Artificial intelligence

Meta unveils TRIBE v2 brain modelling AI

TRIBE v2 is a next-generation AI model introduced by Meta, designed to simulate how the human brain responds to complex stimuli such as images, sounds and language. The system functions as a digital twin of neural activity, enabling high-speed and high-resolution predictions of brain responses.

Built on data from over 700 volunteers, TRIBE v2 analyses fMRI recordings to predict brain responses to media such as videos, podcasts, and text. The model improves significantly on previous approaches, offering higher accuracy and the ability to generalise across new subjects, tasks, and languages.

Meta says the system could enable brain studies without human participants in every experiment, potentially accelerating research into neurological conditions. The approach may also support future AI development by incorporating principles derived from neuroscience.

Alongside the launch, Meta has released a research paper, model code, and interactive demo under a non-commercial licence to encourage wider exploration and collaboration in neuroscience and AI research.

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Mistral AI launches open-source voice model for enterprises

Mistral AI has introduced a new open-source text-to-speech model designed to power voice assistants and enterprise applications, rather than relying on proprietary solutions.

The model, named Voxtral TTS, marks the company’s entry into the competitive voice AI market alongside players such as OpenAI and ElevenLabs.

Voxtral TTS supports nine languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, and Arabic, allowing organisations to deploy multilingual voice systems across different markets.

The Mistral AI model is designed to operate efficiently on devices such as smartphones, laptops, and even wearables, reducing infrastructure costs rather than relying on large-scale cloud systems.

It can replicate custom voices using only a few seconds of audio, capturing accents and speech patterns while maintaining consistency across languages.

The system is optimised for real-time performance, delivering rapid response times and enabling applications such as live translation, dubbing, and customer engagement tools.

Built on a compact architecture, it balances efficiency with high-quality output, aiming to produce natural-sounding speech instead of robotic voice synthesis. Earlier releases of transcription models suggest a broader strategy to develop a full suite of voice technologies.

Looking ahead, Mistral AI plans to expand towards end-to-end multimodal systems capable of handling audio, text, and image inputs within a single platform.

The company’s focus on open-source development and customisation is intended to attract enterprises seeking flexible solutions, positioning its technology as an alternative to closed ecosystems in the growing voice AI market.

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Search Live in Google expands to over 200 countries

Google has expanded its Search Live feature globally, making it available in more than 200 countries and territories where AI Mode is supported. The tool enables users to interact with Search through real-time voice and camera-based conversations.

The upgrade is powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, a new audio and voice model designed to deliver more natural and intuitive interactions. The model supports multiple languages, enabling users to communicate with Search in their preferred language across regions.

Search Live is designed for situations where typing is inconvenient, allowing users to ask questions aloud and receive audio responses within the Google app. Follow-up queries can be made instantly, with results supplemented by relevant web links.

Camera integration through Google Lens adds visual context, enabling Search to interpret real-world objects and provide step-by-step guidance or suggestions. The rollout is part of Google’s broader effort to make search more interactive, accessible, and useful in everyday tasks.

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HP reveals advanced AI devices and workflow tools at Imagine 2026

HP has announced a broad set of AI-focused products and workplace tools at HP Imagine 2026, presenting the update as part of a wider effort to simplify work across PCs, collaboration devices, security systems, and workflow platforms.

In a press release published on 24 March, HP said the new portfolio includes AI PCs, collaboration tools, workstations, printers, and software intended for hybrid work and on-device AI use.

HP says the update includes a new intelligence layer called HP IQ, which it describes as a system designed to orchestrate work across AI PCs, workplace devices, and meeting spaces through local AI and proximity-based connectivity.

The company also announced new EliteBook devices, workstation updates, and workflow automation changes through its Workforce Experience Platform and Build Workspace capabilities.

Several sections of the release focus on on-device AI. According to the company, HP IQ will debut on the next generation of EliteBook X G2 AI PCs and will support features such as prompt-based assistance, document analysis, note organisation, and meeting support.

The release also says NearSense is intended to help devices discover, connect, and collaborate, including through file sharing and one-click joining of conference room meetings.

Security is another central theme in the release. HP says it has introduced what it describes as the world’s first hardware solution to stop physical TPM bypass attacks, using a cryptographically bound link between the TPM and CPU.

