Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employed a deep learning model to forecast the outcome of the December 2022 fusion ignition experiment at their National Ignition Facility (NIF).
The model, part of a cognitive simulation framework, predicted with approximately 74 per cent probability that the test would exceed the breakeven point, meaning it would yield more energy from fusion than the laser energy used.
The model combined over 150,000 high-fidelity simulations with real-world experimental data using Bayesian inference to enhance prediction accuracy. It ran on LLNL’s Sierra supercomputer and was embedded in their CogSim toolkit for physics-informed AI-driven simulation.
Researchers emphasise that this was not a lucky guess. The AI provided probabilistic forecasts complete with confidence intervals, guiding expectations and helping shape subsequent experimental designs.
Observers note that such an approach could dramatically reduce time and cost in future fusion experiments.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
OpenAI has announced plans to open its first office in India later this year, selecting New Delhi as the location. India is now ChatGPT’s second-largest market after the US and continues to experience rapid growth in user activity.
Weekly active users of ChatGPT in India have increased over fourfold over the past year, with students making up the largest global user segment. CEO Sam Altman praised India’s talent pool and government support, stating the new office is key to building AI with and for India.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the move, citing India’s AI mission and expanding digital infrastructure as a natural foundation for the partnership. OpenAI will also hold its first Education Summit in India later this month, aiming to further engage with students and educators nationwide.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
OpenAI’s chief people officer, Julia Villagra, has left the company, marking the latest leadership change at the AI pioneer. Villagra, who joined the San Francisco firm in early 2024 and was promoted in March, previously led its human resources operations.
Her responsibilities will temporarily be overseen by chief strategy officer Jason Kwon, while chief applications officer Fidji Simo will lead the search for her successor.
OpenAI said Villagra is stepping away to pursue her personal interest in art, music and storytelling as tools to help people understand the shift towards artificial general intelligence, a stage when machines surpass human performance in most forms of work.
The departure comes as OpenAI navigates a period of intense competition for AI expertise. Microsoft-backed OpenAI is valued at about $300 billion, with a potential share sale set to raise that figure to $500 billion.
The company faces growing rivalry from Meta, where Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly offered $100 million signing bonuses to attract OpenAI talent.
While OpenAI expands, public concerns over the impact of AI on employment continue. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 71% of Americans fear AI could permanently displace too many workers, despite the unemployment rate standing at 4.2% in July.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google has published new estimates on the environmental footprint of Gemini, claiming a single text prompt uses about five drops of water and 0.24 watt-hours of electricity. The company says this equates to 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide emissions.
According to Google, efficiencies have reduced Gemini’s energy consumption and carbon footprint per text prompt by factors of 33 and 44 over the past year. Chief technologist Ben Gomes said the model now delivers higher-quality responses with a significantly lower footprint.
The company argued that these figures are significantly lower than those suggested in earlier research. However, Shaolei Ren, the author of one of the cited papers, said Google’s comparisons were misleading and incomplete.
Ren noted that Google compared its latest onsite-only water figures against his study’s highest total figures, creating the impression that Gemini was far more efficient. He also said Google omitted indirect water use, such as electricity-related consumption, from its estimates.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The discovery of hundreds of non-consensual deepfake images on a student’s laptop at the University of Hong Kong has reignited debate about privacy, technology, and accountability. The scandal echoes the 2008 Edison Chen photo leak, which exposed gaps in law and gender double standards.
Unlike stolen private images, today’s fabrications are AI-generated composites that can tarnish reputations with a single photo scraped from social media. The dismissal that such content is ‘not real’ fails to address the damage caused by its existence.
The legal system of Hong Kong struggles to keep pace with this shift. Its privacy ordinance, drafted in the 1990s, was not designed for machine-learning fabrications, while traditional harassment and defamation laws predate the advent of AI. Victims risk harm before distribution is even proven.
The city’s privacy watchdog has launched a criminal investigation, but questions remain over whether creation or possession of deepfakes is covered by existing statutes. Critics warn that overreach could suppress legitimate uses, yet inaction leaves space for abuse.
