Digital cooperation

EU telecoms reform advances in small steps

The European Commission has unveiled the Digital Networks Act, aiming to reduce fragmentation across the EU telecoms sector. Proposals include limited spectrum harmonisation and an EU-wide numbering scheme to support cross-border business services.

Despite years of debate, the plan stops short of creating a fully unified telecoms market. National governments continue to resist deeper integration, particularly around control of 4G, 5G and wi-fi spectrum management.

The proposal reflects a cautious approach from the European Commission, balancing political pressure for reform against opposition from member states. Longstanding calls for consolidation have struggled to gain consensus.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has backed greater market integration, though the latest measures represent an incremental step rather than a structural overhaul.

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Horizon1000 aims to bring powerful AI healthcare tools to Africa

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have launched a joint healthcare initiative, Horizon1000, to expand the use of AI across primary care systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership includes a $50 million commitment in funding, technology, and technical support to equip 1,000 clinics with AI tools by 2028.

Horizon1000’s Operations will begin in Rwanda, where local authorities will work with the two organisations to deploy AI systems in frontline healthcare settings. The initiative reflects the Foundation’s long-standing aim to ensure that new technologies reach lower-income regions without long delays.

Bill Gates said the project responds to a critical shortage of healthcare workers, which threatens to undermine decades of progress in global health. Sub-Saharan Africa currently faces a shortfall of nearly six million medical professionals, limiting the capacity of overstretched clinics to deliver consistent care.

Low-quality healthcare contributes to between six and eight million deaths annually in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. Rwanda, the first pilot country, has only one healthcare worker per 1,000 people, far below the WHO’s recommended level.

AI tools under Horizon1000 are intended to support, rather than replace, health workers by assisting with clinical guidance, administration, and patient interactions. The Gates Foundation said it will continue working with regional governments and innovators to scale the programme.

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OpenAI models embedded into ServiceNow for enterprise automation

ServiceNow has announced a multi-year agreement positioning OpenAI as a preferred intelligence capability across its enterprise platform, extending access to frontier AI models for organisations running tens of billions of workflows each year.

The partnership reflects a broader shift towards operational AI embedded directly within business systems instead of experimental deployments.

By integrating OpenAI models such as GPT-5.2 into the ServiceNow AI Platform, enterprises can embed reasoning and automation into secure workflows spanning IT, finance, human resources, and customer operations.

AI tools are designed to analyse context, recommend actions, and execute tasks within existing governance frameworks instead of functioning as standalone assistants.

Executives from both companies emphasised that the collaboration aims to deliver measurable outcomes at scale.

ServiceNow highlighted its role in coordinating complex enterprise environments, while OpenAI stressed the importance of deploying agentic AI capable of handling work end to end within permissioned infrastructures.

Looking ahead, the partnership plans to expand towards multimodal and voice-based interactions, enabling employees to communicate with AI systems through speech, text, and visual inputs.

The initiative strengthens OpenAI’s enterprise footprint while reinforcing ServiceNow’s ambition to act as a central control layer for AI-driven business operations.

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New EU cybersecurity package strengthens resilience and ENISA powers

The European Commission has unveiled a broad cybersecurity package that moves the EU beyond certification reform towards systemic resilience across critical digital infrastructure.

Building on plans to expand EU cybersecurity certification beyond products and services, the revised Cybersecurity Act introduces a risk-based framework for securing ICT supply chains, with particular focus on dependencies, foreign interference, and high-risk third-country suppliers.

A central shift concerns supply-chain security as a geopolitical issue. The proposal enables mandatory derisking of mobile telecommunications networks, reinforcing earlier efforts under the 5G security toolbox.

Certification reform continues through a redesigned European Cybersecurity Certification Framework, promising clearer governance, faster scheme development, and voluntary certification that can cover organisational cyber posture alongside technical compliance.

The package also tackles regulatory complexity. Targeted amendments to the NIS2 Directive aim to ease compliance for tens of thousands of companies by clarifying jurisdictional rules, introducing a new ‘small mid-cap’ category, and streamlining incident reporting through a single EU entry point.

Enhanced ransomware data collection and cross-border supervision are intended to reduce fragmentation while strengthening enforcement consistency.

ENISA’s role is further expanded from coordination towards operational support. The agency would issue early threat alerts, assist in ransomware recovery with national authorities and Europol, and develop EU-wide vulnerability management and skills attestation schemes.

Together, the measures signal a shift from fragmented safeguards towards a more integrated model of European cyber sovereignty.

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Cisco and OpenAI push AI-native software development

Cisco has deepened its collaboration with OpenAI to embed agentic AI into enterprise software engineering. The approach reflects a broader shift towards treating AI as operational infrastructure rather than an experimental tool.

