Capacity development

OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank expand Stargate with new US data centres

A collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank has announced five new data centres under the Stargate initiative, a $500 billion plan to expand US AI computing infrastructure.

The latest sites bring total planned capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts, with over $400 billion already committed, putting the project ahead of schedule to meet its 2025 target of 10 gigawatts.

Oracle will lead three projects in Texas, New Mexico and the Midwest, adding over 5.5 gigawatts of capacity and creating more than 25,000 jobs.

SoftBank will develop facilities in Ohio and Texas, expected to scale to 1.5 gigawatts within 18 months. SB Energy, its affiliate, will provide rapid-build infrastructure for the Texas site.

The companies described the expansion as a step toward faster deployment and greater cost efficiency, making high-performance computing more widely accessible.

Site selection followed a nationwide review of more than 300 proposals, with further projects under evaluation, suggesting investment could surpass the original commitment.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stressed that compute power is key to unlocking AI’s promise, while Oracle and SoftBank leaders highlighted scalable infrastructure and energy expertise as central to the initiative. With Stargate, the partners aim to anchor the next wave of AI innovation on US soil.

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AI transforms software development according to DORA 2025 report

Google Cloud’s 2025 DORA Report reveals widespread AI adoption among software developers. The report surveyed nearly 5,000 professionals and found that AI adoption in software development has reached 90%, with many using it around two hours daily.

The findings reveal clear benefits: over 80% of respondents report increased productivity, and 59% say AI improves code quality. Yet the research also identifies a ‘trust paradox’: while AI is widely used, only 24% of developers firmly trust it.

Many continue to use AI as a supportive tool rather than a complete replacement for human judgement.

Organisational effects of AI are more nuanced. Teams using AI release more software and applications, boosting delivery throughput, but ensuring quality remains challenging.

AI acts as both a ‘mirror and a multiplier,’ enhancing efficiency in cohesive teams while exposing weaknesses in fragmented ones. Seven team archetypes provide a human-centric view of performance, well-being and AI adoption.

The report also presents the DORA AI Capabilities Model, detailing seven key factors for maximizing AI impact. Productivity gains need more than adoption; culture, processes and systems must evolve to harness AI fully.

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Spanish joins Google’s global AI Mode expansion

Google is rapidly expanding AI Mode, its generative AI-powered search assistant. The company has announced that the feature is now rolling out globally in Spanish. Spanish speakers can now interact with AI Mode to ask complex questions that traditional Search handles poorly.

AI Mode has seen swift adoption since its launch earlier this year. First introduced in March, the feature was rolled out to users across the US in May, followed by its first language expansion earlier this month.

Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese were the first languages added, and Spanish now joins the list. Google says more languages will follow soon as part of its global AI Mode rollout.

Google says the feature is designed to work alongside Search, not replace it, offering conversational answers with links to supporting sources. The company has stressed that responses are generated with safety filters and fact-checking layers.

The rollout reflects Google’s broader strategy to integrate generative AI into its ecosystem, spanning Search, Workspace, and Android. AI Mode will evolve with multimodal support and tighter integration with other Google services.

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AI image war heats up as ByteDance unveils Seedream 4.0

ByteDance has unveiled Seedream 4.0, its latest AI-powered image generation model, which it claims outperforms Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. The launch signals ByteDance’s bid to rival leading creative AI tools.

Developed by ByteDance’s Seed division, the model combines advanced text-to-image generation with fast, precise image editing. Internal testing reportedly showed superior prompt accuracy, image alignment, and visual quality compared to US-developed DeepMind’s system.

Artificial Analysis, an independent AI benchmarking firm, called Seedream 4.0 a significant step forward. The model integrates Seedream 3.0’s generation capability with SeedEdit 3.0’s editing tools while maintaining a price of US$30 per 1,000 generations.

ByteDance claims that Seedream 4.0 runs over 10 times faster than earlier versions, enhancing the user experience with near-instant image inference. Early users have praised its ability to make quick, text-prompted edits with high accuracy.

The tool is now available to users in China through Jimeng and Doubao AI apps and businesses via Volcano Engine, ByteDance’s cloud platform. A formal technical report supporting the company’s claims has not yet been released.

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Yale students explore AI through clubs and fellowships

Across Yale, membership in AI-focused clubs such as the Yale Artificial Intelligence Association (AIA), Yale Artificial Intelligence Alignment (YAIA) and Yale Artificial Intelligence Policy Initiative (YAIPI) has grown rapidly.

The organisations offer weekly meetings, projects, and fellowships to deepen understanding of AI’s technical, ethical, and societal implications.

Each club has a distinct focus. YAIA addresses long-term risks and safety, while the AIA emphasises student-led technical projects and community-building. YAIPI explores ethics, governance and policy, particularly for students without technical backgrounds.

Fellowships, paper-reading groups and collaborative projects allow members to engage deeply with AI issues.

Membership numbers reflect this surge: AIA’s mailing list now includes around 400 students, YAIPI has over 200 subscribers, and YAIA admitted 25 students to its safety fellowship. The clubs are also beginning to collaborate, combining technical expertise with policy knowledge for joint projects.

Professional schools and faculty-led initiatives, including law and business-focused AI groups, further expand opportunities for student engagement.

