Development

Amazon outlines responsible AI and global internet plans at UN

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.

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Europe prepares formal call for AI Gigafactory projects

The European Commission is collaborating with the EU capitals to narrow the list of proposals for large AI training hubs, known as AI Gigafactories. The €20 billion plan will be funded by the Commission (17%), the EU countries (17%), and industry (66%) to boost computing capacity for European developers.

The first call drew 76 proposals from 16 countries, far exceeding the initially planned four or five facilities. Most submissions must be merged or dropped, with Poland already seeking a joint bid with the Baltic states as talks continue.

Some EU members will inevitably lose out, with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, hinting that priority could be given to countries already hosting AI Factories. That could benefit Finland, whose Lumi supercomputer is part of a Nokia-led bid to scale up into a Gigafactory.

The plan has raised concerns that Europe’s efforts come too late, as US tech giants invest heavily in larger AI hubs. Still, Brussels hopes its initiative will allow EU developers to compete globally while maintaining control over critical AI infrastructure.

A formal call for proposals is expected by the end of the year, once the legal framework is finalised. Selection criteria and funding conditions will be set to launch construction as early as 2026.

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BlackRock backs South Korea push to become Asia AI hub

South Korea has secured a significant partnership with BlackRock to accelerate its ambition of becoming Asia’s leading AI hub. The agreement will see the global asset manager join the Ministry of Science and ICT in developing hyperscale AI data centres.

A deal that followed a meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and BlackRock chair Larry Fink, who pledged to attract large-scale international investment into the country’s AI infrastructure.

Although no figures were disclosed, the partnership is expected to focus on meeting rising demand from domestic users and the wider Asia-Pacific region, with renewable energy powering the facilities.

The move comes as Seoul increases national funding for AI, semiconductors and other strategic technologies to KRW150 trillion ($107.7 billion). South Korean companies are also stepping up efforts, with SK Telecom announcing plans to raise AI investment to a third of its revenue over five years.

BlackRock’s involvement signals international confidence in South Korea’s long-term vision to position itself as a regional AI powerhouse and secure a leadership role in next-generation digital infrastructure.

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AI government minister delivers first speech in Albanian parliament

Albania has made history by introducing the world’s first AI government minister, named Diella, who gave her inaugural address to parliament this week. Appearing in a video as a woman in traditional Albanian dress, Diella defended her appointment by stressing she was ‘not here to replace people, but to help them.’

She also dismissed accusations of being ‘unconstitutional,’ saying the real threat to the constitution comes from ‘inhumane decisions of those in power.’ Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that the AI minister will oversee all public tenders, promising full transparency and a corruption-free process.

The move comes as Albania struggles with corruption scandals, including the detention of Tirana’s mayor on charges of money laundering and abuse of contracts. Albania currently ranks 80th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.

The opposition, however, fiercely rejected the initiative. Former prime minister and Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha called the project a publicity stunt, warning that Diella cannot curb corruption and that it is unconstitutional. The opposition has vowed to challenge the appointment in the Constitutional Court after boycotting the parliamentary vote.

Despite the controversy, the government insists the AI minister reflects its commitment to reform and the EU integration. Rama has set an ambitious goal of leading Albania, a nation of 2.8 million, into the European Union by 2030, with the fight against corruption at the heart of that mission.

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Research shows AI complements, not replaces, human work

AI headlines often flip between hype and fear, but the truth is more nuanced. Much research is misrepresented, with task overlaps miscast as job losses. Leaders and workers need clear guidance on using AI effectively.

Microsoft Research mapped 200,000 Copilot conversations to work tasks, but headlines warned of job risks. The study showed overlap, not replacement. Context, judgment, and interpretation remain human strengths, meaning AI supports rather than replaces roles.

Other research is similarly skewed. METR found that AI slowed developers by 19%, but mostly due to the learning curves associated with first use. MIT’s ‘GenAI Divide’ measured adoption, not ability, showing workflow gaps rather than technology failure.

Better studies reveal the collaborative power of AI. Harvard’s ‘Cybernetic Teammate’ experiment demonstrated that individuals using AI performed as well as full teams without it. AI bridged technical and commercial silos, boosting engagement and improving the quality of solutions produced.

The future of AI at work will be shaped by thoughtful trials, not headlines. By treating AI as a teammate, organisations can refine workflows, strengthen collaboration, and turn AI’s potential into long-term competitive advantage.

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VodafoneThree signs deals with Ericsson and Nokia to speed up 5G rollout

VodafoneThree has signed multibillion-pound investment deals with Ericsson and Nokia to accelerate the rollout of what it calls the UK’s best mobile network. The move marks the latest milestone in the newly merged operator’s £11 billion plan.

The partnerships will deliver one of Europe’s largest privately funded infrastructure builds, modernising existing 4G and 5G networks while preparing the country for nationwide 5G Standalone. Four British site-build companies will also support construction across the UK.

VodafoneThree estimates the investment could boost the UK economy by up to £102 billion between 2025 and 2035. Up to 13,000 jobs are expected to be created in engineering and construction, with most based outside London and the South East.

