Capacity development Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

UNESCO IFAP focuses on digital inclusion

UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP) convened an orientation meeting on 20 May to brief stakeholders on its activities and priorities in an increasingly complex digital and information environment. The meeting took place as the Programme marks its 25th anniversary in 2026.

IFAP Chair Ambassador Salih Abdullah said the anniversary presents an opportunity to strengthen the Programme’s role as a global platform for policy dialogue and standard-setting in the digital era. He linked IFAP’s mission to UNESCO’s wider goal of ensuring access to information and supporting inclusive knowledge societies.

UNESCO said the endorsement of IFAP’s Manual of Operations by the 13th IFAP Council represents a significant milestone for the Programme. The manual is intended to guide the revitalisation of IFAP National Committees and support the translation of the ‘Information for All’ mandate into national policies and local initiatives.

Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, UNESCO’s Director for Digital Inclusion, Policies and Transformation, and IFAP Secretary, said IFAP is positioned to guide Member States as the world aligns with the UN Global Digital Compact and the WSIS+20 review. He also emphasised the Programme’s role in advancing digital public goods, human rights and inclusive digital development.

The meeting also addressed the need to strengthen engagement across IFAP National Committees, working groups, experts, and partners. UNESCO encouraged Member States to establish IFAP National Committees and submit nominations for IFAP Working Groups in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Manual of Operations.

More than 80 delegates participated, including representatives of UNESCO Member States, the IFAP Council and Bureau, IFAP Working Groups and National Committees, experts, and partners. The IFAP 35th Bureau meeting is scheduled for 17 June 2026.

Why does it matter?

As governments and international organisations seek to implement the UN Global Digital Compact and prepare for the WSIS+20 review process, questions of digital inclusion, access to information and digital governance are becoming increasingly important.

IFAP provides a longstanding multistakeholder platform for addressing these issues and promoting inclusive knowledge societies. Strengthening national participation and coordination mechanisms could help countries translate global digital policy objectives into practical national initiatives and capacity-building efforts.

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Belgium outperforms EU average in business AI use

Belgium ranks among Europe’s top five countries for business use of AI, with more than a third of companies now using at least one AI technology.

In 2025, 34.54% of Belgian companies reported using AI, up from 24.71% in 2024. The figure is well above the European average of 19.95%, according to the latest Belgian Digital Economy Overview.

Adoption varies strongly by company size. More than 76% of large enterprises already use AI technologies, compared with just over 28% of small businesses.

The most common business applications include text analysis, content production (written or spoken), machine learning, and workflow automation. Companies mainly use AI for administrative and management processes, accounting and finance, and marketing and sales.

AI use is also rising among individuals. In 2025, 33.53% of Belgians used generative AI tools for personal use, compared with the European average of 25.09%.

Digitalisation Minister Vanessa Matz said Belgium should build on the momentum with a coherent strategy that strengthens expertise, supports talent, improves access to European technological capabilities, and builds trust.

She also stressed that AI development should take place within a clear, protective, and inclusive framework that respects privacy, prevents bias, and avoids widening inequalities.

Why does it matter?

Belgium’s AI uptake shows that business adoption is no longer limited to experimentation, especially among large companies. The gap between large enterprises and small businesses also matters, because uneven adoption could widen productivity differences inside the economy. The policy challenge is to support broader AI use while building safeguards around privacy, bias, skills, and inclusion.

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China brings AI into advanced ocean forecasting systems

China has unveiled LangYa 2.0, an upgraded AI-powered ocean forecasting system designed to predict complex marine phenomena with greater precision and detail. The model was unveiled at the Fourth China Digital Earth Conference in Qingdao and represents a step forward from earlier ocean monitoring tools.

Developed by the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the system goes beyond monitoring variables such as temperature and salinity to forecast high-impact events, including typhoons, storm surges, extreme rainfall, internal waves, mesoscale eddies, and sea ice.

The platform combines specialised AI sub-models trained on diverse datasets and informed by physical ocean processes.

