Artificial intelligence

OpenAI launches training courses for workers and teachers

OpenAI has unveiled two training courses designed to prepare workers and educators for careers shaped by AI. The new AI Foundations course is delivered directly inside ChatGPT, enabling learners to practise tasks, receive guidance, and earn a credential that signals job-ready skills.

Employers, including Walmart, John Deere, Lowe’s, BCG and Accenture, are among the early adopters. Public-sector partners in the US are also joining pilots, while universities such as Arizona State and the California State system are testing certification pathways for students.

A second course, ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers, is available on Coursera and is designed for K-12 educators. It introduces core concepts, classroom applications and administrative uses, reflecting growing teacher reliance on AI tools.

OpenAI states that demand for AI skills is increasing rapidly, with workers trained in the field earning significantly higher salaries. The company frames the initiative as a key step toward its upcoming jobs platform.

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US War Department unveils AI-powered GenAI.mil for all personnel

The War Department has formally launched GenAI.mil, a bespoke generative AI platform powered initially by Gemini for Government, making frontier AI capabilities available to its approximately three million military, civilian, and contractor staff.

According to the department’s announcement, GenAI.mil supports so-called ‘intelligent agentic workflows’: users can summarise documents, generate risk assessments, draft policy or compliance material, analyse imagery or video, and automate routine tasks, all on a secure, IL5-certified platform designed for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

The rollout, described as part of a broader push to cultivate an ‘AI-first’ workforce, follows a July directive from the administration calling for the United States to achieve ‘unprecedented levels of AI technological superiority.’

Department leaders said the platform marks a significant shift in how the US military operates, embedding AI into daily workflows and positioning AI as a force multiplier.

Access is limited to users with a valid DoW common-access card, and the service is currently restricted to non-classified work. The department also says the first rollout is just the beginning; additional AI models from other providers will be added later.

From a tech-governance and defence-policy perspective, this represents one of the most sweeping deployments of generative AI in a national security organisation to date.

It raises critical questions about security, oversight and the balance between efficiency and risk, especially if future iterations expand into classified or operational planning contexts.

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Workplace study highlights Gemini’s impact on creativity

Google’s new research on the impact of Gemini AI in Workspace reveals that the technology is reshaping how teams collaborate, with surveyed workers reporting weekly time savings and increasing confidence in AI-supported tasks.

The findings, based on input from more than 1,200 leaders and employees across six countries, suggest generative AI is becoming integral to routine workflows.

Many users report that Gemini helps them accomplish more in less time, generate ideas faster, and redirect their attention from repetitive tasks to higher-value work.

The report highlights wider organisational benefits. Leaders see AI as a driver of innovation, but a gap remains between executive ambitions and employee readiness. Google says structured training and phased rollouts are key to building trust and improving adoption accuracy.

New and updated Workspace features aim to address these needs. Recent Gemini releases offer improved task automation, enhanced email drafting, and advanced storytelling tools, while no-code agent builders support more complex workflow design without specialist skills.

The research points to a broader transformation in digital productivity. Companies using Gemini report fewer hours spent on administrative work, higher engagement, and stronger collaboration as AI becomes a functional layer that supports rather than replaces human judgement.

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OpenAI launches Agentic AI Foundation with industry partners

The US AI company, OpenAI, has co-founded the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) under the Linux Foundation alongside Anthropic, Block, Google, Microsoft, AWS, Bloomberg, and Cloudflare.

A foundation that aims to provide neutral stewardship for open, interoperable agentic AI infrastructure as systems move from experimental prototypes into real-world applications.

The initiative includes the donation of OpenAI’s AGENTS.md, a lightweight Markdown file designed to provide agents with project-specific instructions and context.

Since its release in August 2025, AGENTS.md has been adopted by more than 60,000 open-source projects, ensuring consistent behaviour across diverse repositories and frameworks. Contributions from Anthropic and Block will include the Model Context Protocol and the goose project, respectively.

By establishing AAIF, the co-founders intend to prevent ecosystem fragmentation and foster safe, portable, and interoperable agentic AI systems.

The foundation provides a shared platform for development, governance, and extension of open standards, with oversight by the Linux Foundation to guarantee neutral, long-term stewardship.

OpenAI emphasises that the foundation will support developers, enterprises, and the wider open-source community, inviting contributors to help shape agentic AI standards.

The AAIF reflects a collaborative effort to advance agentic AI transparently and in the public interest while promoting innovation across tools and platforms.

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Snowflake launches AI platform for Japan enterprises

Japan’s businesses are set to gain new AI capabilities with the arrival of Snowflake Intelligence, a platform designed to let employees ask complex data questions using natural language.

