Digital cooperation

Stronger safeguards arrive with OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 release

OpenAI has launched GPT-5.2, highlighting improved safety performance in conversations involving mental health. The company said the update strengthens how its models respond to signs of suicide, self-harm, emotional distress, and reliance on the chatbot.

The release follows criticism and legal challenges accusing ChatGPT of contributing to psychosis, paranoia, and delusional thinking in some users. Several cases have highlighted the risks of prolonged emotional engagement with AI systems.

In response to a wrongful death lawsuit involving a US teenager, OpenAI denied responsibility while stating that ChatGPT encouraged the user to seek help. The company also committed to improving responses when users display warning signs of mental health crises.

OpenAI said GPT-5.2 produces fewer undesirable responses in sensitive situations than earlier versions. According to the company, the model scores higher on internal safety tests related to self-harm, emotional reliance, and mental health.

The update builds on OpenAI’s use of a training approach known as safe completion, which aims to balance helpfulness and safety. Detailed performance information has been published in the GPT-5.2 system card.

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ZhiCube showcases new approach to embodied AI deployment

Chinese robotics firm AI² Robotics has launched ZhiCube, described as a modular embodied AI service space integrating humanoid robots into public venues. The concept debuted in Beijing and Shenzhen, with initial installations in a city park and a shopping mall.

ZhiCube places the company’s AlphaBot 2 humanoid robot inside a modular unit designed for service delivery. The system supports multiple functions, including coffee, ice cream, entertainment, and retail, which can be combined based on location and demand.

At the core of the platform is a human–robot collaboration model powered by the company’s embodied AI system, GOVLA. The robot can perceive its surroundings, understand tasks, and adapt its role dynamically during daily operations.

AI² Robotics says the system adjusts work patterns based on foot traffic, allocating tasks between robots and human staff as demand fluctuates. Robots handle standardised services, while humans focus on creative or complex activities.

The company plans to deploy 1,000 ZhiCube units across China over the next three years. It aims to position the platform as a scalable urban infrastructure, supported by in-house manufacturing and long-term operational data from multiple industries.

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SK Telecom introduces South Korea’s first hyperscale AI model

The telecommunications firm, SK Telecom, is preparing to unveil A.X K1, Korea’s first hyperscale language model built with 519 billion parameters.

Around 33 billion parameters are activated during inference, so the AI model can keep strong performance instead of demanding excessive computing power. The project is part of a national initiative involving universities and industry partners.

The company expects A.X K1 to outperform smaller systems in complex reasoning, mathematics and multilingual understanding, while also supporting code generation and autonomous AI agents.

At such a scale, the model can operate as a teacher system that transfers knowledge to smaller, domain-specific tools that might directly improve daily services and industrial processes.

Unlike many global models trained mainly in English, A.X K1 has been trained in Korean from the outset so it naturally understands local language, culture and context.

SK Telecom plans to deploy the model through its AI service Adot, which already has more than 10 million subscribers, allowing access via calls, messages, the web and mobile apps.

The company foresees applications in workplace productivity, manufacturing optimisation, gaming dialogue, robotics and semiconductor performance testing.

Research will continue so the model can support the wider AI ecosystem of South Korea, and SK Telecom plans to open-source A.X K1 along with an API to help local developers create new AI agents.

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Tsinghua University is emerging as a cornerstone of China’s AI strategy

China’s Tsinghua University has emerged as a central hub in the country’s push to become a global leader in AI. The campus hosts a high level of research activity, with students and faculty working across disciplines related to AI development.

Momentum has been boosted by the success of DeepSeek, an AI startup founded by alums of Tsinghua University. The company reinforced confidence that Chinese teams can compete with leading international laboratories.

The university’s rise is closely aligned with Beijing’s national technology strategy. Government backing has included subsidies, tax incentives, and policy support, as well as public endorsements of AI entrepreneurs affiliated with Tsinghua.

Patent and publication data highlight the scale of output. Tsinghua has filed thousands of AI-related patents and ranks among the world’s most cited institutions in AI research, reflecting China’s rapidly expanding share of global AI innovation.

Despite this growth, the United States continues to lead in influential patents and top-performing models. Analysts note, however, that a narrowing gap is expected, as China produces a growing share of elite AI researchers and expands AI education from schools to advanced research.

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New AI directorates signal Türkiye’s push for AI

Türkiye has announced new measures to expand its AI ecosystem and strengthen public-sector adoption of the technology. The changes were published in the Official Gazette, according to Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir.

