European data and legal software stocks fell sharply after US AI startup Anthropic launched a new tool for corporate legal teams. The company said the software can automate contract reviews, compliance workflows, and document triage, while clarifying that it does not offer legal advice.
Investors reacted swiftly, sending shares in Pearson, RELX, Sage, Wolters Kluwer, London Stock Exchange Group, and Experian sharply lower. Thomson Reuters also suffered a steep decline, reflecting concern that AI tools could erode demand for traditional data-driven services.
Market commentators warned that broader adoption of AI in professional services could compress margins or bypass established providers altogether. Morgan Stanley flagged intensifying competition, while AJ Bell pointed to rising investor anxiety across the sector.
The sell-off also revived debate over AI’s impact on employment, particularly in legal and other office-based roles. Recent studies suggest the UK may face greater disruption than other large economies as companies adopt AI tools, even as productivity gains continue to rise.
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The United Arab Emirates is strengthening its global tech role by treating advanced innovation as a pillar of sovereignty rather than a standalone growth driver. National strategy increasingly links technology with long-term economic resilience, security, and geopolitical relevance.
A key milestone was the launch of the UAE Advanced Technology Centre with the Technology Innovation Institute and the World Economic Forum, announced alongside the Davos gathering.
The initiative highlights the UAE’s transition from technology consumer to active participant in shaping global governance frameworks for emerging technologies.
The centre focuses on policy and governance for areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, robotics, and space-based payment systems.
Backed by a flexible regulatory environment, the UAE is promoting regulatory experimentation and translating research into real-world applications through institutions such as the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and innovation hubs like Masdar City.
Alongside innovation, authorities are addressing rising digital risks, particularly deepfake technologies that threaten financial systems, public trust, and national security.
By combining governance, ethical standards, and international cooperation, the UAE is advancing a model of digital sovereignty that prioritises security, shared benefits, and long-term strategic independence.
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The Second International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit opened this week in Porto, Portugal, bringing together senior officials from governments, international organisations, and industry to address the growing risks facing the underwater cables that carry most of the world’s internet traffic. The event highlighted how submarine cables have become critical infrastructure for the global digital economy, especially as societies grow more dependent on cloud services, AI, and cross-border data flows.
Opening the summit, Ambassador João Mira Gomes, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations Office at Geneva, explained that Portugal’s infrastructure minister was absent due to ongoing storm recovery efforts, underlining the real-world pressures facing critical infrastructure today. He recalled Portugal’s long history in global connectivity, noting that one of the earliest submarine cables linking Portugal and the United Kingdom was built to support the port wine trade, a reminder that communication networks and economic exchange have long evolved together.
Professor Sandra Maximiano, co-chair of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience, placed the discussions in a broader historical context. She pointed to the creation of the International Telecommunication Union in 1865 as the first global organisation dedicated to managing international communications, stressing that cooperation on submarine cables has always been a ‘positive-sum game’ in which all countries benefit from shared rules and coordination.
Maximiano also highlighted Portugal’s strategic role as a cable hub, citing its extensive coastline, large exclusive economic zone, and favourable landing conditions connecting Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. She outlined key projects such as the Atlantic CAM system linking mainland Portugal with Madeira and the Azores using a resilient ring design and smart cable technology that combines telecommunications with seismic and oceanographic monitoring. Existing and planned systems, she said, are not just data pipelines but foundations for innovation, scientific cooperation, and strategic autonomy.
A major outcome of the summit was the adoption of the Porto Declaration on Submarine Cable Resilience, developed with input from more than 150 experts worldwide. The declaration sets out practical guidance to improve permitting and repair processes, strengthen legal frameworks, promote route diversity and risk mitigation, and enhance capacity-building, with special attention to the needs of small island states and developing countries.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin framed these efforts within a rapidly changing digital landscape, announcing that 2026 will be designated the ‘year of resilience.’ She warned that the scale of global digital dependence has transformed the impact of cable disruptions, as even minor outages can ripple across AI systems, cloud platforms, and autonomous services. Resilience, she argued, now depends as much on international coordination and preparedness as on cable design itself.
From the European Union perspective, European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen outlined upcoming EU measures, including a submarine cable security toolbox and targeted funding through the Connecting Europe Facility. She stressed the importance of regional coordination and praised Portugal’s active role in aligning EU initiatives with global efforts led by the ITU.
Closing the opening session, Ambassador Gomes linked cable resilience to broader goals of development and peace, warning that digital divides fuel inequality and instability, and reaffirming Portugal’s commitment to international cooperation and capacity-building as the summit moves the global conversation from policy to action.
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OpenAI faced a wave of global complaints after many users struggled to access ChatGPT.
Reports began circulating in the US during the afternoon, with outage cases climbing to more than 12.000 in less than half an hour. Social media quickly filled with questions from people trying to determine whether the disruption was widespread or a local glitch.
Also, users in the UK reported complete failure to generate responses, yet access returned when they switched to a US-based VPN.
Other regions saw mixed results, as VPNs in Ireland, Canada, India and Poland allowed ChatGPT to function, although replies were noticeably slower instead of consistent.
OpenAI later confirmed that several services were experiencing elevated errors. Engineers identified the source of the disruption, introduced mitigations and continued monitoring the recovery.
