Digital standards

Microsoft expands AI model Aurora to improve global weather forecasts

Extreme weather displaced over 800,000 people worldwide in 2024, highlighting the importance of accurate forecasts for saving lives, protecting infrastructure, and supporting economies. Farmers, coastal communities, and energy operators rely on timely forecasts to prepare and respond effectively.

Microsoft is reaffirming its commitment to Aurora, an AI model designed to help scientists better understand Earth systems. Trained on vast datasets, Aurora can predict weather, track hurricanes, monitor air quality, and model ocean waves and energy flows.

The platform will remain open-source, enabling researchers worldwide to innovate, collaborate, and apply it to new climate and weather challenges.

Through partnerships with Professor Rich Turner at the University of Cambridge and initiatives like SPARROW, Microsoft is expanding access to high-quality environmental data.

Community-deployable weather stations are improving data coverage and forecast reliability in underrepresented regions. Aurora’s open-source releases, including model weights and training pipelines, will let scientists and developers adapt and build upon the platform.

The AI model has applications beyond research, with energy companies, commodity traders, and national meteorological services exploring its use.

By supporting forecasting systems tailored to local environments, Aurora aims to improve resilience against extreme weather, optimise renewable energy, and drive innovation across multiple industries, from humanitarian aid to financial services.

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Anthropic uncovers a major AI-led cyberattack

The US R&D firm, Anthropic, has revealed details of the first known cyber espionage operation largely executed by an autonomous AI system.

Suspicious activity detected in September 2025 led to an investigation that uncovered an attack framework, which used Claude Code as an automated agent to infiltrate about thirty high-value organisations across technology, finance, chemicals and government.

The attackers relied on recent advances in model intelligence, agency and tool access.

By breaking tasks into small prompts and presenting Claude as a defensive security assistant instead of an offensive tool, they bypassed safeguards and pushed the model to analyse systems, identify weaknesses, write exploit code and harvest credentials.

The AI completed most of the work with only a few moments of human direction, operating at a scale and speed that human hackers would struggle to match.

Anthropic responded by banning accounts, informing affected entities and working with authorities as evidence was gathered. The company argues that the case shows how easily sophisticated operations can now be carried out by less-resourced actors who use agentic AI instead of traditional human teams.

Errors such as hallucinated credentials remain a limitation, yet the attack marks a clear escalation in capability and ambition.

The firm maintains that the same model abilities exploited by the attackers are needed for cyber defence. Greater automation in threat detection, vulnerability analysis and incident response is seen as vital.

Safeguards, stronger monitoring and wider information sharing are presented as essential steps for an environment where adversaries are increasingly empowered by autonomous AI.

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Digital ID arrives for Apple users

Apple has introduced Digital ID, a new feature that lets users create an identification card in Apple Wallet using information from a US passport.

The feature launches in beta at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints across more than two hundred and fifty airports for domestic travel, instead of relying solely on physical documentation.

It offers an alternative for users who lack a Real ID-compliant card while not replacing a physical passport for international journeys.

Users set up a Digital ID by scanning the passport’s photo page, reading the chip on the back of the document, and completing facial movements for verification.

Once added, the ID can be presented with an iPhone or Apple Watch by holding the device near an identity reader and confirming the request with Face ID or Touch ID. New verification options for in-person checks at selected businesses, apps and online platforms are planned.

The company highlights privacy protection by storing passport data only on the user’s device, instead of Apple’s servers. Digital ID information is encrypted and cannot be viewed by Apple, and biometric authentication ensures that only the owner can present the identity.

Only the required information is shared during each transaction, and the user must approve it before it is released.

The launch expands Apple Wallet’s existing support for driver’s licences and state IDs, which are already available in twelve states and Puerto Rico. Recent months have added Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia, and Japan adopted the feature with the My Number Card.

Apple expects Digital ID to broaden secure personal identification across more services over time.

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EU investigates Google over potential Digital Markets Act breach

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google may be breaching the Digital Markets Act by unfairly demoting news publishers in search results.

