The government argues that access to large-scale computing infrastructure is becoming essential for researchers, universities, startups and businesses seeking to develop advanced AI systems and remain competitive in an increasingly AI-driven economy.
The investment builds on Spain’s existing role within Europe’s supercomputing ecosystem. The country already hosts AI factories at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the Galician Supercomputing Center, while the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer has supported projects ranging from genomic research to climate and digital twin initiatives.
The funding also aims to strengthen Spain’s position in quantum technologies, an area increasingly viewed as strategically important for Europe’s long-term technological autonomy.
The announcement reflects a wider European push to expand sovereign computing capabilities as demand for AI training infrastructure grows worldwide.
By seeking to host an AI gigafactory, Spain hopes to attract investment, support innovation, strengthen domestic technological capabilities and position itself as a central player in Europe’s next-generation AI ecosystem.
Why does it matter?
Access to large-scale computing infrastructure is becoming a strategic prerequisite for advanced AI development. Training frontier AI models, running large-scale simulations and supporting scientific research require computing resources that are increasingly concentrated among a small number of global technology providers. Spain’s investment seeks to strengthen both national and European capacity in this critical area.
The announcement also reflects the EU’s broader push for technological sovereignty. By expanding domestic AI and supercomputing infrastructure, Europe aims to reduce dependence on foreign computing resources, support innovation ecosystems and ensure that advanced technologies are developed within frameworks aligned with European values, regulations and industrial priorities. The competition to host AI gigafactories is therefore as much about economic competitiveness and strategic autonomy as it is about computing power.
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As AI reshapes economies, societies, and governance systems worldwide, Geneva is increasingly emerging as one of the most important global centres for discussions on the future of digital technologies.
In a recent interview, Diplo Executive Director Jovan Kurbalija described Geneva as a place where multiple dimensions of AI governance intersect. From technical standards and international trade to human rights, humanitarian action, and diplomacy, the city hosts institutions and processes that shape how digital technologies are developed, governed, and used worldwide.
According to Kurbalija, a significant share of global discussions on AI and digital governance takes place within a relatively small area surrounding Geneva’s international district. The concentration of international organisations, diplomatic missions, standards-setting bodies, and expert communities has positioned the city as a unique meeting point for addressing the opportunities and challenges associated with AI.
A hub for global digital governance
Geneva’s importance in digital governance stems largely from the presence of international organisations whose work directly affects the digital ecosystem.
Among them is the World Trade Organization (WTO), which plays a role in shaping the global rules governing trade, supply chains, e-commerce, and the international movement of goods and services that underpin the digital economy. Decisions and discussions within the WTO influence the broader environment in which digital technologies are produced, exchanged, and deployed.
Another key institution is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialised agency for information and communication technologies. ITU has long served as a forum for international cooperation on telecommunications and digital technologies, and today plays an increasingly prominent role in discussions related to AI and digital governance.
Although often invisible to users, technical standards play a fundamental role in ensuring interoperability, connectivity, and trust in digital systems. As AI technologies become more integrated into everyday life, standards are expected to play an increasingly important role in areas such as safety, transparency, and accountability.
From Frankenstein to AI: Geneva’s intellectual legacy
Kurbalija also highlighted a less visible but equally important dimension of Geneva’s role in AI governance, its intellectual and historical heritage.
He referred to what Diplo describes as the EspriTech de Genève, the intersection between technological developments and ideas that have emerged from thinkers associated with Geneva throughout history.
One of the most notable examples is Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein near Lake Geneva in 1816. Often regarded as one of the earliest works of science fiction, the novel explores the relationship between creators and their creations, raising questions about responsibility, unintended consequences, and the limits of human control.
More than two centuries later, similar questions continue to shape contemporary debates on AI governance. Discussions surrounding increasingly capable AI systems frequently return to concerns about human oversight, accountability, and the potential consequences of technologies that may act in ways not fully anticipated by their creators.
Kurbalija also pointed to the work of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, whose reflections on knowledge, information, and human cognition continue to resonate in an era characterised by large-scale data processing and machine-generated content.
The intellectual traditions associated with Geneva provide a broader context for understanding contemporary AI debates, linking present-day governance questions to longer-standing discussions about technology, knowledge, and humanity.
Geneva as a centre for AI diplomacy
Beyond its historical and institutional significance, Geneva has become an increasingly active venue for international discussions on AI governance.
