Digital business models Archives | Page 367 of 581

UK remote work still a major data security risk

A new survey reveals that 69% of UK companies reported data breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over the past year, a steep rise from 53% in 2024.

The research conducted by Apricorn highlights that nearly half of remote workers knowingly compromised data security.

Based on responses from 200 UK IT security leaders, the study found that phishing remains the leading cause of breaches, followed by human error. Despite widespread remote work policies, 58% of organisations believe staff lack the proper tools or skills to protect sensitive data.

The use of personal devices for work has climbed to 56%, while only 19% of firms now mandate company-issued hardware. These trends raise ongoing concerns about end point security, data visibility, and maintaining GDPR compliance in hybrid work environments.

Technical support gaps and unclear encryption practices remain pressing issues, with nearly half of respondents finding it increasingly difficult to manage remote work technology. Apricorn’s Jon Fielding called for a stronger link between written policy and practical security measures to reduce breaches.

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Santa Clara offers AI training with Silicon Valley focus

Santa Clara University has launched a new master’s programme in AI designed to equip students with technical expertise and ethical insight.

The interdisciplinary degree, offered through the School of Engineering, blends software and hardware tracks to address the growing need for professionals who can manage AI systems responsibly.

The course offers two concentrations: one focusing on algorithms and computation for computer science students and another tailored to engineering students interested in robotics, devices, and AI chip design. Students will also engage in real-world practicums with Silicon Valley companies.

Faculty say the programme integrates ethical training into its core, aiming to produce graduates who can develop intelligent technologies with social awareness. As AI tools increasingly shape society and education, the university hopes to prepare students for both innovation and accountability.

Professor Yi Fang, director of the Responsible AI initiative, said students will leave with a deeper understanding of AI’s societal impact. The initiative reflects a broader trend in higher education, where demand for AI-related skills continues to rise.

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Meta bets big on AI, partners with Scale AI in strategic move

Meta Platforms has made a major move in the AI space by investing $14.8 billion in Scale AI, acquiring a 49% stake and pushing the data-labelling startup’s valuation past $29 billion.

As part of the deal, Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang will join Meta’s leadership to head its new superintelligence unit, while continuing to serve on Scale AI’s board. The investment deepens Meta’s commercial ties with Scale and is seen as a strategic step to secure top-tier AI expertise.

Scale AI will use the funds to drive innovation and strengthen client partnerships, while also providing partial liquidity to shareholders and equity holders. Jason Droege, Scale’s Chief Strategy Officer and former Uber Eats executive, will serve as interim CEO.

‘This partnership is a testament to our team’s work and the scale of opportunity ahead,’ said Droege. Wang added, ‘Meta’s investment affirms the limitless path forward for AI and Scale’s role in bridging human values with transformative technologies.’

Scale will remain independent, continuing to support AI labs, corporations, and government agencies with data infrastructure as the race for AI dominance intensifies.

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UK health sector adopts AI while legacy tech lags

The UK’s healthcare sector has rapidly embraced AI, with adoption rising from 47% in 2024 to 94% in 2025, according to SOTI’s new report ‘Healthcare’s Digital Dilemma’.

AI is no longer confined to administrative tasks, as 52% of healthcare professionals now use it for diagnosis and 57% to personalise treatments. SOTI’s Stefan Spendrup said AI is improving how care is delivered and helping clinicians make more accurate, patient-specific decisions.

However, outdated systems continue to hamper progress. Nearly all UK health IT leaders report challenges from legacy infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT) tech and telehealth tools.

While connected devices are widely used to support patients remotely, 73% rely on outdated, unintegrated systems, significantly higher than the global average of 65%.

These systems limit interoperability and heighten security risks, with 64% experiencing regular tech failures and 43% citing network vulnerabilities.

The strain on IT teams is evident. Nearly half report being unable to deploy or manage new devices efficiently, and more than half struggle to offer remote support or access detailed diagnostics. Time lost to troubleshooting remains a common frustration.

