Digital cooperation

ElevenLabs recreates celebrity voices for digital content

Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have licensed their voices to ElevenLabs, an AI company, joining a growing number of celebrities who are embracing generative AI. McConaughey will allow his newsletter to be translated into Spanish using his voice, while Caine’s voice is available on ElevenLabs’ text-to-audio app and Iconic Marketplace. Both stressed that the technology is intended to amplify storytelling rather than replace human performers.

ElevenLabs offers a range of synthetic voices, including historical figures and performers like Liza Minnelli and Maya Angelou, while claiming a ‘performer-first’ approach focused on consent and creative authenticity. The move comes amid debate in Hollywood, with unions such as SAG-AFTRA warning AI could undermine human actors, and some artists, including Guillermo del Toro and Hayao Miyazaki, publicly rejecting AI-generated content.

Despite concerns, entertainment companies are investing heavily in AI. Netflix utilises it to enhance recommendations and content, while directors and CEOs argue that it fosters creativity and job opportunities. Critics, however, caution that early investments could form a volatile bubble and highlight risks of misuse, such as AI-generated endorsements or propaganda using celebrity likenesses.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Coding meets creativity in Minecraft Education’s AI tutorial

Minecraft Education is introducing an AI-powered twist on the classic first night challenge with a new Hour of AI world. Players explore a puzzle-driven environment that turns early survival stress into a guided coding and learning experience.

The activity drops players into a familiar biome and tasks them with building shelter before sunset. Instead of panicking at distant rustles or looming shadows, learners work with an AI agent designed to support planning and problem-solving.

Using MakeCode programming, players teach their agent to recognise patterns, classify resources, and coordinate helper bots. The agent mimics real AI behaviour by learning from examples and occasionally making mistakes that require human correction to improve its decisions.

As the agent becomes more capable, it shifts from a simple tool to a partner that automates key tasks and reduces first-night pressure. The aim is to let players develop creative strategies rather than resort to frantic survival instincts.

Designed for ages seven and up, the experience is free to access through Minecraft Education. It introduces core AI literacy concepts, blending gameplay with lessons on how AI systems learn, adapt, and occasionally fail, all wrapped in a familiar, family-friendly setting.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI tools deployed to set tailored attendance goals for English schools

England will introduce AI-generated attendance targets for each school, setting tailored improvement baselines based on the context and needs of each school. Schools with higher absence rates will be paired with strong performers for support. Thirty-six new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will help drive the rollout.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said raising attendance is essential for opportunity. She highlighted the progress made since the pandemic, but noted that variation remains too high. The AI targets aim to disseminate effective practices across all schools.

A new toolkit will guide schools through key transition points, such as the transition from Year 7 to Year 8. CHS South in Manchester is highlighted for using summer family activities to ease anxiety. Officials say early engagement can stabilise attendance.

CHS South Deputy Head Sue Burke said the goal is to ensure no pupil feels left out. She credited the attendance team for combining support with firm expectations. The model is presented as a template for broader adoption.

The policy blends AI analysis with pastoral strategies to address entrenched absence. Ministers argue that consistent attendance drives long-term outcomes. The UK government expects personalised targets and shared practice to embed lasting improvement.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UAE executes first government payment using Digital Dirham

The United Arab Emirates has completed its first government financial transaction using the Digital Dirham, marking a significant milestone in its transition towards a fully digital economy.

The Ministry of Finance and Dubai Finance carried out the transaction in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE, confirming the country’s leadership in advancing next-generation financial technologies.

Part of the Central Bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme, the pilot phase of the Digital Dirham aims to accelerate digital payment adoption and strengthen the UAE’s position as a global financial hub.

Senior officials, including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, described the initiative as a strategic step toward improving transparency, efficiency, and integration across government financial systems.

The first pilot transaction was executed through the government payments platform mBridge, which facilitates instant settlements using central bank digital currencies.

A transaction was completed in under two minutes, demonstrating the system’s technical efficiency and reliability. The mBridge platform, fully integrated with the Digital Dirham initiative, enables secure, intermediary-free settlements, reducing costs while improving accuracy and transparency.

Officials emphasised that the Digital Dirham will serve as a cornerstone for a sustainable digital economy, reinforcing national financial stability and global competitiveness.

The initiative reflects the UAE’s commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies that promote integration and innovation across the public and private sectors.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU regulators, UK and eSafety lead the global push to protect children in the digital world

Children today spend a significant amount of their time online, from learning and playing to communicating.

To protect them in an increasingly digital world, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the European Commission’s DG CNECT, and the UK’s Ofcom have joined forces to strengthen global cooperation on child online safety.

The partnership aims to ensure that online platforms take greater responsibility for protecting and empowering children, recognising their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The three regulators will continue to enforce their online safety laws to ensure platforms properly assess and mitigate risks to children. They will promote privacy-preserving age verification technologies and collaborate with civil society and academics to ensure that regulations reflect real-world challenges.

By supporting digital literacy and critical thinking, they aim to provide children and families with safer and more confident online experiences.

To advance the work, a new trilateral technical group will be established to deepen collaboration on age assurance. It will study the interoperability and reliability of such systems, explore the latest technologies, and strengthen the evidence base for regulatory action.

