Cybersecurity

Zimbabwe to launch national AI policy by October to boost digital sovereignty

Zimbabwe’s Information and Communication Technology Minister, Tendai Mavetera, revealed the second draft of the National AI Policy during the AI Summit for Africa 2025 in Victoria Falls, hosted by Alpha Media Holdings and AIIA.

Though the policy was not formalised during the summit, Mavetera stated it is expected to be launched by 1 October 2025 at the new Parliament building, with presidential presence anticipated.

The strategy is designed to foster an Africa where AI serves humanity, ensuring connectivity in every village, education access for every child, and opportunity for every young person.

Core features include data sovereignty and secure data storage, with institutions like TelOne expected to host localised solutions, moving away from past practices of storing data abroad.

Speakers at the summit underscored AI’s role in economic and social transformation rather than job displacement; Africa’s investment in AI surpassed US$200 billion in 2024.

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Applied Digital unveils $3 billion AI factory in North Dakota

Applied Digital is expanding in North Dakota with Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion AI factory breaking ground in September 2025. The Harwood site will add 280 megawatts of capacity by 2027, cementing the state’s role in US AI infrastructure.

The project reflects demand and Applied Digital’s push to deliver high-performance compute power at scale. CEO Wes Cummins confirmed strong partner interest, including discussions with a US hyperscaler, and stated that the development will enhance growth and community value.

North Dakota has become a key destination for data centres, with abundant power, land, and a business-friendly climate. Polaris Forge 2 builds on the success of the Ellendale campus, with over 900 acres contracted and energy secured from Cass County Electric Cooperative.

The campus will employ more than 200 staff and contractors upon completion of operations. Governor Kelly Armstrong welcomed the investment, praising Applied Digital’s housing and workforce initiatives in Ellendale as a model for rural innovation and economic resilience.

Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken said the Harwood site extends that success, reinforcing North Dakota as a hub for sustainable AI infrastructure. Applied Digital sees Polaris Forge 2 as advancing its mission to deliver innovation while driving local development and long-term growth.

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Nexon investigates AI-generated TikTok ads for The First Descendant

Nexon launched an investigation after players spotted several suspicious adverts for The First Descendant on TikTok that appeared to have been generated by AI.

One advertisement allegedly used a content creator’s likeness without permission, sparking concerns about the misuse of digital identities.

The company issued a statement acknowledging ‘irregularities’ in its TikTok Creative Challenge, a campaign that lets creators voluntarily submit content for advertising.

While Nexon confirmed that all videos had been verified through TikTok’s system, it admitted that some submissions may have been produced in inappropriate circumstances.

Nexon apologised for the delay in informing players, saying the review took longer than expected. It confirmed that a joint investigation with TikTok is underway to determine what happened, and it was promised that updates would be provided once the process is complete.

The developer has not yet addressed the allegation from creator DanieltheDemon, who claims his likeness was used without consent.

The controversy has added to ongoing debates about AI’s role in advertising and protecting creators’ rights.

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Gamescom showcases EU support for cultural and digital innovation

The European Commission will convene video game professionals in Cologne for the third consecutive year on August 20 and 21. The visit aims to follow developments in the industry, present the future EU budget, and outline opportunities under the upcoming AgoraEU programme.

EU Officials will also discuss AI adoption, new investment opportunities, and ways to protect minors in gaming. Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, will deliver a keynote speech and join a panel titled ‘Investment in games – is it finally happening?’.

The European Commission highlights the role of gaming in Europe’s cultural diversity and innovation. Creative Europe MEDIA has already supported nearly 180 projects since 2021. At Gamescom, its booth will feature 79 companies from 24 countries, offering fresh networking opportunities to video game professionals.

The engagement comes just before the release of the second edition of the ‘European Media Industry Outlook’ report. The updated study will provide deeper insights into consumer behaviour and market trends, with a dedicated focus on the video games sector.

Gamescom remains the world’s largest gaming event, with 1,500 exhibitors from 72 nations in 2025. The event celebrates creative and technological achievements, highlighting the industry’s growing importance for Europe’s competitiveness and digital economy.

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Anthropic introduces a safety feature allowing Claude AI to terminate harmful conversations

Anthropic has announced that its Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 models can now end conversations in extreme cases of harmful or abusive user interactions.

The company said the change was introduced after the AI models showed signs of ‘apparent distress’ during pre-deployment testing when repeatedly pushed to continue rejected requests.

According to Anthropic, the feature will be used only in rare situations, such as attempts to solicit information that could enable large-scale violence or requests for sexual content involving minors.

Once activated, Claude AI will be closed, preventing the user from sending new messages in that thread, though they can still access past conversations and begin new ones.

The company emphasised that the models will not use the ability when users are at imminent risk of self-harm or harming others, ensuring support channels remain open in sensitive situations.

Anthropic added that the feature is experimental and may be adjusted based on user feedback.

The move highlights the firm’s growing focus on safeguarding both AI models and human users, balancing safety with accessibility as generative AI continues to expand.

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Nvidia prepares new AI chip for China amid Washington’s hesitation

As if Trump’s recent shifts in chip export policy regarding the scaled-down chip models were not enough to reopen supply to the Chinese market, after all the earlier tariffs and bans, Nvidia is now quietly developing a new AI chip for China, even as Washington continues to debate how much cutting-edge US technology Beijing should be allowed to access.

