Artificial intelligence

Jersey launches AI council to drive innovation

A new Artificial Intelligence Council has been launched in Jersey to strengthen collaboration and coordinate the island’s approach to AI adoption. Led by Digital Jersey, the council seeks to bring together public and private sector initiatives to ensure AI technologies are used responsibly and effectively.

The council’s mission is to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange among key organisations, including the government, Jersey Finance, and the Institute of Directors. It aims to create a unified plan that draws on members’ expertise to maximise benefits while reducing potential risks.

Tony Moretta, chief executive of Digital Jersey and chair of the AI Council, said the island was at a pivotal stage in its AI journey. He emphasised that collective action could accelerate progress far more than isolated efforts across individual organisations.

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OpenAI becomes fastest-growing business platform in history

OpenAI has surpassed 1 million business customers, becoming the fastest-growing business platform in history. Companies in healthcare, finance, retail, and tech use ChatGPT for Work or API access to enhance operations, customer experiences, and team workflows.

Consumer familiarity is driving enterprise adoption. With over 800 million weekly ChatGPT users, rollouts face less friction. ChatGPT for Work now has more than 7 million seats, growing 40% in two months, while ChatGPT Enterprise seats have increased ninefold year-over-year.

Businesses are reporting strong ROI, with 75% seeing positive results from AI deployment.

New tools and integrations are accelerating adoption. Company knowledge lets AI work across Slack, SharePoint, and GitHub. Codex accelerates engineering workflows, while AgentKit facilitates rapid enterprise agent deployment.

Multimodal models now support text, images, video, and audio, allowing richer workflows across industries.

Many companies are building applications directly on OpenAI’s platform. Brands like Canva, Spotify, and Shopify are integrating AI into apps, and the Agentic Commerce Protocol is bringing conversational commerce to everyday experiences.

OpenAI aims to continue expanding capabilities in 2026, reimagining enterprise workflows with AI at the core.

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MAI-Image-1 arrives in Bing and Copilot with EU launch on the way

Microsoft’s in-house image generator, MAI-Image-1, now powers Bing Image Creator and Copilot Audio Expressions, with EU availability coming soon, according to Mustafa Suleyman. It’s optimised for speed and photorealism in food, landscapes, and stylised lighting.

In Copilot’s Story Mode, MAI-Image-1 pairs artwork with AI audio, linking text-to-image and text-to-speech. Microsoft pitches realism and fast iteration versus larger, slower models to shorten creative workflows.

The rollout follows August’s MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview. Copilot is shifting to OpenAI’s GPT-5 while continuing to offer Anthropic’s Claude, signalling a mixed-model strategy alongside homegrown systems.

Bing’s Image Creator lists three selectable models, which are MAI-Image-1, OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, and OpenAI’s GPT-4o. Microsoft says MAI-Image-1 enables faster ideation and hand-off to downstream tools for refinement.

Analysts see MAI-Image-1 as part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on third-party image systems while preserving user choice. Microsoft highlights safety tooling and copyright-aware practices across Copilot experiences as adoption widens.

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Turner & Townsend report finds power access threatens AI data centre construction

A new Turner & Townsend survey has found that power access and supply chains are the biggest obstacles to scaling AI data centres. Drawing on over 300 projects in more than 20 countries and input from 280 experts, the report states that 48% of respondents cite securing access to power as the top constraint, with wait times of up to seven years in the US.

The scale of planned build-outs is also intensifying the crunch. OpenAI’s disclosed projects alone would require 55.2 GW, enough electricity for about 44.2 million homes, putting data centres in direct competition with housing and manufacturing for limited power capacity across the US, UK and Europe. Turner & Townsend recommends on-site generation, energy storage or grid-independent power to keep projects moving, especially for AI facilities.

Cooling technology is the second chokepoint. Eighty-three percent of industry professionals say local supply chains cannot yet support advanced cooling for high-density AI. Moreover, costs are rising.

Air-cooled facilities saw a 5.5% cost-per-watt increase, while AI-optimised liquid-cooled designs are 7–10% more expensive than comparable air-cooled builds. The report urges operators to review procurement models to strengthen supply chains and accelerate delivery.

Governments are prioritising AI infrastructure, but investment is at risk without faster grid connections and reliable component supply. ‘Power availability remains a critical barrier,’ said Paul Barry of Turner & Townsend North America, noting growing competition for electricity from businesses and consumers. Chip supply could add further delays if manufacturers are unable to meet demand.

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SoftBank and OpenAI bring enterprise AI revolution to Japan

SoftBank and OpenAI have announced the launch of SB OAI Japan, a new joint venture established to deliver an advanced enterprise AI solution known as Crystal Intelligence. Unveiled on 5 November 2025, the initiative aims to transform Japan’s corporate management through tailored AI solutions.

SB OAI Japan will exclusively market Crystal Intelligence in Japan starting in 2026. The platform integrates OpenAI’s latest models with local implementation, system integration, and ongoing support.

Designed to enhance productivity and streamline management, Crystal Intelligence will help Japanese companies adopt AI tools suited to their specific operational needs.

