Digital standards

AI uncovers Lyme disease overlooked by doctors

Oliver Moazzezi endured years of debilitating symptoms, including severe tinnitus, high blood pressure, fatigue, and muscle spasms, following a tick bite three years ago. Doctors initially attributed his issues to anxiety or hearing loss, leaving him feeling dismissed and like a hypochondriac.

Frustrated, the IT consultant turned to AI, inputting all his symptoms into a tool prompted to draw from verified medical sources. Without mentioning Lyme disease, the AI suggested it as a possibility, prompting Oliver to seek a private antibody test that confirmed the diagnosis.

Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by infected ticks, often mimics other conditions, making early detection challenging. Lyme symptoms, like Oliver’s rash, fatigue, and tinnitus, disrupted his gym visits, swimming, and ability to hear nature’s sounds.

Specialists echo Oliver’s frustrations with under-diagnosis in the NHS and private care. Tick-borne expert Georgia Tuckey says NHS tests miss Lyme symptom patterns, with 1,500 confirmed cases yearly in England and Wales, but 3,000-4,000 more likely go untreated.

The UK Health Security Agency acknowledges higher unconfirmed instances and ongoing data efforts to better track incidence.

AI shows promise in aiding disease diagnosis, as seen in Oliver Moazzezi’s discovery, empowering patients with insights from verified medical sources. However, experts stress that AI cannot replace doctors, urging professional consultation to ensure accurate, safe treatment.

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Unapproved AI tools boom in UK workplaces

Microsoft research reveals 71% of UK employees use unapproved AI tools at work, with 51% doing so weekly, raising concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity risks. Organisations face heightened risks to data privacy and cybersecurity as sensitive information enters unregulated platforms.

Despite these dangers, awareness remains low, as only 32% express concern over data privacy and 29% over IT system vulnerabilities.

Workers favour Shadow AI for its simplicity, with 41% citing familiarity from personal use and 28% noting the absence of approved alternatives at their firms. Common applications include drafting communications (49%), creating reports or presentations (40%), and handling finance tasks (22%).

Generative AI assistants now permeate the workforce, saving an average of 7.75 hours weekly per user- equivalent to 12.1 billion hours annually across the economy, valued at £208 billion.

Sector leaders in IT, telecoms, sales, media, marketing, architecture, engineering, and finance report the highest adoption rates. Employees plan to redirect saved time towards better work-life balance (37%), skill development (31%), and more fulfilling tasks (28%).

Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland, urges businesses to prioritise enterprise-grade tools that blend productivity with robust safeguards.

Optimism about AI has climbed, with 57% of staff feeling excited or confident- up from 34% in January 2025. Familiarity grows too, as confusion over starting points drops from 44% to 36%, and clarity on organisational AI strategies rises from 24% to 43%.

Frontier firms leading in adoption see twice the thriving rates, aligning with global trends where 82% of leaders deem 2025 pivotal for AI.

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Study links higher screen time to weaker learning results in children

A study by researchers from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and St. Michael’s Hospital has found a correlation between increased screen time before age eight and lower scores in reading and mathematics.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study followed over 3,000 Ontario children from 2008 to 2023, comparing reported screen use with their EQAO standardised test results.

Lead author Dr Catherine Birken said each additional hour of daily screen use was associated with about a 10 per cent lower likelihood of meeting provincial standards in reading and maths.

The research did not distinguish between different types of screen activity and was based on parental reports, meaning it shows association rather than causation.

Experts suggest the findings align with previous research showing that extensive screen exposure can affect focus and reduce time spent on beneficial activities such as face-to-face interaction or outdoor play.

Dr Sachin Maharaj from the University of Ottawa noted that screens may condition children’s attention spans in ways that make sustained learning more difficult.

While some parents, such as Surrey’s Anne Whitmore, impose limits to balance digital exposure and development, Birken stressed that the study was not intended to assign blame.

She said encouraging balanced screen habits should be a shared effort among parents, educators and health professionals, with an emphasis on quality content and co-viewing as recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society.

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Google cautions Australia on youth social media ban proposal

The US tech giant, Google (also owner of YouTube), has reiterated its commitment to children’s online safety while cautioning against Australia’s proposed ban on social media use for those under 16.

Speaking before the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee, Google’s Public Policy Senior Manager Rachel Lord said the legislation, though well-intentioned, may be difficult to enforce and could have unintended effects.

Lord highlighted the 23-year presence of Google in Australia, contributing over $53 billion to the economy in 2024, while YouTube’s creative ecosystem added $970 million to GDP and supported more than 16,000 jobs.

She said the company’s investments, including the $1 billion Digital Future Initiative, reflect its long-term commitment to Australia’s digital development and infrastructure.

According to Lord, YouTube already provides age-appropriate products and parental controls designed to help families manage their children’s experiences online.

Requiring children to access YouTube without accounts, she argued, would remove these protections and risk undermining safe access to educational and creative content used widely in classrooms, music, and sport.

She emphasised that YouTube functions primarily as a video streaming platform rather than a social media network, serving as a learning resource for millions of Australian children.

Lord called for legislation that strengthens safety mechanisms instead of restricting access, saying the focus should be on effective safeguards and parental empowerment rather than outright bans.

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Purple Fest highlights AI for disabilities

Entrepreneurs at International Purple Fest in Goa, India, from 9 to 12 October 2025, showcased AI transforming assistive technologies. Innovations like conversational screen readers, adaptive dashboards, and real-time captioning empower millions with disabilities worldwide.

