Development Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

Associated Press expands AI newsroom guidelines with human oversight

The Associated Press (AP) has updated its AI newsroom guidelines, expanding the ways journalists may use generative AI while reaffirming that human oversight, verification and editorial accountability remain central to its reporting standards.

Approved uses include early-stage research, document summarisation, transcription, translation and assistance with headlines, story summaries and shot lists. AI may also support grammar, spelling and search optimisation.

However, all AI-generated outputs must be reviewed and edited by an AP journalist before publication. The technology cannot replace original reporting, source verification, fact-checking or editorial judgement.

The updated guidelines continue to prohibit the use of generative AI to create, alter or enhance news photography, maintaining that visual journalism must preserve the authenticity and evidentiary value expected of news images.

The guidance also establishes new standards for reporting on manipulated AI-generated content, requiring journalists to verify such material, identify it clearly and explain its context.

Disclosure will also be required whenever generative AI plays a material role in published content. In addition, the policy introduces standards governing the use of AI coding assistants by software developers working on newsroom systems.

AP said accuracy, fairness and speed remain the guiding principles of its journalism and that the newsroom’s AI policies will continue to evolve as the technology and associated risks develop.

Why does it matter?

As news organisations increasingly adopt generative AI, clear editorial governance is becoming as important as the technology itself. Policies that require human verification, transparency and editorial responsibility help ensure that AI supports journalism without undermining public trust in news reporting.

The AP’s updated guidelines also reflect a broader industry shift towards defining practical rules for AI use rather than treating the technology as either entirely acceptable or entirely prohibited. Such frameworks are likely to influence how other media organisations balance innovation with accuracy, accountability and transparency.

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Kazakhstan strengthens workforce skills through digital learning

Kazakhstan’s employers’ organisation is expanding workplace training through greater use of digital learning, certified trainers and occupational safety programmes as part of efforts to strengthen workforce skills.

The initiative follows the completion of an advanced digital learning programme that enables certified trainers to develop online courses, webinars and professional training tailored to employers’ needs. Occupational safety and health will remain at the core of the programme as additional training areas are introduced.

A digital learning platform launched earlier this year supports course delivery, while cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) aims to strengthen training capacity and expand professional certification.

The initiative forms part of wider efforts to help employers improve workforce skills, strengthen occupational safety and expand access to professional training through digital learning technologies.

Why does it matter?

Digital learning is becoming an increasingly important tool for workforce development, allowing employers to expand access to professional training while reducing the time and cost associated with traditional classroom programmes. For countries seeking to modernise labour markets, online training can help address skills gaps more efficiently.

The initiative also highlights the growing integration of digital technologies into occupational safety and health programmes. By combining digital learning with internationally recognised certification and cooperation with the ILO, Kazakhstan is seeking to strengthen both workforce resilience and workplace standards.

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US expands Genesis Mission with $5 billion for AI research

The White House has announced more than US$5 billion in new federal commitments to expand the Genesis Mission, positioning AI as shared national infrastructure for scientific research across the US government.

Originally launched through an executive order in November 2025, the Genesis Mission has evolved from a Department of Energy initiative into a whole-of-government programme involving more than 15 federal agencies.

Participating agencies will contribute funding, research awards, scientific datasets and research infrastructure through the Department of Energy’s American Science and Security Platform, which provides shared access to data, computing resources and AI tools.

Alongside the funding announcement, the administration unveiled a series of National Science and Technology Challenges covering healthcare, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, semiconductors, quantum technologies, biology, agriculture, space and national security.

Planned projects include AI-enabled biomedical research, digital twins for infrastructure, electricity grid optimisation, autonomous laboratories, materials science and semiconductor innovation.

The initiative also supports industrial competitiveness and national security through projects in AI-assisted microelectronics design, biological manufacturing, advanced materials, nuclear forensics, biological threat detection and the AI-supported design of conventional and nuclear weapon components.

Additional programmes will apply AI to NASA’s scientific datasets, environmental research, natural resource management and agricultural innovation.

