Artificial intelligence Archives | Page 8 of 676

South Korea selects site for AI defence robotics hub

South Chungcheong Province and the city of Nonsan have been selected to host a new AI defence robotics innovation cluster in South Korea.

The project was chosen under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s 2026 defence innovation cluster programme and will run for five years, from 2026 to 2030. It will receive a total of 49.9 billion won in national and local funding, including 24.5 billion won from the central government.

The cluster will be developed around Naedong and Yeonmu-eup in Nonsan and will focus on building an AI defence robotics ecosystem. The project is intended to support the full development cycle, from technology research and testing to demonstration and commercialisation.

Plans include a 45,190-square-metre testing and certification facility in Yeonmu-eup, designed to support research and development, test evaluation and demonstration activities in one location.

The initiative will involve Chungnam Techno Park, Konyang University, the Korea Testing Laboratory, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute and KAIST’s Mobility AX Research Institute.

Provincial officials said Nonsan’s existing defence infrastructure, including the Nonsan Defence National Industrial Complex, the headquarters of South Korea’s three armed services and Korea National Defense University, helped support the site’s selection.

Why does it matter?

The project shows how South Korea is linking AI, robotics and defence industrial policy through testing and certification infrastructure. For digital policy, the relevant signal is the institutionalisation of AI-enabled military robotics development, including facilities for experimentation, evaluation and commercialisation. It also reflects the growing importance of regional defence-tech clusters as governments seek to build domestic capacity in autonomous and unmanned systems.

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Uruguay launches Latin America’s first national AI ethics business council

Uruguay has become the first country in Latin America to establish a national Business Council for the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, a UNESCO-backed initiative aimed at strengthening responsible AI governance.

Launched in Montevideo, the council will serve as a platform connecting businesses, academic institutions and public authorities to promote ethical, transparent and accountable AI development.

The initiative is aligned with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted in 2021 as the first global normative framework dedicated to the ethical governance of AI. The council aims to ensure that AI deployment promotes human well-being, fundamental rights, transparency and non-discrimination while supporting innovation.

The Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technologies will lead the national chapter, supported by representatives from the technology and telecommunications sectors.

During 2026, the council plans to focus on integrating ethical AI practices into business operations, strengthening technical capabilities and promoting Uruguay as a regional reference point for AI governance.

UNESCO officials noted that ethical AI principles can strengthen innovation by fostering trust, accountability and long-term sustainability. Such an initiative by Uruguay is expected to contribute to broader regional discussions on AI governance and responsible digital transformation.

Why does it matter?

As AI adoption accelerates, governments and businesses are increasingly seeking governance mechanisms that balance innovation with accountability, transparency and respect for fundamental rights. While many AI governance initiatives have focused on regulation, Uruguay’s approach places particular emphasis on engaging the private sector in the implementation of ethical AI principles.

The initiative also reflects a broader international trend towards multi-stakeholder AI governance, bringing together government, industry and academia to address challenges such as bias, transparency and responsible deployment. As the first initiative of its kind in Latin America, the council could influence regional discussions on AI governance and digital transformation.

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ILO highlights child protection risks amid digital transformation

The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), used a high-level roundtable in Türkiye to highlight the growing connection between digital transformation and child protection.

While the event focused primarily on eliminating child labour, discussions also examined the opportunities and risks associated with rapid technological change.

ILO Türkiye Director Yasser Hassan noted that digital transformation can support economic development, productivity growth and poverty reduction. However, he warned that rapidly evolving technologies may also expose children to new forms of exploitation, including technology-enabled commercial sexual exploitation and other online harms.

Participants stressed that child protection considerations should be incorporated into the design, deployment and governance of digital technologies from the outset. The discussion reflected growing international concern that digitalisation can create new vulnerabilities alongside economic opportunities, particularly for children and young people.

The ILO roundtable also highlighted Türkiye’s broader policy agenda, including digital transformation initiatives within the National Employment Strategy 2025–2028. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of ensuring that digital innovation is accompanied by education, social protection, labour rights protections and child safeguarding measures.

Why does it matter?

The discussion reflects an increasingly important policy debate: how digital transformation can be harnessed while protecting vulnerable groups from emerging risks.

As governments, businesses and international organisations accelerate the adoption of AI, digital platforms and connected technologies, concerns about online child exploitation, digital rights and technology governance are becoming more prominent.

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EU publishes the final Code for labelling AI-generated content

The European Commission has published the final Code of Practice on marking and labelling AI-generated content, offering practical guidance for providers and deployers preparing to comply with transparency obligations under the EU AI Act.

The code is voluntary, but the underlying transparency obligations in Article 50 of the AI Act will apply from 2 August 2026. The Commission said the code is intended to help organisations implement those obligations in a consistent, practical and proportionate way.

The framework covers two main areas. Providers of generative AI systems are guided on marking and detecting AI-generated or manipulated audio, image, video and text content, including through machine-readable solutions where technically feasible. Deployers are guided on labelling deepfakes and AI-generated or manipulated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest.

