The European Commission has warned X to address issues related to its Grok AI tool. Regulators say new features enabled the creation of sexualised images, including those of children.
EU Tech Sovereignty Commissioner Henna Virkkunen has stated that investigators have already taken action under the Digital Services Act. Failure to comply could result in enforcement measures being taken against the platform.
X recently restricted Grok’s image editing functions to paying users after criticism from regulators and campaigners. Irish and EU media watchdogs are now engaging with Brussels on the issue.
UK ministers also plan laws banning non-consensual intimate images and tools enabling their creation. Several digital rights groups argue that existing laws already permit criminal investigations and fines.
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Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek will launch a customised Italian version of its online chatbot following a probe by the Italian competition authority, the AGCM. The move follows months of negotiations and a temporary 2025 ban due to concerns over user data and transparency.
The AGCM had criticised DeepSeek for not sufficiently warning users about hallucinations or false outputs generated by its AI models.
The probe ended after DeepSeek agreed to clearer Italian disclosures and technical fixes to reduce hallucinations. The regulator noted that while improvements are commendable, hallucinations remain a global AI challenge.
DeepSeek now provides longer Italian warnings and detects Italian IPs or prompts for localised notices. The company also plans workshops to ensure staff understand Italian consumer law and has submitted multiple proposals to the AGCM since September 2025.
The start-up must provide a progress report within 120 days. Failure to meet the regulator’s requirements could lead to the probe being reopened and fines of up to €10 million (£8.7m).
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Apple and Google have confirmed a multi-year partnership that will see Google’s Gemini models powering Siri and future Apple Intelligence features. The collaboration will underpin Apple’s next-generation AI models, with updates coming later this year.
The move follows delays in rolling out Siri upgrades first unveiled at WWDC 2024. While most Apple Intelligence features have already been launched, the redesigned Siri has been postponed due to development taking longer than anticipated.
According to reports, Apple will continue using its own models for specific tasks, while Gemini is expected to handle summarisation, planning, and other advanced functions.
Bloomberg reports the upcoming Siri will be structured around three layers: query planning, knowledge retrieval, and summarisation. Gemini will handle planning and summarisation, helping Siri structure responses and create clear summaries.
Knowledge retrieval may also benefit from Gemini, potentially broadening Siri’s general knowledge capabilities beyond its current hand-off system.
All AI processing will operate on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute platform, ensuring user privacy and keeping data secure. Analysts suggest this integration will embed Gemini more deeply into Siri’s core functionality, rather than serving as a supplementary tool.
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A newly identified vulnerability in Telegram’s mobile apps allows attackers to reveal users’ real IP addresses with a single click. The flaw, known as a ‘one-click IP leak’, can expose location and network details even when VPNs or proxies are enabled.
The issue comes from Telegram’s automatic proxy testing process. When a user clicks a disguised proxy link, the app initiates a direct connection request that bypasses all privacy protections and reveals the device’s real IP address.
Cybersecurity researcher @0x6rss demonstrated an attack on X, showing that a single click is enough to log a victim’s real IP address. The request behaves similarly to known Windows NTLM leaks, where background authentication attempts expose identifying information without explicit user consent.
ONE-CLICK TELEGRAM IP ADDRESS LEAK!
In this issue, the secret key is irrelevant. Just like NTLM hash leaks on Windows, Telegram automatically attempts to test the proxy. Here, the secret key does not matter and the IP address is exposed. Example of a link hidden behind a… https://t.co/KTABAiuGYIpic.twitter.com/NJLOD6aQiJ
Attackers can embed malicious proxy links in chats or channels, masking them as standard usernames. Once clicked, Telegram silently runs the proxy test, bypasses VPN or SOCKS5 protections, and sends the device’s real IP address to the attacker’s server, enabling tracking, surveillance, or doxxing.
Both Android and iOS versions are affected, putting millions of privacy-focused users at risk. Researchers recommend avoiding unknown links, turning off automatic proxy detection where possible, and using firewall tools to block outbound proxy tests. Telegram has not publicly confirmed a fix.
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Malta’s government is preparing new legal measures to curb the abusive use of deepfake technology, with existing laws now under review. The planned reforms aim to introduce penalties for the misuse of AI in cases of harassment, blackmail, and bullying.
The move mirrors earlier cyberbullying and cyberstalking laws, extending similar protections to AI-generated content. Authorities are promoting AI while stressing the need for strong public safety and legal safeguards.
AI and youth participation were the main themes discussed during the National Youth Parliament meeting, where Abela highlighted the role of young people in shaping Malta’s long-term development strategy, Vision Malta 2050.
The strategy focuses on the next 25 years and directly affects those entering the workforce or starting families.