According to the White House, the Genesis Mission is intended to establish a shared research model that enables federal agencies to collaborate on multidisciplinary scientific challenges using common AI infrastructure.

The administration said future phases will expand the initiative through partnerships with industry, philanthropic organisations and international collaborators.

Why does it matter?

The Genesis Mission reflects a growing shift in AI policy from supporting individual research projects to building shared national research infrastructure. By combining computing resources, scientific datasets and coordinated federal investment, the programme aims to make AI a foundational capability across multiple scientific disciplines.

Its breadth, spanning healthcare, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, space and national security, also illustrates how AI is becoming a strategic asset for scientific competitiveness. Similar approaches are increasingly emerging in other major economies, where AI infrastructure is viewed as essential to long-term research capacity and economic resilience.

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Germany approves CyberGovSecure to strengthen federal cybersecurity

Germany has approved a new federal cybersecurity programme, CyberGovSecure, aimed at strengthening the resilience of the federal administration through more centralised governance and standardised security measures in response to an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape.

Approved by the Federal Cabinet, the programme seeks to improve protection against state-sponsored cyberespionage, ransomware attacks targeting IT service providers and coordinated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

It establishes a new governance structure led by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Public Sector Modernization (BMDS), with a state secretary-level steering committee providing strategic oversight and the Federal Government’s Chief Information Security Officer coordinating implementation across ministries. The objective is to replace fragmented cybersecurity management with a more coordinated federal approach.

CyberGovSecure prioritises measures including secure system configuration, vulnerability management, logging, threat detection and the deployment of standardised end-user devices and unified mobile device management across the federal administration. Additional personnel and funding have been requested as part of Germany’s 2027 federal budget planning.

CyberGovSecure will complement the planned Cyberdome initiative, which is intended to provide nationwide capabilities for detecting and responding to cyber threats affecting government, businesses and public administration. According to the government, CyberGovSecure focuses on strengthening the federal administration’s internal cybersecurity, while Cyberdome will support broader national cyber defence and early warning capabilities.

Why does it matter?

CyberGovSecure reflects a broader shift towards centralised cybersecurity governance as governments seek to respond more effectively to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. By standardising security practices and strengthening coordination across federal institutions, Germany aims to reduce vulnerabilities created by fragmented IT management.

Together with the planned Cyberdome initiative, the programme also illustrates how cybersecurity strategies are increasingly combining internal government resilience with wider national cyber defence capabilities. This layered approach reflects the growing recognition that protecting public administration has become a core component of national security and digital resilience.

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UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security begins building global capacity architecture

The UN’s permanent cyber mechanism advanced plans for a long-term global cyber capacity-building system, with member states focusing on how to transform political commitments into practical support through new funding mechanisms, implementation platforms, fellowship programmes, and coordinated international partnerships.

The eighth substantive plenary meeting of the Global Mechanism on Developments in the Field of ICTs in the Context of International Security was devoted entirely to capacity development. With 49 delegations requesting the floor, discussions reflected broad agreement that strengthening national cyber capabilities is no longer a supporting activity but the foundation for implementing every pillar of the UN framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

Delegations repeatedly stressed that cyber resilience depends on narrowing capability gaps between countries and that capacity development must be demand-driven, nationally owned, sustainable, and adapted to local circumstances rather than following uniform models.

Capacity development moves to the centre of implementation

Speakers from all regional groups argued that voluntary norms, international law, and confidence-building measures can only be translated into practical action if states possess the necessary institutions, technical expertise, legal frameworks, and skilled personnel.

Several developing countries emphasised that the main obstacle is not political commitment but limited resources and technical capacity. Pacific island states illustrated these challenges through practical examples, while also demonstrating how sustained investment and long-term partnerships can strengthen national cyber resilience.

Fellowship programmes and inclusion gain momentum

Delegations strongly endorsed efforts to broaden participation in global cyber diplomacy through fellowship and sponsorship programmes.

The Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship received widespread support, with representatives from Kiribati, Tonga, Albania, Ghana, the Bahamas, and others describing how it enabled their countries to participate more effectively in the UN process. Many speakers also stressed that gender equality should be treated as an integral part of cybersecurity capacity-building rather than a separate policy objective.

