Sustainable development

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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Uzbekistan sets principles for responsible AI

A new ethical framework for the development and use of AI technologies has been adopted by Uzbekistan.

The rules, prepared by the Ministry of Digital Technologies, establish unified standards for developers, implementing organisations and users of AI systems, ensuring AI respects human rights, privacy and societal trust.

A framework that is part of presidential decrees and resolutions aimed at advancing AI innovation across the country. It also emphasises legality, transparency, fairness, accountability, and continuous human oversight.

AI systems must avoid discrimination based on gender, nationality, religion, language or social origin.

Developers are required to ensure algorithmic clarity, assess risks and bias in advance, and prevent AI from causing harm to individuals, society, the state or the environment.

Users of AI systems must comply with legislation, safeguard personal data, and operate technologies responsibly. Any harm caused during AI development or deployment carries legal liability.

The Ministry of Digital Technologies will oversee standards, address ethical concerns, foster industry cooperation, and improve digital literacy across Uzbekistan.

An initiative that aligns with broader efforts to prepare Uzbekistan for AI adoption in healthcare, education, transport, space, and other sectors.

By establishing clear ethical principles, the country aims to strengthen trust in AI applications and ensure responsible and secure use nationwide.

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UNESCO launches AI guidelines for courts and tribunals

UNESCO has launched new Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals to ensure AI strengthens rather than undermines human-led justice. The initiative arrives as courts worldwide face millions of pending cases and limited resources.

In Argentina, AI-assisted legal tools have increased case processing by nearly 300%, while automated transcription in Egypt is improving court efficiency.

Judicial systems are increasingly encountering AI-generated evidence, AI-assisted sentencing, and automated administrative processes. AI misuse can have serious consequences, as seen in the UK High Court where false AI-generated arguments caused delays, extra costs, and fines.

UNESCO’s Guidelines aim to prevent such risks by emphasising human oversight, auditability, and ethical AI use.

The Guidelines outline 15 principles and provide recommendations for judicial organisations and individual judges throughout the AI lifecycle. They also serve as a benchmark for developing national and regional standards.

UNESCO’s Judges’ Initiative, which has trained over 36,000 judicial operators in 160 countries, played a key role in shaping and peer-reviewing the Guidelines.

The official launch will take place at the Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law in London on 4 December 2025. UNESCO aims for the standards to ensure responsible AI use, improve court efficiency, and uphold public trust in the judiciary.

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FCA launches AI Live Testing for UK financial firms

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has launched an AI Live Testing initiative to help firms safely deploy AI in financial markets. Major companies, including NatWest, Monzo, Santander, Scottish Widows, Gain Credit, Homeprotect, and Snorkl, are participating in the first cohort.

Firms receive tailored guidance from the FCA and its technical partner, Advai, to develop and assess AI applications responsibly.

AI testing focuses on retail financial services, exploring uses such as debt resolution, financial advice, improving customer engagement, streamlining complaints handling, and supporting smarter spending and saving decisions.

The project aims to answer key questions around evaluation frameworks, governance, live monitoring, and risk management to protect both consumers and markets.

Jessica Rusu, FCA chief data officer, said the initiative helps firms use AI safely while guiding the FCA on its impact in UK financial services. The project complements the FCA’s Supercharged Sandbox, which supports firms in earlier experimentation phases.

Applications for the second AI Live Testing cohort open in January 2026, with participating firms able to start testing in April. Insights from the initiative will inform FCA AI policy, supporting innovation while ensuring responsible deployment.

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Texas makes historic investment with $5 million Bitcoin purchase

Texas has become the first US state to fund a strategic cryptocurrency reserve, purchasing approximately $5 million in Bitcoin through BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.

The move follows Governor Greg Abbott signing Senate Bill 21, allowing the comptroller’s office to create a public crypto reserve. states, such as New Hampshire and Arizona, have passed similar bills, but Texas is the first to execute an actual purchase.

The ETF acquisition acts as a temporary measure while the state finalises a contract with a cryptocurrency custodian. Comptroller representatives called the purchase a ‘placeholder investment’ while reviewing bids for a permanent custodian.

Lawmakers have allocated $10 million to the reserve, a small portion of Texas’ $338 billion budget, yet supporters argue it marks an important step for the growing crypto industry.

Bitcoin prices have fluctuated significantly this year, peaking above $126,000 in October before dropping to around $85,000 recently. The state’s purchase at roughly $87,000 per bitcoin reflects ongoing market volatility.

Advocates see the investment as forward-looking, citing potential long-term benefits in job creation, tax revenue, and digital asset adoption.

Critics remain sceptical, warning that public crypto investments carry high risk and may favour industry interests over taxpayers. Some economists criticised the move as conflicting with Texas’ conservative fiscal approach and risky government speculation.

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