Cybersecurity

Meta expands AI infrastructure with sustainable data centre in El Paso

The US tech giant, Meta, has begun construction on a new AI-optimised data centre in El Paso, Texas, designed to scale up to 1GW and power the company’s expanding AI ambitions.

The 29th in Meta’s global network, the site will support the next generation of AI models, underpinning technologies such as smart glasses, AI assistants, and real-time translation tools.

A data centre project that represents a major investment in both technology and the local community, contributing over $1.5 billion and creating about 1,800 construction jobs and 100 operational roles in its first phase.

Meta’s Community Accelerator programme will also help local businesses build digital and AI skills, while Community Action Grants are set to launch in El Paso next year.

Environmental sustainability remains central to the development. The data centre will operate on 100% renewable energy, with Meta covering the costs of new grid connections through El Paso Electric.

Using a closed-loop cooling system, the facility will consume no water for most of the year, aligning with Meta’s target to be water positive by 2030. The company plans to restore twice the amount of water used to local watersheds through partnerships with DigDeep and the Texas Water Action Collaborative.

The El Paso project, Meta’s third in Texas, underscores its long-term commitment to sustainable AI infrastructure. By combining efficiency, clean energy, and community investment, Meta aims to build the foundations for a responsible and scalable AI-driven future.

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SenseTime and Cambricon strengthen cooperation for China’s AI future

SenseTime and Cambricon Technologies have entered a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop an open and mutually beneficial AI ecosystem in China. The partnership will focus on software-hardware integration, vertical industry innovation, and the globalisation of AI technologies.

By combining SenseTime’s strengths in large model R&D, AI infrastructure, and industrial applications with Cambricon’s expertise in intelligent computing chips and high-performance hardware, the collaboration supports the national ‘AI+’ strategy of China.

Both companies aim to foster a new AI development model defined by synergy between software and hardware, enhancing domestic innovation and global competitiveness in the AI sector.

The agreement also includes co-development of adaptive chip solutions and integrated AI systems for enterprise and industrial use. By focusing on compatibility between the latest AI models and hardware architectures, the two firms plan to offer scalable, high-efficiency computing solutions.

A partnership that seeks to drive intelligent transformation across industries and promote the growth of emerging AI enterprises through joint innovation and ecosystem building.

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UK and US freeze assets of Southeast Asian online scam network

The UK and US governments have jointly sanctioned a transnational network operating illegal scam centres across Southeast Asia. These centres use sophisticated methods, including fake romantic relationships, to defraud victims worldwide.

Many of the individuals forced to conduct these scams are trafficked foreign nationals, coerced under threat of torture. Authorities have frozen a £12 million North London mansion, along with a £100 million City office and several London flats.

Network leader Chen Zhi and his associates used corporate proxies and overseas companies to launder proceeds from their scams through London’s property market.

The sanctioned entities include the Prince Group, Jin Bei Group, Golden Fortune Resorts World Ltd., and Byex Exchange. Scam operations trap foreign nationals with fake job adverts, forcing them to commit online fraud, often through fake cryptocurrency schemes.

Proceeds are then laundered through a complex system of front businesses and gambling platforms.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said the action protects human rights, UK citizens, and blocks criminals from storing illicit funds. Coordination with the US ensures these sanctions disrupt the network’s international operations and financial access.

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Adult erotica tests OpenAI’s safety claims

OpenAI will loosen some ChatGPT rules, letting users make replies friendlier and allowing erotica for verified adults. Altman framed the shift as ‘treat adult users like adults’, tied to stricter age-gating. The move follows months of new guardrails against sycophancy and harmful dynamics.

The change arrives after reports of vulnerable users forming unhealthy attachments to earlier models. OpenAI has since launched GPT-5 with reduced sycophancy and behaviour routing, plus safeguards for minors and a mental-health council. Critics question whether evidence justifies loosening limits so soon.

Erotic role-play can boost engagement, raising concerns that at-risk users may stay online longer. Access will be restricted to verified adults via age prediction and, if contested, ID checks. That trade-off intensifies privacy tensions around document uploads and potential errors.

It is unclear whether permissive policies will extend to voice, image, or video features, or how regional laws will apply to them. OpenAI says it is not ‘usage-maxxing’ but balancing utility with safety. Observers note that ambitions to reach a billion users heighten moderation pressures.

Supporters cite overdue flexibility for consenting adults and more natural conversation. Opponents warn normalising intimate AI may outpace evidence on mental-health impacts. Age checks can fail, and vulnerable users may slip through without robust oversight.

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US seizes $15 billion crypto from Cambodia fraud ring

US federal prosecutors have seized $15 billion in cryptocurrency tied to a large-scale ‘pig butchering’ investment scam linked to forced labour compounds in Cambodia. Officials said it marks the biggest crypto forfeiture in Justice Department history.

Authorities charged Chinese-born businessman Chen Zhi, founder of the Prince Group, with money laundering and wire fraud. Chen allegedly used the conglomerate as cover for criminal operations that laundered billions through fake crypto investments. He remains at large.

Investigators say Chen and his associates operated at least ten forced labour sites in Cambodia where victims, many coerced workers, managed thousands of fake social media accounts to lure targets into fraudulent investment schemes.

The US Treasury also imposed sanctions on dozens of Prince Group affiliates, calling them transnational criminal organisations. FBI officials said the scam is part of a wider wave of crypto fraud across Southeast Asia, urging anyone targeted by online investment offers to contact authorities immediately.

