Google has unveiled AlphaGenome, a new AI research tool designed to analyse the human genome and uncover the genetic roots of disease. The announcement was made in Paris, where researchers described the model as a major step forward.
AlphaGenome focuses on non-coding DNA, which makes up most of the human genome and plays a key role in regulating genes. Google scientists in Paris said the system can analyse extremely long DNA sequences at high resolution.
The model was developed by Google DeepMind using public genomic datasets from humans and mice. Researchers in Paris said the tool predicts how genetic changes influence biological processes inside cells.
Independent experts in the UK welcomed the advance but urged caution. Scientists at University of Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute noted that environmental factors still limit what AI models can explain.
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Financial Conduct Authority research shows UK crypto ownership has declined even as Bitcoin prices surged. Adult participation fell from 12% in 2024 to 8% in the latest survey, equal to about 4.6 million people, although levels remain double those recorded in 2021.
A closer look suggests consolidation rather than collapse. Investors who stayed in the market are committing more capital, with higher-value portfolios becoming more common as retail activity gives way to institutional demand and Bitcoin ETF inflows.
Participants’ knowledge levels are improving. The regulator notes that active investors are more risk-aware and better informed, with ownership skewed towards men aged 18–34 from higher-income demographics and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Bitcoin retains the strongest recognition at 79%, while 57% of current investors hold BTC, a gradual year-on-year increase. Ether ownership stands at 43%, Dogecoin appears in 20% of portfolios, and awareness of newer altcoins remains limited, according to CoinMarketCap.
Stablecoin recognition has risen to 53%, reflecting broader discussion around payments and regulation.
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Anthropic engineers are increasingly relying on AI to write the code behind the company’s products, with senior staff now delegating nearly all programming tasks to AI systems.
Claude Code lead Boris Cherny said he has not written any software by hand for more than two months, with all recent updates generated by Anthropic’s own models. Similar practices are reportedly spreading across internal teams.
Company leadership has previously suggested AI could soon handle most software engineering work from start to finish, marking a shift in how digital products are built and maintained.
The adoption of AI coding tools has accelerated across the technology sector, with firms citing major productivity gains and faster development cycles as automation expands.
Industry observers note the transition may reshape hiring practices and entry-level engineering roles, as AI increasingly performs core implementation tasks previously handled by human developers.
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French streaming platform Deezer has opened access to its AI music detection tool for rival services, including Spotify. The move follows mounting concern in France and across the industry over the rapid rise of synthetic music uploads.
Deezer said around 60,000 AI-generated tracks are uploaded daily, with 13.4 million detected in 2025. In France, the company has already demonetised 85% of AI-generated streams to redirect royalties to human artists.
The tool automatically tags fully AI-generated tracks, removes them from recommendations and flags fraudulent streaming activity. Spotify, which also operates widely in France, has introduced its own measures but relies more heavily on creator disclosure.
Challenges remain for Deezer in France and beyond, as the system struggles to identify hybrid tracks mixing human and AI elements. Industry pressure continues to grow for shared standards that balance innovation, transparency and fair payment.
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Pentagon officials are at odds with AI developer Anthropic over restrictions designed to prevent autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance. The disagreement has stalled discussions under a $200 million contract.
Anthropic has expressed concern about its tools being used in ways that could harm civilians or breach privacy. The company emphasises that human oversight is essential for national security applications.
The dispute reflects broader tensions between Silicon Valley firms and government use of AI. Pentagon officials argue that commercial AI can be deployed as long as it follows US law, regardless of corporate guidelines.
Anthropic’s stance may affect its Pentagon contracts as the firm prepares for a public offering. The company continues to engage with officials while advocating for ethical AI deployment in defence operations.
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Director Darren Aronofsky’s creative studio, Primordial Soup, has released the first episodes of On This Day… 1776, a short-form animated series that uses generative AI technology from Google DeepMind to visualise pivotal events from the American Revolution ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Episodes are published weekly on TIME’s YouTube channel throughout 2026, with each one focusing on a specific date in 1776.
