Artificial intelligence

Jensen Huang of Nvidia rules out China Blackwell talks for now

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company is not in active discussions to sell Blackwell-family AI chips to Chinese firms and has no current plans to ship them. He also clarified remarks about the US-China AI race, saying he intended to acknowledge China’s technical strength rather than predict an outcome.

Huang spoke in Taiwan ahead of meetings with TSMC, as Nvidia expands partnerships and pitches its platforms across regions and industries. The company has added roughly a trillion dollars in value this year and remains the world’s most valuable business despite recent share volatility.

US controls still bar sales of Nvidia’s most advanced data-centre AI chips into China, and a recent bilateral accord did not change that. Officials have indicated approvals for Blackwell remain off the table, keeping a potentially large market out of reach for now.

Analysts say uncertainty around China’s access to the technology feeds broader questions about the durability of hyperscale AI spending. Rivals, including AMD and Broadcom, are racing to win share as customers weigh long-term returns on data-centre buildouts.

Huang is promoting Nvidia’s end-to-end stack to reassure buyers that massive investments will yield productivity gains across sectors. He said he hopes policy environments eventually allow Nvidia to serve China again, but reiterated there are no active talks.

OpenAI unveils Teen Safety Blueprint for responsible AI

OpenAI has launched the Teen Safety Blueprint to guide responsible AI use for young people. The roadmap guides policymakers and developers on age-appropriate design, safeguards, and research to protect teen well-being and promote opportunities.

The company is implementing these principles across its products without waiting for formal regulation. Recent measures include stronger safeguards, parental controls, and an age-prediction system to customise AI experiences for under-18 users.

OpenAI emphasises that protecting teens is an ongoing effort. Collaboration with parents, experts, and young people will help improve AI safety continuously while shaping how technology can support teens responsibly over the long term.

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Coca-Cola enhances its AI-powered Christmas ad to fix last year’s visual flaws

Coca-Cola has released an improved AI-generated Christmas commercial after last year’s debut campaign drew criticism for its unsettling visuals.

The latest ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ads, developed in part by San Francisco-based Silverside, showcase more natural animation and a wider range of festive creatures, instead of the overly lifelike characters that previously unsettled audiences.

The new version avoids the ‘uncanny valley’ effect that plagued 2024’s ads. The use of generative AI by Coca-Cola reflects a wider advertising trend focused on speed and cost efficiency, even as creative professionals warn about its potential impact on traditional jobs.

Despite the efficiency gains, AI-assisted advertising remains labour-intensive. Teams of digital artists refine the content frame by frame to ensure realistic and emotionally engaging visuals.

Industry data show that 30% of commercials and online videos in 2025 were created or enhanced using generative AI, compared with 22% in 2023.

Coca-Cola’s move follows similar initiatives by major firms, including Google’s first fully AI-generated ad spot launched last month, signalling that generative AI is now becoming a mainstream creative tool across global marketing.

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How Google uses AI to support teachers and inspire students

Google is redefining education with AI designed to enhance learning, rather than replace teachers. The company has unveiled new tools grounded in learning science to support both educators and students, aiming to make learning more effective, efficient and engaging.

Through its Gemini platform, users can follow guided learning paths that encourage discovery rather than passive answers.

YouTube and Search now include conversational features that allow students to ask questions as they learn, while NotebookLM can transform personal materials into quizzes or immersive study aids.

Instructors can also utilise Google Classroom’s free AI tools for lesson planning and administrative support, thereby freeing up time for direct student engagement.

Google emphasises that its goal is to preserve the human essence of education while using AI to expand understanding. The company also addresses challenges linked to AI in learning, such as cheating, fairness, accuracy and critical thinking.

It is exploring assessment models that cannot be easily replicated by AI, including debates, projects, and oral examinations.

The firm pledges to develop its tools responsibly by collaborating with educators, parents and policymakers. By combining the art of teaching with the science of AI-driven learning, Google seeks to make education more personal, equitable and inspiring for all.

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Meta rejects French ruling over gender bias in Facebook job ads

Meta has rejected a decision by France’s Défenseur des Droits that found its Facebook algorithm discriminates against users based on gender in job advertising. The case was brought by Global Witness and women’s rights groups Fondation des Femmes and Femmes Ingénieures, who argued that Meta’s ad system violates French anti-discrimination law.

The regulator ruled that Facebook’s system treats users differently according to gender when displaying job opportunities, amounting to indirect discrimination. It recommended Meta Ireland and Facebook France make adjustments within three months to prevent gender-based bias.

A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the finding and is ‘assessing its options.’ The complainants welcomed the decision, saying it confirms that platforms are not exempt from laws prohibiting gender-based distinctions in recruitment advertising.

Lawyer Josephine Shefet, representing the groups, said the ruling marks a key precedent. ‘The decision sends a strong message to all digital platforms: they will be held accountable for such bias,’ she said.

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UNESCO adopts first global ethical framework for neurotechnology

UNESCO has approved the world’s first global framework on the ethics of neurotechnology, setting new standards to ensure that advances in brain science respect human rights and dignity. The Recommendation, adopted by member states and entering into force on 12 November, establishes safeguards to ensure neurotechnological innovation benefits those in need without compromising mental privacy.

Launched in 2019 under Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the initiative builds on UNESCO’s earlier work on AI ethics. Azoulay described neurotechnology as a ‘new frontier of human progress’ that demands strict ethical boundaries to protect the inviolability of the human mind. The framework reflects UNESCO’s belief that technology should serve humanity responsibly and inclusively.

