Sustainable development

UK government confirms crypto as protected personal property

A significant shift in property law has occurred in the United Kingdom, as digital assets are gaining formal recognition as personal property.

The Property Digital Assets Act has received Royal Assent, giving owners of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens clearer legal rights and stronger protection. Greater certainty over ownership aims to reduce disputes and strengthen trust in the sector.

The government aims to boost the country’s position as a global centre for legal innovation, rather than merely reacting to technological change. The new framework reassures fintech companies that England, Wales and Northern Ireland can support modern commercial activity.

As part of a wider growth plan, the change is expected to stimulate further investment in a legal services industry worth more than £ 40 billion annually.

Traditional law recognised only tangible items and legal rights, yet digital assets required distinct treatment.

The Act creates a new category, allowing certain digital assets to be treated like other property, including being inherited or recovered during bankruptcy. With cryptocurrency fraud on the rise, owners now have a more straightforward path to remedy when digital assets are stolen.

Legal certainty also simplifies commercial activity for firms handling crypto transactions. The move aligns digital assets with established forms of property rather than leaving them in an undefined space, which encourages adoption and reduces the likelihood of costly disagreements.

The government expects the new clarity to attract more businesses to the UK and reinforce the country’s role in shaping future digital regulation.

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NSA warns AI poses new risks for operational technology

The US National Security Agency (NSA), together with international partners including Australia’s ACSC, has issued guidance on the secure integration of AI into operational technology (OT).

The Principles for the Secure Integration of AI in OT warn that while AI can optimise critical infrastructure, it also introduces new risks for safety-critical environments. Although aimed at OT administrators, the guidance also highlights issues relevant to IT networks.

AI is increasingly deployed in sectors such as energy, water treatment, healthcare, and manufacturing to automate processes and enhance efficiency.

The NSA’s guidance, however, flags several potential threats, including adversarial prompt injection, data poisoning, AI drift, and reduced explainability, all of which can compromise safety and compliance.

Over-reliance on AI may also lead to human de-skilling, cognitive overload, and distraction, while AI hallucinations raise concerns about reliability in safety-critical settings.

Experts emphasise that AI cannot currently be trusted to make independent safety decisions in OT networks, where the margin for error is far smaller than in standard IT systems.

Sam Maesschalck, an OT engineer, noted that introducing AI without first addressing pre-existing infrastructure issues, such as insufficient data feeds or incomplete asset inventories, could undermine both security and operational efficiency.

The guidance aims to help organisations evaluate AI risks, clarify accountability, and prepare for potential misbehaviour, underlining the importance of careful planning before deploying AI in operationally critical environments.

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Google drives health innovation through new EU AI initiative

At the European Health Summit in Brussels, Google presented new research suggesting that AI could help Europe overcome rising healthcare pressures.

The report, prepared by Implement Consulting Group for Google, argues that scientific productivity is improving again, rather than continuing a long period of stagnation. Early results already show shorter waiting times in emergency departments, offering practitioners more space to focus on patient needs.

Momentum at the Summit increased as Google announced new support for AI adoption in frontline care.

Five million dollars from Google.org will fund Bayes Impact to launch an EU-wide initiative known as ‘Impulse Healthcare’. The programme will allow nurses, doctors and administrators to design and test their own AI tools through an open-source platform.

By placing development in the hands of practitioners, the project aims to expand ideas that help staff reclaim valuable time during periods of growing demand.

Successful tools developed at a local level will be scaled across the EU, providing a path to more efficient workflows and enhanced patient care.

Google views these efforts as part of a broader push to rebuild capacity in Europe’s health systems.

AI-assisted solutions may reduce administrative burdens, support strained workforces and guide decisions through faster, data-driven insights, strengthening everyday clinical practice.

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ESMA could gain direct supervision over crypto firms

The European Commission has proposed giving the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) expanded powers to oversee crypto and broader financial markets, aiming to close the regulatory gap with the United States.

