Google’s new study, The Future Report, surveyed over 7,000 teenagers across Europe about their use of digital technologies. Most respondents describe themselves as curious, critical, and optimistic about AI in their daily lives.
Many teens use AI daily or several times a week for learning, creativity, and exploring new topics. They report benefits such as instant feedback and more engaging learning while remaining cautious about over-reliance.
Young people value personalised content recommendations and algorithmic suggestions, but emphasise verifying information and avoiding bias. They adopt strategies to verify sources and ensure the trustworthiness of online content.
The report emphasises the importance of digital literacy, safety, balanced technology use, and youth engagement in shaping the digital future. Participants request guidance from educators and transparent AI design to promote the responsible and ethical use of AI.
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Britain plans to banAI-nudification apps that digitally remove clothing from images. Creating or supplying these tools would become illegal under new proposals.
The offence would build on existing UK laws covering non-consensual sexual deepfakes and intimate image abuse. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said developers and distributors would face harsh penalties.
Experts warn that nudification apps cause serious harm, mainly when used to create child sexual abuse material. Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has called for a total ban on the technology.
Child protection charities welcomed the move but want more decisive action from tech firms. The government said it would work with companies to stop children from creating or sharing nude images.
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Technology giant IBM has announced a major education initiative to skill 5 million people in India by 2030 in frontier areas such as AI, cybersecurity and quantum computing.
The programme will be delivered via IBM’s SkillsBuild ecosystem, which offers over 1,000 courses and has already reached more than 16 million learners globally.
The initiative will span students and adult learners across schools, universities and vocational training ecosystems, with partnerships planned with bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to integrate hands-on learning, curriculum modules, faculty training, hackathons and internships.
IBM also plans to strengthen foundational AI skills at the school level by co-developing curricula, teaching resources and explainers to embed computational thinking and responsible AI concepts early in education.
The CEO of IBM has described India as having the talent and ambition to be a global leader in AI and quantum technologies, with broader access to these skills seen as vital for future economic competitiveness and innovation.
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Cloudflare released its sixth annual Year in Review, providing a comprehensive snapshot of global Internet trends in 2025. The report highlights rising digital reliance, AI progress, and evolving security threats across Cloudflare’s network and Radar data.
Global Internet traffic rose 19 percent year-on-year, reflecting increased use for personal and professional activities. A key trend was the move from large-scale AI training to continuous AI inference, alongside rapid growth in generative AI platforms.
Google and Meta remained the most popular services, while ChatGPT led in generative AI usage.
Cybersecurity remained a critical concern. Post-quantum encryption now protects 52 percent of Internet traffic, yet record-breaking DDoS attacks underscored rising cyber risks.
Civil society and non-profit organisations were the most targeted sectors for the first time, while government actions caused nearly half of the major Internet outages.
Connectivity varied by region, with Europe leading in speed and quality and Spain ranking highest globally. The report outlines 2025’s Internet challenges and progress, providing insights for governments, businesses, and users aiming for greater resilience and security.
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Microsoft, in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, Data Science Nigeria and Lagos Business School, has announced that its AI National Skills Initiative (AINSI) has reached more than 350,000 Nigerians with AI training, building on a wider effort that has delivered digital education to over four million people since 2021.
The programme aims to equip individuals, including everyday tech users, business leaders and public sector officials, with AI competencies to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the digital economy.
Key components include digital literacy workshops, business leadership sessions, an AI hackathon, and targeted developer courses covering analytics, DevOps, machine learning and data science.
Microsoft and its partners are also working with government-driven initiatives such as the Developers in Government and Three Million Technical Talent programmes to build a robust pipeline of technical talent.
Leadership training for public sector executives seeks to foster evidence-driven policymaking and responsible AI adoption.
Looking ahead, the Nigeria initiative aims to train up to one million citizens over three years, helping build a future-ready workforce capable of driving innovation, economic growth and national competitiveness in the AI era.
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DDoS attacks in 2025 became short and automated, often ending in minutes with minimal warning. Traditional response times are now insufficient against these high-speed threats.
Attackers increasingly use multiple hosts and blended vectors, including TCP, UDP, DNS, and SYN floods. IoT botnets and residential proxies amplify scale, with global capacity exceeding 250 Tbps.
Algorithmic orchestration allows attacks to adapt and escalate automatically. Even low-tech campaigns remain disruptive to weaker networks, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring.
Defenders must adopt AI-driven, sub-minute mitigation and self-defending architectures. Real-time detection is now essential to maintain uptime and prevent reputational damage.
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UAE telecom operator ‘du’ has deployed the country’s first tri-band Radio Remote Unit on the 600MHz spectrum in partnership with Huawei. The rollout marks progress in the UAE’s 5G-Advanced network development.
Improved indoor coverage and faster speeds are delivered through dynamic power sharing and multi-band functionality. The upgrade supports services such as 5G Fixed Wireless Access and Voice over New Radio.
Lower energy consumption and a compact design reduce the environmental footprint of network infrastructure. The deployment aligns with national sustainability goals while improving long-term network efficiency.
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Meta has updated its AI smart glasses with a conversation-focused feature that amplifies voices in noisy environments. Users can adjust the volume by swiping to the right on the temple or through device settings.
The conversation-focused feature is designed for busy environments such as restaurants, trains or bars. It is similar to Apple AirPods’ Conversation Boost, which helps users focus on a single speaker.
The update also adds Spotify integration, allowing the glasses to play songs based on what the wearer sees, such as an album cover or festive decorations. The feature links visual cues with interactive actions in apps.
The software update (v21) will initially roll out to participants in Meta’s Early Access Program. The conversation-focused feature will initially be available in the US and Canada, while the Spotify feature is offered in English across multiple markets.
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Former UK chancellor George Osborne has joined OpenAI in a London-based role. He will lead the OpenAI for Countries programme focused on government partnerships.
The initiative aims to help governments build AI capacity and ensure systems reflect democratic values. OpenAI says more than 50 countries are already involved.
Osborne will work on developing AI infrastructure, boosting AI literacy and improving public services. The role follows discussions with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
His appointment comes as UK-US tech talks face setbacks and investment in AI accelerates. Against this backdrop, financial authorities have warned of risks linked to the sector’s rapid growth.
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Everbloom has developed Braid.AI, an AI system that transforms waste fibres into high-quality textiles. The process can use poultry feathers, wool, and other keratin-rich materials to replicate fabrics like cashmere.
The system works with standard textile machinery, combining chopped waste with proprietary compounds to produce biodegradable fibres. Everbloom aims to reduce environmental impact while maintaining material quality comparable to traditional cashmere.
Co-founder Sim Gulati said the startup aims to make materials economically accessible. Products are designed to offer both environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness, avoiding a ‘sustainable premium’ for consumers.
The AI can fine-tune fibre properties for multiple fabrics beyond cashmere, including polyester alternatives. Everbloom collects waste from farms, mills, and other sources to create a sustainable supply chain.
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