The project combines AI-generated visuals with traditional post-production elements, including colour grading and voice performances by SAG-AFTRA actors, to expand narrative possibilities while retaining human creative input.
Aronofsky and collaborators describe the series as an example of how thoughtful, artist-led AI use can enhance storytelling rather than replace artistic craft.
The initiative is part of a broader trend in entertainment where AI tools are being explored as creative accelerators, though reactions have been mixed on social media, with some viewers questioning the quality and artistic decisions in early episodes.
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Millions of South Africans are set to gain access to AI and digital skills through a partnership between Microsoft South Africa and the national broadcaster SABC Plus. The initiative will deliver online courses, assessments, and recognised credentials directly to learners’ devices.
Building on Microsoft Elevate and the AI Skills Initiative, the programme follows the training of 1.4 million people and the credentialing of nearly half a million citizens since 2025. SABC Plus, with over 1.9 million registered users, provides an ideal platform to reach diverse communities nationwide.
AI and data skills are increasingly critical for employability, with global demand for AI roles growing rapidly. Microsoft and SABC aim to equip citizens with practical, future-ready capabilities, ensuring learning opportunities are not limited by geography or background.
The collaboration also complements Microsoft’s broader initiatives in South Africa, including Ikamva Digital, ElevateHer, Civic AI, and youth certification programmes, all designed to foster inclusion and prepare the next generation for a digital economy.
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European technology leaders are increasingly questioning the long-held assumption that information technology operates outside politics, amid growing concerns about reliance on US cloud providers and digital infrastructure.
At HiPEAC 2026, Nextcloud chief executive Frank Karlitschek argued that software has become an instrument of power, warning that Europe’s dependence on American technology firms exposes organisations to legal uncertainty, rising costs, and geopolitical pressure.
He highlighted conflicts between EU privacy rules and US surveillance laws, predicting continued instability around cross-border data transfers and renewed risks of services becoming legally restricted.
Beyond regulation, Karlitschek pointed to monopoly power among major cloud providers, linking recent price increases to limited competition and warning that vendor lock-in strategies make switching increasingly difficult for European organisations.
He presented open-source and locally controlled cloud systems as a path toward digital sovereignty, urging stronger enforcement of EU competition rules alongside investment in decentralised, federated technology models.
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OpenAI has developed an internal AI data agent designed to help employees move from complex questions to reliable insights in minutes. The tool allows teams to analyse vast datasets using natural language instead of manual SQL-heavy workflows.
Across engineering, finance, research and product teams, the agent reduces friction by locating the right tables, running queries and validating results automatically. Built on GPT-5.2, it adapts as it works, correcting errors and refining its approach without constant human input.
Context plays a central role in the system’s accuracy, combining metadata, human annotations, code-level insights and institutional knowledge. A built-in memory function stores non-obvious corrections, helping the agent improve over time and avoid repeated mistakes.
To maintain trust, OpenAI evaluates the agent continuously using automated tests that compare generated results with verified benchmarks. Strong access controls and transparent reasoning ensure the system remains secure, reliable and aligned with existing data permissions.
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A survey of contact centre and customer experience (CX) leaders finds that AI has become ‘non-negotiable’ for organisations seeking to deliver efficient, personalised, and data-driven customer service.
Respondents reported widespread use of AI-enabled tools such as chatbots, virtual agents, and conversational analytics to handle routine queries, triage requests and surface insights from large volumes of interaction data.
CX leaders emphasised AI’s ability to boost service quality and reduce operational costs, enabling faster response times and better outcomes across channels.
Many organisations are investing in AI platforms that integrate with existing systems to automate workflows, assist human agents, and personalise interactions based on real-time customer context.
Despite optimism, leaders also noted challenges, including data quality, governance, skills gaps and maintaining human oversight, and stressed that AI should augment, not replace, human agents.
The article underscores that today’s competitive CX landscape increasingly depends on strategic AI adoption rather than optional experimentation.
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