Digital standards

AI Appreciation Day highlights progress and growing concerns

AI is marking another milestone as experts worldwide reflect on its rapid rise during AI Appreciation Day. From reshaping business workflows to transforming customer experiences, AI’s presence is expanding — but so are concerns over its long-term implications.

Industry leaders point to AI’s growing role across sectors. Patrick Harrington from MetaRouter highlights how control over first-party data is now seen as key instead of just processing large datasets.

Vall Herard of Saifr adds that successful AI implementations depend on combining curated data with human oversight rather than relying purely on machine-driven systems.

Meanwhile, Paula Felstead from HBX Group believes AI could significantly enhance travel experiences, though scaling it across entire organisations remains a challenge.

Voice AI is changing industries that depend on customer interaction, according to Natalie Rutgers from Deepgram. Instead of complex interfaces, voice technology is improving communication in restaurants, hospitals, and banks.

At the same time, experts like Ivan Novikov from Wallarm stress the importance of securing AI systems and the APIs connecting them, as these form the backbone of modern AI services.

While some celebrate AI’s advances, others raise caution. SentinelOne’s Ezzeldin Hussein envisions AI becoming a trusted partner through responsible development rather than unchecked growth.

Naomi Buckwalter from Contrast Security warns that AI-generated code could open security gaps instead of fully replacing human engineering, while Geoff Burke from Object First notes that AI-powered cyberattacks are becoming inevitable for businesses unable to keep pace with evolving threats.

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Meta unveils 5GW AI data centre plans

Meta has unveiled plans to build a 5GW data centre in Louisiana, part of a significant expansion of its AI infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the Hyperion complex will cover an area nearly the size of Manhattan, with the first 1.5GW phase expected online in 2026.

The company is also constructing a 1GW cluster named Prometheus in US, Ohio, which combines Meta-owned infrastructure with leased systems. Both projects will use a mix of renewable and natural gas power, underlining Meta’s strategy to ramp up compute capacity rapidly.

Zuckerberg stated Meta would invest hundreds of billions of dollars into superintelligence development, supported by elite talent recruited from major rivals. He added that the new data centres would offer the highest compute-per-researcher in the industry.

Amidst growing demand, Meta recently sought $29 billion in financing and secured 1GW of renewable power. Yet the expansion has raised environmental concerns, with one data centre in Georgia reportedly consuming 10% of a county’s water supply.

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OpenAI economist shares four key skills for kids in AI era

As AI reshapes jobs and daily life, OpenAI’s chief economist, Ronnie Chatterji, teaches his children four core skills to help them adapt and thrive.

Instead of relying solely on technology, he believes critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and financial numeracy will remain essential.

Chatterji highlighted these skills during an episode of the OpenAI podcast, saying critical thinking helps children spot problems rather than follow instructions. Given constant changes in AI, climate, and geopolitics, he stressed adaptability as another priority.

Rather than expecting children to master coding alone, Chatterji argues that emotional intelligence will make humans valuable partners alongside AI.

The fourth skill he emphasises is financial numeracy, including understanding maths without calculators and maintaining writing skills even with dictation software available. Instead of predicting specific future job titles, Chatterji believes focusing on these abilities equips children for any outcome.

His approach reflects a broader trend among tech leaders, with others like Alexis Ohanian and Sam Altman also promoting AI literacy while valuing traditional skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

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Trump unveils AI economy with $100 billion investment push

Donald Trump revealed during the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit that the US will receive over $100 billion in investments to drive its AI economy and energy infrastructure.

The funding is set to create tens of thousands of jobs across the energy and AI sectors, with Pennsylvania positioned as a central hub.

Trump stated the US is already ‘way ahead of China’ in AI development, adding that staying in the lead will require expanding power production.

Instead of relying solely on renewables, Trump highlighted ‘clean, beautiful coal, oil, and nuclear energy as key pillars supporting AI-related growth.

Westinghouse plans to build several nuclear plants nationwide, while Knighthead Capital will invest $15 billion in North America’s largest natural gas power plant in Homer City, Pennsylvania.

Additionally, Google will revitalise two hydropower facilities within the state, contributing to the broader investment wave. Trump mentioned that 20 major technology and energy firms are preparing further commitments in Pennsylvania, reinforcing its role in what he calls the US ‘AI economy’.

The event, hosted by Senator Dave McCormick at Carnegie Mellon University, also featured discussions with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

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Scalable quantum light factory chip unveiled

A milestone in quantum technology was achieved with the world’s first silicon chip that integrates quantum light sources and stabilising control electronics, fabricated using a standard commercial 45 nm semiconductor process. The compact chip, roughly 1 mm square, generates correlated photon pairs, key for secure communication, sensing, and computing, while built-in feedback circuits maintain performance under variable conditions.

Engineers from Northwestern University, Boston University and UC Berkeley collaborated to embed microring resonators, photodiodes, on-chip heaters and control logic, packaging them into a single, scalable system. The result is the first demonstration of a “quantum light factory” chip produced in mass-production foundries, bypassing bulky lab setups and paving the path for widespread deployment.

Researchers believe this advancement marks a crucial step forward. The ability to manufacture quantum photonic systems at scale could lead to secure quantum networks, advanced sensing platforms, and eventually photonic quantum computers. By proving the integration of quantum and classical electronics on shared silicon technologies is possible, the team has opened a new frontier in quantum engineering.

