An expanded meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union Intergovernmental Council was held in Shymkent under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, bringing together leaders to discuss economic integration, digital transformation and technological development.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan will prioritise the introduction of AI across the Union’s activities, alongside efforts to strengthen digital ecosystems and regulatory cooperation among member states.
Participants discussed the use of AI in areas including customs administration, logistics, industry and agriculture, as well as a proposal to develop an integrated AI-based platform to coordinate cargo flows and improve transport efficiency.
The meeting also addressed digital governance measures, including transitioning veterinary and phytosanitary certification fully to electronic formats to improve transparency in trade and reduce administrative barriers.
Leaders emphasised the role of digital solutions and AI in supporting industrial cooperation, innovation and market integration, with decisions from the meeting aimed at strengthening economic resilience and advancing digital transformation across the region.
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India has launched three initiatives to expand AI adoption, digital content creation and access to broadcasting services. The programme focuses on building an AI-skilled workforce and strengthening the country’s digital ecosystem.
A national AI skilling initiative aims to train 15,000 creators and media professionals through partnerships with Google and YouTube. The programme covers generative AI, prompting and advanced tools, supporting future-ready skills in media and creative industries.
The government also introduced MyWAVES, a platform within WAVES OTT that enables users to create, upload and share content. Designed for user-generated content, it supports multiple formats and multilingual participation across India.
Access to broadcasting has been simplified through in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide in television sets. The update removes the need for set-top boxes, improving affordability and expanding reach, particularly in remote areas.
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A joint study by the International Labour Organization and the World Bank finds that AI will reshape labour markets unevenly across countries. Research covering 135 economies highlights growing risks for workers as automation expands.
Advanced economies show higher exposure to AI, particularly in clerical and professional roles. Lower-income regions face fewer direct impacts but lack the infrastructure and skills needed to capture productivity gains.
The digital divide plays a central role, with many vulnerable jobs already online and therefore exposed to automation. Workers in roles with potential benefits often lack reliable internet access, limiting opportunities.
The ILO’s findings suggest outcomes depend on infrastructure, skills and job design rather than technology alone. Policymakers are urged to improve connectivity, training and social protections to spread benefits more evenly.
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The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined plans to integrate AI and data-driven tools into its regulatory processes as part of its 2026/27 work programme to become a more efficient and effective regulator.
The programme includes developing an internal authorisation tool to speed up approvals and using generative AI to review documents and support supervision, while maintaining human decision-making at the core of regulatory actions.
The FCA said it will also test automated data-sharing in a sandbox environment, expand its Supercharged Sandbox for firms developing AI-based financial products, and invest in analytics to better identify risks and prioritise cases.
Measures to reduce burdens on firms include removing certain data reporting requirements, simplifying digital processes and improving authorisation timelines, alongside efforts to enhance firms’ experience through new tools and feedback mechanisms.
The regulator also plans to support economic growth and consumer protection by advancing measures such as regulating buy now pay later products, speeding up IPO processes, expanding international presence, and addressing emerging risks, including the use of general-purpose AI in financial decision-making.
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The Vocational Training Council (VTC) has introduced an ‘AI for All’ strategy to integrate AI training across its programmes, aiming to support Hong Kong’s ambition to strengthen its innovation and technology sector.
The initiative aligns with broader policy priorities, including the ‘AI Plus’ approach outlined in national planning frameworks and Hong Kong’s budget, which emphasise integrating AI across industries while addressing a shortage of skilled professionals.
Under the ‘AI+Professional’ model, all Higher Diploma students are required to study IT modules covering prompt engineering, generative AI, and AI ethics and security, with training adapted to disciplines such as engineering, design, and information technology.
The council has also partnered with technology companies through memorandums of understanding. It provides ongoing training for employees in government and industry, while offering internal AI tools and a ‘Virtual Tutor’ platform to support teaching and learning.
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UNESCO and Tecnológico de Monterrey have signed an agreement to collaborate on advancing the use of AI in education, as digital transformation reshapes learning systems and workforce skills across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agreement establishes a framework for joint work on generating evidence, developing standards and formulating public policy recommendations on AI in education, and supports the launch of a Regional Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education.
