A draft data-sharing agreement between the EU and the US Department of Homeland Security would allow automated decisions about European travellers to continue under certain conditions, despite attempts to tighten protections.
The text permits such decisions when authorised under domestic law and relies on safeguards that let individuals request human intervention instead of leaving outcomes entirely to algorithms.
A deal designed to preserve visa-free travel would require national authorities to grant access to biometric databases containing fingerprints and facial scans.
Negotiators are attempting to reconcile the framework with the General Data Protection Regulation, even though the draft states that the new rules would supplement and supersede earlier bilateral arrangements.
Sensitive information, including political views, trade union membership and biometric identifiers, could be transferred as long as protective conditions are applied.
EU countries face a deadline at the end of 2026 to conclude individual agreements, and failure to do so could result in suspension from the US Visa Waiver Program.
A separate clause keeps disputes firmly outside judicial scrutiny by requiring disagreements to be resolved through a Joint Committee instead of national or international courts.
The draft also restricts onward sharing, obliging US authorities to seek explicit consent before passing European-supplied data to third parties.
Further negotiations are expected, with the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs preparing to hold a closed-door review of the talks.
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The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), a multilateral initiative hosted by the OECD and launched by the G7, has officially welcomed Saudi Arabia as a new member. The move reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to shaping global AI governance and ethical technology use.
Accession is led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and supported by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Joining GPAI aligns with Vision 2030, which aims to localise advanced technologies and boost the digital economy’s contribution to GDP.
Through membership in GPAI, which unites over 40 countries, Saudi Arabia will help establish international AI standards, promote human-centric and responsible AI development, and strengthen global cooperation in the sector.
Officials also anticipate that the move will attract high-quality international investment, leveraging the Kingdom’s expanding regulatory framework and growing AI and data ecosystem.
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The German banking giant has applied for a digital asset custody licence from BaFin, marking a significant step in its expansion into cryptocurrency services. The move positions Deutsche Bank to offer safekeeping solutions for clients seeking exposure to digital assets.
Plans form part of a broader strategy to build a dedicated digital assets division, according to David Lynne, a commercial banking executive. DWS Group’s initiatives highlight rising institutional interest in crypto partnerships in Germany.
Previous experimentation includes a tokenised investment platform developed in Singapore with Memento Blockchain, enabling access to digital asset funds through fiat on-ramps.
Activity mirrors wider domestic momentum, as Deutsche WertpapierService Bank has already launched crypto infrastructure linking traditional and digital accounts.
Regulatory clarity and growing client demand appear to be key drivers, with Deutsche Bank signalling a cautious yet deliberate approach to integrating cryptocurrencies into its mainstream banking services.
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Nokia and KDDI Corporation demonstrated quantum-safe optical transport at Sakai Data Center, supporting advanced AI workloads. The network aims to deliver secure, uninterrupted data transfer while protecting sensitive AI operations.
The demonstration showcases KDDI’s scalable AI-ready infrastructure for real-time training, inference, and analytics. Quantum-safe encryption and resilient transport protect customer data and critical infrastructure across Japan’s distributed data centres.
Using Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) and 1830 Security Management Server (SMS), the partners validated high-capacity, secure optical connectivity. The solution delivers privacy, reliability, and fast quantum-safe encryption for modern AI workloads.
Executives from both companies emphasised the importance of secure, scalable networks in enabling AI-driven services. Nokia and KDDI will continue advancing quantum-safe data centre connectivity, supporting Japan’s digital infrastructure and key enterprise applications.
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OpenAI chief Sam Altman has called for urgent global regulation of AI, speaking at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Addressing leaders and executives in New Delhi, he said the rapid pace of development demands coordinated international oversight.
In New Delhi, Altman suggested creating a body similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency to oversee advanced AI systems. He warned that highly capable open source biomodels could pose serious biosecurity risks if misused.
Altman argued in New Delhi that democratising AI is essential to prevent power from being concentrated in a single company or country. He added that safeguards are urgently required, even as technology continues to disrupt labour markets.
During the summit in New Delhi, Altman said ChatGPT has 100 million weekly users in India, with more than a third being students. OpenAI also announced plans with Tata Consultancy Services to build data centre infrastructure in India.
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Swiss firm Procivis has secured a contract to deliver Lithuania’s end-to-end Digital Identity Wallet sandbox, supporting the country’s preparations under eIDAS 2.0. The project will establish a national testbed for digital ID use cases and interoperability across the European Union.
