Microsoft AI says its work toward superintelligence will be explicitly ‘humanist’, designed to keep people at the top of the food chain. In a new blog post, Microsoft AI head Mustafa Suleyman announced a team focused on building systems that are subordinate, controllable, and designed to serve human interests.
Suleyman says superintelligence should not be unbounded. Models will be calibrated, contextualised, and limited to align with human goals. He joined Microsoft last year as its AI CEO, which has begun rolling out its first in-house models for text, voice, and images.
The move lands amid intensifying competition in advanced AI. Under a revised agreement with OpenAI, Microsoft can now independently pursue AGI or partner elsewhere. Suleyman says Microsoft AI will reject race narratives while acknowledging the need to advance capability and governance together.
Microsoft’s initial use cases emphasise an AI companion to help people learn, act, and feel supported; healthcare assistance to augment clinicians; and tools for scientific discovery in areas such as clean energy. The intent is to combine productivity gains with stronger safety controls from the outset.
‘Humans matter more than AI,’ Suleyman writes, casting ‘humanist superintelligence’ as technology that stays on humanity’s team. He frames the programme as a guard against Pandora’s box risks by binding robust systems to explicit constraints, oversight, and application contexts.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Meta has launched its new AI app across Europe, featuring Vibes, an interactive feed dedicated to creating and sharing short AI-generated videos. The platform brings together media generation, remixing and collaboration tools designed to encourage creativity and social expression.
Vibes first debuted in the US, where Meta reported a tenfold rise in AI media creation since launch. European users can now use text prompts to generate, edit and animate videos, or remix existing clips by adding music, visuals and personalised styles.
The app also serves as a central hub for users’ Meta AI assistants and connected AI glasses. People can chat with the assistant, receive creative ideas, or enhance their photos and animations using advanced AI-powered editing tools integrated within the same experience.
Meta said the rollout marks a new stage in its effort to make AI-driven creativity more accessible. The company plans to expand the app’s capabilities further, promising additional features that combine entertainment, collaboration and real-time content generation.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Amazon has introduced Kindle Translate, an AI-powered translation service designed to help Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) authors reach readers worldwide.
The beta service currently supports translations between English and Spanish, and from German to English, enabling authors to make their eBooks accessible in multiple languages.
Authors can manage translations, set prices, and publish fully formatted books within days, with automated accuracy checks ensuring seamless publication.
The service addresses the limited availability of multilingual titles on Amazon, where fewer than 5% of books are offered in multiple languages. Kindle Translate helps authors reach a wider audience and boost earnings with a cost-effective and reliable translation solution.
Early adopters, including independent authors Roxanne St Claire and Kristen Painter, praised the service for enabling wider international readership and boosting book revenue.
Translated eBooks will be available for purchase on Amazon, with clear labels and preview samples for readers. Titles are eligible for KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited, with more languages planned to expand the library of translated works.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Microsoft apologised after Australia’s regulator said it steered Microsoft 365 users to pricier Copilot plans while downplaying cheaper Classic tiers. The move follows APAC price-rise emails and confusion over Personal and Family increases.
ACCC officials said communications may have denied customers informed choices by omitting equivalent non-AI plans. Microsoft acknowledged it could have been clearer and accepted that Classic alternatives might have saved some subscribers money under the October 2024 changes.
Redmond is offering affected customers refunds for the difference between Copilot and Classic tiers and has begun contacting subscribers in Australia and New Zealand. The company also re-sent its apology email after discovering a broken link to the Classic plans page.
Questions remain over whether similar remediation will extend to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, which also saw price hikes earlier this year. Consumer groups are watching for consistent remedies and plain-English disclosures across all impacted markets.
Regulators have sharpened scrutiny of dark patterns, bundling, and AI-linked upsells as digital subscriptions proliferate. Clear side-by-side plan comparisons and functional disclosures about AI features are likely to become baseline expectations for compliance and customer trust.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The award, presented at the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, recognises global leaders whose research and policy efforts promote responsible and human-centred AI innovation. Each laureate received $30,000, a Beruniy medal, and a certificate.
Professor Virgilio Almeida was honoured for advancing ethical, inclusive AI and democratic digital governance. Human rights expert Susan Perry and computer scientist Claudia Roda were recognised for promoting youth-centred AI ethics that protect privacy, inclusion, and fairness.
The Institute for AI International Governance at Tsinghua University in China also received the award for promoting international cooperation and responsible AI policy.
UNESCO’s Audrey Azoulay and Gayane Uemerova emphasised that ethics should guide technology to serve humanity, not restrict it. Laureates echoed the need for shared moral responsibility and global cooperation in shaping AI’s future.
The new Beruniy Prize reaffirms that ethics form the cornerstone of progress. By celebrating innovation grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and accountability, UNESCO aims to ensure AI remains a force for peace, justice, and sustainable development.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company is not in active discussions to sell Blackwell-family AI chips to Chinese firms and has no current plans to ship them. He also clarified remarks about the US-China AI race, saying he intended to acknowledge China’s technical strength rather than predict an outcome.
