Artificial intelligence Archives | Page 16 of 665

Ofcom report highlights growing AI use among UK children online

The UK’s Ofcom has released new research indicating that children in the UK are using digital devices and online services at increasingly younger ages.

According to Ofcom’s Children’s Online Experiences report, screen use begins early in childhood, and smartphone ownership increases significantly during secondary school years. The report found that teenagers aged 15 to 17 spend a substantial amount of time online each week.

The report also noted declining use of traditional media formats such as live television, radio, and print among younger audiences. Live television, radio, and print media were described as increasingly absent from children’s routines, with social media, messaging platforms, and gaming dominating digital engagement.

Ofcom also warned that exposure to harmful content remains a significant issue despite the introduction of new online safety rules. Ofcom said many children reported exposure to harmful online content, including material surfaced through recommendation systems and personalised feeds.

The report also highlighted growing use of AI tools among children and teenagers. More than half of UK children aged 8 to 17 said they use AI tools, with some teenagers increasingly relying on AI systems for learning, creativity, communication, and companionship. Researchers said some children found it difficult to distinguish between AI-generated and human-created content.

The report suggested that passive content consumption plays an increasingly significant role in children’s online activity. Most younger users primarily scroll, watch, follow, or like content instead of actively creating or sharing material themselves.

Gaming remained one of the most important online social environments for children, with many users interacting regularly with people they had only met online through multiplayer gaming communities and communication platforms.

Why does it matter?

Ofcom’s findings highlight growing concerns surrounding children’s digital well-being, algorithmic exposure, AI literacy, and online safety regulation. Policymakers and regulators increasingly face pressure to address how recommendation systems, generative AI, and social platforms shape behaviour, attention, and trust among younger audiences.

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International Labour Organization warns AI could reshape labour markets across the Arab region

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) have examined how AI may reshape labour markets and employment patterns across the Arab region.

The organisations released a report exploring how AI adoption may transform jobs, productivity, and workforce dynamics by 2035. According to the report, outcomes will depend on policy choices related to skills development, labour protections, and social support systems.

The report outlines three possible scenarios ranging from inclusive AI-driven growth to increased inequality linked to insufficient labour protections and workforce adaptation measures.

One projected strong AI-driven economic growth, combined with large-scale investment in workforce transition and retraining programmes.

Another warned that rapid technological adoption without sufficient social safeguards could deepen inequality and displace large numbers of lower- and middle-skilled workers.

A third scenario envisaged a more gradual AI integration, supported by coordinated policy reforms and inclusive labour-market strategies.

The report identifies sectors such as healthcare, education, logistics, tourism, and digital services as areas where AI-related employment opportunities may emerge. At the same time, the organisations noted that automation could reduce demand for some routine and clerical occupations.

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat said AI technologies are already affecting workplaces across public administration and service sectors in the region. She added that nearly one-quarter of occupations may experience either displacement or technological augmentation linked to generative AI systems.

The analysis also highlighted widening skills mismatches between education systems and labour market demands, with some countries facing gaps ranging from 40% to 70%. The report also highlights the importance of investment in lifelong learning, labour market institutions, social protection, and AI governance frameworks.

The discussions took place during a preparatory session linked to the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development, where policymakers, labour organisations, and international experts examined how AI may affect youth employment, women workers, and lower-skilled populations across the region.

Why does it matter?

ILO highlights how developing and emerging economies may experience AI transitions differently depending on infrastructure, education systems, governance capacity, and investment levels. Policymakers across the Arab region are now under increasing pressure to modernise labour systems while ensuring that AI adoption supports inclusive growth instead of deepening social inequality.

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EU and Africa deepen cooperation on AI investment and digital infrastructure

European Commission has expanded cooperation discussions with African partners on AI through a new EU-Africa AI Tech Business Offer Event held in Brussels.

The event brought together policymakers, technology companies, development finance institutions, and digital cooperation organisations from Europe and Africa.

Government representatives from Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania participated in discussions alongside European digital companies and private sector organisations.

According to the European Commission, discussions focused on investment opportunities, AI infrastructure, and long-term cooperation between European and African digital ecosystems.

The initiative was organised under the Team Europe approach in cooperation with Smart Africa, the German development agency GIZ, and the Digital for Development Hub.

Why does it matter?