According to Nvidia’s latest statements, the chip, codenamed B30A, will be based on Nvidia’s latest Blackwell architecture and is expected to outperform the company’s current China-approved model, the H20.

Namely, the novelty comes just days after President Donald Trump weighed permitting scaled-down versions of Nvidia’s most advanced chips to be sold in China. His comments marked a potential shift in US policy, but the approval remains uncertain, with lawmakers in both parties warning that even weaker versions of top-end chips could still give Beijing an edge in the global AI race.

Technically, the B30A will be less potent than Nvidia’s flagship B300, but it retains advanced features such as high-bandwidth memory and NVLink connectivity, which are crucial for fast data processing.

Nvidia hopes to send early samples to Chinese customers next month, though final specifications have yet to be confirmed.

‘Everything we offer is with full government approval and designed for commercial use,’ the company said in a statement.

The stakes are high, as China accounted for 13% of Nvidia’s revenue last year, and losing that market could push customers toward domestic rivals like Huawei.

Analysts note that Huawei’s chips are improving, particularly in raw computing power, though they still lag in software support and memory performance, areas where Nvidia remains dominant.

At the same time, Beijing has been pushing back. Chinese experts recently raised concerns that Nvidia’s chips could pose security risks, and regulators have reportedly warned Chinese tech firms about buying the H20.

Nvidia denies any such vulnerabilities, but the warnings illustrate how political friction is weighing on commercial strategy.

Alongside the B30A, Nvidia is also preparing another chip, the RTX6000D, built for AI inference rather than training. That model has weaker specifications designed to comply with strict US export thresholds.

Nvidia plans to start shipping small batches of the RTX6000D to Chinese clients as early as September, which seems to indicate that the company is trying to balance Washington’s restrictions with the need to preserve its foothold in one of the world’s most lucrative AI markets.

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SoftBank invests $2 billion in Intel to boost US semiconductor industry

Japanese technology giant SoftBank has announced plans to buy a $2 billion stake in Intel, signalling a stronger push into the American semiconductor industry.

The investment comes as Washington debates greater government involvement in the sector, with reports suggesting President Donald Trump is weighing a US government stake in the chipmaker.

SoftBank will purchase Intel’s common stock at $23 per share. Its chairman, Masayoshi Son, said semiconductors remain the backbone of every industry and expressed confidence that advanced chip manufacturing will expand in the US, with Intel playing a central role.

The move follows SoftBank’s increasing investments in the US, including its role in the $500 billion ‘Stargate’ AI project announced earlier this year.

Once a dominant force in Silicon Valley, Intel has struggled against rivals such as Nvidia and AMD. Under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, the company is cutting 15% of its workforce and reducing costs to stabilise operations.

After a private meeting, Trump recently criticised Tan’s leadership but later softened his stance.

Shares in both companies slipped following the announcement, with SoftBank down 2.2% in Tokyo and Intel falling 3.7% in New York.

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Bragg Gaming responds to cyber incident affecting internal systems

Bragg Gaming Group has confirmed a cybersecurity breach affecting its internal systems, discovered in the early hours of 16 August.

The company stated the breach has not impacted operations or customer-facing platforms, nor compromised any personal data so far.

External cybersecurity experts have been engaged to assist with mitigation and investigation, following standard industry protocols.

Bragg has emphasised its commitment to transparency and will provide updates as the investigation progresses via its official website.

The firm continues to operate normally, with all internal and external services reportedly unaffected by the incident at this time.

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AI toys change the way children learn and play

AI-powered stuffed animals are transforming children’s play by combining cuddly companionship with interactive learning.

Toys such as Curio’s Grem and Mattel’s AI collaborations offer screen-free experiences instead of tablets or smartphones, using chatbots and voice recognition to engage children in conversation and educational activities.

Products like CYJBE’s AI Smart Stuffed Animal integrate tools such as ChatGPT to answer questions, tell stories, and adapt to a child’s mood, all under parental controls for monitoring interactions.

Developers say these toys foster personalised learning and emotional bonds instead of replacing human engagement entirely.

The market has grown rapidly, driven by partnerships between tech and toy companies and early experiments like Grimes’ AI plush Grok.

At the same time, experts warn about privacy risks, the collection of children’s data, and potential reductions in face-to-face interaction.

Regulators are calling for safeguards, and parents are urged to weigh the benefits of interactive AI companions against possible social and ethical concerns.

The sector could reshape childhood play and learning, blending imaginative experiences with algorithmic support instead of solely relying on traditional toys.

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Fake Telegram Premium site spreads dangerous malware

A fake Telegram Premium website infects users with Lumma Stealer malware through a drive-by download, requiring no user interaction.

The domain, telegrampremium[.]app, hosts a malicious executable named start.exe, which begins stealing sensitive data as soon as it runs.

The malware targets browser-stored credentials, crypto wallets, clipboard data and system files, using advanced evasion techniques to bypass antivirus tools.

Obfuscated with cryptors and hidden behind real services like Telegram, the malware also communicates with temporary domains to avoid takedown.

Analysts warn that it manipulates Windows systems, evades detection, and leaves little trace by disguising its payloads as real image files.

To defend against such threats, organisations are urged to implement better cybersecurity controls, such as behaviour-based detection and enforce stronger download controls.

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