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OpenAI economist shares four key skills for kids in AI era

As AI reshapes jobs and daily life, OpenAI’s chief economist, Ronnie Chatterji, teaches his children four core skills to help them adapt and thrive.

Instead of relying solely on technology, he believes critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and financial numeracy will remain essential.

Chatterji highlighted these skills during an episode of the OpenAI podcast, saying critical thinking helps children spot problems rather than follow instructions. Given constant changes in AI, climate, and geopolitics, he stressed adaptability as another priority.

Rather than expecting children to master coding alone, Chatterji argues that emotional intelligence will make humans valuable partners alongside AI.

The fourth skill he emphasises is financial numeracy, including understanding maths without calculators and maintaining writing skills even with dictation software available. Instead of predicting specific future job titles, Chatterji believes focusing on these abilities equips children for any outcome.

His approach reflects a broader trend among tech leaders, with others like Alexis Ohanian and Sam Altman also promoting AI literacy while valuing traditional skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

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Trump unveils AI economy with $100 billion investment push

Donald Trump revealed during the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit that the US will receive over $100 billion in investments to drive its AI economy and energy infrastructure.

The funding is set to create tens of thousands of jobs across the energy and AI sectors, with Pennsylvania positioned as a central hub.

Trump stated the US is already ‘way ahead of China’ in AI development, adding that staying in the lead will require expanding power production.

Instead of relying solely on renewables, Trump highlighted ‘clean, beautiful coal, oil, and nuclear energy as key pillars supporting AI-related growth.

Westinghouse plans to build several nuclear plants nationwide, while Knighthead Capital will invest $15 billion in North America’s largest natural gas power plant in Homer City, Pennsylvania.

Additionally, Google will revitalise two hydropower facilities within the state, contributing to the broader investment wave. Trump mentioned that 20 major technology and energy firms are preparing further commitments in Pennsylvania, reinforcing its role in what he calls the US ‘AI economy’.

The event, hosted by Senator Dave McCormick at Carnegie Mellon University, also featured discussions with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

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San Francisco deploys AI assistant to 30,000 staff

San Francisco has equipped almost 30,000 city employees, from social workers and healthcare staff to administrators, with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. The large-scale rollout followed a six-month pilot where workers gained up to five extra hours a week handling routine tasks, particularly in 311 service lines.

Copilot Chat helps streamline bureaucratic functions, such as drafting documents, translating over 40 languages, summarising lengthy reports, and analysing data. The goal is to free staff to focus more on serving residents directly.

A comprehensive five-week training scheme, supported by InnovateUS, ensures that employees learn to use AI securely and responsibly. This includes best practices for data protection, transparent disclosure of AI-generated content, and thorough fact-checking procedures.

City leadership emphasises that all AI tools run on a secure government cloud and adhere to robust guidelines. Employees must reveal when AI is used and remain accountable for its output. The city also plans future AI deployments in traffic management, permitting, and connecting homeless individuals with support services.

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Apple accused of blocking real browser competition on iOS

Developers and open web advocates say Apple continues to restrict rival browser engines on iOS, despite obligations under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. While Apple claims to allow competition, groups like Open Web Advocacy argue that technical and logistical hurdles still block real implementation.

The controversy centres on Apple’s refusal to allow developers to release region-specific browser versions or test new engines outside the EU. Developers must abandon global apps or persuade users to switch manually to new EU-only versions, creating friction and reducing reach.

Apple insists it upholds security and privacy standards built over 18 years and claims its new framework enables third-party browsers. However, critics say those browsers cannot be tested or deployed realistically without access for developers outside the EU.

The EU held a DMA compliance workshop in Brussels in June, during which tensions surfaced between Apple’s legal team and advocates. Apple says it is still transitioning and working with firms like Mozilla and Google on limited testing updates, but has offered no timeline for broader changes.

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Oracle commits billions to expand AI infrastructure in Europe

Oracle has confirmed a $3 billion investment in its AI and cloud infrastructure across Germany and the Netherlands over the next five years. The move aims to boost its capacity in Europe as demand for advanced computing services continues to rise.

The company plans to invest $2 billion in Germany and $1 billion in the Netherlands, joining other major tech firms ramping up data centre infrastructure. Oracle’s strategy reflects broader market trends, with companies like Meta and Amazon committing large sums to meet AI-driven cloud needs.

The firm expects capital expenditure to exceed $25 billion in fiscal 2026, primarily focused on expanding data centre capabilities for AI. Analysts say Oracle’s AI and cloud services are increasingly competitive with traditional software, fuelling its strong performance this year.

Oracle shares have climbed nearly 38% since January, with a recent regulatory filing revealing a future deal worth over $30 billion in annual revenue beginning in 2028. The company sees its growing infrastructure as key to accelerating revenue and profit.

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Europe to launch Eurosky to regain digital control

Europe is taking steps to assert its digital independence by launching the Eurosky initiative, a government-backed project to reduce reliance on US tech giants.

Eurosky seeks to build European infrastructure for social media platforms and promote digital sovereignty. The goal is to ensure that the continent’s digital space is governed by European laws, values, and rules, rather than being subject to the influence of foreign companies or governments.

To support this goal, Eurosky plans to implement a decentralised content moderation system, modelled after the approach used by the Bluesky network.

