Teenagers account for most of the serious threats reported against supermarket staff across South Island stores, according to a privacy report released on Foodstuffs South Island’s facial recognition trial.
The company is testing the technology in three Christchurch supermarkets to identify only adult repeat offenders, rather than minors, even though six out of the ten worst offenders are under eighteen.
A system that creates a biometric template of every shopper at the trial stores and deletes it if there is no match with a watchlist. Detections remain stored within the Auror platform for seven years, while personal images are deleted on the same day.
The technology is supplied by the Australian firm Vix Vizion, in collaboration with Auror, which is already known for its vehicle plate recognition systems.
Foodstuffs argues the trial is justified by rising threatening and violent behaviour towards staff across all age groups.
A previous North Island pilot scanned 226 million faces and generated more than 1700 alerts, leading the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand to conclude that strong safeguards could reduce privacy intrusion to an acceptable level.
The watchlist only includes adults previously involved in violence or serious threats, and any matches undergo human checks before action is taken.
Foodstuffs continues to provide regular updates to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as the South Island trial proceeds.
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AI is transforming how news is produced and consumed, moving faster than audiences and policies can adapt. Journalists increasingly use AI for research, transcription and content optimisation, creating new trust challenges.
Ethical concerns are rising when AI misrepresents events or uses content without consent. Media organisations have introduced guidelines, but experts warn that rules alone cannot cover every scenario.
Audience scepticism remains, even as journalists adopt AI tools in daily practice. Transparency, apparent human oversight and ethical adoption are key to maintaining credibility and legitimacy.
Europe faces pressure to strengthen its trust infrastructure and regulate the use of AI in newsrooms. Experts argue that democratic stability depends on informed audiences and resilient journalism to counter disinformation.
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TikTok removed fake adverts for weight loss drugs after a company impersonating UK retailer Boots used AI-generated videos. The clips falsely showed healthcare professionals promoting prescription-only medicines.
Boots said it contacted TikTok after becoming aware of the misleading adverts circulating on the platform. TikTok confirmed the videos were removed for breaching its rules on deceptive and harmful advertising.
BBC reporting found the account was briefly able to repost the same videos before being taken down. The account appeared to be based in Hong Kong and directed users to a website selling the drugs.
UK health regulators warned that prescription-only weight loss medicines must only be supplied by registered pharmacies. TikTok stated that it continues to strengthen its detection systems and bans the promotion of controlled substances.
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Rising demand for AI is pushing data centre servers to operate at extreme speeds and temperatures. Traditional air cooling is no longer sufficient for the most powerful computer chips.
Liquid cooling systems use sprays or immersion baths to remove heat more efficiently. These methods allow continuous high performance while reducing the risk of hardware failure and overheating.
Environmental concerns are growing as data centres consume vast amounts of energy and water. Closed-loop liquid cooling cuts electricity use and limits water withdrawal from local supplies and ecosystems.
Concerns persist regarding certain cooling chemicals and their potential climate impact. Researchers and companies are developing safer fluids and passive cooling inspired by natural systems and biological processes.
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An EU-funded project, AIOLIA, is examining how Europe’s approach to trustworthy AI can be applied in practice. Principles such as transparency and accountability are embedded in the AI Act’s binding rules. Turning those principles into design choices remains difficult.
The project focuses on closing that gap by analysing how AI ethics is applied in real systems. Its work supports the implementation of AI Act requirements beyond legal text. Lessons are translated into practical training.
Project coordinator Alexei Grinbaum argues that ethical principles vary widely by context. Engineers are expected to follow them, but implications differ across systems. Bridging the gap requires concrete examples.
AIOLIA analyses ten use cases across multiple domains involving professionals and citizens. The project examines how organisations operationalise ethics under regulatory and organisational constraints. Findings highlight transferable practices without a single model.
Training is central to the initiative, particularly for EU ethics evaluators and researchers working under the AI Act framework. As AI becomes more persuasive, risks around manipulation grow. AIOLIA aims to align ethical language with daily decisions.
