Capacity development

OpenAI expands AI training for newsrooms worldwide

The US tech company, OpenAI, has launched the OpenAI Academy for News Organisations, a new learning hub designed to support journalists, editors and publishers adopting AI in their work.

An initiative that builds on existing partnerships with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, reflecting a broader effort to strengthen journalism as a pillar of democratic life.

The Academy goes live with practical training, newsroom-focused playbooks and real-world examples aimed at helping news teams save time and focus on high-impact reporting.

Areas of focus include investigative research, multilingual reporting, data analysis, production efficiency and operational workflows that sustain news organisations over time.

Responsible use sits at the centre of the programme. Guidance on governance, internal policies and ethical deployment is intended to address concerns around trust, accuracy and newsroom culture, recognising that AI adoption raises structural questions rather than purely technical ones.

OpenAI plans to expand the Academy in the year ahead with additional courses, case studies and live programming.

Through collaboration with publishers, industry bodies and journalism networks worldwide, the Academy is positioned as a shared learning space that supports editorial independence while adapting journalism to an AI-shaped media environment.

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Meta updates AI glasses with voice and music features

Meta has updated its AI smart glasses with a conversation-focused feature that amplifies voices in noisy environments. Users can adjust the volume by swiping to the right on the temple or through device settings.

The conversation-focused feature is designed for busy environments such as restaurants, trains or bars. It is similar to Apple AirPods’ Conversation Boost, which helps users focus on a single speaker.

The update also adds Spotify integration, allowing the glasses to play songs based on what the wearer sees, such as an album cover or festive decorations. The feature links visual cues with interactive actions in apps.

The software update (v21) will initially roll out to participants in Meta’s Early Access Program. The conversation-focused feature will initially be available in the US and Canada, while the Spotify feature is offered in English across multiple markets.

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New AI framework simplifies complex scientific problems into basic equations

A team of scientists has created a new AI method that addresses complex problems across science and engineering by reducing them to simpler mathematical equations.

Unlike typical black-box AI models, this approach focuses on interpretable representations that can be expressed in basic symbolic forms, aiding understanding and trust in AI-generated solutions.

The research demonstrates that this symbolic reasoning capability allows AI to uncover underlying structure in tasks such as physics simulations, optimisation challenges and system modelling, potentially boosting both accuracy and generalisation.

Researchers argue that breaking problems down into fundamental components not only enhances performance but also makes AI outputs more understandable to human experts.

By combining machine learning with classical mathematical reasoning, the work points toward a hybrid paradigm in which AI augments human insight rather than merely approximating outcomes. Such methods could accelerate scientific discovery in fields where complexity has traditionally limited the effectiveness of computational approaches.

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Google launches Gemini 3 Flash for scalable frontier AI

The US tech giant, Google, has unveiled Gemini 3 Flash, a new frontier AI model designed for developers who need high reasoning performance combined with speed and low cost.

Built on the multimodal and agentic foundations of Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash delivers faster responses at less than a quarter of the price, while surpassing Gemini 2.5 Pro across several major benchmarks.

The model is rolling out through the Gemini API, Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, Android Studio and other developer platforms, offering higher rate limits, batch processing and context caching that significantly reduce operational costs.

Gemini 3 Flash achieves frontier-level results on advanced reasoning benchmarks while remaining optimised for large-scale production workloads, reinforcing Google’s focus on efficiency alongside intelligence.

Early adopters are already deploying Gemini 3 Flash across coding, gaming, deepfake detection and legal document analysis, benefiting from improved agentic capabilities and near real-time multimodal reasoning.

By lowering cost barriers while expanding performance, Gemini 3 Flash enhances Google’s competitive position in the rapidly evolving AI model market. It broadens access to advanced AI systems for developers and enterprises.

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Euro stablecoins pass $1 billion milestone

Euro-denominated stablecoins have surpassed $1 billion in circulating supply, according to industry data, marking a significant milestone but remaining relatively insignificant within Europe’s broader monetary system. The total represents just 0.006% of the eurozone’s estimated $15.5 trillion M2 money supply.

Issuance activity was limited during 2020 and 2021, before accelerating from late 2023 onwards. Growth has continued through 2024 and into 2025, signalling renewed interest in tokenised euro products despite their small overall footprint.

Ethereum still hosts the largest share of euro stablecoins, although issuance has expanded to other blockchain networks, including Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, and Stellar. The shift reflects a move toward multi-chain deployment, focusing on payments, settlement, and cross-border transfers.

Euro stablecoins remain far smaller than dollar-based tokens, which continue to dominate on-chain liquidity and settlement. The euro’s limited digital presence highlights growth potential if regulation and institutional adoption advance.

