Healthcare faces growing compliance pressure from AI adoption

AI is becoming a practical tool across healthcare as providers face rising patient demand, chronic disease and limited resources.

These AI systems increasingly support tasks such as clinical documentation, billing, diagnostics and personalised treatment instead of relying solely on manual processes, allowing clinicians to focus more directly on patient care.

At the same time, AI introduces significant compliance and safety risks. Algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making, and outdated training data can affect clinical outcomes, raising questions about accountability when errors occur.

Regulators are signalling that healthcare organisations cannot delegate responsibility to automated systems and must retain meaningful human oversight over AI-assisted decisions.

Regulatory exposure spans federal and state frameworks, including HIPAA privacy rules, FDA oversight of AI-enabled medical devices and enforcement under the False Claims Act.

Healthcare providers are expected to implement robust procurement checks, continuous monitoring, governance structures and patient consent practices as AI regulation evolves towards a more coordinated national approach.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

US platforms signal political shift in DSA risk reports

Major online platforms have submitted their 2025 systemic risk assessments under the Digital Services Act as the European Commission moves towards issuing its first fine against a Very Large Online Platform.

The reports arrive amid mounting political friction between Brussels and Washington, placing platform compliance under heightened scrutiny on both regulatory and geopolitical fronts.

Several US-based companies adjusted how risks related to hate speech, misinformation and diversity are framed, reflecting political changes in the US while maintaining formal alignment with EU law.

Meta softened enforcement language, reclassified hate speech under broader categories and reduced visibility of civil rights structures, while continuing to emphasise freedom of expression as a guiding principle.

Google and YouTube similarly narrowed references to misinformation, replaced established terminology with less charged language and limited enforcement narratives to cases involving severe harm.

LinkedIn followed comparable patterns, removing references to earlier commitments on health misinformation, civic integrity and EU voluntary codes that have since been integrated into the DSA framework.

X largely retained its prior approach, although its report continues to reference cooperation with governments and civil society that contrasts with the platform’s public positioning.

TikTok diverged from other platforms by expanding disclosures on hate speech, election integrity and fact-checking, likely reflecting its vulnerability to regulatory action in both the EU and the US.

European regulators are expected to assess whether these shifts represent genuine risk mitigation or strategic alignment with US political priorities.

As systemic risk reports increasingly inform enforcement decisions, subtle changes in language, scope and emphasis may carry regulatory consequences well beyond their formal compliance function.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

DDoS attacks in 2025 become faster and smarter

DDoS attacks in 2025 became short and automated, often ending in minutes with minimal warning. Traditional response times are now insufficient against these high-speed threats.

Attackers increasingly use multiple hosts and blended vectors, including TCP, UDP, DNS, and SYN floods. IoT botnets and residential proxies amplify scale, with global capacity exceeding 250 Tbps.

Algorithmic orchestration allows attacks to adapt and escalate automatically. Even low-tech campaigns remain disruptive to weaker networks, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring.

Defenders must adopt AI-driven, sub-minute mitigation and self-defending architectures. Real-time detection is now essential to maintain uptime and prevent reputational damage.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

New 5G-advanced upgrade boosts UAE connectivity

UAE telecom operator ‘du’ has deployed the country’s first tri-band Radio Remote Unit on the 600MHz spectrum in partnership with Huawei. The rollout marks progress in the UAE’s 5G-Advanced network development.

Improved indoor coverage and faster speeds are delivered through dynamic power sharing and multi-band functionality. The upgrade supports services such as 5G Fixed Wireless Access and Voice over New Radio.

Lower energy consumption and a compact design reduce the environmental footprint of network infrastructure. The deployment aligns with national sustainability goals while improving long-term network efficiency.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Solana withstands massive DDoS pressure

Reports suggest Solana was targeted by a sustained DDoS campaign in mid-December, with peak traffic estimates close to 6 Tbps. Public dashboards showed full uptime and no visible disruption for users.

Recent upgrades appear central to the outcome, as they move spam filtering and prioritisation closer to the network edge. QUIC traffic handling, stake-weighted routing and local fee markets helped limit congestion.

Focus is shifting from outage risks to resilience under pressure. The episode suggests major blockchains are now engineered and attacked like Tier 1 internet infrastructure.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Russia considers restoring Roblox access after compliance talks

Roblox has signalled willingness to comply with Russian law, opening the possibility of the platform being unblocked in Russia following earlier access restrictions.

Roskomnadzor stated that cooperation could resume if Roblox demonstrates concrete steps instead of declarations towards meeting domestic legal requirements.

