Google Cloud’s 2026 AI Agent Trends Report shows AI agents are moving from experimental tools to central business systems. Employees are shifting from routine execution to oversight and strategic decision-making.
The report highlights agents managing end-to-end workflows across teams, thereby improving efficiency and streamlining complex processes. Personalised customer service is becoming faster and more accurate thanks to these systems.
Security operations are seeing benefits as AI agents handle alerts, investigations and fraud detection more effectively. Human analysts can now focus on higher-value tasks while routine work is automated.
Companies are investing in continuous training to build an AI-ready workforce. The report emphasises that people, not just technology, will determine the success of AI adoption.
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Ghana has formally legalised Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading after parliament approved the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025, closing a long-standing regulatory gap in the country’s digital asset market.
The legislation establishes a licensing and supervisory regime for crypto businesses under the Bank of Ghana. The central bank will oversee the sector, prioritising consumer protection and financial stability, while unlicensed operators may face sanctions or closure.
Under the new framework, individuals can trade crypto legally, while companies must meet reporting and compliance requirements. Officials say the law responds to fraud and money laundering risks while acknowledging the scale of crypto adoption nationwide.
Around 3 million Ghanaians have used cryptocurrency, with transactions totalling roughly $3 billion by June 2024. Licensing rules will be introduced gradually in 2026, as Ghana aligns with a broader African shift toward formal crypto regulation.
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Cybersecurity researchers have identified a large Android-based botnet capable of more than distributed denial-of-service attacks, highlighting growing risks from compromised consumer devices. The botnet, dubbed Kimwolf, is estimated to control close to two million infected systems worldwide.
The findings come from QiAnXin XLab, which said Kimwolf has infected around 1.8 million devices, mainly smart TVs, set-top boxes and tablets. Most infections were observed in Brazil, India, the US, Argentina, South Africa and the Philippines.
XLab said the infection vector remains unclear, but affected devices were linked to low-cost Android-based brands used for media streaming. Researchers noted repeated attempts to disrupt the Kimwolf, with its command-and-control infrastructure taken down several times before re-emerging.
According to the report, Kimwolf has adapted by shifting to decentralised infrastructure, including the use of Ethereum Name Service domains. Analysts also identified overlaps in code and infrastructure with AISURU, a botnet linked to record-scale DDoS attacks.
Cloudflare recently described AISURU as one of the largest robot networks observed, capable of attacks exceeding 29 terabits per second. XLab said shared infrastructure suggests both botnets are operated by the same threat group.
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Investment in data centres worldwide reached a record $61bn in 2025, according to a new report from S&P Global. The surge is being driven by growing demand for AI workloads, with construction and expansion showing little sign of slowing.
Analysts describe the market as a ‘global construction frenzy’ as companies race to meet rising hardware and energy requirements.
The report highlights that investors, unable to buy existing facilities, are increasingly turning to new builds. The sector, with 500 data centres in the UK and 4,000 in the US, is projected to expand faster over the next five years than the previous five.
The AI boom is pushing energy- and computer-intensive workloads to new extremes.
Concerns are emerging about potential overspending in the AI sector. Analysts note that companies like OpenAI, Oracle, and Nvidia are investing heavily despite uncertain returns.
OpenAI is expected to spend $143bn from 2024 to 2029, prompting concerns over profitability while still holding potential for major innovations. The rapid expansion of data centres also carries significant energy implications.
The International Energy Agency forecasts data centre electricity demand could more than double by 2030, matching Japan’s current total consumption and underscoring the scale needed for AI growth.
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The US crypto market saw a significant shift in 2024 as the Securities and Exchange Commission authorised the first crypto-asset-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Regulated ETFs allowed institutional investors, including hedge funds and banks, to invest in Bitcoin and Ether, with assets reaching USD 115 billion and USD 17 billion, respectively, by November 2025.
Nearly 2,000 institutional investors gained exposure to Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, accounting for approximately 30% of the market by year-end. Hedge funds and asset managers led investments, while major banks acted as market makers and asset managers, boosting crypto-ETF growth.
The SEC’s 2025 authorisation of direct crypto-asset exchanges between broker-dealers and ETF issuers also enhanced market efficiency. Institutions increasingly use futures contracts to leverage positions and arbitrage between spot ETFs and futures markets.
Hedge funds often hold short positions in futures to profit from price differences, while asset managers and pension funds maintain net long positions. ETFs provide greater liquidity and lower transaction costs compared with direct crypto holdings.
Systemic risk concerns grow as a few custodians, including Coinbase with 80% of crypto-assets, dominate the market. Volatility, liquidity gaps, and concentrated custody could transmit crypto shocks to the wider financial system, underscoring the need for regulatory oversight.
