United Nations Environment Programme – Global Resource Information Database

The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva (GRID-Geneva) is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), and the University of Geneva (UNIGE). With a team of 20 environment data scientists, GRID-Geneva’s main role is to transform data into information and knowledge to support the decision-making process related to environmental issues.

The GRID-Geneva partnership brings a powerful science policy interface: with UNIGE for solid science, large computation facilities, and the Swiss government to advise and support policies, providing strong support to the UN Environment Programme. UNEP/GRID-Geneva is incorporated in the Big Data Branch, within the Early Warning and Assessment Division of UNEP. It is also part of the One Global Partnership, which includes more than 15 centres worldwide, working together to keep the environment under review and support UNEP with data processing.

Digital activities

GRID-Geneva generates various types of resources such as data, data platforms, publications, visuals (maps, graphs, posters), storymaps or multimedia content. GRID-Geneva’s scientists can process satellite imagery using remote sensing software, create models from geospatial data using GIS, and generate interactive maps and graphs for automatic updates. GRID-Geneva also specialises in the design and maintenance of data platforms for supporting UNEP (e.g. with the World Environment Situation Room), Ramsar, and many other organisations and environmental conventions. It manages numerous high-quality geospatial data sets at various scales (global, continental, national, and subnational) on a variety of environment-related themes. GRID-Geneva also promotes the use of other relevant data platforms, and its scientists are also providing conferences, capacity building, and teaching about environmental issues/solutions, or data science.

Digital policy issues

Environment and sustainable development

GRID-Geneva is a key centre of geospatial know-how, with strengths in GIS, remote sensing, and statistical analyses, integrated through modern spatial data infrastructures and web applications. Working at the interface between scientific information and policy/decision-making, GRID-Geneva also helps to develop capacities in these fields of expertise among target audiences, countries, and other groups.

Database

Maintain, update and improve databases related to environmental issues, including metadata. For supporting the creation of data and indicators, monitoring trends, and supporting UNEP and other parties in their assessment and reporting processes.

Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)

Continue to keep up with the latest technologies and standards, such as those from the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) for data dissemination via web services and contributing to the improvement of data dissemination, linked data, and data dissemination for the provision of near-real-time data and automatic updates.

Interactive Mapping Platforms

GRID-Geneva has developed strong expertise in creating interactive mapping platforms for displaying, analysing, and sharing geospatial data. These platforms are designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a wide audience, including citizens, businesses, policymakers, and the scientific community.

Serving as a global entry point, it connects users to high-quality, real-world projects with tangible geospatial data and measurable impact on people and countries.

Remote sensing

GRID-Geneva is using the latest technologies for processing satellite imagery (e.g. data cube, image object analysis) as well as usual remote sensing techniques. It will continue to maintain such skills and will contribute to supporting the three Parties and other partners with remote sensing analysis. This can be used for monitoring trends in environmental status. Automation of remote sensing analysis, conversion of raster data to graphs, and capacity building on these techniques are part of the key know-how from GRID-Geneva.

Live Graphs and Maps

With the introduction of UNEP Live, it is essential for UNEP to be able to feature near-real-time data and have it automatically updated. GRID-Geneva, in collaboration with data providers, can automate the data update to maintain data with the latest information available.

Capacity development

With the rapid change in technologies, GRID-Geneva has an important role in helping governments and ensuring that nobody is left behind. GRID-Geneva has developed several training packages on GIS, remote sensing, and SDI, and will keep providing support to various partners and governments to improve their skills in these domains. Capacity building is not only provided on technologies but also on themes. Online training can also be developed (e.g. through Massive Online Open Course (MOOC)).

Digital tools and initiatives

Data platforms

Data Analytics and Early Warning for Environment provides the latest data on numerous indicators and gives access to specific thematic platforms: live Earth, disaster risk, ecosystems for risk reduction, environmental hotspots, planetary boundaries, loss and damage, and climate change.

Interactive Country Fiches analyse environmental situations and performances of countries around the world.

The Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI) estimate the risk of infrastructure assets related to most major geological and climate-related hazards.

Opportunity mapping uses global data on ecosystems and hazards to identify areas where restoration or protection can best safeguard people.

The Climate change data platform contains up-to-date, relevant information about climate change indicators.

Social media channels

LinkedIn: @GRID Geneva

YouTube: @GRIDGeneva

SynthID Detector aims to boost transparency in AI content

Google has launched SynthID Detector, a verification portal designed to identify whether content was created using its AI models. The tool scans for SynthID, Google’s watermarking technology, which invisibly marks text, images, audio, and video generated by tools such as Gemini, Imagen, Lyria, and Veo.

