Nvidia’s plans to export its H200 AI chips to China remain pending nearly two months after US President Donald Trump approved. A national security review is still underway before licences can be issued to Chinese customers.
Chinese companies have delayed new H200 orders while awaiting clarity on licence approvals and potential conditions, according to people familiar with the discussions. The uncertainty has slowed anticipated demand and affected production planning across Nvidia’s supply chain.
In January, the US Commerce Department eased H200 export restrictions to China but required licence applications to be reviewed by the departments of State, Defence, and Energy.
Commerce has completed its analysis, but inter-agency discussions continue, with the US State Department seeking additional safeguards.
The export framework, which also applies to AMD, introduces conditions related to shipment allocation, testing, and end-use reporting. Until the review process concludes, Nvidia and prospective Chinese buyers remain unable to proceed with confirmed transactions.
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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a generative AI model to guide scientists through the complex process of materials synthesis, a significant bottleneck in materials discovery.
DiffSyn uses diffusion-based AI to suggest multiple synthesis routes for a material, factoring in temperature, reaction time, and precursor ratios. Unlike earlier tools tied to single recipes, DiffSyn reflects the laboratory reality in which multiple pathways can produce the same material.
The system achieved state-of-the-art accuracy on zeolites, a challenging material class used in catalysis and chemical processing. Using DiffSyn’s recommendations, the team synthesised a new zeolite with improved thermal stability, confirming the model’s practical value.
The researchers believe the approach could be extended beyond zeolites to other complex materials, eventually integrating with automated experiments to shorten the path from theoretical design to real-world application dramatically.
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The UN 2.0 Data & Digital Community AI Expo examined how AI is currently embedded within the operational, analytical and institutional work of the United Nations system. The session brought together a range of AI applications already in use across UN entities, offering a consolidated view of how data-driven tools are supporting mandates related to development, humanitarian action, human rights and internal organisational capacity.
Designed as a fast‑paced showcase, the event presented eight specific AI projects from various UN organisations within a one-hour window. These featured programmes were selected by the UN AI Resource Hub, which is a significant collaborative initiative involving over 50 UN entities. The hub serves to strengthen coordination and coherence regarding AI technologies across the entire UN system.
The Expo highlighted how AI interacts with data availability, governance frameworks, and legal obligations. The session therefore functioned as an overview of current practice, revealing both the scope of AI use and the constraints shaping its deployment within a multilateral institution.
UN 2.0, data and digital capacity
UN 2.0 frames data and digital capability as core institutional functions necessary for addressing complex global challenges. Increasing volumes of information, rapidly evolving risks and interconnected crises require tools that support analysis, coordination and timely decision-making.
Within this framework, AI is treated as one component of a broader digital ecosystem. Its effectiveness depends on data quality, governance structures, organisational readiness and ethical oversight. The AI Expo reflected this approach by consistently situating the use of AI within existing mandates and institutional responsibilities, rather than presenting technology as a standalone solution.
UNICEF: Guidance on AI and children
UNICEF addressed how AI systems affect children across education, health, protection, and social services. The guidance focuses on governance frameworks that protect children’s rights in digital environments where automated systems increasingly shape access and outcomes.
Key risks highlighted include profiling, algorithmic bias, data misuse, and exclusion from digital benefits. Safeguards such as transparency, accountability, accessibility, and human oversight are emphasised as essential conditions for any AI system involving children.
The guidance, now in its third edition from December 2025, draws on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and sets out 10 requirements for child-centred AI, including safety, data privacy, non-discrimination, transparency, inclusion, and support for children’s well-being and development.
By anchoring AI governance within established child rights frameworks, the guidance positions technological development as subject to existing international obligations rather than discretionary policy choices. It highlights both the risks of AI, such as harmful content, CSAM, and algorithmic bias, and the opportunities, including enhanced learning, accessibility for children with disabilities, and improved child well-being.
UN-Habitat: BEAM AI (Building & Establishment Automated Mapper)
UN-Habitat presented BEAM, a machine-learning system designed to analyse satellite and aerial imagery to identify buildings and settlement patterns. Rapid urbanisation and the growth of informal settlements often outpace traditional data collection methods, leaving governments without accurate information for planning and service delivery.
AI-supported mapping addresses these gaps by generating up-to-date spatial data at scale. Outputs support decisions related to housing, water, sanitation, infrastructure investment, and risk reduction. It identifies and geo-references rooftops, generating shapefiles for urban planning processes.