The city hosts a growing number of meetings, conferences, and policy dialogues dedicated to the governance of AI and other emerging technologies. Among the most prominent is the annual AI for Good Summit, organised by ITU in partnership with other UN agencies and stakeholders. The event brings together governments, international organisations, researchers, private sector representatives, and civil society to explore the societal implications of AI and identify opportunities for international cooperation.
Geneva also hosts a range of other initiatives focused on AI governance, including policy dialogues, expert consultations, and multistakeholder discussions addressing issues such as human rights, health, humanitarian action, sustainable development, trade, and technical standards.
Image via freepik
According to Kurbalija, AI is now on the agenda of many international organisations based in Geneva. Whether addressing healthcare, humanitarian assistance, trade, education, telecommunications, or development, institutions increasingly examine how AI affects their respective mandates and policy objectives.
This growing presence reflects the recognition that AI is not solely a technological issue. Instead, it spans multiple policy domains, requiring coordination among technical experts, policymakers, diplomats, regulators, and affected communities.
Reducing ‘lost in translation’ in AI governance
As AI discussions become more widespread, one challenge frequently identified by policymakers and international organisations is the gap between technological developments and policy understanding.
Kurbalija argues that many stakeholders remain ‘lost in translation’ when trying to understand the implications of AI. Technical terminology, rapidly evolving technologies, and complex governance debates often create barriers for diplomats, policymakers, and officials who are expected to make decisions about AI despite not having technical backgrounds.
To address this challenge, Diplo combines research, capacity development, and practical experimentation.
The organisation conducts research on both the historical roots of AI-related thinking and contemporary governance challenges. At the same time, it develops tools and educational programmes designed to help policymakers better understand the technology and its implications.
A central component of this effort is Diplo’s AI Apprenticeship programme.
Rather than teaching AI solely through theory, the programme encourages participants to learn by building AI applications themselves. Diplomats and officials from different countries work directly with AI tools, gaining practical experience with concepts such as neural networks, large language models (LLMs), and AI systems development.
According to Kurbalija, direct engagement with AI technologies allows participants to move beyond abstract discussions and develop a more practical understanding of how these systems function and where their limitations lie.
Where technology meets humanity
Kurbalija described Geneva as a place where several distinct but interconnected forces converge.
The first is the technological dimension, represented by organisations working on telecommunications, standards, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
The second is the historical and intellectual dimension, reflected in the ideas of thinkers associated with Geneva and the broader region, whose work continues to inform contemporary discussions about technology and society.
Image via Freepik
The third is the diplomatic dimension. Geneva remains one of the world’s most active centres of multilateral diplomacy, hosting permanent missions and representatives from nearly every country. Discussions in Geneva frequently shape global approaches to issues ranging from trade and humanitarian affairs to digital governance and AI.
The fourth is what Kurbalija describes as the human dimension. Many Geneva-based institutions focus on protecting and advancing human welfare through work on human rights, humanitarian action, health, labour, migration, and development.
Together, these dimensions create an environment in which technological innovation can be discussed alongside its social, ethical, economic, and political implications.
Looking ahead
As governments, international organisations, and societies continue to grapple with the opportunities and risks associated with AI, Geneva’s role as a centre for digital governance is likely to become increasingly significant.
The city’s unique combination of technical expertise, standards-setting institutions, diplomatic networks, and human-centred governance traditions provides a platform for addressing complex questions that no single actor or sector can solve alone.
For Kurbalija, this convergence of technology, diplomacy, and humanity represents one of Geneva’s defining characteristics. In a period marked by rapid technological change and growing uncertainty, the city continues to serve as a place where different perspectives can meet to shape the future of AI governance.
As debates around AI evolve, Geneva is likely to remain one of the key venues where those discussions are translated into international cooperation, governance frameworks, and practical solutions with global impact.
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The UK government has announced two new AI research labs led by University College London and the University of Oxford, backed by up to £60 million in funding and access to large-scale computing power.
The labs will work on next-generation AI systems that are cheaper to run, more reliable and easier for businesses, researchers and public services to use. Funding will be provided through UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council over six years.
The announcement expands the government’s original plan from one AI lab to two, increasing planned funding from £40 million to up to £60 million. The labs will also receive access to computing resources valued at tens of millions of pounds.
