Capacity development Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

Canada advances sovereign AI data centre strategy with TELUS

The Canadian government and TELUS are advancing plans to develop large-scale sovereign AI infrastructure as part of Ottawa’s broader strategy to strengthen domestic compute capacity and support the country’s AI ecosystem.

The initiative was announced by Evan Solomon (Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) and focuses on a proposed AI data centre project in British Columbia designed to support researchers, businesses, and academic institutions.

A project that forms part of Canada’s ‘Enabling large-scale sovereign AI data centres’ initiative, which was introduced under Budget 2025. Ottawa stated that sovereign compute infrastructure is increasingly important for maintaining national competitiveness in AI while ensuring Canadian data, intellectual property, and economic value remain within the country.

The government also confirmed that no formal funding commitments have yet been distributed, with discussions currently progressing through non-binding memoranda of understanding with selected industry participants.

Local officials argued that large-scale compute infrastructure has become a strategic economic requirement as governments worldwide race to expand AI processing capabilities. Canada believes it holds competitive advantages due to its colder climate, sustainable energy resources, and network infrastructure, all of which could help attract future AI investment and hyperscale data centre development.

Why does it matter?

The race for sovereign AI infrastructure is rapidly becoming one of the most important geopolitical and economic competitions of the digital era. The Canada-TELUS partnership illustrates how countries are moving beyond AI model development alone and shifting focus towards the physical infrastructure required to sustain future AI ecosystems, including data centres, energy capacity, semiconductors, and domestic compute networks.

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Australia launches national AI platform ‘AI.gov.au’

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources has announced the launch of AI.gov.au through the National Artificial Intelligence Centre. The platform is designed to help organisations adopt AI safely and responsibly in line with the National AI Plan.

AI.gov.au provides a central source of guidance, tools and resources to support businesses and not-for-profits. It aims to help users identify AI opportunities, plan implementation, manage risks and build internal capability.

The platform’s development was informed by research and engagement with industry and government, highlighting the need for clear starting points, practical advice and support for AI organisational change. It also supports the AI Safety Institute’s work by improving access to safety guidance.

Initial features focus on small and medium-sized enterprises and include training, case studies and adoption tools, with further updates planned. The initiative reflects efforts to strengthen AI uptake and governance in Australia.

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World Economic Forum analysis explores AI-driven future planning for organisations

A World Economic Forum article argues that organisations need to move beyond static reports and analytical forecasts to become more future-ready in an era marked by rapid technological and geopolitical change.

The article highlights FutureSlam, a foresight method that combines participatory scenario-building, AI-supported reflection and improvisational performance to help organisations experience possible futures rather than analyse them. The authors say many organisations already invest in foresight, but struggle to translate insights into operational decisions because they often remain confined to strategy teams and slide decks.

The approach integrates human imagination with AI-generated scenarios. Participants first develop scenarios themselves, before comparing them with future images generated by an AI system using the same trend material. The authors argue that this comparison can challenge assumptions, confirm parts of participants’ reasoning and introduce perspectives that human groups may avoid.

FutureSlam then uses improvised performance, including simulated news broadcasts and staged scenarios, to make possible futures more tangible. According to the article, the method is designed to make foresight more inclusive, structured and memorable by turning participants into co-creators rather than passive recipients of expert analysis.

The authors suggest that such approaches could help organisations adapt more effectively to technological, geopolitical and societal change by turning foresight into a shared organisational capability rather than a niche strategic exercise.

Why does it matter?

AI is increasingly being used not only to automate tasks, but also to support strategic thinking, scenario-building and organisational learning. The FutureSlam example points to a broader shift in how organisations may prepare for uncertainty: less focus on predicting precise outcomes, and more focus on building the capacity to test assumptions, imagine alternatives and adapt collectively.

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Europe pushes for unified capital markets and stronger banking union

European Central Bank Vice-President Luis de Guindos has called for deeper financial integration in Europe, arguing that more unified capital markets and a stronger banking union are needed to support growth, resilience and competitiveness.

Speaking at a joint European Commission and ECB conference on financial integration, de Guindos said Europe has made progress in integrating financial markets, including through stronger cross-border capital flows and reduced differences in some asset prices across member states. However, he warned that fragmentation persists in areas such as corporate lending, equity markets and foreign direct investment.

Cross-border corporate lending within the euro area accounts for only 14% of total corporate lending, while equity market integration has shown signs of decline since 2022, and foreign direct investment within the euro area has fallen to a historical low, according to the speech.

De Guindos said policy priorities should include a genuine single rulebook for capital markets, a more European supervisory framework and support for a tokenised financial ecosystem through the distributed ledger technology pilot regime. He argued that these measures would reduce legal uncertainty, support digital financial innovation and help remove barriers to cross-border capital market integration.

