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New ETSI standard defines cybersecurity rules for AI systems

ETSI has released ETSI EN 304 223, a new European Standard establishing baseline cybersecurity requirements for AI systems.

Approved by national standards bodies, the framework becomes the first globally applicable EN focused specifically on securing AI, extending its relevance beyond European markets.

The standard recognises that AI introduces security risks not found in traditional software. Threats such as data poisoning, indirect prompt injection and vulnerabilities linked to complex data management demand tailored defences instead of conventional approaches alone.

ETSI EN 304 223 combines established cybersecurity practices with targeted measures designed for the distinctive characteristics of AI models and systems.

Adopting a full lifecycle perspective, the ETSI framework defines thirteen principles across secure design, development, deployment, maintenance and end of life.

Alignment with internationally recognised AI lifecycle models supports interoperability and consistent implementation across existing regulatory and technical ecosystems.

ETSI EN 304 223 is intended for organisations across the AI supply chain, including vendors, integrators and operators, and covers systems based on deep neural networks, including generative AI.

Further guidance is expected through ETSI TR 104 159, which will focus on generative AI risks such as deepfakes, misinformation, confidentiality concerns and intellectual property protection.

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How autonomous vehicles shape physical AI trust

Physical AI is increasingly embedded in public and domestic environments, from self-driving vehicles to delivery robots and household automation. As intelligent machines begin to operate alongside people in shared spaces, trust emerges as a central condition for adoption instead of technological novelty alone.

Autonomous vehicles provide the clearest illustration of how trust must be earned through openness, accountability, and continuous engagement.

Self-driving systems address long-standing challenges such as road safety, congestion, and unequal access to mobility by relying on constant perception, rule-based behaviour, and fatigue-free operation.

Trials and early deployments suggest meaningful improvements in safety and efficiency, yet public confidence remains uneven. Social acceptance depends not only on performance outcomes but also on whether communities understand how systems behave and why specific decisions occur.

Dialogue plays a critical role at two levels. Ongoing communication among policymakers, developers, emergency services, and civil society helps align technical deployment with social priorities such as safety, accessibility, and environmental impact.

At the same time, advances in explainable AI allow machines to communicate intent and reasoning directly to users, replacing opacity with interpretability and predictability.

The experience of autonomous vehicles suggests a broader framework for physical AI governance centred on demonstrable public value, transparent performance data, and systems capable of explaining behaviour in human terms.

As physical AI expands into infrastructure, healthcare, and domestic care, trust will depend on sustained dialogue and responsible design rather than the speed of deployment alone.

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Verizon responds to major network outage

A large-scale network disruption has been confirmed by Verizon, affecting wireless voice, messaging, and mobile data services and leaving many customer devices operating in SOS mode across several regions.

The company acknowledged service interruptions during Wednesday afternoon and evening, while emergency calling capabilities remained available.

Additionally, the telecom provider issued multiple statements apologising for the disruption and pledged to provide account credits to impacted customers. Engineering teams were deployed throughout the incident, with service gradually restored later in the day.

Verizon advised users still experiencing connectivity problems to restart their devices once normal operations resumed.

Despite repeated updates, the company has not disclosed the underlying cause of the outage. Independent outage-tracking platforms described the incident as a severe breakdown in cellular connectivity, with most reports citing complete signal loss and mobile phone failures.

Verizon stated that further updates would be shared following internal reviews, while rival mobile networks reported no comparable disruptions during the same period.

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TikTok faces perilous legal challenge over child safety concerns

British parents suing TikTok over the deaths of their children have called for greater accountability from the platform, as the case begins hearings in the United States. One of the claimants said social media companies must be held accountable for the content shown to young users.

Ellen Roome, whose son died in 2022, said the lawsuit is about understanding what children were exposed to online.

The legal filing claims the deaths were a foreseeable result of TikTok’s design choices, which allegedly prioritised engagement over safety. TikTok has said it prohibits content that encourages dangerous behaviour.

Roome is also campaigning for proposed legislation that would allow parents to access their children’s social media accounts after a death. She said the aim is to gain clarity and prevent similar tragedies.

TikTok said it removes most harmful content before it is reported and expressed sympathy for the families. The company is seeking to dismiss the case, arguing that the US court lacks jurisdiction.

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Microsoft launches Elevate for Educators programme

Elevate for Educators, launched by Microsoft, is a global programme designed to help teachers build the skills and confidence to use AI tools in the classroom. The initiative provides free access to training, credentials, and professional learning resources.

The programme connects educators to peer networks, self-paced courses, and AI-powered simulations. The aim is to support responsible AI adoption while improving teaching quality and classroom outcomes.

New educator credentials have been developed in partnership with ISTE and ASCD. Schools and education systems can also gain recognition for supporting professional development and demonstrating impact in classrooms.

