Albania’s AI minister Diella will ‘give birth’ to 83 virtual assistants for ruling-party MPs, Prime Minister Edi Rama said, framing a quirky rollout of parliamentary copilots that record debates and propose responses.
Diella began in January as a public-service chatbot on e-Albania, then ‘Diella 2.0’ added voice and an avatar in traditional dress. Built with Microsoft by the National Agency for Information Society, it now oversees specific state tech contracts.
The legality is murky: the constitution of Albania requires ministers to be natural persons. A presidential decree left Rama’s responsibility to establish the role and set up likely court tests from opposition lawmakers.
Rama says the ‘children’ will brief MPs, summarise absences, and suggest counterarguments through 2026, experimenting with automating the day-to-day legislative grind without replacing elected officials.
Reactions range from table-thumping scepticism to cautious curiosity, as other governments debate AI personhood and limits; Diella could become a template, or a cautionary tale for ‘ministerial’ bots.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nearly half of EU adults lack basic digital skills, yet most jobs demand them. Eurostat reports only 56% have at least basic proficiency. EU Code Week spotlights the urgency for digital literacy and inclusion.
The Digital Education Action Plan aims to modernise curricula, improve infrastructure, and train teachers. EU policymakers target 80% of adults with basic skills by 2030. Midway progress suggests stronger national action is still required.
Progress remains uneven across regions, with rural connectivity still lagging in places. Belgium began a school smartphone ban across Flanders from 1 September to curb distractions. Educators now balance classroom technology with attention and safety.
Brussels proposed a Union of Skills strategy to align education and competitiveness. The EU also earmarked fresh funding for AI, cybersecurity, and digital skills. Families and schools are urged to develop unplugged problem-solving alongside classroom learning.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A Fenland videographer says the rise of AI has forced him to close his business. David Johnson, who runs DMJ-Imagery in Chatteris, will wind up operations in April after client demand collapsed.
He believes companies are turning to AI tools for projects once requiring human filmmakers and editors. Work such as promotional videos, adverts, and scripting has increasingly been replaced by automated content generation.
Johnson said his workload ‘plummeted’ over the past year despite surviving the pandemic. He described AI-made work as lacking ‘passion or emotion’, arguing that human creativity remains an essential component to storytelling.
Despite this, the UK government says AI has vast economic potential, industry groups urge fairer protections for creatives. They argue that existing copyright laws do not adequately safeguard work used to train AI models.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute warns of an urgent need to improve AI literacy among staff and students in the UK. The study argues that without coordinated investment in training and policy, higher education risks deepening digital divides and losing relevance in an AI-driven world.
British report contributors say universities must move beyond acknowledging AI’s presence and instead adopt structured strategies for skill development. Kate Borthwick adds that both staff and students require ongoing education to manage how AI reshapes teaching, assessment, and research.
The publication highlights growing disparities in access and use of generative AI based on gender, wealth, and academic discipline. In a chapter written by ChatGPT, the report suggests universities create AI advisory teams within research offices and embed AI training into staff development programmes.
Elsewhere, Ant Bagshaw from the Australian Public Policy Institute warns that generative AI could lead to cuts in professional services staff as universities seek financial savings. He acknowledges the transition will be painful but argues that it could drive a more efficient and focused higher education sector.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Musk said Grok will analyse bitstreams for AI signatures and scan the web to verify the origins of videos. Grok added that it will detect subtle AI artefacts in compression and generation patterns that humans cannot see.
AI tools such as Grok Imagine and Sora are reshaping the internet by making realistic video generation accessible to anyone. The rise of deepfakes has alarmed users, who warn that high-quality fake videos could soon be indistinguishable from real footage.
A user on X expressed concern that leaders are not addressing the growing risks. Elon Musk responded, revealing that his AI company xAI is developing Grok’s ability to detect AI-generated videos and trace their origins online.
@grok will be able to analyze the video for AI signatures in the bitstream and then further research the Internet to assess origin
The detection features aim to rebuild trust in digital media as AI-generated content spreads. Commentators have dubbed the flood of such content ‘AI slop’, raising concerns about misinformation and consent.
Concerns about deepfakes have grown since OpenAI launched the Sora app. A surge in deepfake content prompted OpenAI to tighten restrictions on cameo mode, allowing users to opt out of specific scenarios.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
EU digital ministers are meeting in Horsens on 9–10 October to improve the protection of minors online. Age verification, child protection, and digital sovereignty are at the top of the agenda under the Danish EU Presidency.
