Digital cooperation

Mitigated ads personalisation coming to Meta platforms in the EU

Meta has agreed to introduce a less personalised ads option for Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, as part of efforts to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act and address concerns over data use and user consent.

Under the revised model, users will be able to access Meta’s social media platforms without agreeing to extensive personal data processing for fully personalised ads. Instead, they can opt for an alternative experience based on significantly reduced data inputs, resulting in more limited ad targeting.

The option is set to roll out across the EU from January 2026. It marks the first time Meta has offered users a clear choice between highly personalised advertising and a reduced-data model across its core platforms.

The change follows months of engagement between Meta and Brussels after the European Commission ruled in April that the company had breached the DMA. Regulators stated that Meta’s previous approach had failed to provide users with a genuine and effective choice over how their data was used for advertising.

Once implemented, the Commission said it will gather evidence and feedback from Meta, advertisers, publishers, and other stakeholders. The goal is to assess the extent to which the new option is adopted and whether it significantly reshapes competition and data practices in the EU digital advertising market.

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Trump allows Nvidia to sell chips to approved Chinese customers

US President Donald Trump has allowed Nvidia to sell H200 AI chips to approved customers in China, marking a shift in export controls. The decision also covers firms such as AMD and follows continued lobbying by Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.

Nvidia had been barred from selling advanced chips to Beijing, but a partial reversal earlier required the firm to pay a share of its Chinese revenues to the US government. China later ordered firms to stop buying Nvidia products, pushing them towards domestic semiconductors.

Analysts suggest the new policy may buy time for negotiations over rare earth supplies, as China dominates processing of these minerals. Access to H200 chips may aid China’s tech sector, but experts warn they could also strengthen military AI capabilities.

Nvidia welcomed the announcement, saying the decision strikes a balance that benefits American industry. Shares rose slightly after the news, although the arrangement is expected to face scrutiny from national security advocates.

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Canada-EU digital partnership expands cooperation on AI and security

The European Union and Canada have strengthened their digital partnership during the first Digital Partnership Council in Montreal. Both sides outlined a joint plan to enhance competitiveness and innovation, while supporting smaller firms through targeted regulation.

Senior representatives reconfirmed that cooperation with like-minded partners will be essential for economic resilience.

A new Memorandum of Understanding on AI placed a strong emphasis on trustworthy systems, shared standards and wider adoption across strategic sectors.

The two partners will exchange best practices to support sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, energy, culture and public services.

They also agreed to collaborate on large-scale AI infrastructures and access to computing capacity, while encouraging scientific collaboration on advanced AI models and climate-related research.

A meeting that also led to an agreement on a structured dialogue on data spaces.

A second Memorandum of Understanding covered digital credentials and trust services. The plan includes joint testing of digital identity wallets, pilot projects and new use cases aimed at interoperability.

The EU and Canada also intend to work more closely on the protection of independent media, the promotion of reliable information online and the management of risks created by generative AI.

Both sides underlined their commitment to secure connectivity, with cooperation on 5G, subsea cables and potential new Arctic routes to strengthen global network resilience. Further plans aim to deepen collaboration on quantum technologies, semiconductors and high-performance computing.

A renewed partnership that reflects a shared commitment to resilient supply chains and secure cloud infrastructure as both regions prepare for future technological demands.

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Tether backs Italian humanoid robotics startup

Tether Investments has backed Generative Bionics in a €70m round to accelerate the development of intelligent humanoid robots. The company develops platforms that combine robotics and AI to enhance industrial performance and foster human-centred interaction.

Investment funds will support industrial validation, the creation of a production facility and the rollout of early deployment programmes across sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.

Generative Bionics brings together dozens of engineers and researchers from IIT, drawing on two decades of robotics expertise and a portfolio of over 60 prototype systems.

Analysts expect the humanoid robotics sector to grow sharply in the coming decades, with Physical AI becoming a core component of future industrial ecosystems. Tether’s investment aligns with its strategy to boost resilient infrastructure and lessen reliance on centralised systems.

The company plans to unveil its first complete humanoid robot at CES in Las Vegas, signalling a move from research to commercial-ready platforms and strengthening Italy’s role in the global robotics landscape.

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Instacart deepens partnership with OpenAI for real-time AI shopping

OpenAI and Instacart are expanding their longstanding collaboration by introducing a fully integrated grocery shopping experience inside ChatGPT.

Users can receive meal inspiration, browse products and place orders in one continuous conversation instead of switching across separate platforms.

A service that brings together Instacart’s real-time retail network with OpenAI’s most advanced models to produce an experience that feels like a direct link between a simple request and completed delivery.

The Instacart app becomes the first service to offer a full checkout flow inside ChatGPT by using the Agentic Commerce Protocol. When users mention food, ingredients or recipe ideas, ChatGPT can surface the app immediately.

Once the user connects an Instacart account, the system selects suitable items from nearby retailers and builds a complete cart that can be reviewed before payment. Users then pay securely inside the chat while Instacart manages collection and delivery through its established network.

The update also reflects broader cooperation between the two companies. Instacart continues to rely on OpenAI APIs to support personalised suggestions and real time guidance across its customer experience.

ChatGPT Enterprise assists internal teams, while Codex powers an internal coding agent that shortens development cycles instead of slowing them down with manual tasks. The partnership builds on Instacart’s early involvement in the Operator research preview, where it helped refine emerging agentic technologies.