LangYa 2.0 is designed to provide decision-support information for applications including disaster preparedness, maritime safety, polar navigation and climate adaptation. The system can simulate rapid typhoon intensification and sudden track shifts, while also forecasting hidden ocean dynamics that may impact offshore infrastructure.

According to researchers, the model ranked first in a 2025 international Arctic sea ice forecasting evaluation, highlighting its potential for polar forecasting applications. Researchers are exploring ways to expand the system into broader climate and ecological modelling, with the aim of supporting future marine intelligence and environmental monitoring platforms.

Why does it matter?

Accurate ocean forecasting plays a critical role in disaster preparedness, maritime safety, climate adaptation and the protection of coastal infrastructure. AI-based systems can process large volumes of environmental data more quickly and identify complex patterns that may be difficult to capture using traditional forecasting methods alone.

LangYa 2.0 also reflects a broader trend towards using AI in Earth system science. As climate-related risks become more frequent and complex, governments and researchers are increasingly investing in AI-driven tools to improve environmental monitoring, risk assessment and decision-making.

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NHS England expands AI assistant rollout to more than 500,000 staff

NHS England will provide more than 500,000 clinicians and support staff with access to AI tools under an agreement to expand the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot across healthcare services. The rollout is expected to reach more than 500,000 staff by October 2026.

NHS England said the AI assistant can help staff draft documents, analyse data and reduce administrative workloads, enabling clinicians to spend more time on patient care. According to NHS England, the tools could save staff an average of around two working days per month.

The agreement follows a large healthcare trial involving more than 30,000 NHS workers across 90 NHS organisations. NHS England said the trial found that AI-powered administrative support could save an average of 43 minutes per employee per day, equivalent to approximately five working weeks annually.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is expected to support a range of functions, including clinical administration, ward management, medical secretarial work and broader operational and management tasks. Use cases include drafting patient letters, supporting discharge processes, analysing service data, building rotas, creating meeting minutes, drafting board papers, and assisting human resources, finance, and procurement teams.

Each NHS trust will receive a central allocation of licences based on organisational headcount, typically starting at around 2,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licences. NHS England said the rollout forms part of broader efforts to improve productivity, reduce waiting times and support the government’s 10-Year Health Plan.

Why does it matter?

Healthcare systems worldwide are exploring how generative AI can reduce administrative burdens and allow medical professionals to focus more on patient care. Administrative tasks account for a significant share of healthcare workloads, making productivity gains particularly valuable in resource-constrained environments.

The NHS rollout represents one of the largest deployments of generative AI tools in a public healthcare system. Its outcomes could influence how other health services approach AI adoption, workforce productivity and the integration of AI into everyday clinical and administrative operations.

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UK launches AI skills and jobs initiative for young people

The UK government has announced a new package for young people entering the labour market as AI continues to reshape entry-level roles and career pathways. The package includes an Early Careers Jobs Alliance, AI bootcamps, and expanded technology training for students from disadvantaged schools, with AI bootcamps serving as a central route into paid apprenticeships for young people at risk of unemployment.

The Early Careers Jobs Alliance will bring together government, employers, trade unions and young people to examine how AI is changing entry-level employment and career development. Backed by £20 million in funding, the initiative will initially focus on the Digital and Technologies sector before expanding across all eight Industrial Strategy sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, financial services, and life sciences.

The alliance will analyse how entry-level work is evolving, develop guidance for businesses on redesigning roles while preserving career pathways, and identify examples of good practice. An initial report is expected in autumn.

Through the TechFirst programme, at least 400,000 students from some of the UK’s most disadvantaged schools will receive support in AI and digital skills through training sessions, competitions, extracurricular activities and engagement with industry. The AI bootcamps are intended to provide a more direct route into work for young people at risk of leaving education or training.

The UK government will also pilot free AI bootcamps in Lancashire and Greater Manchester this summer for young people at risk of leaving school after GCSEs and entering unemployment. Participants who successfully complete the bootcamp will be guaranteed a paid AI apprenticeship with local employers, with a broader rollout across England planned if the pilot proves successful.