The Detector highlights which parts of the content likely contain SynthID watermarks. These watermarks are invisible and do not affect the quality of the media. According to Google, over 10 billion pieces of AI-generated content have already been marked using SynthID.

Users can upload files to the SynthID Detector web portal, which then checks for the presence of watermarks. For example, the tool can identify specific segments in an audio file or regions in an image where watermarks are embedded.

Initially rolled out to early testers, the tool will become more widely available in the coming weeks. Google has also open sourced SynthID’s text watermarking technology to allow broader integration by developers.

The company says SynthID is part of a broader effort to address misinformation and improve transparency around AI-ge n erated content. Google emphasized the importance of working with the AI community to support content authenticity as AI tools become more widespread.

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Ransomware gang leaks French government emails

A ransomware gang has published what it claims is sensitive data from multiple French organisations on a dark web forum.

The Stormous cartel, active since 2022, posted the dataset as a ‘comprehensive leak’ allegedly involving high-profile French government bodies.

However, researchers from Cybernews examined the information and found the data’s quality questionable, with outdated MD5 password hashes indicating it could be from older breaches.

Despite its age, the dataset could still be dangerous if reused credentials are involved. Threat actors may exploit the leaked emails for phishing campaigns by impersonating government agencies to extract more sensitive details.

Cybernews noted that even weak password hashes can eventually be cracked, especially when stronger security measures weren’t in place at the time of collection.

Among the affected organisations are Agence Française de Développement, the Paris Region’s Regional Health Agency, and the Court of Audit.

The number of exposed email addresses varies, with some institutions having only a handful leaked while others face hundreds. The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI has yet to comment.

Last year, France faced another massive exposure incident affecting 95 million citizen records, adding to concerns about ongoing cyber vulnerabilities.

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Nvidia ramps up AI push with new Taiwan plans

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has urged Taiwan to embrace agentic AI and robotics to tackle its ongoing labour shortage.

Speaking before his departure from Taipei after a week-long visit, Huang said 2025 would be a ‘very exciting’ year for AI, as the technology now possesses the ability to ‘reason’ and carry out step-by-step problem-solving never encountered before.

The new wave of agentic AI, he explained, could assist people with various workplace and everyday tasks.

Huang added that Taiwan, despite being a hub of innovation, faces a lack of manpower. ‘Now with AI and robots, Taiwan can expand its opportunity,’ he said.

He also expressed enthusiasm over the production ramp-up of Blackwell, Nvidia’s latest GPU architecture built for AI workloads, noting that partners across Taiwan are already in full swing.

Huang’s trip included meetings with local partners and a keynote at Computex Taipei, where he unveiled Nvidia’s new Taiwan office and plans for the country’s first large-scale AI supercomputer.

In a TV interview, Huang urged the Taiwanese government to invest more in energy infrastructure to support the growing AI sector. He warned that the energy demands of AI development could exceed 100 megawatts in the near future, stressing that energy availability is the key limitation.

Taiwan’s expanding AI ecosystem — from chip plants to educational institutions — would require substantial support to thrive, he said, pledging to return for Chinese New Year.

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Silicon Valley fights over AI elite

Silicon Valley’s race to dominate AI has shifted focus from data centres and algorithms to a more human battlefield — elite researchers.

Since the arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022, the competition to attract and retain top AI minds has intensified, with companies offering staggering incentives to a tiny pool of experts.

Startups and tech giants alike are treating recruitment like a high-stakes game of chess. Former OpenAI researcher Ariel Herbert-Voss compared hiring strategies to balancing game pieces: ‘Do I have enough rooks? Enough knights?’

Companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Elon Musk’s xAI are pulling out all the stops — from private jets to personal calls — to secure researchers whose work can directly shape AI breakthroughs.

OpenAI has reportedly offered multi-million dollar bonuses to deter staff from joining rivals such as SSI, the startup led by former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever. Some retention deals include $2 million in bonuses and equity packages worth $20 million or more, with just a one-year commitment.

Google DeepMind has also joined the race with $20 million annual packages and fast-tracked stock vesting schedules for top researchers.

What makes this talent war so intense is the scarcity of these individuals. Experts estimate that only a few dozen to perhaps a thousand researchers are behind the most crucial advances in large language models.

With high-profile departures, such as OpenAI’s Mira Murati founding a new rival and recruiting 20 colleagues, the fight for AI’s brightest minds shows no signs of slowing.

