Digital cooperation Archives | Page 23 of 224

Qualcomm and NEURA Robotics partner to accelerate physical AI and cognitive robotics

NEURA Robotics and Qualcomm have formed a long-term strategic collaboration to advance physical AI and next-generation robotics platforms.

A partnership that aims to bring intelligent robots into real-world environments more rapidly by combining advanced AI processors with full-stack robotic systems.

The cooperation focuses on developing ‘Brain + Nervous System’ reference architectures that integrate high-level cognition, such as perception, reasoning and planning, with ultra-low-latency control systems.

Qualcomm’s robotics processors, including the Dragonwing IQ10 Series, will provide AI compute and connectivity, while NEURA contributes robotic hardware platforms and embodied AI software.

Both companies intend to support deployment across multiple robotic forms, including robotic arms, mobile robots, service machines and humanoid platforms.

NEURA’s cloud environment, Neuraverse, will serve as a shared platform for simulation, training and lifecycle management of robotic intelligence, allowing innovations developed by one robot to spread across entire fleets.

The collaboration also aims to establish a global developer ecosystem for robotics applications. Standardised runtime environments and deployment interfaces are expected to simplify how AI workloads move from development into production while maintaining reliability and safety.

Executives from both companies emphasised that robotics represents one of the most demanding AI environments, as decisions must be made instantly and locally.

By combining edge AI processing with cognitive robotic systems, the partnership aims to accelerate commercial deployment of humanoid and general-purpose robots capable of operating safely alongside humans across industries.

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Smart Classrooms initiative transforms learning in 10 Thai pilot schools

Ten pilot schools in Buriram and Si Sa Ket provinces have launched Smart Classrooms under the UNESCO–Huawei TEOSA initiative, supporting Thailand’s drive to expand digital education.

Led by UNESCO Bangkok in partnership with Thailand’s Ministry of Education and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, the Smart Classrooms initiative aims to strengthen digital learning environments, equip teachers with digital and AI competencies, and support policy development for AI in education. The programme also supports Thailand’s ‘Transforming Education in the Digital Era’ policy and the National AI Strategy and Action Plan (2022–2027).

Each province has one designated ‘mother school’ that serves as a regional digital hub, supporting four surrounding ‘child schools’ by sharing resources, training, and expertise. The ten pilot schools in total have received high-speed internet, interactive digital displays, and collaborative learning platforms that support real-time content sharing and blended learning. Forty-five teachers from the pilot schools also participated in hands-on demonstrations of Smart Classrooms systems on 4–5 March.

‘This new technology will help translate theory into practice, allowing students to experiment, test strategies, and see results immediately,’ said Pathanapong Momprakhon, Principal of Paisan Pittayakom School. UNESCO Bangkok’s Deputy Director and Chief of Education, Marina Patrier, highlighted the importance of combining infrastructure with teacher capacity-building.

‘At UNESCO, we are committed to promoting the ethical and inclusive use of AI in ways that empower teachers and expand opportunities for every learner,’ Ms Patrier said at the launch. ‘While Smart Classrooms provide important tools, it is teachers’ creativity, professional judgement and leadership that ultimately bring these innovations to life.’

Chitralada Chanyaem of the Thai National Commission for UNESCO highlighted the importance of collaboration in advancing digital education.

‘The UNESCO–Huawei Funds-in-Trust Project on Technology-Enabled Open Schools for All stands as a powerful example of collaboration dedicated to transforming education into a system that is open, inclusive, flexible, and resilient in the face of a rapidly changing world, she said. ‘As the future of education cannot be confined within classroom walls, it must bridge sectors and communities, working collaboratively to create equitable and sustainable opportunities for all.’

Teachers observed Huawei technical staff and master teachers demonstrate how digital tools and AI-supported applications can be used in everyday lessons. Ms Piyaporn Kidsirianan, Public Relations Manager at Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd, said the initiative aims to reduce digital inequality.

