The US tech giant, Google, has dismissed over 200 contractors working on its Gemini chatbot and AI Overviews tool. However, this sparks criticism from labour advocates and claims of retaliation against workers pushing for unionisation.
Many affected staff were highly trained ‘super raters’ who helped refine Google’s AI systems, yet were abruptly laid off.
The move highlights growing concerns over job insecurity in the AI sector, where companies depend heavily on outsourced and low-paid contract workers instead of permanent employees.
Workers allege they were penalised for raising issues about inadequate pay, poor working conditions, and the risks of training AI that could eventually replace them.
Google has attempted to distance itself from the controversy, arguing that subcontractor GlobalLogic handled the layoffs rather than the company itself.
Yet critics say that outsourcing allows the tech giant to expand its AI operations without accountability, while undermining collective bargaining efforts.
Labour experts warn that the cuts reflect a broader industry trend in which AI development rests on precarious work arrangements. With union-busting claims intensifying, the dismissals are now seen as part of a deeper struggle over workers’ rights in the digital economy.
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Harvard Medical School researchers have developed an AI tool that could transform drug discovery by identifying multiple drivers of disease and suggesting treatments to restore cells to a healthy state.
The model, called PDGrapher, utilises graph neural networks to map the relationships between genes, proteins, and cellular pathways, thereby predicting the most effective targets for reversing disease. Unlike traditional approaches that focus on a single protein, it considers multiple factors at once.
Trained on datasets of diseased cells before and after treatment, PDGrapher correctly predicted known drug targets and identified new candidates supported by emerging research. The model ranked potential targets up to 35% higher and worked 25 times faster than comparable tools.
Researchers are now applying PDGrapher to complex diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and various cancers, where single-target therapies often fail. By identifying combinations of targets, the tool can help overcome drug resistance and expedite treatment design.
Senior author Marinka Zitnik said the ultimate goal is to create a cellular ‘roadmap’ to guide therapy development and enable personalised treatments for patients. After further validation, PDGrapher could become a cornerstone in precision medicine.
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Telecom experts say 6G must be secure by design as planning for the next generation of mobile networks accelerates.
Industry leaders warn that 6G will vastly expand the attack surface, with autonomous vehicles, drones, industrial robots and AR systems all reliant on ultra-low latency connections. AI will be embedded at every layer, creating opportunities for optimisation but also new risks such as model poisoning.
Quantum threats are also on the horizon, with adversaries potentially able to decrypt sensitive data. Quantum-resistant cryptography is expected to be a cornerstone of 6G defences.
With standards due by 2029, experts stress cooperation among regulators, equipment vendors and operators. Security, they argue, must be as fundamental to 6G as speed and sustainability.
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Australia’s Year 12 students are the first to complete their final school years with widespread access to AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Educators warn that while the technology can support study, it risks undermining the core skills of independent thinking and writing. In English, the only compulsory subject, critical thinking is now viewed as more essential than ever.
Trials in New South Wales and South Australia use AI programs designed to guide rather than provide answers, but teachers remain concerned about how to verify work and ensure students value their own voices.
Experts argue that exams, such as the VCE English paper in October, highlight the reality that AI cannot sit assessments. Students must still practise planning, drafting and reflecting on ideas, skills which remain central to academic success.
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Arm Holdings has unveiled Lumex, its next-generation chip designs built to bring advanced AI performance directly to mobile devices.
The new designs range from highly energy-efficient chips for wearables to high-performance versions capable of running large AI models on smartphones without cloud support.
Lumex forms part of Arm’s Compute Subsystems business, offering handset makers pre-integrated designs, while also strengthening Arm’s broader strategy to expand smartphone and data centre revenues.
The chips are tailored for 3-nanometre manufacturing processes provided by suppliers such as TSMC, whose technology is also used in Apple’s latest iPhone chips. Arm has indicated further investment in its own chip development to capitalise on demand.
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The United States and China have reached a tentative ‘framework’ deal on the future of TikTok’s American operations, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed during trade talks in Madrid. The agreement, which still requires the approval of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, is aimed at resolving a looming deadline that could see the video-sharing app banned in the US unless its Chinese owner ByteDance sells its American division.
US officials say the framework addresses national security concerns by paving the way for US ownership of TikTok’s operations, while China insists any final deal must not undermine its companies’ interests. The Biden administration has long argued that the app’s access to US user data poses significant risks, while ByteDance maintains its American arm operates independently and respects user privacy.