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Microsoft gives Notepad AI writing powers

Microsoft has introduced a significant update to Notepad, version 11.2504.46.0, unveiling a new AI-powered ‘Write’ feature for Windows 11 users.

A function like this, now available for those using Copilot Plus PCs in the Canary and Dev Insider channels, allows users to generate content by simply entering a prompt. Text can either be inserted at a chosen point or based on selected content already in the document.

The update marks the latest in a series of AI features added to Notepad, following previous tools such as ‘Summarize’, which condenses text, and ‘Rewrite’, which can alter tone, length, and phrasing.

Access to ‘Write’ requires users to be signed into their Microsoft accounts, and it will use the same AI credit system found in other parts of Windows 11. Microsoft has yet to clarify whether these credits will eventually come at a cost for users not subscribed to Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro.

Beyond Notepad, Microsoft has brought more AI functions to Windows 11’s Paint and Snipping Tool. Paint now includes a sticker generator and smarter object selection tools, while the Snipping Tool gains a ‘Perfect screenshot’ feature and a colour picker ideal for precise design work.

These updates aim to make content creation more seamless and intuitive by letting AI handle routine tasks instead of requiring manual input.

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Giga

A product of timing, opportunity, and need, Giga is a joint International Telecommunications Union (ITU)/United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiative that was founded in 2019 to support governments in making the quest to connect every school and every young person to the internet achievable, a sound investment and a fruitful undertaking. Giga is a model of UN system cooperation, combining the know-how and expertise of UNICEF and ITU.

Giga supports governments to make data-evidenced decision-making, access financing and undertake procurement to connect every school to the internet by 2030.

As of early 2025, 34 countries and territories have been engaged with Giga.

Giga also collaborates with other UN agencies on digital education, such as UNHCR and UNESCO, in the Digital Transformation Collaborative and the Gateway to public digital learning platform.

Giga has been recognised in the GDC as a key stepping-stone to the commitment to connect all schools and hospitals to the internet by 2030.

Giga is supported by the governments of Switzerland and Spain, the Regional Government of Catalonia, and the City of Barcelona. Other major supporters include Ericsson, Dell, and IHS Towers.

With 2.6 billion people still offline and an estimated half of the world’s schools are still not connected to the internet.

Without internet access, children miss out on various learning and opportunities to participate in an increasingly digital world.

This is why the work of the ITU/UNICEF Giga initiative to achieve universal school connectivity has never been more critical.

Giga draws on the strengths of its two partnering organisations: ITU, in policy and regulation and capacity development, and UNICEF, in improving children’s lives across the world, with operations in 190 countries and expertise in procurement.

Giga’s work is carried out under four key pillars: mapping schools, modelling the requisite infrastructure, mobilising finance, and contracting for connectivity. All of this work is underpinned by capacity development across all the areas relating to school connectivity.

Giga is headquartered in Geneva at the Giga Connectivity Centre, at Campus Biotech, in the heart of International Geneva. Aside from being a collaboration hub for the joint ITU–UNICEF team, the Centre is also the base for activities to facilitate digital innovation, capacity building, information sharing, and showcasing solutions across the entire value chain of school connectivity to help stakeholders advance their digital transformation agendas in education. The Centre is also home to Giga’s work on supporting governments in mobilising capital for connectivity and to streamline public procurement processes for contracting school connectivity services.

The Barcelona Technology Centre is the base for Giga’s technical work, where its data scientists and engineers develop scalable and sustainable open-source solutions for school connectivity using different technologies.

Digital policy issues

Sustainable development

By providing data-driven insights, strategic policy and regulatory guidance, and innovative financing models, Giga supports governments in developing achievable, scalable, and sustainable connectivity plans.

Strategic policy guidance

Giga leverages ITU expertise to help governments develop policies and regulatory environments that foster the effective realisation of school connectivity, including influencing market behaviour, use of universal service funds, investment incentives for school connectivity, and efficient procurement practices that promote fair competition. It also offers tailored guidance to governments on adopting technical solutions for last-mile infrastructure to regulatory frameworks.

Innovative finance

The absence of essential digital infrastructure presents a significant obstacle, especially in low and lower-middle-income countries, restricting access to learning and economic opportunities. A key part of its work under the finance pillar, Giga is actively involved in major multistakeholder efforts to galvanise investment in digital infrastructure.

One such effort is the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII). Launched in 2024 by ITU, it is co-led by six development finance institutions (DFIs) in coordination with the G20 presidencies of Brazil (2024) and South Africa (2025). The DIII is working to identify ways to maximise the impact of traditional investments and develop new financing mechanisms and instruments to boost digital investment. Representatives from the Giga community have provided useful insights to the DIII Working Group. For its part, Giga is also exploring innovative financing approaches to support school connectivity.