The plan would give ESMA direct supervision of crypto service providers, trading venues, and central counterparties, while boosting its role in asset management coordination. Approval from the European Parliament and the Council is still required.

Calls for stronger oversight have grown following concerns over lenient national regimes, including Malta’s crypto licensing system. France, Austria, and Italy have called for ESMA to directly oversee major crypto firms, with France threatening to block cross-border licence passporting.

Revisions to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) are also under discussion, with proposals for stricter rules on offshore crypto activities, improved cybersecurity oversight, and tighter regulations for token offerings.

Experts warn that centralising ESMA supervision may slow innovation, especially for smaller crypto and fintech startups reliant on national regulators. ESMA would need significant resources for the expanded mandate, which could slow decision-making across the EU.

The proposal aims to boost EU capital market competitiveness and increase wealth for citizens. EU stock exchanges currently account for just 73% of the bloc’s GDP, compared with 270% in the US, highlighting the need for a more integrated regulatory framework.

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OpenAI launches nationwide AI initiative in Australia

OpenAI has launched OpenAI for Australia, a nationwide initiative to unlock the economic and societal benefits of AI. The program aims to support sovereign AI infrastructure, upskill Australians, and accelerate the country’s local AI ecosystem.

CEO Sam Altman highlighted Australia’s deep technical talent and strong institutions as key factors in becoming a global leader in AI.

A significant partnership with NEXTDC will see the development of a next-generation hyperscale AI campus and large GPU supercluster at Sydney’s Eastern Creek S7 site.

The project is expected to create thousands of jobs, boost local supplier opportunities, strengthen STEM and AI skills, and provide sovereign compute capacity for critical workloads.

OpenAI will also upskill more than 1.2 million Australians in collaboration with CommBank, Coles and Wesfarmers. OpenAI Academy will provide tailored modules to give workers and small business owners practical AI skills for confident daily use.

The nationwide rollout of courses is scheduled to begin in 2026.

OpenAI is launching its first Australian start-up program with local venture capital firms Blackbird, Square Peg, and AirTree to support home-grown innovation. Start-ups will receive API credits, mentorship, workshops, and access to Founder Day to accelerate product development and scale AI solutions locally.

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EU partners with EIB to support AI gigafactories

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group (EIB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to support the development of AI Gigafactories across the EU. The partnership aims to position Europe as a leading AI hub by accelerating financing and the construction of large-scale AI facilities.

The agreement establishes a framework to guide consortia responding to the Commission’s informal Call for Expression of Interest. EIB advisory support will help turn proposals into bankable projects for the 2026 AI Gigafactory call, with possible co-financing.

The initiative builds on InvestAI, announced in February 2025, mobilising €20 billion to support up to five AI Gigafactories. These facilities will boost Europe’s computing infrastructure, reinforce technological sovereignty, and drive innovation across the continent.

By translating Europe’s AI ambitions into concrete, large-scale projects, the Commission and the EIB aim to position the EU as a global leader in next-generation AI, while fostering investment and industrial growth.

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Google launches Workspace Studio for AI-powered automation

Google has made Workspace Studio generally available, allowing employees to design, manage, and share AI agents directly within Workspace. Powered by Gemini 3, these agents automate tasks ranging from simple routines to complex business workflows, all without coding.

The platform aims to save time on repetitive work, freeing employees to focus on higher-value activities.

Agents can understand context, reason through problems, and integrate with core Workspace apps such as Gmail, Drive, and Chat, as well as enterprise platforms like Asana, Jira, Mailchimp, and Salesforce.

Early adopters, including cleaning solutions leader Kärcher, have utilised Workspace Studio to streamline workflows, reducing planning time by up to 90% and consolidating multiple tasks into a single minute.

Workspace Studio allows users to build agents using templates or natural language prompts, making automation accessible to non-specialists. Agents can manage status reports, reminders, email triage, and critical tasks, such as legal notices or travel requests.

Teams can also easily share agents, ensuring collaboration and consistency across workflows.

