Capacity development

UNDP and RIPE NCC join forces for sustainable development

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) have signed a new agreement to boost cooperation on digital development. The Memorandum of Understanding, announced in New York during the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week, focuses on building scalable, secure, and resilient internet infrastructure across the Arab States and beyond.

By combining UNDP’s development mandate with RIPE NCC’s technical expertise, the partnership aims to promote inclusive digital transformation and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP’s Abdallah Al Dardari stressed that digital transformation is now a ‘development imperative,’ while RIPE NCC CEO Hans Petter Holen highlighted that resilient internet systems are vital for innovation and growth.

The announcement took place as part of Digital@UNGA Week and came just ahead of UNDP’s High-Level Roundtable on Digital for Sustainable Development. At the roundtable, partners unveiled Morocco’s Digital for Sustainable Development Hub, underscoring the growing role of multi-stakeholder cooperation in shaping inclusive digital ecosystems worldwide.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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UN Secretary-General launches call for candidates for AI Scientific Panel

The UN Secretary-General has launched an open call for candidates to serve on the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

The Panel was agreed by UN member states in September 2024 as part of the Global Digital Compact; its terms of reference were later defined in a UN General Assembly resolution adopted in August 2025. The 40-member Panel will provide evidence-based scientific assessments on AI’s opportunities, risks, and impacts. Its work will culminate in an annual, policy-relevant – but non-prescriptive –summary report presented to the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, along with up to two updates per year to engage with the General Assembly plenary.

Candidates with expertise in the following fields are invited to apply:

  • AI, including foundation models & generative AI, machine learning methods, core AI subfields (e.g. vision, language, speech/audio, robotics, planning & scheduling, knowledge representation), reliability, safety & alignment, cognitive & neuroscience links, human–AI interaction, AI security and infrastructure;
  • Applied AI, including science (foundational and applied in health, climate, life sciences, physics, health, social sciences, agriculture), engineering, industry and mobility (e.g. materials, drugs, transportation, smart cities, IoT, satellite, navigation), digital society (e.g. misinformation & disinformation, online harms, social networks, software engineering, web),
  • Related fields, including AI opportunity, risk and impact assessment, AI impacts on society, technology, economy, and environment, AI security and infrastructure, data, ethics, and rights, governance (e.g. public policy, international law, standards, oversight, compliance, foresight and scenario-building).

Following the call for nominations (open until 31 October 2025), the Secretary-General will recommend 40 members for appointment by the General Assembly.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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Global Dialogue on AI Governance officially launched

On 25 September 2025, the President of the UN General Assembly chaired a high-level multistakeholder informal meeting to launch the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

The creation of the Dialogue was agreed by UN member states in September 2024, with the adoption of the Global Digital Compact. In August 2025, the General Assembly adopted a resolution outlining the terms of reference and modalities for this new global mechanism.

The Global Dialogue on AI Governance is tasked with facilitating open, transparent and inclusive discussions on AI governance. Issues to focus on will include safe, trustworthy AI; bridging capacity and digital divides; social, ethical, and technical implications; interoperability of governance approaches; human rights; transparency and accountability; and open-source AI development.

The Dialogue will meet annually for up to two days alongside UN conferences in Geneva or New York, featuring high-level government participation, thematic discussions, and an annual report presentation. Initially, it will be held back-to-back in the margins of the International Telecommunication Union Artificial Intelligence for Good Global Summit in Geneva, in 2026, and of the multistakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the SDGs in New York, in 2027.

Speaking at the launch of the Dialogue, the UN Secretary-General noted that the Dialogue is ‘about creating a space where governments, industry and civil society can advance common solutions together.  Where innovation can thrive — guided by shared standards and common purpose.’

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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Brazil to host massive AI-ready data centre by RT-One

RT-One plans to build Latin America’s largest AI data centre after securing land in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The US$1.2bn project will span over one million square metres, with 300,000 m² reserved as protected green space.

The site will support high-performance computing, sovereign cloud services, and AI workloads, launching with 100MW capacity and scaling to 400MW. It will run on 100% renewable energy and utilise advanced cooling systems to minimise its environmental impact.

RT-One states that the project will prepare Brazil to compete globally, generate skilled jobs, and train new talent for the digital economy. A wide network of partners, including Hitachi, Siemens, WEG, and Schneider Electric, is collaborating on the development, aiming to ensure resilience and sustainability at scale.

The project is expected to stimulate regional growth, with jobs, training programmes, and opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry. Local officials, including the mayor of Uberlândia, attended the launch event to underline government support for the initiative.

Once complete, the Uberlândia facility will provide sovereign cloud capacity, high-density compute, and AI-ready infrastructure for Brazil and beyond. RT-One says the development will position the city as a hub for digital innovation and strengthen Latin America’s role in the global AI economy.

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UN Secretary-General warns humanity cannot rely on algorithms

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged world leaders to act swiftly to ensure AI serves humanity rather than threatens it. Speaking at a UN Security Council debate, he warned that while AI can help anticipate food crises, support de-mining efforts, and prevent violence, it is equally capable of fueling conflict through cyberattacks, disinformation, and autonomous weapons.

‘Humanity’s fate cannot be left to an algorithm,’ he stressed.

Guterres outlined four urgent priorities. First, he called for strict human oversight in all military uses of AI, repeating his demand for a global ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems. He insisted that life-and-death decisions, including any involving nuclear weapons, must never be left to machines.

Second, he pressed for coherent international regulations to ensure AI complies with international law at every stage, from design to deployment. He highlighted the dangers of AI lowering barriers to acquiring prohibited weapons and urged states to build transparency, trust, and safeguards against misuse.

