Digital business models

Meta unveils TRIBE v2 brain modelling AI

TRIBE v2 is a next-generation AI model introduced by Meta, designed to simulate how the human brain responds to complex stimuli such as images, sounds and language. The system functions as a digital twin of neural activity, enabling high-speed and high-resolution predictions of brain responses.

Built on data from over 700 volunteers, TRIBE v2 analyses fMRI recordings to predict brain responses to media such as videos, podcasts, and text. The model improves significantly on previous approaches, offering higher accuracy and the ability to generalise across new subjects, tasks, and languages.

Meta says the system could enable brain studies without human participants in every experiment, potentially accelerating research into neurological conditions. The approach may also support future AI development by incorporating principles derived from neuroscience.

Alongside the launch, Meta has released a research paper, model code, and interactive demo under a non-commercial licence to encourage wider exploration and collaboration in neuroscience and AI research.

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Mistral AI launches open-source voice model for enterprises

Mistral AI has introduced a new open-source text-to-speech model designed to power voice assistants and enterprise applications, rather than relying on proprietary solutions.

The model, named Voxtral TTS, marks the company’s entry into the competitive voice AI market alongside players such as OpenAI and ElevenLabs.

Voxtral TTS supports nine languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, and Arabic, allowing organisations to deploy multilingual voice systems across different markets.

The Mistral AI model is designed to operate efficiently on devices such as smartphones, laptops, and even wearables, reducing infrastructure costs rather than relying on large-scale cloud systems.

It can replicate custom voices using only a few seconds of audio, capturing accents and speech patterns while maintaining consistency across languages.

The system is optimised for real-time performance, delivering rapid response times and enabling applications such as live translation, dubbing, and customer engagement tools.

Built on a compact architecture, it balances efficiency with high-quality output, aiming to produce natural-sounding speech instead of robotic voice synthesis. Earlier releases of transcription models suggest a broader strategy to develop a full suite of voice technologies.

Looking ahead, Mistral AI plans to expand towards end-to-end multimodal systems capable of handling audio, text, and image inputs within a single platform.

The company’s focus on open-source development and customisation is intended to attract enterprises seeking flexible solutions, positioning its technology as an alternative to closed ecosystems in the growing voice AI market.

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Search Live in Google expands to over 200 countries

Google has expanded its Search Live feature globally, making it available in more than 200 countries and territories where AI Mode is supported. The tool enables users to interact with Search through real-time voice and camera-based conversations.

The upgrade is powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, a new audio and voice model designed to deliver more natural and intuitive interactions. The model supports multiple languages, enabling users to communicate with Search in their preferred language across regions.

Search Live is designed for situations where typing is inconvenient, allowing users to ask questions aloud and receive audio responses within the Google app. Follow-up queries can be made instantly, with results supplemented by relevant web links.

Camera integration through Google Lens adds visual context, enabling Search to interpret real-world objects and provide step-by-step guidance or suggestions. The rollout is part of Google’s broader effort to make search more interactive, accessible, and useful in everyday tasks.

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HP reveals advanced AI devices and workflow tools at Imagine 2026

HP has announced a broad set of AI-focused products and workplace tools at HP Imagine 2026, presenting the update as part of a wider effort to simplify work across PCs, collaboration devices, security systems, and workflow platforms.

In a press release published on 24 March, HP said the new portfolio includes AI PCs, collaboration tools, workstations, printers, and software intended for hybrid work and on-device AI use.

HP says the update includes a new intelligence layer called HP IQ, which it describes as a system designed to orchestrate work across AI PCs, workplace devices, and meeting spaces through local AI and proximity-based connectivity.

The company also announced new EliteBook devices, workstation updates, and workflow automation changes through its Workforce Experience Platform and Build Workspace capabilities.

Several sections of the release focus on on-device AI. According to the company, HP IQ will debut on the next generation of EliteBook X G2 AI PCs and will support features such as prompt-based assistance, document analysis, note organisation, and meeting support.

