Artificial intelligence Archives | Page 2 of 587

Europe aims to tighten AI rules and personal data standards

The European Council has proposed AI Act amendments, banning nudification tools and tightening rules for processing sensitive personal data. The move represents a key step in streamlining the continent’s digital legislation and improving safeguards for citizens.

Council officials highlighted the prohibition of AI systems that generate non-consensual sexual content or child sexual abuse material. The measure matches a European Parliament ban, showing strong support for tighter AI controls amid misuse concerns.

The proposal follows incidents such as the Grok chatbot producing millions of non-consensual intimate images, which sparked a global backlash and prompted an EU probe into the social media platform X and its AI features.

Other amendments reinstate strict rules for processing sensitive data to detect bias and require providers to register high-risk AI systems, even if claiming exemptions. Negotiations between the Council and Parliament will finalise the AI Act’s updated measures.

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OpenAI says ChatGPT advertisements remain limited to the US

Despite speculation that the feature was expanding internationally, OpenAI has clarified that advertisements in ChatGPT are currently available only to users in the US.

Questions about a broader rollout emerged after references to advertisements appeared in the platform’s updated privacy policy. Some users interpreted the language as evidence that advertising would soon be introduced globally.

OpenAI said the policy update does not signal an immediate expansion. According to the company, advertising features are still being tested within the US as part of a gradual deployment strategy.

ChatGPT advertisements were introduced in February 2026 and appear below responses generated by the chatbot. The ads are shown only to logged-in users on free subscription tiers and are not displayed to users under eighteen.

Company representatives stated that advertising systems operate independently from the AI model that generates responses. According to OpenAI, advertisers cannot influence or modify the content produced by ChatGPT.

The company also said it does not share user conversations or personal chat histories with advertisers. However, advertisements may still be personalised based on user queries, which has prompted discussions about how conversational interfaces could shape consumer decisions.

OpenAI indicated that it is adopting a cautious, phased approach before considering any wider rollout of ChatGPT advertising features in other markets.

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UK government and Microsoft support digital skills growth

Microsoft UK is the first industry partner in the UK government’s TechFirst program, offering 500 work placements and 5,000 volunteering hours over four years. The collaboration aims to develop AI and technology skills nationwide.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the partnership will expand digital capabilities in education and the workforce. Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman will serve as Social Mobility Champion, linking students and early-career talent with technology-sector opportunities.

TechFirst aims to reach one million secondary students and over 4,000 graduates and researchers, providing school programs, scholarships, doctoral support, and regional funding to connect businesses with local talent.

Microsoft’s commitment includes mentoring and placements to support students entering technology careers.

Scholarships include TechGrad for undergraduates and master’s students, and the Spärck AI Scholarship, supporting AI degrees at nine UK universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, and UCL.

Doctoral researchers benefit from the TechExpert initiative, while the Turing AI Fellowships attract top AI talent to UK institutions.

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Technology Innovations for Creative Diplomacy

Background and Rationale

Diplomacy is being rapidly reshaped by technological innovation. Digital platforms, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and immersive technologies are transforming how governments, international organisations, and non-state actors communicate, negotiate, and influence global audiences. These tools are expanding the reach and speed of diplomatic engagement while creating opportunities for more inclusive and creative approaches to international cooperation.

At the same time, global challenges such as climate change, conflict, misinformation, and digital inequality demand more agile and innovative diplomatic responses. Technology-enabled creative diplomacy offers new ways to build trust, shape narratives, engage foreign publics, and strengthen multilateral action. This webinar will explore how emerging technologies can be strategically applied in diplomacy while addressing ethical, security, and governance concerns.

Objectives

The webinar seeks to examine the impact of technological innovation on diplomatic practice, showcase creative applications of digital tools in public diplomacy and international engagement, and share practical experiences from technology-driven initiatives. It also aims to foster dialogue among key stakeholders on opportunities, risks, and capacity needs in digital and creative diplomacy.

Format and Expected Outcomes

The virtual webinar will feature a moderated expert panel followed by an interactive Q&A session. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how technology can enhance creative diplomacy, access practical insights applicable to their work, build networks across diplomacy and technology communities, and contribute to policy-relevant discussions on responsible digital innovation.

Conclusion

The Technology Innovations for Creative Diplomacy webinar will provide a timely platform to reflect on the future of diplomacy in the digital age, encouraging innovative, inclusive, and forward-looking approaches to international engagement.

OpenAI plans to integrate Sora video generation into ChatGPT

According to reports, OpenAI is preparing to integrate its AI video generator Sora directly into ChatGPT, a move that could expand the platform’s capabilities beyond text and image generation.

Sora currently operates as a standalone application and web service. Integrating the tool into ChatGPT could dramatically increase its visibility and usage, particularly given the chatbot’s massive global user base.

The company released an updated version of the model in 2025 that allows users to create, remix and even appear inside AI-generated videos. Bringing those features into ChatGPT would represent a major step toward making video generation a mainstream function within conversational AI systems.

Competition in the generative video market is intensifying. Companies, including Google, are developing similar technologies, with the company’s Gemini platform offering video creation powered by the Veo system. Other developers are also launching text-to-video models as the field rapidly expands.

Despite the potential growth, integrating video generation into ChatGPT may significantly increase operating costs. Running large AI systems requires vast computing resources and energy, and the chatbot already costs billions of dollars annually to operate.

