Teachers in Stoke-on-Trent gathered for a full-day event to discuss the role of AI in education. Organised by the Good Future Foundation, the session saw more than 40 educators, including Stoke-on-Trent South MP Allison Gardner, explore how AI can enhance teaching and learning. Gardner emphasised the government’s belief that AI represents a ‘generational opportunity’ for education in the UK.
The event highlighted both the promise and the challenges of integrating AI into UK schools. Attendees shared ideas on using AI to improve communication, particularly with families who speak English as an additional language, and to streamline access to school resources through automated chatbots. While the potential benefits are clear, many teachers expressed concerns about the risks associated with new technology.
Daniel Emmerson, executive director of the Good Future Foundation, stressed the importance of supporting educators in understanding and implementing AI. He explained that AI can help prepare students for a future dominated by this technology. Meanwhile, schools like Belgrave St Bartholomew’s Academy are already leading the way in using AI to improve lessons and prepare students for the opportunities AI will bring.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Google has announced an update to its Gemini AI assistant, enhancing personalisation to better anticipate user needs and deliver responses that feel more like those of a personal assistant.
The feature, initially available on desktop before rolling out to mobile, allows Gemini to offer tailored recommendations, such as travel ideas, based on search history and, in the future, data from apps like Photos and YouTube.
Users can opt in to the new personalisation features, sharing details like dietary preferences or past conversations to refine responses further.
Google assures that users must explicitly grant permission for Gemini to access search history and other services, and they can disconnect at any time.
However, this level of contextual awareness could give Google an advantage over competitors like ChatGPT by leveraging its vast ecosystem of user data.
The update signals a shift in how users interact with AI, bringing it closer to traditional search while raising questions for publishers and SEO professionals.
As Gemini increasingly provides direct, personalised answers, it may reduce the need for users to visit external websites. While currently experimental, the potential for Google to push broader adoption of AI-driven personalisation could reshape digital content discovery and search behaviour in the future.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Indian authorities have arrested Aleksej Besciokov, an administrator of the Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, at the request of the US.
Besciokov, a Russian resident and Lithuanian national, was taken into custody in Kerala on charges of money laundering and violating sanctions. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said he was planning to flee India, and Washington is expected to seek his extradition.
The arrest follows a joint operation by the US, Germany, and Finland to dismantle Garantex’s online infrastructure.
The exchange, under US sanctions since 2022, has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions since 2019. The US Justice Department recently charged two administrators, including Besciokov, with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Experts warn that sanctioned exchanges often attempt to bypass restrictions by setting up new entities. Blockchain research firm TRM Labs called the Garantex takedown a significant step in combating illicit finance but emphasised the need for continued vigilance against evasion tactics.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Wednesday that it does not need to delay its September trial against Amazon, contradicting an earlier claim by one of its attorneys about resource shortages.
Jonathan Cohen, an FTC lawyer, retracted his statement that cost-cutting measures had strained the agency’s ability to proceed, assuring the court that the FTC is fully prepared to litigate the case.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson reaffirmed the agency’s commitment, dismissing concerns over budget constraints and stating that the FTC will not back down from taking on Big Tech.
Earlier in the day, Cohen had described a ‘dire resource situation,’ citing employee resignations, a hiring freeze, and restrictions on legal expenses. However, he later clarified that these challenges would not impact the case.
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accuses Amazon of using ‘dark patterns’ to mislead consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions, a program with over 200 million users.
With claims exceeding $1 billion, the trial is expected to be a high-profile battle between regulators and one of the world’s largest tech companies. Amazon has denied any wrongdoing, and three of its senior executives are also named in the case.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Spain’s government has approved a bill imposing heavy fines on companies that fail to label AI-generated content, aiming to combat the spread of deepfakes.
The legislation, which aligns with the European Union’s AI Act, classifies non-compliance as a serious offence, with penalties reaching up to €35 million or 7% of a company’s global revenue.
Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez stressed that AI can be a force for good but also a tool for misinformation and threats to democracy.
The bill also bans manipulative AI techniques, such as subliminal messaging targeting vulnerable groups, and restricts the use of AI-driven biometric profiling, except in cases of national security.
Spain is one of the first EU nations to implement these strict AI regulations, going beyond the looser US approach, which relies on voluntary compliance.
A newly established AI supervisory agency, AESIA, will oversee enforcement, alongside sector-specific regulators handling privacy, financial markets, and law enforcement concerns.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Coinbase has officially registered with India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), allowing it to offer crypto trading services in the country, the company announced on Tuesday. The US-based exchange plans to launch its initial retail services later this year, followed by further investments and product rollouts. While a specific timeline has not been disclosed, Coinbase sees India as a key market with strong growth potential.