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An awards win for McAfee’s consumer-first AI defence

McAfee won ‘Best Use of AI in Cybersecurity’ at the 2025 A.I. Awards for its Scam Detector. The tool, which McAfee says is the first to automate deepfake, email, and text-scam detection, underscores a consumer-focused defence. The award recognises its bid to counter fast-evolving online fraud.

Scams are at record levels, with one in three US residents reporting victimisation and average losses of $1,500. Threats now range from fake job offers and text messages to AI-generated deepfakes, increasing the pressure on tools that can act in real time across channels.

McAfee’s Scam Detector uses advanced AI to analyse text, email, and video, blocking dangerous links and flagging deepfakes before they cause harm. It is included with core McAfee plans and available on PC, mobile, and web, positioning it as a default layer for everyday protection.

Adoption has been rapid, with the product crossing one million users in its first months, according to the company. Judges praised its proactive protection and emphasis on accuracy and trust, citing its potential to restore user confidence as AI-enabled deception becomes more sophisticated.

McAfee frames the award as validation of its responsible, consumer-first AI strategy. The company says it will expand Scam Detector’s capabilities while partnering with the wider ecosystem to keep users a step ahead of emerging threats, both online and offline.

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Microsoft finds 71% of UK workers use unapproved AI tools on the job

A new Microsoft survey has revealed that nearly three in four employees in the UK use AI tools at work without company approval.

A practice, referred to as ‘shadow AI’, that involves workers relying on unapproved systems such as ChatGPT to complete routine tasks. Microsoft warned that unauthorised AI use could expose businesses to data leaks, non-compliance risks, and cyber attacks.

The survey, carried out by Censuswide, questioned over 2,000 employees across different sectors. Seventy-one per cent admitted to using AI tools outside official policies, often because they were already familiar with them in their personal lives.

Many reported using such tools to respond to emails, prepare presentations, and perform financial or administrative tasks, saving almost eight hours of work each week.

Microsoft said only enterprise-grade AI systems can provide the privacy and security organisations require. Darren Hardman, Microsoft’s UK and Ireland chief executive, urged companies to ensure workplace AI tools are designed for professional use rather than consumer convenience.

He emphasised that secure integration can allow firms to benefit from AI’s productivity gains while protecting sensitive data.

The study estimated that AI technology saves 12.1 billion working hours annually across the UK, equivalent to about £208 billion in employee time. Workers reported using the time gained through AI to improve work-life balance, learn new skills, and focus on higher-value projects.

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Teen content on Instagram now guided by PG-13 standards

Instagram is aligning its Teen Accounts with PG-13 movie standards, aiming to ensure that users under 18 only see age-appropriate material. Teens will automatically be placed in a 13+ setting and will need parental permission to change it.

Parents who want tighter supervision can activate a new ‘Limited Content’ mode that filters out even more material and restricts comments and AI interactions.

The company reviewed its policies to match familiar parental guidelines, further limiting exposure to content with strong language, risky stunts, or references to substances. Teens will also be blocked from following accounts that share inappropriate content or contain suggestive names and bios.

Searches for sensitive terms such as ‘gore’ or ‘alcohol’ will no longer return results, and the same restrictions will extend to Explore, Reels, and AI chat experiences.

Instagram worked with thousands of parents worldwide to shape these policies, collecting more than three million content ratings to refine its protections. Surveys show strong parental support, with most saying the PG-13 system makes it easier to understand what their teens are likely to see online.

The updates begin rolling out in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada and will expand globally by the end of the year.

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Abu Dhabi deploys AI-first systems with NVIDIA and Oracle

Oracle and NVIDIA have joined forces to advance sovereign AI, supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming an AI-native government by 2027.

The partnership combines the computing platforms of NVIDIA with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to create secure, high-performance systems that deliver next-generation citizen services, including multilingual AI assistants, automatic notifications, and intelligent compliance solutions.

The Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027 of Abu Dhabi, backed by a 13-billion AED investment, follows a phased ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach. The initiative has already gone live across 25 government entities, enabling over 15,000 daily users to access AI-accelerated services.

Generative AI applications are now integrated into human resources, procurement, and financial reporting, while advanced agentic AI and autonomous workflows will further enhance government-wide operations.

The strategy ensures full data sovereignty while driving innovation and efficiency across the public sector.

Partnerships with Deloitte and Core42 provide infrastructure and compliance support, while over 200 AI-powered capabilities are deployed to boost digital skills, economic growth, and employment opportunities.

By 2027, the initiative is expected to contribute more than 24 billion AED to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and create over 5,000 jobs, demonstrating a global blueprint for AI-native government transformation.

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Researchers expose weak satellite security with cheap equipment

Scientists in the US have shown how easy it is to intercept private messages and military information from satellites using equipment costing less than €500.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Maryland scanned internet traffic from 39 geostationary satellites and 411 transponders over seven months.

They discovered unencrypted data, including phone numbers, text messages, and browsing history from networks such as T-Mobile, TelMex, and AT&T, as well as sensitive military communications from the US and Mexico.

The researchers used everyday tools such as TV satellite dishes to collect and decode the signals, proving that anyone with a basic setup and a clear view of the sky could potentially access unprotected data.

They said there is a ‘clear mismatch’ between how satellite users assume their data is secured and how it is handled in reality. Despite the industry’s standard practice of encrypting communications, many transmissions were left exposed.

Companies often avoid stronger encryption because it increases costs and reduces bandwidth efficiency. The researchers noted that firms such as Panasonic could lose up to 30 per cent in revenue if all data were encrypted.

While intercepting satellite data still requires technical skill and precise equipment alignment, the study highlights how affordable tools can reveal serious weaknesses in global satellite security.

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