Capacity development

Users gain new control with Instagram feed algorithm

Instagram has unveiled a new AI-powered feature called ‘Your Algorithm’, giving users control over the topics shown in their Reels feed. The tool analyses viewing history and allows users to indicate which subjects they want to see more or less of.

The feature displays a summary of each user’s top interests and allows typing in specific topics to fine-tune recommendations in real-time. Instagram plans to expand the tool beyond Reels to Explore and other areas of the app.

Launch started in the US, with a global rollout in English expected soon. The initiative comes amid growing calls for social media platforms to provide greater transparency over algorithmic content and avoid echo chambers.

By enabling users to adjust their feeds directly, Instagram aims to offer more personalised experiences while responding to regulatory pressures and societal concerns over harmful content.

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Google brings proactive features to Jules AI

Jules AI has been updated to work proactively, helping developers manage routine tasks and fix issues automatically while they focus on complex coding projects. The agent now suggests improvements and prepares fixes without requiring direct input.

Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can enable Suggested Tasks, which scan code for actionable improvements starting with #todos comments. Scheduled Tasks let users automate predictable maintenance, keeping projects up to date with minimal effort.

A new integration with Render streamlines the handling of failed deployments by analysing logs, identifying issues, and generating pull requests for review. However, this reduces the time developers spend troubleshooting and maintaining workflow momentum.

By combining proactive task management and automated fixes, Jules aims to be an intelligent partner that supports developers throughout the entire development lifecycle, ensuring smoother, more efficient coding.

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India expands job access with AI-powered worker platforms

India is reshaping support for its vast informal workforce through e-Shram, a national database built to connect millions of people to social security and better job prospects.

The database works together with the National Career Service portal, and both systems run on Microsoft Azure.

AI tools are now improving access to stable employment by offering skills analysis, resume generation and personalised career pathways.

The original aim of e-Shram was to create a reliable record of informal workers after the pandemic exposed major gaps in welfare coverage. Engineers had to build a platform capable of registering hundreds of millions of people while safeguarding sensitive data.

Azure’s scalable infrastructure allowed the system to process high transaction volumes and maintain strong security protocols. Support reached remote areas through a network of service centres, helped further by Bhashini, an AI language service offering real-time translation in 22 Indian languages.

More than 310 million workers are now registered and linked to programmes providing accident insurance, medical subsidies and housing assistance. The integration with NCS has opened paths to regulated work, often with health insurance or retirement savings.

Workers receive guidance on improving employability, while new features such as AI chatbots and location-focused job searches aim to help those in smaller cities gain equal access to opportunities.

India is using the combined platforms to plan future labour policies, manage skill development and support international mobility for trained workers.

Officials also hope the digital systems will reduce reliance on job brokers and strengthen safe recruitment, including abroad through links with the eMigrate portal.

The government has already presented the platforms to international partners and is preparing to offer them as digital public infrastructure for other countries seeking similar reforms.

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ChatGPT tops Apple’s 2025 app downloads in the US

Apple has released its annual ranking of the most downloaded apps and games, with ChatGPT taking the top spot among free iPhone apps in the United States for 2025, marking a major moment for AI in mainstream consumer use.

The OpenAI chatbot rose from fourth place last year, surpassing established social platforms and everyday utilities. Its ascent highlights how quickly AI-driven tools have become embedded in daily habits and how they may challenge the dominance of traditional search apps on mobile devices.

Apple’s charts show broader shifts across categories. Threads, Google, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram also ranked highly among free iPhone downloads, while Google’s Gemini entered the top ten, reflecting the growing presence of competing AI assistants in the mobile ecosystem.

Gaming trends remained strong. Block Blast! led the US free iPhone games list, while Minecraft held its position as the top paid title across devices. ChatGPT also became the second-most downloaded free app on iPad, signalling consistent demand for AI across screens.

Apple says the rankings reflect the evolving mix of entertainment, creativity, and productivity tools shaping the App Store landscape, as AI continues to influence how people search, work, and play across its platforms.

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DeVry improves student support with AI

In the US, DeVry University has upgraded its student support system by deploying Salesforce Agentforce 360, aiming to offer faster and more personalised assistance to its 32,000 learners.

The new AI agents provide round-the-clock support for DeVryPro, the university’s online learning programme, ensuring students receive timely guidance.

The platform also simplifies course enrolment through a self-service website, allowing learners to manage enrolment and payments efficiently. Real-time guidance replaces the previous chatbot, helping students access course information and support outside regular hours.

With Data 360 integrating information from multiple systems, DeVry can deliver personalised recommendations while automating time-consuming tasks such as weekly onboarding.

Advisors can now focus on building stronger connections with students and supporting the development of workforce skills.

University leaders emphasise that these advancements reflect a commitment to preparing learners for an AI-driven workforce, combining innovative technology with personalised academic experiences. The initiative positions DeVry as a leader in integrating AI into higher education.

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Seven teams advance in XPRIZE contest backed by Google

XPRIZE has named seven finalist teams in its three-year, $5 million Quantum Applications competition, a global challenge backed by Google Quantum AI, Google.org, and GESDA to accelerate real-world quantum computing use cases.

Selected from 133 submissions, the finalists are developing quantum algorithms that could outperform classical systems on practical tasks linked to sustainability, science, and industry. They will share a $1 million prize at this stage, ahead of a $4 million award pool in 2027.

Google says the competition supports its goal of finding concrete problems where quantum systems can beat leading classical methods. The finalists span materials science, chemistry, optimisation, and biomedical modelling, showing growing momentum behind application-driven research.