Moderation, essential for removing harmful or illegal content like child exploitation or stolen data, remains a significant obstacle for new platforms. Eurosky offers a non-profit moderation service to help emerging social media providers handle this task, thus lowering the barriers to entering the market.

The project enjoys strong public and political backing. Polls show that majorities in France, Germany, and Spain prefer Europe-based platforms, with only 5% favouring US providers.

Eurosky also has support from four European governments, though their identities remain undisclosed. This momentum aligns with a broader shift in user behaviour, as Europeans increasingly turn to local tech services amid privacy and sovereignty concerns.

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Pakistan to enhance telecom quality and regulate satellite Internet

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is actively working to strengthen the country’s telecommunications sector by implementing several key policies aimed at improving service quality and regulation.

Central to these efforts is the partnership with Opensignal, a global network analytics organisation, which will provide real-time, crowdsourced data on essential network performance metrics such as 4G/5G speeds, latency, coverage gaps, and user experience.

However, this data-driven approach aligns with international standards set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and global best practices to ensure reliable, high-speed connectivity for consumers.

Additionally, PTA is enforcing new regulations requiring all foreign satellite internet operators to submit applications under updated Satellite Communications Regulations drafted by the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB).

These regulations include enhanced security provisions influenced by recent regional conflicts and mandate that satellite internet providers obtain operational licenses from the PTA before launching services.

In support of these regulatory measures, PTAs’ collaboration with Opensignal will enable continuous monitoring and improvement of telecom Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) across the country.

Meanwhile, the rollout of satellite-based internet services, such as Starlink, has been delayed to accommodate the new licensing framework and invite more operators into the market.

Despite these delays, many providers are expected to begin operations by the end of the year, marking a significant step forward in expanding Pakistan’s digital connectivity under a more secure and well-regulated environment.

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EXA to boost European connectivity with new fibre route and subsea cable

EXA Infrastructure has launched a strategic 1,200 km high-capacity fibre route connecting London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Brussels (FLAP cities), featuring the first new subsea cable in the North Sea corridor in 25 years.

The new deployment includes 1,085 km of low-loss terrestrial fibre and a 115 km subsea segment using ultra-low-loss G.654C cable, running between Margate (UK) and Ostend (Belgium).

The project also introduces two new landing stations, EXA’s 21st and 22nd globally, enhancing its infrastructure across the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. These efforts complement EXA’s prior investments in the Channel Tunnel route, including upgrades to in-line amplifier (ILA) facilities and modern, high-fibre-count cables.

The new route is part of EXA’s broader push to improve Europe’s digital infrastructure with ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth, and scalable fibre paths between key hubs.

Over 65,000 km of its network is now 400G-enabled, supporting future scalability demands. EXA’s network spans 155,000 km across 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables. Among them is EXA Express, which offers the lowest latency link between Europe and North America.

The network serves a range of mission-critical functions, including hyperscale infrastructure for global enterprises, government networks, and specialised solutions for latency-sensitive industries like finance, gaming, and broadcasting.

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LatAm moves to speed up telecom infrastructure deployment

The LatAm region is actively implementing policies to streamline permitting and environmental licensing processes to facilitate the deployment of telecom infrastructure.

El Salvador recently approved a decree to accelerate permitting for passive infrastructure, including towers and low-income housing, requiring companies to submit applications through a single platform with unified fees.

Peru’s transport and communications ministry is drafting proposals to exempt more low-impact projects from submitting environmental technical reports, update criteria for environmental impact assessments to reduce approval times, simplify ecological regulations, and extend deadlines for adapting existing projects.

In Chile, a newly approved law aims to reduce processing times for telecom permits by 30 to 70 percent, simplify procedures based on associated risks, and introduce ‘positive administrative silence,’ meaning permits are automatically granted if authorities do not respond within a specified period.

The LatAm judicial landscape is evolving to support telecom infrastructure deployment. Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that only the federal government can tax permits for telecom installations, settling conflicts with municipalities.

In Argentina, courts have invalidated local rules and actions that block infrastructure projects, promoting smoother cross-jurisdictional telecom services.

LatAm governments have also encouraged infrastructure sharing to tackle network deployment challenges, especially in remote areas. Brazil introduced mandatory tower sharing in 2009 but abolished it in 2021.

Tower Group Abrintel opposes this repeal, citing risks to competition, consumer costs, and smaller providers. These legal and policy shifts highlight the region’s push to improve telecom connectivity.

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US House passes NTIA cyber leadership bill after Salt Typhoon hacks

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation that would officially designate the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as the federal lead for cybersecurity across communications networks.

The move follows last year’s Salt Typhoon hacking spree, described by some as the worst telecom breach in US history.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, introduced by Representatives Jay Obernolte and Jennifer McClellan, cleared the House on Monday and now awaits Senate approval.

The bill would rebrand an NTIA office to focus on both policy and cybersecurity, while codifying the agency’s role in coordinating cybersecurity responses alongside other federal departments.

Lawmakers argue that recent telecom attacks exposed major gaps in coordination between government and industry.

The bill promotes public-private partnerships and stronger collaboration between agencies, software developers, telecom firms, and security researchers to improve resilience and speed up innovation across communications technologies.

With Americans’ daily lives increasingly dependent on digital services, supporters say the bill provides a crucial framework for protecting sensitive information from cybercriminals and foreign hacking groups instead of relying on fragmented and inconsistent measures.