The Science of Fundamental AI Research Lab, or SOFAIR, will be led by Professor David Barber at UCL, with researchers from Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh. It will focus on open-source AI technologies that can run on widely available hardware, aiming to reduce dependence on a small number of model providers.
The British Open-ended Learning and Discovery Lab, known as BOLD, will be led by Associate Professor Jakob Foerster at Oxford, in collaboration with UCL and Imperial College London. It will explore AI systems that can learn more efficiently, adapt to new situations and operate in physical environments.
Each lab will receive £2 million to recruit at least 10 doctoral students, supporting the UK’s AI talent pipeline. The labs will also work with existing UK AI research organisations, including the Alan Turing Institute and UKRI’s AI research hubs.
The funding forms part of UKRI’s wider AI strategy, a £1.6 billion plan to strengthen the UK’s AI research and innovation capacity over the next four years.
Why does it matter?
The investment shows the UK trying to compete in AI through fundamental research, open-source methods and efficient systems rather than only through larger datasets and more computing. By funding labs focused on reliability, lower-cost deployment and widely available hardware, the government is trying to make advanced AI more usable beyond large technology companies. The policy also links AI research to national capability, resilience and a domestic talent pipeline.
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As economies undergo digital and green transitions, education authorities face growing pressure to ensure training programmes remain aligned with evolving workforce needs.
The report finds that AI is already being used across parts of the vocational education ecosystem to analyse labour market trends, identify emerging skills gaps, map competencies and support curriculum development.
Countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Estonia and Germany, have launched pilot initiatives using AI tools to accelerate and improve qualification design and revision processes.
AI is also being explored as a mechanism for supporting modular learning pathways and micro-credentials in sectors experiencing rapid technological change.
Despite growing interest, the OECD stresses that AI adoption remains uneven and largely experimental. Most systems continue to rely on traditional governance structures involving employers, industry representatives, educators and public authorities.
The report also warns that broader AI adoption could introduce new risks for vocational education systems. Concerns include biased outputs, poor data quality, reduced transparency, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the possibility of weakening collaborative decision-making.
To address these challenges, the OECD argues that AI deployment must remain human-centred and operate within robust governance frameworks. Maintaining accountability, ensuring stakeholder participation and protecting data integrity will be critical as governments increasingly integrate AI into education and workforce development policies.
Why does it matter?
Vocational education systems play a critical role in preparing workers for changing labour markets. As digitalisation, automation and the green transition reshape skills demand, governments are looking for ways to update qualifications and training programmes more quickly. The OECD report suggests that AI could help education systems identify emerging workforce needs, improve labour market intelligence and make curriculum development more responsive.
At the same time, the report highlights that technological innovation alone is unlikely to solve skills challenges. The effectiveness of AI in vocational education will depend on strong governance, reliable data, stakeholder participation and human oversight. How governments balance efficiency gains with transparency, accountability and trust could shape the future of workforce development and lifelong learning policies.
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Norway is introducing new national guidance that significantly restricts the use of generative AI in primary education as part of a broader effort to strengthen foundational learning outcomes. From the upcoming school year, pupils in grades 1–7 will generally not be permitted to use generative AI tools in their schoolwork.
The approach reflects concerns over declining foundational skills, with international assessments indicating a drop in reading and numeracy levels among Norwegian students. Policymakers have linked the decision to evidence suggesting that early and uncritical reliance on generative AI could interfere with the development of essential literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills.
In secondary education, AI will be introduced gradually, with schools expected to ensure that teachers have the necessary skills and training before students begin using the technology. Full integration is expected at the upper secondary level, where AI is seen as part of preparation for further education and the labour market.
Authorities emphasised that AI may still be used in specific circumstances, particularly to support students with individual learning needs or those requiring tailored educational assistance. The policy will be reviewed and adjusted over time, with a focus on strengthening teacher training and ensuring responsible use of the technology across the education system.
Why does it matter?
The decision reflects a growing international debate over the role of generative AI in education. While AI tools can support learning, creativity and personalised instruction, educators and policymakers are increasingly concerned that early dependence on such technologies could weaken the development of core skills that students need before they can use AI critically and effectively.
Norway’s approach also highlights a broader shift towards phased AI adoption in schools. Rather than focusing solely on access to technology, the policy places teacher competence, pedagogical goals and student development at the centre of implementation. The outcome may influence similar discussions in other countries seeking to balance digital innovation with educational quality and learning outcomes.
