Beware the language of human flourishing in AI regulation

TechPolicy.Press recently published ‘Confronting Empty Humanism in AI Policy’, a thought piece by Matt Blaszczyk exploring how human-centred and humanistic language in AI policy is widespread, but often not backed by meaningful legal or regulatory substance.

Blaszczyk observes that figures such as Peter Thiel contribute to a discourse that questions the very value of human existence, but equally worrying are the voices using humanist, democratic, and romantic rhetoric to preserve the status quo. These narratives can be weaponised by actors seeking to reassure the public while avoiding strong regulation.

The article analyses executive orders, AI action plans, and regulatory proposals that promise human flourishing or protect civil liberties, but often do so under deregulatory frameworks or with voluntary oversight.

For example, the EU AI Act is praised, yet criticised for gaps and loopholes; many ‘human-in-the-loop’ provisions risk making humans mere rubber stampers.

Blaszczyk suggests that nominal humanism is used as a rhetorical shield. Humans are placed formally at the centre of laws and frameworks, copyright, free speech, democratic values, but real influence, rights protection, and liability often remain minimal.

He warns that without enforcement, oversight and accountability, human-centred AI policies risk becoming slogans rather than safeguards.

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Production restarts after cyber incident as JLR launches supplier financing

JLR has begun restarting its manufacturing operations after a cyber incident in early September disrupted production. The phased return started on 8 October at the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre and the Battery Assembly Centre in the West Midlands.

Staff are also returning to stamping facilities in Castle Bromwich, Halewood, and Solihull, as well as the body shop, paint shop, and Logistics Operations Centre in Solihull. Vehicle production in Nitra, Slovakia, and the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport lines in Solihull are resuming this week, with further updates expected for other sites, including Halewood.

JLR has introduced a new financing scheme to support suppliers during the restart and ease cashflow pressures. The programme allows qualifying suppliers to receive the bulk of their payment shortly after orders are placed, with the remainder settled upon invoice.

The move accelerates payments by as much as 120 days compared with the company’s standard 60-day terms. JLR will cover the financing costs for suppliers participating during the restart phase.

The new scheme builds on earlier measures to assist suppliers following the cyberattack, such as setting up a dedicated help desk, creating a manual payment system for pending invoices, and recently restoring automated payment systems. Initially focused on suppliers critical to restarting production, the programme will expand to include some non-production suppliers as operations stabilise.

JLR also took steps to bolster liquidity in September to support the phased recovery and ensure its supply chain remains robust as full production resumes.

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Brazil advances first national cybersecurity law

Brazil is preparing to pass its first national cybersecurity law, aiming to centralise oversight and strengthen protection for citizens and companies. The Cybersecurity Legal Framework would establish a new National Cybersecurity Authority to coordinate defence efforts across government and industry.

The legislation comes after a series of high-profile cyberattacks disrupted hospitals and exposed millions of personal records, highlighting gaps in Brazil’s digital defences. The authority would create nationwide standards, replacing fragmented rules currently managed by individual ministries and agencies.

Under the bill, public procurement will require compliance with official security standards, and suppliers will share responsibility for incidents. Companies meeting the rules could be listed as trusted providers, potentially boosting competitiveness in both public and private sectors.

The framework also includes incentives: financing through the National Public Security Fund and priority for locally developed technologies. While the bill still awaits approval in Congress, its adoption would make Brazil one of Latin America’s first countries with a comprehensive cybersecurity law.

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Anthropic’s Claude to power Deloitte’s new enterprise AI expansion

Deloitte entered a new enterprise AI partnership with Anthropic shortly after refunding the Australian government for a report that included inaccurate AI-generated information.

The A$439,000 (US$290,618) contract was intended for an independent review but contained fabricated citations to non-existent academic sources. Deloitte has since repaid the final instalment, and the government of Australia has released a corrected version of the report.

Despite the controversy, Deloitte is expanding its use of AI by integrating Anthropic’s Claude chatbot across its global workforce of nearly half a million employees.

A collaboration will focus on developing AI-driven tools for compliance, automation and data analysis, especially in highly regulated industries such as finance and healthcare.

The companies also plan to design AI agent personas tailored to Deloitte’s various departments to enhance productivity and decision-making. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

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ChatGPT reaches 800 million weekly users as OpenAI’s value hits $500 billion

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that ChatGPT now reaches 800 million weekly active users, reflecting rapid growth across consumers, developers, enterprises and governments.

The figure marks another milestone for the company, which reported 700 million weekly users in August and 500 million at the end of March.

Altman shared the news during OpenAI’s Dev Day keynote, noting that four million developers are now building with OpenAI tools. He said ChatGPT processes more than six billion tokens per minute through its API, signalling how deeply integrated it has become across digital ecosystems.

The event also introduced new tools for building apps directly within ChatGPT and creating more advanced agentic systems. Altman states these will support a new generation of interactive and personalised applications.

OpenAI, still legally a nonprofit, was recently valued at $500 billion following a private stock sale worth $6.6 billion.

Its growing portfolio now includes the Sora video-generation tool, a new social platform, and a commerce partnership with Stripe, consolidating its status as the world’s most valuable private company.

