Artificial intelligence Archives | Page 2 of 677

UNESCO assessment supports ethical AI roadmap in El Salvador

El Salvador has advanced its national AI agenda following the presentation of a Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) report developed by UNESCO in cooperation with the National Artificial Intelligence Agency (ANIA). The initiative brings together government institutions, international organisations, academia and the private sector to assess the country’s preparedness for ethical, inclusive and sustainable AI development.

The assessment is grounded in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which establishes principles for safe and responsible AI deployment. According to the assessment, El Salvador’s legal and institutional framework, including measures related to data protection, cybersecurity and AI governance, has strengthened its position in regional AI readiness indicators.

The report highlights AI deployments already being used in public services, including digital health diagnostics, automated legal processes and large-scale digitisation of government records. Education systems are also integrating AI tools to expand access to learning, while projected economic gains suggest significant growth potential if ethical adoption continues to scale.

Alongside the findings, authorities outlined priorities aimed at reducing inequalities in access to technology, expanding participation in STEM education and ensuring that AI-related benefits reach both urban and rural communities.

The new National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026 sets out these priorities as part of a broader human-centred development model.

Why does it matter?

The initiative positions El Salvador as a test case for how emerging economies can align rapid AI adoption with structured governance and ethical safeguards. By embedding human-centred principles into national strategy and law, the country aims to prevent AI-driven gains from widening social or geographic inequalities while strengthening long-term digital readiness.

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Meta expands AI-powered teen safety protections across its platforms

Meta has announced new teen safety updates across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, including expanded age-appropriate content settings, AI-powered age detection, and new parental notification tools.

Meta said the updates are designed to ensure teens receive appropriate protections by default, give parents greater visibility into online activity and strengthen safeguards that support young people’s well-being.

Meta said its 13+ default content setting, recently introduced in India, is now rolling out globally across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. The setting is designed to limit exposure to age-inappropriate content by default, drawing on established content-rating principles and parent feedback.

On Facebook, the 13+ default setting is intended to hide content considered inappropriate for teens in areas such as Feed and Reels. It also limits teens’ ability to interact with Profiles, Pages, Groups, and Events that primarily post inappropriate content.

On Messenger, the 13+ default setting limits teens’ ability to view links to inappropriate Facebook content or chat with accounts that primarily share it.

Meta is also expanding its use of AI-powered age estimation systems to identify accounts that may belong to underage users. The company said the system analyses profile context, including birthday celebrations, school-grade mentions, posts, comments, bios, and captions, to assess whether an account is likely to belong to someone underage.

The company said it is adding visual analysis as another detection technique. According to Meta, the technology analyses photos and videos for general indicators associated with age, such as physical characteristics, but does not identify individuals and does not use facial recognition.

Meta said combining visual signals with text and interaction analysis could increase the number of underage accounts it identifies and removes. The technology will be expanded across additional parts of its apps, including Instagram Reels, Instagram Live, and Facebook Groups.

Instagram will also notify supervising parents if a teen repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period, subject to supervision settings. Meta said the feature has been rolled out to supervising parents in the EU, Brazil, and India, with parents and teens receiving notifications that the alerts are on the way.

Parents using supervision can now manage their teens’ activity through Meta’s Family Center across Instagram, Meta Horizon, Facebook, and Messenger. Meta said parents will also be able to see a more holistic view of teen activity across its apps in the coming months, including aggregated time spent.

Why does it matter?

The announcement reflects a broader shift towards age-appropriate design, where platforms increasingly rely on default protections and automated systems rather than expecting young users or parents to configure safety settings themselves. AI-based age detection is becoming a central tool in efforts to identify underage users and enforce platform safeguards at scale.

The update also highlights ongoing debates about the balance between child protection, privacy and platform accountability. While automated age-estimation technologies may help improve online safety, regulators and civil society groups continue to scrutinise their accuracy, transparency and potential impact on users’ rights. As governments around the world consider stricter child online safety requirements, platform approaches such as Meta’s may influence future regulatory expectations.

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AI, sovereignty and infrastructure dominate the opening day of VivaTech 2026

The opening day of Viva Technology 2026 in Paris highlighted the growing influence of AI, with discussions focusing on execution, digital sovereignty and the infrastructure needed to support rapid technological change.