Young people were described as key drivers of national policy in areas such as fertility, environmental protection, and work-life balance. Senior officials and members of the Youth Advisory Forum attended the meeting.
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Efforts to reform US cryptocurrency regulation have hit another delay, as Senate senators pushed back the crucial markup of the CLARITY Act. The vote has been moved to the last week of January to secure bipartisan support.
Disagreements persist over stablecoin rewards, DeFi regulation, and regulatory authority between the SEC and CFTC. Without sufficient support, the bill risks stalling in committee and losing momentum for the year.
The CLARITY Act aims to bring structure to the US digital asset landscape, clarifying which tokens are classed as securities or commodities and expanding the CFTC’s supervisory role. It sets rules for market oversight and asset handling, providing legal clarity beyond the current enforcement-focused system.
The House passed its version in mid-2025, but the Senate has yet to agree on wording acceptable to all stakeholders. Delaying the markup gives Senate leaders time to refine the bill and rebuild support for potential 2026 reform.
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European labour markets are showing clear signs of cooling after a brief period of employee leverage during the pandemic.
Slower industrial growth, easing wage momentum and increased adoption of AI are encouraging firms to limit hiring instead of expanding headcounts, while workers are becoming more cautious about changing jobs.
Economic indicators suggest employment growth across the EU will slow over the coming years, with fewer vacancies and stabilising migration flows reducing labour market dynamism.
Germany, France, the UK and several central and eastern European economies are already reporting higher unemployment expectations, particularly in manufacturing sectors facing high energy costs and weaker global demand.
Despite broader caution, labour shortages persist in specific areas such as healthcare, logistics, engineering and specialised technical roles.
Southern European countries benefiting from tourism and services growth continue to generate jobs, highlighting uneven recovery patterns instead of a uniform downturn across the continent.
Concerns about automation are further shaping behaviour, as surveys indicate growing anxiety over AI reshaping roles rather than eliminating work.
Analysts expect AI to transform job structures and skill requirements, prompting workers and employers alike to prioritise adaptability instead of rapid expansion.
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Consumer hardware is becoming more deeply embedded with AI as robot vacuum cleaners evolve from simple automated devices into intelligent household assistants.
New models rely on multimodal perception and real-time decision-making, instead of fixed cleaning routes, allowing them to adapt to complex domestic environments.
Advanced AI systems now enable robot vacuums to recognise obstacles, optimise cleaning sequences and respond to natural language commands. Technologies such as visual recognition and mapping algorithms support adaptive behaviour, improving efficiency while reducing manual input from users.
Market data reflects the shift towards intelligence-led growth.
Global shipments of smart robot vacuums increased by 18.7 percent during the first three quarters of 2025, with manufacturers increasingly competing on intelligent experience rather than suction power, as integration with smart home ecosystems accelerates.
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NVIDIA and Eli Lilly have announced a joint AI co-innovation lab aimed at advancing drug discovery by combining AI with pharmaceutical research.
The partnership combines Lilly’s experience in medical development with NVIDIA’s expertise in accelerated computing and AI infrastructure.
The two companies plan to invest up to $1 billion over five years in research capacity, computing resources and specialist talent.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the lab will support large-scale data generation and model development using NVIDIA platforms, instead of relying solely on traditional laboratory workflows.
Beyond early research, the collaboration is expected to explore applications of AI across manufacturing, clinical development and supply chain operations.
Both NVIDIA and Eli Lilly claim the initiative is designed to enhance efficiency and scalability in medical production while fostering long-term innovation in the life sciences sector.
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Morocco is preparing to unveil ‘Maroc IA 2030’, a national AI roadmap designed to structure the country’s AI ecosystem and strengthen digital transformation.
The strategy seeks to modernise public services, improve interoperability across digital systems and enhance economic competitiveness, according to officials ahead of the ‘AI Made in Morocco’ event in Rabat.
A central element of the plan involves the creation of Al Jazari Institutes, a national network of AI centres of excellence connecting academic research with innovation and regional economic needs.
A roadmap that prioritises technological autonomy, trusted AI use, skills development, support for local innovation and balanced territorial coverage instead of fragmented deployment.
The initiative builds on the Digital Morocco 2030 strategy launched in 2024, which places AI at the core of national digital policy.
Authorities expect the combined efforts to generate around 240,000 digital jobs and contribute approximately $10 billion to gross domestic product by 2030, while improving the international AI readiness ranking of Morocco.
Additional measures include the establishment of a General Directorate for AI and Emerging Technologies to oversee public policy and the development of an Arab African regional digital hub in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
Their main goal is to support sustainable and responsible digital innovation.
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