and infrastructure projects as well as premium-grade property investments. PCCW Limited (“PCCW”, SEHK: 00008) is the single largest shareholder of the Group.

ZTO Express Announces Repurchase Right Notification for 1.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027

SHANGHAI, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and HKEX: 2057), a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China (“ZTO” or the “Company”), today announced that it is notifying holders of its 1.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 (CUSIP No. 98980AAB1) (the “Notes”) that pursuant to the Indenture dated as of August 29, 2022 (the “Indenture”) relating to the Notes by and between the Company and Citibank, N.A., as trustee, each holder has the right, at the option of such holder, to require the Company to repurchase all of such holder’s Notes or any portion thereof that is an integral multiple of US$1,000 principal amount for cash on September 2, 2025 (the “Repurchase Right”). The Repurchase Right expires at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

As required by rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Company will file a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO which includes documents specifying the terms, conditions and procedures for exercising the Repurchase Right. None of the Company, its board of directors or its employees has made or is making any representation or recommendation to any holder as to whether to exercise or refrain from exercising the Repurchase Right.

The Repurchase Right entitles each holder of the Notes to require the Company to repurchase all of such holder’s Notes or any portion thereof that is an integral multiple of US$1,000 principal amount. The repurchase price for such Notes will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus any accrued and unpaid additional interest, if any, to, but excluding, September 2, 2025, which is the date specified for repurchase in the Indenture (the “Repurchase Date”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture and the Notes. Pursuant to the terms of the Indenture and the Notes, the next interest payment date for the Notes is September 1, 2025. As September 1, 2025 is a federal holiday, pursuant to the Indenture and the Notes, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, which is the next succeeding business day, the Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on all of the Notes through August 31, 2025 to all holders who were holders of record as of close of business on Friday, August 15, 2025. As of July 29, 2025, there was US$1,000,000,000.00 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes outstanding. If all outstanding Notes are surrendered for repurchase through exercise of the Repurchase Right, the aggregate cash purchase price will be US$1,000,000,000.00.

The opportunity for holders of the Notes to exercise the Repurchase Right commences at 9:00 a.m., New York City time today, July 30, 2025, and will terminate at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Thursday, August 28, 2025. In order to exercise the Repurchase Right, a holder must follow the transmittal procedures set forth in the Company’s Repurchase Right Notice to holders (the “Repurchase Right Notice”), which is available through the Depository Trust Company. Holders may withdraw any previously tendered Notes pursuant to the terms of the Repurchase Right at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Thursday, August 28, 2025, or as otherwise provided by applicable law.

This press release is for information only and is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of the Company. The offer to purchase the Notes will be only pursuant to, and the Notes may be tendered only in accordance with, the Company’s Repurchase Right Notice dated July 30, 2025 and related documents.

Holders of the Notes should refer to the Indenture for a complete description of repurchase procedures and direct any questions concerning the mechanics of repurchase to the Trustee by contacting Citibank, N.A. at citinygats@citi.com or citi.cspag.debt@citi.com.

HOLDERS OF NOTES AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ THE COMPANY’S SCHEDULE TO, REPURCHASE RIGHT NOTICE AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ZTO EXPRESS (CAYMAN) INC. AND THE REPURCHASE RIGHT.

Materials filed with the SEC will be available electronically without charge at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. Documents filed with the SEC may also be obtained without charge at the Company’s website, https://zto.investorroom.com.

About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK: 2057) (“ZTO” or the “Company”) is a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.

ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.

For more information, please visit: https://zto.investorroom.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

Investor Relations
E-mail: ir@zto.com
Phone: +86 21 5980 4508

IBM Report: 13% Of Organizations Reported Breaches Of AI Models Or Applications, 97% Of Which Reported Lacking Proper AI Access Controls

U.S. breach costs rise to $10.22 million, despite the global average cost of a breach decreasing to $4.44 million; Only 49% of breached organizations plan to invest in security

ARMONK, N.Y., July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today released its Cost of a Data Breach Report, which revealed AI adoption is greatly outpacing AI security and governance. While the overall number of organizations experiencing an AI-related breach is a small representation of the researched population, this is the first time security, governance and access controls for AI have been studied in this report, which suggests AI is already an easy, high value target.


