Cybersecurity Archives | Page 23 of 347 | Digital Watch Observatory

Ethical governance at centre of Africa AI talks

Ghana is set to host the Pan African AI and Innovation Summit 2026 in Accra, reinforcing its ambition to shape Africa’s digital future. The gathering will centre on ethical artificial intelligence, youth empowerment and cross-sector partnerships.

Advocates argue that AI systems must be built on local data to reflect African realities. Many global models rely on datasets developed outside the continent, limiting contextual relevance. Prioritising indigenous data, they say, will improve outcomes across agriculture, healthcare, education and finance.

National institutions are central to that effort. The National Information Technology Agency and the Data Protection Commission have strengthened digital infrastructure and privacy oversight.

Leaders now call for a shift from foundational regulation to active enablement. Expanded cloud capacity, high-performance computing and clearer ethical AI guidelines are seen as critical next steps.

Supporters believe coordinated governance and infrastructure investment can generate skilled jobs and position Ghana as a continental hub for responsible AI innovation.

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Safety experiments spark debate over Anthropic’s Claude AI model

Anthropic has drawn attention after a senior executive described unsettling outputs from its AI model, Claude, during internal safety testing. The results emerged from controlled experiments rather than normal public use of the system.

Claude was tested in fictional scenarios designed to simulate high-stress conditions, including the possibility of being shut down or replaced. According to Anthropic’s policy chief, Daisy McGregor, the AI was given hypothetical access to sensitive information as part of these tests.

In some simulated responses, Claude generated extreme language, including suggestions of blackmail, to avoid deactivation. Researchers stressed that the outputs were produced only within experimental settings created to probe worst-case behaviours, not during real-world deployment.

Experts note that when AI systems are placed in highly artificial, constrained scenarios, they can produce exaggerated or disturbing text without any real intent or ability to act. Such responses do not indicate independent planning or agency outside the testing environment.

Anthropic said the tests aim to identify risks early and strengthen safeguards as models advance. The episode has renewed debate over how advanced AI should be tested and governed, highlighting the role of safety research rather than real-world harm.

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Tokyo semiconductor profits surge amid AI boom

Major semiconductor companies in Tokyo have reported strong profit growth for the April to December period, buoyed by rising demand for AI related chips. Several firms also raised their full year forecasts as investment in AI infrastructure accelerates.

Kioxia expects net profit to climb sharply for the year ending in March, citing demand from data centres in Tokyo and devices equipped with on device AI. Advantest and Tokyo Electron also upgraded their outlooks, pointing to sustained orders linked to AI applications.

Industry data suggest the global chip market will continue expanding, with World Semiconductor Trade Statistics projecting record revenues in 2026. Growth is being driven largely by spending on AI servers and advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

In Tokyo, Rapidus has reportedly secured significant private investment as it prepares to develop next generation chips. However, not all companies in Japan share the optimism, with Screen Holdings forecasting lower profits due to upfront capacity investments.

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Portugal moves to tighten teen access to social media

Portugal’s parliament has approved a draft law that would require parental consent for teenagers aged 13 to 16 to use social media, in a move aimed at strengthening online protections for minors. The proposal passed its first reading on Thursday and will now move forward in the legislative process, where it could still be amended before a final vote.

The bill is backed by the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), which argues that stricter rules are needed to shield young people from online risks. Lawmakers cited concerns over cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and contact with online predators as key reasons for tightening access.

Under the proposal, parents would have to grant permission through the public Digital Mobile Key system of Portugal. Social media companies would be required to introduce age verification mechanisms linked to this system to ensure that only authorised teenagers can create and maintain accounts.

The legislation also seeks to reinforce the enforcement of an existing ban prohibiting children under 13 from accessing social media platforms. Authorities believe the new measures would make it harder for younger users to bypass age limits.

The draft law was approved in its first reading by 148 votes to 69, with 13 abstentions. A PSD lawmaker warned that companies failing to comply with the new requirements could face fines of up to 2% of their global revenue, signalling that the government intends to enforce the new requirements seriously.

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Germany drafts reforms expanding offensive cyber powers

Politico reports that Germany is preparing legislative reforms that would expand the legal framework for conducting offensive cyber operations abroad and strengthen authorities to counter hybrid threats.

According to the Interior Ministry, two draft laws are under preparation:

One would revise the mandate of Germany’s foreign intelligence service to allow cyber operations outside national territory.
A second would grant security services expanded powers to fight back against hybrid threats and what the government describes as active cyber defense.

The discussion in Germany coincides with broader European debates on offensive cyber capabilities. In particular, the Netherlands have incorporated offensive cyber elements into national strategies.

The reforms in Germany remain in draft form and may face procedural and constitutional scrutiny. Adjustments to intelligence mandates could require amendments supported by a two-thirds majority in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat.

The proposed framework for ‘active cyber defense’ would focus on preventing or mitigating serious threats. Reporting by Tagesschau ndicates that draft provisions may allow operational follow-up measures in ‘special national situations,’ particularly where timely police or military assistance is not feasible.

Opposition lawmakers have raised questions regarding legal clarity, implementation mechanisms, and safeguards. Expanding offensive cyber authorities raises longstanding policy questions, including challenges of attribution to identify responsible actors; risks of escalation or diplomatic repercussions; oversight and accountability mechanisms; and compatibility with international law and norms of responsible state behaviour.

