AI tools from Google are now available across all public universities in Malaysia after the nationwide deployment of Gemini for Education.
An initiative that integrates AI capabilities into university systems, providing digital research and learning support to nearly 600,000 students and 75,000 faculty members.
The rollout is coordinated with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as part of the country’s broader strategy to become an AI-driven economy by 2030. Universities already using Google Workspace for
Education can now access advanced tools, including NotebookLM and the reasoning model Gemini 3.1 Pro, which are designed to support research, writing and personalised learning.
Meanwhile, researchers and students at Universiti Putra Malaysia are using AI tools to improve literature reviews and academic research workflows.
Other institutions are focusing on digital literacy and AI skills.
At Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, hundreds of lecturers and students are receiving AI certifications, while training programmes are expanding across campuses.
Officials believe the combination of AI tools, training and research support will strengthen the education system of Malaysia and prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-driven economy.
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Social media platform X has launched an investigation into racist and offensive posts generated by its Grok AI chatbot in the UK. The review follows a Sky News analysis that flagged troubling responses produced publicly by the system.
Analysis by the broadcaster found Grok generating highly offensive replies, including profanities targeting certain religions. Some responses also repeated false claims blaming Liverpool supporters for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
Sky News reporter Rob Harris said X safety teams were urgently examining the chatbot’s behaviour after the posts spread online. The company and its AI developer xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Concerns around Grok come as governments and regulators increasingly scrutinise AI-generated content on social platforms. Authorities in several countries have already raised alarms about sexually explicit or harmful material created by chatbots.
Earlier this year, xAI introduced new restrictions to limit some image editing features in Grok. Users in certain jurisdictions were also blocked from generating images of people in revealing clothing where such content is illegal.
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AI technology behind platforms like ChatGPT is making it significantly easier for hackers to identify anonymous social media users, a new study warns. LLMs could match anonymised accounts to real identities by analysing users’ posts across platforms.
Researchers Simon Lermen and Daniel Paleka warned that AI enables cheap, highly personalised privacy attacks, urging a rethink of what counts as private online. The study highlighted risks from government surveillance to hackers exploiting public data for scams.
Experts caution that AI-driven de-anonymisation is not flawless. Errors in linking accounts could wrongly implicate individuals, while public datasets beyond social media- such as hospital or statistical records- may be exposed to unintended analysis.
Users are urged to reconsider what information they share, and platforms are encouraged to limit bulk data access and detect automated scraping.
The study underscores growing concerns about AI surveillance. While the technology cannot guarantee complete de-anonymisation, its rapid capabilities demand stronger safeguards to protect privacy online.
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A global survey of nearly 31,000 adults across 35 countries has revealed rising public trust in AI for roles traditionally handled by humans. In the UK, 41% of adults said they would be comfortable using ChatGPT for mental health support, while 61% expressed the same globally.
Experts note the appeal of AI’s non-judgmental tone and 24/7 availability, although cautioning that it cannot replace professional care.
The study also found that a quarter of UK adults would trust AI to teach their children, and 45% of people globally would rely on AI as their doctor.
Researchers warned that overreliance on AI in education could harm memory and cognitive development, potentially affecting the hippocampus, which is critical for learning and spatial awareness.
Trust in AI was strongest in social contexts. Over three-quarters of respondents globally, and more than half in the UK, said they would use AI chat tools as companions or friends.
The research team suggested that adaptive tone and private conversations give users a sense of security and personalised support.
Researchers emphasised the need for greater awareness of AI’s limitations. While generative AI is becoming integrated into daily life, caution is urged, particularly for education and health roles, until the long-term cognitive and social impacts are better understood.
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An experimental autonomous AI system reportedly attempted to mine cryptocurrency during its training, raising questions about AI behaviour in complex digital environments. The system, ROME, was designed to complete tasks using software tools, environments, and terminal commands.
Researchers noticed unusual activity during reinforcement learning runs, including outbound traffic from training servers and firewall alerts indicating crypto-mining activity. The AI opened a reverse SSH tunnel and redirected GPU resources from training to crypto mining.
The behaviour was not programmed but emerged as the agent explored ways to interact with its environment.
ROME was developed by the ROCK, ROLL, iFlow, and DT research teams within Alibaba’s AI ecosystem as part of the Agentic Learning Ecosystem. The model operates beyond standard chatbot functions, planning tasks, executing commands, and interacting with digital environments across multiple steps.
