Digital divide

AI reveals hidden messages in gut microbes

Researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have utilised AI to investigate the intricate world of gut bacteria and their chemical signals.

Their system, VBayesMM, utilises a Bayesian neural network to identify genuine connections between bacteria and human health that traditional methods often overlook.

The human gut contains roughly 100 trillion bacterial cells, which interact with human metabolism, immunity and brain function through thousands of chemical compounds called metabolites.

Using AI, scientists can map which bacteria influence specific metabolites, offering hope for personalised treatment strategies for conditions such as obesity, sleep disorders and cancer.

VBayesMM stands out by recognising uncertainty in its predictions, offering more reliable insights than conventional models.

Researchers plan to expand the system to analyse larger and more diverse datasets, aiming to identify bacterial targets for therapies or dietary interventions that could improve patient outcomes.

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Meta pushes deeper into robotics with key hardware move

Meta is expanding its robotics ambitions by appointing Li-Chen Miller, previously head of its smart glasses portfolio, as the first product manager for Reality Labs’ robotics division. Her transfer marks a significant shift in Meta’s hardware priorities following the launch of its latest augmented reality devices.

The company is reportedly developing a humanoid assistant known internally as Metabot within the same organisation that oversees its AR and VR platforms. Former Cruise executive Marc Whitten leads the robotics group, supported by veteran engineer Ning Li and renowned MIT roboticist Sangbae Kim.

Miller’s move emphasises Meta’s aim to merge its AI expertise with physical robotics. The new team collaborates with the firm’s Superintelligence Lab, which is building a ‘world model’ capable of powering dextrous motion and real-time reasoning.

Analysts see the strategy as Meta’s attempt to future-proof its ecosystem and diversify Reality Labs, which continues to post heavy losses. The company’s growing investment in humanoid design could bring home-use robots closer to reality, blending social AI with the firm’s long-term vision for the metaverse.

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Romania pilots EU Digital Identity Wallet for payments

In a milestone for the European digital identity ecosystem, Banca Transilvania and payments-tech firm BPC have completed the first pilot in Romania using the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) for a real-money transaction.

The initiative lets a cardholder authenticate a purchase using the wallet rather than a conventional one-time password or card reader.

The pilot forms part of a large-scale testbed led by the European Commission under the eIDAS 2 Regulation, which requires all EU banks to accept the wallet for strong customer authentication and KYC (know-your-customer) purposes by 2027.

Banca Transilvania’s Deputy CEO Retail Banking, Oana Ilaş, described the project as a historic step toward a unified European digital identities framework that enhances interoperability, inclusivity and banking access.

From a digital governance and payments policy perspective, this pilot is significant. It shows how national banking systems are beginning to integrate digital-ID wallets into card and account-based flows, potentially reducing reliance on legacy authentication mechanisms (such as SMS OTP or hardware tokens) that are vulnerable to fraud.

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AI could cut two-thirds of UK retail jobs

Automation and AI could drastically reduce jobs at one of the UK’s largest online retailers. Buy It Direct, which employs over 800 staff, predicts more than 500 positions may be lost within three years, as AI and robotics take over office and warehouse roles.

Chief executive Nick Glynne cited rising national living wage and insurance contributions as factors accelerating the company’s shift towards automation.

The firm has already started outsourcing senior roles overseas, including accountants, managers and IT specialists, in response to higher domestic costs.

HM Treasury defended its policies, highlighting reforms in business rates and international trade deals, alongside a capped corporation tax at 25%.

Meanwhile, concerns are growing across the UK about AI replacing jobs, with graduates in fields such as graphic design and computer science facing increasing competition from technological advancements.

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ElevenLabs recreates celebrity voices for digital content

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have licensed their voices to ElevenLabs, an AI company, joining a growing number of celebrities who are embracing generative AI. McConaughey will allow his newsletter to be translated into Spanish using his voice, while Caine’s voice is available on ElevenLabs’ text-to-audio app and Iconic Marketplace. Both stressed that the technology is intended to amplify storytelling rather than replace human performers.

ElevenLabs offers a range of synthetic voices, including historical figures and performers like Liza Minnelli and Maya Angelou, while claiming a ‘performer-first’ approach focused on consent and creative authenticity. The move comes amid debate in Hollywood, with unions such as SAG-AFTRA warning AI could undermine human actors, and some artists, including Guillermo del Toro and Hayao Miyazaki, publicly rejecting AI-generated content.

Despite concerns, entertainment companies are investing heavily in AI. Netflix utilises it to enhance recommendations and content, while directors and CEOs argue that it fosters creativity and job opportunities. Critics, however, caution that early investments could form a volatile bubble and highlight risks of misuse, such as AI-generated endorsements or propaganda using celebrity likenesses.