SoftBank Corp. will be the first to deploy Crystal intelligence, testing and refining the technology before wider release. The company plans to share insights through SB OAI Japan to drive AI-powered transformation across industries.

The partnership underscores SoftBank’s vision of becoming an AI-native organisation. The group has already developed around 2.5 million custom GPTs for internal use.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the venture marks a significant step in bringing advanced AI to global enterprises. At the same time, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son described it as the beginning of a new era where AI agents autonomously collaborate to achieve business goals.

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Google launches Project Suncatcher to scale AI computing in space

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, a research initiative exploring how AI computation could be scaled in space. The project aims to create an interconnected constellation of solar-powered satellites equipped with Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips.

Researchers hope that off-Earth computation could unlock new possibilities for high-performance AI, powered directly by the Sun. Early research focuses on satellite design, communication systems and radiation testing to ensure the TPUs function in orbit.

The company plans a joint mission with Planet to launch two prototype satellites by early 2027. These trials will test the hardware in space and assess the feasibility of large-scale solar computation networks.

Project Suncatcher continues Google’s tradition of ambitious research ‘moonshots’, following advances in quantum computing and autonomous systems. If successful, it could redefine how energy and computing resources are harnessed for future AI breakthroughs.

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Samsung strengthens Galaxy AI privacy and user control features

Samsung has expanded its privacy and security controls for Galaxy AI, emphasising transparency and user choice. The company stated that its AI systems are designed with privacy at their core, ensuring users remain in control of how their personal data is managed and processed.

Galaxy AI combines on-device and cloud-based processing, enabling users to choose where their information is processed. Features such as Live Translate, Interpreter and Generative Edit can operate fully on-device, preventing sensitive data from leaving the phone.

Samsung’s Security and Privacy dashboard provides clear visibility into app permissions, data sharing, and potential threats. Users can track which apps have accessed personal information and enable Auto Blocker, a tool that prevents malware and unauthorised installations.

Additional settings like Maximum Restrictions provide an extra layer of defence by blocking unsafe networks and preventing data interception. Samsung stated that its goal is to develop smarter, adaptive security systems that safeguard privacy while supporting the evolution of AI capabilities.

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UAE invites public to design commemorative AI coin

The UAE has launched a pioneering initiative inviting the public to design a commemorative coin using AI. The competition, run by the AI Office and Central Bank, coincides with National Code Day, marking the UAE’s first electronic government in 2001.

Participants must create a circular coin design with generative AI tools, adhering to ethical and legal standards suitable for minting. Officials emphasise that the initiative reflects the UAE’s ambition to reinforce its position as a global hub for technology and innovation.

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, highlighted the project as part of the nation’s digital vision. Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama added that the competition promotes public engagement and the development of innovative skills.

The winning design will feature on a commemorative coin issued by the UAE Central Bank, symbolising the country’s leadership in the digital era.

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OpenAI’s Sora app launches on Android

OpenAI’s AI video generator, Sora, is now officially available for Android users in the US, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The app, which debuted on iOS in September, quickly reached over 1 million downloads within a week.

Its arrival on the Google Play Store is expected to attract a wider audience and boost user engagement.

The Android version retains key features, including ‘Cameos,’ which allow users to generate videos of themselves performing various activities. Users can share content in a TikTok-style feed, as OpenAI aims to compete with TikTok, Instagram, and Meta’s AI video feed, Vibes.

Sora has faced criticism over deepfakes and the use of copyrighted characters. Following user-uploaded videos of historical figures and popular characters, OpenAI strengthened guardrails and moved from an ‘opt-out’ to an ‘opt-in’ policy for rights holders.

The app is also involved in a legal dispute with Cameo over the name of its flagship feature.

OpenAI plans to add new features, including character cameos for pets and objects, basic video editing tools, and personalised social feeds. These updates aim to enhance user experience while maintaining responsible and ethical AI use in video generation.

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Google AI roadmap aims to accelerate nature protection and restoration

Google and the World Resources Institute have co-authored a new paper on how to harness AI to support conservation efforts. The paper begins by highlighting successful applications of AI in nature conservation. There are near-real-time monitoring tools that track forests and oceans.

For instance, platforms like Global Fishing Watch scan billions of satellite signals to map human activity at sea and support sustainable fishing. Citizen-science apps such as iNaturalist use AI to identify plants and animals from a photo, turning observations into usable biodiversity data.

New multimodal approaches combine satellite imagery, audio recordings and field notes to help scientists understand whole ecosystems and decide where conservation efforts are needed most.

The report sets out three recommendations to scale the impact AI. First, expand primary biodiversity data and shared infrastructure, collect more images, audio and field observations, and make them accessible through common standards and public repositories.

Second, invest in open, trustworthy models and platforms (for example, Wildlife Insights), with transparent methods, independent testing and governance so results can be reused and audited.

Third, strengthen two-way knowledge exchange between AI developers, practitioners, and indigenous and local communities through co-design, training and funding, ensuring tools match real needs on the ground.

Their message is that AI can act as a force multiplier, but only when paired with on-the-ground capacity, ethical safeguards and long-term funding, enabling communities and conservation agencies to use these tools to protect and restore ecosystems. However, Google has faced scrutiny in the past over meeting its climate goals, including its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2030.

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