Facebook update lets admins make private groups public safely

Meta has introduced a new Facebook update allowing group administrators to change their private groups to public while keeping members’ privacy protected. The company said the feature gives admins more flexibility to grow their communities without exposing existing private content.

All posts, comments, and reactions shared before the change will remain visible only to previous members, admins, and moderators. The member list will also stay private. Once converted, any new posts will be visible to everyone, including non-Facebook users, which helps discussions reach a broader audience.

Admins have three days to review and cancel the conversion before it becomes permanent. Members will be notified when a group changes its status, and a globe icon will appear when posting in public groups as a reminder of visibility settings.

Groups can be switched back to private at any time, restoring member-only access.

Meta said the feature supports community growth and deeper engagement while maintaining privacy safeguards. Group admins can also utilise anonymous or nickname-based participation options, providing users with greater control over their engagement in public discussions.

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Enterprise AI gains traction at Mercedes-Benz with Celonis platform

Mercedes-Benz reported faster decisions and better on-time delivery at Celosphere 2025. Using Celonis within MO360, it unifies production and logistics data, extending visibility across every order, part, and process.

Order-to-delivery operations use AI copilots to forecast timelines, optimise sequencing, and cut delays. After-sales teams surface bottlenecks in service parts logistics and speed customer responses. Quality management utilises anomaly detection to identify deviations early, preventing them from impacting production output.

Executives say complete data transparency enables teams to act faster and with greater precision across production and supply chains. The approach helps anticipate change and react to market shifts. Hundreds of active users are expanding adoption as data-driven practices scale across the company.

Celonis positions process intelligence as the backbone that makes enterprise AI valuable. Integrated process data and business context create a live operational twin. The goal is moving from visibility to action, unlocking value through targeted fixes and intelligent automation.

Conference sessions highlighted broader momentum for process intelligence and AI in industry. Leaders discussed governance, standards, and measurable outcomes from digital platforms. Mercedes-Benz framed its results as proof that structured data and AI can lift performance at a global scale.

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Monolith’s AI powers Nissan push to halve testing time

Nissan and Monolith have extended their strategic partnership for three years to apply AI across more vehicle programmes in Europe. The collaboration supports Nissan. RE: Nissan Plans to Compress Development Timelines and Improve Operational Efficiency. Early outcomes are guiding a wider rollout.

Engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe will utilise Monolith to predict test results based on decades of data and simulations. Reducing prototypes and conducting targeted, high-value experiments enables teams to focus more effectively on design decisions. Ensuring both accuracy and coverage remains essential.

A prior project on chassis bolt joints saw AI recommend optimal torque ranges and prioritise the following best tests for engineers. Compared with the non-AI process, physical testing fell by 17 percent in controlled comparisons. Similar approaches are being prepared for future models beyond LEAF.

Leaders say that a broader deployment could halve testing time across European programmes if comparable gains are achieved. Governance encompasses rigorous validation before changes are deployed to production. Operational benefits include faster iteration cycles and reduced test waste.

Monolith’s toolkit includes next-test recommendation and anomaly detection to flag outliers before rework. Nissan frames the push as an innovation with sustainability benefits, cutting material use while maintaining quality across a complex supply chain. Partners will share results as adoption scales.

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Study finds AI summaries can flatten understanding compared with reading sources

AI summaries can speed learning, but an extensive study finds they often blunt depth and recall. More than 10,000 participants used chatbots or traditional web search to learn assigned topics. Those relying on chatbot digests showed shallower knowledge and offered fewer concrete facts afterwards.

Researchers from Wharton and New Mexico State conducted seven experiments across various tasks, including gardening, health, and scam awareness. Some groups saw the same facts, either as an AI digest or as source links. Advice written after AI use was shorter, less factual, and more similar across users.

Follow-up raters judged AI-derived advice as less informative and less trustworthy. Participants who used AI also reported spending less time with sources. Lower effort during synthesis reduces the mental work that cements understanding.

Findings land amid broader concerns about summary reliability. A BBC-led investigation recently found that major chatbots frequently misrepresented news content in their responses. The evidence suggests that to serves as support for critical reading, rather than a substitute for it.

The practical takeaway for learners and teachers is straightforward. Use AI to scaffold questions, outline queries, and compare viewpoints. Build lasting understanding by reading multiple sources, checking citations, and writing your own synthesis before asking a model to refine it.

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UK teachers rethink assignments as AI reshapes classroom practice

Nearly eight in ten UK secondary teachers say AI has forced a rethink of how assignments are set, a British Council survey finds. Many now design tasks either to deter AI use or to harness it constructively in lessons. Findings reflect rapid cultural and technological shifts across schools.

Approaches are splitting along two paths. Over a third of designers create AI-resistant tasks, while nearly six in ten purposefully integrate AI tools. Younger staff are most likely to adapt; yet, strong majorities across all age groups report changes to their practices.

Perceived impacts remain mixed. Six in ten worry about their communication skills, with some citing narrower vocabulary and weaker writing and comprehension skills. Similar shares report improvements in listening, pronunciation, and confidence, suggesting benefits for speech-focused learning.

Language norms are evolving with digital culture. Most UK teachers now look up slang and online expressions, from ‘rizz’ to ‘delulu’ to ‘six, seven’. Staff are adapting lesson design while seeking guidance and training that keeps pace with students’ online lives.