He also called for further banking union reforms, including treating the banking union as a single European jurisdiction, finalising a European deposit insurance scheme and allowing capital and liquidity to move more freely within cross-border banking groups. Such steps, he said, would help reduce fragmentation and strengthen the euro area’s financial system.

The speech also pointed to the need for a more coherent regulatory framework, including simpler and more harmonised rules for banks, closer attention to regulatory gaps between banks and non-bank financial institutions, and the removal of legal and tax barriers that still limit cross-border activity.

Why does it matter?

Financial fragmentation affects how efficiently Europe can channel savings into investment, support innovation and absorb economic shocks. Deeper capital markets make it easier for businesses to access funding across borders, while a stronger banking union could reduce national barriers and improve resilience during periods of stress.

The speech also connects financial integration with digital finance and strategic autonomy. By linking capital market reform with tokenisation, EU-level supervision and banking union, the ECB is framing financial integration as part of Europe’s broader effort to remain competitive in a more fragmented global economy.

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OSCE chairpersonship opens Geneva conference on AI and quantum risks

The Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship has opened a high-level conference in Geneva on how emerging technologies are affecting security, international governance, and co-operation across the OSCE region.

The two-day event, titled ‘Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future’, brings together about 200 participants from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, alongside representatives from international organisations, academia, the private sector, and civil society.

The conference focuses on the security implications of rapid technological change, including AI and quantum technologies. The discussions are intended to examine how anticipation, dialogue, and cooperation can help reduce misunderstandings, build trust, and strengthen security in a fast-changing technological environment.

Opening the conference, OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis said: ‘Technology will not wait for us. Geopolitics will not slow down. If we want to remain relevant, we must anticipate – not react. This is the responsibility we share across the OSCE region. The OSCE still offers something rare: a space where adversaries can speak, where differences can be managed, and where common ground can still be built.’

The organisation’s Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, also stressed the need for dialogue as emerging technologies evolve faster than governance frameworks. He said: ‘Today, emerging technologies are evolving faster than the frameworks that govern them. This creates a widening gap between what technology can do and how we manage it. This gap must be addressed through dialogue – our most important stabilizing force in uncertain times – and this is where the OSCE has a vital role to play.’

The programme includes discussions on anticipating technological change and its geopolitical impact, water and energy security in the digital age, and the role of AI in early warning and conflict prevention. The conference also highlights Geneva’s role as a meeting point for science and diplomacy, including through institutions such as CERN, the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, and the Open Quantum Institute.

The event forms part of the Chairpersonship’s priority to connect scientific and technological anticipation with policy action. It is the second of four international conferences Switzerland is hosting under its chairpersonship, ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano in December.

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India and France discuss expanding AI and space cooperation

India and France have discussed expanding cooperation in space, AI, applied mathematics and advanced technologies following a bilateral meeting between Indian Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh and French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste.

The talks reviewed the countries’ growing strategic partnership in science, technology and space, with the 2026 Indo-French Year of Innovation identified as an opportunity to deepen collaboration in emerging technology fields.

Both sides discussed stronger links between Indian and French research institutions, including initiatives related to AI, advanced materials and digital sciences. Space cooperation also featured prominently, building on long-standing collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation and France’s Centre National d’études Spatiales through joint missions such as Megha-Tropiques and SARAL, and ongoing work on TRISHNA.

France also expressed interest in expanding cooperation on human spaceflight, microgravity experiments and ocean-related data-sharing initiatives.

Indian officials highlighted the expansion of the country’s space ecosystem following recent reforms, noting that nearly 400 space start-ups are now active in the sector. The discussions also covered opportunities linked to India’s Deep Ocean Mission and future engagement around the International Space Summit planned in Paris in September 2026.

Why does it matter?

The meeting reflects how AI, space, ocean data and advanced research are increasingly being treated as linked areas of strategic technology cooperation. For India and France, the agenda goes beyond scientific exchange: it connects national innovation ecosystems, space-sector reforms, research partnerships and the use of data-intensive technologies for climate, ocean and public-interest applications.

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UNESCO, Lebanon and Télé Liban launch campaign to promote media literacy

Lebanon’s Ministry of Information, UNESCO and Télé Liban have launched a nationwide media and information literacy campaign aimed at raising public awareness of misinformation and encouraging more responsible information sharing.

Funded by UNIFIL, the initiative, titled ‘Share Responsibly: Be Part of the Truth, Not Misinformation’, uses short episodes inspired by daily life in Lebanon to show how misleading information can spread and shape public perception.

