A recent survey reveals that 38.7% of Portuguese individuals aged 16 to 74 used AI tools in the three months preceding the interview, primarily for personal purposes. Usage is particularly high among 16 to 24-year-olds (76.5%) and students (81.5%).
Internet access remains widespread, with 89.5% of residents going online recently. Nearly half (49.6%) placed orders online, primarily for clothing, footwear, and fashion accessories, while 74.2% accessed public service websites, often using a Citizen Card or Digital Mobile Key for authentication.
Digital skills are growing, with 59.2% of the population reaching basic or above basic levels. Young adults and tertiary-educated individuals show the highest digital proficiency, at 83.4% and 88.4% respectively.
Household internet penetration stands at 90.9%, predominantly via fixed connections.
Concerns about online safety are on the rise, as 45.2% of internet users reported encountering aggressive or discriminatory content, up from 35.5% in 2023. Reported issues include discrimination based on nationality, politics, and sexual identity.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Nokia has announced a $4 billion expansion of its US research, development, and manufacturing operations to accelerate AI-ready networking technologies. The move builds on Nokia’s earlier $2.3 billion US investment via Infinera and semiconductor manufacturing plans.
The expanded investment will support mobile, fixed access, IP, optical, data centre networking, and defence solutions. Approximately $3.5 billion will be allocated for R&D, with $500 million dedicated to manufacturing and capital expenditures in Texas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Nokia aims to advance AI-optimised networks with enhanced security, productivity, and energy efficiency. The company will also focus on automation, quantum-safe networks, semiconductor testing, and advanced material sciences to drive innovation.
Officials highlight the strategic impact of Nokia’s US investment. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick praised the plan for boosting US tech capacity, while CEO Justin Hotard said it would secure the future of AI-driven networks.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google’s new AI model, Gemini 3, was left temporarily confused when it refused to accept that the year was 2025 during early testing by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy.
The model, pre-trained on data only through 2024 and initially disconnected from the internet, accused Karpathy of trickery and gaslighting before finally recognising the correct date.
Once Gemini 3 accessed real-time information, it expressed astonishment and apologised for its previous behaviour, demonstrating the model’s quirky but sophisticated reasoning capabilities. The interaction went viral online, drawing attention to both the humour and unpredictability of advanced AI systems.
Experts note that incidents like this illustrate the limitations of LLMs, which, despite their reasoning power, cannot inherently perceive reality and rely entirely on pre-training data and connected tools.
Observers emphasise that AI remains a powerful human aid rather than a replacement, and understanding its quirks is essential for practical use.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Students at the University of Staffordshire in the UK have criticised a coding course after discovering much of the teaching was delivered through AI-generated slides and voiceovers.
Participants in the government-funded apprenticeship programme said they felt deprived of knowledge and frustrated that the course relied heavily on automated materials.
Concerns arose when learners noticed inconsistencies in language, suspicious file names, and abrupt changes in voiceover accents during lessons.
Students reported raising these issues with university staff, but the institution maintained the use of AI, asserting it supported academic standards while remaining ethical and responsible.
Critics argue that AI teaching diminishes engagement and reduces the opportunity to acquire practical skills needed for career development.
Experts suggest students supplement AI-driven courses with hands-on learning and critical thinking to ensure the experience remains valuable and relevant to their professional goals.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Generative AI is reshaping the job market by reducing the need for entry-level positions, particularly in white-collar industries. Analysts warn that young workers are losing the opportunity to acquire skills through traditional on-the-job experience, which has historically paved the way for promotions.
Employers are drawn to AI for its efficiency, as it can complete tasks in a fraction of the time it once took human teams. This shift poses a threat to the traditional career ladder, resulting in a shortage of trained candidates for senior and managerial roles in the years to come.
Young professionals can counter these trends by acquiring practical AI skills, even outside of technology sectors. Combining human strengths, such as strategic thinking, with AI proficiency may help early-career workers remain competitive and adapt to evolving workplace demands.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Italy has closed its investigation into Google after the company agreed to adjust how it requests user consent for personal data use. Regulators had accused Google of presenting unclear and potentially misleading choices when connecting users to its services.
The authority said Google will now offer clearer explanations about how consent affects data processing. Updates will outline where personal information may be combined or used across the company’s wider service ecosystem.
