Abu Dhabi hosted a Weather Summit that explored how AI could transform forecasting and support operations, such as cloud seeding. Experts emphasised that AI enhances analysis but must complement, rather than replace, human judgement.
Discussions focused on Earth-system forecasting using satellite datasets, IoT devices, and geospatial systems. Quality, interoperability, and equitable access to weather services were highlighted as pressing priorities.
Speakers raised questions about public and private sector incentives’ reliability, transparency, and influence on AI. Collaboration across sectors was crucial to strengthening trust and global cooperation in meteorology.
WMO President Dr Abdulla Al Mandous said forecasting has evolved from traditional observation to supercomputing and AI. He argued that integrating models with AI could deliver more precise local forecasts for agriculture, aviation, and disaster management.
The summit brought together leaders from UN bodies, research institutions, and tech firms, including Google, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Attendees highlighted the need to bridge data gaps, particularly in developing regions, to confront rising climate challenges.
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Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has announced plans to establish a State Digital Asset Fund to consolidate the country’s position in digital finance. The fund will accumulate a strategic crypto reserve through the National Bank’s Investment Corporation.
Crypto adoption in Kazakhstan has surged, doubling ownership from 4% in 2022 to 8% in 2024. Mining generated over $10 million in taxes, while licensed providers contributed $367,000 in the first eight months 2024.
Tokayev warned of rising online fraud, highlighting the need for anti-fraud centres, biometric ID systems, and enhanced legislation to protect citizens and state finances. He connected digital finance to urban development, unveiling Alatau City, a $7.2 billion fully digitalised smart city with crypto payments.
The initiative positions Kazakhstan as a regional leader in crypto strategy, combining economic growth, technological innovation, and digital infrastructure development.
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At a forum in Taipei, SEMI’s Terry Tsao said Taiwan’s chip design and fabrication expertise complements Japan’s materials and manufacturing equipment strengths. He noted that TSMC’s Kumamoto expansion creates opportunities for talent development in partnership with local schools.
Tsao described Taiwanese growth as a golden semiconductor era, emphasising its success closely tied to Japanese collaboration. He argued that TSMC’s achievements in Japan also represent progress for Japan’s industry.
Kazuhito Hashimoto, head of the Japan Science and Technology Agency, said joint projects with Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council are underway. He pledged support for expanded research exchanges between the two partners.
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Yevgeny Masharov, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, said a national crypto bank would bring vast sums of crypto into the legal economy. He added that lawmakers also aim to ban quasi-legal exchanges while exploring the launch of state-run trading platforms.
Masharov suggested that a crypto bank could be a tool against online fraud, particularly schemes involving ‘droppers’ who launder cash and crypto for criminals. He argued that by keeping transactions within an official system, authorities would have more control over illicit flows.
The initiative follows similar moves in Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko has instructed officials to accelerate work on a national crypto bank. Moscow also views such a project as a way to support miners, enable safer cross-border payments, and reduce reliance on Western-controlled financial networks.
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The African Next Voices project has created the continent’s largest dataset of spoken African languages, covering 18 tongues across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Supported by a $2.2m Gates Foundation grant, the dataset includes 9,000 hours of speech in farming, health, and education settings.
Languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, isiZulu, and Kikuyu are now available for developers to build translation, transcription, and conversational AI tools. Farmers like South Africa’s Kelebogile Mosime already use local-language apps to solve agricultural challenges.
Start-ups, including Lelapa AI, are building products in African languages for banks and telecoms. Researchers warn that without such initiatives, millions risk exclusion from vital services and cultural knowledge could be lost.
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UK publishers warn that Google’s AI Overviews significantly cut website traffic, threatening fragile online revenues.
Reach, owner of the Mirror and Daily Express, said readers often settle for the AI summary instead of visiting its sites. DMG Media told regulators that click-through rates had fallen by up to 89% since the rollout.