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ChatGPT Atlas has introduced an agent mode that allows an AI browser agent to view webpages and perform actions directly. The feature supports everyday workflows using the same context as a human user. Expanded capability also increases security exposure.
Prompt injection has emerged as a key threat to browser-based agents, targeting AI behaviour rather than software flaws. Malicious instructions embedded in content can redirect an agent from the user’s intended action. Successful attacks may trigger unauthorised actions.
To address the risk, OpenAI has deployed a security update to Atlas. The update includes an adversarially trained model and strengthened safeguards. It followed internal automated red teaming.
Automated red teaming uses reinforcement learning to train AI attackers that search for complex exploits. Simulations test how agents respond to injected prompts. Findings are used to harden models and system-level defences.
Prompt injection is expected to remain a long-term security challenge for AI agents. Continued investment in testing, training, and rapid mitigation aims to reduce real-world risk. The goal is to achieve reliable and secure AI assistance.
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Splat is a new mobile app from the team behind Retro that uses generative AI to transform personal photos into colouring pages designed for children. The app targets parents seeking creative activities, free from advertising clutter and pay-per-page websites.
Users can upload images from their camera roll or select from curated educational categories, then apply styles such as cartoon, anime or comic.
Parents guide the initial setup through simple preferences instead of a lengthy account creation process, while children can colour either on-screen or on printed pages.
Splat operates on a subscription basis, offering weekly or annual plans that limit the number of generated pages. Access to payments and settings is restricted behind parental verification, helping prevent accidental purchases by younger users.
The app reflects a broader trend in applying generative AI to child-friendly creativity tools. By focusing on ease of use and offline activities, Splat positions itself as an alternative to screen-heavy entertainment while encouraging imaginative play.
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AI is becoming central to Vietnam’s urban development as major cities adopt data-led systems. Leaders at the Vietnam–Asia Smart City Summit said AI now shapes planning, service delivery and daily operations nationwide.
Experts noted rising pressure on cities, with congestion, pollution and population growth driving demand for more innovative governance. AI is helping authorities shift towards proactive management, using forecasting tools, shared data platforms and real-time supervision.
Speakers highlighted deployments across transport control, environmental monitoring, disaster alerts and administrative oversight. Hanoi and Da Nang presented advanced models, with Da Nang recognised again for achievements in green development and digital operations.
Delegates agreed that long-term progress depends on strong data foundations, closer coordination and clear strategic roadmaps in Vietnam. Many stressed that technology must prioritise public benefit, with citizens placed at the centre of smart-city design.
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Florida lawmakers are preparing a sweeping AI Bill of Rights as political debates intensify. Senator Tom Leek introduced a proposal to provide residents with clearer safeguards while regulating how firms utilise advanced systems across the state.
The plan outlines parental control over minors’ interactions with AI and requires disclosure when people engage with automated systems. It also sets boundaries on political advertising created with AI and restricts state contracts with suppliers linked to countries of concern.
Governor Ron DeSantis maintains Florida can advance its agenda despite federal attempts to curb state-level AI rules. He argues the state has the authority to defend consumers while managing the rising costs of new data centre developments.
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about young users forming harmful online bonds with AI companions, prompting calls for stronger protections. The legislation now forms part of a broader clash over online safety, privacy rights and fast-growing AI industries.
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ChatGPT has introduced a new feature, ‘Your Year with ChatGPT,’ allowing users to review their interactions with the AI over the past 12 months. The optional summary highlights high-level themes from conversations and provides usage statistics.
The feature is gradually rolling out to Free, Plus, and Pro users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Users must have Memory and Reference Chat History enabled and meet a minimum activity threshold to access the review.
Those with limited activity will only see basic statistics.
Available anytime via the prompt ‘Your Year with ChatGPT’, the review reflects on how individual usage evolved throughout 2025. ChatGPT emphasises that the experience is designed to provide insights for frequent users, with access varying by account type, region, and language.
The new feature allows AI enthusiasts to reflect on their engagement over the year and gain a personalised snapshot of their interactions, encouraging a fresh look at how ChatGPT has been integrated into daily use.
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