Artificial intelligence agents, autonomous systems that perform tasks or assist decision-making, are increasingly part of digital transformation discussions, but their value depends on solving actual business problems rather than adopting technology for its own sake.
SAP’s AppHaus Joule Agent Discovery and Design workshops provide a structured, human-centred approach to help organisations discover where agentic AI can deliver real impact and design agents that collaborate effectively with humans.
The Discovery workshop focuses on identifying challenges and inefficiencies where automation can add value, guiding participants to select high-priority use cases that suit agentic solutions.
The Design workshop then brings users and business experts together to define each AI agent’s role, responsibilities and required skills. By the end of these sessions, participants have detailed plans defining tasks, workflows and instructions that can be translated into actual AI agent implementations.
SAP also supports these formats with self-paced learning courses and toolkits to help anyone run the workshops confidently, emphasising practical human–AI partnerships rather than technology hype.
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Google has expanded the availability of Opal, a no-code experimental tool from Google Labs, by integrating it directly into the Gemini web application.
This integration allows users to build AI-powered mini-apps, known as Gems, without writing any code, using natural language descriptions and a visual workflow editor inside Gemini’s interface.
Previously available only via separate Google Labs experiments, Opal now appears in the Gems manager section of the Gemini web app, where users can describe the functionality they want and have Gemini generate a customised mini-app.
These mini-apps can be reused for specific tasks and workflows and saved as part of a user’s Gem collection.
The no-code ‘vibe-coding’ approach aims to democratise AI development by enabling creators, developers and non-technical users alike to build applications that automate or augment tasks, all through intuitive language prompts and visual building blocks.
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The US tech company, OpenAI, has begun rolling out a pinned chats feature in ChatGPT across web, Android and iOS, allowing users to keep selected conversations fixed at the top of their chat history for faster access.
The function mirrors familiar behaviour from messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram instead of requiring repeated scrolling through past chats.
Users can pin a conversation by selecting the three-dot menu on the web or by long-pressing on mobile devices, ensuring that essential discussions remain visible regardless of how many new chats are created.
An update that follows earlier interface changes aimed at helping users explore conversation paths without losing the original discussion thread.
Alongside pinned chats, OpenAI is moving ChatGPT toward a more app-driven experience through an internal directory that allows users to connect third-party services directly within conversations.
The company says these integrations support tasks such as bookings, file handling and document creation without switching applications.
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The Government of Canada is investing over $19 million to help 20 AI and tech businesses in southern Ontario bring new solutions to market. The funding aims to boost Canada’s global competitiveness in AI.
The Ontario Brain Institute receives $2 million to expand its Centre for Analytics, providing secure and bias-free AI tools. This initiative supports safe and responsible AI adoption across industries.
Investments are expected to create jobs and accelerate AI adoption nationwide. The Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative builds on over $450 million in FedDev Ontario funding since 2015.
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US regulators are examining Instacart’s use of AI in grocery pricing, after reports that shoppers were shown different prices for identical items. Sources told Reuters the Federal Trade Commission has opened a probe into the company’s AI-driven pricing practices.
The FTC has issued a civil investigative demand seeking information about Instacart’s Eversight tool, which allows retailers to test different prices using AI. The agency said it does not comment on ongoing investigations, but expressed concern over reports of alleged pricing behaviour.
Scrutiny follows a study of 437 shoppers across four US cities, which found average price differences of 7 percent for the same grocery lists at the same stores. Some shoppers reportedly paid up to 23 percent more than others for identical items, according to the researchers.
Instacart said the pricing experiments were randomised and not based on personal data or individual behaviour. The company maintains that retailers, not Instacart, set prices on the platform, with the exception of Target, where prices are sourced externally and adjusted to cover costs.
The investigation comes amid wider regulatory focus on technology-driven pricing as living costs remain politically sensitive in the United States. Lawmakers have urged greater transparency, while the FTC continues broader inquiries into AI tools used to analyse consumer data and set prices.