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OpenAI brings in former UK chancellor George Osborne

Former UK chancellor George Osborne has joined OpenAI in a London-based role. He will lead the OpenAI for Countries programme focused on government partnerships.

The initiative aims to help governments build AI capacity and ensure systems reflect democratic values. OpenAI says more than 50 countries are already involved.

Osborne will work on developing AI infrastructure, boosting AI literacy and improving public services. The role follows discussions with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

His appointment comes as UK-US tech talks face setbacks and investment in AI accelerates. Against this backdrop, financial authorities have warned of risks linked to the sector’s rapid growth.

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UNDP and UNESCO support AI training for judiciary

UNESCO and UNDP have partnered to enhance judicial capacity on the ethical use of AI. A three-day Bangkok training, supported by the Thailand Institute of Justice, brought together 27 judges from 13 Asia-Pacific countries to discuss the impact of AI on justice and safeguards for fairness.

Expert sessions highlighted the global use of AI in court administration, research, and case management, emphasising opportunities and risks. Participants explored ways to use AI ethically while protecting human rights and judicial integrity, warning that unsupervised tools could increase bias and undermine public trust.

Trainers emphasised that AI must be implemented with careful attention to bias, transparency, and structural inequalities.

Judges reflected on the growing complexity of verifying evidence in the age of generative AI and deepfakes, and acknowledged that responsible AI can improve access to justice, support case reviews, and free time for substantive decision-making.

The initiative concluded with a consensus that AI adoption in courts should be guided by governance, transparency, and ongoing dialogue. The UNDP will continue to collaborate in advancing ethical, human rights-focused AI in regional judiciaries.

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AI-generated ads face new disclosure rules in South Korea

South Korea will require advertisers to label AI-generated or AI-assisted advertising from early 2026, marking a shift in how the country governs AI in online commerce and consumer protection.

The measure responds to a sharp rise in deceptive ads using synthetic imagery and deepfakes, particularly in healthcare and financial promotions. Regulators say transparency at the point of content delivery is intended to reduce manipulation and restore consumer trust.

Authorities in South Korea acknowledge that mandatory labelling alone may not deter malicious actors, who can bypass rules through offshore hosting or rapidly changing content. Detection challenges and uneven enforcement capacity across platforms remain open concerns.

South Korea’s industry groups warn that the policy could have uneven economic effects within the country’s advertising ecosystem. Large platforms and agencies are expected to adapt quickly, while smaller firms may face higher compliance costs that slow experimentation with generative tools.

Policymakers argue the framework aligns with South Korea’s broader AI governance strategy, positioning the country between innovation-led and precautionary regulatory models as synthetic media becomes more widespread.

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Salesforce expands Stockholm office to advance agentic AI

The San Francisco-based software company Salesforce has opened a significantly expanded office in Stockholm, reinforcing its long-term investment in Sweden and its broader Northern European strategy.

A new location that reflects the growing demand for AI-driven enterprise tools as regional businesses increasingly adopt agent-based technologies across their operations.

Located at Sveavägen 20, the Stockholm office is four times larger than Salesforce’s previous space and has been designed to support hybrid work, collaboration and innovation.

The opening event highlighted the focus of Salesforce on real estate as a strategic enabler for AI transformation, bringing together employees, partners, customers and community organisations.

A launch that also featured the Agentforce Sweden Nonprofit Hackathon, where Swedish charities presented AI agent solutions to improve efficiency and impact.

Majblomman received SEK 150,000 for an autonomous financial aid agent, underlining Salesforce’s ambition to position the Stockholm office as a regional hub for agentic enterprise development and responsible AI adoption.

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Segment Anything adds audio as Meta unveils SAM Audio

Meta has introduced SAM Audio, a new AI model that uses intuitive prompts to isolate and segment sounds from complex audio recordings. The release extends the company’s Segment Anything collection beyond visuals into audio and video workflows.

SAM Audio allows users to separate sounds through text prompts, visual cues, or time-based selections. Creators can extract vocals or instruments, remove background noise, or isolate specific sound sources in recordings without specialised audio engineering tools.

Meta describes SAM Audio as a unified model designed around how people naturally think about sound. It supports combined text, visual, and time-based prompts, enabling flexible audio separation across music, podcasting, film, accessibility, and research.

Meta says the model achieves strong performance across diverse audio environments and is already being used internally to develop next-generation creative tools. The approach lowers technical barriers while expanding the range of possible audio editing applications.

SAM Audio is available through the Segment Anything Playground, where users can test the model with sample assets or upload their own files. Meta has also made the model available for download, signalling broader ambitions to make audio segmentation a core capability of its AI ecosystem.

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