Critical infrastructure

European Commission launches Apply AI and AI in Science strategies

Countries are racing to harness AI, and the European Commission has unveiled two strategies to maintain Europe’s competitiveness. Apply AI targets faster adoption across industries and the public sector, while AI in Science focuses on boosting Europe’s research leadership.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe must shape AI’s future by balancing innovation and safety. The European Commission is mobilising €1 billion to boost adoption in healthcare, manufacturing, energy, defence, and culture, while supporting SMEs.

Measures include creating AI-powered screening centres for healthcare, backing frontier models, and upgrading testing infrastructure. An Apply AI Alliance will unite industry, academia, civil society, and public bodies to coordinate action, while an AI Observatory will monitor sector trends and impacts.

The AI in Science Strategy centres on RAISE, a new virtual institute to pool and coordinate resources for applying AI in research. Investments include €600 million in compute power through Horizon Europe and €58 million for talent networks, alongside plans to double annual AI research funding to over €3 billion.

The EU aims to position itself as a global hub for trustworthy and innovative AI by linking infrastructure, data, skills, and investment. Upcoming events, such as the AI in Science Summit in Copenhagen, will showcase new initiatives as Europe pushes to translate its AI ambitions into tangible outcomes.

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Google invests €5 billion to boost Belgium’s AI infrastructure

The US tech giant, Google, has announced a €5 billion investment in Belgium to strengthen its AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years.

A plan that includes major expansions of its Saint-Ghislain data centre campuses and the creation of 300 full-time jobs.

The company has also signed agreements with Eneco, Luminus and Renner to develop new onshore wind farms and supply the Belgian grid with clean energy.

Alongside the infrastructure push, Google will fund non-profits to deliver free AI training for low-skilled workers, ensuring broader access to digital skills.

By deepening its presence in Belgium, Google aims to bolster the country’s technological and economic future. The initiative marks one of Europe’s largest AI infrastructure investments, reflecting growing competition to secure leadership in the continent’s digital transformation.

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ABB sells Robotics division to SoftBank in $5.4 billion deal

The Swedish-Swiss electrical engineering corporation ABB has agreed to sell its Robotics division to Japan’s SoftBank Group for an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, abandoning plans for a spin-off.

However, the move marks one of the most significant robotics transactions in recent years, and reflects both firms’ ambition to drive the next era of AI-based automation.

A divestment that will allow ABB to focus on its core businesses in electrification and automation, while SoftBank expands its ‘Physical AI’ strategy.

ABB said the sale would create immediate shareholder value and that proceeds would be used according to its capital allocation principles.

The Robotics division, which employs around 7,000 people and generated $2.3 billion in 2024 revenues, will become part of SoftBank’s portfolio upon completion of the deal, expected by mid-to-late 2026. The transaction is projected to yield ABB a pre-tax book gain of about $2.4 billion.

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said the acquisition aligns with his vision to combine artificial superintelligence and robotics to ‘propel humanity forward’.

ABB’s CEO Morten Wierod said the partnership would unite ABB’s industrial expertise with SoftBank’s AI capabilities, strengthening its global leadership in advanced robotics.

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Discord incident highlights growing vendor security risks

A September breach at one of Discord’s customer service vendors has exposed user data, highlighting the growing cybersecurity risks associated with third-party providers. Attackers exploited vulnerabilities in the external platform, but Discord’s core systems were not compromised.

Exposed information includes usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, and partial payment details, such as the last four digits of credit card numbers. No full card numbers, passwords, or messages were accessed, which limited the scope of the incident compared to more severe breaches.

Discord revoked the vendor’s system access, launched an investigation, and engaged law enforcement and forensic experts. Only users who contacted support were affected. Individuals impacted are being notified by email and advised to remain vigilant for potential scams.

The incident underscores the growing risk of supply chain attacks, where external service providers become weak points in otherwise well-secured organisations. As companies rely more on vendors, attackers are increasingly targeting these indirect pathways.

Cybersecurity analysts warn that third-party breaches are on the rise amid increasingly sophisticated phishing and AI-enabled scams. Strengthening vendor oversight, improving internal training, and maintaining clear communication with users are seen as essential next steps.

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Kazakhstan turns to AI to fight the shadow economy

Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has directed the full implementation of AI across government agencies to meet President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s goal of reducing the shadow economy’s share in GDP to 15 percent in 2025.

At a government session, Bektenov said progress must go beyond reports and correspondence, calling for structural reforms in taxation, digitalisation, and business regulation. He urged ministries to pursue a ‘transparent economy’ through comprehensive AI and data integration initiatives.

The State Revenue Committee of Kazakhstan will lead the digital transformation, supported by a new Data Processing Centre established by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

Bektenov stressed that digitalisation projects such as cashless payments and the digital tenge have already proven effective in curbing unrecorded transactions and improving financial oversight.

AI will also be deployed in customs risk profiling and cargo inspection analysis to detect fraud and reduce corruption.