A financial contribution of $90,000 will support the Observatory’s implementation, following months of technical coordination and institutional validation between the two organisations.
After the signing, technical teams reviewed the operational plan for the first year, including methodological frameworks on teachers’ digital competencies and AI ethics, as well as pilot projects in Chile, El Salvador and Mexico.
According to Esther Kuisch Laroche, the initiative aims to ensure AI contributes to more inclusive, ethical and relevant education systems, while moving from principles to practical solutions.
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The Scottish government has published national guidance on the use of AI in schools, aiming to support the safe and ethical adoption of AI in classrooms. The document provides advice for teachers and pupils as AI use continues to expand across society.
The guidance outlines potential benefits of AI alongside risks that need to be considered, and includes examples of appropriate classroom use. It was developed with the EIS teaching union, local government and Education Scotland.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said AI should support creativity, critical thinking and personalised learning while protecting pupils’ rights and privacy. She added that technology must not replace teachers or human relationships in education.
Andrea Bradley said AI should remain a tool for teachers and not replace professional judgement. The non-statutory guidance allows schools and local authorities flexibility to develop their own policies as AI continues to evolve.
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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an independent agency of the United States federal government, announced the creation of an Innovation Task Force to support the development of new technologies in US derivatives markets. Chairman Michael S. Selig leads the initiative and focuses on establishing clear regulatory approaches.
The task force will work with the Innovation Advisory Committee to develop frameworks covering crypto assets, blockchain technologies, AI and autonomous systems, and prediction markets. Authorities said the aim is to provide clarity for innovators building new financial products.
According to Selig, clearer rules are intended to support responsible innovation and ensure market participants remain competitive. The task force is also expected to help implement the Commission’s broader innovation agenda.
Coordination with other federal bodies is planned, including collaboration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and its Crypto Task Force. Michael J. Passalacqua, senior advisor to the Chairman, has been appointed to lead the initiative.
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The National AI Office (NAIO), through its NAIO Lab, is advancing Malaysia’s AI-driven development by building an ecosystem that supports innovation, collaboration, and startups. NAIO Lab aims to position the country as a hub for AI innovation where developers can experiment and create practical solutions.
Rakan Tani, the first project under NAIO Lab, is an AI-powered digital platform designed to transform the agricultural sector. It connects farmers with buyers early in the crop cycle and uses AI-driven order matching to help secure competitive prices and improve financial predictability.
The platform integrates multiple AI-driven features, including pre-harvest commerce, subsidy access via national ID systems, agriculture financing using pre-harvest orders as collateral, real-time cash payouts through digital banking, and logistics coordination with distributors and providers. It is delivered via WhatsApp and supports both Malay and English, with a pilot planned in Terengganu in May 2025.
NAIO Lab also provides AI startups with resources, mentorship, and funding, enabling collaboration between experts, researchers, and entrepreneurs. The initiative is supported by partnerships across government, academia, and industry, including the Ministry of Digital, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, GAIV, UPM, and Segi Fresh, with the goal of accelerating AI adoption and supporting sustainable economic growth.
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GuideGeek, the AI travel technology from Matador Network, has partnered with ExploreNB to launch Explora, an AI-powered travel chatbot for New Brunswick. The tool is designed to help visitors plan trips through conversational interactions.
Explora was piloted in early 2025 and is now rolled out more broadly, providing instant answers to travel and tourism questions. Powered by GuideGeek’s platform, it has generated thousands of online conversations with prospective visitors.
The chatbot delivers personalised travel tips and itinerary ideas, connecting users to local businesses, beaches, hiking trails and cultural sites. Its responses are based on destination data from New Brunswick and more than 1,000 integrated travel information sources.
Ross Borden, CEO of Matador Network, said AI helps travellers discover destinations and build trips based on their interests. Isabelle Thériault, Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture of New Brunswick, said the tool also provides insight into traveller interests and supports the tourism sector.
