Nottingham City Council has partnered with VivaCity to install over 200 AI-enabled transport sensors across the city. The sensors include ANPR, traffic monitoring, and Smart Signal Control capabilities.
Sensors will collect real-time, anonymous data on vehicle types, pedestrians, and cyclists to inform traffic management decisions. The first Smart Junction at the Ring Road-Aspley Lane will adjust traffic lights according to current conditions.
Funding comes from the Future Transport Zones Fund, for which the Department awarded £16.7 million for Transport. Installation began in February 2023 and will finish by November 2023, with coverage across main routes.
Data from the sensors will feed into a public Data Hub alongside car park and EV charging datasets. Air quality monitors will be added near sensors to help assess correlations between road use and pollution levels.
Sensors will not function as speed cameras and will not record personal information. The technology will be upgraded over time to identify additional vehicle types such as taxis, minibuses, and mobility scooters.
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Barnsley is advancing its Tech Town programme with new AI pilots aimed to improving healthcare services and supporting local businesses. The initiative aims to demonstrate how AI can deliver practical benefits for communities and public services.
A Healthcare Living Lab will test AI tools within hospital settings to reduce waiting times, missed appointments and administrative workload. The pilot will generate evidence on improving patient care and supporting NHS staff efficiency.
Alongside this, a £800,000 AI Upskilling Challenge Fund will provide targeted training for SMEs and residents. The programme focuses on industries such as manufacturing and aims to equip individuals with the skills needed to adopt AI in their work.
The pilots also prioritise inclusion by supporting groups with limited access to technology or digital confidence. If successful, the approach could offer a scalable model for wider AI adoption across the UK.
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An expanded meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union Intergovernmental Council was held in Shymkent under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship, bringing together leaders to discuss economic integration, digital transformation and technological development.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan will prioritise the introduction of AI across the Union’s activities, alongside efforts to strengthen digital ecosystems and regulatory cooperation among member states.
Participants discussed the use of AI in areas including customs administration, logistics, industry and agriculture, as well as a proposal to develop an integrated AI-based platform to coordinate cargo flows and improve transport efficiency.
The meeting also addressed digital governance measures, including transitioning veterinary and phytosanitary certification fully to electronic formats to improve transparency in trade and reduce administrative barriers.
Leaders emphasised the role of digital solutions and AI in supporting industrial cooperation, innovation and market integration, with decisions from the meeting aimed at strengthening economic resilience and advancing digital transformation across the region.
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India has launched three initiatives to expand AI adoption, digital content creation and access to broadcasting services. The programme focuses on building an AI-skilled workforce and strengthening the country’s digital ecosystem.
A national AI skilling initiative aims to train 15,000 creators and media professionals through partnerships with Google and YouTube. The programme covers generative AI, prompting and advanced tools, supporting future-ready skills in media and creative industries.
The government also introduced MyWAVES, a platform within WAVES OTT that enables users to create, upload and share content. Designed for user-generated content, it supports multiple formats and multilingual participation across India.
Access to broadcasting has been simplified through in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide in television sets. The update removes the need for set-top boxes, improving affordability and expanding reach, particularly in remote areas.
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A joint study by the International Labour Organization and the World Bank finds that AI will reshape labour markets unevenly across countries. Research covering 135 economies highlights growing risks for workers as automation expands.
Advanced economies show higher exposure to AI, particularly in clerical and professional roles. Lower-income regions face fewer direct impacts but lack the infrastructure and skills needed to capture productivity gains.
The digital divide plays a central role, with many vulnerable jobs already online and therefore exposed to automation. Workers in roles with potential benefits often lack reliable internet access, limiting opportunities.
The ILO’s findings suggest outcomes depend on infrastructure, skills and job design rather than technology alone. Policymakers are urged to improve connectivity, training and social protections to spread benefits more evenly.
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The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined plans to integrate AI and data-driven tools into its regulatory processes as part of its 2026/27 work programme to become a more efficient and effective regulator.
The programme includes developing an internal authorisation tool to speed up approvals and using generative AI to review documents and support supervision, while maintaining human decision-making at the core of regulatory actions.
The FCA said it will also test automated data-sharing in a sandbox environment, expand its Supercharged Sandbox for firms developing AI-based financial products, and invest in analytics to better identify risks and prioritise cases.
Measures to reduce burdens on firms include removing certain data reporting requirements, simplifying digital processes and improving authorisation timelines, alongside efforts to enhance firms’ experience through new tools and feedback mechanisms.
The regulator also plans to support economic growth and consumer protection by advancing measures such as regulating buy now pay later products, speeding up IPO processes, expanding international presence, and addressing emerging risks, including the use of general-purpose AI in financial decision-making.
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The Vocational Training Council (VTC) has introduced an ‘AI for All’ strategy to integrate AI training across its programmes, aiming to support Hong Kong’s ambition to strengthen its innovation and technology sector.
The initiative aligns with broader policy priorities, including the ‘AI Plus’ approach outlined in national planning frameworks and Hong Kong’s budget, which emphasise integrating AI across industries while addressing a shortage of skilled professionals.
Under the ‘AI+Professional’ model, all Higher Diploma students are required to study IT modules covering prompt engineering, generative AI, and AI ethics and security, with training adapted to disciplines such as engineering, design, and information technology.
The council has also partnered with technology companies through memorandums of understanding. It provides ongoing training for employees in government and industry, while offering internal AI tools and a ‘Virtual Tutor’ platform to support teaching and learning.
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UNESCO and Tecnológico de Monterrey have signed an agreement to collaborate on advancing the use of AI in education, as digital transformation reshapes learning systems and workforce skills across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agreement establishes a framework for joint work on generating evidence, developing standards and formulating public policy recommendations on AI in education, and supports the launch of a Regional Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education.
A financial contribution of $90,000 will support the Observatory’s implementation, following months of technical coordination and institutional validation between the two organisations.
After the signing, technical teams reviewed the operational plan for the first year, including methodological frameworks on teachers’ digital competencies and AI ethics, as well as pilot projects in Chile, El Salvador and Mexico.
According to Esther Kuisch Laroche, the initiative aims to ensure AI contributes to more inclusive, ethical and relevant education systems, while moving from principles to practical solutions.
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The Scottish government has published national guidance on the use of AI in schools, aiming to support the safe and ethical adoption of AI in classrooms. The document provides advice for teachers and pupils as AI use continues to expand across society.
The guidance outlines potential benefits of AI alongside risks that need to be considered, and includes examples of appropriate classroom use. It was developed with the EIS teaching union, local government and Education Scotland.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said AI should support creativity, critical thinking and personalised learning while protecting pupils’ rights and privacy. She added that technology must not replace teachers or human relationships in education.
Andrea Bradley said AI should remain a tool for teachers and not replace professional judgement. The non-statutory guidance allows schools and local authorities flexibility to develop their own policies as AI continues to evolve.
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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an independent agency of the United States federal government, announced the creation of an Innovation Task Force to support the development of new technologies in US derivatives markets. Chairman Michael S. Selig leads the initiative and focuses on establishing clear regulatory approaches.
The task force will work with the Innovation Advisory Committee to develop frameworks covering crypto assets, blockchain technologies, AI and autonomous systems, and prediction markets. Authorities said the aim is to provide clarity for innovators building new financial products.
According to Selig, clearer rules are intended to support responsible innovation and ensure market participants remain competitive. The task force is also expected to help implement the Commission’s broader innovation agenda.
Coordination with other federal bodies is planned, including collaboration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and its Crypto Task Force. Michael J. Passalacqua, senior advisor to the Chairman, has been appointed to lead the initiative.
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