The campaign features Yara Bou Monsef in scenarios set in taxis, shops, elevators and other public spaces, illustrating how people encounter and respond to misinformation in everyday situations. Through these examples, the organisers aim to encourage audiences to verify information before sharing it online or offline.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen media and information literacy, promote critical thinking and support more resilient and informed communities.

Why does it matter?

Misinformation campaigns are often discussed in relation to elections, conflict or online platforms, but public resilience also depends on everyday information habits. By using familiar public spaces and locally recognisable scenarios, the campaign frames media literacy as a civic skill rather than only a technical or platform-governance issue.

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OECD finds audit institutions are building AI capacity but struggling to scale

Public audit institutions are expanding their use of AI, but most remain at an early stage of adoption, with a significant gap between pilot projects and full operational deployment, according to a new OECD paper.

Drawing on consultations with 15 institutions across 14 countries and the European Union, the paper says AI is being explored to strengthen oversight and improve audit processes in areas such as anomaly detection, document processing, knowledge management and predictive risk assessment.

The OECD says institutional commitment is already visible across several indicators. Among the institutions consulted, 67% reported having a formal AI strategy, 80% had internal AI guidelines or policies, 87% offered AI-related staff training, and 87% had at least one AI tool in production.

However, the paper stresses that maturity levels vary widely and that many tools remain limited in scale or are still being tested. It identifies a gap between experimentation and scalable operational deployment, despite the growing integration of AI into broader digital transformation efforts.

The paper highlights several emerging audit use cases, including machine-learning systems for anomaly detection in procurement and financial records, predictive models to identify entities at higher risk of distress or non-compliance, intelligent document processing for extracting data from unstructured files, and generative AI tools for drafting, summarising and translating documents.

It also points to more specialised applications, such as semantic search, knowledge management, and visual or spatial analysis using satellite imagery, drones or other sensor-based systems.

Despite growing experimentation, the OECD says the main barriers to wider use remain structural. Fragmented data systems, weak interoperability, limited internal technical expertise and uneven digital infrastructure continue to slow progress.

The paper argues that robust data governance, secure and interoperable systems, and stronger in-house development capacity will be critical if public audit bodies are to scale AI responsibly while maintaining transparency, accountability and public trust.

It also stresses that AI is being positioned as a support tool rather than a substitute for auditors. Across the cases reviewed, human oversight remains central, both because of current limitations in explainability and reliability and because audit institutions are treating AI adoption cautiously in high-stakes oversight settings.

The OECD presents the current period as a transitional phase in which public audit institutions are building the foundations needed for broader and more trustworthy use of AI in oversight.

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ATxSummit 2026 to focus on AI governance and digital growth in Asia

ATxSummit 2026 will take place in Singapore on 20 and 21 May 2026 as part of Asia Tech x Singapore. Organisers state that the event will convene more than 4,000 participants from over 50 countries, including policymakers, technology companies, researchers, and industry representatives.

The programme will focus on five themes related to AI deployment and governance. These include agentic systems in enterprise operations, AI applications for public-sector and national use, scientific research and embodied intelligence, workforce and organisational changes, and the implementation of AI governance approaches.

Participants include representatives from organisations such as the World Bank Group, NVIDIA, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI. The programme also includes academic and policy discussions involving AI research, security, and digital governance.

The summit will include technical workshops, government roundtables, and the Digital Frontier Forum, focused on AI, deep technology, and digital growth strategies. ATxEnterprise will also take place alongside the summit, with sessions addressing infrastructure investment, digital trust, cross-border connectivity, and responsible AI deployment.

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ICESCO and Morocco sign agreement on AI and digital capacity building

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) and Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in digital transformation, AI and strategic foresight.

The agreement was signed in Rabat on the sidelines of the African Open Government Conference by ICESCO Director-General Dr Salim M. AlMalik and Dr Amal El Fallah, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform of Morocco.

The memorandum provides for workshops, training programmes and joint seminars aimed at building capacity among public and private sector professionals in digital transformation, AI, strategic foresight and digital diplomacy. It also covers the exchange of expertise and open data, the preparation of reference materials, and research related to future skills and professions in ICESCO member states.

The agreement further includes cooperation with universities and research centres to support a knowledge ecosystem aligned with the requirements of the digital economy. It also refers to innovation laboratories and digital tools for the digitisation, indexing, research and analysis of cultural and scientific heritage materials.

Why does it matter?

The agreement places AI within a broader capacity-building agenda that includes public-sector skills, digital diplomacy, open data, foresight and heritage digitisation. Also, the policy relevance lies in how international organisations and national governments are using AI cooperation not only for technology adoption, but also for institutional readiness and future skills development across member states.

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