Cloud computing

UK and USA sign technology prosperity deal

The UK and the USA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the technology prosperity deal. The aim is to facilitate collaboration on joint opportunities of mutual interest across strategic science and technology areas, including AI, civil energy, and quantum technologies.

The two countries intend to collaborate on building powerful AI infrastructure, expanding access to computing for researchers, and developing high-impact datasets.

Key focus areas include joint flagship research programs in priority domains such as biotechnology, precision medicine, and fusion energy, supported by leading science agencies from both the UK and the USA.

The partnership will also explore AI applications in space, foster secure infrastructure and hardware innovation, and promote AI exports. Efforts will be made to align AI policy frameworks, support workforce development, and ensure broad public benefit.

The US Center for AI Standards and Innovation and the UK AI Security Institute will work together to advance AI safety, model evaluation, and global standards through shared expertise and talent exchange.

Additionally, the deal aims to fast-track breakthrough technologies, streamline regulation, secure supply chains, and outpace strategic competitors.

In the nuclear sector, the countries plan joint efforts in advanced reactors, next-generation fuels, and fusion energy, while upholding the highest standards of safety and non-proliferation.

Lastly, the deal aims to develop powerful machines with real-world applications in defence, healthcare, and logistics, while prioritising research security, cyber resilience, and protection of critical infrastructure.

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AI agent headlines Notion 3.0 rollout

Notion has officially entered the agent era with the launch of Notion Agent, the centrepiece of its Notion 3.0 rollout. Described as a ‘teammate and Notion super user,’ the AI agent is designed to automate work inside and beyond Notion.

The new tool can automatically build pages and databases, search across connected tools like Slack, and perform up to 20 minutes of autonomous work at a time. Notion says this enables faster, more efficient workflows across hundreds of pages simultaneously.

A key feature is memory, which allows the agent to ‘remember’ a user’s preferences and working style. These memories can be edited and stored under multiple profiles, allowing users to customise their agent for different projects or contexts.

Notion highlights use cases such as generating email campaigns, consolidating feedback into reports, and transforming meeting notes into emails or proposals. The company says the agent acts as a partner who plans tasks and carries them out end-to-end.

Future updates will expand personalisation and automation, including fully customised agents capable of even more complex tasks. Notion positions the launch as a step toward a new era of intelligent, self-directed productivity.

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Huawei unveils roadmap for next-generation AI super pods

Huawei chairman Xu outlined the company’s roadmap for AI computing platforms, revealing plans to launch the Atlas 950 SuperPoD in Q4 2026. The system will use over 8,000 Ascend GPUs across 128 racks, covering 1,000 sq metres, and offer 6.7 times more computing power and 15 times more memory.

A year later, the Atlas 960 SuperPod will debut with up to 15,488 Ascend 960 chips, achieving 30 exaflops of computing power and 4,460TB of memory. Xu said the two systems will stay the world’s most potent super nodes, with uses beyond AI in general-purpose computing in China.

Huawei faces Western sanctions limiting access to advanced semiconductor nodes. Xu said assembling less advanced chips into super pods lets Huawei compete with rivals like Nvidia at a system level despite lower individual chip performance.

Over the next three years, Huawei will launch three new Ascend chip series: the 950 line, 950PR and 950DT, the 960, and the 970. The 950PR, optimised for early-stage inference and recommendations, will ship in Q1 2026, while the 950DT with 2Tb/s bandwidth will launch in Q4 2026.

The 960 will double its predecessor’s computing power and memory capacity and arrive in Q4 2027.

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WEF urges trade policy shift to protect workers in digital economy

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published an article on using trade policy to build a fairer digital economy. Digital services now make up over half of global exports, with AI investment projected at $252 billion in 2024. Countries from Kenya to the UAE are positioning as digital hubs, but job quality still lags.

Millions of platform workers face volatile pay, lack of contracts, and no access to social protections. In Kenya alone, 1.9 million people rely on digital work yet face algorithm-driven pay systems and sudden account deactivations. India and the Philippines show similar patterns.

AI threatens to automate lower-skilled tasks such as data annotation and moderation, deepening insecurity in sectors where many developing countries have found a competitive edge. Ethical standards exist but have little impact without enforcement or supportive regulation.

Countries are experimenting with reforms: Singapore now mandates injury compensation and retirement savings for platform workers, while the Rider Law in Spain reclassifies food couriers as employees. Yet overly strict regulation risks eroding the flexibility that attracts youth and caregivers to gig work.

Trade agreements, such as the AfCFTA and the Kenya–EU pact, could embed labour protections in digital markets. Coordinated policies and tripartite dialogue are essential to ensure the digital economy delivers growth, fairness, and dignity for workers.

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Cyberattack compromises personal data used for DBS checks at UK college

Bracknell and Wokingham College has confirmed a cyberattack that compromised data collected for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. The breach affects data used by Activate Learning and other institutions, including names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, and passport details.

Access Personal Checking Services (APCS) was alerted by supplier Intradev on August 17 that its systems had been accessed without authorisation. While payment card details and criminal conviction records were not compromised, data submitted between December 2024 and May 8, 2025, was copied.

APCS stated that its own networks and those of Activate Learning were not breached. The organisation is contacting only those data controllers where confirmed breaches have occurred and has advised that its services can continue to be used safely.