An inquiry that centres on Google’s ‘site reputation abuse policy’, which appears to lower rankings for publishers that host content from commercial partners, even when those partnerships support legitimate ways of monetising online journalism.

The Commission is examining whether Alphabet’s approach restricts publishers from conducting business, innovating, and cooperating with third-party content providers. Officials highlighted concerns that such demotions may undermine revenue at a difficult moment for the media sector.

These proceedings do not imply a final decision; instead, they allow the EU to gather evidence and assess Google’s practices in detail.

If the Commission finds evidence of non-compliance, it will present preliminary findings and request corrective measures. The investigation is expected to conclude within 12 months.

Under the DMA, infringements can lead to fines of up to ten percent of a company’s worldwide turnover, rising to twenty percent for repeated violations, alongside possible structural remedies.

Senior Commissioners stressed that gatekeepers must offer fair and non-discriminatory access to their platforms. They argued that protecting publishers’ ability to reach audiences supports media pluralism, innovation, and democratic resilience.

Google Search, designated as a core platform service under the DMA, has been required to comply fully with the regulation since March 2024.

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Baidu launches new AI chips amid China’s self-sufficiency push

In a strategic move aligned with national technology ambitions, Baidu announced two newly developed AI chips, the M100 and the M300, at its annual developer and client event.

The M100, designed by Baidu’s chip subsidiary Kunlunxin Technology, targets inference efficiency for large models using mixture-of-experts techniques, while the M300 is engineered for training very large multimodal models comprising trillions of parameters.

The M100 is slated for release in early 2026 and the M300 in 2027, according to Baidu, which claims they will deliver ‘powerful, low-cost and controllable AI computing power’ to support China’s drive for technological self-sufficiency.

Baidu also revealed plans for clustered architectures such as the Tianchi256 stack in the first half of 2026 and the Tianchi512 in the second half of 2026, intended to boost inference capacity through large-scale interconnects of chips.

This announcement illustrates how China’s tech ecosystem is accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on foreign silicon, particularly amid export controls and geopolitical tensions. Domestically-designed AI processors from Baidu and other firms such as Huawei Technologies, Cambricon Technologies and Biren Technology are increasingly positioned to substitute for western hardware platforms.

From a policy and digital diplomacy perspective, the development raises questions about the global semiconductor supply chain, standards of compute sovereignty and how AI-hardware competition may reshape power dynamics.

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Romania pilots EU Digital Identity Wallet for payments

In a milestone for the European digital identity ecosystem, Banca Transilvania and payments-tech firm BPC have completed the first pilot in Romania using the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) for a real-money transaction.

The initiative lets a cardholder authenticate a purchase using the wallet rather than a conventional one-time password or card reader.

The pilot forms part of a large-scale testbed led by the European Commission under the eIDAS 2 Regulation, which requires all EU banks to accept the wallet for strong customer authentication and KYC (know-your-customer) purposes by 2027.

Banca Transilvania’s Deputy CEO Retail Banking, Oana Ilaş, described the project as a historic step toward a unified European digital identities framework that enhances interoperability, inclusivity and banking access.

From a digital governance and payments policy perspective, this pilot is significant. It shows how national banking systems are beginning to integrate digital-ID wallets into card and account-based flows, potentially reducing reliance on legacy authentication mechanisms (such as SMS OTP or hardware tokens) that are vulnerable to fraud.

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Czech central bank invests in digital assets for the first time

The Czech National Bank (CNB) has acquired digital assets for the first time, creating a USD 1 million test portfolio outside its international reserves. The initiative includes Bitcoin, a USD stablecoin, and a tokenised deposit on the blockchain.

The portfolio aims to provide practical experience with digital assets and test related operational processes, without plans for further active investment.

Governor Aleš Michl explained that the idea originated in January 2025 to evaluate decentralised Bitcoin and explore its potential role in diversifying reserves. Discussions later included stablecoins, tokenised deposits, and future payment methods, with insights to be shared over the next two to three years.

