Content Policy

Gemini AI can now summarise videos in Google Drive

Google is expanding Gemini AI’s capabilities in Drive by enabling it to analyse video files and respond to user questions or generate concise summaries.

The new feature aims to save users time by providing quick insights from lengthy content such as meetings, classes or announcements, instead of requiring them to watch the entire video. Until now, Gemini could only summarise documents and PDFs stored in Drive.

According to a blog post published on 28 May 2025, the feature will support prompts like ‘Summarise the video’ or ‘List action items from the meeting.’ Users can access Gemini’s functionality either through Drive’s overlay previewer or a standalone viewer in a separate browser tab.

However, captions must be enabled within the user’s domain for the feature to work properly.

The update is being gradually rolled out and is expected to be available to all eligible users by 19 June. At the moment, it is limited to English and accessible only to users of Google Workspace and Google One AI Premium, or those with Gemini Business or Enterprise add-ons.

For administrators, smart features and personalisation settings must be activated to grant access.

To use the new function, users can double-click on a video file in Drive and select the ‘Ask Gemini’ option marked by a star icon in the top right corner. Google says the upgrade reflects a broader effort to integrate AI seamlessly into everyday workflows by making content easier to navigate and understand.

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Meta faces backlash over open source AI claims

Meta is under renewed scrutiny for what critics describe as ‘open washing’ after sponsoring a Linux Foundation whitepaper on the benefits of open source AI.

The paper highlights how open models help reduce enterprise costs—claiming companies using proprietary AI tools spend over three times more. However, Meta’s involvement has raised questions, as its Llama AI models are presented as open source despite industry experts insisting otherwise.

Amanda Brock, head of OpenUK, argues that Llama does not meet accepted definitions of open source due to licensing terms that restrict commercial use.

She referenced the Open Source Initiative’s (OSI) standards, which Llama fails to meet, pointing to the presence of commercial limitations that contradict open source principles. Brock noted that open source should allow unrestricted use, which Llama’s license does not support.

Meta has long branded its Llama models as open source, but the OSI and other stakeholders have repeatedly pushed back, stating that the company’s licensing undermines the very foundation of open access.

While Brock acknowledged Meta’s contribution to the broader open source conversation, she also warned that such mislabelling could have serious consequences—especially as lawmakers and regulators increasingly reference open source in crafting AI legislation.

Other firms have faced similar allegations, including Databricks with its DBRX model in 2024, which was also criticised for failing to meet OSI standards. As the AI sector continues to evolve, the line between truly open and merely accessible models remains a point of growing tension.

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New York Times partners with Amazon on AI integration

The New York Times Company and Amazon have signed a multi-year licensing agreement that will allow Amazon to integrate editorial content from The New York Times, NYT Cooking, and The Athletic into a range of its AI-powered services, the companies announced Wednesday.

Under the deal, Amazon will use licensed content for real-time display in consumer-facing products such as Alexa, as well as for training its proprietary foundation models. The agreement marks an expansion of the firms’ existing partnership.

‘The agreement expands the companies’ existing relationship, and will deliver additional value to Amazon customers while bringing Times journalism to broader audiences,’ the companies said in a joint statement.

According to the announcement, the licensing terms include ‘real-time display of summaries and short excerpts of Times content within Amazon products and services’ alongside permission to use the content in AI model development. Amazon platforms will also feature direct links to full Times articles.

Both companies described the partnership as a reflection of a shared commitment to delivering global news and information across Amazon’s AI ecosystem. Financial details of the agreement were not made public.

The announcement comes amid growing industry debate about the role of journalistic material in training AI systems.

By entering a formal licensing arrangement, The New York Times positions itself as one of the first major media outlets to publicly align with a technology company for AI-related content use.

The companies have yet to name additional Amazon products that will feature Times content, and no timeline has been disclosed for the rollout of the new integrations.

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Croatia urged to embed human rights into AI law

Politiscope recently held an event at the Croatian Journalists’ Association to highlight the human rights risks of AI.

As Croatia begins drafting a national law to implement the EU AI Act, the event aimed to push for stronger protections and transparency instead of relying on vague promises of innovation.

Croatia’s working group is still forming key elements of the law, such as who will enforce it, making it an important moment for public input.

Experts warned that AI systems could increase surveillance, discrimination, and exclusion. Speakers presented troubling examples, including inaccurate biometric tools and algorithms that deny benefits or profile individuals unfairly.

Campaigners from across Europe, including EDRi, showcased how civil society has already stopped invasive AI tools in places like the Netherlands and Serbia. They argued that ‘values’ embedded in corporate AI systems often lack accountability and harm marginalised groups instead of protecting them.

Rather than presenting AI as a distant threat or a miracle cure, the event focused on current harms and the urgent need for safeguards. Speakers called for a public register of AI use in state institutions, a ban on biometric surveillance in public, and full civil society participation in shaping AI rules.

A panel urged Croatia to go beyond the EU Act’s baseline by embracing more transparent and citizen-led approaches.

Despite having submitted recommendations, Politiscope and other civil society organisations remain excluded from the working group drafting the law. While business groups and unions often gain access through social dialogue rules, CSOs are still sidelined.

Politiscope continues to demand an open and inclusive legislative process, arguing that democratic oversight is essential for AI to serve people instead of controlling them.

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EU says US tech firms censor more

Far more online content is removed under US tech firms’ terms and conditions than under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen.

Her comments respond to criticism from American tech leaders, including Elon Musk, who have labelled the DSA a threat to free speech.

In an interview with Euractiv, Virkkunen said recent data show that 99% of content removals in the EU between September 2023 and April 2024 were carried out by platforms like Meta and X based on their own rules, not due to EU regulation.

