Artificial intelligence

Spanish joins Google’s global AI Mode expansion

Google is rapidly expanding AI Mode, its generative AI-powered search assistant. The company has announced that the feature is now rolling out globally in Spanish. Spanish speakers can now interact with AI Mode to ask complex questions that traditional Search handles poorly.

AI Mode has seen swift adoption since its launch earlier this year. First introduced in March, the feature was rolled out to users across the US in May, followed by its first language expansion earlier this month.

Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese were the first languages added, and Spanish now joins the list. Google says more languages will follow soon as part of its global AI Mode rollout.

Google says the feature is designed to work alongside Search, not replace it, offering conversational answers with links to supporting sources. The company has stressed that responses are generated with safety filters and fact-checking layers.

The rollout reflects Google’s broader strategy to integrate generative AI into its ecosystem, spanning Search, Workspace, and Android. AI Mode will evolve with multimodal support and tighter integration with other Google services.

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AI image war heats up as ByteDance unveils Seedream 4.0

ByteDance has unveiled Seedream 4.0, its latest AI-powered image generation model, which it claims outperforms Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. The launch signals ByteDance’s bid to rival leading creative AI tools.

Developed by ByteDance’s Seed division, the model combines advanced text-to-image generation with fast, precise image editing. Internal testing reportedly showed superior prompt accuracy, image alignment, and visual quality compared to US-developed DeepMind’s system.

Artificial Analysis, an independent AI benchmarking firm, called Seedream 4.0 a significant step forward. The model integrates Seedream 3.0’s generation capability with SeedEdit 3.0’s editing tools while maintaining a price of US$30 per 1,000 generations.

ByteDance claims that Seedream 4.0 runs over 10 times faster than earlier versions, enhancing the user experience with near-instant image inference. Early users have praised its ability to make quick, text-prompted edits with high accuracy.

The tool is now available to users in China through Jimeng and Doubao AI apps and businesses via Volcano Engine, ByteDance’s cloud platform. A formal technical report supporting the company’s claims has not yet been released.

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1 Billion Summit and Google Gemini launch largest AI Film Award

The 1 Billion Followers Summit and Google Gemini have announced the world’s largest AI Film Award, offering the winning film a USD 1 million prize. The award will be presented at the Summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, from 9–11 January 2026.

Films entered must be at least 70% AI-generated, run between 7 and 10 minutes, and use Google Gemini technologies such as Imagen and Veo. Applicants may use other tools for editing, but the core video generation must rely on Google Gemini.

Submissions should creatively address one of two themes: ‘Rewrite Tomorrow’ or ‘The Secret Life of’, exploring the future or untold stories.

A panel of judges will assess entries on storytelling, creativity, AI integration, execution and thematic excellence. Films will be reviewed from 21 November to 4 December, with 10 qualifying films open to public voting from 10–15 December.

The top five will be announced on 3 January, with screenings at the Summit on 10 January. The grand prize winner will be revealed on 11 January.

The AI Film Award aims to promote impactful storytelling using AI, enhancing filmmakers’ technical and creative skills while encouraging meaningful, forward-looking content. Applications are submitted individually via the Summit website.

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Yale students explore AI through clubs and fellowships

Across Yale, membership in AI-focused clubs such as the Yale Artificial Intelligence Association (AIA), Yale Artificial Intelligence Alignment (YAIA) and Yale Artificial Intelligence Policy Initiative (YAIPI) has grown rapidly.

The organisations offer weekly meetings, projects, and fellowships to deepen understanding of AI’s technical, ethical, and societal implications.

Each club has a distinct focus. YAIA addresses long-term risks and safety, while the AIA emphasises student-led technical projects and community-building. YAIPI explores ethics, governance and policy, particularly for students without technical backgrounds.

Fellowships, paper-reading groups and collaborative projects allow members to engage deeply with AI issues.

Membership numbers reflect this surge: AIA’s mailing list now includes around 400 students, YAIPI has over 200 subscribers, and YAIA admitted 25 students to its safety fellowship. The clubs are also beginning to collaborate, combining technical expertise with policy knowledge for joint projects.

Professional schools and faculty-led initiatives, including law and business-focused AI groups, further expand opportunities for student engagement.

AI’s role in classrooms remains varied. Some professors encourage experimentation with generative tools, while others enforce stricter rules, particularly in humanities courses. Yale’s Executive Committee warned first-year students against using AI platforms like ChatGPT without attribution.

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Alibaba unveils next-gen AI models and $53 billion infrastructure expansion

Just as Nvidia announced plans to spend $100 billion building out OpenAI’s infrastructure, Alibaba is doubling its ambitions, rolling out a powerful suite of AI models and expanding its data centres to support them.

At its annual Apsara Conference in Beijing, Alibaba unveiled Qwen3-Omni, a multimodal model capable of analysing text, images, audio, and video in real time. Released under an open Apache 2.0 license, businesses can freely download and deploy the system, setting it apart from closed, pay-to-use rivals like Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.

The company also introduced Qwen3-Max, its most advanced large language model yet, boasting over a trillion parameters. Alibaba executives say it shows particular strength in code generation and autonomous decision-making, enabling AI systems to act more independently than traditional chatbots. Benchmark tests indicate it outperforms models from Anthropic and DeepSeek in some areas.

What makes Qwen3-Omni unique is its architecture. Instead of adding vision or speech to a text-first system, it integrates all modalities from the ground up. The model is available in three versions, Instruct, Thinking, and Captioner, and can generate text and audio with low latency, outperforming rivals on reasoning, transcription, and video analysis.

Practical applications range from customer support tools that can analyse live video feeds of malfunctioning appliances to interactive assistants for virtual reality environments. Developers can fine-tune personality and style, from consumer services to enterprise transcription, adapting the system for industries.