‘The Open Schools for All initiative represents a commitment to using technology as a bridge to deliver quality education to remote and underserved communities.’ The TEOSA Smart Classrooms initiative combines policy support, digital infrastructure upgrades, and teacher training to help translate Thailand’s digital education ambitions into practical impact at the school level.

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Space startup to test crypto mining in orbit

Starcloud, a space startup, is preparing to test Bitcoin mining in orbit with its upcoming Starcloud-2 satellite. The mission will carry specialised ASIC mining processors, marking one of the first attempts to run crypto infrastructure beyond Earth.

The initiative builds on a successful 2025 demonstration when Starcloud operated Nvidia H100 GPUs in low Earth orbit. During that mission, the satellite performed AI computing tasks, proving that data-centre-grade hardware can function in space.

Starcloud-2 will expand these capabilities by adding a larger GPU cluster and mining-specific ASICs.

Operating in orbit offers potential advantages for energy-intensive computing. Satellite solar arrays provide near-continuous power, and space’s vacuum allows natural heat dissipation, cutting the need for water-based cooling systems.

Engineers warn that technical challenges remain. Radiation exposure, shielding needs, and the difficulty of repairing hardware once launched could complicate operations.

Despite these obstacles, Starcloud sees orbit as a promising environment for next-generation computing and Bitcoin mining.

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Malaysia expands AI learning across universities with Google tools

AI tools from Google are now available across all public universities in Malaysia after the nationwide deployment of Gemini for Education.

An initiative that integrates AI capabilities into university systems, providing digital research and learning support to nearly 600,000 students and 75,000 faculty members.

The rollout is coordinated with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as part of the country’s broader strategy to become an AI-driven economy by 2030. Universities already using Google Workspace for

Education can now access advanced tools, including NotebookLM and the reasoning model Gemini 3.1 Pro, which are designed to support research, writing and personalised learning.

Several universities are already experimenting with AI-assisted teaching. At Universiti Malaysia Perlis, lecturers have created customised AI assistants to guide students through specialised engineering courses.

Meanwhile, researchers and students at Universiti Putra Malaysia are using AI tools to improve literature reviews and academic research workflows.

Other institutions are focusing on digital literacy and AI skills.

At Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, hundreds of lecturers and students are receiving AI certifications, while training programmes are expanding across campuses.

Officials believe the combination of AI tools, training and research support will strengthen the education system of Malaysia and prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-driven economy.

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Blockchain and AI security central to US cyber framework

The US National Cyber Strategy emphasises support for emerging technologies, including blockchain, cryptocurrencies, AI, and post-quantum cryptography. The strategy highlights the importance of securing digital infrastructure while advancing technological leadership.

The strategy rests on six pillars, including modernising federal networks, protecting critical infrastructure, and advancing secure technology. Specific sections reference cryptocurrencies and blockchain, noting the need to safeguard digital systems from design to deployment.

Financial systems, data centres, and telecommunications networks are identified as key components of the broader cybersecurity framework. The strategy also stresses collaboration with private-sector technology companies and research institutions to foster innovation and strengthen protections.

AI plays a central role, with measures to secure AI data centres and deploy AI-driven tools for network defence. The plan avoids direct crypto rules but signals greater integration of blockchain and cryptography into national digital infrastructure.

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Concerns grow over Grok AI content on X platform

Social media platform X has launched an investigation into racist and offensive posts generated by its Grok AI chatbot in the UK. The review follows a Sky News analysis that flagged troubling responses produced publicly by the system.

Analysis by the broadcaster found Grok generating highly offensive replies, including profanities targeting certain religions. Some responses also repeated false claims blaming Liverpool supporters for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Sky News reporter Rob Harris said X safety teams were urgently examining the chatbot’s behaviour after the posts spread online. The company and its AI developer xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Concerns around Grok come as governments and regulators increasingly scrutinise AI-generated content on social platforms. Authorities in several countries have already raised alarms about sexually explicit or harmful material created by chatbots.