  • 13% of organizations reported breaches of AI models or applications, while 8% of organizations reported not knowing if they had been compromised in this way.
  • Of those compromised, 97% report not having AI access controls in place.
  • As a result, 60% of the AI-related security incidents led to compromised data and 31% led to operational disruption.

This year’s results show that organizations are bypassing security and governance for AI in favor of do-it-now AI adoption. Ungoverned systems are more likely to be breached—and more costly when they are.

“The data shows that a gap between AI adoption and oversight already exists, and threat actors are starting to exploit it,” said Suja Viswesan, Vice President, Security and Runtime Products, IBM. “The report revealed a lack of basic access controls for AI systems, leaving highly sensitive data exposed, and models vulnerable to manipulation. As AI becomes more deeply embedded across business operations, AI security must be treated as foundational. The cost of inaction isn’t just financial, it’s the loss of trust, transparency and control.”

However, the report did reveal that organizations using AI and automation extensively throughout their security operations saved an average $1.9 million in breach costs and reduced the breach lifecycle by an average of 80 days.

The 2025 report, conducted by Ponemon Institute, sponsored and analyzed by IBM, is based on data breaches experienced by 600 organizations globally from March 2024 through February 2025. Key findings from the report around AI security and breaches, the financial cost of a breach, and operational disruption are as follows:

Breaches and the AI era

  • AI Governance Policies. 63% of breached organizations either don’t have an AI governance policy or are still developing a policy. Of the organizations that have AI governance policies in place, only 34% perform regular audits for unsanctioned AI.
  • The Cost of Shadow AI. One in five organizations reported a breach due to shadow AI, and only 37% have policies to manage AI or detect shadow AI. Organizations that used high levels of shadow AI observed an average of $670,000 in higher breach costs than those with a low level or no shadow AI. Security incidents involving shadow AI led to more personally identifiable information (65%) and intellectual property (40%) being compromised compared to the global average (53% and 33% respectively).
  • Smarter Attacks with AI. 16% of breaches studied involved attackers using AI tools, most often for phishing or deepfake impersonation attacks.

The Financial Cost of a Breach

  • Data Breach Costs. The global average cost of a data breach fell to $4.44 million, the first decline in five years, while the average U.S. cost of a breach reached a record $10.22 million.
  • Global Breach Lifecycles Hit Record Low. The global average breach lifecycle (the mean time to identify and contain a breach, including restore services) dropped to 241 days, a 17-day reduction from the year prior, as more studied organizations detected the breach internally. Those organizations who detected the breach internally also observed a $900,000 savings on breach costs compared to those disclosed by an attacker.
  • Healthcare Breaches Remain the Costliest. Averaging $7.42 million, healthcare breaches remained the most expensive across all studied industries, even as this sector saw a $2.35 million reduction in costs compared to 2024. Breaches across this sector take the longest to identify and contain at 279 days, that’s more than 5 weeks longer than the global average of 241 days.
  • Ransom Payment Fatigue. Last year, organizations pushed back against ransom demands, with more opting not to pay (63%) compared to the year prior (59%). As more organizations refuse to pay ransoms, the average cost of an extortion or ransomware incident remains high, particularly when disclosed by an attacker ($5.08 million).
  • Security Investments Stall Amid Rising AI Risks. There was a significant reduction in the number of organizations that said they plan to invest in security following a breach, 49% in 2025 compared to 63% in 2024. Less than half of those that plan to invest in security post-breach will focus on AI-driven security solutions or services.

The Long Tail of a Breach: Operational Disruption

According to the 2025 IBM report, nearly all organizations studied suffered operational disruption following a data breach. This level of disruption is taking a toll on recovery timelines. Among organizations that reported recovery, most took more than 100 days on average to do so.

However, the consequences of a breach continue to extend beyond containment. While down compared to the year prior, nearly half of all organizations reported that they planned to raise the price of goods or services because of the breach, and nearly one-third reported price increases of 15% or more.

About the Cost of a Data Breach Report

The Cost of a Data Breach Report has investigated nearly 6,500 data breaches over the past 20 years. Since the inaugural report in 2005, the nature of breaches has evolved dramatically. Back then, risk was largely physical. Today, the threat landscape is overwhelmingly digital and increasingly targeted, with breaches now driven by a spectrum of malicious activity.