The law mandating a sale or ban, upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year, is due to take effect on 17 September. Although the framework marks progress, key details remain unresolved, particularly over whether TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and user data will be fully transferred, stored, and protected in the US.
Experts warn that unless strict safeguards are included, the deal may solve ownership issues without closing potential ‘backdoors’ for Beijing. Concerns also remain over how much influence China retains, with negotiators linking TikTok’s fate to wider tariff discussions between the two powers.
If fully implemented, the agreement could represent a breakthrough in both trade relations and tech governance. But with ByteDance among China’s most powerful AI firms, the stakes go far beyond social media, touching on questions of global competition, national security, and digital sovereignty.
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A newly published guide by People Powered and UNDP aims to connect people in their communities through inclusive, locally relevant digital participation platforms. Designed with local governments, civic groups, and organisations in mind, it highlights digital platforms that enable inclusive, action-oriented civic engagement.
According to the UNDP, ‘the guide covers the latest trends, including the integration of AI features, and addresses challenges such as digital inclusion, data privacy, accessibility, and sustainability.’
The guide focuses on actively maintained, publicly available platforms, typically offered through cloud-based software (SaaS) models, and prioritises flexible, multi-purpose tools over single-use options. While recognising the dominance of platforms from wealthier countries, it makes a deliberate effort to feature case studies and tools from the Global Majority.
Political advocacy platforms, internal government tools, and issue-reporting apps are excluded to keep the focus on technologies that drive meaningful public participation. Lastly, the guide emphasises the importance of local context and community empowerment, encouraging a shift from passive input to meaningful public influence in governance.
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Google has unveiled VaultGemma, a new large language model built to offer cutting-edge privacy through differential privacy. The 1-billion-parameter model is based on Google’s Gemma architecture and is described as the most powerful differentially private LLM to date.
Differential privacy adds mathematical noise to data, preventing the identification of individuals while still producing accurate overall results. The method has long been used in regulated industries, but has been challenging to apply to large language models without compromising performance.
VaultGemma is designed to eliminate that trade-off. Google states that the model can be trained and deployed with differential privacy enabled, while maintaining comparable stability and efficiency to non-private LLMs.
This breakthrough could have significant implications for developers building privacy-sensitive AI systems, ranging from healthcare and finance to government services. It demonstrates that sensitive data can be protected without sacrificing speed or accuracy.
Google’s research teams say the model will be released with open-source tools to help others adopt privacy-preserving techniques. The move comes amid rising regulatory and public scrutiny over how AI systems handle personal data.
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A hacking group has reportedly used ChatGPT to generate a fake military ID in a phishing attack targeting South Korea. The incident, uncovered by cybersecurity firm Genians, shows how AI can be misused to make malicious campaigns more convincing.
Researchers said the group, known as Kimsuky, crafted a counterfeit South Korean military identification card to support a phishing email. While the document looked genuine, the email instead contained links to malware designed to extract data from victims’ devices.
Targets included journalists, human rights activists and researchers. Kimsuky has a history of cyber-espionage. US officials previously linked the group to global intelligence-gathering operations.
The findings highlight a wider trend of AI being exploited for cybercrime, from creating fake résumés to planning attacks and developing malware. Genians warned that attackers are rapidly using AI to impersonate trusted organisations, while the full scale of the breach is unknown.
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South Australian public schools will soon gain access to EdChat, a ChatGPT-style app developed by Microsoft in partnership with the state government. Education Minister Blair Boyer said the tool will roll out next term across public high schools following a successful trial.
Safeguards have been built into EdChat to protect student data and alert moderators if students type concerning prompts, such as those related to self-harm or other sensitive topics. Boyer said student mental health was a priority during the design phase.
Teachers report that students use EdChat to clarify instructions, get maths solutions explained, and quiz themselves on exam topics. Adelaide Botanic High School principal Sarah Chambers described it as an ‘education equaliser’ that provides students with access to support throughout the day.
While many educators in Australia welcome the rollout, experts warn against overreliance on AI tools. Toby Walsh of UNSW said students must still learn how to write essays and think critically, while others noted that AI could actually encourage deeper questioning and analysis.
RMIT computing expert Michael Cowling said generative AI can strengthen critical thinking when used for brainstorming and refining ideas. He emphasised that students must learn to critically evaluate AI output and utilise the technology as a tool, rather than a substitute for learning.
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