The Ministries of Finance, Justice, Trade, and National Economy were instructed to integrate databases under the Smart Data Finance system and to finalise an automated risk management system for company registration by 25 November.

Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin will oversee coordination.

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Power grid spending surges as US braces for data centre and AI boom

US electric utilities are set to spend nearly $208 billion on the power grid in 2025 and more than $1.1 trillion over the next five years, according to the Edison Electric Institute. The surge in investment reflects rising demand from data centres, artificial intelligence, and wider electrification across the economy.

EEI data shows that investor-owned utilities spent $765 billion on capital projects in the five years to 2024. The new spending represents a significant increase and is aimed at upgrading and expanding infrastructure to keep pace with the accelerating demand for electricity.

The growing investment comes as demand from energy-intensive technologies continues to rise. Data centres and AI workloads are driving sustained growth in US power consumption, placing unprecedented pressure on existing infrastructure and prompting utilities to scale up their spending plans.

David Weeks, supply chain industry practice lead at Moody’s, warned that the escalating energy crisis could become a limiting factor across multiple industries. He said grid constraints and permitting delays must be factored into corporate supply chain strategies to avoid future disruptions.

As electrification spreads across the economy, grid reliability and capacity are becoming critical considerations for companies. The planned investment underscores the urgency of modernising the power grid to support economic growth while adapting to new technological demands.

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OpenAI unveils AgentKit for faster AI agent creation

OpenAI has launched AgentKit, a new suite of developer tools designed to simplify AI-powered agents’ creation, deployment, and optimisation. The platform unifies workflows that previously required multiple systems, offering a faster and more visual way to build intelligent applications.

AgentKit’s AI includes Agent Builder, Connector Registry, ChatKit, and advanced evaluation tools. Developers can now design multi-agent workflows on a visual canvas, manage data connections across workspaces, and integrate chat-based agents directly into apps and websites.

Early users such as Ramp and LY Corporation built working agents in just a few hours, cutting development cycles by up to 70%. Companies including Canva and HubSpot have used ChatKit to embed conversational support agents, transforming customer experience and developer engagement.

New evaluation features and reinforcement fine-tuning allow users to test, grade, and improve agents’ reasoning abilities. AgentKit is now available to developers and enterprises through OpenAI’s API and ChatGPT Enterprise, with a wider rollout expected later this year.

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New report finds IT leaders unprepared for evolving cyber threats

A new global survey by 11:11 Systems highlights growing concerns among IT leaders over cyber incident recovery. More than 800 senior IT professionals across North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific report a rising strain from evolving threats, staffing gaps, and limited clean-room infrastructure.

Over 80% of respondents experienced at least one major cyberattack in the past year, with more than half facing multiple incidents. Nearly half see recovery planning complexity as their top challenge, while over 80% say their organisations are overconfident in their recovery capabilities.

The survey also reveals that 74% believe integrating AI could increase cyberattack vulnerability. Despite this, 96% plan to invest in cyber incident recovery within the next 12 months, underlining its growing importance in budget strategies.

The financial stakes are high. Over 80% of respondents reported spending at least six figures during just one hour of downtime, with the top 5% incurring losses of over one million dollars per hour. Yet 30% of businesses do not test their recovery plans annually, despite these risks.

11:11 Systems’ CTO Justin Giardina said organisations must adopt a proactive, AI-driven approach to recovery. He emphasised the importance of advanced platforms, secure clean rooms, and tailored expertise to enhance cyber resilience and expedite recovery after incidents.

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New cyber rules tighten grip on China’s critical infrastructure

China has introduced one of the world’s strictest cybersecurity reporting laws, requiring major infrastructure providers to report serious cyber incidents within just one hour. The regulation, issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, applies to all network operators working in the country and its territories.

Incidents must be graded by severity, with ‘key infrastructure’ breaches reported within 60 minutes, and ‘particularly serious’ cases, such as those threatening national security or social stability, within 30 minutes. Operators who delay or conceal information face harsh penalties under the new rules.

The directive defines major cyber incidents as those that cause large-scale paralysis, severe data loss, or the compromise of massive amounts of personal information. Even social organisations and individuals are encouraged to report significant security breaches.

Notably, attacks targeting online media or information sites that remain visible for over six hours or reach more than a million views will also be classified as widespread cyberattacks, reflecting Beijing’s tight grip on online information control.

These requirements go far beyond standards in the United States and the European Union. In the US, companies have 72 hours to report major incidents under the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, while the EU’s NIS2 Directive allows up to 72 hours for full notification and one month for a final report.

The move underscores China’s dual stance in cyberspace, reinforcing domestic defences while being accused of conducting aggressive cyber operations abroad. Western security agencies recently linked Chinese-backed hackers, such as the group Salt Typhoon, to breaches of US telecoms, the Treasury Department, and other key sectors.

A 2025 CrowdStrike report found China-related hacking activity surged by 150% last year, marking what analysts called an ‘inflexion point’ in Beijing’s global cyber ambitions.

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