Economic

Claude Sonnet 4.5 expands developer options with rollbacks and longer-running agents

Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 4.5, featuring a suite of new upgrades designed to enhance coding, automation, and creativity. The update enhances Claude Code, extends Computer Use, and introduces experimental tools to boost productivity and facilitate real-world applications.

Claude Code now features checkpoints, allowing developers to roll back projects to earlier versions. The Claude API has also been expanded, supporting longer-running agents to generate files such as slides, spreadsheets, and documents directly within chats.

The model’s Computer Use function has been strengthened, enabling agents to operate applications for up to 30 hours autonomously. Anthropic says Claude Sonnet 4.5 built a Slack-style app with 11,000 lines of code in one session.

A new feature, Imagine with Claude, focuses on generating creative software. The system produced a Shakespeare-themed desktop with customised scripts and performance schedules from a single prompt, highlighting its versatility.

Anthropic has maintained steady pricing for free and premium users, positioning Sonnet 4.5 as its most practical and feature-rich release yet, combining reliability with expanded creative and developer-friendly tools.

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Athens Democracy Forum highlights AI challenge for democracy

The 2025 Athens Democracy Forum opened in Athens with a dedicated session on AI, ethics and democracy, co-organised by Kathimerini in partnership with The New York Times.

Held at the Athens Conservatoire, the event placed AI at the heart of discussions on the future of democratic governance.

Speakers underlined the urgency of addressing systemic challenges created by AI.

Achilleas Tsaltas, president of the Democracy & Culture Foundation, described AI as the central concern of the era. At the same time, Greece’s minister of digital governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, warned that AI should remain a servant instead of becoming a master.

Axel Dauchez, founder of Make.org, pointed to the conflict between democratic and authoritarian governance models and called for stronger civic education.

The opening panel brought together academics such as Oxford’s Stathis Kalyvas and Yale’s Hélène Landemore, who examined how AI affects liberal democracies, global inequalities and political accountability.

Discussions concluded with a debate on Aristotle’s ethics as a framework for evaluating opportunities and risks in AI development, moderated by Stephen Dunbar-Johnson of The New York Times.

The session continues with panels on the AI transformation blueprint of Greece, regulation of AI, and the emerging concept of AI sovereignty as a business model.

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Gen Z most vulnerable to phishing scams

A global survey commissioned by Yubico suggests that younger workers are more vulnerable to phishing scams than older generations. Gen Z respondents reported the highest level of interaction with phishing messages, with 62 percent admitting they engaged with a scam in the past year.

The study gathered responses from 18,000 employed adults in nine countries, including the UK, US, France, and Japan. In the past twelve months, 44 percent of participants admitted to clicking on or replying to a phishing message.

AI is raising the stakes for cybersecurity. Seventy percent of those surveyed believe phishing has become more effective due to AI, and 78 percent said the attacks seem more sophisticated. More than half could not confidently identify a phishing email when shown one.

Despite growing risks, cyber defences remain patchy. Only 48 percent said their workplace used multi-factor authentication across all services, and 40 percent reported never receiving cybersecurity training from their employer.

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OpenAI reports $4.3 billion revenue in first half of 2025

OpenAI posted approximately $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to a report by The Information cited in Cyprus Mail. That figure is roughly 16 percent higher than what the company is said to have earned in 2024.

During the same period, OpenAI reportedly burned around $2.5 billion due to heavy research, development investments, and operational costs tied to ChatGPT. Total R&D spending for H1 2025 is reported to have reached $6.7 billion, and the company held about $17.5 billion in cash and securities at period’s close.

OpenAI is targeting full-year revenue of $13 billion and aims to cap annual cash burn at $8.5 billion. Meanwhile, in August, the company was reportedly in early discussions about a potential stock sale to allow employee access to liquidity and possibly reach a valuation near $500 billion.

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Rising stress leaves cyber professionals at breaking point

Burnout is a significant challenge in the cybersecurity sector, as workers face rising threats and constant pressure to defend organisations. A BBC report highlights how professionals often feel overworked and undervalued, with stress levels leading some to take extended leave.

UK-based surveys reflect growing strain. Membership body ISC2 found that job satisfaction among cybersecurity staff dropped in 2024, with burnout cited as a key issue. Experts say demands have increased while resources remain stretched, leaving staff expected to stay on call around the clock.

Hackers are becoming more aggressive, targeting health services, retailers, and critical national infrastructure. Nation-state actors, including North Korean groups linked to large crypto thefts, are also stepping up activity. These attacks add to the psychological burden on frontline defenders.

Industry figures warn that high turnover risks weakening cyber resilience, especially in junior roles. Initiatives like Cybermindz call for better mental health support, while some argue for protections akin to those for first responders.

