Engineers are working to make robots move with greater balance and fluidity, bringing machines closer to human-like motion. Progress depends heavily on actuators, the components that convert energy into precise physical movement.
Traditional electric motors have enabled many robotic breakthroughs, yet limitations in efficiency, safety and responsiveness remain clear. Machines often consume too much power, overheat at small sizes and lack the flexibility needed for smooth interaction.
Major manufacturers including Schaeffler and Hyundai Mobis are now designing advanced actuators that provide better control, real-time feedback and improved energy efficiency. Such innovations could allow humanoid robots to operate safely alongside workers and perform practical industrial tasks.
Researchers are also experimenting with softer materials and air-powered systems that behave more like muscles than rigid machinery. Continued advances could eventually produce robots capable of natural, graceful movement, opening new possibilities for everyday use.
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Infosecurity Europe has launched a new Cyber Startup Programme to support early-stage cybersecurity innovation and strengthen ecosystem resilience. The initiative will debut at Infosecurity Europe 2026, offering founders and investors a dedicated experience focused on emerging technologies and growth.
The programme centres on a new Cyber Startups Zone, an exhibition area showcasing young companies and novel security solutions. Founders will gain industry visibility, along with tailored ticket access and curated networking.
Delivery will take place in partnership with UK Cyber Flywheel, featuring a dedicated founder- and investor-focused day on Tuesday 2 June. Sessions will cover scaling strategies, go-to-market planning, funding, and live pitching opportunities.
Infosecurity Europe will also introduce the Cyber Startup Award 2026, recognising early-stage firms with live products and growth potential. Finalists will pitch on stage, with winners receiving exhibition space, PR support, and a future-brand workshop.
Alongside the programme, the Cyber Innovation Zone, delivered with the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will spotlight innovative UK cybersecurity businesses and emerging technologies.
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Germany has launched one of Europe’s largest AI factories to boost EU-wide sovereign AI capacity. Deutsche Telekom unveiled the new ‘Industrial AI Cloud’ in Munich, in partnership with NVIDIA and Polarise.
Designed to deliver high-performance AI computing for industry, research, and public institutions, the platform keeps data operations under European jurisdiction. Company executives described the project as proof that Europe can build large-scale AI infrastructure aligned with its regulatory and sovereignty goals.
The AI factory runs on nearly 10,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, providing up to 0.5 exaFLOPS of computing power. Telekom said the capacity would be sufficient to support hundreds of millions of users accessing AI services simultaneously across the EU.
Officials in Germany framed the AI factory initiative as a strategic investment in technological leadership and digital independence. The infrastructure operates under German and EU data protection rules, positioning compliance and security as core competitive advantages.
Industrial applications are central to the project, with companies such as Siemens integrating simulation tools into the platform. The AI factory also runs on renewable energy, uses river water cooling, and plans to reuse waste heat within Munich’s urban network.
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Organisations undergoing finance transformations are discovering that traditional system cutovers rarely go as planned. Hidden manual workarounds and undocumented processes often surface late, creating operational risks and delays during ERP migrations.
Agentic AI is emerging as a solution by deploying autonomous software agents that discover real workflows directly from system data. Scout agents analyse transaction logs to uncover hidden dependencies, allowing companies to build more accurate future systems based on actual operations.
Simulator agents to stress test new systems by generating thousands of realistic transactions continuously. When problems arise, agents analyse errors and automatically recommend fixes, turning testing into a continuous improvement process rather than a one-time checkpoint.
Sentinel agents monitor financial records in real time to detect discrepancies before they escalate into compliance risks. Leaders say the approach shifts focus from single go-live milestones to ongoing resilience, with teams increasingly managing intelligent systems instead of manual processes.
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Built using Gemini and advanced Google DeepMind models, the system analyses the biomechanics behind high-speed freestyle skiing and snowboarding manoeuvres.
Traditional motion capture required specialised suits and controlled lab environments. Google’s platform converts smartphone footage into biomechanical analysis, mapping body positioning, trick amplitude, and edge control within minutes.
Coaches and athletes can query performance data conversationally for immediate insight.
Near real-time delivery marks a significant shift in training methodology. Analysis can be reviewed on the slopes shortly after a run, enabling faster technical adjustments.
