Economic

Greek businesses urged to accelerate AI adoption

AI is becoming a central factor in business development, according to Google Cloud executives visiting Athens for Google Cloud Day.

Marianne Janik and Boris Georgiev explained that AI is entering daily life more quickly than many expected, creating an urgent need for companies to strengthen their capabilities. Their visit coincided with the international launch of Gemini 3, the latest version of the company’s AI model.

They argued that enterprises in Greece should accelerate their adoption of AI tools to remain competitive. A slow transition could limit their position in both domestic and international markets.

They also underlined the importance of employees developing new skills that support digital transformation, noting that risk-taking has become a necessary element of strategic progress.

The financial sector is advancing at a faster pace, aided by its long-standing familiarity with digital and analytical tools.

Banks are investing heavily in compliance functions and customer onboarding. Retail is also undergoing a similar transformation, driven by consumer expectations and operational pressures.

Google Cloud Day in Athens brought together a large number of participants, highlighting the sector’s growing interest in practical AI applications and the role of advanced models in shaping business processes.

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EU moves forward with Bulgaria payment review

The European Commission has given partial approval to Bulgaria’s request for €1.6 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The assessment followed the country’s submission in early October and confirmed that most reforms and investments linked to the payment were completed.

Progress spanned the green and digital transition, research, innovation, healthcare, social protection, sustainable transport and business modernisation.

Officials confirmed that 48 of 50 milestones were met, supporting Bulgaria’s efforts to strengthen economic growth and improve long-term competitiveness, rather than delaying structural change.

Measures covered a prohibition on new coal or lignite power installations, limits on emissions from existing plants, investment in renewable energy and steps to make healthcare careers more appealing.

The Commission noted that these areas formed core elements of Bulgaria’s recovery plan.

Two milestones were considered incomplete. The first relates to the establishment of an operational anti-corruption body; the second concerns aspects of legal acts linked to criminal proceedings and the accountability of the Prosecutor General.

Additionally, the Commission proposed a temporary deferral for the portion of funding connected to those elements, allowing Bulgaria to receive money for milestones already achieved instead of holding back the entire request.

The next stage involves a review by the Economic and Financial Committee within four weeks. Bulgaria will also have one month to respond to the Commission’s concerns. If issues remain unresolved, part of the payment will be withheld until the outstanding milestones are met.

Once corrective actions are completed, the remaining funds will be released in line with the standard procedure for the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

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UK moves to give crypto full legal property status

The United Kingdom has introduced a landmark legal change by formally recognising cryptocurrencies and stablecoins as personal property. The Property Act, which secured royal assent this week, establishes a clear statutory framework for digital ownership after years of fragmented court rulings.

Industry bodies hailed the development as a decisive boost for legal certainty. Groups such as Bitcoin Policy UK and CryptoUK stated that the new rules enhance protection, facilitate token recovery, and clarify uncertainty over ownership and inheritance.

Lawmakers followed guidance from the Law Commission, which urged the creation of a dedicated category for digital assets that did not fit traditional definitions of personal property.

Regulators view the shift as part of a broader effort to reinforce Britain’s ambitions as a digital finance hub.

Ministers are reviewing a possible ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties. They are also assessing reforms to the taxation of decentralised finance, which could prevent users from triggering capital gains when using lending protocols or liquidity pools.

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Bank of America advises clients to invest in crypto

Bank of America is expanding cryptocurrency access for its wealth management clients, recommending a 1–4% allocation of digital assets across portfolios. The move brings crypto exposure to a broader range of clients, beyond the bank’s previously ultra-wealthy clientele.

Starting January 5, the bank will cover four of the largest Bitcoin ETFs, including Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust, and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which collectively manage over $94 billion in assets.

The recommendation aligns with a broader trend among traditional financial institutions encouraging crypto adoption.

Firms such as Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Fidelity have issued similar guidance in the past year. Vanguard recently opened its brokerage platform to ETFs and mutual funds that primarily hold cryptocurrencies.

Chris Hyzy, Chief Investment Officer at Bank of America Private Bank, said that a modest allocation of 1–4% in digital assets may suit investors who are comfortable with high volatility and interested in thematic innovation.

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V3.2 models signal renewed DeepSeek momentum

DeepSeek has launched two new reasoning-focused models, V3.2 and V3.2-Speciale. The release marks a shift toward agent-style systems that emphasise efficiency. Both models are positioned as upgrades to the firm’s earlier experimental work.

The V3.2 model incorporates structured thinking into its tool-use behaviour. It supports fast and reflective modes while generating large training datasets. DeepSeek says this approach enables more exhaustive testing across thousands of tasks.

V3.2-Speciale is designed for high-intensity reasoning workloads and contests. DeepSeek reports performance levels comparable to top proprietary systems. Its Sparse Attention method keeps costs down for long and complex inputs.

The launch follows pressure from rapid advances by key rivals. DeepSeek argues the new line narrows capability gaps despite lower budgets. Earlier momentum came from strong pricing, but expectations have increased.

The company views the V3.2 series as supporting agent pipelines and research applications. It frames the update as proof that efficient models can still compete globally. Developers are expected to use the systems for analytical and technical tasks.