With the pace of enterprise AI adoption proliferating, for the first time, the Cost of a Data Breach research studied the state of security and governance for AI, the type of data targeted in security incidents involving AI, breach costs associated with AI-driven attacks, and the prevalence and risk profile of shadow AI (unregulated, unauthorized use of AI). Historical findings from past reports include the following:

  • 2005: nearly half (45%) of all data breaches were caused by lost or stolen computing devices, such as a laptop or thumb drive, and only 10% of breaches were due to hacked electronic systems.
  • 2015: breaches due to cloud misconfiguration weren’t even a categorized threat, today they are a leading target.
  • 2020: ransomware began to surge, and by 2021 it accounted for an average of $4.62 million in breach costs, and this year that number reached an average of $5.08 million (when the incident was disclosed by an attacker).
  • 2025: AI, which was included for the first time in the research this year, is quickly emerging as a high value target.

Additional sources:

  • Download a copy of the 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report to learn more.
  • Sign up for the 2025 IBM Cost of a Data Breach webinar on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. ET.
  • Read more about the report’s top findings in this IBM blog.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media contact:

IBM
Michele Brancati
mbrancati@ibm.com

IBM Corporation logo.
IBM Corporation logo.

 

Shenzhen and Hong Kong Join Hands to Promote the Development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone

“Driving the Globalization of Clinical Trials in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Implementing the First Key Cross-Border Multi-Center Clinical Trial Project”


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 July 2025 The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute of Hong Kong (“GBAICTI“), the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center of Shenzhen (“BAY TRIAL“), Immuno Cure BioTech (“Immuno Cure“) in Hong Kong are pleased to jointly announce today the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU“) in Shenzhen on July 29, 2025. This collaboration aims to advance the globalization of clinical trials in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (“GBA“), further deepens clinical research cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and implements the first ever cross-border multi-centre Phase II clinical trial project for ICVAX, a therapeutic DNA vaccine for HIV/AIDS, developed through collaboration between Immuno Cure and the AIDS Institute at the University of Hong Kong. This marks a significant milestone in the development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.

From left to right: Professor Bernard CHEUNG Man-yung, Chief Executive Officer of GBAICTI; Dr. Xia JIN, Chief Executive Officer of Immuno Cure; Ms. TANG Hongmei, Executive Director of BAY TRIAL
From left to right: Professor Bernard CHEUNG Man-yung, Chief Executive Officer of GBAICTI; Dr. Xia JIN, Chief Executive Officer of Immuno Cure; Ms. TANG Hongmei, Executive Director of BAY TRIAL

This collaboration is witnessed by a Hong Kong Government delegation led by the Director of Health, Dr. Ronald LAM, and a Shenzhen Government delegation led by the Deputy Director General of Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Ms. ZHOU Liping, following their GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration meeting held in Shenzhen.

GBAICTI and the BAY TRIAL plan to establish the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform (“Platform“) by the end of this year. The Platform is expected to offer a range of services, including project evaluation, trial design consultation, and subject recruitment planning for multi-centre clinical trials, provided by a joint Shenzhen-Hong Kong advisory team; integration of artificial intelligence technologies to assist with matching clinical trial institutions and researchers, as well as offering intelligent consultation services; establishment of a coordinated ethics review mechanism between the two regions to enhance approval efficiency; promotion of talent exchange, collaboration, and professional training; creation of a research talent pool to facilitate talent mobility and regional collaboration; and as a pilot, the development of clinical databases and biobanks based on disease areas of strength in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Professor Bernard CHEUNG Man-yung, Chief Executive Officer of GBAICTI, said: “The ICVAX vaccine, developed by Immuno Cure and the AIDS Institute at the University of Hong Kong, is now poised for cross-border clinical trials in the Greater Bay Area. This highlights the achievements and potential of innovation and technology in China and the Hong Kong SAR. If the clinical trial results are positive, the new vaccine would bring hope to HIV/AIDS patients worldwide, particularly in Belt and Road countries. We aim to leverage the strength of both Guangdong and Hong Kong to establish the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a global hub for clinical trials.”