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First single-photon universal quantum system due 2026

Dutch startup QuiX Quantum has raised €15 million in Series A funding to deliver the world’s first single-photon‑based universal photonic quantum computer by 2026. This ambitious project was backed by Invest‑NL, the European Innovation Council, PhotonVentures, Oost NL and Forward One.

Since its 2019 founding, QuiX Quantum has set benchmarks with 8‑qubit and 64‑qubit photonic processors, including a notable delivery to the German Aerospace Center in 2022. Its next objective is a universal gate‑set system with fast feed‑forward electronics and single‑photon sources, essential components for fault‑tolerant, large‑scale quantum computing.

The investment will also bolster Europe’s quantum photonics supply chain. QuiX Quantum plans to deploy its systems in practical fields such as chemical simulation, pharmaceutical discovery, fraud detection and precision manufacturing, marking a key step toward commercialising quantum technology.

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Claude integrates Canva to power AI-first workflows

Claude AI has introduced integration with Canva, enabling users to generate and manage design content using simple text prompts. The new feature allows paid users to create presentations, edit visuals, and explore templates directly within Claude’s chat interface.

Alongside Canva, Claude now supports additional connectors like Notion, Stripe, and desktop apps like Figma and Prisma, expanding its ability to fetch and process data contextually. These integrations are powered by the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Canva’s head of ecosystem highlighted that users can now generate, summarise, and publish designs in one continuous workflow within Claude. The move represents another step toward AI-first productivity, removing the need for manual app-switching during the creative process.

Claude is the first AI assistant to enable Canva workflows through MCP, following recent partnerships with tools like Figma. A new integrations directory has also launched, helping users discover compatible apps for both web and desktop experiences.

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Apple accused of blocking real browser competition on iOS

Developers and open web advocates say Apple continues to restrict rival browser engines on iOS, despite obligations under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. While Apple claims to allow competition, groups like Open Web Advocacy argue that technical and logistical hurdles still block real implementation.

The controversy centres on Apple’s refusal to allow developers to release region-specific browser versions or test new engines outside the EU. Developers must abandon global apps or persuade users to switch manually to new EU-only versions, creating friction and reducing reach.

Apple insists it upholds security and privacy standards built over 18 years and claims its new framework enables third-party browsers. However, critics say those browsers cannot be tested or deployed realistically without access for developers outside the EU.

The EU held a DMA compliance workshop in Brussels in June, during which tensions surfaced between Apple’s legal team and advocates. Apple says it is still transitioning and working with firms like Mozilla and Google on limited testing updates, but has offered no timeline for broader changes.

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Oracle commits billions to expand AI infrastructure in Europe

Oracle has confirmed a $3 billion investment in its AI and cloud infrastructure across Germany and the Netherlands over the next five years. The move aims to boost its capacity in Europe as demand for advanced computing services continues to rise.

The company plans to invest $2 billion in Germany and $1 billion in the Netherlands, joining other major tech firms ramping up data centre infrastructure. Oracle’s strategy reflects broader market trends, with companies like Meta and Amazon committing large sums to meet AI-driven cloud needs.

The firm expects capital expenditure to exceed $25 billion in fiscal 2026, primarily focused on expanding data centre capabilities for AI. Analysts say Oracle’s AI and cloud services are increasingly competitive with traditional software, fuelling its strong performance this year.

Oracle shares have climbed nearly 38% since January, with a recent regulatory filing revealing a future deal worth over $30 billion in annual revenue beginning in 2028. The company sees its growing infrastructure as key to accelerating revenue and profit.

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GPAI Code of Practice creates legal uncertainty for non-signatories

Lawyers at William Fry say the EU’s final Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models leaves key questions unanswered. GPAI systems include models such as OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Meta’s Llama, trained on vast datasets for broad applications.

The Code of Practice, released last week, addresses transparency, safety, security, and copyright, and is described by the European Commission as a voluntary tool. It was prepared by independent experts to help GPAI developers comply with upcoming legal obligations under the EU AI Act.

In a statement on the firm’s website, William Fry lawyers Barry Scannell and Leo Moore question how voluntary the code truly is. They note that signatories not in full compliance can still be seen as acting in good faith and will be supported rather than penalised.

A protected grace period runs until 2 August 2026, after which the AI Act could allow fines for non-compliance. The lawyers warn that this creates a two-tier system, shielding signatories while exposing non-signatories to immediate legal risk under the AI Act.

Developers who do not sign the code may face higher regulatory scrutiny, despite it being described as non-binding. William Fry also points out that detailed implementation guidelines and templates have not yet been published by the EU.

Additional guidance to clarify key GPAI concepts is expected later this month, but the current lack of detail creates uncertainty. The code’s copyright section, the lawyers argue, shows how the document has evolved into a quasi-regulatory framework.

An earlier draft required only reasonable efforts to avoid copyright-infringing sources. The final version demands the active exclusion of such sites. A proposed measure requiring developers to verify the source of copyrighted data acquired from third parties has been removed from the final draft.

The lawyers argue that this creates a practical blind spot, allowing unlawful content to slip into training data undetected. Rights holders still retain the ability to pursue action if they believe their content was misused, even if providers are signatories.

Meanwhile, the transparency chapter now outlines specific standards, rather than general principles. The safety and security section also sets enforceable expectations, increasing the operational burden on model developers.

William Fry warns that gaps between the code’s obligations and the missing technical documentation could have costly consequences. They conclude that, without the final training data template or implementation details, both developers and rights holders face compliance risks.

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