Jeff Bezos introduced Prometheus, an AI venture focused on physical engineering applications, while consultancy McKinsey & Company reported that 80% of large businesses now invest in AI, although only 6% report a measurable impact on profits.

The event also highlighted Europe’s ambition to strengthen its technology ecosystem and reduce strategic dependencies in key digital sectors. European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen outlined initiatives aimed at expanding semiconductor production, increasing data centre capacity and supporting open-source technologies across Europe.

Alongside the conference, French startup Fairpatterns was selected to represent France at the Startup World Cup in November of this year, where participants will compete for a US$1 million investment prize. The event highlighted the strength of the French startup ecosystem in Paris.

Why does it matter?

VivaTech is one of Europe’s most influential technology events and provides a useful snapshot of emerging priorities in the global digital economy. The strong focus on AI execution rather than experimentation reflects a broader shift from testing AI technologies to generating measurable business and economic value from them.

The discussions also underscore the growing importance of digital sovereignty. As governments and businesses invest in AI, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and data centres, competitiveness is increasingly linked to control over critical digital capabilities. The event highlights how Europe is seeking to strengthen its technological position while ensuring that innovation is supported by the infrastructure and investment needed to scale advanced technologies.

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OpenAI highlights ChatGPT health improvements

OpenAI says GPT-5.5 Instant has improved ChatGPT health-related responses, including its ability to recognise urgent situations, explain uncertainty, and request relevant context from users.

OpenAI said more than 230 million people use ChatGPT each week for health and wellness-related questions. Common uses include making sense of health information, understanding lab results, preparing for appointments, navigating insurance, building healthier habits, and deciding what to ask next.

OpenAI said GPT-5.5 Instant represents a substantial step forward in ChatGPT health performance. The model is available to free ChatGPT users, subject to usage limits, and now performs at a level comparable to OpenAI’s frontier reasoning models on some of its most demanding health evaluations.

The company said progress reflects both model improvements and physician-led evaluation work. A global network of physicians helps define expected behaviour in real-world health scenarios by reviewing model outputs, identifying failure modes and developing evaluation criteria.

OpenAI said ChatGPT health responses should be accurate, understandable, and grounded in good judgement. The company said stronger performance includes recognising when more context is needed, explaining uncertainty without overstating confidence, and helping people understand when to seek medical care.

The company uses health-specific evaluations, including HealthBench and HealthBench Professional, to assess model responses. These evaluations use realistic health conversations and physician-developed rubrics to assess accuracy, safety, communication quality, contextual awareness, completeness and appropriate escalation to medical care.

OpenAI said GPT-5.5 Instant substantially improved from GPT-5.3 Instant on an aggregate of health evaluations, including HealthBench Professional. In a separate comparison, physicians wrote responses to representative health conversations with unlimited time and internet access, while another physician panel compared those responses with model answers across 3,500 reviews.

The company said GPT-5.5 Instant responses were rated higher than physician-written and older model responses across criteria, including accuracy, communication, completeness, instruction-following, and usefulness for health-related decisions.

OpenAI also said physicians rated GPT-5.5 Instant as having fewer failure modes than older models and physician-written responses. The company cited fewer cases of missing red flags, failing to refer users to care, not tailoring responses to the local healthcare context, or not asking for additional context when needed.

OpenAI said it also uses privacy-preserving monitors on production traffic to track possible factuality issues in ChatGPT health responses. Based on recent health-related production traffic, OpenAI said the proportion of responses containing at least one flagged factuality issue has fallen by 71% over the past two months.

The company said its health work is supported by more than 260 physicians across 60 countries, 49 languages, and 26 medical specialties. Those physicians have reviewed more than 700,000 example model responses reflecting how patients and clinicians use ChatGPT in real-world situations.

OpenAI said physician feedback informs rubrics and evaluation criteria used to assess whether responses are accurate, safe, clear, complete, appropriately cautious, and useful. The company said the work also supports broader healthcare tools, including ChatGPT for Clinicians and OpenAI for Healthcare.