The teams include Calbee Quantum, Gibbs Samplers, Phasecraft’s materials group, QuMIT, Xanadu, Q4Proteins, and QuantumForGraphproblem, each proposing algorithms with potential impact ranging from clean-energy materials and advanced semiconductors to drug discovery and molecular analysis.

Finalists now proceed to Phase II, which focuses on benchmarking against classical tools, assessing feasibility, and demonstrating pathways to real-world advantage. A wildcard round in 2026 will offer re-entry for other teams.

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Pinterest’s generative tools showcased in AWS report

AWS has released a new case study showing how Pinterest scaled into an AI-powered discovery platform, emphasising the cloud provider’s role in supporting rapid growth and responsible use of generative tools across the service.

AWS says Pinterest now serves around 600 million users and relies on cloud infrastructure to process large visual datasets. Its systems analyse terabytes of content each day and generate high volumes of personalised suggestions across search, shopping, and inspiration features.

The case study details Pinterest’s move from early machine-learning models to multimodal and generative systems built on AWS. It highlights Canvas for image enhancement, improved visual search, and the conversational Pinterest Assistant.

AWS also points to Pinterest’s use of Amazon EKS, EC2 GPU instances, and Bedrock-powered moderation tools as a full-stack approach to responsible AI. Pinterest states that these systems help maintain a safe and positive environment while supporting new commercial and creative features.

AWS cites recent performance metrics as evidence of effective scaling, noting gains in revenue, user activity, and search quality. The company presents the case study as evidence that cloud-based AI infrastructure can support innovation on a global scale.

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Big Tech boosts India’s AI ambitions amid concerns over talent flight and limited infrastructure

Major announcements from Microsoft ($17.5bn) and Amazon (over $35bn by 2030) have placed India at the centre of global AI investment trends, offering momentum at a time when analysts frame Indian markets as a ‘hedge’ against a potential global AI bubble.

While India has rapidly adopted AI and attracted substantial funding for data centres and chip manufacturing, including a new collaboration between Intel and Tata Electronics, the country remains a follower rather than a frontrunner in sovereign AI capabilities.

India’s government is preparing to launch its first sovereign AI model, which will support more than 22 languages. Yet its $1.25 billion investment is dwarfed by France’s €117 billion and Saudi Arabia’s $100 billion AI programmes, leaving India far behind in compute availability, R&D depth, and semiconductor infrastructure.

Despite having 2.5 times the global average concentration of AI-skilled professionals, the country faces persistent talent flight due to limited high-end domestic opportunities and a lack of competitive policy incentives.

According to EY and UNCTAD, India’ punches above its weight’ relative to its economic stage, ranking among the top nations in AI talent, startup activity, and scientific publications. Still, funding gaps remain stark: Indian AI startups raised just $1.16 billion, compared to more than $100 billion in the US and nearly $10 billion in China.

India’s emerging strength lies less in foundation-model development and more in downstream AI applications, where cost-efficient tools can drive entrepreneurship and solve local challenges such as agriculture, education, and public service delivery. Apps like MahaVISTAAR, reaching over 15 million farmers, illustrate this direction.

Yet AI also poses a threat to India’s economic backbone. Analysts warn that the country’s IT services sector, which has long been a pillar of growth, is becoming increasingly vulnerable as AI automates core business functions. Underperformance in IT stocks, reduced hiring, and stagnant wages signal early disruption.

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Norges Bank says digital krone not required for now

Norway’s central bank has concluded that a central bank digital currency is not needed for now, ending several years of research and reaffirming that the country’s existing payment system remains secure, efficient, and widely used.

Norges Bank stated that it found no current requirement for a digital krone to maintain confidence in payments. Cash usage in Norway is among the lowest globally, but authorities argue the present system continues to serve consumers, merchants, and banks effectively.

The decision is not final. Governor Ida Wolden Bache said the assessment reflects timing rather than a rejection of CBDCs, noting the bank could introduce one if conditions change or if new risks emerge in the domestic payments landscape.

Norges Bank continues to examine both retail and wholesale models under the broader EU AI Act framework for digital resilience. It also sees potential in tokenisation, which could deliver efficiency gains and lower settlement risk even if a full CBDC is not introduced.

Experiments with tokenised platforms will continue in collaboration with industry partners. At the same time, the bank prepares a new report for early next year and monitors international work on shared digital currency infrastructure, including a possible digital €.

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Adobe brings its leading creative tools straight into ChatGPT

Yesterday, Adobe opened a new chapter for digital creativity by introducing Photoshop, Adobe Express and Adobe Acrobat inside ChatGPT.

The integration gives 800 million weekly users direct access to trusted creative and productivity tools through a conversational interface. Adobe aims to make creative work easier for newcomers by linking its technology to simple written instructions.

Photoshop inside ChatGPT offers selective edits, tone adjustments and creative effects, while Adobe Express brings quick design templates and animation features to people who want polished content without switching between applications.

Acrobat adds powerful document controls, allowing users to organise, edit or redact PDFs inside the chat. Each action blends conversation with Adobe’s familiar toolsets, giving users either simple text-driven commands or fine control through intuitive sliders.

The launch reflects Adobe’s broader investment in agentic AI and its Model Context Protocol. Earlier releases such as Acrobat Studio and AI Assistants for Photoshop and Adobe Express signalled Adobe’s ambition to expand conversational creative experiences.

Adobe also plans to extend an upcoming Firefly AI Assistant across multiple apps to support faster movement from an idea to a finished design.

All three apps are now available to ChatGPT users on desktop, web and iOS, with Android support expanding soon. Adobe positions the integration as an entry point for new audiences who may later move into the full desktop versions for deeper control.

The company expects the partnership to widen access to creative expression by letting anyone edit images, produce designs or transform documents simply by describing what they want to achieve.

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