Long-term views diverge. Some believe AI could lift outcomes, while others remain unconvinced and prefer guardrails to limit misuse. British Council leaders say support should focus on practical classroom integration, teacher development, and clear standards that strike a balance between innovation and academic integrity.

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World Economic Forum President warns of potential AI and crypto bubbles 

World Economic Forum President Borge Brende has warned that massive investments in AI and cryptocurrencies may create financial bubbles. Speaking in Berlin, he noted that $500 billion has been invested in AI this year, raising concerns about speculative bubbles in AI and cryptocurrency.

Brende described frontier technologies as a ‘big paradigm shift’ that could drive global growth, with potential productivity gains of up to 10% over the next decade. He noted that breakthroughs in medicine, synthetic biology, space, and energy could transform economies, but stressed that the benefits must be widely shared.

Geopolitical uncertainty remains a significant concern, according to Brende. He pointed to rising tensions between the US and China, calling it a race for technological dominance that could shape global power.

He also urged multilateral cooperation to address global challenges, including pandemics, cybercrime, and investment uncertainty.

Despite the disorder in world politics, Brende highlighted the resilience of economies like those in the US, China, and India. He called for patient investment strategies and stronger international coordination to ensure that new technologies translate into sustainable prosperity.

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Mustafa Suleyman warns against building seemingly conscious AI

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, argues that AI should be built for people, not to replace them. Growing belief in chatbot consciousness risks campaigns for AI rights and a needless struggle over personhood that distracts from human welfare.

Debates over true consciousness miss the urgent issue of convincing imitation. Seemingly conscious AI may speak fluently, recall interactions, claim experiences, and set goals that appear to exhibit agency. Capabilities are close, and the social effects will be real regardless of metaphysics.

People already form attachments to chatbots and seek meaning in conversations. Reports of dependency and talk of ‘AI psychosis‘ show persuasive systems can nudge vulnerable users. Extending moral status to uncertainty, Suleyman argues, would amplify delusions and dilute existing rights.

Norms and design principles are needed across the industry. Products should include engineered interruptions that break the illusion, clear statements of nonhuman status, and guardrails for responsible ‘personalities’. Microsoft AI is exploring approaches that promote offline connection and healthy use.

A positive vision keeps AI empowering without faking inner life. Companions should organise tasks, aid learning, and support collaboration while remaining transparently artificial. The focus remains on safeguarding humans, animals, and the natural world, not on granting rights to persuasive simulations.

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Millions turn to AI to manage finances across the UK

AI is playing an increasingly important role in personal finance, with over 28 million UK adults using AI over the past year.

Lloyds Banking Group’s latest Consumer Digital Index reveals that many individuals turn to platforms like ChatGPT for budgeting, savings planning, and financial education, reporting an average annual savings of £399 through AI insights.

Digital confidence strongly supports financial empowerment. Two-thirds of internet users report that online tools enhance their ability to manage money, while those with higher digital skills experience lower stress and greater control over their finances.

Regular engagement with AI and other digital tools enhances both knowledge and confidence in financial decision-making.

Trust remains a significant concern despite growing usage. Around 80% of users worry about inaccurate information or insufficient personalisation, emphasising the need for reliable guidance.

Jas Singh, CEO of Consumer Relationships at Lloyds, highlights that banks must combine AI innovation with trusted expertise to help people make more intelligent choices and build long-term financial resilience.

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Dubai telecom firm launches crypto mining-as-a-service platform

Dubai-based telecom operator du has launched a cryptocurrency mining service designed to promote digital finance adoption across the UAE. The initiative, named Cloud Miner, enables residents to mine cryptocurrency via subscription, eliminating the need for personal hardware or maintenance.

The service, operated by du Tech’s data centres, enables users to rent computational power and mine Bitcoin and other digital assets. Participants can bid online from November 3 to 9 for 24-month contracts that offer 250 terahashes per second.

Users will also gain access to a calculator to track monthly Bitcoin yields linked directly to their crypto wallets.

According to Jasim Al Awadi, du’s Chief ICT Officer, Cloud Miner represents the company’s first step in expanding into digital asset services. He added that as adoption grows, Du plans to explore adjacent sectors such as crypto exchanges and lending platforms.

The company also intends to increase the number of available contracts and hash rate in future phases.

The UAE continues to position itself as a leader in digital finance, introducing supportive regulations and encouraging blockchain innovation. Al Awadi emphasised that trusted, regulated entities like du play a key role in helping users confidently engage with the crypto ecosystem.

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Comet browser update puts privacy in users’ hands

Perplexity has unveiled new privacy features for its AI-powered browser, Comet, designed to give users clearer control over their data. The updates include a new homepage widget called Privacy Snapshot, which allows people to review and adjust privacy settings in one place.

The widget provides a real-time view of how Comet protects users online and simplifies settings for ad blocking, tracker management and data access. Users can toggle permissions for the Comet Assistant directly from the homepage.

Comet’s updated AI Assistant settings now show precisely how data is used, including where it is stored locally or shared for processing. Sensitive information such as passwords and payment details remain securely stored on the user’s device.

Perplexity said the changes reinforce its ‘privacy by default’ approach, an important principle in EU data protection law, combining ad blocking, safe browsing and transparent data handling. The new features are available in the latest Comet update across desktop and mobile platforms.

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