Observers argue that just as the snapshot camera spurred the development of modern privacy law, deepfakes must drive a new legal boundary to safeguard dignity. Without reform, victims may continue facing harm without recourse.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google has introduced a new version of its Gemini AI platform tailored specifically for US government use, called Gemini for Government. The platform combines features such as image generation, enterprise search, and AI agent development, with compliance to standards like Sec4 and FedRAMP.
Gemini includes pre-built AI agents for research and idea generation, while also offering tools to create custom agents. US government customers will pay $0.50 per year for basic access, undercutting rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, who each launched $1 government-focused AI packages earlier this year.
Google emphasised security, privacy, and automation in its pitch, positioning the product as an all-in-one solution for public sector institutions. The launch follows the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, which seeks to promote AI growth.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
South Korea’s new administration has unveiled a five-year economic plan to build what it calls a ‘super-innovation economy’ by integrating AI across all sectors of society.
The strategy, led by President Lee Jae-myung, commits 100 trillion won (approximately US$71.5 billion) to position the country among the world’s top three AI powerhouses. Private firms will drive development, with government support for nationwide adoption.
Plans include a sovereign Korean-language AI model, humanoid robots for logistics and industry, and commercialising autonomous vehicles by 2027. Unmanned ships are targeted for completion by 2030, alongside widespread use of drones in firefighting and aviation.
AI will also be introduced into drug approvals, smart factories, welfare services, and tax administration, with AI-based tax consultations expected by 2026. Education initiatives and a national AI training data cluster will nurture talent and accelerate innovation.
Five domestic firms, including Naver Cloud, SK Telecom, and LG AI Research, will receive state support to build homegrown AI foundation models. Industry reports currently rank South Korea between sixth and 10th in global AI competitiveness.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google has expanded its AI Mode in Search to 180 additional countries and territories, introducing new agentic features to help users make restaurant reservations. The service remains limited to English and is not yet available in the European Union.
The update enables users to specify their dining preferences and constraints, allowing the system to scan multiple platforms and present real-time availability. Once a choice is made, users are directed to the restaurant’s booking page.
Partners supporting the service include OpenTable, Resy, SeatGeek, StubHub, Booksy, Tock, and Ticketmaster. The feature is part of Google’s Search Labs experiment, available to subscribers of Google AI Ultra in the United States.
AI Mode also tailors suggestions based on previous searches and introduces a Share function, letting users share restaurant options or planning results with others, with the option to delete links.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
According to sworn interrogations, OpenAI said Musk had discussed possible financing arrangements with Zuckerberg as part of the bid. Musk’s AI startup xAI, a competitor to OpenAI, did not respond to requests for comment.
In the filing, OpenAI asked a federal judge to order Meta to provide documents related to any bid for OpenAI, including internal communications about restructuring or recapitalisation. The firm argued these records could clarify motivations behind the bid.
Meta countered that such documents were irrelevant and suggested OpenAI seek them directly from Musk or xAI. A US judge ruled that Musk must face OpenAI’s claims of attempting to harm the company through public remarks and what it described as a sham takeover attempt.
The legal dispute follows Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman over its for-profit transition, with OpenAI filing a countersuit in April. A jury trial is scheduled for spring 2026.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Meta has signed a cloud computing deal with Google worth more than $10 billion, marking one of the most significant agreements in the industry.
The six-year partnership will see Meta use Google Cloud’s servers, storage, networking and other services to power its massive AI projects.
The deal comes as Meta accelerates its AI infrastructure spending, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledging hundreds of billions of dollars for new data centres.
Last month, Meta raised its capital expenditure forecast to $72 billion and disclosed plans to offload $2 billion in data centre assets to outside partners.
The partnership highlights a growing trend of rival technology giants collaborating on AI infrastructure. Just weeks earlier, OpenAI struck a similar deal to use Google Cloud services despite being a competitor in the AI field.
These agreements have boosted Google Cloud’s performance, which saw a 32% jump in second-quarter revenue in July, surpassing market expectations.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