Small island developing states also highlighted practical barriers to participation, including limited staffing, time-zone differences, and the importance of hybrid participation in future meetings.

New implementation mechanisms take shape

A series of concrete proposals signalled the mechanism’s growing emphasis on operational delivery.

India announced that it will fully fund the operationalisation of the Global ICT Security Cooperation and Capacity Building Portal, describing it as a practical platform for matching countries’ needs with available expertise and resources. Delegations also welcomed continued work on a UN Voluntary Fund for ICT security capacity-building, while Russia proposed UN-supported cyber-response exercises and Switzerland announced plans for a new Geneva-based community hub following the closure of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. China also announced a programme providing 5,000 AI fellowships for developing countries over the next five years.

Dedicated Thematic Group 2 expected to deliver results

Many delegations described Dedicated Thematic Group 2 (DTG2) as one of the most important innovations of the new mechanism and its first major test of implementation.

Rather than creating new political commitments, states called for DTG2 to identify national needs, match assistance with available resources, coordinate existing initiatives, develop practical guidance, and produce measurable recommendations that can be adopted by the plenary. Several delegations also stressed that its work should complement existing regional and international initiatives rather than duplicate them.

Success to be measured by resilience

Throughout the session, speakers argued that the effectiveness of capacity development should ultimately be measured by stronger institutions, better-prepared professionals, and improved national resilience, rather than by the number of meetings or training activities.

Closing the discussion, Chair Egriselda López noted that capacity development had emerged as one of the mechanisms’ most significant priorities and confirmed that remaining interventions would continue during the following day’s final plenary session.

Track all key moments from the First substantive session of the UN Global Mechanism on cybersecurity on our dedicated page.

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UN Global Mechanism on ICT Security shifts from agreements to operational implementation

The UN’s permanent cyber mechanism continued its transition from developing policy frameworks to implementing them, with member states focusing on practical measures to operationalise confidence-building measures (CBMs), strengthen cyber capacity, and ensure agreed commitments can function effectively during real-world cyber incidents.

During the seventh substantive plenary meeting of the Global Mechanism on ICT Security, delegations concentrated on translating previous political agreements into operational tools. Discussions centred on the Global Points of Contact (POC) Directory, the role of the Dedicated Thematic Groups (DTGs), regional cooperation, and capacity development as the foundation for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

Across regional groups, delegates broadly agreed that implementation has become the mechanism’s principal challenge, particularly for developing countries and small island developing states with limited technical and institutional resources.

States seek to operationalise cyber confidence-building measures

Delegations reaffirmed that confidence-building measures are intended to reduce misunderstandings, improve communication, and lower the risk of escalation before cyber incidents develop into political crises.

The Global Points of Contact Directory was widely described as the most tangible achievement inherited from the previous Open-ended Working Group (OEWG). However, speakers stressed that its success depends not simply on the number of participating states, but on regular testing, timely responses, and practical use during incidents.

Several delegations emphasised that the directory should complement, not replace, existing diplomatic, technical, and regional communication channels, while remaining proportionate to the capacities of smaller administrations.

Practical experience shapes future cooperation

Rather than proposing new confidence-building measures, many countries shared lessons from real cyber incidents.

Tonga highlighted cooperation following a cyberattack on its national health system, explaining that trusted regional relationships enabled rapid assistance and coordinated public attribution. Vanuatu similarly argued that confidence is built through predictable cooperation and routine communication rather than by creating additional mechanisms or reporting requirements.

The Dominican Republic also distinguished between confidence-building measures and operational incident response, noting that CBMs create the trust necessary for rapid technical cooperation but are not themselves emergency response mechanisms.

Dedicated Thematic Groups become implementation platform

Many delegations identified the Dedicated Thematic Groups as the mechanism’s primary vehicle for turning agreed commitments into practical action.

Countries proposed that the DTGs facilitate exchanges of national experience, scenario-based exercises, practical guidance, and technical recommendations while avoiding duplication of plenary negotiations. Regional organisations were likewise encouraged to share their implementation experience so that successful practices could inform global discussions.