Why does it matter?

Health information is one of the most sensitive and high-impact areas in which consumer AI systems are used. Improvements in how ChatGPT handles uncertainty, identifies potential medical red flags and requests additional context could influence how millions of people interpret symptoms, understand medical information and prepare for interactions with healthcare professionals.

The announcement also highlights the growing importance of domain-specific evaluation in AI development. Rather than relying solely on general-purpose benchmarks, OpenAI is using physician-led reviews, specialised testing frameworks and real-world monitoring to assess performance in healthcare settings. This approach may serve as a model for evaluating AI systems in other high-stakes sectors where accuracy, safety and human oversight are essential.

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Google Cloud urges changes to EU tech sovereignty plans

Google Cloud has urged EU policymakers to revise parts of the European Commission’s Tech Sovereignty Package, arguing that some proposed cloud sovereignty measures could unintentionally isolate the European digital market.

In a policy statement, Giorgia Abeltino, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Google Cloud in EMEA, said Europe requires significant investment in digital infrastructure to strengthen competitiveness, security and technological sovereignty. She said the EU is considering how to expand its digital footprint across chips, cloud adoption, and AI data infrastructure.

Google Cloud said it supports the Commission’s emphasis on openness, partnerships and fair competition, particularly measures aimed at interoperability and reducing vendor lock-in. It welcomed measures on interoperability, efforts to address vendor lock-in, an open source strategy for the public sector, and faster data centre deployment.

However, the company said certain elements of the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act should be changed to avoid unintended market isolation. Google Cloud said trusted global partners should be able to continue supporting Europe’s security and scaling goals under an open framework.

The company said its vision of technological sovereignty is based on verifiable technical controls, customer choice and continued investment in European digital infrastructure. It pointed to its sovereign cloud services, including standard public cloud configurations with European data boundaries, independently operated regional cloud services, and air-gapped solutions for sensitive public-sector operations.

Google Cloud also highlighted partnerships with European companies, including S3NS in France; Thales, Schwarz Group, and T-Systems in Germany; PSN in Italy; Clarence in Luxembourg; and Telefónica in Spain. It said these partnerships support operational resilience and jurisdictional controls under existing national tech sovereignty frameworks.

The company said the S3NS offering in France has been qualified under SecNumCloud 3.2. It also said Clarence and S3NS, together with Mistral, offer services approved by the EU Directorate-General for Digital Services for use by EU institutions with sovereign cloud needs.

Google Cloud also raised concerns about the proposed Union Assurance Levels within the Cloud and AI Development Act. It said harmonising sovereignty criteria across Member States is useful, but argued that the proposed criteria could limit or exclude global providers regardless of the security safeguards they offer.

The company said EU rules should allow technical approaches to sovereign control rather than relying too heavily on geographic criteria. The company cited its Cloud External Key Manager as an example of a technical sovereignty mechanism that allows customers to retain control of encryption keys outside Google’s infrastructure.

Google Cloud also called for the Cloud and AI Development Act to follow a more balanced approach similar to the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. The company said trusted non-EU partners should be able to operate as EU-origin under clear conditions, backed by trade rules and safeguards.

The company also backed the package’s goal of promoting interoperability and reducing vendor lock-in. It said tech sovereignty should increase user choice and argued for reforms allowing users to move software licences freely, ensuring fair pricing for legacy software, and guaranteeing that software runs equally well on any cloud platform.

Google Cloud said physical compute infrastructure is central to digital tech sovereignty. It welcomed the ambitions of Chips Act 2.0 and the proposed €30 billion investment in European semiconductor research and development, but said Europe also needs regulatory conditions that attract large-scale compute infrastructure investment.

The company said it operates 13 European cloud regions and has recently invested in Germany, Belgium, and Sweden. It welcomed proposed special project status for data infrastructure projects to streamline permitting, grid access, and power purchase agreements.

Google Cloud said fast-track permitting should prioritise highly sustainable infrastructure projects. It also called for national sustainability criteria to align with the upcoming EU-wide rating scheme and said acceleration zones should not artificially restrict where new data centres can be built.