Finally, Guterres emphasised protecting information integrity and closing the global AI capacity gap. He warned that AI-driven disinformation could destabilise peace processes and elections, while unequal access risks leaving developing countries behind.

The UN has already launched initiatives, including a new international scientific panel and an annual AI governance dialogue, to foster cooperation and accountability.

‘The window is closing to shape AI, for peace, justice, and humanity,’ he concluded.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

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Gemini’s image model powers Google’s new Mixboard platform

Google has launched Mixboard, an experimental AI tool designed to help users visually explore, refine, and expand ideas both textually and visually. The Gemini 2.5 Flash model powers the platform and is now available for free in beta for users in the United States.

Mixboard provides an open canvas where users can begin with pre-built templates or custom prompts to create project boards. It can be used for tasks such as planning events, home decoration, or organising inspirational images, presenting an overall mood for a project.

Users can upload their own images or generate new ones by describing what they want to see. The tool supports iterative editing, allowing minor tweaks or combining visuals into new compositions through Google’s Nano Banana image model.

Quick actions like regenerating and others like this enable users to explore variations with a single click. The tool also allows text generation based on context from images placed on the board, helping tie visuals to written ideas.

Google says Mixboard is part of its push to make Gemini more useful for creative work. Since the launch of Nano Banana in August, the Gemini app has overtaken ChatGPT to rank first in the US App Store.

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AI robot ‘robin’ brings emotional support to children’s hospitals in USA

An AI-powered robot named Robin transforms patient care in the USA pediatric hospitals by offering emotional support and companionship to young patients.

Developed by Expper Technologies, Robin resembles a child in appearance and voice, engaging patients with games, music, and conversation. Its childlike demeanour helps ease anxiety, especially during stressful medical procedures.

Initially launched in Armenia, Robin now operates in 30 healthcare facilities across the USA, including Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and New York. Designed to combat healthcare staff shortages, the robot is about 30% autonomous, with remote human operators guiding its interactions under clinical supervision.

Robin’s emotional intelligence allows it to mirror patient expressions and respond with empathy, laughing, playing, or offering comfort when needed. Beyond paediatrics, it also assists elderly patients with dementia in nursing homes by leading breathing exercises and memory games.

With the USA facing a projected shortage of up to 86,000 physicians in the next decade, Robin’s creators aim to expand its capabilities to include monitoring vitals and assisting with basic physical care.

Despite concerns about AI replacing human roles, Expper CEO Karen Khachikyan emphasises Robin is intended to complement healthcare teams, not replace them, offering joy, relief, and a sense of companionship where it’s most needed.

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Uzbekistan positions itself as Central Asia’s new AI and technology hub

Using its largest-ever ICT Week, Uzbekistan is showcasing ambitions to become a regional centre for AI and digital transformation.

More than 20,000 participants, 300 companies, and delegations from over 50 countries gathered in Tashkent, signalling Central Asia’s growing role in the global technology landscape.

The country invests in AI projects across various sectors, including education, healthcare, banking, and industry, with more than 100 initiatives underway.

Officials emphasise that digitalisation must serve people directly, by improving services and creating jobs for Uzbekistan’s young and expanding population.

The demographic advantage is shaping a vision of AI that prioritises dignity, opportunity, and inclusive growth.

International recognition has followed. The UN’s International Telecommunication Union described Uzbekistan as ‘leading the way’ in the region, praising high connectivity, supportive policies, and progress in youth participation and gender equality.

Infrastructure is also advancing, with global investors like DataVolt building one of Central Asia’s most advanced data centres in Tashkent.

Uzbekistan’s private sector is also drawing attention. Fintech and e-commerce unicorn Uzum recently secured significant investment from Tencent and VR Capital, reaching a valuation above €1.3 billion.

Public policy and private investment are positioning the country as a credible AI hub connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

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The EU unveils VLQ quantum computer in Czech Republic

A new quantum computer has been inaugurated at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Centre in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The system is the second quantum computer launched under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and forms part of Europe’s push to build its quantum infrastructure.

Developed by IQM Quantum Computers, VLQ houses 24 superconducting qubits arranged in a star-shaped topology, designed to reduce swap operations and improve efficiency.

The €5 million project was co-funded by EuroHPC JU and the LUMI-Q consortium, which includes partners from eight European countries. Scientists expect VLQ to accelerate progress in quantum AI, drug discovery, new material design, renewable energy forecasting, and security applications.

The Czech machine will not work in isolation. It is directly connected to the Karolina supercomputer and will later link to the LUMI system in Finland, enabling hybrid classical–quantum computations. Access will be open to researchers, companies, and the public sector across Europe by the end of 2025.

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Content Signals Policy by Cloudflare lets websites signal data use preferences

Cloudflare has announced the launch of its Content Signals Policy, a new extension to robots.txt that allows websites to express their preferences for how their data is used after access. The policy is designed to help creators maintain open content while preventing misuse by data scrapers and AI trainers.

The new tool enables website owners to specify, in a machine-readable format, whether they permit search indexing, AI input, or AI model training. Operators can set each signal to ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or leave it blank to indicate no stated preference, providing them with fine-grained control over their responses.

Cloudflare says the policy tackles the free-rider problem, where scraped content is reused without credit. With bot traffic set to surpass human traffic by 2029, it calls for clear, standard rules to protect creators and keep the web open.

Customers already using Cloudflare’s managed robots.txt will have the policy automatically applied, with a default setting that allows search but blocks AI training. Sites without a robots.txt file can opt in to publish the human-readable policy text and add their own preferences when ready.

Cloudflare emphasises that content signals are not enforcement mechanisms but a means of communicating expectations. It is releasing the policy under a CC0 licence to encourage broad adoption and is working with standards bodies to ensure the rules are recognised across the industry.

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