The Informal Council Meeting on Telecommunications is hosted by the Ministry of Digital Affairs of Denmark and chaired by Caroline Stage. European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen is also attending to support discussions on shared priorities.
Ministers are considering measures to prevent children from accessing age-inappropriate platforms and reduce exposure to harmful features like addictive designs and adult content. Stronger safeguards across digital services are being discussed.
The talks also focus on Europe’s technological independence. Ministers aim to enhance the EU’s digital competitiveness and sovereignty while setting a clear direction ahead of the Commission’s upcoming Digital Fairness Act proposal.
A joint declaration, ‘The Jutland Declaration’, is expected as an outcome. It will highlight the need for stronger EU-level measures and effective age verification to create a safer online environment for children.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
SnapLogic has published new research highlighting how AI adoption reshapes daily work across industries while exposing trust, training, and leadership strategy gaps.
The study finds that 78% of employees already use AI in their roles, with half using autonomous AI agents. Workers interact with AI almost daily and save over three hours per week. However, 94% say they face barriers to practical use, with concerns over data privacy and security topping the list.
Based on a survey of 3,000 US, UK, and German employees, the research finds widespread but uneven AI support. Training is a significant gap, with only 63% receiving company-led education. Many rely on trial and error, and managers are more likely to be trained than non-managers.
Generational and hierarchical differences are also evident. Seventy percent of managers express strong confidence in AI, compared with 43% of non-managers. Half believe they will be managed by AI agents rather than people in the future, and many expect to be handled by AI themselves.
SnapLogic’s CTO, Jeremiah Stone, says the agile enterprise is about easing workloads and sparking creativity, not replacing people. The findings underscore the need for companies to align strategy, training, and trust to realise AI’s potential in the workplace fully.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
OpenAI has launched Sora 2.0, the latest version of its video generation model, alongside an iOS app available by invitation in the US and Canada. The tool offers advances in physical realism, audio-video synchronisation, and multi-shot storytelling, with built-in safeguards for security and identity control.
The app allows users to create, remix, or appear in clips generated from text or images. A Pro version, web interface, and developer API are expected soon, extending access to the model.
Sora 2.0 has reignited debate over intellectual property. According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has informed studios and talent agencies that their universes could appear in generated clips unless they opt out.
The company defends its approach as an extension of fan creativity, while stressing that real people’s images and voices require prior consent, validated through a verified cameo system.
By combining new creative tools with identity safeguards, OpenAI aims to position Sora 2.0 as a leading platform in the fast-growing market for AI-generated video.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned that AI could soon automate up to 40 percent of the tasks humans currently perform. He made the remarks in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, highlighting the potential economic shift AI will trigger.
Altman described OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-5, as the most advanced yet and claimed it is ‘smarter than me and most people’. He said artificial general intelligence (AGI), capable of outperforming humans in all areas, could arrive before 2030.
Instead of focusing on job losses, Altman suggested examining the percentage of tasks that AI will automate. He predicted that 30 to 40 per cent of tasks currently carried out by humans may soon be completed by AI systems.
These comments contribute to the growing debate about the societal impact of AI, with mass layoffs already being linked to automation. Altman emphasised that this wave of change will reshape economies and workplaces, requiring businesses and governments to prepare for disruption.
As AGI approaches, Altman urged individuals to focus on acquiring in-demand skills to stay relevant in an AI-enabled economy. The relationship between humans and machines, he said, will be permanently reshaped by these developments.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Amazon is meeting world leaders at the 80th UN General Assembly to share its vision for responsible AI and global internet access. The company highlighted Project Kuiper’s satellite initiative to provide affordable internet to underserved communities and bridge the digital divide.
The initiative aims to deliver fast, affordable internet to communities without access, boosting education and economic opportunities. Connectivity is presented as essential for participation in the modern economy, as well as for cultural and knowledge exchange across the globe.
Amazon emphasised the development of AI tools that are responsible, inclusive, and designed to enhance human potential. The company aims to make technology accessible, helping small businesses, speeding research, and offering tools once reserved for large organisations.
Collaboration remains central to Amazon’s approach. The company plans to work with governments, the UN, civil society, and other private sector partners to ensure technological advancements benefit humanity while mitigating potential risks.
Discussions at UNGA80 are expected to shape future strategies for innovation, governance, and sustainable development.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