Dr. LI Yichong, Director of BAY TRIAL, said: “This collaboration marks the first cross border clinical trial project between the BAY TRIAL and Hong Kong, signifying a new phase in the cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the biopharmaceutical sector of GBA. We will fully leverage the synergistic advantages of both regions to establish an international clinical trial platform with the BAY TRIAL, continuously injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the Bay Area’s pharmaceutical and medical device industry.”

Since the first discovery of AIDS in 1981, 40 million people have died from HIV infection. Currently, there are still over 39 million people living with HIV worldwide. Although antiretroviral therapy (“ART“) can effectively control HIV, it cannot cure the disease, highlighting the importance of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy aims to enhance the host’s immune response, with the expectation of controlling viral replication without ART, ultimately achieving complete viral suppression and functional cure. Immuno Cure’s ICVAX induces broad-spectrum, multifunctional virus-specific T cells to achieve the goal of controlling viral replication without ART.

Immuno Cure completed the first-in-human Phase I clinical trial of the ICVAX vaccine in November 2024. The results demonstrated excellent safety and good immunogenicity. This year, two multi-center Phase II clinical trials will be conducted to evaluate the mechanism of action and efficacy, respectively, of ICVAX in humans. Both are randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation studies, with clinical trial centres in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong and eight Grade 3A hospitals in China, including The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing Youan Hospital, Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Tianjin Second People’s Hospital, The Sixth People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, and Chongqing Public Health Medical Center.

Dr. Xia JIN, Chief Executive Officer of Immuno Cure, said: “We are delighted to receive support from both GBAICTI and BAY TRIAL, integrating medical resources from both regions to advance Immuno Cure’s therapeutic vaccine for HIV, ICVAX, to multi-center Phase II clinical trials. We will continue to collaborate with the HKU AIDS Institute to drive innovation in drug development, leverage local advantages in drug research and translation, accelerate ICVAX towards commercialization, provide more effective treatment options for HIV patients, and contribute to global health.”

GBAICTI, BAY TRIAL, and Immuno Cure look forward to further deepening clinical trial cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in future collaborations, jointly promoting the development and globalisation of innovative drug development, and supporting the national “Healthy China” strategic goals.

Hashtag: #ImmunoCure #醫克生物 #医克生物


The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About GBAICTI

The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI) is located in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. Its mission is to coordinate public and private medical resources in Hong Kong, providing a one-stop support platform for research institutions. This aims to promote process optimization, talent training, and collaboration within the Greater Bay Area, accelerating the research and development of drugs and medical devices, allowing research outcomes to benefit patients more quickly. By closely collaborating with the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center, it leverages the unique advantages of “one institute, one center” to jointly coordinate cross-border, multi-center clinical trials that meet international standards.

To learn more about GBAICTI, please visit:

About BAY TRIAL

The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center (BAY TRIAL) is a key initiative in implementing the “Notice of the State Council on Issuing the Development Plan for the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone” (State Council [2023] No. 12). It serves as strong support for Shenzhen’s development as an international science and technology innovation centre and for promoting the high-quality development of the biopharmaceutical industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Located in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation Zone, BAY TRIAL leverages the zone’s unique geographical and policy advantages to integrate clinical trial innovation resources across the GBA, deepen Shenzhen-Hong Kong science and technology collaboration, and establish a one-stop clinical trial platform. This platform provides top-tier clinical trial technical support, operational management, and registration services for domestic and international pharmaceutical and medical device R&D institutions. Additionally, BAY TRIAL will act as a “testing ground” for clinical trial regulation reforms and a “catalyst” for technological innovation, facilitating the alignment of clinical trial regulations and standards with international benchmarks, promoting the development and application of cutting-edge trial technologies, building a collaborative medical technology innovation network in the GBA, and enhancing the region’s competitiveness in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

To learn more about BAY TRIAL, please visit:

About Immuno Cure

Immuno Cure is a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on research and development of innovative DNA medicines and antibody immunotherapies to fight against cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented PD-1-enhanced DNA Vaccine, Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody; and Vaccine Delivery platforms.