The UK appears more affected by these challenges than other countries surveyed, indicating a pressing need to modernise infrastructure instead of continuing to patch ageing technology.

While data security remains the top IT concern in UK healthcare, fewer IT teams see it as a priority, falling from 33% in 2024 to 24% in 2025. Despite a sharp increase in data breaches, the number rose from 71% to 84%.

Spendrup warned that innovation risks being undermined unless the sector rebalances priorities, with more focus on securing systems and replacing legacy tools instead of delaying necessary upgrades.

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Bitcoin price climbs as Google searches drop

Bitcoin has surged to around $107,000, close to its all-time high, yet global search interest has dropped to a five-year low. While past price jumps were matched by public curiosity, current data suggests a notable lack of retail attention.

Analysts believe the trend reflects a shift in how Bitcoin is perceived. No longer a fringe phenomenon, the cryptocurrency has matured into a mainstream asset.

Institutional investors, ETFs, and even governments are now the driving force behind Bitcoin’s momentum, with companies such as Ark Invest and Metaplanet continuing to increase their holdings.

Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley noted the rally appears quieter because corporate players are accumulating Bitcoin strategically, unlike the hype-fuelled surges of previous cycles. Meanwhile, retail interest may be shifting to flashier sectors such as AI tokens and memecoins.

Falling search traffic may signal that Bitcoin has entered a more stable phase. Rather than trending online, it is now being treated as a serious long-term investment — a possible sign of growing market maturity.

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NSA and allies set AI data security standards

The National Security Agency (NSA), in partnership with cybersecurity agencies from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and others, has released new guidance aimed at protecting the integrity of data used in AI systems.

The Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI), titled AI Data Security: Best Practices for Securing Data Used to Train & Operate AI Systems, outlines emerging threats and sets out 10 recommendations for mitigating them.

The CSI builds on earlier joint guidance from 2024 and signals growing global urgency around safeguarding AI data instead of allowing systems to operate without scrutiny.

The report identifies three core risks across the AI lifecycle: tampered datasets in the supply chain, deliberately poisoned data intended to manipulate models, and data drift—where changes in data over time reduce performance or create new vulnerabilities.

These threats may erode accuracy and trust in AI systems, particularly in sensitive areas like defence, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure, where even small failures could have far-reaching consequences.

To reduce these risks, the CSI recommends a layered approach—starting with sourcing data from reliable origins and tracking provenance using digital credentials. It advises encrypting data at every stage, verifying integrity with cryptographic tools, and storing data securely in certified systems.

Additional measures include deploying zero trust architecture, using digital signatures for dataset updates, and applying access controls based on data classification instead of relying on broad administrative trust.

The CSI also urges ongoing risk assessments using frameworks like NIST’s AI RMF, encouraging organisations to anticipate emerging challenges such as quantum threats and advanced data manipulation.

Privacy-preserving techniques, secure deletion protocols, and infrastructure controls round out the recommendations.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone tool, the guidance calls for embedding strong data governance and security throughout its lifecycle to prevent compromised systems from shaping critical outcomes.

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Fake DeepSeek ads deliver ‘BrowserVenom’ malware to curious AI users

Cybercriminals are exploiting the surge in interest around local AI tools by spreading a new malware strain via Google ads.

According to antivirus firm Kaspersky, attackers use fake ads for DeepSeek’s R1 AI model to deliver ‘BrowserVenom,’ malware designed to intercept and manipulate a user’s internet traffic instead of merely infecting the device.

The attackers purchased ads appearing in Google search results for ‘deep seek r1.’ Users who clicked were redirected to a fake website—deepseek-platform[.]com—which mimicked the official DeepSeek site and offered a file named AI_Launcher_1.21.exe.

Kaspersky’s analysis of the site’s source code uncovered developer notes in Russian, suggesting the campaign is operated by Russian-speaking actors.

Once launched, the fake installer displayed a decoy installation screen for the R1 model, but silently deployed malware that altered browser configurations.

