Content Policy

Industry leaders urge careful AI use in research projects

The 2026 Adwanted Media Research Awards will feature a new category for Best Use of AI in Research Projects, reflecting the growing importance of this technology in the industry.

Head judge Denise Turner of IPA said AI should be viewed as a tool to expedite workflows, not replace human insight, emphasising that researchers remain essential to interpreting results and posing the right questions.

Route CEO Euan Mackay said AI enables digital twins, synthetic data, and clean-room integrations, shifting researchers’ roles from survey design to auditing and ensuring data integrity in an AI-driven environment.

OMD’s Laura Rowe highlighted AI’s ability to rapidly process raw data, transcribe qualitative research, and extend insights across strategy and planning — provided ethical oversight remains in place.

ITV’s Neil Mortensen called this the start of a ‘gold rush’, urging the industry to use AI to automate tedious tasks while preserving rigorous methods and enabling more time for deep analysis.

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German state pushes digital sovereignty

The northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to replace Microsoft software in its public administration with open-source alternatives.

With around 30,000 civil servants, a workforce comparable to the European Commission, the region has already migrated most staff to new systems. It expects to cut its Office licences by more than two-thirds before the end of the month.

Instead of relying on Word, Outlook or SharePoint, staff are switching to LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Open Xchange and Nextcloud. A Linux pilot is also underway, testing the replacement of Windows itself.

The digital minister, Dirk Schrödter, admitted the schedule is tight but said that 24,000 employees are already using the new setup. By 2029, only a handful of Microsoft licences should remain, kept for compatibility with federal services.

A transition that has not been free of challenges. Some judges have called for a return to Outlook, citing outages, while larger providers such as SAP have proven difficult to adapt.

Still, Schrödter argued the investment is about sovereignty rather than cost-cutting, comparing Europe’s reliance on Big Tech to its dependence on Russian gas before 2022. He urged Brussels to prioritise open-source solutions in procurement rules to reduce dependence on foreign tech giants.

Although Schleswig-Holstein is a relatively small region, its programme has already influenced wider German and European initiatives.

Similar efforts, including Germany’s OpenDesk project, have gained traction in France, Italy and the Netherlands, with several governments now watching the experiment closely.

Schrödter said the state’s progress surprises many observers, but he believes it shows how public administrations can regain control of their digital infrastructure.

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Anthropic introduces memory feature to Claude AI for workplace productivity

The AI startup Anthropic has added a memory feature to its Claude AI, designed to automatically recall details from earlier conversations, such as project information and team preferences.

Initially, the upgrade is only available to Team and Enterprise subscribers, who can manage, edit, or delete the content that the system retains.

Anthropic presents the tool as a way to improve workplace efficiency instead of forcing users to repeat instructions. Enterprise administrators have additional controls, including entirely turning memory off.

Privacy safeguards are included, such as an ‘incognito mode’ for conversations that are not stored.

Analysts view the step as an effort to catch up with competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini, which already offer similar functions. Memory also links with Claude’s newer tools for creating spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs, allowing past information to be reused in future documents.

Anthropic plans a wider release after testing the feature with businesses. Experts suggest the approach could strengthen the company’s position in the AI market by offering both continuity and security, which appeal to enterprises handling sensitive data.

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Educators question boundaries of plagiarism in AI era

As AI tools such as ChatGPT become more common among students, schools and colleges report that some educators see assignments done at home as almost sure to involve AI. Educators say take-home writing tasks and traditional homework risk being devalued.

Teachers and students are confused over what constitutes legitimate versus dishonest AI use. Some students use AI to outline, edit, or translate texts. Others avoid asking for guidance about AI usage because rules vary by classroom, and admitting AI help might lead to accusations.

Schools are adapting by shifting towards in-class writing, verbal assessments and locked-down work environments.

Faculty at institutions, like the University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon, have started to issue updated syllabus templates that spell out AI expectations, including bans, approvals or partial allowances.

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EDPB adopts guidelines on the interplay between DSA and GDPR

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has adopted its first guidelines on how the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) work together. The aim is to understand how GDPR should be applied in the context of DSA.

Presented during the EDPB’s September plenary, the guidelines ensure consistent interpretation where the DSA involves personal data processing by online intermediaries like search engines and platforms. While enforcement of DSA falls under authorities’ discretion, the EDPB’s input supports harmonised application across the EU’s evolving digital regulatory framework, including:

  • Notice-and-action systems that help individuals or entities report illegal content,
  • Recommender systems used by online platforms to automatically present specific content to the users of the platform with a particular relative order or prominence,
  • The provisions to ensure minors’ privacy, safety, and security and prohibit profile-based advertising using their data are presented to them.
  • transparency of advertising by online platforms, and
  • Prohibition of profiling-based advertising using special categories of data.

Following initial guidelines on the GDPR and DSA, the EDPB is now working with the European Commission on joint guidelines covering the interplay between the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and GDPR, as well as between the upcoming AI Act and the EU data protection laws. The aim is to ensure consistency and coherent safeguards across the evolving regulatory landscape.