Neurotechnology, which enables direct interaction with the nervous system, is rapidly expanding, with investment in the sector rising by 700% between 2014 and 2021. While medical uses, such as deep brain stimulation and brain–computer interfaces, offer hope for people with Parkinson’s disease or disabilities, consumer devices that read neural data pose serious privacy concerns. Many users unknowingly share sensitive information about their emotions or mental states through everyday gadgets.

The Recommendation calls on governments to regulate these technologies, ensure they remain accessible, and protect vulnerable groups, especially children and workers. It urges bans on non-therapeutic use in young people and warns against monitoring employees’ mental activity or productivity without explicit consent.

UNESCO also stresses the need for transparency and better regulation of products that may alter behaviour or foster addiction.

Developed after consultations with over 8,000 contributors from academia, industry, and civil society, the framework was drafted by an international group of experts led by scientists Hervé Chneiweiss and Nita Farahany. UNESCO will now help countries translate the principles into national laws, as it has done with its 2021 AI ethics framework.

The Recommendation’s adoption, finalised at the General Conference in Samarkand, marks a new milestone in the global governance of emerging technologies.

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OpenAI outlines roadmap for AI safety, accountability and global cooperation

New recommendations have been published by OpenAI for managing rapid advances in AI, stressing the need for shared safety standards, public accountability, and resilience frameworks.

The company warned that while AI systems are increasingly capable of solving complex problems and accelerating discovery, they also pose significant risks that must be addressed collaboratively.

According to OpenAI, the next few years could bring systems capable of discoveries once thought centuries away.

The firm expects AI to transform health, materials science, drug development and education, while acknowledging that economic transitions may be disruptive and could require a rethinking of social contracts.

To ensure safe development, OpenAI proposed shared safety principles among frontier labs, new public oversight mechanisms proportional to AI capabilities, and the creation of a resilience ecosystem similar to cybersecurity.

It also called for regular reporting on AI’s societal impact to guide evidence-based policymaking.

OpenAI reiterated that the goal should be to empower individuals by making advanced AI broadly accessible, within limits defined by society, and to treat access to AI as a foundational public utility in the years ahead.

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India’s AI roadmap could add $500 billion to economy by 2035

According to the Business Software Alliance, India could add over $500 billion to its economy by 2035 through the widespread adoption of AI.

At the BSA AI Pre-Summit Forum in Delhi, the group unveiled its ‘Enterprise AI Adoption Agenda for India’, which aligns with the goals of the India–AI Impact Summit 2026 and the government’s vision for a digitally advanced economy by 2047.

The agenda outlines a comprehensive policy framework across three main areas: talent and workforce, infrastructure and data, and governance.

It recommends expanding AI training through national academies, fostering industry–government partnerships, and establishing innovation hubs with global companies to strengthen talent pipelines.

BSA also urged greater government use of AI tools, reforms to data laws, and the adoption of open industry standards for content authentication. It called for coordinated governance measures to ensure responsible AI use, particularly under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

BSA has introduced similar policy roadmaps in other major markets, apart from India, including the US, Japan, and ASEAN countries, as part of its global effort to promote trusted and inclusive AI adoption.

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LIBE backs new Europol Regulation despite data protection and discrimination warnings

The European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) voted to endorse a new Europol Regulation, part of the ‘Facilitators Package’, by 59–10 with four abstentions.

Rights groups and the European Data Protection Supervisor had urged MEPs to reject the proposal, arguing the law fuels discrimination and grants Europol and Frontex unprecedented surveillance capabilities with insufficient oversight.

If approved in plenary later this month, the reform would grant Europol broader powers to collect, process and share data, including biometrics such as facial recognition, and enable exchanges with non-EU states.

Campaigners note the proposal advanced without an impact assessment, contrary to the Commission’s Better Regulation guidance.

Civil society groups warn that the changes risk normalising surveillance in migration management. Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli said MEPs had ‘greenlighted the European Commission’s long-term plan to turn Europe into a digital police state’. At the same time, Equinox’s Sarah Chander called the vote proof the EU has ‘abandoned’ humane, evidence-based policy.

EDRi’s Chloé Berthélémy said the reform legitimises ‘unaccountable and opaque data practices’, creating a ‘data black hole’ that undermines rights and the rule of law. More than 120 organisations called on MEPs to reject the text, arguing it is ‘unlawful, unsafe, and unsubstantiated’.

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Snap brings Perplexity’s answer engine into Chat for nearly a billion users

Starting in early 2026, Perplexity’s AI will be integrated into Snapchat’s Chat, accessible to nearly 1 billion users. Snapchatters can ask questions and receive concise, cited answers in-app. Snap says the move reinforces its position as a trusted, mobile-first AI platform.

Under the deal, Perplexity will pay Snap $400 million in cash and equity over a one-year period, tied to the global rollout. Revenue contribution is expected to begin in 2026. Snap points to its 943 million MAUs and reaches over 75% of 13–34-year-olds in 25+ countries.

Perplexity frames the move as meeting curiosity where it occurs, within everyday conversations. Evan Spiegel says Snap aims to make AI more personal, social, and fun, woven into friendships and conversations. Both firms pitch the partnership as enhancing discovery and learning on Snapchat.

Perplexity joins, rather than replaces, Snapchat’s existing My AI. Messages sent to Perplexity will inform personalisation on Snapchat, similar to My AI’s current behaviour. Snap claims the approach is privacy-safe and designed to provide credible, real-time answers from verifiable sources.

Snap casts this as a first step toward a broader AI partner platform inside Snapchat. The companies plan creative, trusted ways for leading AI providers to reach Snap’s global community. The integration aims to enable seamless, in-chat exploration while keeping users within Snapchat’s product experience.

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