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Google boosts Translate with Gemini upgrades

Google is rolling out a major Translate upgrade powered by Gemini to improve text and speech translation. The update enhances contextual understanding so idioms, tone and intent are interpreted more naturally.

A beta feature for live headphone translation enables real-time speech-to-speech output. Gemini processes audio directly, preserving cadence and emphasis to improve conversations and lectures. Android users in the US, Mexico and India gain early access, with wider availability planned for 2026.

Translate is also gaining expanded language-learning tools for speaking practice and progress tracking. Additional language pairs, including English to German and Portuguese, broaden support for learners worldwide.

Google aims to reduce friction in global communication by focusing on meaning rather than literal phrasing. Engineers expect user feedback to shape the AI live translation beta across platforms.

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CES 2026 to feature LG’s new AI-driven in-car platform

LG Electronics will unveil a new AI Cabin Platform at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, positioning the system as a next step beyond today’s software-defined vehicles and toward what the company calls AI-defined mobility.

The platform is designed to run on automotive high-performance computing systems and is powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Cockpit Elite. LG says it applies generative AI models directly to in-vehicle infotainment, enabling more context-aware and personalised driving experiences.

Unlike cloud-dependent systems, all AI processing occurs on-device within the vehicle. LG says this approach enables real-time responses while improving reliability, privacy, and data security by avoiding communication with external servers.

Using data from internal and external cameras, the system can assess driving conditions and driver awareness to provide proactive alerts. LG also demonstrated adaptive infotainment features, including AI-generated visuals and music suggestions that respond to weather, time, and driving context.

LG will showcase the AI Cabin Platform at a private CES event, alongside a preview of its AI-defined vehicle concept. The company says the platform builds on its expanding partnership with Qualcomm Technologies and on its earlier work integrating infotainment and driver-assistance systems.

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AI tools enable large-scale monetisation of political misinformation in the UK

YouTube channels spreading fake and inflammatory anti-Labour videos have attracted more than a billion views this year, as opportunistic creators use AI-generated content to monetise political division in the UK.

Research by non-profit group Reset Tech identified more than 150 channels promoting hostile narratives about the Labour Party and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The study found the channels published over 56,000 videos, gaining 5.3 million subscribers and nearly 1.2 billion views in 2025.

Many videos used alarmist language, AI-generated scripts and British-accented narration to boost engagement. Starmer was referenced more than 15,000 times in titles or descriptions, often alongside fabricated claims of arrests, political collapse or public humiliation.

Reset Tech said the activity reflects a wider global trend driven by cheap AI tools and engagement-based incentives. Similar networks were found across Europe, although UK-focused channels were mostly linked to creators seeking advertising revenue rather than foreign actors.

YouTube removed all identified channels after being contacted, citing spam and deceptive practices as violations of its policies. Labour officials warned that synthetic misinformation poses a serious threat to democratic trust, urging platforms to act more quickly and strengthen their moderation systems.

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Indonesia fines Platform X for pornographic content violations

Platform X has paid an administrative fine of nearly Rp80 million after failing to meet Indonesia’s content moderation requirements related to pornographic material, according to the country’s digital regulator.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said the payment was made on 12 December 2025, after a third warning letter and further exchanges with the company. Officials confirmed that Platform X appointed a representative to complete the process, who is based in Singapore.

The regulator welcomed the company’s compliance, framing the payment as a demonstration of responsibility by an electronic system operator under Indonesian law. Authorities said the move supports efforts to keep the national digital space safe, healthy, and productive.

All funds were processed through official channels and transferred directly to the state treasury managed by the Ministry of Finance, in line with existing regulations, the ministry said.

Officials said enforcement actions against domestic and global platforms, including those operating from regional hubs such as Singapore, remain a priority. The measures aim to protect children and vulnerable groups and encourage stronger content moderation and communication.

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Universities back generative AI but guidance remains uneven

A majority of leading US research universities are encouraging the use of generative AI in teaching, according to a new study analysing institutional policies and guidance documents across higher education.

The research reviewed publicly available policies from 116 R1 universities and found that 63 percent explicitly support the use of generative AI, while 41 percent provide detailed classroom guidance. More than half of the institutions also address ethical considerations linked to AI adoption.

Most guidance focuses on writing-related activities, with far fewer references to coding or STEM applications. The study notes that while many universities promote experimentation, expectations placed on faculty can be demanding, often implying significant changes to teaching practices.

US researchers also found wide variation in how universities approach oversight. Some provide sample syllabus language and assignment design advice, while others discourage the use of AI-detection tools, citing concerns around reliability and academic trust.

The authors caution that policy statements may not reflect real classroom behaviour and say further research is needed to understand how generative AI is actually being used by educators and students in practice.

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Conduit revolutionises neuro-language research with 10,000-hour dataset

A San Francisco start-up, named Conduit, has spent six months building what it claims is the largest neural language dataset ever assembled, capturing around 10,000 hours of non-invasive brain recordings from thousands of participants.

The project aims to train thought-to-text AI systems that interpret semantic intent from brain activity moments before speech or typing occurs.

Participants take part in extended conversational sessions instead of rigid laboratory tasks, interacting freely with large language models through speech or simplified keyboards.

