Capacity development Archives | Page 3 of 289

New UNESCO and CENIA agreement targets AI literacy and ethical standards

The UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) signed a cooperation agreement at the end of February 2026 to promote ethical AI in education across Chile and Latin America.

The framework supports joint initiatives aimed at strengthening digital skills, improving AI literacy and advancing people-centred development models for AI.

Projects under the partnership will focus on training programmes and educational resources designed for a wide range of audiences, including the general public, educators, technical specialists and policymakers.

Collaborative efforts will also encourage dialogue between institutions, governments and industry to support responsible innovation and reinforce regional ecosystems linked to emerging technologies.

An early outcome includes Latam-GPT, the first open large language model for Latin America and the Caribbean. The system will aid education ministries and the UNESCO Regional Observatory on AI, helping guide responsible adoption and monitor developments.

‘Artificial Intelligence represents a historic opportunity to transform our education and productive systems, but its development must be guided by clear ethical principles and a people-centred vision. This partnership with CENIA will enable us to support countries in building capacities and governance frameworks that ensure AI effectively contributes to the common good,’ stated Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago.

‘At CENIA, we have been working consistently on applied research and capacity-building, advancing knowledge generation, technology transfer and scientific evidence.

This experience allows us to contribute from both a technical and training perspective to ensure that the development of Artificial Intelligence in the region is grounded in robust and ethical standards, thereby impacting education and productive development. We are convinced that technological progress must be accompanied by training, responsible frameworks and multi-sector collaboration.

For this reason, this agreement with UNESCO represents a strategic step towards strengthening capacity development and the ethical, people-centred adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean.’

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Qualcomm pushes Europe to take the lead in the 6G revolution

Europe is being urged to take a leading role in developing sixth-generation wireless technology as global competition intensifies over the future of connectivity and AI.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Wassim Chourbaji of Qualcomm argued that 6G will represent a technological revolution rather than a gradual improvement over existing networks.

The company expects early pre-commercial deployments to begin around 2028, with broader commercialisation targeted for 2029.

Next-generation wireless networks are expected to support physical AI systems capable of interacting with the real world, including robotics, smart glasses, connected vehicles, and advanced sensing technologies.

High-capacity uploads and faster processing between devices and data centres will allow AI systems to analyse video streams and real-time data more efficiently.

Qualcomm has also launched a coalition aimed at accelerating 6G development with partners including Nokia, Ericsson, Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Advocates argue that combining European industrial strengths with advanced wireless and AI technologies could allow the continent to secure a leading position in the next phase of global digital infrastructure.

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OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT conversations with GPT-5.3 Instant

The most widely used ChatGPT model has received an update from OpenAI, introducing GPT-5.3 Instant to make everyday conversations more coherent, useful, and natural.

An upgrade that focuses on improving tone, contextual understanding, and the flow of dialogue rather than only benchmark performance.

One of the main improvements concerns how the model handles refusals and safety responses. Earlier versions sometimes declined questions that could have been answered safely or delivered overly cautious explanations before responding.

GPT-5.3 Instant instead gives more direct answers while still maintaining safety constraints, reducing interruptions that previously slowed conversations.

The update also improves the way ChatGPT uses information from the web. Instead of simply summarising search results or presenting long lists of links, the model now integrates online information with its own reasoning.

Such an approach aims to produce more relevant answers that highlight key insights at the beginning of responses.

Reliability has also improved. Internal evaluations conducted by OpenAI show reductions in hallucination rates across multiple domains.

When using web sources, hallucinations dropped by roughly 26.8 percent in higher-risk fields such as medicine, law, and finance. Improvements were also recorded when the model relied only on its internal knowledge.

Beyond factual accuracy, the model is designed to feel more natural in conversation. OpenAI says the system now avoids overly preachy language, unnecessary disclaimers, and intrusive remarks that previously disrupted dialogue.

The goal is a more consistent conversational personality across updates, while maintaining the familiar user experience of ChatGPT.