The company stressed that users in many regions might still experience intermittent problems while the system stabilises rather than operating at full capacity.
In the following update, OpenAI announced that its systems were fully operational again.
The status page indicated that the affected services had recovered, and engineers were no longer aware of active issues. The company added that the underlying fault was addressed, with further safeguards being developed to prevent similar incidents.
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Researchers at Incheon National University have developed biodegradable gas sensors designed to reduce electronic waste while improving air quality monitoring. The technology targets nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to fossil fuel combustion and respiratory diseases.
The sensors are built using organic field-effect transistors, a lightweight and low-energy alternative suited for portable environmental monitoring devices. OFET-based systems are also easier to manufacture compared with traditional silicon electronics.
To create the sensing layer, the research team blended an organic semiconductor polymer, P3HT, with a biodegradable material, PBS. Each polymer was prepared separately in chloroform before being combined into a uniform solution.
Performance varied with solvent composition, with mixtures of chloroform and dichlorobenzene yielding the most consistent and sensitive sensor structures. High PBS concentrations remained effective without compromising detection accuracy.
Project lead Professor Park said the approach balances sustainability and performance, particularly for use in natural environments. The biodegradable design could contribute to long-term pollution monitoring and waste reduction.
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Technology firms in China are rolling out large cash incentive campaigns to attract users to their AI chatbots ahead of the expected launch of new AI models later this month.
Alibaba Group has earmarked CNY 3 billion for users of its Qwen AI app, with the promotion beginning on 6 February to coincide with Lunar New Year celebrations.
Tencent Holdings and Baidu have announced similar offers, together committing around CNY 1.5 billion in cash rewards and consumer electronics, including smartphones and televisions.
To qualify for prizes, users must register on the platforms and interact with the chatbots during the promotional period by asking questions or completing everyday planning tasks.
The incentives reflect intensifying competition with global developers such as Google and OpenAI, while also strengthening efforts to position China-based firms as potential local AI partners for Apple in the Chinese market.
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Oracle is expanding AI data centres across the United States while pairing infrastructure growth with workforce development through its philanthropic education programme, Oracle Academy.
The initiative provides schools and educators with curriculum, cloud tools, software, and hands-on training designed to prepare students for enterprise-scale technology roles increasingly linked to AI operations.
As demand for specialised skills rises, Oracle Academy is introducing Data Centre Technician courses to fast-track learners into permanent roles supporting AI infrastructure development and maintenance.
The programme already works with hundreds of institutions across multiple US states, including Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, spanning disciplines from computer science and engineering to construction management and supply chain studies.
Alongside new courses in machine learning, generative AI, and analytics, Oracle says the approach is intended to close skills gaps and ensure local communities benefit from the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
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About 50 residents of Quilicura, an urban community near Chile’s capital, spent a day answering thousands of questions and creating hand-drawn images through a human-powered chatbot called Quili.AI, designed to demonstrate alternatives to instant AI responses and raise awareness of the hidden environmental toll of AI infrastructure.
Participants responded to more than 25,000 global requests, often taking minutes for answers and sketches that would be instantaneous with commercial AI models.
The project, organised by environmental group Corporación NGEN, emphasised that AI systems, especially data centres that host them, consume large amounts of electricity and water, with Quilicura itself becoming a hub for data centres run by major cloud providers.
Organisers said the human chatbot wasn’t an argument against AI’s value but a way to prompt reflection on responsible and sustainable use, especially in regions facing water scarcity and climate stresses like drought and wildfires.
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At the Summit for Clinical Operations Executives (SCOPE) 2026, major players in life sciences showcased artificial intelligence-enabled systems built to accelerate and optimise oncology clinical trials.
Massive Bio’s TrialRelay uses AI routing (“TrialRouter”) to orchestrate the enrolment process, reducing the risk that patients are lost in the referral pipeline after being matched to a study.
ConcertAI’s Accelerated Clinical Trials (ACT) platform, powered by its proprietary agentic AI, integrates real-world and proprietary datasets with advanced workflows to shorten trial timelines by 10–20 months, improve study design and reduce costly amendments, helping sponsors and contract research organisations (CROs) bring therapies to patients faster.
AI adoption in clinical research is rising across recruitment, trial design, data handling and operational forecasting, though integration challenges, regulatory alignment and rapid technological change remain obstacles.
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Web Summit Qatar is underway in Doha, drawing startups, investors, and technology leaders to discuss emerging trends shaping the global digital economy. Early sessions featured startup pitches, investor meetings, and discussions on AI, quantum technologies, and the creator economy.
More than 1,600 startups are taking part, with around 85% arriving from outside Qatar, joined by nearly 1,000 investors. Funds such as Amino Capital, Greycroft, and 500 Global are scouting opportunities, as journalists cover debates on tech geopolitics and innovation policy.
Germany is marking its strongest showing to date, bringing more than 200 startups, investors, and decision-makers. The German Pavilion showcases AI, cybersecurity, deep tech, and industrial innovation, highlighting plans to deepen cooperation with regional partners.
Beyond visibility, the summit emphasises partnerships, market entry, and long-term collaboration. Organisers and participants point to growing ties between Germany and Qatar as both countries seek to deepen cooperation across advanced technology and innovation ecosystems.
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