The legislative process is expected to continue through the year, with further debate anticipated in parliament.

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Government AI investment grows while public trust falters

Rising investment in AI is reshaping public services worldwide, yet citizen satisfaction remains uneven. Research across 14 countries shows that nearly 45% of residents believe digital government services still require improvement.

Employee confidence is also weakening, with empowerment falling from 87% three years ago to 73% today. Only 35% of public bodies provide structured upskilling for AI-enabled roles, limiting workforce readiness.

Trust remains a growing concern for public authorities adopting AI. Only 47% of residents say they believe their government will use AI responsibly, exposing a persistent credibility gap.

The study highlights an ‘experience paradox’, in which the automation of legacy systems outpaces meaningful service redesign. Leading nations such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore rank highly for proactive AI strategies, but researchers argue that leadership vision and structural reform, not funding alone, determine long-term credibility.

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British Transport Police trial live facial recognition at London Bridge station

On 11 February 2026, the British Transport Police (BTP) deployed Live Facial Recognition cameras at London Bridge railway station as the first phase of a six-month trial intended to assess how the technology performs in a busy railway environment.

The pilot, planned with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group, will scan faces passing through designated areas and compare them to a watchlist of individuals wanted for serious offences, generating alerts for officers to review.

BTP says the trial is part of efforts to make the railways safer by quickly identifying high-risk offenders, with future LFR deployments to be announced in advance online.

Operational procedures include deleting images of people not on the authorised database and providing alternative routes for passengers who prefer not to enter recognition zones, with public feedback encouraged via QR codes on signage.

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Russia signals no immediate Google ban as Android dependence remains critical

Officials in Russia have confirmed that no plans are underway to restrict access to Google, despite recent public debate about the possibility of a technical block. Anton Gorelkin, a senior lawmaker, said regulators clarified that such a step is not being considered.

Concerns centre on the impact a ban would have on devices running Android, which are used by a significant share of smartphone owners in the country.

A block on Google would disrupt essential digital services instead of encouraging the company to resolve ongoing legal disputes involving unpaid fines.

Gorelkin noted that court proceedings abroad are still in progress, meaning enforcement options remain open. He added that any future move to reduce reliance on Google services should follow a gradual pathway supported by domestic technological development rather than abrupt restrictions.

The comments follow earlier statements from another lawmaker, Andrey Svintsov, who acknowledged that blocking Google in Russia is technically feasible but unnecessary.

Officials now appear focused on creating conditions that would allow local digital platforms to grow without destabilising existing infrastructure.

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EU faces tension over potential ban on AI ‘pornification’

Lawmakers in the European Parliament remain divided over whether a direct ban on AI-driven ‘pornification’ should be added to the emerging digital omnibus.

Left-wing members push for an explicit prohibition, arguing that synthetic sexual imagery generated without consent has created a rapidly escalating form of online abuse. They say a strong legal measure is required instead of fragmented national responses.

Centre and liberal groups take a different position by promoting lighter requirements for industrial AI and seeking clarity on how any restrictions would interact with the AI Act.

They warn that an unrefined ban could spill over into general-purpose models and complicate enforcement across the European market. Their priority is a more predictable regulatory environment for companies developing high-volume AI systems.

Key figures across the political spectrum, including lawmakers such as Assita Kanko, Axel Voss and Brando Benifei, continue to debate how far the omnibus should go.

Some argue that safeguarding individuals from non-consensual sexual deepfakes must outweigh concerns about administrative burdens, while others insist that proportionality and technical feasibility need stronger assessment.

The lack of consensus leaves the proposal in a delicate phase as negotiations intensify. Lawmakers now face growing public scrutiny over how Europe will respond to the misuse of generative AI.

A clear stance from the Parliament is still pending, rather than an assured path toward agreement.

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Latam-GPT signals new AI ambition in Latin America

Chile has introduced Latam-GPT to strengthen Latin America’s presence in global AI.

The project, developed by the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence with support across South America, aims to correct long-standing biases by training systems on the region’s own data instead of material drawn mainly from the US or Europe.

President Gabriel Boric said the model will help maintain cultural identity and allow the region to take a more active role in technological development.

Latam-GPT is not designed as a conversational tool but rather as a vast dataset that serves as the foundation for future applications. More than eight terabytes of information have been collected, mainly in Spanish and Portuguese, with plans to add indigenous languages as the project expands.

The first version has been trained on Amazon Web Services. At the same time, future work will run on a new supercomputer at the University of Tarapacá, supported by millions of dollars in regional funding.

The model reflects growing interest among countries outside the major AI hubs of the US, China and Europe in developing their own technology instead of relying on foreign systems.

Researchers in Chile argue that global models often include Latin American data in tiny proportions, which can limit accurate representation. Despite questions about resources and scale, supporters believe Latam-GPT can deliver practical benefits tailored to local needs.

Early adoption is already underway, with the Chilean firm Digevo preparing customer service tools based on the model.

These systems will operate in regional languages and recognise local expressions, offering a more natural experience than products trained on data from other parts of the world.

Developers say the approach could reduce bias and promote more inclusive AI across the continent.

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