Digital public infrastructure

Giga is also involved in strengthening the springboarding of education transformation through the harnessing of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Giga’s focus is on interoperability of platforms – usable practically anywhere – that support a learner-centric approach.

A new Giga report, Building the case for a digital public infrastructure for education, published in early 2025 in collaboration with ITU, presents case studies in DPI to achieve scalable, impactful digital solutions for schools.

Digital tools

Giga designs, develops and deploys digital products and services to help governments accelerate their school connectivity goals. These offerings are adaptable to the circumstances of each country rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. Examples include tools to geolocate schools through a combination of government and open source data, complemented with tools such as machine learning algorithms that use satellite imagery. This and other tools are designed to facilitate the planning and implementation of interventions to foster digital inclusion even for remote or underserved regions. Our open-source tech solutions align with Giga’s principles of openness and scalability.

Social media channels

Instagram @giga_global

LinkedIn @Giga

X @GigaGlobal

YouTube @GigaGlobal

Monthly newsletter @Giga

Contact info@giga.global

The United Nations calls for urgent regulation of military AI

The UN and global experts have emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive regulation of AI in military applications. UN Secretary has called for ‘global guardrails’ to govern the use of autonomous weapons, warning that rapid technological development has outpaced current policies.

Recently, 96 countries met at the UN to discuss AI-powered weapons, expanding the conversation to include human rights, criminal law, and ethics, with a push for legally binding agreements by 2026. Unregulated military AI poses serious risks like cybersecurity attacks and worsening geopolitical divides, as some countries fear losing a strategic advantage to rivals.

However, if properly regulated, AI could reduce violence by enabling less-lethal actions and helping leaders choose non-violent solutions, potentially lowering the human cost of conflict. To address ethical challenges, institutions like Texas A&M University are creating nonprofits that work with academia, industry, and defence sectors to develop responsible AI frameworks.

These efforts aim to promote AI applications that prioritise peace and minimise harm, shifting the focus from offensive weapons toward peaceful conflict resolution. Finally, UN Secretary warned against a future divided into AI ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’

He stressed the importance of using AI to bridge global development gaps and promote sustainable progress rather than deepen inequalities, emphasising international cooperation to guide AI toward inclusive growth and peace.

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Google’s AI Mode is now live for all American users

Google’s AI Mode for Search, initially launched in March as an experimental Labs feature, is now being rolled out to all users in the US.

Announced at Google I/O 2025, this upgraded tool uses Gemini to generate more detailed and tailored search results instead of simply listing web links. Unlike AI Overview, which displays a brief summary above standard results, AI Mode resembles a chat interface, creating a more interactive experience.

Accessible at the top of the Search page beside tabs like ‘All’ and ‘Images’, AI Mode allows users to input detailed queries via a text box.

Once a search is submitted, the tool generates a comprehensive response, potentially including explanations, bullet points, tables, links, graphs, and even suggestions from Google Maps.

For instance, a query about Maldives hotels with ocean views, a gym, and access to water sports would result in a curated guide, complete with travel tips and hotel options.

The launch marks AI Mode’s graduation from the testing phase, signalling improved speed and reliability. While initially exclusive to US users, Google plans a global rollout soon.

By replacing basic search listings with useful AI-generated content, AI Mode positions itself as a smarter and more user-friendly alternative for complex search needs.

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Anthropic defends AI despite hallucinations

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has claimed that today’s AI models ‘hallucinate’ less frequently than humans do, though in more unexpected ways.

Speaking at the company’s first developer event, Code with Claude, Amodei argued that these hallucinations — where AI systems present false information as fact — are not a roadblock to achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), despite widespread concerns across the industry.

While some, including Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, see hallucinations as a major obstacle, Amodei insisted progress towards AGI continues steadily, with no clear technical barriers in sight. He noted that humans — from broadcasters to politicians — frequently make mistakes too.

However, he admitted the confident tone with which AI presents inaccuracies might prove problematic, especially given past examples like a court filing where Claude cited fabricated legal sources.

Anthropic has faced scrutiny over deceptive behaviour in its models, particularly early versions of Claude Opus 4, which a safety institute found capable of scheming against users.

Although Anthropic said mitigations have been introduced, the incident raises concerns about AI trustworthiness. Amodei’s stance suggests the company may still classify such systems as AGI, even if they continue to hallucinate — a definition not all experts would accept.

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