Simulation exercises, regular communication checks, and joint training activities were repeatedly highlighted as practical ways to ensure confidence-building measures function effectively before crises occur.

Capacity development recognised as the foundation

The second half of the session focused on capacity building, which delegations consistently described as underpinning every pillar of the UN cyber framework.

The Pacific Islands Forum, the African Group, the European Union, CARICOM, and a Latin American coalition argued that countries cannot effectively implement voluntary norms, apply international law, or participate in confidence-building measures without sufficient legal, institutional, and technical capacity. Several speakers proposed expanding international support through fellowship programmes, a voluntary UN ICT Security Capacity Building Fund, stronger national computer emergency response teams (CERTs), and a Global ICT Security Cooperation and Capacity Building Portal.

Delegations also stressed that future capacity-building efforts should remain demand-driven, nationally owned, and adapted to local priorities while avoiding duplication of existing initiatives.

Ensuring no country is left behind

Throughout the discussion, developing countries and small island developing states emphasised that practical implementation must take account of widely differing national capacities.

Several delegations called for greater inclusion of regional organisations, civil society, academia, the private sector, and youth in implementation efforts, arguing that broad participation will be essential if the mechanism is to deliver practical improvements in global cybersecurity.

Closing the session, Chair Egriselda López noted the broad support for translating agreed confidence-building measures into practical implementation and confirmed that discussions on capacity development would continue during the afternoon session.

Track all key moments from the First substantive session of the UN Global Mechanism on cybersecurity on our dedicated page.

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India strengthens national 6G strategy through industry alliance

India is strengthening its national 6G strategy through closer cooperation between government, industry and academia, with the Bharat 6G Alliance expanding to 90 members and advancing work on spectrum planning, research and international standards.

The Alliance brings together telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, start-ups, research institutions and universities, and has established seven working groups covering areas such as 6G technologies, spectrum, applications, devices and sustainability. It aims to strengthen domestic research, innovation and intellectual property through industry-academia collaboration and the development of testbeds.

The Alliance’s spectrum working group has published a Spectrum Roadmap for 6G in India, while the Department of Telecommunications has released its own roadmap following consultations with stakeholders, including the Bharat 6G Alliance.

India is also investing in research infrastructure. A three-year project supported by the Telecom Technology Development Fund will establish a 6G Terahertz testbed at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology in Madras, Guwahati and Patna. A high-data-rate line-of-sight link developed through the project was demonstrated at the India Mobile Congress 2025.

India has also contributed to the International Telecommunication Union’s IMT-2030 framework, advocating the inclusion of ubiquitous connectivity among the framework’s usage scenarios alongside coverage, interoperability and sustainability.

Why does it matter?

India’s latest initiatives illustrate how countries are beginning to compete not only in deploying future mobile networks but also in shaping the technologies and standards that underpin them. By combining spectrum planning, research funding, industry collaboration and international standardisation, governments are increasingly treating 6G as a strategic technology rather than simply the next generation of telecommunications.

The emphasis on domestic research, testbeds and intellectual property also reflects a broader ambition to strengthen technological sovereignty. Active participation in global standard-setting bodies such as the ITU could allow India to influence future 6G specifications while supporting the competitiveness of its domestic telecom ecosystem.

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Microsoft gives communities greater control over AI image training

Microsoft has developed a research tool that allows communities to help shape how they are represented in AI-generated images, addressing long-standing concerns that AI training data often reflects incomplete or biased online content rather than the perspectives of the people depicted.

Instead of relying solely on existing online datasets, communities, including people with disabilities and others with shared lived experiences, can work through advocacy organisations to create their own image and video libraries. Each image is accompanied by descriptions explaining what is important about the scene, giving AI systems contextual information based on the community’s own perspective rather than visual appearance alone.

Developed by Microsoft’s Accessibility Team, the process guides participants from selecting meaningful images to curating a library of around 400 real-world examples organised around shared themes such as family life and everyday routines. These annotated collections are then used to generate AI images, which community members review and evaluate against their own standards of accurate representation, creating a feedback loop intended to improve future outputs.