The rollout to business customers will continue over the coming weeks. Users can start creating agents immediately, explore templates, use prompts for automations, and join the Gemini Alpha program to test early features and controls.

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Google boosts Nigeria’s AI development

The US tech giant, Google, has announced a $2.1 million Google.org commitment to support Nigeria’s AI-powered future, aiming to strengthen local talent and improve digital safety nationwide.

An initiative that supports Nigeria’s National AI Strategy and its ambition to create one million digital jobs, recognising the economic potential of AI, which could add $15 billion to the country’s economy by 2030.

The investment focuses on developing advanced AI skills among students and developers instead of limiting progress to short-term training schemes.

Google will fund programmes led by expert partners such as FATE Foundation, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and the African Technology Forum.

Their work will introduce advanced AI curricula into universities and provide developers with structured, practical routes from training to building real-world products.

The commitment also expands digital safety initiatives so communities can participate securely in the digital economy.

Junior Achievement Africa will scale Google’s ‘Be Internet Awesome’ curriculum to help families understand safe online behaviour, while the CyberSafe Foundation will deliver cybersecurity training and technical assistance to public institutions, strengthening national digital resilience.

Google aims to create more opportunities similar to those of Nigerian learners who used digital skills to secure full-time careers instead of remaining excluded from the digital economy.

By combining advanced AI training with improved digital safety, the company intends to support inclusive growth and build long-term capacity across Nigeria.

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SAP elevates customer support with proactive AI systems

AI has pushed customer support into a new era, where anticipation replaces reaction. SAP has built a proactive model that predicts issues, prevents failures and keeps critical systems running smoothly instead of relying on queues and manual intervention.

Major sales events, such as Cyber Week and Singles Day, demonstrated the impact of this shift, with uninterrupted service and significant growth in transaction volumes and order numbers.

Self-service now resolves most issues before they reach an engineer, as structured knowledge supports AI agents that respond instantly with a confidence level that matches human performance.

Tools such as the Auto Response Agent and Incident Solution Matching enable customers to retrieve solutions without having to search through lengthy documentation.

SAP has also prepared organisations scaling AI by offering support systems tailored for early deployment.

Engineers have benefited from AI as much as customers. Routine tasks are handled automatically, allowing experts to focus on problems that demand insight instead of administration.

Language optimisation, routing suggestions, and automatic error categorisation support faster and more accurate resolutions. SAP validates every AI tool internally before release, which it views as a safeguard for responsible adoption.

The company maintains that AI will augment staff rather than replace them. Creative and analytical work becomes increasingly important as automation handles repetitive tasks, and new roles emerge in areas such as AI training and data stewardship.

SAP argues that progress relies on a balanced relationship between human judgement and machine intelligence, strengthened by partnerships that turn enterprise data into measurable outcomes.

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Canada sets national guidelines for equitable AI

Yesterday, Canada released the CAN-ASC-6.2 – Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence Systems standard, marking the first national standard focused specifically on accessible AI.

A framework that ensures AI systems are inclusive, fair, and accessible from design through deployment. Its release coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, emphasising Canada’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

The standard guides organisations and developers in creating AI that accommodates people with disabilities, promotes fairness, prevents exclusion, and maintains accessibility throughout the AI lifecycle.

It provides practical processes for equity in AI development and encourages education on accessible AI practices.

The standard was developed by a technical committee composed largely of people with disabilities and members of equity-deserving groups, incorporating public feedback from Canadians of diverse backgrounds.

Approved by the Standards Council of Canada, CAN-ASC-6.2 meets national requirements for standards development and aligns with international best practices.

Moreover, the standard is available for free in both official languages and accessible formats, including plain language, American Sign Language and Langue des signes québécoise.

By setting clear guidelines, Canada aims to ensure AI serves all citizens equitably and strengthens workforce inclusion, societal participation, and technological fairness.

An initiative that highlights Canada’s leadership in accessible technology and provides a practical tool for organisations to implement inclusive AI systems.

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