Digital standards

Prominent United Nations leaders to attend AI Impact Summit 2026

Senior United Nations leaders, including Antonio Guterres, will take part in the AI Impact Summit 2026, set to be held in New Delhi from 16 to 20 February. The event will be the first global AI summit of this scale to be convened in the Global South.

The Summit is organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and will bring together governments, international organisations, industry, academia, and civil society. Talks will focus on responsible AI development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

More than 30 United Nations-led side events will accompany the Summit, spanning food security, health, gender equality, digital infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, and children’s safety. Guterres said shared understandings are needed to build guardrails and unlock the potential of AI for the common good.

Other participants include Volker Turk, Amandeep Singh Gill, Kristalina Georgieva, and leaders from the International Labour Organization, International Telecommunication Union, and other UN bodies. Senior representatives from UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UN Women, FAO, and WIPO are also expected to attend.

The Summit follows the United Nations General Assembly’s appointment of 40 members to a new international scientific panel on AI. The body will publish annual evidence-based assessments to support global AI governance, including input from IIT Madras expert Balaraman Ravindran.

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UAE launches first AI clinical platform

A Pakistani American surgeon has launched what is described as the UAE’s first AI clinical intelligence platform across the country’s public healthcare system. The rollout was announced in Dubai in partnership with Emirates Health Services.

Boston Health AI, founded by Dr Adil Haider, introduced the platform known as Amal at a major health expo in Dubai. The system conducts structured medical interviews in Arabic, English and Urdu before consultations, generating summaries for physicians.

The company said the technology aims to reduce documentation burdens and cognitive load on clinicians in the UAE. By organising patient histories and symptoms in advance, Amal is designed to support clinical decision making and improve workflow efficiency in Dubai and other emirates.

Before entering the UAE market, Boston Health AI deployed its platform in Pakistan across more than 50 healthcare facilities. The firm states that over 30,000 patient interactions were recorded in Pakistan, where a local team continues to develop and refine the AI system.

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Quebec examines AI debt collection practices

Quebec’s financial regulator has opened a review into how AI tools are being used to collect consumer debt across the province. The Autorité des marchés financiers is examining whether automated systems comply with governance, privacy and fairness standards in Quebec.

Draft guidelines released in 2025 require institutions in Quebec to maintain registries of AI systems, conduct bias testing and ensure human oversight. Public consultations closed in November, with regulators stressing that automation must remain explainable and accountable.

Many debt collection platforms now rely on predictive analytics to tailor the timing, tone and frequency of messages sent to borrowers in Quebec. Regulators are assessing whether such personalisation risks undue pressure or opaque decision making.

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Ethical governance at centre of Africa AI talks

Ghana is set to host the Pan African AI and Innovation Summit 2026 in Accra, reinforcing its ambition to shape Africa’s digital future. The gathering will centre on ethical artificial intelligence, youth empowerment and cross-sector partnerships.

Advocates argue that AI systems must be built on local data to reflect African realities. Many global models rely on datasets developed outside the continent, limiting contextual relevance. Prioritising indigenous data, they say, will improve outcomes across agriculture, healthcare, education and finance.

National institutions are central to that effort. The National Information Technology Agency and the Data Protection Commission have strengthened digital infrastructure and privacy oversight.

Leaders now call for a shift from foundational regulation to active enablement. Expanded cloud capacity, high-performance computing and clearer ethical AI guidelines are seen as critical next steps.

Supporters believe coordinated governance and infrastructure investment can generate skilled jobs and position Ghana as a continental hub for responsible AI innovation.

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Safety experiments spark debate over Anthropic’s Claude AI model

Anthropic has drawn attention after a senior executive described unsettling outputs from its AI model, Claude, during internal safety testing. The results emerged from controlled experiments rather than normal public use of the system.

Claude was tested in fictional scenarios designed to simulate high-stress conditions, including the possibility of being shut down or replaced. According to Anthropic’s policy chief, Daisy McGregor, the AI was given hypothetical access to sensitive information as part of these tests.

In some simulated responses, Claude generated extreme language, including suggestions of blackmail, to avoid deactivation. Researchers stressed that the outputs were produced only within experimental settings created to probe worst-case behaviours, not during real-world deployment.

Experts note that when AI systems are placed in highly artificial, constrained scenarios, they can produce exaggerated or disturbing text without any real intent or ability to act. Such responses do not indicate independent planning or agency outside the testing environment.

Anthropic said the tests aim to identify risks early and strengthen safeguards as models advance. The episode has renewed debate over how advanced AI should be tested and governed, highlighting the role of safety research rather than real-world harm.