Earlier this year, xAI introduced new restrictions to limit some image editing features in Grok. Users in certain jurisdictions were also blocked from generating images of people in revealing clothing where such content is illegal.

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AI biotech firm pushes limits of human lifespan

Longevity research is gaining momentum as AI transforms the way scientists search for new medicines. Insilico Medicine, founded by Alex Zhavoronkov in 2014, combines machine learning and automation to study ageing and accelerate drug discovery.

Company research focuses on identifying biological targets linked to ageing and developing molecules to treat related diseases. Several experimental treatments have already received Investigational New Drug clearance, allowing them to move towards human clinical trials.

Insilico also became the first AI-driven biotech company to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising HK$2.28 billion in its public offering. Zhavoronkov said careful financial planning was essential because enthusiasm around AI could still form a market bubble.

Expansion plans now include deeper partnerships across China and the Middle East. A new collaboration in the UAE aims to build regional AI drug discovery programmes and diversify economies beyond oil.

Beyond medicines, Zhavoronkov envisions integrated biotech ecosystems where living spaces, healthcare and research operate together. Such hubs allow scientists and citizens to contribute health data that helps develop future treatments.

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AI tools linked to rise in abuse disclosures

Support organisations in the UK report that some abuse survivors are turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT before contacting helplines. Charities in the UK say individuals increasingly use AI to explore experiences and seek guidance before approaching professional support services.

The National Association of People Abused in Childhood said callers in the UK have recently reported being referred to its helpline after conversations with ChatGPT. Staff say AI is being used as an informal step in processing trauma.

Law enforcement and support groups in the UK have also recorded a rise in disclosures involving ritualistic sexual abuse. Authorities in the UK say only 14 criminal cases since 1982 have formally recognised such practices.

Police and support organisations are responding by improving training and launching specialist working groups. Officials aim to strengthen the identification and investigation of complex cases of abuse.

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Anthropic and Mozilla collaborate to uncover critical Firefox vulnerabilities

AI models are increasingly capable of detecting high-severity software vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds. Claude Opus 4.6 found 22 new Firefox vulnerabilities in two weeks, 14 of which were rated high-severity, accounting for nearly a fifth of all 2025 high-severity fixes.

Researchers emphasise that AI can accelerate the find-and-fix process, providing valuable support to software maintainers.

Anthropic’s collaboration with Mozilla enabled the team to validate the findings and submit detailed bug reports, including proofs of concept and candidate patches. Claude initially focused on Firefox’s JavaScript engine before expanding to other components.

Although capable of generating primitive exploits in controlled environments, the AI was far more effective at identifying vulnerabilities than exploiting them, giving defenders a critical advantage.

Researchers emphasised the importance of task verifiers, which ensure that AI-generated patches fix vulnerabilities without breaking functionality. Such verification processes increase confidence in AI-assisted fixes and provide a reliable framework for maintainers to adopt AI findings safely.

Looking ahead, AI models like Claude are expected to play an expanding role in cybersecurity, helping developers detect and remediate vulnerabilities across complex software projects. Experts urge maintainers to act swiftly to strengthen security while AI capabilities continue to advance.

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The EU faces growing AI copyright disputes

Courts across Europe are examining how copyright law applies to AI systems trained on large datasets. Judges in Europe are reviewing whether existing rules allow AI developers to use copyrighted books, music and journalism without permission.

One closely watched dispute in Luxembourg involves a publisher challenging Google over summaries produced by its Gemini chatbot. The case before the EU court in Luxembourg could test how press publishers’ rights apply to AI-generated outputs.

Legal experts warn the ruling in Luxembourg may not resolve wider questions about AI training data. Many disputes in Europe focus on the EU copyright directive and its text and data mining exception.

Additional lawsuits across Europe involving music rights group GEMA and OpenAI are expected to continue for years. Policymakers in Europe are also considering updates to copyright rules as AI technology expands.

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