Interest in cryptocurrency has surged in India, particularly among young investors looking to supplement their incomes. Despite a 30% tax on crypto trading gains—one of the highest globally—the sector remains largely unregulated. Other major exchanges operating in the country include CoinDCX, Binance, and KuCoin.
India requires virtual asset service providers to register with the FIU and comply with anti-money laundering regulations. The government is currently reviewing its stance on crypto, influenced by global regulatory trends and recent policy shifts in the US. As the regulatory landscape evolves, Coinbase aims to establish a strong foothold in the Indian market while adhering to local compliance standards.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
New York State has taken legal action against Allstate, accusing its National General unit of mishandling customer data security and failing to report a breach that exposed sensitive information.
The state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, filed the lawsuit in Manhattan, claiming that the breaches, which occurred in 2020 and 2021, resulted in hackers accessing the driver’s license numbers of over 360,000 people.
According to the lawsuit, National General did not notify affected drivers or state agencies about the first breach, which occurred between August and November 2020.
The second, larger breach, was discovered three months later in January 2021. James alleges that National General violated the state’s Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act by failing to protect customer information adequately.
In response, Allstate defended its actions, stating that it had resolved the issue years ago, secured its systems, and offered free credit monitoring to affected consumers.
The lawsuit seeks civil fines of $5,000 per violation, in addition to other remedies. This legal action follows similar penalties imposed on other US companies for data security lapses, including fines for Geico and Travelers.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to drop its earlier proposal to force Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to sell its investments in AI companies, including its stake in Anthropic, a rival to OpenAI.
The proposal was originally included in a wider initiative to boost competition in the online search market. The DOJ now argues that restricting Google’s AI investments might lead to unintended consequences in the rapidly changing AI sector.
While this move represents a shift in the government’s approach, the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general are continuing their antitrust case against Google. They argue that Google holds an illegal monopoly in the search market and is distorting competition.
The government’s case includes demands for Google to divest its Chrome browser and implement other measures to foster competition.
Google has strongly opposed these efforts, stating that they would harm consumers, the economy, and national security. The company is also planning to appeal the proposals.
As part of the ongoing scrutiny, the DOJ’s latest proposal mandates that Google notify the government of any future investments in generative AI, a move intended to curb further concentration of power in the sector.
This case is part of a broader wave of antitrust scrutiny facing major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Meta, as US regulators seek to rein in the market dominance of Big Tech.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
A lawsuit filed by authors Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates against Meta has taken a significant step forward as a federal judge has ruled that the case will continue.
The authors allege that Meta used their books to train its Llama AI models without consent, violating their intellectual property rights.
They further claim that Meta intentionally removed copyright management information (CMI) from the works to conceal the alleged infringement.
Meta, however, defends its actions, arguing that the training of AI models qualifies as fair use and that the authors lack standing to sue.
Despite this, the judge allowed the lawsuit to move ahead, acknowledging that the authors’ claims suggest concrete injury, specifically regarding the removal of CMI to hide the use of copyrighted works.
While the lawsuit touches on several legal points, the judge dismissed claims related to the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, stating that there was no evidence of Meta accessing the authors’ computers or servers.
Meta’s defence team has continued to assert that the AI training practices were legally sound, though the ongoing case will likely provide more insight into the company’s stance on copyright.
The ruling adds to the growing list of copyright-related lawsuits involving AI models, including one filed by The New York Times against OpenAI. As the debate around AI and intellectual property rights intensifies, this case could set important precedents.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
NHS is investigating allegations that a software flaw at private medical services company Medefer left patient data vulnerable to hacking.
The flaw, discovered in November, affected Medefer’s internal patient record system in the UK, which handles 1,500 NHS referrals monthly.
A software engineer who found the issue believes the vulnerability may have existed for six years, but Medefer denies this claim, stating no data has been compromised.
The engineer discovered that unprotected application programming interfaces (APIs) could have allowed outsiders to access sensitive patient information.
While Medefer has insisted that there is no evidence of any breach, they have commissioned an external security agency to review their systems. The agency confirmed that no breach was found, and the company asserts that the flaw was fixed within 48 hours of being discovered.
Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about the potential risks posed by the flaw, emphasising that a proper investigation should have been conducted immediately.
Medefer reported the issue to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), both of which found no further action necessary. However, experts suggest that a more thorough response could have been beneficial given the sensitive nature of the data involved.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