The CNB emphasises that the koruna remains the country’s legal tender, while new digital payment and investment methods are increasingly emerging.

The test portfolio will examine the full chain of digital asset management, from technical administration and multi-level approvals to crisis scenarios, security measures, and AML compliance.

The CNB aims to maintain and develop internal expertise, ensuring staff gain practical knowledge transferable across teams. The investment is separated from the central bank’s international reserves and will not influence monetary policy or foreign exchange operations.

Alongside the portfolio, the CNB has launched CNB Lab, an innovation hub to test digital assets, blockchain solutions, AI tools, and payment innovations. The Lab will help the bank prepare for the future of finance while building practical experience and team expertise.

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New York Times lawsuit prompts OpenAI to strengthen privacy protections

OpenAI says a New York Times demand to hand over 20 million private ChatGPT conversations threatens user privacy and breaks with established security norms. The request forms part of the Times’ lawsuit over alleged misuse of its content.

The company argues the demand would expose highly personal chats from people with no link to the case. It previously resisted broader requests, including one seeking more than a billion conversations, and says the latest move raises similar concerns about proportionality.

OpenAI says it offered privacy-preserving alternatives, such as targeted searches and high-level usage data, but these were rejected. It adds that chats covered by the order are being de-identified and stored in a secure, legally restricted environment.

The dispute arises as OpenAI accelerates its security roadmap, which includes plans for client-side encryption and automated systems that detect serious safety risks without requiring broad human access. These measures aim to ensure private conversations remain inaccessible to external parties.

OpenAI maintains that strong privacy protections are essential as AI tools handle increasingly sensitive tasks. It says it will challenge any attempt to make private conversations public and will continue to update users as the legal process unfolds.

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New AI platforms approved for Surrey Schools classrooms

Surrey Schools has approved MagicSchool, SchoolAI, and TeachAid for classroom use, giving teachers access through the ONE portal with parental consent. The district says the tools are intended to support instruction while maintaining strong privacy and safety safeguards.

Officials say each platform passes rigorous reviews covering educational value, data protection, and technical security before approval. Teachers receive structured guidance on appropriate use, supported by professional development aligned with wider standards for responsible AI in education.

A two-year digital literacy programme helps staff explore online identity, digital habits, and safe technology use as AI becomes more common in lessons. Students use AI to generate ideas, check code, and analyse scientific or mathematical problems, reinforcing critical reasoning.

Educators stress that pupils are taught to question AI outputs rather than accept them at face value. Leaders argue this approach builds judgment and confidence, preparing young people to navigate automated systems with greater agency beyond school settings.

Families and teachers can access AI safety resources through the ONE platform, including videos, podcasts and the ‘Navigating an AI Future’ series. Materials include recordings from earlier workshops and parent sessions, supporting shared understanding of AI’s benefits and risks across the community.

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AI credentials grow as AWS launches practical training pathway

AWS is launching four solutions to help close the AI skills gap as demand rises and job requirements shift. The company positions the new tools as a comprehensive learning journey, offering structured pathways that progress from foundational knowledge to hands-on practice and formal validation.

AWS Skill Builder now hosts over 220 free AI courses, ranging from beginner introductions to advanced topics in generative and agentic AI. The platform enables learners to build skills at their own pace, with flexible study options that accommodate work schedules.

Practical experience anchors the new suite. The Meeting Simulator helps learners explain AI concepts to realistic personas and refine communication with instant feedback. Cohorts Studio offers team-based training through study groups, boot camps, and game-based challenges.

AWS is expanding its credential portfolio with the AWS Certified Generative AI Developer – Professional certification. The exam helps cloud practitioners demonstrate proficiency in foundation models, RAG architectures, and responsible deployment, supported by practice tasks and simulated environments.

Learners can validate hands-on capability through new microcredentials that require troubleshooting and implementation in real AWS settings. Combined credentials signal both conceptual understanding and task-ready skills, with Skill Builder’s more expansive library offering a clear starting point for career progression.

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