Supporting these breakthroughs is a sweeping expansion of Alibaba’s infrastructure footprint. The firm plans to open its first data centres in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, adding facilities in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Dubai. All this comes from an earlier pledge to invest $53 billion over three years into AI-related infrastructure.

By coupling record-setting AI models with a global data centre buildout, Alibaba is signalling it intends to compete head-to-head with US leaders. With open licensing, massive infrastructure spending, and technical performance that matches or surpasses its Western rivals, China’s e-commerce titan is making a bold play to reshape the global AI landscape.

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Gemini brings conversational AI to Google TV

Google has launched Gemini for TV, bringing conversational AI to the living room. The update builds on Google TV and Google Assistant, letting viewers chat naturally with their screens to discover shows, plan trips, or even tackle homework questions.

Instead of scrolling endlessly, users can ask Gemini to find a film everyone will enjoy or recap last season’s drama. The AI can handle vague requests, like finding ‘that new hospital drama,’ and provide reviews before you press play.

Gemini also turns the TV into an interactive learning tool. From explaining why volcanoes erupt to guiding kids through projects, it offers helpful answers with supporting YouTube videos for hands-on exploration.

Beyond schoolwork, Gemini can help plan meals, teach new skills like guitar, or brainstorm family trips, all through conversational prompts. Such features make the TV a hub for entertainment, education, and inspiration.

Gemini is now available on the TCL QM9K series, with rollout to additional Google TV devices planned for later this year. Google says additional features are coming soon, making TVs more capable and personalised.

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UN warns AI poses risks without proper climate oversight

AI can help tackle the climate crisis, but governments must regulate it to ensure positive outcomes, says UN climate chief Simon Stiell. AI is already helping make energy systems more efficient, reduce industrial carbon emissions, and assist in climate diplomacy.

Stiell warned that the growing energy demands of large AI data centres pose risks that require careful management. He emphasised that AI should enhance human capacity rather than replace it, supporting tasks such as managing microgrids, mapping climate risk, and guiding resilient planning.

Global climate action is advancing, with renewable energy investment booming and countries aligning with the Paris Agreement. While China leads the clean energy surge, the EU, India, African nations, and Latin America also expand low-carbon solutions.

However, financing remains a barrier, with many planned low-carbon projects struggling to secure investment.

Despite progress, the benefits of the low-carbon transition are uneven, and the climate crisis is accelerating. Governments are urged to submit updated Paris Agreement plans before COP30 in Brazil, while Stiell calls for stronger climate cooperation and faster action.

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AI-powered OSIA aims to boost student success rates in Cameroon

In Cameroon, where career guidance often takes a back seat, a new AI platform is helping students plan their futures. Developed by mathematician and AI researcher Frédéric Ngaba, OSIA offers personalised academic and career recommendations.

The platform provides a virtual tutor trained on Cameroon’s curricula, offering 400 exam-style tests and psychometric assessments. Students can input grades and aspirations, and the system builds tailored academic profiles to highlight strengths and potential career paths.

OSIA already has 13,500 subscribers across 23 schools, with plans to expand tenfold. Subscriptions cost 3,000 CFA francs for locals and €10 for students abroad, making it an affordable solution for many families.

Teachers and guidance counsellors see the tool as a valuable complement, though they stress it cannot replace human interaction or emotional support. Guidance professionals insist that social context and follow-up remain key to students’ development.

The Secretariat for Secular Private Education of Cameroon has authorized OSIA to operate. Officials expect its benefits to scale nationwide as the government considers a national AI strategy to modernise education and improve success rates.

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Waterloo study links blood patterns to spinal injury prognosis

Routine hospital blood samples could help predict spinal cord injury severity and even mortality, a University of Waterloo study has found. Researchers used machine learning to analyse millions of data points from over 2,600 patients.

The models identified patterns in routine blood measurements, including electrolytes and immune cells, collected during the first three weeks following injury. These patterns forecast recovery outcomes even when neurological exams were unreliable or impossible.

Researchers said the models were accurate in predicting injury severity and mortality as early as one to three days after admission. Accuracy improved further as more blood test data became available over time.

Unlike MRI or fluid-based biomarkers, which are not always accessible, routine blood tests are low-cost and widely available in hospitals. The approach could help clinicians make more informed and faster treatment decisions.

The team says its findings could reshape early critical care for spinal cord injuries. Predicting severity sooner could guide resource allocation and prioritise patients needing urgent intervention.

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Genetic experts and Microsoft design AI assistant to streamline sequencing

Microsoft, Drexel University, and the Broad Institute have developed a generative AI assistant to support genome sequencing. The study in ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems demonstrates how AI can accelerate searching, filtering, and synthesising data in rare disease diagnosis.

Whole genome sequencing often takes weeks and yields a diagnosis in fewer than half of cases. Analysts must decide which unsolved cases to revisit as new research appears. The AI assistant flags cases for reanalysis and compiles new gene and variant data into a clear, usable format.

The team interviewed 17 genetics professionals to map workflows and challenges before co-designing the prototype. Sessions focused on problems such as data overload, slow collaboration, and difficulty prioritising unsolved cases, helping ensure the tool addressed real-world pain points.

The prototype enables collaborative sensemaking, allowing users to edit and verify AI-generated content. It offers flexible filtering to surface the most relevant evidence while keeping a comprehensive view, saving time and improving decision-making.

Microsoft-led researchers plan to test the assistant in real-world environments to measure its effect on diagnostic yield and workflow efficiency. They emphasise that success will depend on collaboration among developers, genetic experts, and system designers to build trustworthy and explainable tools.

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