Through closer cooperation, the regulators hope to create a more secure and empowering digital environment for young people worldwide.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI and digital tools improve early dementia detection in primary care

Early detection of Alzheimer’s is often limited in primary care due to short consultations, focus on other health issues, and stigma. Researchers have now demonstrated that a fully digital, zero-cost approach can overcome these barriers without requiring additional clinician time.

A pragmatic clinical trial involving over 5,000 patients tested a dual method combining the Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS), a ten-question patient-reported survey, with an AI-powered passive digital marker.

The approach, embedded in electronic health records, increased new dementia diagnoses by 31 percent compared with usual care and prompted 41 percent more follow-up assessments, such as cognitive tests and neuroimaging.

The passive digital marker from Regenstrief uses machine learning to analyse health records for memory issues and vascular concerns. Open-source and free, it flags at-risk patients and sends results to clinicians’ EHRs with no extra time or staff needed.

Researchers highlight that embedding these tools directly into routine care can improve equity, thereby reaching populations that the healthcare system has traditionally underserved.

Experts say that using patient-reported outcomes with AI is a scalable and efficient way to detect dementia early, without adding burden to primary care teams.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Αnthropic pledges $50 billion to expand the US AI infrastructure

The US AI safety and research company, Anthropic, has announced a $50 billion investment to expand AI computing infrastructure inside the country, partnering with Fluidstack to build data centres in Texas and New York, with additional sites planned.

These facilities are designed to optimise efficiency for Anthropic’s workloads, supporting frontier research and development in AI.

The project is expected to generate approximately 800 permanent jobs and 2,400 construction positions as sites come online throughout 2026.

An investment that aligns with the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, aiming to maintain the US leadership in AI while strengthening domestic technology infrastructure and competitiveness.

Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, highlighted the importance of such an infrastructure in developing AI systems capable of accelerating scientific discovery and solving complex problems.

The company serves over 300,000 business customers, with a sevenfold growth in large accounts over the past year, demonstrating strong market demand for its Claude AI platform.

Fluidstack was selected as Anthropic’s partner for its agility in rapidly deploying high-capacity infrastructure. The collaboration aims to provide cost-effective and capital-efficient solutions to meet the growing demand, ensuring that research and development can continue to be at the forefront of AI innovation.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Meta expands AI infrastructure with $1 billion sustainable facility

The US tech giant, Meta, has announced the construction of its 30th data centre in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, a $1 billion investment that will power the company’s growing AI infrastructure while benefiting the local community and environment.

A facility, designed to support Meta’s most demanding AI workloads, that will run entirely on clean energy and create more than 100 permanent jobs alongside 1,000 construction roles.

The company will invest nearly $200 million in energy infrastructure and donate $15 million to Alliant Energy’s Hometown Care Energy Fund to assist families with home energy costs.

Meta will also launch community grants to fund schools and local organisations, strengthening technology education and digital skills while helping small businesses use AI tools more effectively.

Environmental responsibility remains central to the project. The data centre will use dry cooling, eliminating water demands during operation, and restore 100% of consumed water to local watersheds.

In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Meta will revitalise 570 acres of wetlands and prairie, transforming degraded habitats into thriving ecosystems. The facility is expected to achieve LEED Gold Certification, reflecting Meta’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and community-focused innovation.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI adoption surges with consumers but stalls in business

In a recent analysis, Goldman Sachs warned that while AI is rapidly permeating the consumer market, enterprise integration is falling much further behind.

The report highlights consumer-facing tools, such as chatbots and generative creative applications, driving the usage surge, but finds that business uptake is still ‘well below where we expected’ a year or two ago.

Goldman’s analysts point out a striking disjunction: consumer adoption is high, yet corporations are slower to embed AI deeply into workflows. One analyst remarked that although nearly 88 % of companies report using AI in some capacity, only about a third have scaled it enterprise-wide and just 39 % see measurable financial impact.

Meanwhile, infrastructure spending on AI is exploding, with projections of 3-4 trillion US dollars by the end of the decade, raising concerns among investors about return on investment and whether the current frenzy resembles past tech bubbles.

For policy-makers, digital-economy strategists and technology governance watchers, this gap has important implications. Hype and hardware build-out may be outpacing deliverables in enterprise contexts.

The divide also underlines the need for more precise metrics around productivity, workforce adaptation and organisational readiness in our discussions around AI policy and digital diplomacy.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot! 

Language models mimic human belief reasoning

In a recent paper, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology revealed that large language models (LLMs) use a small, specialised subset of their parameters to perform tasks associated with the psychological concept of ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM), the human ability to infer others’ beliefs, intentions and perspectives.

The study found that although LLMs activate almost their whole network for each input, the ToM-related reasoning appears to rely disproportionately on a narrow internal circuit, particularly shaped by the model’s positional encoding mechanism.

This discovery matters because it highlights a significant efficiency gap between human brains and current AI systems: humans carry out social-cognitive tasks with only a tiny fraction of neural activity, whereas LLMs still consume substantial computational resources even for ‘simple’ reasoning.

The researchers suggest these points as a way to design AI models that are more brain-inspired, selectively activating only those parameters needed for particular tasks.

From a policy and digital-governance perspective, this raises questions about how we interpret AI’s understanding and social cognition.

If AI can exhibit behaviour that resembles human belief-reasoning, oversight frameworks and transparency standards become all the more critical in assessing what AI systems are doing, and what they are capable of.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!