A separate pilot linked to the North East AI Growth Zone will launch in early 2027 for young people aged 18 to 24 who are not in education or employment. Participants will receive at least 6 months of hands-on AI training with companies including Accenture, Microsoft, and Sage.

Why does it matter?

AI is beginning to transform many entry-level and administrative roles, raising concerns about how young people will gain work experience and build careers in an increasingly automated economy.

The UK’s approach combines workforce planning, skills development and employer engagement to help ensure that AI adoption creates new opportunities rather than limiting access to employment. The initiative also reflects growing efforts by governments to align education and training systems with the changing demands of the labour market.

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Greece launches platform to track public service requests in real time

Greece has launched politis.gov.gr, a new digital platform that allows citizens to track the progress of requests submitted to public administration services in real time. The initiative forms part of the government’s wider digital transformation agenda and aims to strengthen trust between citizens and the state.

Using their TaxisNet credentials, citizens can monitor applications submitted from 1 June 2026 onwards through the new platform. Users can view the current processing stage of a request, identify the responsible department, access contact details and review estimated completion timelines. Automatic notifications are also sent via email whenever a case is registered or updated.

Government officials described the platform as part of a broader cultural shift towards greater transparency and accountability in public administration. Instead of requiring citizens to repeatedly contact services for updates, the system provides a transparent digital record of every stage of the process. Authorities say the platform can reduce administrative burdens while improving accountability and the quality of public services.

The platform also creates a centralised view of a citizen’s interactions with public services, offering a complete history of cases and transactions with the state. According to the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, the platform represents another step towards a more efficient, citizen-centred and digitally enabled public sector.

Why does it matter?

Governments across Europe are increasingly using digital technologies to improve public service delivery and strengthen trust in public institutions. Providing citizens with real-time visibility into administrative processes can reduce uncertainty, improve transparency and limit the need for repeated interactions with government offices.

The platform also reflects Greece’s broader digital transformation efforts, which aim to streamline public administration, reduce bureaucracy and improve the overall user experience of government services.

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UK project tests how legal data can support AI use in government

The UK Government Digital Service has highlighted data maturity as a key requirement for preparing public sector data for AI use.

The findings come from a project conducted with The National Archives, part of GDS’s wider work to ensure public sector data is managed as a strategic national asset.

During a discovery phase completed in April 2026, the organisations assessed whether legal data, including legislation and case law, could be prepared for AI applications. The work focused on governance, data quality, organisational readiness, and the risks of exposing government data to AI systems, rather than building a specific AI tool.

GDS found that The National Archives’ legal data is already close to AI-ready, thanks to high data quality, strong leadership, relevant skills, and mature governance practices. It said that good data alone is not enough; public sector organisations also need the right people, processes, and culture to use data safely, ethically, and responsibly.

The project also identified the evaluation and validation of AI-generated outputs as a significant future opportunity for the government. GDS said public bodies could add value by developing tools and standards to assess whether AI outputs are trustworthy, rather than replicating services already developed by major technology companies.

The next phase will explore how data maturity can reduce the risks of using AI with public sector data. It will also examine technologies such as the Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard for connecting AI applications to external systems, including databases, tools, and documents.

Why does it matter?

The project shows that AI readiness in government depends on more than deploying new tools. Public bodies need high-quality data, strong governance, clear accountability, and the ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs before relying on them in services that affect citizens and businesses. The work also points to a useful role for government: setting standards for trustworthy AI outputs, rather than simply building public-sector versions of commercial AI products.

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Dutch study explores how to scale AI across government organisations

Dutch research organisation TNO has conducted an exploratory study examining how AI applications can be scaled across government organisations in the Netherlands. The study was commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations because AI offers opportunities for public sector services and operations.

The study supports the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy, which calls for a more proactive government role in the development and adoption of AI. One option under consideration is an AI scaling facility that would support the reuse and further development of successful AI applications, helping deploy them more quickly and across a wider range of organisations.