Applied in South Africa and Central America, the system has mapped millions of previously unrecorded buildings, providing comprehensive spatial data where none existed before and supporting evidence-based decision-making in rapidly evolving urban areas.
UNFPA: AI platform for adolescents and youth
UNFPA focused on AI-supported platforms designed to improve access to information for adolescents and youth, particularly in areas related to sexual and reproductive health and mental well-being. Many young people face barriers linked to stigma, lack of confidentiality and uneven access to services.
UNFPA India’s JustAsk! AI chatbot provide guidance that is age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and aligned with ethical and rights-based standards. The system helps users navigate health information, counter misinformation, and connect with relevant services when needed, including mental health support and sexual health facilities.
The design of these platforms emphasises privacy, safety, and responsible AI use, ensuring that interactions remain trustworthy and secure for young people. By leveraging AI, UNFPA supports youth-facing services, reaching populations that may otherwise have limited access to accurate and confidential information, particularly in regions where traditional in-person services are scarce or difficult to access.
IOM: Donor intelligence
IOM showcased an emerging AI project designed to strengthen donor intelligence and improve funding strategies. Following significant funding cuts and increasing competition for resources, the organisation explored new ways to diversify funding, identify opportunities and better align proposals after years of consistent rejections.
To ensure the solution addressed real operational needs, the team organised discovery workshops to identify pain points and opportunities for technological support. Using a rapid‑iteration approach known as ‘vibe coding’, developers built and tested prototypes quickly, incorporating continuous user feedback and daily improvements.
A multi-agent AI system integrates internal and external data to generate comprehensive, up-to-date donor profiles. Specialised agents research, synthesise, and refine information, enabling the organisation to monitor donor priorities and shifts in real-time.
Better alignment of project designs with donor interests has successfully reversed the trend of frequent rejections. Securing new funding has allowed the organisation to resume previously suspended activities and restore essential support to migrant and displaced communities.
UNDP: AI Sprint
UNDP launched the AI Sprint as a strategic initiative to accelerate the adoption of AI across the organisation and to build internal capacity for the responsible and effective use of AI. The AI Sprint is designed to equip UNDP staff with the tools, knowledge and governance frameworks needed to harness AI in support of sustainable development and organisational transformation.
The AI Sprint is structured around multiple components, including building foundational AI awareness and skills, establishing ethical principles and frameworks for AI use, and supporting the deployment of high-impact AI initiatives that address key development challenges. It also contributes to country-level enablement by helping partner countries develop AI strategies, strengthen public sector AI capacity and scale AI-related programmes.
The initiative reflects UNDP’s effort to position the organisation as a leader in responsible AI for development, with the dedicated AI Working Group established to oversee responsible use, legal compliance, risk management and transparency in AI adoption.
The UNDP AI Sprint Initiative forms part of broader efforts to build AI capability and accelerate digital transformation across regions, offering training, strategy support and practical tools in countries worldwide.
Described as a dedicated data service, HRDx aims to consolidate data that is currently fragmented, siloed, unverified and often collected manually into a single, more reliable resource. This will allow for earlier detection and monitoring of patterns, thereby supporting human rights initiatives in the digital era.
Given that human rights are currently at a crossroads and increasingly at risk, with only 15% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track for 2030, the design prioritises data protection, security and accountability. This approach reflects the sensitive nature of such information, particularly as technology can also accelerate inequality, disinformation and digital surveillance.
HRDx forms part of a broader OHCHR strategy to utilise technology and data to identify trends rapidly and facilitate coordinated action. The initiative seeks to establish human rights data as a global public good, ensuring that ethical data governance and the protection of personal data remain fundamental requirements for its operation.
UN Global Pulse: DISHA (Data Insights for Social & Humanitarian Action)
UN Global Pulse has established a collaborative coalition known as DISHA, or Data Insights for Social and Humanitarian Action, to bridge the gap between experimental technology and its practical application.
This partnership focuses on refining and deploying AI-enabled analytics to support critical humanitarian decision-making, ensuring that the most effective tools transition from mere pilots to routine operational use. By fostering cross-sector partnerships and securing authorised access to dynamic data, the project aims to equip humanitarian organisations with the high-level insights necessary to respond to crises with greater speed and precision.
The practical utility of this effort is demonstrated through several key analytical applications designed to address immediate needs on the ground. One such tool significantly accelerates disaster damage assessment, reducing the time required for analysis from weeks or days to just a few hours. In the Philippines, the initiative uses an evergreen data partnership with Globe Telecom to monitor population mobility and dynamically track displacement trends following a disaster.
