Digital cooperation Archives | Page 139 of 230

Japan plans first national AI strategy

Japan is preparing its first national AI basic plan to boost AI adoption in public institutions and beyond. The draft sets out four core policies to balance innovation with risk management, with final Cabinet approval expected later this year.

The plan targets low AI usage rates in the country, around 20% for individuals and 50% for corporations. Policies include accelerating AI adoption, strengthening development capacity, leading in AI governance, and fostering continuous social transformation toward an AI-integrated society.

Government bodies and municipalities are expected to lead by example, improving efficiency and enhancing defence capabilities.

High-quality data, a key factor in AI accuracy, is a national strength. The plan stresses the importance of human-AI collaboration, calls for robust copyright and liability frameworks, and identifies risks such as errors, disinformation, and threats to national security.

Authorities plan thorough investigations of rights infringements and aim to help shape international AI rules.

The draft will be presented at the AI strategy headquarters meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, before being refined by an expert panel and finalised within the year.

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Nurabot to assist nurses with routine tasks

Global health care faces a severe shortage of workers, with WHO projecting a deficit of 4.5 million nurses by 2030. Around one-third of nurses already experience burnout, and high turnover rates exacerbate staffing pressures.

Foxconn’s new AI-powered nursing robot, Nurabot, is designed to assist with repetitive and physically demanding tasks, potentially reducing nurses’ workload by up to 30%.

Nurabot moves autonomously around hospital wards, delivers medication, and guides patients, using a combination of Foxconn’s Chinese large language model and NVIDIA’s AI platforms.

Built with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the robot was adapted and trained virtually to navigate hospital wards safely. Testing at Taichung Veterans General Hospital since April 2025 has shown promising results, with Foxconn planning a commercial launch in early 2026.

The ageing population and rising patient demand are straining health care systems worldwide. Experts say AI robots can boost efficiency and save the workforce, but issues remain, including patient preference, hospital design, safety, and data ethics.

Hospitals may need redesigns to accommodate free-moving humanoid robots effectively.

While robots like Nurabot cannot replace nurses, they can support staff by handling routine tasks and freeing professionals to provide critical patient care. The smart hospital market, worth $72.24 billion in 2025, shows rising investment in AI and robotics to address staff shortages and ageing populations.

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Egypt launches AI readiness report with EU support

Egypt has released its first AI Readiness Assessment Report, developed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with UNESCO Cairo and supported by the EU funding.

The report reviews Egypt’s legal, policy, institutional and technical environment, highlighting the strengths and gaps in the country’s digital transformation journey. It emphasises ensuring that AI development is human-centred and responsibly governed.

EU officials praised Egypt’s growing leadership in ethical AI governance and reiterated their support for an inclusive digital transition. Cooperation between Egypt and the EU is expected to deepen in digital policy and capacity-building areas.

The assessment aims to guide future investments and reforms, ensuring that AI strengthens sustainable development and benefits all segments of Egyptian society.

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AI smart glasses give blind users new independence

Smart glasses powered by AI give people with vision loss new ways to navigate daily life, from cooking to crossing the street.

Users like Andrew Tutty in Ontario say the devices restore independence, helping with tasks such as identifying food or matching clothes. Others, like Emilee Schevers, rely on them to confirm traffic signals before crossing the road.

The AI glasses, developed by Meta, are cheaper than many other assistive devices, which can cost thousands. They connect to smartphones, using voice commands and apps like Be My Eyes to describe surroundings or link with volunteers.

Experts, however, caution that the glasses come with significant privacy concerns. Built-in cameras stream everything within view to large tech firms, raising questions about surveillance, data use and algorithmic reliability.

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Broadcom lands $10bn AI chip order

Broadcom has secured a $10 billion agreement to supply custom AI chips, with analysts pointing to OpenAI as the likely customer.

The US semiconductor firm announced the deal alongside better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, driven by growing demand for its ASICs. It forecast a strong fourth quarter as cloud providers seek alternatives to Nvidia, whose GPUs remain costly and supply-constrained.

Chief executive Hock Tan said Broadcom is collaborating with four potential new clients on chip development, adding to existing partnerships with major players such as Google and Meta.

The company recently introduced the Tomahawk Ultra and next-generation Jericho networking chips, further strengthening its position in the AI computing sector.

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AI and cyber priorities headline massive US defence budget bill

The US House of Representatives has passed an $848 billion defence policy bill with new provisions for cybersecurity and AI. Lawmakers voted 231 to 196 to approve the chamber’s version of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA).

The bill mandates that the National Security Agency brief Congress on plans for its Cybersecurity Coordination Centre and requires annual reports from combatant commands on the levels of support provided by US Cyber Command.

