Access Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

UK tests AI transcripts to improve access to justice and reduce court costs

The UK Ministry of Justice, alongside HM Courts & Tribunals Service, has launched a study examining how AI can be used to generate court transcripts more efficiently.

The initiative aims to reduce the cost and time required for accessing official court records.

Currently, transcript fees can be prohibitively expensive, limiting access for victims seeking clarity on court proceedings. The proposed use of AI-based systems, including in-house tools such as Justice Transcribe, could lower these barriers while maintaining required accuracy standards.

The policy forms part of broader efforts in the UK to modernise the justice system and enhance transparency. It aligns with legislative developments, including the Victims and Courts Bill, and plans to provide free access to sentencing remarks in Crown Court cases from 2027.

By improving access to legal records, the initiative seeks to strengthen accountability and support victims’ understanding of judicial processes, contributing to a more accessible and responsive justice system.

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South Korea deploys AI smart city pilots across Southeast Asia

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in South Korea has selected six pilot projects under the K-City Network Global Cooperation Program to deploy AI-based smart city models across Southeast Asia.

The initiative reflects efforts to extend tested domestic systems into international urban contexts.

Projects will be implemented in Brunei, Bacoor, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Surin and Penang, focusing on areas such as traffic optimisation, water management and disaster response. These pilots aim to assess the adaptability and performance of AI-enabled infrastructure in diverse environments.

The programme operates as a government-to-government cooperation mechanism, combining technical deployment with policy coordination. Selected projects were evaluated based on innovation, feasibility and potential for broader regional application.

By testing AI-driven urban systems in partner countries, the initiative by South Korea seeks to support digital transformation while contributing to more efficient, resilient and data-driven public services.

It also reflects wider trends in cross-border collaboration on smart city governance and infrastructure development.

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Microsoft outlines approach to scaling AI across organisational systems

A shift from early AI adoption towards what it terms ‘frontier transformation’ has been described by Microsoft, where AI is integrated into core organisational processes.

Such an approach reflects how AI is increasingly embedded within everyday workflows rather than used in isolated pilots.

According to Microsoft, scaling AI requires moving beyond experimentation and establishing structured operating models. It includes addressing practical challenges such as data integration, system reliability, and alignment with organisational objectives.

A framework that also highlights the importance of governance and execution, with AI systems expected to operate under defined standards similar to other critical infrastructure. Something that involves coordination across platforms, internal processes, and external partners.

Why does it matter?

Frontier transformation illustrates a broader transition in how organisations approach AI deployment, focusing on long-term integration, operational consistency, and scalable implementation across different sectors.

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Digital equity advances as UNESCO promotes Universal Acceptance

UNESCO has reinforced the importance of Universal Acceptance as a foundation for multilingual digital inclusion during a global event hosted in Hyderabad.

An initiative that seeks to ensure that all languages and scripts function equally across the internet, strengthening digital access and participation.

The discussion linked linguistic diversity with broader principles such as digital rights, media literacy, and freedom of expression.

Universal Acceptance was presented as a core element of digital equality, enabling users to access online services regardless of language or script.

Through its partnership with ICANN, UNESCO is advancing efforts to ensure that domain names and email systems support all valid linguistic formats. These initiatives aim to remove technical barriers that limit participation in the digital economy.

An initiative that reflects a broader global effort to create a more inclusive and accessible internet. Strengthening multilingual infrastructure is expected to play a key role in shaping a more equitable and representative digital environment.

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Digital Public Goods Alliance roadmap incorporates UNESCO Open Solutions

UNESCO announced that its Open Solutions have been included in the Digital Public Goods Alliance’s roadmap as part of its membership.

Roadmap activities focus on Open Solutions supporting knowledge ecosystems and information resilience by advancing Open Educational Resources as digital public goods, mainstreaming equitable open access to knowledge ecosystems, unlocking open data for research and learning, and strengthening Free and Open Source Software, according to UNESCO.

Mariya Gabriel, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, said: ‘The inclusion of UNESCO’s Open Solutions— Open Educational Resources, Open Access, Open Data and Free and Open Source Software— in the Digital Public Goods Alliance roadmap, underscores our commitment to knowledge as a public good and to multilateral cooperation. Through these open systems, UNESCO supports Member States in expanding access to information and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.’

UNESCO said its Open Solutions support the discovery, use, and adaptation of digital public goods that help reduce structural barriers to knowledge. It added that they prioritise multilingual access, equitable participation, and the reuse of educational, scientific, and public-interest resources.

UNESCO described the Digital Public Goods Alliance as a multistakeholder initiative that supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by advancing the discovery, development, use, and investment in digital public goods. It said these include open source software, open data, open AI models, and open content that adhere to applicable laws and best practices, are designed to do no harm, and contribute to sustainable development.

Liv Marte Nordhaug, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Public Goods Alliance Secretariat, said: ‘Through its Open Solutions, UNESCO is advancing open and inclusive knowledge ecosystems while strengthening the development and adoption of digital public goods that expand access to shared, interoperable resources and enable equitable participation in the digital age.’

UNESCO also said its engagement in the alliance contributes to implementing the UN Global Digital Compact and the United Nations Pact for the Future, reaffirming that knowledge, and the digital systems that underpin it, must remain a global public good, governed in the public interest, anchored in international human rights standards, and accessible to all without discrimination.