Activate Learning reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office following a risk assessment. APCS is still investigating the full scope of the breach and has pledged to keep affected institutions and individuals informed as more information becomes available.

Individuals have been advised to closely monitor their financial statements, exercise caution when opening phishing emails, and regularly update security measures, including passwords and two-factor authentication. Activate Learning emphasised the importance of staying vigilant to minimise risks.

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First quantum-AI data centre launched in New York City

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and Digital Realty have launched the first quantum-AI data centre in New York City at the JFK10 facility, powered by Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The project combines superconducting quantum computers with AI supercomputing under one roof.

OQC’s GENESIS quantum computer is the first to be deployed in a New York data centre, designed to support hybrid workloads and enterprise adoption. Future GENESIS systems will ship with Nvidia accelerated computing and CUDA-Q integration as standard.

OQC CEO Gerald Mullally said the centre will drive the AI revolution securely and at scale, strengthening the UK–US technology alliance. Digital Realty CEO Andy Power called it a milestone for making quantum-AI accessible to enterprises and governments.

UK Science Minister Patrick Vallance highlighted the £212 billion economic potential of quantum by 2045, citing applications from drug discovery to clean energy. He said the launch puts British innovation at the heart of next-generation computing.

The centre, embedded in Digital Realty’s PlatformDIGITAL, will support applications in finance, security, and AI, including quantum machine learning and accelerated model training. OQC Chair Jack Boyer said it demonstrates UK–US collaboration in leading frontier technologies.

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3D figurine craze takes off with Google Gemini update

Google’s Gemini latest update has sparked a social media craze by allowing users to transform 2D photos into lifelike 3D figurines. The feature, part of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, has quickly become the standout trend from the update.

Instead of serving as a photo-editing tool, Gemini now helps users turn selfies, portraits, and pet photos into stylized statuettes. The images resemble collectable vinyl or resin figures, with smooth finishes and polished detailing.

The digital figurine trend blends personalisation with creativity, allowing users to reimagine themselves or loved ones as miniature display pieces. The playful results have been widely shared across platforms, driving renewed engagement with Google’s AI suite.

The figurine generator also complements Gemini’s other creative functions, such as image combination and style transformation, which allow users to experiment with entirely new aesthetics. Together, these tools extend Gemini’s appeal beyond simple photo correction.

While other platforms have offered 3D effects, Gemini’s version produces highly polished results in seconds, democratising what was once a niche 3D modelling skill. For many, it is the most accessible way to turn memories into digital art.

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Millions of customer records stolen in Kering luxury brand data breach

Kering has confirmed a data breach affecting several of its luxury brands, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Brioni, and Alexander McQueen, after unauthorised access to its Salesforce systems compromised millions of customer records.

Hacking group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility, alleging it exfiltrated 43.5 million records from Gucci and nearly 13 million from the other brands. The stolen data includes names, email addresses, dates of birth, sales histories, and home addresses.

Kering stated that the incident occurred in June 2025 and did not compromise bank or credit card details or national identifiers. The company has reported the breach to the relevant regulators and is notifying the affected customers.

Evidence shared by ShinyHunters suggests Balenciaga made an initial ransom payment of €500,000 before negotiations broke down. The group released sample data and chat logs to support its claims.

ShinyHunters has exploited Salesforce weaknesses in previous attacks targeting luxury, travel, and financial firms. Questions remain about the total number of affected customers and the potential exposure of other Kering brands.

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Codex gets smarter with GPT-5, targets GitHub Copilot and rivals

OpenAI has optimised its new GPT-5 model for Codex, its agentic software development tool, boosting performance on both quick coding sessions and long, complex projects. CEO Sam Altman said Codex already accounts for 40% of platform traffic.

GPT-5 Codex can now build full projects, add features, run tests, refactor large codebases, and conduct detailed code reviews. It dynamically adjusts the time spent ‘thinking’ based on task complexity, allowing both interactive pair programming and extended autonomous work.

OpenAI stated that the model can run independently for over seven hours, completing refactorings, fixing test failures, and delivering finished code. Early tests indicate that it catches critical bugs more reliably, allowing developers to focus on the most important issues.

The upgraded Codex is available via terminal, IDE integrations, the web, and GitHub, and comes bundled with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise subscriptions. OpenAI launched Codex CLI in April and a research preview in May.

With GPT-5 Codex, OpenAI aims to capture market share from GitHub Copilot, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and startups such as Anysphere and Windsurf. The company claims the new version delivers faster, higher-quality results for developers at every stage of the software lifecycle.

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China’s market watchdog finds Nvidia violated antitrust law

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has issued a preliminary finding that Nvidia violated antitrust law linked to its 2020 acquisition of Mellanox Technologies. The deal was approved with restrictions, including a ban on bundling and ‘unreasonable trading conditions’ in China.

SAMR now alleges that Nvidia breached those terms. A full investigation is underway. Nvidia shares fell 2.4% in pre-market trading after the announcement. According to the Financial Times, SAMR delayed releasing the findings to gain leverage in trade talks with the USA, currently taking place in Madrid.

At the same time, US export controls on advanced chips remain a challenge for Nvidia. Licensing for its China-specific H20 chips is still under review, affecting Nvidia’s access to the Chinese market.

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