It also calls for a software bill of materials for AI-enabled technology that the Department of Defence uses. The Pentagon will be authorised to create up to 12 generative AI projects to improve cybersecurity and intelligence operations.

An adopted amendment allows the NSA to share threat intelligence with the private sector to protect US telecommunications networks. Another requirement is that the Pentagon study the National Guard’s role in cyber response at the federal and state levels.

Proposals to renew the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act and the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program were excluded from the final text. The Senate is expected to approve its version of the NDAA next week.

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Meta and TikTok win court challenge over EU fee

Europe’s General Court has backed challenges by Meta Platforms and TikTok against an EU supervisory fee imposed under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The companies argued that the levy was calculated unfairly and imposed a disproportionate financial burden.

The supervisory fee, introduced in 2022, requires large platforms to pay 0.05% of their annual global net income to cover monitoring costs. Meta and TikTok said the methodology relied on flawed data, inflated their fees, and even double-counted users.

Their lawyers told the court the process lacked transparency and produced ‘implausible’ results.

Lawyers for the European Commission defended the fee, arguing that group-wide financial resources justified the calculation method. They said the companies had adequate information about how the levy was determined.

The ruling reduces pressure on the two firms as they continue investing in the EU market. A final judgement from the General Court is expected next year and may shape how supervisory costs are applied to other major platforms.

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Cyberattack keeps JLR factories shut, hackers claim responsibility

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that data was affected in a cyberattack that has kept its UK factories idle for more than a week. The company stated that it is contacting anyone whose data was involved, although it did not clarify whether the breach affected customers, suppliers, or internal systems.

JLR reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office and immediately shut down IT systems to limit damage. Production at Midlands and Merseyside sites has been halted until at least Thursday, with staff instructed not to return before next week.

The disruption has also hit suppliers and retailers, with garages struggling to order spare parts and dealers facing delays registering vehicles. JLR said it is working around the clock to restore operations in a safe and controlled way, though the process is complex.

Responsibility for the hack has been claimed by Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, a group linked to previous attacks on Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, and Las Vegas casinos in the UK and the U S. The hackers posted alleged screenshots from JLR’s internal systems on Telegram last week.

Cybersecurity experts say the group’s claim that ransomware was deployed raises questions, as it appears to have severed ties with Russian ransomware gangs. Analysts suggest the hackers may have only stolen data or are building their own ransomware infrastructure.

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Claude AI gains powerful file editing tools for documents and spreadsheets

Anthropic’s Claude has expanded its role as a leading AI assistant by adding advanced tools for creating and editing files. Instead of manually working with different programs, users can now describe their needs in plain language and let the AI produce or update Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files.

A feature that supports uploads of CSV and TSV data and can generate charts, graphs, or images where needed, with a 30MB size limit applying to uploads and downloads.

The real breakthrough lies in editing. Instead of opening a document or spreadsheet, users can simply type instructions such as replacing text, changing currencies, or updating job titles. Claude processes the prompt and makes all the changes in one pass, preserving the original formatting.

It positions the AI as more efficient than rivals, as Gemini can only export reports but not directly modify existing files.

The feature preview is available on web and desktop for subscribers on Max, Team, or Enterprise plans. Analysts suggest the update could reshape productivity tools, especially after reports that Microsoft has partnered with Anthropic to explore using Claude for Office 365 functions.

By removing repetitive tasks and making file handling conversational, Claude is pushing productivity software into a new phase of automation.

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Small business revival could hinge on AI-driven tools

If AI is to matter in the economy, it must first matter to small businesses. Firms employ over 61 million people, nearly half the private workforce, yet most run on outdated technology. While smartphones update monthly, many small businesses still use systems built a decade ago.

Search fund entrepreneurs bridge this gap by upgrading established firms with modern tech. One deal turned a 50-person roadside assistance firm into Asurion, now a global tech-care provider. Others have scaled compliance firms into nationwide SaaS platforms.

Generative AI now accelerates these transformations, cutting work times by over 60% across supply chains, compliance, and document processing functions. Complex tasks can now be completed in hours, unlocking double-digit productivity gains and allowing small businesses to focus on growth.

Search funds are not the only path forward. AI consulting firms, tech studios, and AI-powered roll-up strategies bring enterprise-grade tools to family-run firms. For communities that have relied on traditional playbooks, decades of growth can be compressed into months.

The cost of AI has never been lower, and the opportunity is wide open. Once deployed at scale, AI could power a wave of productivity on Main Street, helping small businesses compete and strengthening the economy for half of their workforce.

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