The company also said it is expanding capabilities in HP Wolf Security and introducing HP Wolf Pro Security Next Gen Antivirus, as well as physical intrusion detection designed to protect memory if a device chassis is opened.

The announcement also includes new printers and document tools. HP says the LaserJet Pro 4000 and 4100 series, and the LaserJet Enterprise 5000 and 6000 series, are intended to support AI-powered document processing and quantum-resistant security. The release also highlights scanning shortcuts, editable OCR, reduced management time, and a design intended to improve serviceability.

For higher-performance users, the company says it is launching a new generation of Z workstations and mobile workstations. The release refers to systems such as the Z8 Fury, Max Side Panel for Z8 Fury and Z4 workstations, and updated mobile workstation models. Advanced AI development, visual effects, and simulation workloads are among the uses cited in the announcement.

Beyond enterprise work, the release also extends the same AI and device strategy into gaming. New HyperX and OMEN products are part of the announcement, including desktops, a gaming and modular ecosystem, and expanded AI game support through OMEN Gaming Hub and OMEN AI.

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UNESCO advances regional AI in education observatory

A UNESCO-led public–private initiative is advancing the establishment of a Regional AI in Education Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean. The project aims to strengthen education systems through the ethical and inclusive application of AI technologies.

A roundtable held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris brought together more than 50 stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society. Participants included universities, development banks, and research institutions providing technical expertise and regional knowledge.

The observatory will act as a shared regional infrastructure supporting evidence-based policy, teacher training, and capacity development. Focus areas include tackling foundational learning challenges in reading and mathematics while ensuring responsible AI integration in classrooms.

The initiative will be officially launched on 14 April 2026 at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile. Organisers emphasise the need for regional cooperation to guide AI adoption in education, promoting equity, innovation, and long-term learning improvements.

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Gemini introduces tools to import AI chat history

Google has introduced new tools that allow users to transfer their memories, preferences, and chat history from other AI platforms directly into Gemini. The update aims to ease switching and deliver a more personalised experience from the start.

A new memory import feature lets users copy key details from another AI app and upload them to Gemini. Once transferred, the system recognises personal context, enabling more accurate responses without having to start from scratch.

In addition, users can now upload full chat histories via ZIP files, enabling access to past conversations within Gemini. The platform can integrate exchanges with services like Gmail, Photos and Search, with permission, to deliver more relevant responses.

Google confirmed that the rollout has begun and will appear in user settings, alongside a rebranding of ‘past chats’ to ‘memory’. The update reflects a broader push towards more adaptive and context-aware AI assistants.

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Oracle expands Oracle AI Database with new agentic AI tools

Oracle has announced new agentic AI capabilities for Oracle AI Database, presenting them as tools for building, deploying, and scaling production-grade AI applications that work with business data across operational databases and analytic lakehouses. The company says the new features are available across multicloud and on-premises environments.

According to Oracle, the announcement concerning Oracle AI Database centres on bringing AI and data together within the database so that agents can securely access real-time enterprise data where it resides. Oracle also says customers can choose AI models, agentic frameworks, open data formats, and deployment platforms, while Oracle Exadata users can use Exadata Powered AI Search for high-volume, multi-step agentic workloads.

Oracle’s new product set includes Oracle Autonomous AI Vector Database, which the company says is intended to simplify vector-based application development while preserving the broader database features of Oracle AI Database. Oracle says the service is available in limited capacity through the Oracle Cloud free tier or a low-cost developer tier, with one-click upgrade to full capabilities as requirements expand.

The company also introduced the Oracle AI Database Private Agent Factory, described as a no-code agent builder that can run in public clouds or on-premises without requiring customers to share data with third parties. Oracle says the service includes pre-built agents such as a Database Knowledge Agent, a Structured Data Analysis Agent, and a Deep Data Research Agent. Oracle Unified Memory Core was also announced as a way to store context for AI agents across vector, JSON, graph, relational, text, spatial, and columnar data, all in a single engine with consistent transactions and security.

A separate part of the announcement focuses on what Oracle describes as AI data risk reduction. Oracle says Deep Data Security applies end-user-specific access rules within the database, so that each user or AI agent acting on a user’s behalf can only see the data the user is allowed to access.

Besides the Oracle AI Database, Oracle also announced Private AI Services Container for customers that want to run private model instances without sharing data with third-party AI providers, including in air-gapped environments. Trusted Answer Search was presented as a method for providing answers based on previously created reports rather than relying directly on large language model responses.