To learn more about Immuno Cure, please visit:

Bybit Smart Money Report: Smart Money Flows Into ETH, SOL, and RWA-Concept Altcoins as Stablecoin Balances Decline

DUBAI, UAE, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has released a new Smart Money Report. The analysis focuses on institutions’ and influential traders’ digital asset allocation and trading strategies, often ahead of the curve, to unlock insights on wider narratives that move markets.

Equipped with professional analysts and solutions, institutional and leading crypto investors decisions come to be known as smart money moves. Based on their holding and trading data, ETH had become an institutional crowd favorite while SOL might be reversing its course of underperformance in the current rally. The emerging theme of real-world asset (RWA) has come to dominate the DeFi narratives, prompting assets like ONDO onto a bullish track.

Key Insights

  • Smart money holds onto ETH, BTC and select altcoins: the report highlights portfolios balances of ETH, BTC, ONDO, UNI, and WLD, citing the main drivers behind each asset. The diverse holdings reflect a wide array of considerations for professional and institutional investors from DeFi trends to regulatory tailwinds.
  • Top movements by the pros – trading highlights: Whales are piling up on ETH as SOL-related derivatives are on the rise. Key movements indicated institutional interest in a range of altcoins while AVAX suffered downward pressure.
  • Stablecoin balances across exchanges trending down: Major cryptocurrency exchanges are recording decreasing levels of stablecoin reserves, collectively at a 3-month low. This is interpreted as risk-on sentiment as investors were deploying funds and entering active trading mode.

Source: Nansen
Source: Nansen

#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk / #BybitReport

About Bybit

Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 70 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press 

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com

For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

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DeepRoute.ai Earns Top Marks in IDC 2025 Assisted Driving Capability Assessment

SHENZHEN, China, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — DeepRoute.ai, a pioneer in autonomous driving technology, has earned top recognition in IDC’s latest Assisted Driving Capability Assessment 2025.[1] The report underscores how autonomous driving has become a leading purchase decision factor for car buyers and marks DeepRoute.ai as a technology leader in this rapidly evolving field.

IDC evaluated mass-production autonomous driving systems across six dimensions: highway and urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA), highway and urban lane centering control (LCC), valet parking assist, and automatic parking assist.

DeepRoute.ai earned top scores in urban NOA, urban LCC, and highway LCC, showcasing exceptional capabilities in complex real-world scenarios. The report highlights DeepRoute.ai’s strength in handling challenging multi-traffic participant city environments and mixed traffic flows.

IDC 2025 Assisted Driving Capability Assessment
IDC 2025 Assisted Driving Capability Assessment

As the industry approaches the performance limits of Level 2 (L2) systems, IDC predicts rapid acceleration toward Level 3 autonomy. DeepRoute.ai is accelerating the pace of innovation across the industry with the upcoming launch of its VLA (Vision-Language-Action) model-a next-generation technology designed to enhance safety and human-like control.

The VLA model delivers key breakthroughs from three perspectives:

  • Scenario understanding: Improved long-tail scenario coverage, with stronger capabilities in blind-spot prediction, dynamic traffic interpretation, and recognition of complex text-based guidance signs, which are the key challenges in real-world driving environments.
  • Reasoning capabilities: The ‘chain-of-thought’ enables human-like reasoning and long context understanding, allowing the system to perform deeper and more forward-looking inference compared to previous end-to-end models. The system also provides decision-making explanations, offering transparency that enhances user trust and confidence in automated driving.
  • User interactions: Human drivers can interact with the system through natural language, enabling real-time adjustments to vehicle decisions and offering greater control over the driving process.

These innovations position DeepRoute.ai as a frontrunner in advancing explainable, interactive, and human-like autonomous driving, driving mainstream adoption of higher-level autonomous driving.

About DeepRoute.ai

DeepRoute.ai is an artificial intelligence company dedicated to the research, development, and application of smart driving solutions. Being the first to develop production-ready smart driving solutions and a pioneer in deploying end-to-end and VLA models on mass-produced passenger vehicles, DeepRoute.ai aims to create artificial general intelligence in physical world.

For more information, visit deeproute.ai, follow DeepRoute.ai on LinkedIn, and X, and subscribe to DeepRoute.ai on YouTube.

 [1] IDC China, Assisted Driving Capability Assessment 2025 Report.

Contact: press@deeproute.ai