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Guterres convenes global UN panel of 40 experts to assess AI risks

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the inaugural meeting of a new independent group of experts on AI convened by the UN that they have a huge responsibility to help shape how the technology is used ‘for the benefit of humanity’.

‘Individually, you come from diverse regions and disciplines, bringing outstanding expertise in AI and related fields. Collectively, you represent something the world has never seen before,’ the UN chief told scientists on Tuesday at the first meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

The panel brings together 40 experts who aim to help close ‘the AI knowledge gap’ and assess the real impact the frontier technology will have across economies and societies so that countries can act with the same ‘clarity’ on a level playing field.

The experts will provide scientific assessments independent of any government, company or institution – including the UN itself. ‘AI is advancing at lightning speed… no country, no company, and no field of research can see the full picture alone,’ Guterres said. ‘The world urgently needs a shared, global understanding of artificial intelligence; grounded not in ideology, but in science.’

Warning about the stakes involved as AI evolves rapidly, Guterres said the technology will shape peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development for decades to come. ‘I have seen how quickly fear can take hold when facts are missing or distorted – how trust breaks down, and division deepens,’ he said. At a time when ‘geopolitical tensions are rising, and conflicts are raging,’ he stressed that the need for shared understanding and ‘safe and responsible AI could not be greater.’

As AI development accelerates, the Secretary-General also warned the panel that it is ‘in a race against time.’ Addressing concerns about the pace of technological change, he said: ‘Never in the future will we move as slowly as we are moving now. We are indeed in a high level of acceleration.’

Guterres also pointed to earlier work through the UN High-Level Advisory Body on AI, noting that the new scientific panel does not ‘start from zero’. Concluding his remarks, Guterres told the experts: ‘I can think of no more important assignment for our world today.’

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AI Readiness Assessment Report highlights India’s progress and gaps in ethical AI

UNESCO and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have launched the India AI Readiness Assessment Report during the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The report evaluates the country’s progress in building an ethical and human-centred AI ecosystem.

Developed by UNESCO with the IndiaAI Mission and Ikigai Law as implementing partner, the report draws on consultations with more than 600 stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society. The assessment examined governance, workforce readiness, and infrastructure development.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Dr Ajay Kumar Sood, emphasised the importance of embedding ethics throughout the technology lifecycle. ‘AI is here to make an impact. The question is not how fast we adopt AI, but how thoughtfully we shape it,’ he said.

The report highlights the country’s growing role in global AI development, noting that it accounts for around 16% of the world’s AI talent and has filed more than 86,000 related patents since 2010. It also points to progress in multilingual AI systems and digital public services.

The assessment also identifies policy priorities, including stronger legal frameworks, inclusive workforce transitions, and better access to high-quality datasets. UNESCO officials said the recommendations aim to support responsible AI governance and strengthen public trust.

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AI helps Stanford researchers map schistosomiasis risk in Senegal

Stanford researchers have developed an AI-powered system that combines field surveys, drones, and satellite imagery to identify schistosomiasis risk areas across Senegal.

The project began with fieldwork in Senegal, where researchers collected aquatic vegetation and snails from more than 30 river and estuary sites. The samples helped identify environmental conditions linked to schistosomiasis, which affects about 250 million people worldwide, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Giulio De Leo of Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability said the research required scaling beyond local sampling. ‘The work was necessary to discover these risks, but we can only do so much locally.’

Early support from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centred AI enabled the development of machine learning tools capable of identifying disease-related snails and vegetation in imagery. The system now integrates field observations with drone and satellite data to detect potential infection hotspots.

Researchers say the approach can support public health monitoring and environmental analysis. The machine learning methods developed for the project are also being applied to agriculture, forest monitoring, and mosquito-borne disease research.

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Cisco report highlights cybersecurity risks and benefits of industrial AI

AI is becoming central to industrial networking strategies, but it is also creating new security challenges, according to Cisco’s 2026 State of Industrial AI Report.