The company says nearly three-quarters of the population will have access to its fastest 5G speeds in the first year, rising to 90% by year three. By 2034, 99.95% of the population is forecast to be covered by 5G Standalone, creating what VodafoneThree describes as the UK’s first nationwide AI-ready network.

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Behavioural AI could be the missing piece in the $2 trillion AI economy

Global AI spending is projected to reach $1.5 trillion in 2025 and exceed $2 trillion in 2026, yet a critical element is missing: human judgement. A growing number of organisations are turning to behavioural science to bridge this gap, coding it directly into AI systems to create what experts call behavioural AI.

Early adopters like Clarity AI utilise behavioural AI to flag ESG controversies before they impact earnings. Morgan Stanley uses machine learning and satellite data to monitor environmental risks, while Google Maps influences driver behaviour, preventing over one million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Behavioural AI is being used to predict how leaders and societies act under uncertainty. These insights guide corporate strategy, PR campaigns, and decision-making. Mind Friend combines a network of 500 mental health experts with AI to build a ‘behavioural infrastructure’ that enhances judgement.

The behaviour analytics market was valued at $1.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $10.8 billion by 2032. Major players, such as IBM and Adobe, are entering the field, while Davos and other global forums debate how behavioural frameworks should shape investment and policy decisions.

As AI scrutiny grows, ethical safeguards are critical. Companies that embed governance, fairness, and privacy protections into their behavioural AI are earning trust. In a $2 trillion market, winners will be those who pair algorithms with a deep understanding of human behaviour.

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Quantinuum’s 12-qubit system achieves unassailable quantum advantage

Researchers have reached a major milestone in quantum computing, demonstrating a task that surpasses the capabilities of classical machines. Using Quantinuum’s 12-qubit ion-trap system, they delivered the first permanent, provable example of quantum supremacy, settling a long-running debate.

The experiment addressed a communication-complexity problem in which one processor (Alice) prepared a state and another (Bob) measured it. After 10,000 trials, the team proved that no classical algorithm could match the quantum result with fewer than 62 bits, with equivalent performance requiring 330 bits.

Unlike earlier claims of quantum supremacy, later challenged by improved classical algorithms, the researchers say no future breakthrough can close this gap. Experts hailed the result as a rare proof of permanent quantum advantage and a significant step forward in the field.

However, like past demonstrations, the result has no immediate commercial application. It remains a proof-of-principle demonstration showing that quantum hardware can outperform classical machines under certain conditions, but it has yet to solve real-world problems.

Future work could strengthen the result by running Alice and Bob on separate devices to rule out interaction effects. Experts say the next step is achieving useful quantum supremacy, where quantum machines beat classical ones on problems with real-world value.

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GPT-5-powered ChatGPT Edu comes to Oxford staff and students

The University of Oxford will become the first UK university to offer free ChatGPT Edu access to all staff and students. The rollout follows a year-long pilot with 750 academics, researchers, and professional services staff across the University and Colleges.

ChatGPT Edu, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-5 model, is designed for education with enterprise-grade security and data privacy. Oxford says it will support research, teaching, and operations while encouraging safe, responsible use through robust governance, training, and guidance.

Staff and students will receive access to in-person and online training, webinars, and specialised guidance on the use of generative AI. A dedicated AI Competency Centre and network of AI Ambassadors will support users, alongside mandatory security training.

The prestigious UK university has also established a Digital Governance Unit and an AI Governance Group to oversee the adoption of emerging technologies. Pilots are underway to digitise the Bodleian Libraries and explore how AI can improve access to historical collections worldwide.

A jointly funded research programme with the Oxford Martin School and OpenAI will study the societal impact of AI adoption. The project is part of OpenAI’s NextGenAI consortium, which brings together 15 global research institutions to accelerate breakthroughs in AI.

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Emerging AI trends that will define 2026

AI is set to reshape daily life in 2026, with innovations moving beyond software to influence the physical world, work environments, and international relations.

Autonomous agents will increasingly manage household and workplace tasks, coordinating projects, handling logistics, and interacting with smart devices instead of relying solely on humans.

Synthetic content will become ubiquitous, potentially comprising up to 90 percent of online material. While it can accelerate data analysis and insight generation, the challenge will be to ensure genuine human creativity and experience remain visible instead of being drowned out by generic AI outputs.

The workplace will see both opportunity and disruption. Routine and administrative work will increasingly be offloaded to AI, creating roles such as prompt engineers and AI ethics specialists, while some traditional positions face redundancy.

Similarly, AI will expand into healthcare, autonomous transport, and industrial automation, becoming a tangible presence in everyday life instead of remaining a background technology.

Governments and global institutions will grapple with AI’s geopolitical and economic impact. From trade restrictions to synthetic propaganda, world leaders will attempt to control AI’s spread and underlying data instead of allowing a single country or corporation to have unchecked dominance.

Energy efficiency and sustainability will also rise to the fore, as AI’s growing power demands require innovative solutions to reduce environmental impact.

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