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OpenAI deal boosts Etsy stock in dramatic market response

Etsy’s shares rose almost 16% on Monday following news that the platform is partnering with OpenAI to enable direct purchases through ChatGPT.

Under the new “Instant Checkout” feature, US ChatGPT users can purchase products directly from US Etsy sellers within the chatbot interface. OpenAI plans to bring more merchants, such as Shopify sellers, into the system soon.

The juxtaposition of AI and e-commerce signalled to markets a leap in monetisation potential for ChatGPT. Investors viewed the move as shifting ChatGPT from a content tool into a transactional platform. Shopify’s shares also saw gains.

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Anthropic unveils Claude Sonnet 4.5 as the best AI coding model yet

Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 4.5, its most advanced AI model yet, claiming state-of-the-art results in coding benchmarks. The company says the model can build production-ready applications, rather than limited prototypes, making it more reliable than earlier versions.

Claude Sonnet 4.5 is available through the Claude API and chatbot at the same price as its predecessor, with $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens.

Early enterprise tests suggest the model can autonomously code for extended periods, integrate databases, secure domains, and perform compliance checks such as SOC 2 audits.

Industry leaders have endorsed the launch, with Cursor and Windsurf calling it a new generation of AI coding models. Anthropic also emphasises more substantial alignment, noting reduced risks of deception and sycophancy, and improved resistance to prompt injection attacks.

Alongside the model, the company has introduced a Claude Agent SDK to let developers build customised agents, and launched ‘Imagine with Claude’, a research preview showing real-time code generation.

A release that highlights the intense competition in AI, with Anthropic pushing frequent updates to keep pace with rivals such as OpenAI, which has recently gained ground on coding performance with GPT-5.

Claude Sonnet 4.5 follows just weeks after Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.1, underlining the rapid development cycles driving the sector.

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NSW expands secure AI platform NSWEduChat across schools

Following successful school trials, the New South Wales Department of Education has confirmed the broader rollout of its in-house generative AI platform, NSWEduChat.

The tool, developed within the department’s Sydney-based cloud environment, prioritises privacy, security, and equity while tailoring content to the state’s educational context. It is aligned with the NSW AI Assessment Framework.

The trial began in 16 schools in Term 1, 2024, and then expanded to 50 schools in Term 2. Teachers reported efficiency gains, and students showed strong engagement. Access was extended to all staff in Term 4, 2024, with Years 5–12 students due to follow in Term 4, 2025.

Key features include a privacy-first design, built-in safeguards, and a student mode that encourages critical thinking by offering guided prompts rather than direct answers. Staff can switch between staff and student modes for lesson planning and preparation.

All data is stored in Australia under departmental control. NSWEduChat is free and billed as the most cost-effective AI tool for schools. Other systems are accessible but not endorsed; staff must follow safety rules, while students are limited to approved tools.

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AI agents complete first secure transaction with Mastercard and PayOS

PayOS and Mastercard have completed the first live agentic payment using a Mastercard Agentic Token, marking a pivotal step for AI-driven commerce. The demonstration, powered by Mastercard Agent Pay, extends the tokenisation infrastructure that already underpins mobile payments and card storage.

The system enables AI agents to initiate payments while enforcing consent, authentication, and fraud checks, thereby forming what Mastercard refers to as the trust layer. It shows how card networks are preparing for agentic transactions to become central to digital commerce.

Mastercard’s Chief Digital Officer, Pablo Fourez, stated that the company is developing a secure and interoperable ecosystem for AI-driven payments, underpinned by tokenized credentials. The framework aims to prepare for a future where the internet itself supports native agentic commerce.

For PayOS, the milestone represents a shift from testing to commercialisation. Chief executive Johnathan McGowan said the company is now onboarding customers and offering tools for fraud prevention, payments risk management, and improved user experiences.

The achievement signals a broader transition as agentic AI moves from pilot to real-world deployment. If security models remain effective, agentic payments could soon differentiate platforms, merchants, and issuers, embedding autonomy into digital transactions.

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AI-powered Opera Neon browser launches with premium subscription

After its announcement in May, Opera has started rolling out Neon, its first AI-powered browser. Unlike traditional browsers, Neon is designed for professionals who want AI to simplify complex online workflows.

The browser introduces Tasks, which act like self-contained workspaces. AI can understand context, compare sources, and operate across multiple tabs simultaneously to manage projects more efficiently.

Neon also features cards and reusable AI prompts that users can customise or download from a community store, streamlining repeated actions and tasks.

Its standout tool, Neon Do, performs real-time on-screen actions such as opening tabs, filling forms, and gathering data, while keeping everything local. Opera says no data is shared, and all information is deleted after 30 days.

Neon is available by subscription at $19.90 per month. Invitations are limited during rollout, but Opera promises broader availability soon.

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