Generative AI tools have become a regular part of everyday life, both professionally and personally. Despite their usefulness, concern is growing about how they handle private data shared by users.
Major platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot collect user input to improve their models. Much of this data handling occurs behind the scenes, raising transparency and security concerns.
Anat Baron, a generative AI expert, compares AI models to Pac-Man—constantly consuming data to enhance performance. The more information they receive, the more helpful they become, often at the expense of privacy.
Many users ignore warnings not to share sensitive information. Baron advises against sharing anything with AI that one would not give to a stranger, including ID numbers, financial data, and medical results.
Some platforms offer options to reduce data collection. ChatGPT users can disable training under ‘Data Controls’, while Claude collects data only if users opt in. Perplexity and Gemini offer similar, though less transparent, settings.
Microsoft’s Copilot protects organisational data when logged in, but risks increase when used anonymously on the web. DeepSeek, however, collects user data automatically with no opt-out—making it a risky choice.
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Major US banking and credit union associations are pressuring regulators to delay granting federal bank licences to crypto firms. These include companies such as Circle, Ripple, and Fidelity Digital Assets.
In a joint letter, the American Bankers Association and others called on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to halt decisions on these applications, raising what they described as serious legal and procedural issues.
The groups argue that the crypto firms’ business models do not align with the fiduciary activities typically required for national trust banks. They warned that granting such charters without clear oversight could mark a major policy shift and potentially weaken the foundations of the financial system.
The banks also claim the publicly available details of the applications are insufficient for public scrutiny. Some in the crypto sector see this as a sign of resistance from traditional banks fearing competition.
Recent legislative developments, particularly the GENIUS Act’s stablecoin framework, are encouraging more crypto firms to seek national bank charters.
Legal experts say such charters offer broader operational freedom than the new stablecoin licence, making them an increasingly attractive option for firms aiming to operate across all US states.
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering the sale of over £5 billion in seized Bitcoin to help reduce the UK’s growing fiscal deficit. The Treasury is under pressure to find alternative revenue sources amid soaring borrowing costs, high inflation, and sluggish growth.
The Bitcoin in question was mostly confiscated in 2018 during a crackdown on a Chinese Ponzi scheme. Since then, its value has risen dramatically, with initial holdings worth around £300 million now estimated at more than £5 billion.
The assets were linked to convicted money launderers, including Jian Wen, and are currently held by UK law enforcement.
While the sale could help avoid tax increases or spending cuts, critics warn of repeating past mistakes. Comparisons have already been drawn to Gordon Brown’s heavily criticised gold sales in the early 2000s, which resulted in billions in missed profits.
There are also unresolved legal concerns about returning funds to victims of the fraud.
Some observers argue the UK should consider holding the Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, in line with countries like El Salvador. Analysts note that the US also sold off seized Bitcoin from 2014 to 2021, missing out on a potential $21 billion gain.
If the UK follows through with the sale, many believe it could prove to be one of the most short-sighted fiscal moves in recent history.
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Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has launched a new feature that allows users to filter out AI-generated images from search results.
Although the company admits the tool is not perfect and may miss some content, it claims it will significantly reduce the number of synthetic images users encounter.
The new filter uses open-source blocklists, including a more aggressive ‘nuclear’ option, sourced from tools like uBlock Origin and uBlacklist.
Users can access the setting via the Images tab after performing a search or use a dedicated link — noai.duckduckgo.com — which keeps the filter always on and also disables AI summaries and the browser’s chatbot.
The update responds to growing frustration among internet users. Platforms like X and Reddit have seen complaints about AI content flooding search results.
In one example, users searching for ‘baby peacock’ reported seeing just as many or more AI images than real ones, making it harder to distinguish between fake and authentic content.
DuckDuckGo isn’t alone in trying to tackle unwanted AI material. In 2024, Hiya launched a Chrome extension aimed at spotting deepfake audio across major platforms.
Microsoft’s Bing has also partnered with groups like StopNCII to remove explicit synthetic media from its results, showing that the fight against AI content saturation is becoming a broader industry trend.
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President Donald Trump has officially signed the GENIUS Act into law, marking a historic step in establishing a legal framework for stablecoins in the US. The act, passed with bipartisan support on 18 July, introduces the first rules for the $250 billion stablecoin market.
While Trump hailed the bill’s passage as a major achievement, backlash has emerged from both politicians and crypto insiders. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned the bill, arguing it could secretly enable the rollout of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
She warned that stablecoins under state control may function like a surveillance tool and criticised the absence of a clause banning CBDCs from the legislation.
Outside Capitol Hill, concerns were echoed by prominent Bitcoin advocate Justin Bechler, who likened the act to a covert power grab by central authorities. He claimed that fully compliant, state-enforced stablecoins effectively amount to CBDCs in practice.
Jean Rausis of SmarDex also described the bill as a ‘CBDC trojan horse’.
However, some believe the criticism is misplaced. Journalist Eleanor Terrett noted that the GENIUS Act includes language that prohibits the Federal Reserve from launching a retail CBDC.