The technology is also supporting athlete preparation for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where marginal gains can determine podium outcomes.
Applications extend beyond winter sports. Similar AI biomechanics systems could support physical rehabilitation, robotics engineering, and industrial safety environments where precision movement analysis is essential.
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The UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has partnered with Microsoft to develop AI agents to help university students find jobs. The initiative was announced in Dubai during a major policy gathering in the UAE.
The collaboration in the UAE will use Microsoft Azure to build prototype AI agents supporting personalised learning and career navigation. Dubai-based officials said the tools are designed to align higher education with labour market needs in the UAE.
Four AI agents are being developed in the UAE, covering lifelong skills planning, personalised learning, course co creation and research alignment. Dubai remains central to the project as a hub for higher education innovation in the UAE.
Officials in the UAE said the partnership reflects national priorities around innovation and a knowledge based economy. Microsoft said Dubai offers an ideal environment to scale AI driven education tools across the UAE.
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The system shifts away from transaction-centric blockchain models.
Enterprise adoption has faced regulatory friction, with estimates suggesting nearly 90% of pilots fail to reach production. COBI embeds institutional policy and regulatory controls directly into execution, ensuring transactions occur only after compliance validation.
The architecture operates through four layers covering process logic, compliance policy, system orchestration, and blockchain execution. Integrations span banking infrastructure, ERP platforms, and settlement networks without requiring system replacement.
Designed for financial and sovereign use cases, COBI supports cross-border payments, CBDCs, and tokenised assets. ZenithBlox is raising USD 8 million to scale deployments and certifications.
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Substack confirmed a data breach that exposed user email addresses and phone numbers. The company said passwords and financial information were not affected. The incident occurred in October and was later investigated.
Chief executive Chris Best told users the vulnerability was identified in February and has since been fixed, with an internal investigation now underway. The company has not disclosed the technical cause of the breach or why the intrusion went undetected for several months.
Substack also did not confirm how many users were affected or provide evidence showing whether the exposed data has been misused. Users were advised to remain cautious about unexpected emails and text messages following the incident.
The breach was first reported by TechCrunch, which said the company declined to provide further operational details. Questions remain around potential ransom demands or broader system access.
Substack reports more than 50 million active subscriptions, including 5 million paid users, and raised $100 million in Series C funding in 2025, led by BOND and The Chernin Group, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and other investors.
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European lawmakers remain divided over whether AI tools that generate non-consensual sexual images should face an explicit ban in the EU legislation.
The split emerged as debate intensified over the AI simplification package, which is moving through Parliament and the Council rather than remaining confined to earlier negotiations.
Concerns escalated after Grok was used to create images that digitally undressed women and children.
The EU regulators responded by launching an investigation under the Digital Services Act, and the Commission described the behaviour as illegal under existing European rules. Several lawmakers argue that the AI Act should name pornification apps directly instead of relying on broader legal provisions.
Lead MEPs did not include a ban in their initial draft of the Parliament’s position, prompting other groups to consider adding amendments. Negotiations continue as parties explore how such a restriction could be framed without creating inconsistencies within the broader AI framework.
The Commission appears open to strengthening the law and has hinted that the AI omnibus could be an appropriate moment to act. Lawmakers now have a limited time to decide whether an explicit prohibition can secure political agreement before the amendment deadline passes.
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Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Asari AI have introduced EnCompass, a framework designed to enhance how AI agents interact with large language models.
The system improves agent performance by automatically backtracking when errors occur and running multiple execution paths in parallel to identify the most effective outcome.
Programming AI agents traditionally requires extensive additional code to handle model mistakes. EnCompass removes that burden by embedding retry and search logic directly into execution.
Developers annotate key decision points, allowing the framework to explore alternative reasoning paths while preserving the agent’s original workflow structure.
Efficiency gains appear significant. Trials show coding effort for search implementation reduced by as much as 80%, while accuracy in code translation tasks improved between 15% and 40%.
Researchers demonstrated the framework’s ability to optimise repository translation and rule discovery across complex digital systems.
Future applications extend to large-scale software maintenance, scientific experimentation, and engineering design. Presented at NeurIPS, EnCompass positions structured search as key to advancing reliable, high-performance AI agent systems.
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