Digital divide Archives | Page 22 of 46 | Digital Watch Observatory

DDoS attacks in 2025 become faster and smarter

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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New 5G-advanced upgrade boosts UAE connectivity

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 updates AI glasses with voice and music features

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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OpenAI brings in former UK chancellor George Osborne

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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AI helps Everbloom create sustainable cashmere alternatives

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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Generative AI use grows across the EU

In 2025, nearly a third of people aged 16–74 across the European Union reported using generative AI tools, according to Eurostat. Most respondents used AI for personal tasks, while fewer applied it for work or education.

The survey data illustrate how generative AI is becoming a part of daily life for millions of Europeans, offering new ways to interact with technology and access creative tools that were once limited to specialists.

Generative AI tools are capable of producing new content, including text, images, videos, programming code, or other forms of data, based on patterns learned from existing examples. Users provide input or prompts, such as instructions or questions, which the AI then uses to generate tailored outputs.

This accessibility is helping people across the EU experiment with technology for both practical and recreational purposes, from drafting documents to designing visuals or exploring creative ideas, demonstrating the growing influence of AI on digital culture and personal productivity.

Adoption of generative AI varies significantly across the EU. Denmark, Estonia, and Malta recorded the highest usage, with nearly half of residents actively engaging with these tools, while Romania, Italy, and Bulgaria showed the lowest uptake, with fewer than a quarter of the population using AI.

These differences may reflect variations in digital infrastructure, education, and public awareness, as well as cultural attitudes toward emerging technologies.

Overall, the Eurostat data provide a snapshot of a digital landscape in transition, reflecting how Europeans are adapting to a new era of intelligent technology.

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AI models reach human-level language analysis

Researchers found that some large language models can analyse language like a human linguistics graduate. The models diagram sentences, resolve ambiguities and process recursive structures, showing advanced metalinguistic abilities.

The study used specially crafted sentences and invented mini-languages to prevent memorisation. OpenAI’s o1 model correctly applied complex syntactic and phonological rules for entirely new languages.

Experts say the results challenge long-held assumptions about human uniqueness in language. The models have yet to produce original insights, but their reasoning skills match graduate-level performance.

Findings suggest AI may eventually surpass humans in linguistic analysis. Researchers believe continued progress will enable models to generalise better, learn from less data, and handle language creatively.

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Language models impress but miss real-world understanding

Leading AI researcher Yann LeCun has argued that large language models only simulate understanding rather than genuinely comprehending the world. Their intelligence, he said, lacks grounding in physical reality and everyday common sense.

Despite being trained on vast amounts of online text, LLMs struggle with unfamiliar situations, according to LeCun. Real-world experience, he noted, provides richer learning than language alone ever could.

Drawing on decades in AI research, LeCun warned that enthusiasm around LLMs mirrors earlier hype cycles that promised human-level intelligence. Similar claims have repeatedly failed to deliver since the 1950s.

Instead of further scaling language models, LeCun urged greater investment in ‘world models’ that can reason about actions and consequences. He also cautioned that current funding patterns risk sidelining alternative approaches to AI.

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Africa urged to focus on practical, local AI solutions rather than frontier models

Africa cannot realistically compete with the massive capital and computing resources driving frontier AI research in the United States and China, and it does not need to do so.

Instead, Nicholas Okumu contends, the continent’s AI strategy should pivot toward building efficient, practical systems tailored to local needs, from healthcare triage tools in referral hospitals to agriculture, education and public finance solutions grounded in African contexts.

Large, resource-intensive models require infrastructure and ecosystems that most African nations cannot marshal, but smaller, efficient models can perform high-value, domain-specific tasks on ordinary hardware.

Drawing on events from innovation forums and real-world examples, the columnist argues that Africa’s historical experience of innovation under constraint positions it well to lead in relevant, efficient AI applications rather than replicating the ambitions of frontier labs.

The article outlines a three-phase pathway: first, building foundational datasets governed by national or regional frameworks; second, deploying AI where it can deliver transformative value; and third, scaling successful tools to regions with similar development constraints.

If this strategy is followed, the piece argues, African-designed AI systems, particularly those that work well in low-resource environments, could become globally valuable.

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Libraries lead UK government push to improve digital inclusion and AI confidence

Libraries Connected, supported by a £310,400 grant from the UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund administered by the Department for Science, Industry and Technology (DSIT), is launching Innovating in Trusted Spaces: Libraries Advancing the Digital Inclusion Action Plan.

The programme will run from November 2025 to March 2026 across 121 library branches in Newcastle, Northumberland, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire, targeting older people, low-income families and individuals with disabilities to ensure they are not left behind amid rapid digital and AI-driven change.

Public libraries are already a leading provider of free internet access and basic digital skills support, offering tens of thousands of public computers and learning opportunities each year. However, only around 27 percent of UK adults currently feel confident in recognising AI-generated content online, underscoring the need for improved digital and media literacy.

The project will create and test a new digital inclusion guide for library staff, focusing on the benefits and risks of AI tools, misinformation and emerging technologies, as well as building a national network of practice for sharing insights.

Partners in the programme include Good Things Foundation and WSA Community, which will help co-design materials and evaluate the initiative’s impact to inform future digital inclusion efforts across communities.

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