Digital cooperation Archives | Page 113 of 221

Google invests €5 billion to boost Belgium’s AI infrastructure

The US tech giant, Google, has announced a €5 billion investment in Belgium to strengthen its AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years.

A plan that includes major expansions of its Saint-Ghislain data centre campuses and the creation of 300 full-time jobs.

The company has also signed agreements with Eneco, Luminus and Renner to develop new onshore wind farms and supply the Belgian grid with clean energy.

Alongside the infrastructure push, Google will fund non-profits to deliver free AI training for low-skilled workers, ensuring broader access to digital skills.

By deepening its presence in Belgium, Google aims to bolster the country’s technological and economic future. The initiative marks one of Europe’s largest AI infrastructure investments, reflecting growing competition to secure leadership in the continent’s digital transformation.

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Alibaba’s Qwen lab launches robotics unit to drive embodied AI

Alibaba Group has established a robotics AI team within its Qwen lab, marking a significant step in its strategy to expand into AI-powered hardware.

However, this move reflects China’s broader push to lead in robotics and embodied intelligence, increasingly driven by generative AI and multimodal foundation models.

Qwen researcher Lin Junyang revealed the creation of the robotics unit on social media, describing it as part of Alibaba’s efforts to move AI from the virtual to the physical world.

The lab’s Qwen series has already achieved global prominence, with seven models ranking among the world’s top ten on Hugging Face, including the multimodal Qwen3-Omni in first place.

Group chairman Joe Tsai recently stressed that success in AI depends less on model scale and more on how rapidly technologies are adopted. He argued that China is focused on cost-effective, open-source AI models that can enable faster integration than the high-cost approach pursued in the US.

Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming confirmed plans to raise AI infrastructure investment to 380 billion yuan over three years to become a full-stack AI provider.

The company also invests in robotics ventures such as Unitree Robotics and X Square Robot, aligning its expansion with national industrial strategies and the country’s accelerating robotics leadership.

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EU boosts AI adoption with new Apply AI Strategy

The European Commission has launched the Apply AI Strategy to accelerate AI adoption, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The initiative seeks to improve public services, boost Europe’s competitiveness, and advance European AI model development.

JRC findings highlight the need for infrastructure, talent, and collaboration investment to keep Europe a global AI leader. Experts stress that AI literacy and specialised skills are crucial to closing the gap between education and market demand.

Current training is heavily concentrated in ICT fields, with less emphasis on generative AI and non-technical disciplines, calling for a more diverse and multidisciplinary approach.

AI adoption in the public sector is a central focus of the strategy, with JRC research showing that successful implementation depends on leadership, innovation, and internal expertise. The JRC-managed Public Sector Tech Watch collects AI use cases to support policy and modernise the EU administrations.

The strategy also reinforces the role of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), which will evolve into Experience Centres for AI. These centres will help SMEs and public sector organisations integrate AI more effectively by offering training, regulatory guidance, and ethical support.

The JRC report on EDIHs highlights their growing readiness and commitment to improving services that support Europe’s AI transition.

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Gemini expands its footprint in Australia

Gemini has announced a significant expansion in Australia, reinforcing its long-term growth strategy across Asia. The move includes appointing James Logan, gaining AUSTRAC registration, and launching new AUD banking rails for faster deposits and trading.

Australians can now deposit funds instantly through Osko and the New Payments Platform (NPP), avoiding international transfer delays and fees. Users can seamlessly buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies using AUD on the Gemini app and the Gemini ActiveTrader platform.

According to Gemini’s Global State of Crypto Report 2025, 22% of Australians already hold digital assets- a rate matching that of the United States.

James Logan will lead Gemini’s Australian operations, overseeing strategy, partnerships, and customer growth. With a background in financial services and senior roles at exchanges like Luno and Bitget, Logan brings deep expertise in digital asset adoption and trust building.

He described Gemini’s expansion as ‘an exciting milestone strengthening Australia’s access to secure and transparent crypto trading.’

Gemini’s mission to bridge traditional finance and the future of money underpins its commitment to trust, transparency, and innovation. The company views its expansion as the start of a long-term effort to empower Australians with secure tools to participate in the next generation of digital finance.

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AI and cloud to drive Google’s partnership with LA28 and Team USA

Google has announced a significant partnership with LA28, Team USA, and NBCUniversal ahead of the 2026 and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The collaboration aims to create a more interactive and personalised experience for fans, athletes, and the 70,000 volunteers helping deliver the LA28 Games.

The agreement will combine innovations across Google Search, Gemini, and Google Cloud. AI tools will assist Team USA with training analysis, while viewers will benefit from more innovative search functions during NBCUniversal’s coverage.

Gemini will also support athletes and organisers with enhanced data insights and communication tools.

Google Cloud will power what is set to be the most technologically advanced Games in history. It will optimise event logistics, analyse performance data, and provide real-time analytics to NBCUniversal.

Meanwhile, YouTube will host exclusive Olympic content, expanding NBCUniversal’s storytelling reach through short-form video.

The partnership underscores how AI and cloud technologies are shaping the future of global events. Fans attending or watching from home will enjoy more immersive, on-demand access to the athletes, competitions, and stories driving LA28.

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AI tools bring new hope for cardiovascular medicine

AI, omics, and systems biology enable targeted drugs for heart disease pathways once considered untreatable. A new study in Frontiers in Science highlights how these innovations could revolutionise treatment and save millions of lives.