AI-powered education tools within Microsoft 365 have been expanded to support lesson planning and personalised instruction. New features help teachers adapt materials to different learning needs and provide students with faster feedback.

College students will also receive free access to Microsoft 365 Premium and LinkedIn Premium Career for 12 months. The offer includes AI tools, productivity apps, and career resources to support future employment.

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Sadiq Khan voices strong concerns over AI job impact

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has warned that AI could become a ‘weapon of mass destruction of jobs‘ if its impact is not managed correctly. He said urgent action is needed to prevent large-scale unemployment.

Speaking at Mansion House in the UK capital, Khan said London is particularly exposed due to the concentration of finance, professional services, and creative industries. He described the potential impact on jobs as ‘colossal’.

Khan said AI could improve public services and help tackle challenges such as cancer care and climate change. At the same time, he warned that reckless use could increase inequality and concentrate wealth and power.

Polling by City Hall suggests more than half of London workers expect AI to affect their jobs within a year. Sadiq Khan said entry-level roles may disappear fastest, limiting opportunities for young people.

The mayor announced a new task force to assess how Londoners can be supported through the transition. His office will also commission free AI training for residents.

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Matthew McConaughey moves decisively to protect AI likeness rights

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his image and voice to protect them from unauthorised use by AI platforms. His lawyers say the move is intended to safeguard consent and attribution in an evolving digital environment.

Several clips, including his well-known catchphrase from Dazed and Confused, have been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Legal experts say it is the first time an actor has used trademark law to address potential AI misuse of their likeness.

McConaughey’s legal team said there is no evidence of his image being manipulated by AI so far. The trademarks are intended to act as a preventative measure against unauthorised copying or commercial use.

The actor said he wants to ensure any future use of his voice or appearance is approved. Lawyers also said the approach could help capture value created through licensed AI applications.

Concerns over deepfakes and synthetic media are growing across the entertainment industry. Other celebrities have faced unauthorised AI-generated content, prompting calls for stronger legal protections.

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Cloudflare acquires Human Native to build a fair AI content licensing model

San Francisco-based company Cloudflare has acquired Human Native, an AI data marketplace designed to connect content creators with AI developers seeking high-quality training and inference material.

A move that reflects growing pressure to establish clearer economic rules for how online content is used by AI systems.

The acquisition is intended to help creators and publishers decide whether to block AI access entirely, optimise material for machine use, or license content for payment instead of allowing uncontrolled scraping.

Cloudflare says the tools developed through Human Native will support transparent pricing and fair compensation across the AI supply chain.

Human Native, founded in 2024 and backed by UK-based investors, focuses on structuring original content so it can be discovered, accessed and purchased by AI developers through standardised channels.

The team includes researchers and engineers with experience across AI research, design platforms and financial media.

Cloudflare argues that access to reliable and ethically sourced data will shape long-term competition in AI. By integrating Human Native into its wider platform, the company aims to support a more sustainable internet economy that balances innovation with creator rights.

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Regulators press on with Grok investigations in Britain and Canada

Britain and Canada are continuing regulatory probes into xAI’s Grok chatbot, signalling that official scrutiny will persist despite the company’s announcement of new safeguards. Authorities say concerns remain over the system’s ability to generate explicit and non-consensual images.

xAI said it had updated Grok to block edits that place real people in revealing clothing and restricted image generation in jurisdictions where such content is illegal. The company did not specify which regions are affected by the new limits.

Reuters testing found Grok was still capable of producing sexualised images, including in Britain. Social media platform X and xAI did not respond to questions about how effective the changes have been.

UK regulator Ofcom said its investigation remains ongoing, despite welcoming xAI’s announcement. A privacy watchdog in Canada also confirmed it is expanding an existing probe into both X and xAI.

Pressure is growing internationally, with countries including France, India, and the Philippines raising concerns. British Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the Online Safety Act gives the government tools to hold platforms accountable for harmful content.

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Brazil excluded from WhatsApp rival AI chatbot ban

WhatsApp has excluded Brazil from its new restriction on third-party general-purpose chatbots, allowing AI providers to continue operating on the platform despite a broader policy shift affecting other markets.

The decision follows action by the competition authority of Brazil, which ordered Meta to suspend elements of the policy while assessing whether the rules unfairly disadvantage rival chatbot providers in favour of Meta AI.

Developers have been informed that services linked to Brazilian phone numbers do not need to stop responding to users or issue service warnings.

Elsewhere, WhatsApp has introduced a 90-day grace period starting in mid-January, requiring chatbot developers to halt responses and notify users that services will no longer function on the app.

The policy applies to tools such as ChatGPT and Grok, while customer service bots used by businesses remain unaffected.

Italy has already secured a similar exemption after regulatory scrutiny, while the EU has opened an antitrust investigation into the new rules.

Meta continues to argue that general-purpose AI chatbots place technical strain on systems designed for business messaging instead of acting as an open distribution platform for AI services.

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