Senator Tim Scott supported this view, stating the act does not expand the Fed’s powers in any direction resembling a digital currency for the public.
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The passage of the GENIUS Act in July has brought renewed focus on the relationship between digital asset firms and traditional financial institutions. Mastercard signalled readiness for a new era in digital assets, highlighting efforts to integrate stablecoins with conventional payment systems.
Mastercard’s collaboration with blockchain firms such as Ripple, Consensys, and Fireblocks was highlighted in a presentation shared by crypto researcher SMQKE.
The slide underscored Mastercard’s involvement in central bank digital currency (CBDC) initiatives alongside Visa and other partners, reflecting a commitment to making digital currencies as easy to use as cash.
Ripple’s presence in Mastercard’s network indicates its rising importance in regulated, institutional-grade solutions. Known for its work on real-time cross-border settlements, Ripple is well placed to benefit from the clearer regulatory landscape established by the GENIUS Act.
The legislative certainty encourages more traditional finance players and crypto firms to form lasting partnerships and expand compliant stablecoin applications.
The new law defines who can issue stablecoins and under what conditions, providing financial institutions with confidence to explore innovative payment models.
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In a massive data breach revealed in July 2025, the Texas Alcohol & Drug Testing Service (TADTS) admitted hackers gained access to sensitive information belonging to approximately 748,763 individuals.
Attackers remained inside the network for five days in July 2024 before detection, later leaking hundreds of gigabytes of data via the BianLian ransomware group.
Exposed records include a dangerous mix of personal and financial data—names, Social Security and passport numbers, driver’s licence and bank account details, biometric information, health‑insurance files and login credentials.
The breadth of this data presents a significant risk of identity theft and financial fraud.
Despite identifying the breach shortly after, TADTS delayed notifying those affected until July 2025 and provided no credit monitoring or identity theft services.
The company is now under classic action scrutiny, with law firms investigating its response and breach notification delays.
Security experts warn that the extended timeline and broad data exposure could lead to scams, account takeovers and sustained damage to victims.
Affected individuals are urged to monitor statements, access free credit reports, and remain alert for suspicious activity.
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Since early 2025, the Chinese-linked hacking group Salt Typhoon has aggressively targeted telecom infrastructure worldwide, compromising routers, switches and edge devices used by clients of major operators such as Comcast, MTN and LG Uplus.
Exploiting known but unpatched vulnerabilities, attackers gained persistent access to these network devices, potentially enabling further intrusions into core telecom systems.
The pattern suggests a strategic shift: the group broadly sweeps telecom infrastructure to establish ready-made access across critical communication channels.
Affected providers emphasised that only client-owned hardware was breached and confirmed no internal networks were compromised, but the campaign raises deeper concerns.
Experts warn that such indiscriminate telecommunications targeting could threaten data security and disrupt essential services, revealing a long-term cyber‑espionage strategy.
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The cryptocurrency industry faces a record-breaking year for theft in 2025, with losses surpassing $2.17 billion by mid-July, according to a Chainalysis report. The amount stolen so far has surpassed the total for all of 2024, highlighting a concerning increase in digital asset crime.
A large proportion, around $1.5 billion, stems from the North Korea-linked Bybit hack, which accounts for nearly 70% of thefts targeting crypto services this year.
While centralised exchanges remain prime targets, personal wallets now represent almost a quarter of stolen funds. The report highlights a rise in violent ‘wrench attacks,’ where criminals coerce Bitcoin holders into revealing private keys through threats or physical force.
Kidnappings of crypto executives and family members have also increased, with 2025 expected to double the number of such physical assaults compared to previous years.
Sophistication in laundering stolen crypto varies depending on the target. Hackers focusing on exchanges use advanced techniques like chain-hopping and mixers to obscure transactions.
Conversely, attackers targeting personal wallets often employ simpler methods. Interestingly, criminals are holding stolen assets longer and are willing to pay fees up to 14.5 times higher than average to swiftly move illicit funds and avoid detection.
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Beaumont Hospital in Dublin plans to deploy AI to predict patient no-shows and late cancellations, aiming to reduce wasted resources.
Instead of relying solely on reminders, the hospital will pilot AI software costing up to €110,000, using patient data to forecast missed appointments. Currently, no-shows account for 15.5% of its outpatient slots.
The system will integrate with Beaumont’s existing two-way text messaging service. Rather than sending uniform reminders, the AI model will tailor messages based on the likelihood of attendance while providing hospital staff with real-time insights to better manage clinic schedules.
The pilot is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, potentially expanding into a full €1.2 million contract.
The move forms part of Beaumont Hospital’s strategic plan through 2030 to reduce outpatient non-attendance. It follows the broader adoption of AI in Irish healthcare, including Mater Hospital’s recent launch of an AI and Digital Health centre designed to tackle clinical challenges using new technologies.
Instead of viewing AI as a future option, Irish hospitals now increasingly treat it as an immediate solution to operational inefficiencies, hoping it will transform healthcare delivery and improve patient service.
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