Based on a survey of 1,000 professionals across 19 countries and 21 sectors, the report shows organisations view cybersecurity as both a barrier and an opportunity for AI adoption. About 40% cited cybersecurity concerns as a major obstacle, while 48% named security their biggest networking challenge.

At the same time, many organisations believe AI will strengthen their cyber resilience. Cisco noted that ‘while security gaps are limiting AI scale today, organisations view AI as a tool to strengthen detection, monitoring and resilience’.

The report also highlights organisational challenges, particularly collaboration between IT and operational technology teams. Only 20% of organisations report fully collaborative IT and OT cybersecurity operations, despite the growing importance of coordination for AI deployment.

Cisco said industrial AI adoption is accelerating, with 61% of organisations already deploying AI in industrial environments. However, only one in five reports mature, scaled adoption, suggesting many deployments remain in early stages.

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Crypto exchanges face strict 2027 reserve rules under new Brazil framework

Brazil’s central bank has introduced a regulatory framework requiring licensed crypto exchanges to prove asset sufficiency daily starting on 1 January 2027. The measures align digital asset intermediaries with banking standards on capital management, accounting, and data protection.

Under the rules, exchanges must submit daily attestations confirming that platforms hold adequate fiat and token reserves. Supervisors will review the reports to ensure companies can cover operational, liquidity, and cybersecurity risks while protecting customer balances.

The framework also mandates strict segregation of company and client assets. Exchanges must maintain separate accounts for customer fiat and digital holdings to prevent commingling of funds and improve transparency for regulators.

Platforms operating in Brazil will also be required to follow a specialised accounting manual for digital assets. Standardised rules for classification, valuation, and impairment aim to ensure financial statements clearly reflect exposures across regulated entities.

Authorities will expand oversight of cross-border transfers handled by domestic crypto exchanges. Platforms must report the origins of transactions and the blockchain pathways they follow. The central bank said the framework aims to strengthen resilience and protect customer funds.

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Santander and Mastercard complete Europe’s first AI agent payment

Spanish banking giant Banco Santander and Mastercard have completed what they describe as Europe’s first live end-to-end payment executed by an AI agent. The pilot combined Santander’s live payments infrastructure with Mastercard Agent Pay to enable autonomous, permission-based transactions.

Mastercard Agent Pay, launched in April 2025, allows AI agents to initiate and complete payments within predefined consumer limits. The transaction was orchestrated with support from PayOS and integrates Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot Studio.

Following the pilot, Santander plans to expand testing and explore new partnerships across agentic commerce use cases. The bank, which manages around €1.84 trillion in assets, is positioning AI as a core driver of innovation.

AI initiatives at Santander are led by chief data and AI officer Ricardo Martín Manjón, hired from BBVA. A strategic partnership with OpenAI has also connected up to 30,000 employees to ChatGPT Enterprise in one of the fastest deployments of its kind.

Global competition in agentic payments is intensifying as Citi, US Bank and Westpac trial Mastercard Agent Pay. Westpac recently completed New Zealand’s first authenticated agentic transaction, while DBS, Visa, Axis Bank and RBL Bank are advancing similar intelligent commerce pilots.

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AI tool from MIT speeds up complex engineering optimisation

MIT researchers have developed a new AI approach that helps engineers solve complex design problems faster, from power grid optimisation to vehicle safety.

The method adapts a foundation model trained on tabular data, enabling high-dimensional optimisation without retraining and significantly speeding up results.

The system uses a foundation model with Bayesian optimisation to pinpoint the variables that most impact outcomes. Focusing on key variables, the model finds top solutions 10 to 100 times faster than existing optimisation methods.

Early tests show the approach excels in costly, time-consuming scenarios like car crash testing and power system design. The technique lowers computational demands and suits large-scale, high-frequency engineering challenges across multiple domains.

Researchers aim to expand the method to even higher-dimensional problems, such as naval ship design, while highlighting the broader potential of foundation models as algorithmic engines in scientific and engineering tools.

Experts see it as a practical step toward making advanced optimisation more accessible in real-world applications.

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