Economic

AI agents set to reshape work in 2026

Google Cloud’s 2026 AI Agent Trends Report shows AI agents are moving from experimental tools to central business systems. Employees are shifting from routine execution to oversight and strategic decision-making.

The report highlights agents managing end-to-end workflows across teams, thereby improving efficiency and streamlining complex processes. Personalised customer service is becoming faster and more accurate thanks to these systems.

Security operations are seeing benefits as AI agents handle alerts, investigations and fraud detection more effectively. Human analysts can now focus on higher-value tasks while routine work is automated.

Companies are investing in continuous training to build an AI-ready workforce. The report emphasises that people, not just technology, will determine the success of AI adoption.

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Japan develops AI drones to track bears

A drone school in northeastern Japan is developing AI drones to detect bears. The system will send real-time locations to authorities via a smartphone app.

The drones have night-vision and infrared cameras and follow bears automatically once detected. Each drone flies for one hour before handing off surveillance and returning to base.

AI was trained using photos of black and brown bears from a local zoo. Officials hope it will reduce dangerous encounters and offer non-lethal ways to manage bears.

Other companies are testing similar systems in Fukushima and selling AI-equipped drones commercially. The academy aims to prevent human-bear conflicts and keep people and wildlife separate.

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Ghana sets framework for safe cryptocurrency trading and Bitcoin adoption

Ghana has formally legalised Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading after parliament approved the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025, closing a long-standing regulatory gap in the country’s digital asset market.

The legislation establishes a licensing and supervisory regime for crypto businesses under the Bank of Ghana. The central bank will oversee the sector, prioritising consumer protection and financial stability, while unlicensed operators may face sanctions or closure.

Under the new framework, individuals can trade crypto legally, while companies must meet reporting and compliance requirements. Officials say the law responds to fraud and money laundering risks while acknowledging the scale of crypto adoption nationwide.

Around 3 million Ghanaians have used cryptocurrency, with transactions totalling roughly $3 billion by June 2024. Licensing rules will be introduced gradually in 2026, as Ghana aligns with a broader African shift toward formal crypto regulation.

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EU renews UK data adequacy decisions until 2031

The European Commission has renewed its two adequacy decisions allowing the continued free flow of personal data between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The decision confirms that UK data protection rules remain essentially equivalent to EU standards.

The adequacy findings cover both the General Data Protection Regulation and the Law Enforcement Directive, enabling personal data to move freely between the European Economic Area and the UK without additional safeguards.

In June 2025, the Commission adopted a temporary six-month extension after the original decisions were due to expire, allowing time to assess changes introduced by the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Act.

The renewal follows a positive opinion from the European Data Protection Board and approval from EU member states through the comitology procedure, completing the formal adoption process.

The renewed decisions include a six-year sunset clause, running until December 2031. A joint review by the Commission and the European Data Protection Board is scheduled after four years.

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NVIDIA joins US energy department Genesis mission to boost scientific discovery

The US Department of Energy has confirmed NVIDIA will join its Genesis Mission as a private-sector partner, strengthening collaboration between government, industry, and academia on advanced AI.

Launched under a recent executive order, the Genesis Mission aims to reinforce US leadership across energy, scientific research, and national security. Officials say the initiative is designed to significantly increase the productivity and impact of American science and engineering.

NVIDIA will support the Genesis Mission by providing AI and high-performance computing tools for climate modelling, manufacturing, robotics, nuclear energy, and quantum research. A memorandum of understanding sets priorities covering fission, fusion, digital twins, and autonomous laboratories.

The company is already working with the US Department of Energy on open AI models for scientific simulation. Projects also include AI-driven research in materials science, biology, and supply chains, with further collaboration planned.

The partnership builds on announcements made at NVIDIA’s GTC event in Washington. The announcements include work with Oracle on the Department’s largest scientific supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory.

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Android botnet Kimwolf infects nearly two million smart devices

Cybersecurity researchers have identified a large Android-based botnet capable of more than distributed denial-of-service attacks, highlighting growing risks from compromised consumer devices. The botnet, dubbed Kimwolf, is estimated to control close to two million infected systems worldwide.

