Development

Cryptocurrency mining banned on Abu Dhabi farms

Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) reaffirms ban on crypto mining on farms to promote sustainable land use. Such activities fall outside the permitted economic uses, which are strictly limited to agriculture and livestock production.

The authority aims to protect the emirate’s agricultural sustainability and biosecurity.

Inspections revealed multiple farms misusing agricultural land for cryptocurrency mining, violating regulations designed to preserve farmland for its intended purpose. ADAFSA considers these activities detrimental to the core objectives of farming.

Consequently, the authority has vowed to take decisive action against non-compliant farms to uphold its policies. Violators face severe penalties, including a AED100,000 fine, doubled for repeat offences, alongside suspension of all farm support services.

Additional measures include electricity disconnection and confiscation of mining equipment, which is then referred to relevant authorities for further legal action. These steps ensure compliance with agricultural regulations.

ADAFSA calls on farm owners and workers to adhere to approved agricultural practices to maintain access to support programmes. They enforces measures to protect Abu Dhabi’s agricultural sustainability and prevent practices that harm its environmental and economic goals.

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OpenAI’s Sora app raises tension between mission and profit

The US AI company, OpenAI, has entered the social media arena with Sora, a new app offering AI-generated videos in a TikTok-style feed.

The launch has stirred debate among current and former researchers, some praising its technical achievement while others worry it diverges from OpenAI’s nonprofit mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.

Researchers have expressed concerns about deepfakes, addictive loops and the ethical risks of AI-driven feeds. OpenAI insists Sora is designed for creativity rather than engagement, highlighting safeguards such as reminders for excessive scrolling and prioritisation of content from known contacts.

The company argues that revenue from consumer apps helps fund advanced AI research, including its pursuit of artificial general intelligence.

A debate that reflects broader tensions within OpenAI: balancing commercial growth with its founding mission. Critics fear the consumer push could dilute its focus, while executives maintain products like ChatGPT and Sora expand public access and provide essential funding.

Regulators are watching closely, questioning whether the company’s for-profit shift undermines its stated commitment to safety and ethical development.

Sora’s future remains uncertain, but its debut marks a significant expansion of AI-powered social platforms. Whether OpenAI can avoid the pitfalls that defined earlier social media models will be a key test of both its mission and its technology.

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Samsung joins OpenAI for AI data centre push

Samsung Electronics, alongside OpenAI, has signed a letter of intent to collaborate on AI data centre infrastructure. The partnership leverages Samsung’s expertise in semiconductors, cloud services, and shipbuilding. Combining these strengths aims to accelerate advancements in global AI technology.

Samsung Electronics will provide energy-efficient DRAM for OpenAI’s Stargate, meeting a projected demand of 900,000 wafers monthly. Advanced chip packaging and heterogeneous integration further enhance Samsung’s ability to deliver tailored semiconductor solutions for AI workflows.

Samsung SDS will design and operate Stargate AI data centres while offering enterprise AI services, including ChatGPT integration for Korean businesses. Meanwhile, Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries will explore floating data centres to address land scarcity and reduce emissions.

Signed in Seoul, the agreement positions Samsung to support Korea’s ambition to rank among the top three AI nations globally. Broader adoption of ChatGPT within Samsung’s operations will also drive workplace AI transformation.

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Instagram head explains why ads feel like eavesdropping

Adam Mosseri has denied long-standing rumours that the platform secretly listens to private conversations to deliver targeted ads. In a video he described as ‘myth busting’, Mosseri said Instagram does not use the phone’s microphone to eavesdrop on users.

He argued that such surveillance would not only be a severe breach of privacy but would also quickly drain phone batteries and trigger visible microphone indicators.

Instead, Mosseri outlined four reasons why adverts may appear suspiciously relevant: online searches and browsing history, the influence of friends’ online behaviour, rapid scrolling that leaves subconscious impressions, and plain coincidence.

According to Mosseri, Instagram users may mistake targeted advertising for surveillance because algorithms incorporate browsing data from advertisers, friends’ interests, and shared patterns across users.

He stressed that the perception of being overheard is often the result of ad targeting mechanics rather than eavesdropping.

Despite his explanation, Mosseri admitted the rumour is unlikely to disappear. Many viewers of his video remained sceptical, with some comments suggesting his denial only reinforced their suspicions about how social media platforms operate.

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AI tool detects tiny brain lesions, offering hope of epilepsy cure

Australian researchers have developed an AI tool that can identify tiny brain lesions in children with epilepsy, a breakthrough they say could enable faster diagnoses and pave the way for potential cures.

Scientists from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital designed the ‘AI epilepsy detective’ to detect lesions as small as a blueberry in up to 94 percent of cases. These cortical dysplasias are often invisible to doctors reviewing MRI scans, with around 80 percent of cases previously missed during human examination.

In a study published in Epilepsia, the team tested the tool on 71 children and 23 adults with focal epilepsy. Seventeen children were part of the test group, and 12 underwent surgery after the lesions were identified using the AI. Eleven are now seizure-free.