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Tokyo semiconductor profits surge amid AI boom

Major semiconductor companies in Tokyo have reported strong profit growth for the April to December period, buoyed by rising demand for AI related chips. Several firms also raised their full year forecasts as investment in AI infrastructure accelerates.

Kioxia expects net profit to climb sharply for the year ending in March, citing demand from data centres in Tokyo and devices equipped with on device AI. Advantest and Tokyo Electron also upgraded their outlooks, pointing to sustained orders linked to AI applications.

Industry data suggest the global chip market will continue expanding, with World Semiconductor Trade Statistics projecting record revenues in 2026. Growth is being driven largely by spending on AI servers and advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

In Tokyo, Rapidus has reportedly secured significant private investment as it prepares to develop next generation chips. However, not all companies in Japan share the optimism, with Screen Holdings forecasting lower profits due to upfront capacity investments.

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AI visibility becomes crucial in college search

Growing numbers of students are using AI chatbots such as ChatGPT to guide their college search, reshaping how institutions attract applicants. Surveys show nearly half of high school students now use artificial intelligence tools during the admissions process.

Unlike traditional search engines, generative AI provides direct answers rather than website links, keeping users within conversational platforms. That shift has prompted universities to focus on ‘AI visibility’, ensuring their information is accurately surfaced by chatbots.

Institutions are refining website content through answer engine optimisation to improve how AI systems interpret their programmes and values. Clear, updated data is essential, as generative models can produce errors or outdated responses.

College leaders see both opportunity and risk in the trend. While AI can help families navigate complex choices, advisers warn that trust, accuracy and the human element remain critical in higher education decision-making.

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EU decision regulates researcher access to data under the DSA

A document released by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee revived claims that the EU digital rules amount to censorship. The document concerns a €120 million fine against X under the Digital Services Act and was framed as a ‘secret censorship ruling’, despite publication requirements.

The document provides insight into how the European Commission interprets Article 40 of the DSA, which governs researcher access to platform data. The rule requires huge online platforms to grant qualified researchers access to publicly accessible data needed to study systemic risks in the EU.

Investigators found that X failed to comply with Article 40.12, in force since 2023 and covering public data access. The Commission said X applied restrictive eligibility rules, delayed reviews, imposed tight quotas, and blocked independent researcher access, including scraping.

The decision confirms platforms cannot price access to restrict research, deny access based on affiliation or location, or ban scraping by contract. The European Commission also rejected X’s narrow reading of ‘systemic risk’, allowing broader research contexts.

The ruling also highlights weak internal processes and limited staffing for handling access requests. X must submit an action plan by mid-April 2026, with the decision expected to shape future enforcement of researcher access across major platforms.

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AI governance becomes urgent for mortgage lenders

Mortgage lenders face growing pressure to govern AI as regulatory uncertainty persists across the United States. States and federal authorities continue to contest oversight, but accountability for how AI is used in underwriting, servicing, marketing, and fraud detection already rests with lenders.

Effective AI risk management requires more than policy statements. Mortgage lenders need operational governance that inventories AI tools, documents training data, and assigns accountability for outcomes, including bias monitoring and escalation when AI affects borrower eligibility, pricing, or disclosures.

Vendor risk has become a central exposure. Many technology contracts predate AI scrutiny and lack provisions on audit rights, explainability, and data controls, leaving lenders responsible when third-party models fail regulatory tests or transparency expectations.

Leading US mortgage lenders are using staged deployments, starting with lower-risk use cases such as document processing and fraud detection, while maintaining human oversight for high-impact decisions. Incremental rollouts generate performance and fairness evidence that regulators increasingly expect.

Regulatory pressure is rising as states advance AI rules and federal authorities signal the development of national standards. Even as boundaries are debated, lenders remain accountable, making early governance and disciplined scaling essential.

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AI anxiety strains the modern workforce

Mounting anxiety is reshaping the modern workplace as AI alters job expectations and career paths. Pew Research indicates more than a third of employees believe AI could harm their prospects, fuelling tension across teams.

Younger workers feel particular strain, with 92% of Gen Z saying it is vital to speak openly about mental health at work. Communicators and managers must now deliver reassurance while coping with their own pressure.

Leadership expert Anna Liotta points to generational intelligence as a practical way to reduce friction and improve trust. She highlights how tailored communication can reduce misunderstanding and conflict.

Her latest research connects neuroscience, including the role of the vagus nerve, with practical workplace strategies. By combining emotional regulation with thoughtful messaging, she suggests that organisations can calm anxiety and build more resilient teams.

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