Designed with input from those with lived experience, these tools turn barriers into opportunities for learning, working, and leading independently.

Surashree Rahane, born with club foot and polymelia, founded Yearbook Canvas and champions inclusive AI. Collaborating with Newton School of Technology near New Delhi, she develops adaptive learning platforms tailored to diverse learners.

‘AI can democratise education,’ she stated, ‘but only if trained to avoid perpetuating biases.’ Her work addresses structural barriers like inaccessible systems and biased funding networks.

Prateek Madhav, CEO of AssisTech Foundation, described AI as ‘the great equaliser,’ creating jobs through innovations like voice-to-speech tools and gesture-controlled wheelchairs.

Ketan Kothari, a consultant at Xavier’s Resource Centre in Mumbai, relies on AI for independent work, using live captions and visual description apps. Such advancements highlight AI’s role in fostering agency and inclusion across diverse needs.

Hosted by Goa’s Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, UN India, and the Ministry of Social Justice, Purple Fest promotes universal design.

Tshering Dema from the UN Development Coordination Office noted that inclusion requires a global mindset shift. ‘The future of work must be co-designed with people,’ she said, reflecting a worldwide transition towards accessibility.

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Netherlands safeguards economic security through Nexperia intervention

The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs has invoked the Goods Availability Act in response to serious governance issues at semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia.

The measure, announced on 30 September 2025, seeks to ensure the continued availability of the company’s products in the event of an emergency. Nexperia, headquartered in Nijmegen, will be allowed to maintain its normal production activities.

A decision that follows recent indications of significant management deficiencies and actions within Nexperia that could affect the safeguarding of vital technological knowledge and capacity in the Netherlands and across Europe.

Authorities view these capabilities as essential for economic security, as Nexperia supplies chips for the automotive sector and consumer electronics industries.

Under the order, the Minister of Economic Affairs may block or reverse company decisions considered harmful to Nexperia’s long-term stability or to the preservation of Europe’s semiconductor value chain.

The Netherlands government described the use of the Goods Availability Act as exceptional, citing the urgency and scale of the governance concerns.

Officials emphasised that the action applies only to Nexperia and does not target other companies, sectors, or countries. The decision may be contested through the courts.

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ICE-tracking apps pulled from the App Store

Apple has taken down several mobile apps used to track US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, sparking backlash from developers and digital rights advocates. The removals follow reported pressure from the US Department of Justice, which has cited safety and legal concerns.

One affected app, Eyes Up, was designed to alert users to ICE raids and detention locations. Its developer, identified only as Mark for safety reasons, said he believes the decision was politically motivated and vowed to contest it.

The takedown reflects a wider debate over whether app stores should host software linked to law enforcement monitoring or protest activity. Developers argue their tools support community safety and transparency, while regulators say such apps could risk interference with federal operations.

Apple has not provided detailed reasoning for its decision beyond referencing its developer guidelines. Google has also reportedly removed similar apps from its Play Store, citing policy compliance. Both companies face scrutiny over how content moderation intersects with political and civil rights issues.

Civil liberties groups warn that the decision could set a precedent limiting speech and digital activism in the US. The affected developers have said they will continue to distribute their apps through alternative channels while challenging the removals.

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Microsoft restores services after major outage

Microsoft users around the world faced major disruptions on Thursday after a network configuration error caused a temporary outage across Microsoft 365, Teams, Outlook and Azure. The issue interrupted access to core productivity tools in the middle of the US workday.

The misconfiguration affected data routing in the US but also caused interruptions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Microsoft said traffic rebalancing restored normal service after several hours of monitoring.

The outage briefly left businesses without access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive, creating frustration among workers reliant on Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem. Analysts noted the incident was minor compared with the widespread 2024 outage linked to CrowdStrike software.

By Thursday evening, Microsoft confirmed that all affected systems were stable and that a review was underway to prevent recurrence. The company said it remains committed to improving reliability across its global network infrastructure.

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Google faces UK action over market dominance

Google faces new regulatory scrutiny in the UK after the competition watchdog designated it with strategic market status under a new digital markets law. The ruling could change how users select search engines and how Google ranks online content.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Google controls more than 90 percent of UK searches, giving it a position of unmatched influence. The designation enables the regulator to propose targeted measures to ensure fair competition, with consultations expected later in 2025.

Google argued that tighter restrictions could slow innovation, claiming its search tools contributed £118 billion to the UK economy in 2023. The company warned that new rules might hinder product development during rapid AI advancement.

The move adds to global scrutiny of the tech giant, which faces significant fines and court cases in the US and EU over advertising and app store practices. The CMA’s decision marks the first important use of its new powers to regulate digital platforms with strategic control.

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Fake VPN app drains bank accounts across Europe

Cybersecurity experts are urging Android users to uninstall a fake VPN app capable of stealing banking details and draining accounts. The malware, hidden inside a Mobdro Pro IPTV + VPN app, has already infected more than 3,000 devices across Europe.

The app promises free access to films and live sports, but installs Klopatra, a sophisticated malware designed to gain complete control of a device. Once downloaded, it tricks users into granting access through Android’s Accessibility Services, enabling attackers to read screens and perform actions remotely.

Researchers at Cleafy, the firm that uncovered the operation, said attackers can use the permissions to operate phones as if they were the real owners. The firm believes the campaign originated in Turkey and estimates that around 1,000 people have fallen victim to the scam.

Cybersecurity analysts stress that the attack represents a growing trend in banking malware, where accessibility features are exploited to bypass traditional defences and gain near-total control of infected devices.

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