The UK government has appointed two senior industry figures as AI Champions to support safe and effective adoption of AI across financial services, as part of a broader push to boost growth and productivity.
Harriet Rees of Starling Bank and Dr Rohit Dhawan of Lloyds Banking Group will work with firms and regulators to help turn rapid AI uptake into practical delivery. Both will report directly to Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
AI is already widely deployed across the sector, with around three-quarters of UK financial firms using the technology. Analysis indicates AI could add tens of billions of pounds to financial services by 2030, while improving customer services and reducing costs.
The Champions will focus on accelerating trusted adoption, speeding up innovation, and removing barriers to scale. Their remit includes protecting consumers, supporting financial stability, and strengthening the UK’s role as a global economic and technology hub.
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AI tools used for health searches are facing growing scrutiny after reports found that some systems provide incorrect or potentially harmful medical advice. Wider public use of generative AI for health queries raises concerns over how such information is generated and verified.
An investigation by The Guardian found that Google AI Overview has sometimes produced guidance contrary to established medical advice. Attention has also focused on data sources, as platforms like ChatGPT frequently draw on user-generated or openly edited material.
Medical experts warn that unverified or outdated information poses risks, especially where clinical guidance changes rapidly. The European Lung Foundation has stressed that health-related AI outputs should meet the same standards as professional medical sources.
Efforts to counter misinformation are now expanding. The European Respiratory Society and its partners are running campaigns to protect public trust in science and encourage people to verify health information with qualified professionals.
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Indirect crypto securities holdings across Dutch households, institutions, and companies have expanded sharply over the past five years, according to central bank data. The increase reflects wider use of exchange-traded products linked to digital assets, while overall exposure remains limited.
Total indirect investments climbed from around €81 million at the end of 2020 to €1.2 billion by October 2025. Even with that increase, crypto-linked securities remain marginal, accounting for just 0.03% of overall securities holdings in the Netherlands.
Value growth has largely reflected rising prices of underlying crypto-assets rather than widespread new investment. Bitcoin, for example, recorded substantial gains before experiencing a sharp decline in late 2025, which influenced the valuation of related products.
Households hold the largest share of crypto ETFs and ETNs, while pension funds dominate crypto treasury shares. Holdings are highly concentrated, with seven foreign-issued securities accounting for roughly 70% of total Dutch indirect crypto exposure.
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Russia’s telecom watchdog is preparing to expand its use of AI to monitor and restrict access to prohibited online content, a move expected to affect parts of the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Roskomnadzor plans to invest more than 2 billion rubles in machine-learning tools designed to analyse internet traffic and improve enforcement against banned websites and VPN services. Blocking activity has already accelerated, with hundreds of VPNs and more than a million websites restricted during 2025.
Industry observers warn that stronger filtering could disrupt access to foreign-based crypto exchanges, mining pools, and information services. Major platforms are not currently blocked, but wider AI use is expected to accelerate detection of mirror sites and circumvention tools.
Regulatory changes under discussion could further reshape market access. Proposals would allow licensed domestic institutions to handle crypto transactions while imposing separate rules on specialised exchanges, potentially limiting the operations of foreign providers.
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The European Commission has signalled readiness to escalate action against Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, following concerns over the spread of non-consensual sexualised images on the social media platform X.
The EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Members of the European Parliament that existing digital rules allow regulators to respond to risks linked to AI-driven nudification tools.
Grok has been associated with the circulation of digitally altered images depicting real people, including women and children, without consent. Virkkunen described such practices as unacceptable and stressed that protecting minors online remains a central priority for the EU enforcement under the Digital Services Act.
While no formal investigation has yet been launched, the Commission is examining whether X may breach the DSA and has already ordered the platform to retain internal information related to Grok until the end of 2026.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also publicly condemned the creation of sexualised AI images without consent.
The controversy has intensified calls from EU lawmakers to strengthen regulation, with several urging an explicit ban on AI-powered nudification under the forthcoming AI Act.
A debate that reflects wider international pressure on governments to address the misuse of generative AI technologies and reinforce safeguards across digital platforms.