Officials launched the probe in July 2024, arguing Google’s approach could amount to aggressive commercial practice. Revised consent flows were accepted as sufficient remedies, leading to the closure of the case without financial penalties.
The Italian competition regulator indicated that transparency improvements were central to compliance. Similar scrutiny continues across Europe as regulators assess how large technology firms obtain permission for extensive data handling.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Researchers have introduced a biology foundation model that can recognise over a million species and understand relationships across the animal and plant kingdoms.
BioCLIP 2 was trained on one of the most extensive biological datasets ever compiled, allowing it to identify traits, cluster organisms and reveal patterns that support conservation efforts.
A model that relies on NVIDIA accelerated computing instead of traditional methods and demonstrates what large-scale biological learning can achieve.
Training drew on more than two hundred million images that cover hundreds of thousands of taxonomic classes. The AI model learned how species fit within wider biological hierarchies and how traits differ across age, gender and related groups without explicit guidance.
It even separated diseased leaves from healthy samples, offering a route to improved monitoring of ecosystems and agricultural resilience.
Scientists now plan to expand the project by utilising wildlife digital twins that simulate ecological systems in controlled environments.
Researchers will be able to study species interactions and test scenarios instead of disturbing natural habitats. The approach opens possibilities for richer ecological research and could offer the public immersive ways to view biodiversity from the perspective of different animals.
BioCLIP 2 is available as open-source software and has already attracted strong global interest. Its capabilities indicate a shift toward more advanced biological modelling powered by accelerated computing, providing conservationists and educators with new tools to address long-standing knowledge gaps.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Armenia’s ambassador, Narek Mkrtchyan, has met senior Apple representatives in Cupertino to discuss expanding the company’s activities in the country. The visit included talks with Jason Lundgaard, Apple’s senior director for international cooperation at corporate government affairs.
The ambassador outlined the Armenia–US memorandum on AI and semiconductor cooperation signed on 8 August and highlighted Armenia’s technology ecosystem and investment potential. Both sides explored areas for collaboration and the conditions under which Apple could expand its presence.
Apple plans to send a delegation to Armenia in the coming period to assess opportunities for growth and engagement with local institutions. The discussions signalled early steps toward a more structured partnership.
During the meeting, the ambassador thanked Mr Lundgaard for supporting the launch of Apple’s first educational programme at the Armenian College of Creative Technologies. The initiative forms part of a wider effort to strengthen skills development in Armenia’s digital sector.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to deepen cooperation and expand the educational partnership as Armenia positions itself as a regional hub for advanced technologies.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The report was unveiled in Dhaka with representatives from government, international organisations, academia, civil society and the private sector. Officials described the assessment as a pivotal step as the country prepares for an increasingly AI-driven era.
The report outlines Bangladesh’s current strengths, including solid progress in e-government and high public trust in digital services, while also identifying areas requiring urgent attention.
Connectivity gaps, digital divides, limited computing capacity and the need for stronger data protection and cybersecurity remain key challenges. Policymakers noted that evidence-based decisions are essential as Bangladesh completes its National AI Policy.
International partners highlighted that the direction of AI development will depend heavily on choices made today. Strengthening digital infrastructure, improving skills, and building rights-driven governance structures were cited as central to ensuring AI benefits all communities.
Stakeholders also stressed the importance of using AI to improve services across health, education, justice and social protection without deepening existing inequalities.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A Lund University study shows an AI assistant can assess psychiatric conditions more accurately than standard mental health rating scales. In a study of 303 participants, the AI assistant Alba gave DSM-based diagnoses, outperforming standard tools in eight of nine disorders.
The study included conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, autism, eating disorders, substance use disorder and bipolar disorder.
Alba proved particularly effective at distinguishing overlapping conditions where traditional rating scales often yield similar results. Participants also reported positive experiences with the AI interview, describing it as empathic, supportive and engaging.
Researchers highlighted that AI-assisted interviews could serve as a scalable, person-centred tool to complement clinical assessments while preserving the clinician’s essential role.
The study advances digital mental health tools, with Alba analysing the full DSM-5 manual instead of individual disorders. Talk To Alba offers AI-powered clinical interviews, CBT support, DSM-5-based diagnosis, and consultation transcription.
Experts emphasise that such AI solutions can ease healthcare workloads, provide preliminary assessments, and maintain high diagnostic reliability without replacing mental health professionals.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