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Indonesia plans to integrate AI into major government programmes, including its flagship free meals initiative valued at approximately $15 billion, under a draft presidential regulation awaiting approval from President Prabowo Subianto.
The draft establishes a roadmap for AI adoption across ministries and regional governments between 2026 and 2029. It aims to improve economic growth and strengthen Indonesia’s competitiveness in AI at both regional and global levels.
Under the proposals, AI would support the free meals programme by helping design local menus, monitor food safety and kitchen hygiene, forecast demand, detect irregularities and integrate health data for early-warning systems. AI would also support free health screenings and tuberculosis testing.
The draft also proposes the creation of a sovereign AI fund, fiscal incentives for researchers and safeguards to address risks such as biometric misuse, intellectual property violations and deepfakes. Experts cautioned that significant infrastructure gaps, limited digital skills and uneven technological capacity could pose challenges to implementation, which remains at an early stage.
Why does it matter?
The proposal illustrates how governments are increasingly seeking to integrate AI into core public-service delivery rather than limiting its use to pilot projects or administrative functions. Applying AI to areas such as nutrition programmes, healthcare screening and public-sector operations could improve efficiency, resource allocation and service delivery for millions of citizens.
The initiative also highlights the challenges facing emerging economies as they pursue AI-driven development. While Indonesia is seeking to build domestic AI capacity through funding mechanisms and incentives, successful implementation will depend on investments in digital infrastructure, technical expertise and governance frameworks capable of addressing risks such as deepfakes, privacy concerns and misuse of biometric data.
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The European Commission has selected the EUROPA consortium, led by Italian company Domyn, as the winner of its Frontier AI Grand Challenge. The project will develop a large-scale open-source AI model capable of operating across all 24 official languages of the EU.
Launched in February 2026, the competition challenged European AI innovators to propose a frontier model exceeding 400 billion parameters, a scale typically associated with some of the world’s most advanced AI systems.
The Commission said the initiative demonstrates Europe’s capacity to develop advanced AI using its domestic talent, infrastructure and industrial capabilities.
The EUROPA model will be openly accessible and designed to support businesses, researchers, public institutions and developers across the EU. By covering every official EU language, the project aims to address Europe’s linguistic diversity while expanding access to advanced AI technologies.
The EUROPA project reflects Europe’s growing determination to develop advanced AI capabilities within its own technological ecosystem. As AI becomes increasingly important for economic competitiveness, public services and scientific research, access to large-scale models is emerging as a strategic capability alongside semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and high-performance computing.
The initiative is also notable for its focus on linguistic diversity and open access. By developing a frontier model capable of operating across all 24 official EU languages and making it openly available, the project aims to broaden participation in AI innovation while reducing dependence on a small number of predominantly US-based providers. Its success could become an important test of Europe’s ability to combine technological sovereignty with open and collaborative AI development.
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El Salvador has advanced its national AI agenda following the presentation of a Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) report developed by UNESCO in cooperation with the National Artificial Intelligence Agency (ANIA). The initiative brings together government institutions, international organisations, academia and the private sector to assess the country’s preparedness for ethical, inclusive and sustainable AI development.
The assessment is grounded in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which establishes principles for safe and responsible AI deployment. According to the assessment, El Salvador’s legal and institutional framework, including measures related to data protection, cybersecurity and AI governance, has strengthened its position in regional AI readiness indicators.
The report highlights AI deployments already being used in public services, including digital health diagnostics, automated legal processes and large-scale digitisation of government records. Education systems are also integrating AI tools to expand access to learning, while projected economic gains suggest significant growth potential if ethical adoption continues to scale.
Alongside the findings, authorities outlined priorities aimed at reducing inequalities in access to technology, expanding participation in STEM education and ensuring that AI-related benefits reach both urban and rural communities.
The new National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026 sets out these priorities as part of a broader human-centred development model.
Why does it matter?
The initiative positions El Salvador as a test case for how emerging economies can align rapid AI adoption with structured governance and ethical safeguards. By embedding human-centred principles into national strategy and law, the country aims to prevent AI-driven gains from widening social or geographic inequalities while strengthening long-term digital readiness.
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OpenAI says GPT-5.5 Instant has improved ChatGPT health-related responses, including its ability to recognise urgent situations, explain uncertainty, and request relevant context from users.