Heart disease remains the leading global killer, partly because generic treatments like statins do not account for individual biological differences.

Researchers say AI-powered precision medicine can identify new gene and protein targets, enabling personalised therapies for each patient’s unique heart disease.

RNA-based drugs are emerging as an up-and-coming solution. Unlike conventional medicines that reach only limited protein targets, RNA therapies can influence almost any gene and may be developed more quickly.

Early trials show they can lower cholesterol more effectively than traditional approaches, with potential to address long-standing ‘undruggable’ pathways in cardiovascular disease.

Experts say realising these treatments requires global leadership and collaboration across academia, industry, and healthcare. Bold investment and open science are crucial to make precision medicine global and reduce heart disease, expected to cause 26 million deaths annually by 2030.

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New copyright settings announced for Sora 2 video generation

OpenAI has announced it will give copyright holders more control over how their intellectual property is used in videos produced by Sora 2. The shift comes amid criticism over Sora’s ability to generate scenes featuring popular characters and media, sometimes without permission.

At launch, Sora allowed generation under a default policy that required rights holders to opt out if they did not want their content used. That approach drew immediate backlash from studios and creators complaining about unauthorised use of copyrighted characters.

OpenAI now says it will introduce ‘more granular control’ for content owners, letting them set parameters for how their work can appear, or choose complete exclusion. The company has also hinted at monetisation features, such as revenue sharing for approved usage of copyrighted content.

CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that feedback from studios, artists and other stakeholders influenced the change. He emphasised that the new content policy would treat fictional characters more cautiously and make character generation opt-in rather than default.

Still unresolved is how precisely the system will work, especially around the enforcement, blocking, or filtering of unauthorised uses. OpenAI has repeatedly framed the updates as evolutionary, acknowledging that design and policy missteps may occur.

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Africa launches world’s largest tokenised economy with $5.5 billion

Global Settlement Network (GSN) and Diacente Group have partnered to establish Africa’s most advanced tokenised economy, valued at $5.5 billion in real-world infrastructure. The collaboration digitises assets across food production, minerals, renewable energy, and trade.

The initiative aims to create an inclusive, efficient economic system, leveraging blockchain to enhance emerging markets’ global participation.

Uganda leads with its first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot, deployed on GSN’s permissioned blockchain and backed by treasury bonds. Agro-processing hubs, mining operations, and solar plants underpin the tokenisation effort.

Fully compliant with KYC and AML regulations, the digital shilling enables over 40 million users to transact securely via smartphones and USSD, fostering financial inclusion across East Africa.

The project supports Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aligning with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Leaders project one million jobs and $10 billion in annual exports.

Ryan Kirkley, GSN co-founder, calls it a ‘programmable economy grounded in real assets,’ while Diacente’s Edgar Agaba emphasises attracting investment and empowering local industries through transparent, tech-driven systems.

The partnership sets a precedent for emerging markets, reducing reliance on intermediaries and unlocking global capital. Tokenisation integrated with national development drives sustainable growth, offering a scalable model for digital economies based on real infrastructure and regulatory collaboration.

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Machine learning helps prevent disruptions in fusion devices

Researchers at MIT have developed a predictive model that could make fusion power plants more reliable and safe. The approach uses machine learning and physics-based simulations to predict plasma instabilities and prevent damage during tokamak shutdowns.

Experimental tokamaks use strong magnets to contain plasma hotter than the sun’s core. They often face challenges in safely ramping down plasma currents that circulate at extreme speeds and temperatures.

The model was trained and tested on data from the Swiss TCV tokamak. Combining neural networks with physics simulations, the team achieved accurate predictions using few plasma pulses, saving costs and overcoming limited experimental data.

The system can now generate practical ‘trajectories’ for controllers to adjust magnets and temperatures, helping to safely manage plasma during shutdowns.

Researchers say the method could be particularly important as fusion devices scale up to grid-level energy production. High-energy plasmas in larger reactors pose greater risks, and uncontrolled terminations could damage the machine.

The new model allows operators to carefully balance rampdowns, avoiding disruptions and ensuring safer, more efficient operation.

Work on the predictive model is part of wider collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems and supported by the EUROfusion Consortium and Swiss research institutions. Scientists see it as a crucial step toward making fusion a practical, reliable, and sustainable energy source.

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MIT AI reveals how antibiotic targets Crohn’s bacteria

MIT and McMaster researchers used AI to map how a narrow-spectrum antibiotic attacks harmful gut bacteria. Enterololin targets E. coli linked to Crohn’s flares while preserving most of the microbiome, providing a precise alternative to broad-spectrum antibiotics.

AI accelerated the process of identifying the drug’s mechanism of action, reducing a task that usually takes years to just months.

The team used DiffDock, a generative AI tool developed at MIT, to predict how enterololin binds to a protein complex called LolCDE in E. coli. Laboratory experiments, including mutant evolution, RNA sequencing, and CRISPR knockdowns, confirmed the AI predictions.

The method demonstrates how AI can provide mechanistic insights, guide experiments, and speed up early-stage antibiotic development.

Enterololin improved recovery and preserved the microbiome in mouse models compared with conventional treatments. Researchers aim to develop derivatives against resistant pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae, with early work underway at spinout company Stoked Bio.

The study highlights broader implications for precision antibiotics, which could treat infections without disrupting beneficial microbes. AI-driven mechanism mapping could speed up drug discovery, cut costs, and help tackle antimicrobial resistance.

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