Furthermore, a shelter-mapping pilot project uses satellite imagery to automatically identify refugee shelters at scale, providing a clearer picture of humanitarian requirements in real time.
A central focus of the DISHA initiative is to overcome the persistent barriers that prevent the humanitarian sector from adopting these advanced solutions. By addressing these governance considerations and focusing on the productisation of AI approaches, the initiative ensures that analytical outputs are not only technically sound but also directly aligned with the live operational requirements of responders during a crisis.
WIPO: Breaking language barriers with AI
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has implemented an AI system to automate the transcription and translation of international meetings. Developed by the Advanced Technology Applications Center (ATAC), the WIPO Speech-to-Text tool produces automated transcripts in minutes. These custom models are specifically trained on UN terminology and are designed to function despite background noise or non-native language accents.
The system captures spoken language directly from interpretation channels and publishes the results to the WIPO webcast platform, providing searchable access with timestamps for every word. When used alongside the WIPO Translate engine, the tool can generate machine translations in multiple additional languages.
Since its adoption for most public WIPO meetings in 2022, the initiative has delivered savings of several million Swiss francs. The infrastructure supports highly confidential content and allows for installation within an organisation’s secure framework. WIPO is currently sharing this technology with other organisations and developing a software-as-a-service (SaaS) API to expand its availability.
Across the UN system, initiatives demonstrate a shift toward a more capable, data‑driven, and ethically grounded approach to global operations, highlighting the use of technological tools to strengthen human rights, accountability and multilateral cooperation.
When applied responsibly, AI enhances human expertise, enabling more precise monitoring, planning and decision-making across development, humanitarian action, human rights and internal organisational functions. Ethical safeguards, governance frameworks and oversight mechanisms are embedded from the outset to ensure that innovations operate within established norms.
Overall, these developments reflect a broader institutional transformation, with the UN increasingly equipped to manage complexity, respond to crises with precision, and uphold its mandates with agility in the digital era.
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A cautious mood spread across global markets as US stocks declined and Bitcoin slid to its lowest level since late 2024. Technology and software shares led losses, pushing major indices to their weakest performance in two weeks.
Bitcoin fell sharply before stabilising, remaining well below its October peak despite continued pro-crypto messaging from Washington. Gold and silver moved higher during the session, reinforcing their appeal as defensive assets amid rising uncertainty.
Investor sentiment weakened after Anthropic unveiled new legal-focused features for its Claude chatbot, reviving fears of disruption across software and data-driven business models. Analysts at Morgan Stanley pointed to rotation within the technology sector, with investors reducing exposure to software stocks.
Geopolitical tensions intensified after reports of US military action involving Iran, pushing oil prices higher and increasing market volatility. Combined AI uncertainty, geopolitical risk, and shifting safe-haven flows continue to weigh on equities and digital assets alike.
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The Supreme Court of India has delivered a forceful warning to Meta after judges said the company could not play with the right to privacy.
The court questioned how WhatsApp monetises personal data in a country where the app has become the de facto communications tool for hundreds of millions of people. Judges added that meaningful consent is difficult when users have little practical choice.
Meta was told not to share any user information while the appeal over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy continues. Judges pressed the company to explain the value of behavioural data instead of relying solely on claims about encrypted messages.
The case stems from a major update to WhatsApp’s data-sharing rules that India’s competition regulator said abused the platform’s dominant position.
A significant penalty was issued before Meta and WhatsApp challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court. The court has now widened the proceedings by adding the IT ministry and has asked Meta to provide detailed answers before the next hearing on 9 February.
WhatsApp is also under heightened scrutiny worldwide as regulators examine how encrypted platforms analyse metadata and other signals.
In India, broader regulatory changes, such as new SIM-binding rules, could restrict how small businesses use the service rather than broadening its commercial reach.
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AI is widening the cyber risk landscape and forcing security teams to rethink established safeguards. Microsoft has updated its Secure Development Lifecycle to address AI-specific threats across design, deployment and monitoring.
The updated approach reflects how AI can blur trust boundaries by combining data, tools, APIs and agents in one workflow. New attack paths include prompts, plugins, retrieved content and model updates, raising risks such as prompt injection and data poisoning.
Microsoft says policy alone cannot manage non-deterministic systems and fast iteration cycles. Guidance now centres on practical engineering patterns, tight feedback loops and cross-team collaboration between research, governance and development.