According to the study, scaling AI is not a linear or one-size-fits-all process. Depending on their goals, context, and partnerships, organisations may follow different approaches, including scaling within one organisation, replicating solutions across similar organisations, adapting them to new sectors or tailoring broad solutions to local needs.

TNO identifies seven approaches to AI scaling: scaling in, scaling out, scaling beyond, scaling together, scaling down, scaling up and scaling deep. The strategies cover internal adoption, cross-organisational reuse, sectoral adaptation, collaborative development, localisation, policy and standards work, and cultural or behavioural change inside organisations.

A related ‘Conversation starter’ has also been developed to help organisations assess AI scaling initiatives at the outset. The recommendations include treating scaling as a strategic decision, selecting an approach aligned with intended outcomes, addressing governance and organisational culture, reusing existing solutions where possible, investing in AI literacy and documentation, clarifying ownership and funding arrangements, and regularly assessing whether scaling remains desirable, feasible and legally appropriate.

Why does it matter?

Many governments are moving beyond AI experimentation and focusing on how successful projects can be deployed at scale. However, expanding AI use across public institutions often involves organisational, governance and cultural challenges that extend beyond technology itself.

The Dutch study highlights the need for structured approaches to AI adoption, emphasising reuse, collaboration and institutional capacity. Its findings could help governments accelerate AI deployment while maintaining accountability, effectiveness and compliance with legal requirements.

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Ireland launches fund for fact-checking and anti-disinformation training

Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has launched a funding call to support training in fact-checking, prebunking and debunking for journalists and media professionals during 2026.

The programme is aimed at graduate, early-career and mid-career professionals working in news and current affairs. Eligible activities include training courses, mentorship programmes, internships and collaborative projects designed to strengthen fact-checking and verification skills.

The fund forms part of the regulator’s Media Skills and Development Programme and supports objectives outlined in Ireland’s National Counter Disinformation Strategy. Applications are open to academic institutions, accredited bodies and representative organisations, including partnerships involving media organisations.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said the initiative would help strengthen professional skills and support high-quality journalism. Applications are open until 2 July 2026, with all funded activities to be delivered in Ireland during 2026.

Why does it matter?

Fact-checking, verification and disinformation response skills are becoming increasingly important as journalists navigate rapidly evolving information environments shaped by social media, generative AI and coordinated influence campaigns.

By investing in professional training, Ireland aims to strengthen media resilience, support evidence-based reporting and enhance the capacity of news organisations to identify and counter misleading or false information.

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Cambridge researchers test AI-designed vaccine in human trial

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed an experimental vaccine using AI, marking what they describe as the first human test of a vaccine component designed entirely by AI. The experimental approach aims to provide broad protection against entire families of viruses, including coronaviruses with pandemic potential.

The AI system analysed genetic data from multiple coronaviruses and designed a ‘super-antigen’ intended to help the immune system recognise and respond to a broad range of viral variants, including those that may emerge through future mutations. An initial trial involving 39 volunteers focused primarily on safety, while a larger follow-up study is planned to evaluate immune responses and effectiveness in greater detail.

Researchers say the approach could help vaccine development keep pace with rapidly evolving threats, including influenza, emerging COVID-19 variants and viruses with the potential to spread from animals to humans. The team is also exploring similar AI-designed vaccines for influenza, bird flu, and Ebola-like viral haemorrhagic fevers, where current protection options remain limited.

Researchers describe the findings as an early but significant step towards using AI to accelerate vaccine design and strengthen preparedness for future disease outbreaks. The study highlights growing expectations that AI may become a central tool in global pandemic prevention strategies.

Why does it matter?

Traditional vaccine development often focuses on responding to specific pathogens after they emerge. By contrast, AI-assisted design could help researchers develop vaccines that provide protection against entire families of viruses before outbreaks occur.

If successful, the approach could shorten development timelines, improve preparedness for future pandemics and support efforts to address rapidly evolving infectious diseases. The research also highlights the growing role of AI in scientific discovery and biomedical innovation.

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