Lead researcher Dr Emma Macdonald-Laurs said earlier lesion identification can speed surgery referrals and improve outcomes. ‘Identifying the cause early lets us tailor treatment options and helps neurosurgeons plan and navigate surgery,’ she explained. ‘More accurate imaging allows neurosurgeons to develop a safer surgical roadmap and avoid removing healthy brain tissue.’

Brain lesions are one of the most common causes of drug-resistant seizures, yet they can be challenging to detect using conventional imaging techniques. The researchers now hope to expand the use of their AI tool across paediatric hospitals in Australia with additional funding.

One child, five-year-old Royal, experienced frequent seizures before doctors using the tool identified and removed the lesion responsible. His mother said he is seizure-free and has returned to his ‘calm, friendly, and patient’ self.

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Liverpool scientists develop low-cost AI blood test for Alzheimer’s

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a low-cost blood test that could enable earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The handheld devices, powered by AI and equipped with polymer-based biosensors, deliver results with accuracy comparable to hospital tests at a fraction of the cost.

Alzheimer’s affects more than 55 million people worldwide and remains the most common cause of dementia. Existing hospital tests are accurate but expensive and inaccessible in many clinics, delaying diagnosis and treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

One study utilised plastic antibodies on a porous gold surface to detect p-tau181, matching high-end laboratory methods. Another built a circuit-board device with a chemical coating that distinguished healthy from patient samples at a lower cost.

The platform is linked to a low-cost reader and a web app that utilises AI for instant analysis. Lead researcher Dr Sanjiv Sharma said the aim was to make Alzheimer’s testing ‘as accessible as checking blood pressure or blood sugar.’

The World Health Organisation has called for decentralised brain disease diagnostics. Researchers say these technologies bring that vision closer to reality, offering hope for earlier treatment and better care.

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Smarter Alexa+ powers Amazon’s new gadgets

Amazon has unveiled a refreshed lineup of devices in New York, designed to work with its new AI-powered assistant Alexa+. The showcase featured Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, a Kindle with a colour display and enhanced Ring and Blink cameras, all set to be released later this year.

After years of investment, the company is seeking to reignite interest in Alexa, adding AI to provide more personalisation and a natural conversational style instead of the more mechanical responses of earlier versions.

New silicon chips promise faster processing across Echo devices, while Ring cameras can now use AI to distinguish between a courier and a potential intruder.

Ring’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, who recently returned to Amazon, demonstrated how updated cameras can assist communities by helping to identify missing dogs through neighbourhood alerts. Siminoff described the effort as turning individual concerns into community action.

Ring devices will be priced between 60 and 350 dollars, depending on features, while Blink cameras now offer sharper resolution for indoor and outdoor monitoring.

Amazon’s device chief, Panos Panay, presented the new Kindle Scribe, a $630 tablet with stylus support, and the first Kindle with a colour screen, which offered a paper-like writing feel.

Updated Fire TV sets and a $40 streaming stick also integrate Alexa+, enabling users to search scenes or retrieve information about actors through voice commands instead of traditional menus.

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AI impact on employment still limited

A new study by Yale’s Budget Lab suggests AI has yet to cause major disruption in the US labour market. Researchers found little evidence that generative AI has significantly altered employment patterns since the launch of ChatGPT nearly three years ago.

The report shows that the mix of occupations has shifted slightly faster than in previous periods, but not dramatically. Many of the changes appear to have begun before generative AI became widely available, suggesting broader economic trends are at play.

US based industry-level analysis revealed more noticeable shifts in information and financial services. Yet these changes, too, reflect longer-term developments rather than sudden AI-driven disruption. Overall, employment and unemployment levels show no clear link to AI exposure or adoption.

The researchers stress that impacts may take longer to materialise, as seen with past technologies such as computers and the internet. They call for better data from AI developers and continued monitoring to capture longer-term effects on workers.

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Sora 2.0 release reignites debate on intellectual property in AI video

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.

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Calls for regulation grow as OpenAI and Meta adjust chatbots for teen mental health

OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots handle conversations with teenagers showing signs of distress or asking about suicide. OpenAI plans to launch new parental controls this fall, enabling parents to link accounts, restrict features, and receive alerts if their child appears to be in acute distress.

The company says its chatbots will also route sensitive conversations to more capable models, aiming to improve responses to vulnerable users. The announcement follows a lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT encouraged a California teenager to take his own life earlier this year.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is also tightening its restrictions. Its chatbots will no longer engage teens on self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or inappropriate topics, instead redirecting them towards expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls across teen accounts.

The moves come amid growing scrutiny of chatbot safety. A RAND Corporation study found inconsistent responses from ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude when asked about suicide, suggesting the tools require further refinement before being relied upon in high-risk situations.

Lead author Ryan McBain welcomed the updates but called them only incremental. Without safety benchmarks and enforceable standards, he argued, companies remain self-regulating in an area where risks to teenagers are uniquely high.

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