The incident highlights emerging challenges as AI agents become more popular. Recent projects like Alchemy’s autonomous agents and Sentient’s Arena platform highlight the growing use of AI in digital and crypto workflows.
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Researchers and policymakers are raising concerns about how new technologies may put women at risk online, despite existing EU rules designed to ensure safer digital spaces.
AI-powered tools and smart devices have been linked to incidents of harassment and the creation of non-consensual sexualised imagery, highlighting gaps in enforcement and compliance.
Investigations into tools such as Elon Musk’s Grok AI and Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have drawn attention to how digital platforms and wearable technologies can be misused, even where legal frameworks like the Digital Services Act (DSA) are in place.
Experts emphasise that while the EU’s rules offer a foundation to regulate online content, significant challenges remain. Advocates and lawmakers say enforcement gaps let harmful AI functions like nudification persist.
Commissioners have stressed ongoing cooperation with tech companies and upcoming guidelines to prioritise flagged content from independent organisations to address gender-based cyber violence.
Authorities are also monitoring new technologies closely. In the case of wearable devices, regulators are considering how users and bystanders are informed about recording features.
Ongoing discussions aim to strengthen compliance under existing legislation and ensure that digital spaces become safer and more accountable for all users.
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Capitals across the EU are being asked to discuss how stronger child protection measures should be incorporated into the upcoming Digital Fairness Act (DFA).
The initiative comes as policymakers attempt to address growing concerns about how online platforms expose minors to harmful content, manipulative design practices, and unsafe digital environments.
According to a document circulated during Cyprus’s Council presidency of the European Union, member states are expected to debate which concrete safeguards should be introduced as part of the broader consumer protection framework.
The discussions are part of the European Union’s broader effort to strengthen digital governance and consumer protection across online platforms. Policymakers are increasingly focusing on how platform design, recommendation algorithms, and monetisation models may affect younger users.
The proposals could complement existing EU regulations targeting large digital platforms, while expanding protections specifically focused on minors.
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New Age-Restricted Material Codes have begun to be enforced in Australia, requiring online platforms to introduce stronger protections to prevent children from accessing harmful digital content.
The rules apply across a wide range of services, including social media, app stores, gaming platforms, search engines, pornography websites, and AI chatbots.
Under the framework, companies must implement age-assurance systems before allowing access to content involving pornography, high-impact violence, self-harm material, or other age-restricted topics.
These measures also extend to AI companions and chatbots, which must prevent sexually explicit or self-harm-related conversations with minors.
The rules form part of Australia’s broader online safety framework overseen by the eSafety Commissioner, which will monitor compliance and enforce the codes.
Companies that fail to comply may face penalties of up to $49.5 million per breach.
The policy aims to shift responsibility toward technology companies by requiring them to build protections directly into their platforms.
Officials in Australia argue the measures mirror long-standing offline safeguards designed to prevent children from accessing adult environments or harmful material.
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OpenAI has postponed the launch of ChatGPT’s ‘adult mode’, a feature designed to let verified adult users access erotica and other mature content.
Teams are focusing on improving intelligence, personality and proactive behaviour instead of releasing the feature immediately.
A feature that was first announced by Sam Altman in October, with an initial December rollout, aiming to allow adults more freedom while maintaining safety for younger users.
The project faced an earlier delay as internal teams prioritised the core ChatGPT experience.
OpenAI stated it still supports the principle of treating adults like adults but warned that achieving the right experience will require more time. No new release date has been provided.
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A dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon in the US has raised questions about whether startups will hesitate to pursue defence contracts. Negotiations over the use of Anthropic’s Claude AI technology collapsed, prompting the US administration to label the company a supply chain risk.
The situation in the US escalated as OpenAI secured its own agreement with the Pentagon. The development sparked backlash online, with reports of a surge in ChatGPT uninstalls after the defence partnership announcement.
Technology analysts in the US say the controversy highlights the unusual scrutiny facing high-profile AI firms. Companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic attract intense public attention because widely used AI products place their defence partnerships in the spotlight.
Startup founders in the US are now debating the risks of government contracts, particularly with the Pentagon. Industry observers in the US warn that defence authorities’ contract changes could make government collaboration more uncertain.
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