A renewed partnership that strengthens OpenAI’s growing enterprise ecosystem. The company already works with major global brands across sectors such as retail, financial services and telecommunications.

The Instacart integration offers a view of how conversational agents may act as a bridge between everyday intent and immediate real-world action.

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Egypt reaffirms commitment to AI and digital transformation

During a recent meeting with the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) at the Doha Forum, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed the country’s dedication to advancing responsible digital transformation, data governance and AI.

He highlighted Egypt’s active role not only domestically but across the Arab and African regions, positioning the country as a key partner in shaping multilateral frameworks for digital cooperation. Among the milestones he noted were the launch of the second phase of Egypt’s national AI strategy and the adoption, in 2025, of a national open-data policy.

As well as AI and data governance, the agenda includes expanding digital capacity building, strengthening cybersecurity, and exploring future cooperation in AI, digital inclusion, and public-private collaborations.

This commitment aligns with broader government efforts: earlier in 2025, Egypt approved its first Open Data Policy, making public-sector data more accessible and machine-readable, a foundational step for data-driven governance, transparency and innovation.

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Japan turns to AI and robotics to tackle dementia crisis

Japan is intensifying efforts to use technology to address a worsening dementia crisis, as more than 18,000 older people went missing last year and care-related costs continue to climb.

With nearly 30% of its population now aged 65 or older, Japan is experimenting with GPS wearables and community alert systems that help authorities locate missing individuals within hours. AI tools are also entering clinical practice, including Fujitsu’s aiGait system, which analyses posture and movement to detect early cognitive decline.

Researchers at Waseda University are developing AIREC, a humanoid robot that can perform basic daily-living tasks and may one day assist with continence care and pressure-ulcer prevention.

Smaller social robots such as Sharp’s Poketomo aim to reduce loneliness by prompting medications, offering weather updates and providing companionship. Despite this technological push, caregivers and researchers stress that human connection remains fundamental.

Community initiatives such as Tokyo’s Restaurant of Mistaken Orders show how social engagement can support dignity and wellbeing even as automation and AI begin to supplement routine care tasks.

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New spyware threat alerts issued by Apple and Google

Apple and Google have issued a fresh round of cyber threat notifications, warning users worldwide they may have been targeted by sophisticated surveillance operations linked to state-backed actors.

Apple said it sent alerts on 2 December, confirming it has now notified users in more than 150 countries, though it declined to disclose how many people were affected or who was responsible.

Google followed on 3 December, announcing warnings for several hundred accounts targeted by Intellexa spyware across multiple countries in Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

The Alphabet-owned company said Intellexa continues to evade restrictions despite US sanctions, highlighting persistent challenges in limiting the spread of commercial surveillance tools.

Researchers say such alerts raise costs for cyber spies by exposing victims, often triggering investigations that can lead to public scrutiny and accountability over spyware misuse.

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Real-time journalism becomes central to Meta AI strategy

Meta has signed commercial agreements with news publishers to feed real-time reporting into Meta AI, enabling its chatbot to answer news-related queries with up-to-date information from multiple editorial sources.

The company said responses will include links to full articles, directing users to publishers’ websites and helping partners reach new audiences beyond traditional platform distribution.

Initial partners span US and international outlets, covering global affairs, politics, entertainment, and sports, with Meta signalling that additional publishing deals are in the works.

The shift marks a recalibration. Meta previously reduced its emphasis on news across Facebook and ended most publisher payments, but now sees licensed reporting as essential to improving AI accuracy and relevance.

Facing intensifying competition in the AI market, Meta is positioning real-time journalism as a differentiator for its chatbot, which is available across its apps and to users worldwide.

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Creatives warn that AI is reshaping their jobs

AI is accelerating across creative fields, raising concerns among workers who say the technology is reshaping livelihoods faster than anyone expected.

A University of Cambridge study recently found that more than two-thirds of creative professionals fear AI has undermined their job security, and many now describe the shift as unavoidable.

One of them is Norwich-based artist Aisha Belarbi, who says the rise of image-generation tools has made commissions harder to secure as clients ‘can just generate whatever they want’. Although she works in both traditional and digital media, Belarbi says she increasingly struggles to distinguish original art from AI output. That uncertainty, she argues, threatens the value of lived experience and the labour behind creative work.

Others are embracing the change. Videographer JP Allard transformed his Milton Keynes production agency after discovering the speed and scale of AI-generated video. His company now produces multilingual ‘digital twins’ and fully AI-generated commercials, work he says is quicker and cheaper than traditional filming. Yet he acknowledges that the pace of change can leave staff behind and says retraining has not kept up with the technology.

For musician Ross Stewart, the concern centres on authenticity. After listening to what he later discovered was an AI-generated blues album, he questioned the impact of near-instant song creation on musicians’ livelihoods and exposure. He believes audiences will continue to seek human performance, but worries that the market for licensed music is already shifting towards AI alternatives.

Copywriter Niki Tibble has experienced similar pressures. Returning from maternity leave, she found that AI tools had taken over many entry-level writing tasks. While some clients still prefer human writers for strategy, nuance and brand voice, Tibble’s work has increasingly shifted toward reviewing and correcting AI-generated copy. She says the uncertainty leaves her unsure whether her role will exist in a decade.

Across these stories, creative workers describe a sector in rapid transition. While some see new opportunities, many fear the speed of adoption and a future where AI replaces the very work that has long defined their craft.

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