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France pushes for nighttime social media curfews for teens

French lawmakers are calling for stricter regulations on teen social media use, including mandatory nighttime curfews, following a parliamentary report examining TikTok’s psychological impact on minors.

The 324-page report, published Thursday by a National Assembly Inquiry Commission, proposes that social media accounts for 15- to 18-year-olds be automatically disabled between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. to help combat mental health issues.

The report contains 43 recommendations, including greater funding for youth mental health services, awareness campaigns in schools, and a national ban on social media access for those under 15. Platforms with algorithmic recommendation systems, like TikTok, are specifically targeted.

Arthur Delaporte, the lead rapporteur and a socialist MP, also announced plans to refer TikTok to the Paris Public Prosecutor, accusing the platform of knowingly exposing minors to harmful content.

The report follows a December 2024 lawsuit filed by seven families who claim TikTok’s content contributed to their children’s suicides.

TikTok rejected the accusations, calling the report “misleading” and highlighting its safety features for minors.

The report urges France not to wait for EU-level legislation and instead to lead on national regulation. President Emmanuel Macron previously demanded an EU-wide ban on social media for under-15s.

However, the European Commission has said cultural differences make such a bloc-wide approach unfeasible.

Looking ahead, the report supports stronger obligations in the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, such as giving users greater control over content feeds and limiting algorithmic manipulation.

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Ukraine urges ethical use of AI in education

AI can help build individual learning paths for Ukraine’s 3.5 million students, but its use must remain ethical, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Yevhen Kudriavets has said.

Speaking to UNN, Kudriavets stressed that AI can analyse large volumes of information and help students acquire the knowledge they need more efficiently. He said AI could construct individual learning trajectories faster than teachers working manually.

He warned, however, that AI should not replace the educational process and that safeguards must be found to prevent misuse.

Kudriavets also said students in Ukraine should understand the reasons behind using AI, adding that it should be used to achieve knowledge rather than to obtain grades.

The deputy minister emphasised that technology itself is neutral, and how people choose to apply it determines whether it benefits education.

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YouTube expands AI dubbing to millions of creators

Real-time translation is becoming a standard feature across consumer tech, with Samsung, Google, and Apple all introducing new tools. Apple’s recently announced Live Translation on AirPods demonstrates the utility of such features, particularly for travellers.

YouTube has joined the trend, expanding its multi-language audio feature to millions of creators worldwide. The tool enables creators to add dubbed audio tracks in multiple languages, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, replicating tone and emotion.

The feature was first tested with creators like MrBeast, Mark Rober, and Jamie Oliver. YouTube reports that Jamie Oliver’s channel saw its views triple, while over 25% of the watch time came from non-primary languages.

Mark Rober’s channel now supports more than 30 languages per video, helping creators reach audiences far beyond their native markets. YouTube states that this expansion should make content more accessible to global viewers and increase overall engagement.

Subtitles will still be vital for people with hearing difficulties, but AI-powered dubbing could reduce reliance on them for language translation. For creators, it marks a significant step towards making content truly global.

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Albania names first AI-generated minister to fight corruption

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has unveiled the world’s first AI-generated minister, a virtual figure named Diella, who will oversee public tenders in an effort to eradicate corruption. The announcement was made as Rama presented his new cabinet following a decisive election victory in May.

Diella, meaning ‘Sun’ in Albanian, has already been active on the government’s e-Albania portal, where it has issued more than 36,000 digital documents and helped citizens access around 1,000 services.

Now, it will formally take on a cabinet role, marking what Rama described as a radical shift in governance where technology acts as a participant instead of a tool.

The AI will gradually take over responsibility for awarding government tenders, removing decisions from ministries and ensuring assessments are objective. Rama said the system would help Albania become ‘100 per cent corruption-free’ in procurement, a key area of concern in the country’s bid to join the EU by 2030.

Public tenders have long been linked to corruption scandals in Albania, a nation often cited as a hub for money laundering and organised crime. Supporters view Diella’s appointment as a bold step towards transparency, with local media calling it a major transformation in how state power is exercised.

Rama emphasised that the AI minister would have a special mandate to break down bureaucratic barriers and strengthen public trust in administration.

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UK launches CAF 4.0 for cybersecurity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has released version 4.0 of its Cyber Assessment Framework to help organisations protect essential services from rising cyber threats.

An updated CAF that provides a structured approach for assessing and improving cybersecurity and resilience across critical sectors.

Version 4.0 introduces a deeper focus on attacker methods and motivations to inform risk decisions, ensures software in essential services is developed and maintained securely, and strengthens guidance on threat detection through security monitoring and threat hunting.

AI-related cyber risks are also now covered more thoroughly throughout the framework.

The CAF primarily supports energy, healthcare, transport, digital infrastructure, and government organisations, helping them meet regulatory obligations such as the NIS Regulations.

Developed in consultation with UK cyber regulators, the framework provides clear benchmarks for assessing security outcomes relative to threat levels.

Authorities encourage system owners to adopt CAF 4.0 alongside complementary tools such as Cyber Essentials, the Cyber Resilience Audit, and Cyber Adversary Simulation services. These combined measures enhance confidence and resilience across the nation’s critical infrastructure.

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