The Ministry’s Directorate General of National Technology has been renamed the Directorate General of National Technology and AI. The unit will oversee policies on data centres, cloud infrastructure, certification standards, and regulatory processes.

The directorate will also coordinate national AI governance, support startups and research, and promote the ethical and reliable use of AI. Its remit includes expanding data capacity, infrastructure, workforce development, and international cooperation.

Separately, a Public AI Directorate General has been established under the Presidency’s Cybersecurity Directorate. The new body will guide the use of AI across government institutions and lead regulatory work on public-sector AI applications.

Officials say the unit will align national legislation with international frameworks and set standards for data governance and shared data infrastructure. The government aims to position Türkiye as a leading country in the development of AI.

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AI disruption risk seen as lower for India’s white-collar jobs

India faces a lower risk of AI-driven disruption to white-collar jobs than Western economies, IT Secretary S Krishnan said. A smaller share of cognitive roles and strong STEM employment reduce near-term impact.

Rather than replacing workers, artificial intelligence is expected to create jobs through sector-specific applications. Development and deployment of these systems will require many trained professionals.

Human oversight will remain essential as issues such as AI hallucinations limit full automation of cognitive tasks. Productivity gains are expected to support, rather than eliminate, knowledge-based work.

India is positioning itself as a global contributor to applied artificial intelligence solutions. Indigenous AI models under development are expected to support jobs, innovation and long-term economic growth.

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Indian banks turn to AI for revenue growth

Indian banks and financial institutions are deploying AI at scale to increase revenue generation. Post-pandemic digitisation has accelerated adoption beyond pilot projects.

Executives say AI deployment now focuses on customer engagement, credit decisions and risk management. Indian revenue growth is replacing cost reduction as the primary objective.

Industry leaders highlight a shift towards agentic AI, where autonomous systems perform complex business tasks. Banking workflows are increasingly handled with minimal human intervention.

Cloud providers say Indian finance is entering a mature AI phase. Digital infrastructure investments are expected to deepen competitive advantage across the sector.

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Groq partners with Nvidia to expand inference technology

Groq has signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Nvidia to share its inference technology, aiming to make high-performance, cost-efficient AI processing more widely accessible.

Groq’s founder, Jonathan Ross, president Sunny Madra, and other team members will join Nvidia to help develop and scale the licensed technology. Despite the collaboration, Groq will remain an independent company, with Simon Edwards taking over as Chief Executive Officer.

Operations of GroqCloud will continue without interruption, ensuring ongoing services for existing customers. The agreement highlights a growing trend of partnerships in the AI sector, combining innovation with broader access to advanced processing capabilities.

The partnership could speed up AI inference adoption, offering companies more scalable and cost-effective options for deploying AI workloads. Analysts suggest such collaborations are likely to drive competition and innovation in the rapidly evolving AI hardware and software market.

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India to showcase local AI apps at impact summit

India’s technology ministry plans to showcase more than 100 homegrown applications at an upcoming AI Impact Summit. The event aims to highlight locally developed tools across public services and industry.

Officials say the initiative supports domestic innovation while reducing reliance on foreign technology platforms. Priority areas include governance, healthcare, education and small business productivity.

The ministry intends to promote practical AI adoption rather than experimental research. Developers will demonstrate solutions already deployed or nearing commercial readiness.

The showcase reflects India’s broader strategy to position local firms within global AI supply chains. Indian policymakers view applied AI as central to economic growth.

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EU credits DMA as Apple opens iOS 26.3 to third-party accessories

The European Commission has welcomed Apple’s latest interoperability updates in iOS 26.3, crediting the Digital Markets Act for compelling the company to open its ecosystem.

The new features are currently in beta and allow third-party accessories to integrate more smoothly with iPhones and iPads, instead of favouring Apple’s own devices.

Proximity pairing will let headphones and other accessories connect through a simplified one-tap process, similar to AirPods. Notification forwarding to non-Apple wearables will also become available, although alerts can only be routed to one device at a time.

Apple is providing developers with the tools needed to support the features, which apply only within the EU.

The DMA classifies Apple as a gatekeeper and requires fairer access for rivals, with heavy financial penalties for non-compliance.

Apple has repeatedly warned that the rules risk undermining security and privacy, yet the company has already introduced DMA-driven changes such as allowing alternative app stores and opening NFC access.

Analysts expect the moves to reduce ecosystem lock-in and increase competition across the EU market. iOS 26.3 is expected to roll out fully across Europe from 2026 following the beta cycle, while further regulatory scrutiny may push Apple to extend interoperability even further.

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