Open standards and interoperability form another part of Oracle’s pitch. Oracle says Vectors on Ice adds native support for vector data stored in Apache Iceberg tables, enabling unified search across database and data-lake content. Oracle also announced an Autonomous AI Database MCP Server to allow external AI agents and MCP clients to access Autonomous AI Database capabilities without custom integration code or manual security administration.

Juan Loaiza, executive vice president of Oracle Database Technologies, said: ‘The next wave of enterprise AI will be defined by customers’ ability to use AI in business-critical production systems to safely deliver breakthrough innovations, insights, and productivity.’ He added: ‘With Oracle AI Database, customers don’t just store data, they activate it for AI. By architecting AI and data together, we help customers quickly build and manage agentic AI applications that can securely query and act on real-enterprise data with stock exchange-level robustness in every leading cloud and on-premises.’

Steven Dickens, CEO and principal analyst at HyperFRAME Research, said: ‘In the era of agentic AI, a unified memory core is essential for agents to maintain context across diverse data types, such as vector, JSON, graph, columnar, spatial, text, and relational, without the latency or staleness of external syncing.’

Dickens added: ‘Only Oracle AI Database delivers this in a single, mission-critical engine with concurrent transactional and analytical processing, high availability, and ironclad security, enabling real-time reasoning over live business data. Organisations without this foundation will struggle with fragmented, unreliable agents, while those leveraging Oracle gain a decisive edge in scalable AI deployment.’

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Microsoft launches nonprofit AI training and fellowship initiative

Microsoft has announced a new programme called Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers, aimed at helping nonprofit leaders build AI skills, credentials, and organisational capacity. In a post published on 25 March, the initiative is said to have been introduced alongside the company’s Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit, which it says brought together more than 1,500 nonprofit leaders from around the world.

The company says the programme is designed to help nonprofit organisations adopt AI in ways that reflect their missions and the communities they serve. According to the company, the new initiative includes an AI for Nonprofits credential developed with LinkedIn and NetHope, live and on-demand training on topics such as Copilot, change management, and responsible AI governance, and a Changemaker Fellowship for nonprofit professionals working on AI-related projects.

The AI for Nonprofits credential is a professional certificate built on work across the nonprofit sector, with participants receiving a LinkedIn professional certificate. Microsoft also says the fellowship will provide resources, investment, and expert guidance, while connecting participants to a global cohort and a wider network of nonprofit AI leaders. According to the post, support for the fellowship includes Microsoft and launch partners EY and Caribou.

Microsoft places the announcement within a broader argument about how AI is affecting labour, communities, and service delivery. The company says nonprofits are often closely connected to people seeking new skills, employment pathways, and community support, and that such organisations are well-positioned to help shape AI adoption at the local level. Microsoft also says the programme forms part of its wider Microsoft Elevate commitment and refers to plans to deliver more than $5 billion in discounts, donations, and grants over the next year to support nonprofit organisations and education systems.

Several examples in the post illustrate how Microsoft says AI is already being applied in nonprofit work. Microsoft says ARcare has used AI to reduce administrative work and estimates it has eliminated six to eight hours of manual tasks per day. Opportunity International is cited as using AI to scale a local-language chatbot for farmers, while Head Start Homes is described as using AI to increase organisational bandwidth and attract new funding. The tech conglomerate also points to de Alliantie, saying AI has helped the organisation improve efficiency in housing support operations while maintaining a human-centred approach.

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UNESCO and Tecnológico de Monterrey partner on AI in education initiative

UNESCO and Tecnológico de Monterrey have signed an agreement to collaborate on advancing the use of AI in education, as digital transformation reshapes learning systems and workforce skills across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The agreement establishes a framework for joint work on generating evidence, developing standards and formulating public policy recommendations on AI in education, and supports the launch of a Regional Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education.

A financial contribution of $90,000 will support the Observatory’s implementation, following months of technical coordination and institutional validation between the two organisations.

After the signing, technical teams reviewed the operational plan for the first year, including methodological frameworks on teachers’ digital competencies and AI ethics, as well as pilot projects in Chile, El Salvador and Mexico.

According to Esther Kuisch Laroche, the initiative aims to ensure AI contributes to more inclusive, ethical and relevant education systems, while moving from principles to practical solutions.

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