The tool integrates structured and unstructured data into a single environment, enabling faster and more transparent decision-making.

Early adoption worldwide has seen more than 15,000 AI agents deployed in recent months, reflecting growing demand for enterprise AI. Snowflake Intelligence builds on this momentum by offering rapid text-to-SQL responses, advanced agent management and strong governance controls.

Japanese enterprises are expected to benefit from streamlined workflows, increased productivity, and improved competitiveness as AI agents uncover patterns across various sectors, including finance and manufacturing.

Snowflake aims to showcase the platform’s full capabilities during its upcoming BUILD event in December while promoting broader adoption of data-driven innovation.

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Salesforce pushes unified data model for safer AI agents

Salesforce and Informatica are promoting a shared data framework designed to provide AI agents with a deeper understanding of business. Salesforce states that many projects fail due to context gaps, which leave agents unable to interpret enterprise data accurately.

Informatica adds master data management and a broad catalogue that defines core business entities across systems. Data lineage tools track how information moves through an organisation, helping agents judge reliability and freshness.

Data 360 merges these metadata layers and signals into a unified context interface without copying enterprise datasets. Salesforce claims that the approach provides Agentforce with a more comprehensive view of customers, processes, and policies, thereby supporting safer automation.

Wyndham and Yamaha representatives, quoted by Salesforce, say the combined stack helps reduce data inconsistency and accelerate decision-making. Both organisations report improved access to governed and harmonised records that support larger AI strategies.

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Google faces scrutiny over AI use of online content

The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into Google over concerns it used publisher and YouTube content to develop its AI services on unfair terms.

Regulators are assessing whether Google used its dominant position to gain unfair access to content powering features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. They are examining whether publishers were disadvantaged by being unable to refuse use of their content without losing visibility on Google Search.

The probe also covers concerns that YouTube creators may have been required to allow the use of their videos for AI training without compensation, while rival AI developers remain barred from using YouTube content.

The investigation will determine whether these practices breached EU rules on abuse of dominance under Article 102 TFEU. Authorities intend to prioritise the case, though no deadline applies.

Google and national competition authorities have been formally notified as the inquiry proceeds.

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US rollout brings AI face tagging to Amazon Ring

Amazon has begun rolling out a new facial recognition feature for its Ring doorbells, allowing devices to identify frequent visitors and send personalised alerts instead of generic motion notifications.

The feature, called Familiar Faces, enables users to create a catalogue of up to 50 individuals, such as family members, friends, neighbours or delivery drivers, by labelling faces directly within the Ring app.

Amazon says the rollout is now under way in the United States, where Ring owners can opt in to the feature, which is disabled by default and designed to reduce unwanted or repetitive alerts.

The company claims facial data is encrypted, not shared externally and not used to train AI models, while unnamed faces are automatically deleted after 30 days, giving users ongoing control over stored information.

Privacy advocates and lawmakers remain concerned, however, citing Ring’s past security failures and law enforcement partnerships as evidence that convenience-driven surveillance tools can introduce long-term risks to personal privacy.

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MIT introduces rapid object creation using AI

MIT researchers have created a speech-driven system that uses AI and robotics to build physical objects in minutes. Users provide a spoken request, and a robotic arm constructs items such as stools, shelves or decorative pieces from modular components.

The workflow turns spoken input into a digital mesh, divides it into parts and adjusts the design for real-world fabrication. An automated sequence directs the robot to assemble the object, enabling quick production without modelling or robotics expertise.

The modular approach reduces waste by allowing components to be disassembled and reused. The team also plans enhancements to improve structural strength and extend the system to larger-scale applications.

Researchers are also working on combining speech with gesture control to offer more intuitive interaction between humans, AI and robots.

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Deutsche Telekom partners with OpenAI to expand advanced AI services across Europe

OpenAI has formed a new partnership with Deutsche Telekom to deliver advanced AI capabilities to millions of people across Europe. The collaboration brings together Deutsche Telekom’s customer base and OpenAI’s research to expand the availability of practical AI tools.

The companies aim to introduce simple, multilingual and privacy-focused AI services starting in 2026, helping users communicate, learn and accomplish tasks more efficiently. Widespread familiarity with platforms such as ChatGPT is expected to support rapid uptake of these new offerings.

Deutsche Telekom will introduce ChatGPT Enterprise internally, giving staff secure access to tools that improve customer support and streamline workflows. The move aligns with the firm’s goal of modernising operations through intelligent automation.

Further integration of AI into network management and employee copilots will support the transition towards more autonomous, self-optimising systems. The partnership is expected to strengthen the availability and reliability of AI services throughout Europe.

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