A central feature of the project is that advocacy organisations retain ownership of the resulting datasets and decide whether, how and with whom they are shared, including publication on platforms such as Hugging Face. Communities can also withdraw their data if consent changes over time.

Why does it matter?

The project addresses one of the central challenges in AI governance: who decides how people and communities are represented in training data. Many AI systems are built using large-scale datasets collected from the internet with limited transparency, consent or community involvement, increasing the risk of inaccurate, stereotypical or exclusionary outputs.

By giving communities ownership of their data and a direct role in defining what constitutes fair representation, Microsoft’s approach shifts part of the AI development process towards participatory governance. If adopted more widely, it could provide a model for building datasets that are not only more representative but also more transparent, accountable and consent-based.

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EU-funded project advances multilingual AI for public-interest media

The EU-funded MOSAIC pilot project has demonstrated how AI can help make public-interest media accessible across languages while allowing broadcasters to retain control over their own content, supporting the EU’s broader vision of a multilingual digital public sphere.

Over 18 months, an 11-partner European consortium developed and tested a federated architecture enabling media organisations to share and enrich content without giving up ownership.

The project delivered AI-powered transcription, translation and subtitling across eight languages, including under-resourced languages such as Catalan, Slovenian and Estonian, alongside multimodal archive search and automated metadata enrichment. Pilots involved public and private broadcasters in six EU member states.

The results support the objectives of the European Democracy Shield and the Apply AI Strategy’s Media Flagship, while informing the next phase of the European TV and Video News Portal, a citizen-facing service intended to improve multilingual access to trusted news and public-interest information.

Building on the pilot, the consortium identified four priorities for future work, such as developing services around the needs of citizens, journalists and broadcasters; embedding editorial standards, transparent provenance and quality safeguards; and connecting future initiatives with complementary projects such as ChatEurope and the European Language Data Space.

Why does it matter?

MOSAIC illustrates how AI can support a more integrated European information space by reducing language barriers without requiring media organisations to centralise or surrender control over their content. The project’s federated approach demonstrates that multilingual access can be expanded while preserving editorial independence, data ownership and institutional autonomy.

The initiative also reflects a broader EU strategy of treating trusted media infrastructure as part of digital public infrastructure. By linking AI-powered language technologies with media pluralism, transparency and shared governance, MOSAIC provides a model for strengthening access to reliable information while supporting Europe’s linguistic diversity and democratic resilience.

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EU launches generative AI pilots for public administrations

Three new pilot projects supporting the adoption of generative AI in European public administrations have officially begun under the Digital Europe Programme, marking another step in the European Commission’s efforts to bring trustworthy AI into everyday government services.

The projects, FLOODS & DROUGHTS, EUNOMIA.AI and EuropAI, will develop and test trustworthy generative AI solutions designed to improve public services while addressing practical challenges faced by public authorities.

Participating public administrations will procure, test and deploy AI solutions tailored to their operational needs through direct procurement. The pilots are expected to support decision-making, administrative efficiency, accessibility and simpler public services while ensuring compliance with legal, operational and societal requirements.

The initiative contributes to the European Commission’s Apply AI Strategy, which seeks to accelerate responsible AI adoption across strategic sectors, including public administration. By bringing together governments, research organisations and technology providers, the projects aim to develop interoperable AI solutions whose methodologies and implementation models can be replicated across the EU.

The Commission said participating administrations will play a central role in shaping these systems through procurement, testing and deployment, supporting wider adoption across Member States.

Why does it matter?

The pilots illustrate how the EU is moving from developing AI rules to creating practical mechanisms for deploying trustworthy AI in the public sector. Rather than limiting its role to regulation, the European Commission is increasingly using public procurement to encourage the development of AI systems that meet European standards for transparency, interoperability and legal compliance.

If successful, the projects could provide reusable models for public administrations across the EU, reducing duplication while accelerating digital transformation. They also demonstrate how governments can influence the AI market by acting not only as regulators but also as major customers for trustworthy AI solutions.

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