BrowserVenom rerouted web traffic through a proxy server controlled by the hackers, allowing them to decrypt browsing sessions and capture sensitive data, while evading most antivirus tools.

Kaspersky reports confirmed infections across multiple countries, including Brazil, Cuba, India, and South Africa.

The malicious domain has since been taken down. However, the incident highlights the dangers of downloading AI tools from unofficial sources. Open-source models like DeepSeek R1 require technical setup, typically involving multiple configuration steps, instead of a simple Windows installer.

As interest in running local AI grows, users should verify official domains and avoid shortcuts that could lead to malware.

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Meta’s V-JEPA 2 teaches AI to think, plan, and act in 3D space

Meta has released V-JEPA 2, an open-source AI model designed to understand and predict real-world environments in 3D. Described as a ‘world model’, it enables machines to simulate physical spaces—offering a breakthrough for robotics, self-driving cars, and intelligent assistants.

Unlike traditional AI that relies on labelled data, V-JEPA 2 learns from unlabelled video clips, building an internal simulation of how the world works. However, now, AI can reason, plan, and act more like humans.

Based on Meta’s JEPA architecture and containing 1.2 billion parameters, the model improves significantly on action prediction and environmental modelling compared to its predecessor.

Meta says this approach mirrors how humans intuitively understand cause and effect—like predicting a ball’s motion or avoiding people in a crowd. V-JEPA 2 helps AI agents develop this same intuition, making them more adaptive in dynamic, unfamiliar situations.

Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun describes world models as ‘abstract digital twins of reality’—vital for machines to understand and predict what comes next. This effort aligns with Meta’s broader push into AI, including a planned $14 billion investment in Scale AI for data labelling.

V-JEPA 2 joins a growing wave of interest in world models. Google DeepMind is building its own called Genie, while AI researcher Fei-Fei Li recently raised $230 million for her startup World Labs, focused on similar goals.

Meta believes V-JEPA 2 brings us closer to machines that can learn, adapt, and operate in the physical world with far greater autonomy and intelligence.

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Coreweave expands AI infrastructure with Google tie‑up

CoreWeave has secured a pivotal role in Google Cloud’s new infrastructure partnership with OpenAI. The specialist GPU cloud provider will supply Nvidia‑based compute resources to Google, which will allocate them to OpenAI to support the rising demand for services like ChatGPT.

Already under a $11.9 billion, five‑year contract with OpenAI and backed by a $350 million equity investment, CoreWeave recently expanded the deal by another.

Adding Google Cloud as a customer helps the company diversify beyond Microsoft, its top client in 2024.

The arrangement positions Google as a neutral provider of AI computing power amid fierce competition with Amazon and Microsoft.

CoreWeave’s stock has surged over 270 percent since its March IPO, illustrating investor confidence in its expanding role in the AI infrastructure boom.

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Meta sues AI firm over fake nude images created without consent

Meta has filed a lawsuit against Joy Timeline HK Ltd in Hong Kong, accusing the firm of using its platforms to promote a generative AI app called CrushAI.

The app allows users to digitally strip clothes from images of people, often without consent. Meta said the company repeatedly attempted to bypass ad review systems to push harmful content, advertising phrases like ‘see anyone naked’ on Facebook and Instagram.

The lawsuit follows Meta’s broader investigation into ‘nudity’ apps, which are increasingly being used to create sexualised deepfakes. Despite bans on nonconsensual explicit content, the company said such apps evade detection by disguising ads or rotating domain names after bans.

According to research by Cornell Tech, over 8,000 ads linked to CrushAI appeared on Meta platforms in recent months. Meta responded by updating its detection systems with a broader range of flagged terms and emojis.

While many of the manipulated images target celebrities, concerns are growing about the use of such technology to exploit minors. In one case in Florida, two teenagers used similar AI tools to create sexualised images of classmates.

The issue has sparked legal action in the US, where the Take It Down Act, signed into law earlier this year, criminalises the publication of nonconsensual deepfake imagery and simplifies removal processes for victims.

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