Selected by Lithuania’s digitalisation agency, Procivis will build a platform for public authorities and relying parties to test secure digital wallet use cases. The sandbox will validate readiness ahead of the EU’s 2027 digital identity wallet deadline.
The updated eIDAS 2.0 technical framework sets out how wallets will store and share trusted digital credentials and electronic identification. Governments and private organisations will be able to integrate services into the wallets, streamlining authentication, onboarding, and cross-border access.
Across Lithuania and the EU, testbeds and large-scale pilots have been central to turning regulatory requirements into interoperable infrastructure. Lithuania’s sandbox will also support activities under the EU’s LSP Aptitude consortium, which is testing cross-sector digital identity solutions.
Procivis said the collaboration aims to accelerate practical validation while ensuring compliance with European standards on security, interoperability, and data protection. The company stated that supporting a timely, budget-aligned implementation of eIDAS 2.0 remains central to its mission.
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Reddit has begun testing an AI-powered shopping search tool with a limited group of users in the US. Search queries for product ideas now generate interactive carousels featuring prices, images and direct links to retailers.
Items appearing in the results are drawn from recommendations shared in posts and comments across the platform. Listings are connected to Reddit’s advertising and shopping partners, bringing community discussions closer to online purchasing.
Expansion into AI-led commerce builds on the company’s earlier launch of Dynamic Product Ads, designed to deliver personalised suggestions. Closer integration of search and shopping signals a broader effort to strengthen digital revenue streams.
Chief executive Steve Huffman recently described AI search as a significant business opportunity beyond product development alone. Weekly search users increased from 60 million to 80 million over the past year, while engagement with the AI-powered Reddit Answers tool rose sharply throughout 2025.
Developments place Reddit alongside other technology platforms investing in AI-driven retail features. Growing user engagement suggests the company sees search as central to its future commercial strategy.
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A new AI video model developed by ByteDance has unsettled Hollywood after generating cinema-quality clips from brief text prompts. Seedance 2.0, launched in 2025, went viral for producing realistic action scenes featuring western cinematic characters such as Spider Man and Deadpool.
In response, major studios, including Disney and Paramount, issued cease and desist letters over alleged copyright infringement. Japan has also begun investigating ByteDance after AI-generated anime videos spread widely online.
Industry experts say Seedance 2.0 stands out for combining text, visuals and audio within a single system. Analysts in Singapore and Melbourne argue that Chinese AI models are now matching US competitors at the technological frontier.
As Seedance 2.0 gains traction, Beijing continues to prioritise AI and robotics in its economic strategy. The rise of tools from China has intensified debate in the US and beyond over copyright, regulation and the future of creative work.
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South Africa’s fintech sector has evolved from a niche disruptor into a pillar of the digital economy, fuelled by rapid digital adoption and entrepreneurial growth. Regulators are now tasked with supporting innovation in decentralised finance and AI while safeguarding market stability and consumer protection.
Coordinated oversight has been central to that effort. The Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group, bringing together the National Treasury, the South African Reserve Bank and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, promotes a harmonised and principle-based regulatory approach.
A significant turning point came when crypto assets were classified as financial products under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act. Licensing requirements for Crypto Asset Service Providers and alignment with Financial Action Task Force standards strengthened consumer safeguards and anti-money laundering controls.
Fintech also plays a growing role in financial inclusion, particularly through mobile money, digital lending and digital payments. Wider access to affordable financial tools supports inclusive economic growth across underserved communities.
AI presents fresh regulatory questions around bias, transparency and operational resilience. Ensuring compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act while encouraging responsible experimentation remains central to South Africa’s evolving fintech strategy.
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Agentic AI is emerging as a new stage of enterprise automation, enabling systems to reason, plan, and act across workflows. Adoption, however, remains uneven, with far fewer organisations scaling deployments beyond pilots.
Unlike traditional analytics or generative tools, agentic systems make decisions rather than simply producing insights. Without sufficient context, they struggle to align actions with real business conditions, revealing a persistent context gap.
Recent survey data highlights this disconnect. Although executives express confidence in AI ambitions, significant shares cite data readiness, infrastructure, and skills as barriers. Many identify AI as central to strategy, yet only a limited proportion tie deployments to measurable business outcomes.
Effective agentic AI depends on layered data foundations. Public data provides baseline capability, organisational data enables operational competence, and third-party context supports differentiation. Weak governance or integration can undermine autonomy at scale.
Enterprises that align data governance, enrichment, and AI oversight are more likely to scale beyond pilots. Progress depends less on model sophistication than on trusted data foundations that support transparency and measurable outcomes.
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