Publishers argue that they provide accurate reporting that fuels Google’s search results, yet they see no financial return when users no longer click through. Concerns are growing over Google’s conversational AI Mode, which displays even fewer links.
Google insists that search traffic has remained stable year-on-year and claims that AI overviews offer users more opportunities to find quality links. Still, a coalition of publishers has filed a complaint with the UK Competition and Markets Authority, alleging misuse of their content.
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Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton warned AI could increase unemployment and profits as companies replace workers with machines. Hinton told the Financial Times the effects stem from capitalism, with few becoming richer while many are left behind.
Evidence is already emerging that AI is reducing opportunities at the entry level, particularly for recent college graduates. A New York Fed survey shows companies using AI tend to retrain staff rather than lay them off, though layoffs may rise soon.
Hinton highlighted that jobs performing mundane tasks are most at risk, while skilled professions like healthcare are likely to be safer.
Hinton also dismissed universal basic income proposals, arguing they fail to address human dignity or the value derived from work. He warned AI could be misused, including for bioweapons, and noted some governments take the risks more seriously than others.
Despite the potential threats, Hinton acknowledged the enormous possibilities of AI. He uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT for research and humorously recalls personal anecdotes demonstrating its versatility.
Hinton retired from Google in 2023, citing age and personal priorities rather than concerns over speaking freely about AI’s dangers.
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The US tech giant has expanded the capability of its Gemini app by allowing users to upload audio files for AI analysis across Android, iOS, and the web. The upgrade enables transcription of interviews, voice memos and lecture recordings instead of relying solely on typed or spoken prompts.
Free-tier users can upload clips of up to ten minutes with five prompts daily, while paid subscribers have access to three hours of uploads across multiple files. According to Gemini vice president Josh Woodward, the feature is designed to make the platform more versatile and practical for everyday tasks.
Google has also enhanced its Search AI mode with five new languages, including Hindi, Japanese and Korean, extending its multilingual reach.
NotebookLM, the company’s research assistant powered by Gemini, can now generate structured reports such as quizzes, study guides and blog posts from uploaded content, available in more than 80 languages.
These improvements underline Google’s ambition to integrate AI more deeply into everyday applications instead of leaving the technology confined to experimental tools. They also highlight growing competition in the AI market, with Google using Gemini 2.5 to expand its services for global users.
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Uber and Chinese startup Momenta will begin robotaxi testing in Munich in 2026, marking their first public deployment in continental Europe. The trials will start with human safety operators, with plans to expand across additional European cities.
Founded in 2016, Momenta is one of China’s leading autonomous vehicle companies, having tested self-driving cars since 2018. The company is already collaborating with automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW to integrate advanced driver assistance systems.
Uber is broadening its global AV network, which already spans 20 partners across mobility, delivery, and freight. In the US, Waymo robotaxis operate via Uber’s app, while international partnerships include WeRide in the Gulf and Wayve in London.
Competition in Europe is intensifying. Baidu from China and Lyft plan to roll out robotaxis in Germany and the UK next year, while Uber has chosen Munich, Germany, as its engineering base and a strong automotive ecosystem.
German regulators must still certify Momenta’s technology and approve geo-fenced operating areas. If successful, Munich will become Momenta’s first European launchpad, building on its Shanghai robotaxi service and global ADAS deployment.
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Google has announced an expansion of AI Mode in Search to five new languages, including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese. The feature was first introduced in English in March and aims to compete with AI-powered search platforms such as ChatGPT Search and Perplexity AI.
The company highlighted that building a global search experience requires more than translation. Google’s custom version of Gemini 2.5 uses advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities to provide locally relevant and useful search results instead of offering generic answers.
AI Mode now also supports agentic tasks such as booking restaurant reservations, with plans to include local service appointments and event ticketing.
Currently, these advanced functions are available to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US, while India received the rollout of the language expansion in July.
These developments reinforce Google’s strategy to integrate AI deeply into its search ecosystem, enhancing user experience across diverse regions instead of limiting sophisticated AI tools to English-language users.
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