Although OpenAI earns revenue from subscriptions, the majority of ChatGPT users currently use the free version. The company is therefore exploring additional monetisation strategies, including advertising and new premium services.

Integrating Sora into ChatGPT could therefore serve both strategic and financial goals, strengthening the platform’s position in the competitive generative AI market while expanding the types of content users can create.

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Young investors warned on crypto and AI advice

Australia’s financial regulator has warned young investors to be cautious with social media influencers and AI chatbots. A survey by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission found one in four Gen Z Australians invest in crypto, often guided by online content.

The survey of 1,127 participants aged 18 to 28 showed 63% use social media for financial information, 18% rely on AI platforms, and 30% consult YouTube. AI was the most trusted source at 64%, but over half still trust influencers and social media despite possible misinformation.

ASIC previously issued warnings to 18 influencers suspected of promoting high-risk products without a licence. Commissioner Alan Kirkland said some social media marketing promotes crypto scams or risky super switches that threaten young people’s key assets.

The regulator is also watching AI financial guidance. Personalised advice from unlicensed sources is illegal, and young investors should carefully check sources, especially as crypto exchanges increasingly use AI bots for trading guidance.

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Switzerland is at the centre of a quiet rebellion in chip design

A Swiss-based open-source technology is quietly challenging the semiconductor industry’s concentration of power, in which most of the world’s digital devices depend on instruction set architectures licensed by just two companies: Intel in the US and ARM in the UK.

The RISC-V International Association, headquartered in Zurich since 2020, maintains an open-source alternative that allows chip designers to build without paying licensing fees or seeking permission from governments that control proprietary architectures.

The appeal has grown considerably. The association now counts more than 4,500 members, including US heavyweights such as Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google alongside Chinese giants Huawei, Tencent, and Alibaba, with Nvidia alone shipping over a billion RISC-V cores in 2024.

Switzerland’s political neutrality has been central to the association’s appeal, with its CEO Andrea Gallo describing the Zurich base as ‘a testament to our neutrality across all time zones, geographies and cultures.’

However, experts caution that RISC-V still faces a steep climb before it can challenge industry leaders. Frank Gürkaynak of ETH Zurich noted that the real challenge is not building a processor but assembling the entire software ecosystem around it, a task requiring hundreds of years of combined working hours.

The association is now collaborating with Linux to create an open-source trio of software, architecture, and hardware, with ambitions for RISC-V to become the global ISA of choice.

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AI tools encourage exploration in creative tasks

AI is often associated with automation and job replacement, yet new research from Swansea University suggests a different role. Findings indicate that AI can serve as a creative collaborator, encouraging exploration and deeper engagement during design tasks.

Researchers from the university’s Computer Science Department ran an experiment with over 800 participants using an AI-supported system to design virtual cars.

Rather than optimising results, the system generated galleries with varied design ideas, including effective, unusual, and intentionally flawed concepts.

According to lead researcher Sean Walton, exposure to AI-generated suggestions increased participants’ involvement. Many users spent longer working on the task and produced stronger designs after interacting with the system’s diverse proposals.

The study in ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems argues that traditional methods for evaluating AI tools are too narrow. Researchers believe broader assessments are needed to measure how AI affects human thinking, emotions, and creative exploration.

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AI-powered browsing arrives in Chrome for India New Zealand and Canada

Chrome is bringing its advanced AI features to users in India, New Zealand and Canada, aiming to simplify daily browsing tasks and provide instant support. The updates include the integration of Gemini in Chrome and support for over 50 languages.

Users can now interact with a personalised browsing assistant without switching tabs, receiving instant answers, summaries or creative suggestions. Gemini in Chrome allows multitasking and remembers previously visited pages for easier navigation.

Integrations with Google apps such as Gmail, Maps and YouTube enhance productivity directly from the browser. Users can draft emails, schedule meetings, or extract key points from videos without leaving their current page.

Chrome’s AI can also consolidate information from multiple open tabs, streamlining tasks like research or shopping. Nano Banana 2 allows users to transform images on the web in real time, without uploading files or switching windows.

Security remains a priority, with Chrome designed to detect threats and require confirmations for sensitive actions. Gemini in Chrome benefits from automated testing and updates to maintain robust protection as users explore new AI features.

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AI technology set to reshape farming and rural life in South Korea

South Korea has launched a national agenda to expand AI across agriculture, aiming to boost productivity and improve living standards in rural communities. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT presented the strategy as part of a wider digital transformation effort.

Plans include expanding smart farm models that reduce labour-intensive tasks and allow more farmers to benefit from automated technologies. Shared machinery centres and autonomous farming tools such as drones will be developed with support from the Rural Development Administration.

Authorities also intend to apply AI to agricultural distribution through smart logistics facilities that manage receiving, sorting and shipping processes. Around 300 smart Agricultural Products Processing Centres are expected to operate nationwide by 2030.

Livestock grading systems using AI will be introduced to improve accuracy and consumer trust across pork and beef processing facilities. Officials aim to raise the share of AI-graded meat from 19.4 percent in 2025 to 70 percent by 2030.

Beyond production, the programme seeks to expand ‘smart rural communities’ offering AI-based services such as transport, daily living support and farming assistance. Policymakers believe that a stronger digital infrastructure will help rural regions respond to climate pressures and an ageing population.

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