Europe faces a pivotal moment in its technology sector, with AI, climate tech and defence set to shape the continent’s future. Sustained investment is essential if Europe wants to remain competitive against the US and China in high-tech industries.
Venture capital firm Atomico’s State of European Tech 2025 report shows that AI already attracts the majority of funding, led by companies such as Mistral AI, Lovable, Synthesia and n8n.
Defence tech is also growing, with firms like Helsing, Isar Aerospace and Cambridge Aerospace securing significant investment to advance AI-powered systems.
Despite strong talent and innovation, Europe must match US levels of research funding, expand computing infrastructure and simplify regulations to realise its potential fully.
Experts say aligning ambition with commitment will be crucial for Europe to develop the next generation of world-leading tech companies.
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Yann LeCun, one of the pioneers of deep learning and Meta’s chief AI scientist, is leaving the company to establish a new startup dedicated to world-model AI research.
The firm will continue its long-standing ambition to develop systems capable of understanding the physical world and planning complex actions.
The move comes during a turbulent period for Meta’s AI efforts, following internal reorganisations and disappointment surrounding the performance of its Llama 4 model.
Meta is investing heavily to regain momentum, including significant hires and new leadership brought in over recent months.
Despite his departure, Meta intends to partner with LeCun’s new venture, though his research direction has increasingly diverged from the company’s strategy. Differences over open-source approaches, leadership changes and cuts to research teams were significant factors in his decision to leave.
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Ucom has completed nationwide 5G deployment across Armenia, reaching 48 cities and hundreds of communities. The operator states that more than 94% of the population now has access to high-speed mobile internet.
The rollout began in November 2024 and was completed within one year, covering all major settlements. Coverage also includes Myler Mountain Resort, the Yerevan-Dilijan highway and border crossings at Bagratashen, Bavra and Agarak.
General director Ralph Yirikian says expanding 5G is central to delivering modern, stable connectivity nationwide. Earlier work with Nokia to modernise the mobile network laid the foundations for the nationwide upgrade.
Armenian subscribers can now benefit from faster speeds, low latency and more reliable, internationally compliant connections. 5G enables higher quality video calls, real-time data transfers and innovative services, although Dastakert still lacks coverage.
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Centuries after Molière’s sudden death on stage, a France-based team of researchers, artists and AI specialists has revived the playwright’s creative spirit through a newly generated comedy. The project asked what he might have written had he lived beyond the age of 51.
Experts trained an AI model to study his themes, language and narrative patterns, before combining its output with scholarly review. The resulting play, titled ‘L’Astrologue ou les Faux Presages’, will premiere at the Palace of Versailles next year.
Researchers identified astrology as a theme Molière frequently hinted at, shaping a plot in which a naive bourgeois falls victim to a deceptive astrologer. Academics refined the AI text to ensure historical accuracy, offering fresh insight into Molière’s methods and reaffirming his lasting influence on French theatre.
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Northamptonshire Police will roll out live facial recognition cameras in three town centres. Deployments are scheduled in Northampton on 28 November and 5 December, in Kettering on 29 November, and in Wellingborough on 6 December.
The initiative uses a van loaned from Bedfordshire Police and the watch-lists include high-risk sex offenders or persons wanted for arrest. Facial and biometric data for non-alerts are deleted immediately; alerts are held only up to 24 hours.
Police emphasise the AI based technology is ‘very much in its infancy’ but expect future acquisition of dedicated kit. A coordinator post is being created to manage the LFR programme in-house.
British campaigners express concern the biometric tool may erode privacy or resemble mass surveillance. Police assert that appropriate signage and open policy documents will be in place to maintain public confidence.
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Children will no longer be able to chat with adult strangers on Roblox after new global age checks are introduced. The platform will begin mandatory facial estimation in selected countries in December before expanding worldwide in January.
Roblox players will be placed into strict age groups and prevented from messaging older users unless they are verified as trusted contacts. Under-13s will remain barred from private messages unless parents actively approve access within account controls.
The company faces rising scrutiny following lawsuits in several US states, where officials argue Roblox failed to protect young users from harmful contact. Safety groups welcome the tighter rules but warn that monitoring must match the platform’s rapid growth.
Roblox says the technology is accurate and helps deliver safer digital spaces for younger players. Campaigners continue to call for broader protections as millions of children interact across games, chats and AI-enhanced features each day.
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The Digital Omnibus has been released by the European Commission, prompting strong criticism from privacy advocates. Campaigners argue the reforms would weaken long-standing data protection standards and introduce sweeping changes without proper consultation.
Noyb founder Max Schrems claims the plan favours large technology firms by creating loopholes around personal data and lowering user safeguards. Critics say the proposals emerge despite limited political support from EU governments, civil society groups and several parliamentary factions.
The Omnibus is welcomed by industry which have called for simplification and changes to be made for quite a number of years. These changes should make carrying out business activities simpler for entities which do process vast amounts of data.
The Commission is also accused of rushing (errors can be found in the draft, including references to the GDPR) the process under political pressure, abandoning impact assessments and shifting priorities away from widely supported protections. View our analysis on the matter for a deep dive on the matter.
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Concerns are growing as European countries expand the use of AI in healthcare without establishing sufficient protections for patients or healthcare workers.
A new World Health Organisation report found significant disparities in how nations develop, regulate and fund AI tools.
Some countries are rapidly deploying chatbots, imaging systems and data-analysis tools, while others have barely started integrating AI into their health services. Only four nations across Europe and Central Asia currently have a national strategy dedicated to AI in health care.
WHO officials warn that weak safeguards could lead to biassed algorithms, medical errors and increased inequality in access to care.
The report urges governments to strengthen legal frameworks, train health workers in AI literacy and ensure these technologies are rigorously tested before reaching patients.
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Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently warned people against having total confidence in artificial intelligence tools. Speaking to the BBC, the head of Google’s parent company stressed that current state-of-the-art AI technology remains ‘prone to errors’ and must be used judiciously alongside other resources.
The executive also addressed wider concerns about a potential ‘AI bubble’ following increased tech valuations and spending across the sector. Pichai stated he believes no corporation, including Google, would be completely safe if such an investment surge were to collapse. He compared the current environment to the early internet boom, suggesting the profound impact of AI will nonetheless remain.
Simultaneously, the largest bank in the US, JPMorgan Chase, is sounding an alarm over market instability. Jamie Dimon, the bank’s chair and chief executive, expressed significant worry over a severe US stock market correction, predicting it could materialise within the next six months to two years. Concerns over the geopolitical climate, expansive fiscal spending, and worldwide remilitarisation are adding to this atmosphere of economic uncertainty.
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UK scientists are launching a three-year initiative to use AI in the fight against drug-resistant infections, a growing threat to public health.
The project, backed by £45 million from GSK and coordinated with the Fleming Initiative, aims to develop new tools against pathogens that currently evade treatment.
Researchers will focus on priority bacteria and fungi identified by the World Health Organisation, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, MRSA and Aspergillus.
These AI models will be utilised to design antibiotics and enhance the understanding of immune responses, with data shared globally to expedite drug development.
Experts warn that antimicrobial resistance could claim millions of lives by 2050 if new solutions are not found. The initiative reflects an urgent need to pool scientific expertise and technology to create next-generation treatments and vaccines for resistant infections.
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