Engineers found that natural dialogue produced higher quality data, allowing tighter alignment between neural signals, audio and text while increasing overall language output per session.

Conduit developed its own sensing hardware after finding no commercial system capable of supporting large-scale multimodal recording.

Custom headsets combine multiple neural sensing techniques within dense training rigs, while future inference devices will be simplified once model behaviour becomes clearer.

Power systems and data pipelines were repeatedly redesigned to balance signal clarity with scalability, leading to improved generalisation across users and environments.

As data volume increased, operational costs fell through automation and real time quality control, allowing continuous collection across long daily schedules.

With data gathering largely complete, the focus has shifted toward model training, raising new questions about the future of neural interfaces, AI-mediated communication and cognitive privacy.

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Europe risks falling behind without telecom scale, Telefónica says

Telefónica has called for a shift in Europe’s telecommunications policy, arguing that market fragmentation is undermining investment, digital competitiveness, and the continent’s technological sovereignty, according to a new blog post from the company.

In the post, Telefónica says Europe’s emphasis on maximising retail competition has produced a highly fragmented operator landscape. It cites industry data showing the average European operator serves around five million customers, far fewer than peers in the United States or China.

The company argues that this lack of scale explains Europe’s lower per-capita investment in telecoms infrastructure and is slowing the rollout of technologies such as standalone 5G, fibre networks, and sovereign cloud and AI platforms.

Telefónica points to recent reports by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta as signs of a policy shift, with EU institutions placing greater weight on investment capacity, resilience, and dynamic efficiency alongside traditional competition objectives.

The blog post concludes that Europe faces a strategic choice between preserving fragmented markets or enabling responsible consolidation. Telefónica says carefully regulated mergers could support sustainability, reduce regional digital divides, and strengthen Europe’s digital infrastructure.

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How data centres affect electricity, prices, water consumption and jobs

Data centres have become critical infrastructure for modern economies, supporting services ranging from digital communications and online commerce to emergency response systems and financial transactions.

As AI expands, demand for cloud computing continues to accelerate, increasing the need for additional data centre capacity worldwide.

Concerns about environmental impact often focus on electricity and water use, yet recent data indicate that data centres are not primary drivers of higher power prices and consume far less water than many traditional industries.

Studies show that rising electricity costs are largely linked to grid upgrades, climate-related damage and fuel prices instead of large-scale computing facilities, while water use by data centres remains a small fraction of overall consumption.

Technological improvements have further reduced resource intensity. Operators have significantly improved water efficiency per unit of computing power, adopting closed-loop liquid cooling and advanced energy management systems.

In many regions, water is required only intermittently, with consumption levels lower than those in sectors such as clothing manufacturing, agriculture and automotive services.

Beyond digital services, data centres deliver tangible economic benefits to local communities. Large-scale investments generate construction activity, long-term technical employment and stable tax revenues, while infrastructure upgrades and skills programmes support regional development.

As cloud computing and AI continue to shape everyday life, data centres are increasingly positioned as both economic and technological anchors.

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EU moves to tax low-value e-commerce parcels

The European Commission welcomed the decision by EU Member States to introduce a €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce parcels arriving from third countries.

A measure, which enters into force in July 2026, that applies to items valued below €150 and aims to restore fair competition instead of allowing online imports to benefit from longstanding exemptions.

The move responds to the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce shipments and will operate as a temporary solution until the EU Customs Data Hub becomes fully operational in 2028.

Until then, the Council and the Commission will coordinate legal changes and IT systems to ensure smooth implementation and effective customs supervision across the Union.

Once the Customs Data Hub is in place, a permanent customs duty regime will replace the temporary measure, offering authorities a comprehensive view of goods entering and leaving the EU.

The €3 duty applies only to parcels sent directly to consumers and remains separate from ongoing negotiations on a handling fee intended to offset the rising operational costs faced by customs authorities.

The reform builds on earlier Commission proposals to remove duty exemptions for low-value parcels and forms part of the most extensive overhaul of EU customs rules in decades.

European institutions argue that modernised customs controls are essential instead of relying on outdated frameworks, particularly as global e-commerce volumes continue to expand.

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BBVA deepens AI partnership with OpenAI

OpenAI and BBVA have agreed on a multi-year strategic collaboration designed to embed artificial intelligence across the global banking group.

An initiative that will expand the use of ChatGPT Enterprise to all 120,000 BBVA employees, marking one of the largest enterprise deployments of generative AI in the financial sector.

The programme focuses on transforming customer interactions, internal workflows and decision making.

BBVA plans to co-develop AI-driven solutions with OpenAI to support bankers, streamline risk analysis and redesign processes such as software development and productivity support, instead of relying on fragmented digital tools.

The rollout follows earlier deployments that demonstrated strong engagement and measurable efficiency gains, with employees saving hours each week on routine tasks.

ChatGPT Enterprise will be implemented with enterprise grade security and privacy safeguards, ensuring compliance within a highly regulated environment.

Beyond internal operations, BBVA is accelerating its shift toward AI native banking by expanding customer facing services powered by OpenAI models.

The collaboration reflects a broader move among major financial institutions to integrate AI at the core of products, operations and personalised banking experiences.

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