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OpenAI has opened submissions for third-party apps inside ChatGPT, allowing developers to publish tools that extend conversations with real-world actions. Approved apps will appear in a new in-product directory, enabling users to move directly from discussion to execution.
The initiative builds on OpenAI’s earlier DevDay announcement, where it outlined how apps could add specialised context to conversations. Developers can now submit apps for review, provided they meet the company’s requirements on safety, privacy, and user experience.
ChatGPT apps are designed to support practical workflows such as ordering groceries, creating slide decks, or searching for apartments. Apps can be activated during conversations via the tools menu, by mentioning them directly, or through automated recommendations based on context and usage signals.
To support adoption, OpenAI has released developer resources including best-practice guides, open-source example apps, and a chat-native UI library. An Apps SDK, currently in beta, allows developers to build experiences that integrate directly into conversational flows.
During the initial rollout, OpenAI’s monetisation is limited to external links directing users to developers’ own platforms. said it plans to explore additional revenue models over time as the app ecosystem matures.
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UAE telecom operator ‘du’ has deployed the country’s first tri-band Radio Remote Unit on the 600MHz spectrum in partnership with Huawei. The rollout marks progress in the UAE’s 5G-Advanced network development.
Improved indoor coverage and faster speeds are delivered through dynamic power sharing and multi-band functionality. The upgrade supports services such as 5G Fixed Wireless Access and Voice over New Radio.
Lower energy consumption and a compact design reduce the environmental footprint of network infrastructure. The deployment aligns with national sustainability goals while improving long-term network efficiency.
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Reports suggest Solana was targeted by a sustained DDoS campaign in mid-December, with peak traffic estimates close to 6 Tbps. Public dashboards showed full uptime and no visible disruption for users.
Recent upgrades appear central to the outcome, as they move spam filtering and prioritisation closer to the network edge. QUIC traffic handling, stake-weighted routing and local fee markets helped limit congestion.
Focus is shifting from outage risks to resilience under pressure. The episode suggests major blockchains are now engineered and attacked like Tier 1 internet infrastructure.
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Two former DeepMind co-founders now leading rival AI labs have outlined sharply different visions for how artificial general intelligence (AGI) should be developed, highlighting a growing strategic divide at the top of the industry.
Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis has framed AGI as a scientific tool for tackling foundational challenges. These include fusion energy, advanced materials, and fundamental physics. He says current models still lack consistent reasoning across tasks.
Hassabis has pointed to weaknesses, such as so-called ‘jagged intelligence’. Systems can perform well on complex benchmarks but fail simple tasks. DeepMind is investing in physics-based evaluations and AlphaZero-inspired research to enable genuine knowledge discovery rather than data replication.
Microsoft AI chief executive Mustafa Suleyman has taken a more product-led stance, framing AGI as an economic force rather than a scientific milestone. He has rejected the idea of race, instead prioritising controllable and reliable AI agents that operate under human oversight.
Suleyman has argued that governance, not raw capability, is the central challenge. He has emphasised containment, liability frameworks, and certified agents, reflecting wider tensions between rapid deployment and long-term scientific ambition as AI systems grow more influential.
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Roblox has signalled willingness to comply with Russian law, opening the possibility of the platform being unblocked in Russia following earlier access restrictions.
Roskomnadzor stated that cooperation could resume if Roblox demonstrates concrete steps instead of declarations towards meeting domestic legal requirements.
The regulator said Roblox acknowledged shortcomings in moderating game content and ensuring the safety of user chats, particularly involving minors.
Russian authorities stressed that compliance would require systematic measures to remove harmful material and prevent criminal communication rather than partial adjustments.
Access to Roblox was restricted in early December after officials cited the spread of content linked to extremist and terrorist activity.
Roskomnadzor indicated that continued engagement and demonstrable compliance could allow the platform to restore operations under the regulatory oversight of Russia.
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