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Mercedes-Benz launches MBUX beta programme with ChatGPT

Mercedes-Benz is integrating ChatGPT into its MBUX infotainment system, enhancing voice control for US customers. The AI upgrade allows the Hey Mercedes assistant to understand natural language more effectively, providing detailed responses and conversational interactions.

An optional beta programme is available for over 900,000 vehicles, accessible via the Mercedes me app or through a voice command.

Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service powers ChatGPT with enterprise-grade security and reliability. Mercedes-Benz retains full control over IT processes, with voice command data anonymised and stored in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud.

Data privacy remains a top priority, ensuring customers are aware of what information is collected and how it is used.

ChatGPT complements the existing capabilities of Hey Mercedes, extending the assistant’s range beyond predefined tasks. Drivers and passengers can now receive detailed information about destinations, recipes, sports, weather, or other queries while keeping their hands on the wheel.

The three-month beta programme will help Mercedes-Benz refine the assistant and guide future rollouts across markets and languages.

Mercedes-Benz emphasises responsible AI integration, aligning ChatGPT with its AI principles. The system is continuously monitored to mitigate potential risks, ensuring innovative features are delivered safely and effectively to customers.

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New bill creates National Cybersecurity Authority in Brazil

Brazil is set to approve its first comprehensive Cybersecurity Legal Framework with Bill No. 4752/2025. The legislation creates a National Cybersecurity Authority and requires compliance for government procurement, with shared responsibility for supply chain security incidents.

The framework aims to unify the country’s fragmented cybersecurity policies. Government agencies will follow ANC standards, while companies delivering services to public entities must meet minimum cybersecurity requirements.

The ANC will also publish lists of compliant suppliers, providing a form of certification that could enhance trust in both public and private partnerships.

Supply chain oversight is a key element of the bill. Public bodies must assess supplier risks, and liability will be shared in the event of breaches.

The law encourages investment in national cybersecurity technologies and offers opportunities for companies to access financing and participate in the National Cybersecurity Program.

Approval would make Brazil one of the first Latin American countries with a robust federal cybersecurity law. The framework aims to strengthen protections, encourage innovation, and boost confidence for citizens, businesses, and international partners.

Companies that prepare now will gain a competitive advantage when the law comes into effect.

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OpenAI and AMD strike 6GW GPU deal to power next-generation AI infrastructure

AMD and OpenAI have announced a strategic partnership to deploy up to six gigawatts of AMD GPUs, marking one of the largest AI compute collaborations.

The multi-year agreement will begin with the rollout of one gigawatt of AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs in the second half of 2026, with further deployments planned across future AMD generations.

A deal that deepens a long-standing relationship between the two companies began with AMD’s MI300X and MI350X series.

OpenAI will adopt AMD as a core strategic compute partner, integrating its technology into large-scale AI systems and jointly optimising product roadmaps to support next-generation AI workloads.

To strengthen alignment, AMD has issued OpenAI a warrant for up to 160 million shares, with tranches vesting as the partnership achieves deployment and share-price milestones. AMD expects the collaboration to deliver tens of billions in revenue and boost its non-GAAP earnings per share.

AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su called the deal ‘a true win-win’ for both companies, while OpenAI’s Sam Altman said the partnership will ‘accelerate progress and bring advanced AI benefits to everyone faster’.

The collaboration positions AMD as a leading hardware supplier in the race to build global-scale AI infrastructure.

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OpenAI backs policy push for Europe’s AI uptake

OpenAI and Allied for Startups have released Hacktivate AI, a set of 20 ideas to speed up AI adoption across Europe ahead of the Commission’s Apply AI Strategy.

The report emerged from a Brussels policy hackathon with 65 participants from EU bodies, governments, enterprises and startups, proposing measures such as an Individual AI Learning Account, an AI Champions Network for SMEs, a European GovAI Hub and relentless harmonisation.

OpenAI highlights strong European demand and uneven workplace uptake, citing sector gaps and the need for targeted support, while pointing to initiatives like OpenAI Academy to widen skills.

Broader policy momentum is building, with the EU preparing an Apply AI Strategy to boost homegrown tools and cut dependencies, reinforcing the push for practical deployment across public services and industry.

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European data centre sales surge amid AI boom

Private capital firms are accelerating sales of European data centres, aiming to capitalise on the US-led AI boom. Deals valued at around €17 billion are expected within weeks, highlighting growing investor interest in digital infrastructure.

Oaktree Capital Management has started selling part of Pure DC, its European and Middle Eastern data centre company, valued at up to €5 billion.

Other firms are joining the rush. Swiss investor Partners Group may raise €4 billion from selling Nordic operator atNorth, while Swedish firm EQT has begun selling GlobalConnect, its Nordic broadband and data centre business, potentially worth €8 billion.

Deutsche Bank’s asset manager DWS and telecoms firm Orange are also reported to be selling stakes in European data centres.

The surge in sales reflects strong demand for assets that offer stable, long-term revenues while enabling current owners to fund infrastructure upgrades. So far in 2025, 162 data centre deals worth $46 billion have closed, with 45 more deals valued at $35 billion pending, according to Synergy Research Group.

Analysts note that the trend mirrors last year’s record activity, which saw 287 deals totalling more than $77 billion. Investors remain focused on Europe as AI-driven growth fuels the need for robust digital infrastructure across the continent.

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