The event highlights increasing geopolitical and economic competition around ΑΙ partnerships, infrastructure, and digital influence across emerging markets. For Europe, cooperation with African countries supports broader goals linked to digital development, technological sovereignty, and global AI governance. For African governments, the partnerships may accelerate access to AI infrastructure, investment capital, skills development, and digital innovation ecosystems.

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Australia introduces a national framework for digital health standards

Australia has introduced a National Framework for Digital Health Standards aimed at improving interoperability and consistency across healthcare systems. The framework is intended to support integration of digital tools and health records across healthcare settings.

According to the initiative, the framework addresses fragmentation caused by independently developed digital health standards. The framework provides guidance intended to support coordination between government agencies, healthcare providers, and industry participants.

Speaking at the Digital Health Festival, Digital Health Agency Chief Officer Peter O’Halloran referred to increasing use of digital health services and shared medical records. Officials said growing levels of data sharing are increasing demand for interoperable and reliable digital infrastructure.

The framework also supports use of internationally recognised clinical terminology standards and related training initiatives.

Standards including SNOMED CT, GS1, and FHIR were identified as important components of interoperability and future digital health applications.

Why does it matter?

Unified digital health standards are critical for ensuring that patient information can be shared accurately and securely across different healthcare providers, reducing fragmentation that can lead to delays or clinical errors. Standardisation also strengthens the foundation for advanced technologies such as AI, enabling safer, more scalable innovation in healthcare delivery.

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UK Pensions Regulator publishes AI governance plan for pension schemes

The UK Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published an AI plan outlining expectations for governance and oversight of AI use in pension schemes.

TPR said AI may support pension administration, decision-making, and member engagement, while also creating operational and cybersecurity risks. According to the regulator, accountability remains with trustees and scheme managers even when AI systems or third-party providers are involved.

TPR Chief Executive Nausicaa Delfas said:

‘AI has the potential to transform pensions for the better: improving how schemes are run, how members are supported, and how the system as a whole delivers value.’

She added: ‘But trust is the most valuable asset in our system, and that trust depends on the safe and responsible adoption of AI in members’ interests.’

The plan recommends governance measures, including system testing, risk monitoring, fraud prevention, data management, and compliance with data protection requirements.

TPR’s plan sets out four areas of focus:

Ensuring schemes are well run and governed
Strengthening data foundations
Supporting responsible innovation
Using AI to become a more effective regulator.

TPR said it will continue coordinating with the Financial Conduct Authority on regulatory alignment across the pensions sector.

The regulator also said it has used AI-supported processes to identify pension scam websites and support enforcement actions. Further guidance and industry engagement activities are planned later this year.

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EU lawmakers challenge confidentiality rules on data centre emissions data

A group of 35 Members of the European Parliament has called on the European Commission to review confidentiality rules affecting public access to environmental data from data centres. The request focused on the disclosure of information related to emissions, energy use, and water consumption.

According to reporting by Investigate Europe, the disputed wording was linked to proposals submitted during consultations by Microsoft and DIGITALEUROPE. The clause was later incorporated into the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and limits disclosure of certain information related to individual data centres.

Critics argue that the measure may reduce transparency regarding the environmental impact of expanding digital infrastructure. Some lawmakers and advocacy groups have also raised questions about compatibility with transparency principles under the Aarhus Convention. Reports said critics believe the rules reduce scrutiny of the environmental impact linked to expanding AI and cloud infrastructure.

The lawmakers called on the European Commission to reconsider the provision and publish more detailed environmental reporting data. The issue has contributed to broader discussions in the EU regarding environmental accountability and oversight of digital infrastructure.

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UK government launches cyber resilience measures amid AI-related risks

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has warned that cyber threats are becoming more frequent and complex, with AI contributing to faster and more scalable attacks. Digital Minister Baroness Lloyd of Effra said cyber resilience is increasingly important for national security and economic stability.

According to the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 43% of businesses reported experiencing a cyber breach or attack during the past year. The minister said AI tools are making some cyber capabilities more accessible by automating tasks such as vulnerability detection and reconnaissance.

The government also encouraged technology providers to adopt a ‘secure by design’ approach and referred to existing cybersecurity guidance frameworks.

The Department additionally announced a £90 million cyber resilience fund intended to support businesses, including SMEs and NHS suppliers. The government said a broader National Cyber Action Plan is expected later this summer.