The regulator said Roblox acknowledged shortcomings in moderating game content and ensuring the safety of user chats, particularly involving minors.

Russian authorities stressed that compliance would require systematic measures to remove harmful material and prevent criminal communication rather than partial adjustments.

Access to Roblox was restricted in early December after officials cited the spread of content linked to extremist and terrorist activity.

Roskomnadzor indicated that continued engagement and demonstrable compliance could allow the platform to restore operations under the regulatory oversight of Russia.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

OpenAI expands AI training for newsrooms worldwide

The US tech company, OpenAI, has launched the OpenAI Academy for News Organisations, a new learning hub designed to support journalists, editors and publishers adopting AI in their work.

An initiative that builds on existing partnerships with the American Journalism Project and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, reflecting a broader effort to strengthen journalism as a pillar of democratic life.

The Academy goes live with practical training, newsroom-focused playbooks and real-world examples aimed at helping news teams save time and focus on high-impact reporting.

Areas of focus include investigative research, multilingual reporting, data analysis, production efficiency and operational workflows that sustain news organisations over time.

Responsible use sits at the centre of the programme. Guidance on governance, internal policies and ethical deployment is intended to address concerns around trust, accuracy and newsroom culture, recognising that AI adoption raises structural questions rather than purely technical ones.

OpenAI plans to expand the Academy in the year ahead with additional courses, case studies and live programming.

Through collaboration with publishers, industry bodies and journalism networks worldwide, the Academy is positioned as a shared learning space that supports editorial independence while adapting journalism to an AI-shaped media environment.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Google launches Gemini 3 Flash for scalable frontier AI

The US tech giant, Google, has unveiled Gemini 3 Flash, a new frontier AI model designed for developers who need high reasoning performance combined with speed and low cost.

Built on the multimodal and agentic foundations of Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash delivers faster responses at less than a quarter of the price, while surpassing Gemini 2.5 Pro across several major benchmarks.

The model is rolling out through the Gemini API, Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, Android Studio and other developer platforms, offering higher rate limits, batch processing and context caching that significantly reduce operational costs.

Gemini 3 Flash achieves frontier-level results on advanced reasoning benchmarks while remaining optimised for large-scale production workloads, reinforcing Google’s focus on efficiency alongside intelligence.

Early adopters are already deploying Gemini 3 Flash across coding, gaming, deepfake detection and legal document analysis, benefiting from improved agentic capabilities and near real-time multimodal reasoning.

By lowering cost barriers while expanding performance, Gemini 3 Flash enhances Google’s competitive position in the rapidly evolving AI model market. It broadens access to advanced AI systems for developers and enterprises.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Salesforce expands Stockholm office to advance agentic AI

The San Francisco-based software company Salesforce has opened a significantly expanded office in Stockholm, reinforcing its long-term investment in Sweden and its broader Northern European strategy.

A new location that reflects the growing demand for AI-driven enterprise tools as regional businesses increasingly adopt agent-based technologies across their operations.

Located at Sveavägen 20, the Stockholm office is four times larger than Salesforce’s previous space and has been designed to support hybrid work, collaboration and innovation.

The opening event highlighted the focus of Salesforce on real estate as a strategic enabler for AI transformation, bringing together employees, partners, customers and community organisations.

A launch that also featured the Agentforce Sweden Nonprofit Hackathon, where Swedish charities presented AI agent solutions to improve efficiency and impact.

Majblomman received SEK 150,000 for an autonomous financial aid agent, underlining Salesforce’s ambition to position the Stockholm office as a regional hub for agentic enterprise development and responsible AI adoption.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU approves €1.8 billion clean energy boost through Modernisation Fund

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank have approved €1.8 billion in new clean energy funding under the EU Modernisation Fund, supporting 45 projects across 12 member states.

Portugal receives funding for the first time after becoming eligible in 2024, while total support from the Fund since 2021 has now reached €20.7 billion across 294 investments.

Financed through revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System, the Fund targets high-impact projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in energy, industry and transport, while improving energy efficiency and strengthening energy security.

In 2025 alone, total disbursements reached €5.46 billion, with significant allocations directed to Czechia, Poland, Romania and Hungary, alongside support for Greece, Portugal and Slovenia.

All projects approved during 2025 focus on renewable electricity generation, energy storage, grid modernisation and efficiency upgrades in public infrastructure and industry.

The Modernisation Fund plays a central role in supporting national climate plans, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports and advancing the EU’s Fit for 55 and REPowerEU objectives, with further investment proposals scheduled for early 2026.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!