The release also says NearSense is intended to help devices discover, connect, and collaborate, including through file sharing and one-click joining of conference room meetings.

Security is another central theme in the release. HP says it has introduced what it describes as the world’s first hardware solution to stop physical TPM bypass attacks, using a cryptographically bound link between the TPM and CPU.

The company also said it is expanding capabilities in HP Wolf Security and introducing HP Wolf Pro Security Next Gen Antivirus, as well as physical intrusion detection designed to protect memory if a device chassis is opened.

The announcement also includes new printers and document tools. HP says the LaserJet Pro 4000 and 4100 series, and the LaserJet Enterprise 5000 and 6000 series, are intended to support AI-powered document processing and quantum-resistant security. The release also highlights scanning shortcuts, editable OCR, reduced management time, and a design intended to improve serviceability.

For higher-performance users, the company says it is launching a new generation of Z workstations and mobile workstations. The release refers to systems such as the Z8 Fury, Max Side Panel for Z8 Fury and Z4 workstations, and updated mobile workstation models. Advanced AI development, visual effects, and simulation workloads are among the uses cited in the announcement.

Beyond enterprise work, the release also extends the same AI and device strategy into gaming. New HyperX and OMEN products are part of the announcement, including desktops, a gaming and modular ecosystem, and expanded AI game support through OMEN Gaming Hub and OMEN AI.

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UNESCO advances regional AI in education observatory

A UNESCO-led public–private initiative is advancing the establishment of a Regional AI in Education Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean. The project aims to strengthen education systems through the ethical and inclusive application of AI technologies.

A roundtable held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris brought together more than 50 stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society. Participants included universities, development banks, and research institutions providing technical expertise and regional knowledge.

The observatory will act as a shared regional infrastructure supporting evidence-based policy, teacher training, and capacity development. Focus areas include tackling foundational learning challenges in reading and mathematics while ensuring responsible AI integration in classrooms.

The initiative will be officially launched on 14 April 2026 at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile. Organisers emphasise the need for regional cooperation to guide AI adoption in education, promoting equity, innovation, and long-term learning improvements.

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Gemini introduces tools to import AI chat history

Google has introduced new tools that allow users to transfer their memories, preferences, and chat history from other AI platforms directly into Gemini. The update aims to ease switching and deliver a more personalised experience from the start.

A new memory import feature lets users copy key details from another AI app and upload them to Gemini. Once transferred, the system recognises personal context, enabling more accurate responses without having to start from scratch.

In addition, users can now upload full chat histories via ZIP files, enabling access to past conversations within Gemini. The platform can integrate exchanges with services like Gmail, Photos and Search, with permission, to deliver more relevant responses.

Google confirmed that the rollout has begun and will appear in user settings, alongside a rebranding of ‘past chats’ to ‘memory’. The update reflects a broader push towards more adaptive and context-aware AI assistants.

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Oracle expands Oracle AI Database with new agentic AI tools

Oracle has announced new agentic AI capabilities for Oracle AI Database, presenting them as tools for building, deploying, and scaling production-grade AI applications that work with business data across operational databases and analytic lakehouses. The company says the new features are available across multicloud and on-premises environments.

According to Oracle, the announcement concerning Oracle AI Database centres on bringing AI and data together within the database so that agents can securely access real-time enterprise data where it resides. Oracle also says customers can choose AI models, agentic frameworks, open data formats, and deployment platforms, while Oracle Exadata users can use Exadata Powered AI Search for high-volume, multi-step agentic workloads.

Oracle’s new product set includes Oracle Autonomous AI Vector Database, which the company says is intended to simplify vector-based application development while preserving the broader database features of Oracle AI Database. Oracle says the service is available in limited capacity through the Oracle Cloud free tier or a low-cost developer tier, with one-click upgrade to full capabilities as requirements expand.