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Global enterprise software provider SAP has entered a strategic collaboration with German healthcare group Fresenius to apply AI and digital technologies to healthcare delivery and clinical operations.
The partnership aims to modernise processes, including patient flow, resource planning, and data-driven decision support, across Fresenius’s hospital networks and care facilities.
At the core of the initiative will be SAP’s AI-enabled enterprise platforms, including analytics, predictive modelling and workflow automation, combined with Fresenius’s clinical expertise to improve operational efficiency, care coordination and patient outcomes.
By leveraging real-time data and AI insights, the collaboration seeks to reduce administrative burden on clinicians while enabling proactive management of capacity and critical resources.
Both organisations emphasise the potential of AI to support clinicians rather than replace them, reinforcing the importance of human oversight, explainability and adherence to healthcare regulations and privacy standards.
The partnership also reflects a broader trend of digital transformation in health systems, where analytics and AI are becoming integral to service delivery and system resilience.
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Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer ASUS has announced that it will not launch new smartphones in 2026, signalling a central strategic pivot away from mobile devices and toward artificial intelligence-driven products and robotics.
Chairman Jonney Shih confirmed at a company event that ASUS will redirect research and development resources previously earmarked for phones into AI hardware such as robotics, AI glasses and commercial PCs.
The move comes amid a hyper-competitive global smartphone market and supply-chain pressures, such as rising memory costs, that make handset manufacturing less attractive than high-growth AI sectors.
ASUS will continue to support existing smartphone users with warranty and software updates, but does not plan to introduce new phone models in the foreseeable future.
Industry observers say this shift reflects broader trends in consumer electronics, where traditional phone makers are seeking growth by leveraging AI innovation and emerging device categories.
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India’s first AI-generated travel influencer, Radhika Subramaniam, has begun attracting sustained audience engagement since her launch in mid-2025, signalling growing acceptance of virtual creators in travel content.
Developed by Collective Artists Network, a talent management company based in India, Radhika initially drew attention through curiosity, but followers increasingly interacted with her posts in ways similar to those of human influencers, according to the company’s leadership.
Industry observers say AI travel influencers offer brands greater efficiency, lower production costs, and more control over storytelling, as virtual creators can be deployed without logistical constraints.
Some creators remain sceptical about whether artificial personas can replicate the emotional authenticity and sensory experiences that shape real-world travel storytelling.
Marketing specialists expect AI and human influencers to coexist, with virtual avatars serving as consistent brand voices while human creators retain value through spontaneity, trust, and personal perspective.
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UK regulators and the Treasury face MP criticism over their approach to AI, amid warnings of risks to consumers and financial stability. A new Treasury Select Committee report says authorities have been overly cautious as AI use rapidly expands across financial services.
More than 75% of UK financial firms are already using AI, according to evidence reviewed by the committee, with insurers and international banks leading uptake.
Applications range from automating back-office tasks to core functions such as credit assessments and insurance claims, increasing AI’s systemic importance within the sector.
MPs acknowledge AI’s benefits but warn that readiness for large-scale failures remains insufficient. The committee urges the Bank of England and the FCA to introduce AI-specific stress tests to gauge resilience to AI-driven market shocks.
Further recommendations include more explicit regulatory guidance on AI accountability and faster use of the Critical Third Parties Regime. No AI or cloud providers have been designated as critical, prompting calls for stronger oversight to limit operational and systemic risk.
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Apple has issued a renewed warning to iPhone users, urging them to install the latest version of iOS to avoid exposure to emerging spyware threats targeting older versions.
Devices running iOS 26 are no longer fully protected by remaining on version 18, even after updating to the latest patch. Apple has indicated that recent attacks exploit vulnerabilities that only the newest operating system can address.
Security agencies in France and the United States recommend regularly powering down smartphones to disrupt certain forms of non-persistent spyware that operate in memory.
A complete shutdown using physical buttons, rather than on-screen controls, is advised as part of a basic security routine, particularly for users who delay major software upgrades.
While restarting alone cannot replace software updates, experts stress that keeping iOS up to date remains the most effective defence against zero-click exploits delivered through everyday apps such as iMessage.
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