Huang spoke in Taiwan ahead of meetings with TSMC, as Nvidia expands partnerships and pitches its platforms across regions and industries. The company has added roughly a trillion dollars in value this year and remains the world’s most valuable business despite recent share volatility.
US controls still bar sales of Nvidia’s most advanced data-centre AI chips into China, and a recent bilateral accord did not change that. Officials have indicated approvals for Blackwell remain off the table, keeping a potentially large market out of reach for now.
Analysts say uncertainty around China’s access to the technology feeds broader questions about the durability of hyperscale AI spending. Rivals, including AMD and Broadcom, are racing to win share as customers weigh long-term returns on data-centre buildouts.
Huang is promoting Nvidia’s end-to-end stack to reassure buyers that massive investments will yield productivity gains across sectors. He said he hopes policy environments eventually allow Nvidia to serve China again, but reiterated there are no active talks.
Coca-Cola has released an improved AI-generated Christmas commercial after last year’s debut campaign drew criticism for its unsettling visuals.
The latest ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ads, developed in part by San Francisco-based Silverside, showcase more natural animation and a wider range of festive creatures, instead of the overly lifelike characters that previously unsettled audiences.
The new version avoids the ‘uncanny valley’ effect that plagued 2024’s ads. The use of generative AI by Coca-Cola reflects a wider advertising trend focused on speed and cost efficiency, even as creative professionals warn about its potential impact on traditional jobs.
Despite the efficiency gains, AI-assisted advertising remains labour-intensive. Teams of digital artists refine the content frame by frame to ensure realistic and emotionally engaging visuals.
Industry data show that 30% of commercials and online videos in 2025 were created or enhanced using generative AI, compared with 22% in 2023.
Coca-Cola’s move follows similar initiatives by major firms, including Google’s first fully AI-generated ad spot launched last month, signalling that generative AI is now becoming a mainstream creative tool across global marketing.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google is redefining education with AI designed to enhance learning, rather than replace teachers. The company has unveiled new tools grounded in learning science to support both educators and students, aiming to make learning more effective, efficient and engaging.
Through its Gemini platform, users can follow guided learning paths that encourage discovery rather than passive answers.
YouTube and Search now include conversational features that allow students to ask questions as they learn, while NotebookLM can transform personal materials into quizzes or immersive study aids.
Instructors can also utilise Google Classroom’s free AI tools for lesson planning and administrative support, thereby freeing up time for direct student engagement.
Google emphasises that its goal is to preserve the human essence of education while using AI to expand understanding. The company also addresses challenges linked to AI in learning, such as cheating, fairness, accuracy and critical thinking.
It is exploring assessment models that cannot be easily replicated by AI, including debates, projects, and oral examinations.
The firm pledges to develop its tools responsibly by collaborating with educators, parents and policymakers. By combining the art of teaching with the science of AI-driven learning, Google seeks to make education more personal, equitable and inspiring for all.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
New recommendations have been published by OpenAI for managing rapid advances in AI, stressing the need for shared safety standards, public accountability, and resilience frameworks.
The company warned that while AI systems are increasingly capable of solving complex problems and accelerating discovery, they also pose significant risks that must be addressed collaboratively.
According to OpenAI, the next few years could bring systems capable of discoveries once thought centuries away.
The firm expects AI to transform health, materials science, drug development and education, while acknowledging that economic transitions may be disruptive and could require a rethinking of social contracts.
To ensure safe development, OpenAI proposed shared safety principles among frontier labs, new public oversight mechanisms proportional to AI capabilities, and the creation of a resilience ecosystem similar to cybersecurity.
It also called for regular reporting on AI’s societal impact to guide evidence-based policymaking.
OpenAI reiterated that the goal should be to empower individuals by making advanced AI broadly accessible, within limits defined by society, and to treat access to AI as a foundational public utility in the years ahead.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
According to the Business Software Alliance, India could add over $500 billion to its economy by 2035 through the widespread adoption of AI.
At the BSA AI Pre-Summit Forum in Delhi, the group unveiled its ‘Enterprise AI Adoption Agenda for India’, which aligns with the goals of the India–AI Impact Summit 2026 and the government’s vision for a digitally advanced economy by 2047.
The agenda outlines a comprehensive policy framework across three main areas: talent and workforce, infrastructure and data, and governance.
It recommends expanding AI training through national academies, fostering industry–government partnerships, and establishing innovation hubs with global companies to strengthen talent pipelines.
BSA also urged greater government use of AI tools, reforms to data laws, and the adoption of open industry standards for content authentication. It called for coordinated governance measures to ensure responsible AI use, particularly under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
BSA has introduced similar policy roadmaps in other major markets, apart from India, including the US, Japan, and ASEAN countries, as part of its global effort to promote trusted and inclusive AI adoption.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!