Only 1% of cases involved ‘trusted flaggers’ — vetted organisations that report illegal content to national authorities. Just 0.001% of those reports led to an actual takedown decision by authorities, she added.

The DSA’s transparency rules made those figures available. ‘Often in the US, platforms have more strict rules with content,’ Virkkunen noted.

She gave examples such as discussions about euthanasia and nude artworks, which are often removed under US platform policies but remain online under European guidelines.

Virkkunen recently met with US tech CEOs and lawmakers, including Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, a prominent critic of the DSA and the DMA.

She said the data helped clarify how EU rules actually work. ‘It is important always to underline that the DSA only applies in the European territory,’ she said.

While pushing back against American criticism, Virkkunen avoided direct attacks on individuals like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg. She suggested platform resistance reflects business models and service design choices.

Asked about delays in final decisions under the DSA — including open cases against Meta and X — Virkkunen stressed the need for a strong legal basis before enforcement.

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Google Drive adds AI video summaries

Google Drive is gaining a new AI-powered tool that allows Workspace users to summarise and interact with video content using Gemini, Google’s generative AI assistant.

Instead of manually skipping through videos, users can now click the ‘Ask Gemini’ button to get instant summaries, key highlights, or action items from uploaded recordings.

The tool builds on Gemini 2.5 Pro’s strong video analysis capabilities, which recently scored 84.8% on the VideoMME benchmark. Gemini’s side panel, already used for summarising documents and folders, can now handle natural language prompts like ‘Summarise this video’ or ‘List key points from this meeting’.

However, the feature only works in English and requires captions to be enabled by the Workspace admin.

Google is rolling out the feature across various Workspace plans, including Business Standard and Enterprise tiers, with access available through Drive’s overlay preview or a new browser tab.

Instead of switching between windows or scrubbing through videos, users can now save time by letting Gemini handle the heavy lifting.

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Telegram partners with Musk’s xAI

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is partnering with Telegram to bring its AI assistant, Grok, to the messaging platform’s more than one billion users.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced that Grok will be integrated into Telegram’s apps and distributed directly through the service.

Instead of a simple tech integration, the arrangement includes a significant financial deal. Telegram is set to receive $300 million in cash and equity from xAI, along with half of the revenue from any xAI subscriptions sold through the platform. The agreement is expected to last one year.

The move mirrors Meta’s recent rollout of AI features on WhatsApp, which drew criticism from users concerned about the changing nature of private messaging.

Analysts like Hanna Kahlert of Midia Research argue that users still prefer using social platforms to connect with friends, and that adding AI tools could erode trust and shift focus away from what made these apps popular in the first place.

The partnership also links two controversial tech figures. Durov was arrested in France in 2024 over allegations that Telegram failed to curb criminal activity, though he denies obstructing law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Musk has been pushing into AI development after falling out with OpenAI, and is using xAI to rival industry giants. In March, he valued xAI at $80 billion after acquiring X, formerly known as Twitter.

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UK and EU strengthen maritime and cyber security

The UK and the EU have agreed to step up cooperation on cybersecurity as part of a wider defence and security pact.

The new framework, signed on 19 May, marks a major shift towards joint efforts in countering digital threats and hybrid warfare.

Instead of managing these challenges separately, the UK and EU will hold structured dialogues to address cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and other forms of foreign interference.

The deal outlines regular exchanges between national security officials, supported by thematic discussions focused on crisis response, infrastructure protection, and online misinformation.

A key aim is to boost resilience against hostile cyber activity by working together on detection, defence, and prevention strategies. The agreement encourages joint efforts to safeguard communication networks, protect energy grids, and strengthen public awareness against information manipulation.

The cooperation is expected to extend into coordinated drills and real-time threat sharing.

While the UK remains outside the EU’s political structure, the agreement positions it as a close cyber security partner.

Future plans include exploring deeper collaboration through EU defence projects and potentially forming a formal link with the European Defence Agency, ensuring that both sides can respond more effectively to emerging digital threats.

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Opera unveils AI-first Neon browser

Opera has unveiled a new AI-powered web browser called Neon, describing it as an ‘agentic browser’ designed to carry out internet tasks on the user’s behalf.

Unlike traditional browsers, Neon offers contextual awareness and cloud-based AI agents that can research, design, and build content automatically.

Although Opera introduced a browser called Neon in 2017 that failed to gain traction, the company is giving the name a second chance, now with a more ambitious AI focus. According to Opera’s Henrik Lexow, the rise of AI marks a fundamental shift in how users interact with the web.

Among its early features, Neon includes an AI engine capable of interpreting user requests and generating games, code, reports, and websites—even when users are offline.

It also includes tools like a chatbot for web searches, contextual page insights, and automation for online tasks such as form-filling and booking services.

The browser is being positioned as a premium subscription product, though Opera has yet to reveal pricing or launch dates. Neon will become the fifth browser in Opera’s line-up, following the mindfulness-focused Air browser announced in February.

Interested users can join the waitlist, but for now, full capabilities remain unverified.

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The EU probes porn sites over DSA violations

The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into four major pornographic websites—Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos—over concerns they may be violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe centres on whether these platforms provide adequate protection for minors, notably regarding age verification.

According to the Commission, all four currently use simple click-through age checks, which are suspected of failing to meet DSA requirements. Authorities primarily focus on assessing whether the platforms have conducted proper risk assessments and implemented safeguards to protect children’s mental and physical health.

The European Commission emphasised that the investigation is a priority and will include collaboration with the EU member states to monitor smaller adult sites that fall under the 45-million-user threshold. In its statement, the Commission reiterated plans to roll out a standardised EU-wide age verification system by the end of next year.

While Pornhub, XVideos, and Stripchat were previously designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), the Commission announced on Tuesday that Stripchat will no longer hold that status moving forward.

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