Under the AI Act, users must also be informed when they are interacting with interactive AI systems, such as chatbots. The transparency requirements are intended to help people recognise when content has been generated or altered by AI and to reduce the risk of deception and manipulation.

The Commission has also published a set of the EU icons that deployers may use to label certain AI-generated content. The code does not replace the AI Act or future Commission guidelines on Article 50, which are expected before the transparency obligations begin to apply.

The Commission and the AI Board will now assess the code’s adequacy. If assessed positively, providers and deployers who sign the code may use its measures to help demonstrate compliance with the AI Act’s transparency rules.

Why does it matter?

The code is an important step in turning the AI Act’s transparency provisions into operational practice. Labelling and machine-readable marking rules could shape how platforms, AI providers, media organisations and other deployers handle synthetic text, images, audio and video. The measures are especially relevant for public-interest information, where undisclosed AI-generated or manipulated content can affect trust, elections, journalism and public debate.

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Google DeepMind launches robotics accelerator for European startups

Google DeepMind has launched a three-month robotics accelerator for early-stage startups across Europe, offering technical mentorship, product guidance and access to AI tools, including Gemini robotics models.

The first cohort includes 15 companies working on robotics and embodied AI applications in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, construction, healthcare, waste sorting, marine robotics and industrial automation. The selected founders began the programme in London this week.

According to Google, the accelerator is intended to help startups integrate advanced AI capabilities into physical systems and turn robotics research into deployable products. Participants will receive support from Google DeepMind and Google experts, as well as access to technical resources and partner networks.

The selected companies are developing technologies ranging from robotic welding and construction systems to autonomous underwater robots, neurosurgical microrobots, humanoid systems, robotic sensing and industrial AI tools.

The programme reflects growing commercial interest in embodied AI, where advances in language, vision and action models are being applied to machines that operate in physical environments.

Why does it matter?

Robotics is becoming an important test case for how advanced AI moves from digital tools into physical systems. As foundation models are integrated into manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, construction and infrastructure, questions around safety, reliability, liability, labour impact and deployment standards will become more important. Google DeepMind’s accelerator is not a regulatory development, but it signals growing industry investment in Europe’s embodied AI ecosystem.

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CISA updates vulnerability remediation rules

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a binding directive requiring federal civilian agencies to prioritise vulnerability remediation based on risk.

Binding Operational Directive 26-04 directs agencies to align their vulnerability management policies around four criteria: whether an affected asset is exposed, whether a vulnerability is listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue, whether exploitation can be automated and the likely technical impact after exploitation.

CISA said the directive consolidates and updates earlier requirements for internet-accessible systems and known exploited vulnerabilities. The agency said the approach is intended to help federal civilian agencies focus remediation on the vulnerabilities most likely to cause serious harm.

The directive comes as threat actors continue to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities, with CISA warning that AI software services could help attackers identify and exploit weaknesses more quickly. The agency said AI-enabled exploitation may further reduce the time defenders have between a patch release and attempted compromise.

The directive also requires agencies to consider whether a system may already be compromised before applying a patch. CISA said applying a patch generally does not remove an attacker who already has access to a system, making compromise checks important for risk management.

CISA will monitor agency compliance and provide implementation support. Although the directive is binding only for federal civilian agencies, CISA encouraged other organisations to adopt similar risk-based vulnerability management practices.

Why does it matter?

The directive reflects a shift in federal cybersecurity from treating vulnerability remediation as a fixed checklist to prioritising flaws based on exploitation risk, exposure, and potential impact. That matters because attackers increasingly move quickly from disclosure to exploitation, and AI tools may further shorten that window. For governments and critical organisations, vulnerability management is becoming a continuous risk-management process rather than a periodic patching exercise.

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Pope Leo XIV warns AI must not replace human judgement and dignity

Pope Leo XIV has reiterated his concerns about AI, warning that technological advances should not diminish the role of human judgement, human dignity and personal relationships. Speaking before the Spanish Congress, the pope said AI offers significant opportunities but cannot replace human beings or the values that sustain society.

Referring to his recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Leo XIV argued that technology reflects the choices of those who design, finance and regulate it. He stressed that policymakers and businesses must ensure that AI development continues to prioritise human dignity, labour rights, solidarity and the common good.

The pope also cautioned against excessive reliance on AI-generated responses, warning that it could weaken creativity, critical thinking and independent judgement. He further warned that AI systems designed to simulate empathy or friendship could create misleading perceptions of human connection, particularly among vulnerable users.

His remarks come amid growing global debate over AI governance and safety. Among those welcoming the pope’s intervention was Chris Olah, who praised the importance of independent voices pushing for responsible AI development and stronger safeguards as the technology becomes increasingly influential.

Why does it matter?

The pope’s intervention reflects a broader global debate over the social and ethical consequences of AI. As governments, technology firms, and international organisations consider how to govern increasingly capable AI systems, concerns are expanding beyond technical risks to include human autonomy, social cohesion, and the future of interpersonal relationships.