The company also introduced the Oracle AI Database Private Agent Factory, described as a no-code agent builder that can run in public clouds or on-premises without requiring customers to share data with third parties. Oracle says the service includes pre-built agents such as a Database Knowledge Agent, a Structured Data Analysis Agent, and a Deep Data Research Agent. Oracle Unified Memory Core was also announced as a way to store context for AI agents across vector, JSON, graph, relational, text, spatial, and columnar data, all in a single engine with consistent transactions and security.

A separate part of the announcement focuses on what Oracle describes as AI data risk reduction. Oracle says Deep Data Security applies end-user-specific access rules within the database, so that each user or AI agent acting on a user’s behalf can only see the data the user is allowed to access.

Besides the Oracle AI Database, Oracle also announced Private AI Services Container for customers that want to run private model instances without sharing data with third-party AI providers, including in air-gapped environments. Trusted Answer Search was presented as a method for providing answers based on previously created reports rather than relying directly on large language model responses.

Open standards and interoperability form another part of Oracle’s pitch. Oracle says Vectors on Ice adds native support for vector data stored in Apache Iceberg tables, enabling unified search across database and data-lake content. Oracle also announced an Autonomous AI Database MCP Server to allow external AI agents and MCP clients to access Autonomous AI Database capabilities without custom integration code or manual security administration.

Juan Loaiza, executive vice president of Oracle Database Technologies, said: ‘The next wave of enterprise AI will be defined by customers’ ability to use AI in business-critical production systems to safely deliver breakthrough innovations, insights, and productivity.’ He added: ‘With Oracle AI Database, customers don’t just store data, they activate it for AI. By architecting AI and data together, we help customers quickly build and manage agentic AI applications that can securely query and act on real-enterprise data with stock exchange-level robustness in every leading cloud and on-premises.’

Steven Dickens, CEO and principal analyst at HyperFRAME Research, said: ‘In the era of agentic AI, a unified memory core is essential for agents to maintain context across diverse data types, such as vector, JSON, graph, columnar, spatial, text, and relational, without the latency or staleness of external syncing.’

Dickens added: ‘Only Oracle AI Database delivers this in a single, mission-critical engine with concurrent transactional and analytical processing, high availability, and ironclad security, enabling real-time reasoning over live business data. Organisations without this foundation will struggle with fragmented, unreliable agents, while those leveraging Oracle gain a decisive edge in scalable AI deployment.’

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Open letter targets Meta ad practices

A coalition of civil society and industry groups has urged the European Commission to enforce the Digital Markets Act more rigorously, warning that major tech firms continue to exploit compliance gaps. The appeal centres on concerns over data use and online advertising practices.

Organisations including noyb, Check My Ads, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties argue that current models fail to offer users genuine choice. Critics say consent mechanisms tied to payment or tracking undermine the intent of the EU digital rules.

The letter against Meta calls for clearer standards, including equal options for personalised and non-personalised advertising, as well as stricter limits on design practices that influence user decisions. Campaigners also want stronger coordination between regulators to ensure consistent enforcement.

The push reflects wider frustration among European organisations, with several recent letters demanding faster action against dominant platforms. Observers warn that delayed enforcement risks weakening the credibility of the EU digital regulation.

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UK tightens sanctions on crypto-linked scam networks

The UK has stepped up its crackdown by sanctioning a crypto marketplace tied to major scam centres in Southeast Asia. Measures aim to disrupt the sale of stolen personal data and limit the financial infrastructure enabling online fraud targeting British victims.

Authorities also targeted operators behind ‘#8 Park’, Cambodia’s largest scam compound, believed to house up to 20,000 trafficked workers. Many individuals forced to run scams were lured with false job offers before being coerced into fraudulent activity under severe threats.

Sanctions extend to key entities and individuals connected to the wider network, including those facilitating crypto laundering and cross-border financial flows. Earlier UK action froze over £1 billion in assets and helped shut down platforms used for laundering illicit funds.

Officials said the measures will isolate these operations from the crypto ecosystem and freeze UK-based assets. The measures come ahead of an international summit in June aimed at strengthening global coordination against illicit finance and digital fraud.

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