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From 1 February, the US Transportation Security Administration will charge a $45 fee to travellers who arrive at airports without a valid form of identification, such as a REAL ID or passport.
A measure that is linked to the rollout of a new alternative identity verification system designed to modernise security checks.
The fee applies to passengers using TSA Confirm.ID, a process that may involve biometric or biographic verification. Even after payment, access to the secure area is not guaranteed, and the charge will remain non-refundable, valid for a period of ten days.
According to the TSA, the policy ensures that the traveller, instead of taxpayers, bears the cost of verifying insufficient identification. Officials have urged passengers to obtain a REAL ID or other approved documentation to avoid delays or missed flights.
The agency has indicated that travellers will be encouraged to pay the fee online before arrival. At the same time, further details are expected on how advance payment and verification will operate across different airports.
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The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was hacked in October, according to minister Chris Bryant. Officials say there is a low risk to any individual from the breach.
Reports suggest that a Chinese group, Storm 1849, may have been involved, but Bryant cautioned that the perpetrator has not been confirmed. Tens of thousands of visa details could have been targeted, though the exact scope remains unclear.
The attack shares similarities with a 2024 campaign called ArcaneDoor, linked to state-sponsored actors. Cybersecurity experts warn that the incidents may be connected and highlight risks of large-scale data targeting.
Officials have quickly closed the vulnerability and continue to investigate the matter. Bryant emphasised that speculation is unhelpful and said the investigation could take some time to identify the responsible party.
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Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a rapidly expanding Android botnet known as Kimwolf, which has already compromised approximately 1.8 million devices worldwide.
The malware primarily targets smart TVs, set-top boxes, and tablets connected to residential networks, with infections concentrated in countries including Brazil, India, the US, Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines.
Analysis by QiAnXin XLab indicates that Kimwolf demonstrates a high degree of operational resilience.
Despite multiple disruptions to its command-and-control infrastructure, the botnet has repeatedly re-emerged with enhanced capabilities, including the adoption of Ethereum Name Service to harden its communications against takedown efforts.
Researchers also identified significant similarities between Kimwolf and AISURU, one of the most powerful botnets observed in recent years. Shared source code, infrastructure, and infection scripts suggest both botnets are operated by the same threat group and have coexisted on large numbers of infected devices.
AISURU has previously drawn attention for launching record-setting distributed denial-of-service attacks, including traffic peaks approaching 30 terabits per second.
The emergence of Kimwolf alongside such activity highlights the growing scale and sophistication of botnet-driven cyber threats targeting global internet infrastructure.
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The global professional services network, PwC, has expanded its Model Edge platform with the launch of Agent Mode, an AI assistant designed to automate governance, compliance and documentation across enterprise AI model lifecycles.
The capability targets the growing administrative burden faced by organisations as AI model portfolios scale and regulatory expectations intensify.
Agent Mode allows users to describe governance tasks in natural language, instead of manually navigating workflows.
A system that executes actions directly within Model Edge, generates leadership-ready documentation and supports common document and reporting formats, significantly reducing routine compliance effort.
PwC estimates weekly time savings of between 20 and 50 percent for governance and model risk teams.
Behind the interface, a secure orchestration engine interprets user intent, verifies role based permissions and selects appropriate large language models based on task complexity. The design ensures governance guardrails remain intact while enabling faster and more consistent oversight.
PwC positions Agent Mode as a step towards fully automated, agent-driven AI governance, enabling organisations to focus expert attention on risk assessment and regulatory judgement instead of process management as enterprise AI adoption accelerates.
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Cloudflare released its sixth annual Year in Review, providing a comprehensive snapshot of global Internet trends in 2025. The report highlights rising digital reliance, AI progress, and evolving security threats across Cloudflare’s network and Radar data.
Global Internet traffic rose 19 percent year-on-year, reflecting increased use for personal and professional activities. A key trend was the move from large-scale AI training to continuous AI inference, alongside rapid growth in generative AI platforms.
Google and Meta remained the most popular services, while ChatGPT led in generative AI usage.
Cybersecurity remained a critical concern. Post-quantum encryption now protects 52 percent of Internet traffic, yet record-breaking DDoS attacks underscored rising cyber risks.
Civil society and non-profit organisations were the most targeted sectors for the first time, while government actions caused nearly half of the major Internet outages.
Connectivity varied by region, with Europe leading in speed and quality and Spain ranking highest globally. The report outlines 2025’s Internet challenges and progress, providing insights for governments, businesses, and users aiming for greater resilience and security.
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