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Thrive Holdings deepens AI collaboration with OpenAI for business transformation

OpenAI and Thrive Holdings have launched a partnership to accelerate enterprise adoption of AI. The work focuses on applying AI to high-volume business functions such as accounting and IT services. Both companies say these areas offer immediate gains in speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency.

OpenAI will place its teams inside Thrive Holdings’ companies to improve core workflows. The partners want a model they can replicate across other sectors. They say embedding AI in real operations delivers better results than external tools.

Executives say AI is reshaping how organisations deliver value in competitive markets. OpenAI’s Brad Lightcap described the collaboration as an example of rapid, organisation-wide transformation. He said the approach could guide other businesses seeking practical pathways to use advanced AI tools.

Thrive Holdings views the initiative as part of a broader shift in how technology is adopted. Founder Joshua Kushner said industry experts are now driving change from within their sectors. He added that Thrive’s portfolio offers the data and domain knowledge needed to refine AI for specialised tasks.

Both partners expect the model to scale into additional business areas as uptake grows. They see long-term opportunities to adapt the framework to more enterprise functions. The ambition is to demonstrate how embedded AI can boost performance and sustain operational improvements.

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SIM-binding mandate forces changes to WhatsApp use in India

India plans to change how major messaging apps operate under new rules requiring SIM binding and frequent re-verification. The directive obliges platforms to confirm that the original SIM remains active, altering long-standing habits around device switching. Services have 90 days to comply with the order.

The Department of Telecom says continuous SIM checks will reduce misuse by linking each account to a live subscriber identity. Companion tools such as WhatsApp Web will automatically log out every 6 hours. Users will need to relink sessions with a QR code to stay connected.

The rules apply to apps that rely on phone numbers, including WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and local platforms. The approach mirrors SIM-bound verification used in banking apps in India. It adds a deeper security layer that goes beyond one-time codes and registration checks.

The change may inconvenience people who use Wi-Fi-only tablets or older devices without an active SIM card. It also affects anyone who relies on WhatsApp Web for work or on multi-device setups under a single number. Messaging apps may need new login systems to ease the shift.

Officials argue that tighter controls are needed to limit cyber fraud and protect consumers. Users may still access services, but with reduced flexibility and more frequent verification. India’s move signals a broader push for stronger digital safeguards across core communications tools.

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Dublin startup raises US$2.5 m to protect AI data with encryption

Mirror Security, founded at University College Dublin, has announced a US$2.5 million (approx. €2.15 million) pre-seed funding round to develop what it describes as the next generation of secure AI infrastructure.

The startup’s core product, VectaX, is a fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) engine designed for AI workloads. This technology allows AI systems to process, train or infer on data that remains encrypted, meaning sensitive or proprietary data never has to be exposed in plaintext, even during computation.

Backed by leading deep-tech investors such as Sure Valley Ventures (SVV) and Atlantic Bridge, Mirror Security plans to scale its engineering and AI-security teams across Ireland, the US and India, accelerate development of encrypted inferencing and secure fine-tuning, and target enterprise markets in the US.

As organisations increasingly adopt AI, often handling sensitive data, Mirror Security argues that conventional security measures (like policy-based controls) fall short. Its encryption native approach aims to provide cryptographic guarantees rather than trust-based assurances, positioning the company as a ‘trust layer’ for the emerging AI economy.

The Irish startup also announced a strategic partnership with Inception AI (a subsidiary of G42) to deploy its full AI security stack across enterprise and government systems. Mirror has also formed collaborations with major technology players including Intel, MongoDB, and others.

From a digital policy and global technology governance perspective, this funding milestone is significant. It underlines how the increasing deployment of AI, especially in enterprise and government contexts, is creating demand for robust, privacy-preserving infrastructure. Mirror Security’s model offers a potential blueprint for how to reconcile AI’s power with data confidentiality, compliance, and sovereignty.

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Apple support scam targets users with real tickets

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting Apple’s support system to trick users into surrendering their accounts. Fraudsters open real support tickets in a victim’s name, which triggers official Apple emails and creates a false sense of legitimacy. These messages appear professional, making it difficult for users to detect the scam.

Victims often receive a flood of alerts, including two-factor authentication notifications, followed by phone calls from callers posing as Apple agents. The scammers guide users through steps that appear to secure their accounts, often directing them to convincing fake websites that request sensitive information.

Entering verification codes or following instructions on these fraudulent pages gives attackers access to the account. Even experienced users can fall prey because the emails come from official Apple domains, and the phone calls are carefully scripted to build trust.

Experts recommend checking support tickets directly within your Apple ID account, never sharing verification codes, and reviewing all devices linked to your account. Using antivirus software, activating two-factor authentication, and limiting personal information online further strengthen protection against such sophisticated phishing attacks.

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Australia stands firm on under 16 social media ban

Australia’s government defended its under-16 social media ban ahead of its introduction on 10 December. Minister Anika Wells said she would not be pressured by major platforms opposing the plan.

Tech companies argued that bans may prove ineffective, yet Wells maintained firms had years to address known harms. She insisted parents required stronger safeguards after repeated failures by global platforms.

Critics raised concerns about enforcement and the exclusion of online gaming despite widespread worries about Roblox. Two teenagers also launched a High Court challenge, claiming the policy violated children’s rights.

Wells accepted rollout difficulties but said wider social gains in Australia justified firm action. She added that policymakers must intervene when unsafe operating models place young people at risk.

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