The remarks highlight growing calls for AI policies that balance innovation with safeguards designed to preserve human agency and trust.

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Visa expands AI and stablecoin tools for programmable commerce

Visa has announced new AI, stablecoin and tokenisation capabilities aimed at supporting agentic and programmable commerce.

The updates were presented at the Visa Payments Forum 2026 and focus on transactions initiated or supported by AI agents, as well as blockchain-based settlement and value transfer. Visa said the tools are intended to add trust, security and control as commerce becomes more automated.

The company introduced Agent Score, which allows merchants to assess whether their websites are ready for AI agents to navigate and complete tasks. It also announced an Agentic Directory of verified agents and merchants, intended to help participants identify legitimate actors in agentic commerce.

Visa also announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI that would allow AI agents to initiate Visa payments within defined user permissions. OpenAI will provide the conversational interface, while Visa will provide the underlying payment infrastructure.

The company introduced a Large Transaction Model trained on billions of transactions to improve fraud detection, authorisation performance and reduce false declines. It also announced token enhancements designed to add more transaction context, identity, permissions and behavioural signals to digital payment credentials.

On the settlement side, Visa said it is developing technology that would allow banks to issue tokenised deposits and is expanding stablecoin settlement pilots across multiple regions, blockchains and currencies. The company said it has moved billions of dollars in stablecoins across VisaNet, with an annualised run rate of about $7 billion as of March 2026. More than 160 stablecoin-linked card programmes are live or in development globally, according to Visa.

Why does it matter?

Visa’s announcements show how major payment networks are preparing for AI agents to initiate transactions and for stablecoins and tokenised deposits to play a larger role in settlement. The policy relevance lies in trust infrastructure: verifying agents and merchants, defining user permissions, managing fraud risk, strengthening digital identity signals and keeping programmable payment systems within regulated financial channels.

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UK backs open-source AI developers with compute and mentoring

The UK government has announced new support for open-source AI developers, including computing resources, mentoring and a policy engagement channel for younger developers.

The measures were announced during London Tech Week by AI Minister Kanishka Narayan as part of a wider package covering open-source AI, data centre design and workplace robotics.

The new Open-Source AI Builder Fund will provide more than £500,000 worth of compute to selected projects from the Hack for Impact hackathon. The support will include 160,000 GPU-hours through the UK’s AI Research Resource, intended to help teams move from prototypes to operational AI tools.

The government also announced an Open-Source AI Builder Mentoring Scheme, which will pair hackathon winners with experts from the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence, the government’s in-house AI team. A new Open-Source AI Dev Board will give 10 UK-based developers under 30 a route to contribute to government discussions on how AI is used and developed.

The package also includes a government-backed Data Centre Design Challenge with the Royal Institute of British Architects, focused on improving the design, sustainability and local community value of data centres.

Separately, the Regulatory Innovation Office and the Health and Safety Executive will work with industry to develop guidance on the safe use of collaborative robots in workplaces.

Why does it matter?

The announcement shows how governments are trying to broaden participation in AI development beyond large commercial labs by supporting open-source builders with compute, mentoring and access to policy discussions. It also links AI policy to the physical and regulatory infrastructure around deployment, including data centres and workplace robotics. The package is not a major funding programme, but it signals the UK’s effort to shape domestic AI capacity through practical support and regulatory clarity.

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ILO and Singapore expand cooperation on AI and the future of work in ASEAN

The International Labour Organization and Singapore have renewed their partnership to support ASEAN countries in responding to labour market changes linked to AI, platform work and demographic shifts.

The new ‘Partnership Agreement for a Collaborative Programme on Labour and Decent Work’ will run from June 2026 to June 2028. It builds on more than 15 years of cooperation between the ILO and Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower.

Developed in consultation with Singapore’s tripartite partners, including the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, the framework aims to strengthen the capacity of governments, employers and workers across ASEAN.

The renewed partnership adds new priority areas, including AI, platform work, non-standard employment, demographic transitions and older workers’ participation in the labour market. Existing areas of cooperation, such as occupational safety and health, skills development and social dialogue, will continue.

The agreement will support policy dialogue, knowledge-sharing activities and the exchange of good practices among ASEAN member states. Recent initiatives under the cooperation framework include the Leaders in Tripartism Programme in Singapore in April 2026 and the Global Dialogue on Digital Platform Work in September 2025, which brought together participants from more than 20 countries.

The renewed partnership reflects a broader focus on how ASEAN labour markets can adapt to technological change, ageing societies and new forms of work while maintaining decent work standards.

Why does it matter?

AI and platform work are reshaping labour markets faster than many policy frameworks can adapt. The ILO-Singapore partnership is not a binding regulatory measure, but it creates a regional cooperation channel for ASEAN governments, employers and workers to exchange approaches on skills, social dialogue, worker protection and decent work standards as employment models change.

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