Digital Watch Observatory - Digital Governance in 50+ issues, 500+ actors, 5+ processes
Major tech firms intensify their pursuit of AGI. Plus, coming up: A packed agenda with the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, AI for Good 2025, and the OEWG's final session on ICT security.
A mysterious band with no known members has gone viral on Spotify, sparking intense speculation that its music may be entirely AI-generated.
Police say the tech is efficient and just — campaigners call it invasive and unregulated.
AMINA Bank will offer custody and trading of Ripple’s RLUSD, strengthening its presence in Europe.
Rushed adoption of AI is proving more expensive than expected.
'They talk about AI like disciples,' says Eddington director Ari Aster. 'And that's very frightening.'
However, local and legal groups are pushing back against xAI after Memphis regulators approved its generators amid air quality fears.
Monero’s privacy features attract darknet criminals, but experts warn blockchain records still expose illicit transactions.
Even small amounts of fat and wipes can cause major blockages, but AI is keeping the system flowing.
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Analysis
The cognitive cost of AI: Balancing assistance and awareness
What if the very tool designed to boost your productivity is quietly dulling your mind each time you use it?
Analysis
Yoga in the age of AI: Digital spirituality or algorithmic escapism?
As yoga enters the digital frontier, we must confront the paradox: can a practice rooted in presence survive an era defined by simulation?
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Meme coins: Fast gains or crypto gambling?
A high-stakes game of digital chance, meme coins blur the line between viral entertainment and financial risk in the wildest corner of crypto.
Analysis
Cognitive offloading and the future of the mind in the AI age
The rise of AI is transforming work and education, but raises questions about its impact on critical thinking and cognitive independence.
Analysis
The rise of AI in Hollywood, gaming, and music
AI is reshaping how stories are told in film, games, and music, raising questions about authorship, ethics, and artistic identity.
Analysis
The rise of tech giants in healthcare: How AI is reshaping life sciences
AI-powered tools from Google, IBM, and startups improve diagnostics, clinical documentation, and patient care, reducing clinician workloads and enhancing healthcare outcomes worldwide.
Analysis
Bitcoin’s political puppeteers: From code to clout
Once hailed as the future of financial freedom, Bitcoin now finds itself swayed by political power, elite influence, and media manipulation, raising urgent questions about whether the revolution has become the very system it sought to escape.
Analysis
Breaking down the OEWG’s legacy: Hits, misses, and unfinished business
The OEWG on cybersecurity (2019–2025) shaped global debates on digital security—but did it deliver? External experts weigh in on its lasting impact, while our team, who tracked the process from day one, dissect the milestones and missed opportunities.
DW monthly
Digital Watch newsletter – Issue 100
Issue 100: In our #100 May 2025 issue, we unpack the EU’s crackdown on platform accountability, Google’s antitrust battles, intensifying US-China tech chess over TikTok and chips, a global race for AI and quantum breakthroughs, the UK’s crypto surge, and Geneva’s lead in shaping digital diplomacy and cybersecurity frameworks.
DW WEEKLY
DW Weekly #219 – AGI or bust: Tech giants gamble big on the future of intelligence
DW Weekly #219 AGI or bust: Tech giants gamble big on the future of intelligence! Plus, coming up this week: A packed agenda with the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, AI for Good 2025, and the OEWG's final session on ICT security.
DW QUARTERLY
Digital Watch Quarterly Newsletter – Issue 1
2025 Jan - Mar | Q1 newsletter: The first quarterly newsletter 2025 reveals a revolutionary shift in the AI landscape: 'bigger isn't always better.' As the race for AI dominance accelerates, smaller, specialised models outperform massive systems, disrupting long-standing assumptions. Meanwhile, AI governance shifts its gaze from distant existential threats to today's tangible issues, such as job security, education, and privacy. Amid these rapid developments, companies and governments must choose between continuing investment in large-scale projects or embracing smarter, leaner AI solutions.
DW at a glance
TRENDING
The process towards a Global Digital Compact
How will the Global Digital Compact be developed and what will it focus on?
Explore the Observatory
Digital Technologies
From internet applications to quantum computing, we focus on advanced and emerging digital technologies which are increasingly reshaping our economies and societies.
Clusters of Policy topics
We unpack digital policy by exploring over 50 topics – from access and sustainable development to network security and the future of work – classified in 7 clusters.
Processes
Follow some of the most important digital policy processes, from the EU's work on the Digital Services Act/Digital Markets Act to the UN Cybercrime Ad Hoc Committee.