The company said Europe has an opportunity to build a resilient, competitive and open digital future. It said global innovation and European values can be advanced together through open source software, sovereign cloud partnerships and collaboration with European policymakers and regional partners.

Why does it matter?

The debate highlights a central challenge in Europe’s digital policy agenda: how to strengthen technological sovereignty without undermining openness, competition and access to global innovation. As the EU seeks greater control over critical digital infrastructure, cloud services and AI capabilities, policymakers must decide whether sovereignty should be defined primarily by ownership and geography or by technical safeguards and operational control.

The outcome could have significant implications for the future European cloud and AI market. Rules governing sovereign cloud services, data infrastructure and assurance standards will influence investment decisions, public-sector procurement, competition among providers and Europe’s ability to develop advanced AI capabilities. The discussion also reflects broader tensions between strategic autonomy and international technology partnerships that are increasingly shaping digital policy worldwide.

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China expands AI adoption across consumer economy

China’s Ministry of Commerce and seven other government departments have issued guidelines to accelerate the integration of AI into consumer markets.

The implementation document sets out 17 measures in five areas under an ‘AI plus consumption’ strategy. It aims to expand smart product consumption, support AI-enabled services and create new consumer scenarios.

For goods consumption, the guidelines call for a wider supply of AI products, upgrades to consumer electronics, household appliances and home products, and the development of smart wearable devices. They also promote AI-powered robots for elderly care, companionship and daily assistance.

For services, the measures encourage the use of AI in home services, elderly care, tourism, accommodation, catering and education. Examples include smart elderly-care facilities, AI-enabled tourism services and smart canteens in offices, schools and hospitals.

The guidelines also call for faster development of smart retail, deeper integration of AI with e-commerce and improved smart logistics networks at county, township and village levels. Authorities also want to expand delivery coverage in remote areas.

China will support ‘AI plus consumption’ clusters and AI experience centres, while encouraging rental, sharing and trial use of AI products in public venues. Local authorities are also encouraged to introduce subsidies for next-generation smart terminals and other AI-related consumer products under existing consumer goods trade-in policies.

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European Patent Office launches Data Desk innovation platform

The European Patent Office (EPO) has launched the Data Desk, a new platform designed to provide innovators, investors and policymakers with detailed insights into global technology, innovation and patent trends.

The initiative was unveiled at VivaTech 2026 in Paris and forms part of the EPO’s broader efforts to support innovation and technological competitiveness across Europe.

The platform combines patent statistics, technology trend analysis and data visualisation tools into a single publicly accessible resource. Users can explore developments across countries and technology sectors, while specialised technology maps provide deeper insights into strategic fields such as clean energy technologies and quantum computing.

Additional datasets covering AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity and other strategically important technologies are expected to be added in future updates.

A key feature of the Data Desk is a dedicated dashboard tracking the performance of more than 8,000 European deep-tech startups with patent filings. According to EPO data, startups with patent filings significantly outperform non-patenting counterparts in funding intensity, investment activity and job creation, highlighting the economic importance of intellectual property.

The launch comes as Europe seeks to strengthen technological sovereignty and reduce strategic dependencies in key sectors. By providing detailed patent intelligence and innovation data, the EPO aims to help decision makers identify emerging opportunities and support the development of Europe’s next generation of technology leaders.

Why does it matter?

The Data Desk gives policymakers, investors and businesses easier access to strategic innovation intelligence at a time when Europe is prioritising technological sovereignty.

Better visibility into patent activity, startup performance and emerging technologies could improve investment decisions, strengthen competitiveness and support European leadership in areas such as AI, semiconductors, quantum computing and cybersecurity.

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Japan and Australia deepen cybersecurity cooperation through policy dialogue

Japan and Australia held their seventh Cyber Policy Dialogue in Tokyo on 18 June, bringing together senior government officials to discuss cybersecurity strategy, emerging technologies and bilateral cooperation.

The whole-of-government meeting was co-chaired by Miyake Fumito, Japan’s Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy and Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Jessica Hunter, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Cybersecurity Office, National Police Agency, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry took part in the dialogue.

Australia was represented by officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Industry, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Home Affairs.