Integrating Codex into production workflows exposed it to complex, multi-repository, and security-critical environments. Codex operated across interconnected codebases, running autonomous build and testing loops within existing compliance and governance frameworks.

Operational use delivered measurable results. Engineering teams reported faster builds, higher defect-resolution throughput, and quicker framework migrations, cutting work from weeks to days.

Real-world deployment shaped Codex’s enterprise roadmap, especially around compliance, long-running tasks, and pipeline integration. The collaboration will continue as both organisations pursue AI-native engineering at scale, including within Cisco’s Splunk teams.

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UK names industry leaders to steer safe AI adoption in finance

The UK government has appointed two senior industry figures as AI Champions to support safe and effective adoption of AI across financial services, as part of a broader push to boost growth and productivity.

Harriet Rees of Starling Bank and Dr Rohit Dhawan of Lloyds Banking Group will work with firms and regulators to help turn rapid AI uptake into practical delivery. Both will report directly to Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

AI is already widely deployed across the sector, with around three-quarters of UK financial firms using the technology. Analysis indicates AI could add tens of billions of pounds to financial services by 2030, while improving customer services and reducing costs.

The Champions will focus on accelerating trusted adoption, speeding up innovation, and removing barriers to scale. Their remit includes protecting consumers, supporting financial stability, and strengthening the UK’s role as a global economic and technology hub.

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Strategic pact deepens South Korea–Italy collaboration across AI and advanced tech

Seoul and Rome have announced plans to deepen cooperation in high-technology sectors, notably AI, semiconductor development and space technology, as part of a broader strategic partnership.

The agreement reflects shared interests in advancing cutting-edge technology and innovation, reinforcing economic and scientific collaboration between South Korea and Italy.

Both countries see these areas as central to future economic competitiveness and technological leadership on the global stage.

While details of specific programmes were not yet disclosed publicly, officials emphasised the mutual benefits of enhanced research partnerships, talent exchange and joint development initiatives that span emerging technologies and advanced industrial sectors.

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Indian creators embrace Adobe AI tools

Adobe says generative AI is rapidly reshaping India’s creator economy, with 97% of surveyed creators reporting a positive impact. Findings come from the company’s inaugural Creators’ Toolkit Report covering more than 16,000 creators worldwide.

Adoption levels in India are among the highest globally, with almost all creators reporting that AI tools are embedded in their daily workflows. Adobe is commonly used for editing, content enhancement, asset generation and idea development across video, image and social media formats.

Despite enthusiasm, concerns remain around trust and transparency. Many creators fear their work may be used to train AI models without consent, while cost, unclear training methods and inconsistent outputs also limit wider confidence.

Interest in agentic AI is also growing, with most Indian creators expressing optimism about systems that automate tasks and adapt to personal creative styles. Mobile devices continue to gain importance, with creators expecting phone output to increase further.

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Forced labour data opened to the public

Exiger has launched a free online tool designed to help organisations identify links to forced labour in global supply chains. The platform, called forcedlabor.ai, was unveiled during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The tool allows users to search suppliers and companies to assess potential exposure to state-sponsored forced labour, with an initial focus on risks linked to China. Exiger says the database draws on billions of records and is powered by proprietary AI to support compliance and ethical sourcing.

US lawmakers and human rights groups have welcomed the initiative, arguing that companies face growing legal and reputational risks if their supply chains rely on forced labour. The platform highlights risks linked to US import restrictions and enforcement actions.

Exiger says making the data freely available aims to level the playing field for smaller firms with limited compliance budgets. The company argues that greater transparency can help reduce modern slavery across industries, from retail to agriculture.

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UNESCO links AI development with climate responsibility

UNESCO has renewed calls for stronger international cooperation to ensure AI supports rather than undermines climate goals, as environmental pressures linked to AI continue to grow.

The message was delivered at the Adopt AI Summit in Paris, where sustainability and ethics featured prominently in discussions on future AI development.

At a Grand Palais panel, policymakers, industry leaders, and UN officials examined AI’s growing energy, water, and computing demands. The discussion focused on balancing AI’s climate applications with the need to reduce its environmental footprint.

Public sector representatives highlighted policy tools such as funding priorities and procurement rules to encourage more resource-efficient AI.

UNESCO officials stressed that energy-efficient AI must remain accessible to lower-income regions, mainly for water management and climate resilience.

Industry voices highlighted practical steps to improve AI efficiency while supporting internal sustainability goals. Participants agreed that coordinated action among governments, businesses, international organisations, and academia is essential for meaningful environmental impact.

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