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EU digital identity strengthens after 20 years of .eu expansion

Two decades since the launch of the .eu domain, the EU has marked its role in establishing a unified digital identity across member states.

On 7 April 2006, the .eu top-level domain (TLD) was launched, offering businesses, citizens, and organisations a pan-EU online identity.

Over time, .eu has developed into one of the largest country-code domains globally, with millions of registrations and consistent growth.

Its technical stability and security record, including uninterrupted service since launch, have reinforced its reputation as a reliable digital infrastructure. Investments in fraud detection and data integrity have further strengthened trust in its ecosystem.

The domain has also evolved to reflect the EU’s linguistic diversity, with the introduction of internationalised domain names and additional scripts such as Cyrillic and Greek. These developments have expanded accessibility and reinforced inclusivity within the European digital space.

Looking ahead, .eu is positioned as a key instrument for advancing digital sovereignty and supporting the Single Market. Its role in global internet governance discussions is expected to grow, particularly as the EU institutions seek to shape a more open, secure, and rights-based digital environment.

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Sweden’s Riksbank urges households to keep cash and multiple payment options for crisis preparedness

Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, is urging households to strengthen their ability to make everyday payments in the event of disruptions, warning that the current international situation, combined with Sweden’s high level of digitalisation, may expose vulnerabilities in the national payments system.

The bank frames the advice as part of national preparedness, describing the public as a key component of ‘total defence’ of Sweden and stressing that resilience in the payments market is essential during temporary outages, wider crises and, in the worst case, war.

The Riksbank’s main message is that households should avoid relying on a single way to pay and instead ensure they can use several methods, including cash, cards and mobile payment services. As a benchmark, it recommends keeping SEK 1,000 in cash per adult at home to cover about a week of essential purchases, while noting that some households may need more or less depending on size and circumstances.

Where possible, it advises keeping cash in multiple denominations and encourages people to use cash occasionally in normal times to help keep the cash system functioning.

For card payments, the bank recommends having access to at least two cards from different card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, so that if one network is disrupted, another may still work. It also highlights mobile payment services such as Swish, noting that they rely on a different infrastructure from card payments and may still function even when cards do not.

People who mainly use mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay are advised to keep physical cards and PINs readily available in case a phone runs out of battery or fails; the bank adds that a physical card’s chip may allow offline payments during interruptions.

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EIB highlights AI as key driver of Croatia’s economic growth

The European Investment Bank and the Croatian National Bank have emphasised the strategic importance of AI in strengthening Croatia’s economic competitiveness. Discussions at a joint conference focused on accelerating AI adoption through coordinated investment, policy development and skills enhancement.

Despite strong investment activity among firms in Croatia, the uptake of advanced technologies remains limited. Only a small share of companies systematically use generative AI, with applications largely confined to internal processes, highlighting significant untapped potential for productivity gains.

Participants identified key structural barriers, including limited access to finance, shortages of skilled workers and regulatory uncertainty.

Addressing these challenges requires a combined approach that mobilises private capital, improves access to funding for smaller firms and supports the development of a more robust innovation ecosystem.

The EIB continues to play a central role in Europe’s digital transformation, with major funding initiatives aimed at scaling AI technologies and strengthening strategic infrastructure.

By aligning financial instruments with policy priorities, the initiative seeks to enhance long-term growth, resilience and integration into global value chains.

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EPO accelerates digital patent shift with paperless system by 2027

The European Patent Office (EPO) is accelerating its transition towards a fully digital patent system, with plans to implement a paperless patent-granting process by 2027.

Discussions at the latest eSACEPO meeting highlighted steady progress and broad stakeholder support for modernising patent workflows.

Electronic filing and communication are set to become the default, with paper-based processes limited to exceptional cases. The shift aims to improve efficiency and accessibility, supported by legal adjustments and the gradual introduction of structured data formats to enhance processing accuracy.

Digital tools continue to evolve, with the MyEPO platform expanding its functionality through interface upgrades, self-service features and new capabilities such as colour drawing submissions.

The rollout of DOCX filing, alongside optional PDF backups, reflects a cautious approach designed to balance innovation with reliability.

AI is increasingly integrated into patent examination processes, supporting tasks such as search and documentation.

However, the EPO maintains a human-centric model, ensuring that decision-making authority remains with patent examiners while AI enhances productivity and consistency.

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Experts warn YouTube AI slop harms children and demand action

Fairplay and more than 200 experts have urged YouTube to address the spread of ‘AI slop’ targeting children. The letter was sent to Sundar Pichai and Neal Mohan, along with a petition.

The signatories state that AI-generated videos harm children’s development by distorting reality and overwhelming learning processes. They also warn that such content captures attention and is being recommended to young users, including infants and toddlers.

The letter cites findings that 40% of videos following shows like Cocomelon contained AI-generated content. It also states that 21% of Shorts recommendations included similar material, and misleading science videos were shown to older children.

Fairplay and its partners propose measures, including labelling AI content and banning it from YouTube Kids. They also call for restrictions on recommendations to under-18s and for tools that allow parents to turn off such content.

The initiative was organised by Fairplay and supported by organisations and experts, including Jonathan Haidt. The group says platforms must ensure content is safe and appropriate for children.

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