OpenAI said more than 230 million people use ChatGPT each week for health and wellness-related questions. Common uses include making sense of health information, understanding lab results, preparing for appointments, navigating insurance, building healthier habits, and deciding what to ask next.
OpenAI said GPT-5.5 Instant represents a substantial step forward in ChatGPT health performance. The model is available to free ChatGPT users, subject to usage limits, and now performs at a level comparable to OpenAI’s frontier reasoning models on some of its most demanding health evaluations.
The company said progress reflects both model improvements and physician-led evaluation work. A global network of physicians helps define expected behaviour in real-world health scenarios by reviewing model outputs, identifying failure modes and developing evaluation criteria.
OpenAI said ChatGPT health responses should be accurate, understandable, and grounded in good judgement. The company said stronger performance includes recognising when more context is needed, explaining uncertainty without overstating confidence, and helping people understand when to seek medical care.
The company uses health-specific evaluations, including HealthBench and HealthBench Professional, to assess model responses. These evaluations use realistic health conversations and physician-developed rubrics to assess accuracy, safety, communication quality, contextual awareness, completeness and appropriate escalation to medical care.
OpenAI said GPT-5.5 Instant substantially improved from GPT-5.3 Instant on an aggregate of health evaluations, including HealthBench Professional. In a separate comparison, physicians wrote responses to representative health conversations with unlimited time and internet access, while another physician panel compared those responses with model answers across 3,500 reviews.
The company said GPT-5.5 Instant responses were rated higher than physician-written and older model responses across criteria, including accuracy, communication, completeness, instruction-following, and usefulness for health-related decisions.
OpenAI also said physicians rated GPT-5.5 Instant as having fewer failure modes than older models and physician-written responses. The company cited fewer cases of missing red flags, failing to refer users to care, not tailoring responses to the local healthcare context, or not asking for additional context when needed.
OpenAI said it also uses privacy-preserving monitors on production traffic to track possible factuality issues in ChatGPT health responses. Based on recent health-related production traffic, OpenAI said the proportion of responses containing at least one flagged factuality issue has fallen by 71% over the past two months.
The company said its health work is supported by more than 260 physicians across 60 countries, 49 languages, and 26 medical specialties. Those physicians have reviewed more than 700,000 example model responses reflecting how patients and clinicians use ChatGPT in real-world situations.
OpenAI said physician feedback informs rubrics and evaluation criteria used to assess whether responses are accurate, safe, clear, complete, appropriately cautious, and useful. The company said the work also supports broader healthcare tools, including ChatGPT for Clinicians and OpenAI for Healthcare.
Why does it matter?
Health information is one of the most sensitive and high-impact areas in which consumer AI systems are used. Improvements in how ChatGPT handles uncertainty, identifies potential medical red flags and requests additional context could influence how millions of people interpret symptoms, understand medical information and prepare for interactions with healthcare professionals.
The announcement also highlights the growing importance of domain-specific evaluation in AI development. Rather than relying solely on general-purpose benchmarks, OpenAI is using physician-led reviews, specialised testing frameworks and real-world monitoring to assess performance in healthcare settings. This approach may serve as a model for evaluating AI systems in other high-stakes sectors where accuracy, safety and human oversight are essential.
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The implementation document sets out 17 measures in five areas under an ‘AI plus consumption’ strategy. It aims to expand smart product consumption, support AI-enabled services and create new consumer scenarios.
For goods consumption, the guidelines call for a wider supply of AI products, upgrades to consumer electronics, household appliances and home products, and the development of smart wearable devices. They also promote AI-powered robots for elderly care, companionship and daily assistance.
For services, the measures encourage the use of AI in home services, elderly care, tourism, accommodation, catering and education. Examples include smart elderly-care facilities, AI-enabled tourism services and smart canteens in offices, schools and hospitals.
The guidelines also call for faster development of smart retail, deeper integration of AI with e-commerce and improved smart logistics networks at county, township and village levels. Authorities also want to expand delivery coverage in remote areas.
China will support ‘AI plus consumption’ clusters and AI experience centres, while encouraging rental, sharing and trial use of AI products in public venues. Local authorities are also encouraged to introduce subsidies for next-generation smart terminals and other AI-related consumer products under existing consumer goods trade-in policies.
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