The dialogue followed Japan’s enactment of the Cyber Response Capability Strengthening Act and the adoption of a new national Cybersecurity Strategy, providing an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on evolving cyber policy frameworks. Both sides exchanged views on their respective cybersecurity strategies and policies, as well as cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels.

The meeting also built on the Japan-Australia Strategic Cyber Partnership, which Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to launch during their May summit.

Discussions covered defence and deterrence against cyber threats, capacity-building initiatives, public-private partnerships, AI-related security challenges and broader cybersecurity cooperation. Both governments reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation on cyber issues through bilateral mechanisms, including the Japan-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue.

Why does it matter?

The dialogue reflects the growing strategic importance of cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region. As cyber threats increasingly target governments, critical infrastructure and advanced technologies, countries are placing greater emphasis on international cooperation to strengthen resilience, share expertise and coordinate responses to emerging risks.

The inclusion of AI alongside traditional cybersecurity issues also highlights the changing nature of digital security. AI is becoming both a tool for cyber defence and a potential source of new threats, making policy coordination increasingly important. Closer cooperation between Japan and Australia may help strengthen regional cybersecurity governance while supporting broader efforts to address technological and security challenges in multilateral forums.

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Greece and the European Commission strengthen AI cooperation for public services

Greece and the European Commission have reinforced cooperation on AI through a conference held during the BEYOND 2026 exhibition, bringing together policymakers, academics, technology experts and citizens to discuss the future of AI in Europe.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou emphasised the importance of responsible and innovative AI adoption to improve public services, drive digital transformation and strengthen Greece’s competitiveness.

European Commission Director-General for Translation Christos Ellinides outlined the EU’s approach to AI, highlighting initiatives that support innovation, multilingualism and digital transformation across member states.

Commission experts presented AI-powered multilingual services and digital tools designed to improve communication, accessibility and collaboration across the European Union. Discussions also explored the opportunities and challenges associated with AI deployment, while emphasising the importance of maintaining a human-centric approach to technological development.

The conference concluded with calls for closer cooperation between European institutions and national authorities to develop reliable, secure and human-centric AI systems. Organisers said the initiative reflects Greece’s commitment to advancing digital transformation and strengthening its role within the emerging European AI ecosystem.

Why does it matter?

The conference highlights how AI policy in Europe is increasingly being shaped through cooperation between EU institutions and national governments. As countries seek to deploy AI across public services, education and digital infrastructure, coordination will be important for ensuring interoperability, trust and compliance with European regulatory frameworks.

The event also reflects Europe’s broader approach to AI governance, which aims to balance innovation with safeguards related to transparency, security and fundamental rights. By promoting multilingual AI tools, citizen-centred services and cross-border collaboration, initiatives such as this support the EU’s wider objectives of digital sovereignty, competitiveness and inclusive digital transformation.

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Asian Development Bank launches digital transformation strategy focused on AI and inclusion

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new digital transformation strategy aimed at helping countries across Asia and the Pacific harness AI and digital technologies while protecting vulnerable groups from associated risks.

According to ADB, the strategy will run from 2026 to 2030 and focus on expanding digital connectivity, strengthening digital skills, enhancing cybersecurity and privacy protections, improving data governance and promoting the responsible use of AI.

The bank said it will support the development of digital infrastructure, secure and interoperable systems, and measures to ensure that underserved communities can benefit from digital technologies.

ADB said it will also convene governments, private-sector actors and development partners to mobilise financing, share expertise and accelerate digital technologies initiatives across the regions.

Why does it matter?

The strategy reflects the growing recognition that digital transformation is becoming a key driver of economic development, public-sector modernisation and social inclusion. As AI, digital platforms and data-driven services become more important to competitiveness, countries with stronger digital infrastructure, skills and governance frameworks are likely to be better positioned to capture their benefits.

The initiative also highlights the need to balance innovation with safeguards. Expanding access to AI and digital technologies can create opportunities for growth and service delivery, but it also raises challenges related to cybersecurity, privacy, digital inequality and responsible AI governance. By combining investment in infrastructure with support for digital skills and governance, ADB is positioning digital transformation as both a development priority and a policy challenge for the region.

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