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United Nations to hold first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva

The United Nations will hold the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on 6 and 7 July 2026, bringing together governments and stakeholders to discuss international cooperation on AI.

Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the dialogue is intended as a multistakeholder platform for discussions on international AI governance cooperation.

The event will take place at the Palexpo International Exhibition and Congress Centre, alongside the AI for Good Global Summit and the annual World Summit on the Information Society meetings in Geneva.

The invitation letter was issued by the co-chairs of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Egriselda López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations, and Rein Tammsaar, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations.

The programme will include high-level governmental plenary segments, multistakeholder exchanges, thematic discussions, side events, and the presentation of the report of the multidisciplinary Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

The discussions will be organised around four clusters:

AI opportunities and implications
Bridging AI divides through capacity-building, access, and digital foundations
Safe, secure, and trustworthy AI
And human rights, transparency, accountability, and human oversight.

According to the organisers, the dialogue aims to support international cooperation on AI governance and address issues related to digital inclusion and sustainable development. Registration is open until 25 June 2026.

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New Stanford scaling method could make AI training cheaper

Researchers at Stanford University have introduced a new approach to scaling laws that could significantly reduce the computational cost of predicting how large language models will perform as they grow.

Scaling laws are used to estimate how smaller models will behave before developers commit to expensive large-scale training runs. These predictions are central to modern AI development, where training advanced models can require enormous computing resources and financial investment.

A research team led by Sanmi Koyejo and Sang Truong developed a framework called Item Response Scaling Laws, or IRSL, which draws on measurement science and educational testing methods. The approach adapts techniques similar to those used in standardised exams to evaluate model capabilities with far fewer test queries.

According to Stanford HAI, IRSL can reduce computational demand by more than 99% while maintaining or improving predictive accuracy. Instead of running every model through large evaluation sets, the method uses carefully selected questions to estimate capability more efficiently.

Researchers argue that the approach could make AI development more accessible, particularly for academic institutions and smaller research teams that lack the computing budgets of major technology companies. It could also help large commercial developers reduce the cost of experimentation before training larger models.

The method remains a research advance rather than a direct reduction in the full cost of training frontier models. However, by making performance prediction cheaper and more statistically rigorous, it could change how developers plan and evaluate future AI systems.

Why does it matter?

AI development is increasingly shaped by access to computing power, which gives the largest technology companies a major advantage. If methods such as IRSL can make model evaluation and scaling predictions far cheaper, they could lower barriers for researchers, universities and smaller developers, while making AI experimentation faster and less resource-intensive.

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Switzerland advances National Cyberstrategy implementation

Switzerland has reported progress in implementing its National Cyberstrategy, with more than 90 projects underway and new measures addressing the role of AI in cybersecurity.

The Federal Council was informed of the 2025 implementation report. The implementation report was prepared by the National Cyberstrategy Steering Committee together with the National Cyber Security Centre. The report tracks work across five objectives:

Empowering the public
Securing digital services and critical infrastructure
Managing cyberattacks
Combating cybercrime
Strengthening international cooperation

The report identifies AI as an important area influencing both cybersecurity risks and defensive capabilities. The report describes measures related to AI-assisted cyber threats, AI-supported cyberdefence, research projects, and public awareness activities.

The report also refers to regulatory safeguards linked to Switzerland’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on AI. The report frames those steps as part of a broader response to the growing importance of AI in cybersecurity.

According to the report, the National Cyber Security Centre has received 222 reports since mandatory reporting requirements for cyberattacks on critical infrastructure entered into force in April 2025. Authorities say the reports improve national cyber situational awareness and support coordinated responses to threats.

The report also highlights developments involving sector-specific cybersecurity centres, information-sharing initiatives, and vulnerability management programmes. Switzerland also continued its federal bug bounty programme and other vulnerability management initiatives.

Capacity-building programmes include the Cyber-Defence Campus Fellowship, the Cyber Startup Challenge, and the national S-U-P-E-R.ch awareness campaign. The report also notes information-sharing work through Cyber-CASE, Cyber-STRAT, and NEDIK to support faster handling of digital crimes.

International activities included participation in cyber diplomacy and capacity-building initiatives linked to Geneva Cyber Week and UN and OSCE processes.

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