AI’s role in classrooms remains varied. Some professors encourage experimentation with generative tools, while others enforce stricter rules, particularly in humanities courses. Yale’s Executive Committee warned first-year students against using AI platforms like ChatGPT without attribution.

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EU and Indonesia free trade deal strengthens tech and digital supply chains

The European Union and Indonesia have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA), strongly emphasising technology, digitalisation and sustainable industries.

The agreements are designed to expand trade, secure critical raw materials, and drive the green and digital transitions.

Under the CEPA, tariffs on 98.5% of trade lines will be removed, cutting costs by €600 million annually and giving EU companies greater access to Indonesia’s fast-growing technology sectors, including electric vehicles, electronics and pharmaceuticals.

European firms will also gain full ownership rights in key service areas such as computers and telecommunications, helping deepen integration of digital supply chains.

A deal that embeds commitments to the Paris Agreement while promoting renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. It also includes cooperation on digital standards, intellectual property protections and trade facilitation for sectors vital to Europe’s clean tech and digital industries.

With Indonesia as a leading producer of critical raw materials, the agreement secures sustainable and predictable access to inputs essential for semiconductors, batteries and other strategic technologies.

Launched in 2016, the negotiations concluded after the political agreement reached in July 2025 between Presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Prabowo Subianto. The texts will undergo legal review before the EU and Indonesia ratification, opening a new chapter in tech-enabled trade and innovation.

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Gemini brings conversational AI to Google TV

Google has launched Gemini for TV, bringing conversational AI to the living room. The update builds on Google TV and Google Assistant, letting viewers chat naturally with their screens to discover shows, plan trips, or even tackle homework questions.

Instead of scrolling endlessly, users can ask Gemini to find a film everyone will enjoy or recap last season’s drama. The AI can handle vague requests, like finding ‘that new hospital drama,’ and provide reviews before you press play.

Gemini also turns the TV into an interactive learning tool. From explaining why volcanoes erupt to guiding kids through projects, it offers helpful answers with supporting YouTube videos for hands-on exploration.

Beyond schoolwork, Gemini can help plan meals, teach new skills like guitar, or brainstorm family trips, all through conversational prompts. Such features make the TV a hub for entertainment, education, and inspiration.

Gemini is now available on the TCL QM9K series, with rollout to additional Google TV devices planned for later this year. Google says additional features are coming soon, making TVs more capable and personalised.

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UN warns AI poses risks without proper climate oversight

AI can help tackle the climate crisis, but governments must regulate it to ensure positive outcomes, says UN climate chief Simon Stiell. AI is already helping make energy systems more efficient, reduce industrial carbon emissions, and assist in climate diplomacy.

Stiell warned that the growing energy demands of large AI data centres pose risks that require careful management. He emphasised that AI should enhance human capacity rather than replace it, supporting tasks such as managing microgrids, mapping climate risk, and guiding resilient planning.

Global climate action is advancing, with renewable energy investment booming and countries aligning with the Paris Agreement. While China leads the clean energy surge, the EU, India, African nations, and Latin America also expand low-carbon solutions.

However, financing remains a barrier, with many planned low-carbon projects struggling to secure investment.

Despite progress, the benefits of the low-carbon transition are uneven, and the climate crisis is accelerating. Governments are urged to submit updated Paris Agreement plans before COP30 in Brazil, while Stiell calls for stronger climate cooperation and faster action.

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AI-powered OSIA aims to boost student success rates in Cameroon

In Cameroon, where career guidance often takes a back seat, a new AI platform is helping students plan their futures. Developed by mathematician and AI researcher Frédéric Ngaba, OSIA offers personalised academic and career recommendations.

The platform provides a virtual tutor trained on Cameroon’s curricula, offering 400 exam-style tests and psychometric assessments. Students can input grades and aspirations, and the system builds tailored academic profiles to highlight strengths and potential career paths.

OSIA already has 13,500 subscribers across 23 schools, with plans to expand tenfold. Subscriptions cost 3,000 CFA francs for locals and €10 for students abroad, making it an affordable solution for many families.

Teachers and guidance counsellors see the tool as a valuable complement, though they stress it cannot replace human interaction or emotional support. Guidance professionals insist that social context and follow-up remain key to students’ development.

The Secretariat for Secular Private Education of Cameroon has authorized OSIA to operate. Officials expect its benefits to scale nationwide as the government considers a national AI strategy to modernise education and improve success rates.

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Waterloo study links blood patterns to spinal injury prognosis

Routine hospital blood samples could help predict spinal cord injury severity and even mortality, a University of Waterloo study has found. Researchers used machine learning to analyse millions of data points from over 2,600 patients.

The models identified patterns in routine blood measurements, including electrolytes and immune cells, collected during the first three weeks following injury. These patterns forecast recovery outcomes even when neurological exams were unreliable or impossible.

Researchers said the models were accurate in predicting injury severity and mortality as early as one to three days after admission. Accuracy improved further as more blood test data became available over time.

Unlike MRI or fluid-based biomarkers, which are not always accessible, routine blood tests are low-cost and widely available in hospitals. The approach could help clinicians make more informed and faster treatment decisions.

The team says its findings could reshape early critical care for spinal cord injuries. Predicting severity sooner could guide resource allocation and prioritise patients needing urgent intervention.

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