Its SDL for AI is organised around six pillars: threat research, adaptive policy, shared standards, workforce enablement, cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement. Microsoft says the aim is to embed security into every stage of AI development.
The company also highlights new safeguards, including AI-specific threat modelling, observability, memory protections and stronger identity controls for agent workflows. Microsoft says more detailed guidance will follow in the coming months.
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The British regulator, Ofcom, has released an update on its investigation into X after reports that the Grok chatbot had generated sexual deepfakes of real people, including minors.
As such, the regulator initiated a formal inquiry to assess whether X took adequate steps to manage the spread of such material and to remove it swiftly.
X has since introduced measures to limit the distribution of manipulated images, while the ICO and regulators abroad have opened parallel investigations.
The Online Safety Act does not cover all chatbot services, as regulation depends on whether a system enables user interactions, provides search functionality, or produces pornographic material.
Many AI chatbots fall partly or entirely outside the Act’s scope, limiting regulators’ ability to act when harmful content is created during one-to-one interactions.
Ofcom cannot currently investigate the standalone Grok service for producing illegal images because the Act does not cover that form of generation.
Evidence-gathering from X continues, with legally binding information requests issued to the company. Ofcom will offer X a full opportunity to present representations before any provisional findings are published.
Enforcement actions take several months, since regulators must follow strict procedural safeguards to ensure decisions are robust and defensible.
Ofcom added that people who encounter harmful or illegal content online are encouraged to report it directly to the relevant platforms. Incidents involving intimate images can be reported to dedicated services for adults or support schemes for minors.
Material that may constitute child sexual abuse should be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation.
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The European Commission has missed a key deadline to issue guidance on how companies should classify high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act, fuelling uncertainty around the landmark law’s implementation.
Guidance on Article 6, which defines high-risk AI systems and stricter compliance rules, was due by early February. Officials have indicated that feedback is still being integrated, with a revised draft expected later this month and final adoption potentially slipping to spring.
The delay follows warnings that regulators and businesses are unprepared for the act’s most complex rules, due to apply from August. Brussels has suggested delaying high-risk obligations under its Digital Omnibus package, citing unfinished standards and the need for legal clarity.
Industry groups want enforcement delayed until guidance and standards are finalised, while some lawmakers warn repeated slippage could undermine confidence in the AI Act. Critics warn further changes could deepen uncertainty if proposed revisions fail or disrupt existing timelines.
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The European Commission plans to decide by early 2026 whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT should be classified as a vast online platform under the Digital Services Act.
OpenAI’s tool reported 120.4 million average monthly users in the EU back in October, a figure far above the 45-million threshold that triggers more onerous obligations instead of lighter oversight.
Officials said the designation procedure depends on both quantitative and qualitative assessments of how a service operates, together with input from national authorities.
The Commission is examining whether a standalone AI chatbot can fall within the scope of rules usually applied to platforms such as social networks, online marketplaces and significant search engines.
ChatGPT’s user data largely stems from its integrated online search feature, which prompts users to allow the chatbot to search the web. The Commission noted that OpenAI could voluntarily meet the DSA’s risk-reduction obligations while the formal assessment continues.
The EU’s latest wave of designations included Meta’s WhatsApp, though the rules applied only to public channels, not private messaging.
A decision on ChatGPT that will clarify how far the bloc intends to extend its most stringent online governance framework to emerging AI systems.
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The cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor has raided the French office of X as part of an expanding investigation into alleged algorithm manipulation and illicit data extraction.
Authorities said the probe began in 2025 after a lawmaker warned that biassed algorithms on the platform might have interfered with automated data systems. Europol supported the operation together with national cybercrime officers.
Prosecutors confirmed that the investigation now includes allegations of complicity in circulating child sex abuse material, sexually explicit deepfakes and denial of crimes against humanity.
Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for questioning in April in their roles as senior figures of the company at the time.
The prosecutor’s office also announced its departure from X in favour of LinkedIn and Instagram, rather than continuing to use the platform under scrutiny.
X strongly rejected the accusations and described the raid as politically motivated. Musk claimed authorities should focus on pursuing sex offenders instead of targeting the company.
The platform’s government affairs team said the investigation amounted to law enforcement theatre rather than a legitimate examination of serious offences.
Regulatory pressure increased further as the UK data watchdog opened inquiries into both X and xAI over concerns about Grok producing sexualised deepfakes. Ofcom is already conducting a separate investigation that is expected to take months.
The widening scrutiny reflects growing unease around alleged harmful content, political interference and the broader risks linked to large-scale AI systems.
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