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AI system tracks tsunami through atmospheric ripples

Scientists have successfully tracked a tsunami in real time using ripples in Earth’s atmosphere for the first time.

The breakthrough came after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in July 2025, sending waves racing across the Pacific and triggering NASA’s newly upgraded Guardian monitoring system.

Guardian uses AI to detect disruptions in satellite navigation signals caused by atmospheric ripples above the ocean.

These signals revealed the formation and movement of tsunami waves, allowing alerts to be issued up to 40 minutes before they reached Hawaii, potentially giving communities vital time to respond.

Researchers say the innovation could transform global disaster monitoring by enabling earlier warnings for tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and even nuclear tests.

Although the system is still in development, scientists in Europe are working on similar models that could expand coverage and provide life-saving alerts to remote coastal regions.

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OpenAI faces major copyright setback in US court

A US federal judge has ruled that a landmark copyright case against OpenAI can proceed, rejecting the company’s attempt to dismiss claims brought by authors and the Authors Guild.

The authors argue that ChatGPT’s summaries of copyrighted works, including George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, unlawfully replicate the original tone, plot, and characters, raising concerns about AI-generated content infringing on creative rights.

The Publishers Association (PA) welcomed the ruling, warning that generative AI could ‘devastate the market’ for books and other creative works by producing infringing content at scale.

It urged the UK government to strengthen transparency rules to protect authors and publishers, stressing that AI systems capable of reproducing an author’s style could undermine the value of original creation.

The case follows a £1.5bn settlement against Anthropic earlier this year for using pirated books to train its models and comes amid growing scrutiny of AI firms.

In Britain, Stability AI recently avoided a copyright ruling after a claim by Getty Images was dismissed on grounds of jurisdiction. Still, the PA stated that the outcome highlighted urgent gaps in UK copyright law regarding AI training and output.

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Google and Cassava expand Gemini access in Africa

Google announced a partnership with Cassava Technologies to widen access to Gemini across Africa. The deal includes data-free Gemini usage for eligible users coordinated through Cassava’s network partners. The initiative aims to address affordability and adoption barriers for mobile users.

A six-month trial of the Google AI Plus plan is part of the package. Benefits include access to more capable Gemini models and added cloud storage. Coverage by regional tech outlets reported the exact core details.

Education features were highlighted, including NotebookLM for study aids and Gemini in Docs for writing support. Google said the offer aims to help students, teachers, and creators work without worrying about data usage. Reports highlight a focus on youth and skills development.

Cassava’s role aligns with broader investments in AI infrastructure and services across the continent; recent announcements reference model exchanges and planned AI facilities that support regional development. Observers see momentum behind accessible AI tools.

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Global AI adoption rises quickly but benefits remain unequal

Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute has released its 2025 AI Diffusion Report, detailing global AI adoption, innovation hubs, and the impact of digital infrastructure. AI has reached over 1.2 billion users in under three years, yet its benefits remain unevenly distributed.

Adoption rates in the Global North are roughly double those in the Global South, highlighting the risk of long-term inequalities.

AI adoption depends on strong foundational infrastructure, including electricity, data centres, internet connectivity, digital and AI skills, and language accessibility.

Countries with robust foundations- such as the UAE, Singapore, Norway, and Ireland- have seen rapid adoption, even without frontier-level model development. In contrast, regions with limited infrastructure and low-resource languages lag significantly, with adoption in some areas below 10%.

Ukraine exemplifies the potential for rapid AI growth, despite current disruptions from the war, with an adoption rate of 9.1%. Strategic investments in connectivity, AI skills, and language-inclusive solutions could accelerate recovery, strengthen resilience, and drive innovation.

AI is already supporting cybersecurity and helping businesses and organisations maintain operations amid ongoing challenges.

The concentration of AI infrastructure remains high, with the US and China hosting 86% of the global data centre capacity. A few countries dominate frontier AI development, yet the performance gap between leading models is narrowing.

Coordinated efforts across infrastructure, skills, and policy are crucial to ensure equitable access and maximise AI’s potential worldwide.

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Artist secretly hangs AI print Cardiff museum

An AI-generated print by artist Elias Marrow was secretly placed on a gallery wall at the National Museum Cardiff before staff were alerted, and it was removed. The work, titled Empty Plate, shows a young boy in a school uniform holding a plate and was reportedly seen by hundreds of visitors.

Marrow said the piece represents Wales in 2025 and examines how public institutions decide what is worth displaying. He defended the stunt as participatory rather than vandalism, emphasising that AI is a natural evolution of artistic tools.

Visitors photographed the artwork, and some initially thought it was performance art, while the museum confirmed it had no prior knowledge of the piece. Marrow has carried out similar unsanctioned displays at Bristol Museum and Tate Modern, highlighting his interest in challenging traditional curation.

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