The findings come from QiAnXin XLab, which said Kimwolf has infected around 1.8 million devices, mainly smart TVs, set-top boxes and tablets. Most infections were observed in Brazil, India, the US, Argentina, South Africa and the Philippines.

XLab said the infection vector remains unclear, but affected devices were linked to low-cost Android-based brands used for media streaming. Researchers noted repeated attempts to disrupt the Kimwolf, with its command-and-control infrastructure taken down several times before re-emerging.

According to the report, Kimwolf has adapted by shifting to decentralised infrastructure, including the use of Ethereum Name Service domains. Analysts also identified overlaps in code and infrastructure with AISURU, a botnet linked to record-scale DDoS attacks.

Cloudflare recently described AISURU as one of the largest robot networks observed, capable of attacks exceeding 29 terabits per second. XLab said shared infrastructure suggests both botnets are operated by the same threat group.

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xAI could reach AGI by 2026 as the AI race intensifies

Elon Musk has told xAI employees that the next two to three years will determine whether the company survives and emerges as a leading force in artificial general intelligence.

Speaking during a company-wide meeting, Musk argued that endurance during such a period could position xAI at the forefront of the AGI race.

Musk suggested that AGI could be achieved by xAI as early as 2026, pointing to rapid advances in the Grok model family. He has previously offered shifting timelines for AGI development, underscoring both technological momentum and persistent uncertainty surrounding the field.

The remarks come as competition across the AI sector intensifies, with OpenAI accelerating model releases and Google unveiling new iterations of its Gemini system. Against larger incumbents, xAI is positioning itself as a challenger focused on speed, scale and aggressive execution.

Central to that strategy is the Colossus project, which has already deployed around 200,000 GPUs and plans to expand to one million.

Musk also highlighted operational synergies with Tesla and SpaceX, while floating longer-term concepts such as space-based data centres, reinforcing xAI’s ambition to differentiate through scale and unconventional infrastructure.

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Hedge funds and banks drive growth in crypto-ETF trading

The US crypto market saw a significant shift in 2024 as the Securities and Exchange Commission authorised the first crypto-asset-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Regulated ETFs allowed institutional investors, including hedge funds and banks, to invest in Bitcoin and Ether, with assets reaching USD 115 billion and USD 17 billion, respectively, by November 2025.

Nearly 2,000 institutional investors gained exposure to Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, accounting for approximately 30% of the market by year-end. Hedge funds and asset managers led investments, while major banks acted as market makers and asset managers, boosting crypto-ETF growth.

The SEC’s 2025 authorisation of direct crypto-asset exchanges between broker-dealers and ETF issuers also enhanced market efficiency. Institutions increasingly use futures contracts to leverage positions and arbitrage between spot ETFs and futures markets.

Hedge funds often hold short positions in futures to profit from price differences, while asset managers and pension funds maintain net long positions. ETFs provide greater liquidity and lower transaction costs compared with direct crypto holdings.

Systemic risk concerns grow as a few custodians, including Coinbase with 80% of crypto-assets, dominate the market. Volatility, liquidity gaps, and concentrated custody could transmit crypto shocks to the wider financial system, underscoring the need for regulatory oversight.

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Ripple transforms cross-border payments with XRP

Cross-border payments have long struggled with delays and high costs, but networks like SWIFT could be transformed by systems that leverage blockchain. Ripple, launched by Ripple Labs in 2012, enables faster, more transparent, and cost-effective international transfers.

RippleNet, the company’s unified payment network, connects multiple banks via the interledger standard, removing intermediaries and enabling near-instant settlement. XRP, Ripple’s digital token, acts as a bridge currency to provide liquidity, though transactions can occur without it.

XRP boasts low fees, high scalability, and settlement times of just a few seconds.

Since its creation, Ripple has evolved from individual protocols to the unified RippleNet platform, supported by the XRPL Foundation. Unlike Bitcoin, XRP is premined and relies on a select group of validators, offering a different governance model and centralisation approach.

The network also supports broader financial applications, including central bank digital currencies, DeFi, and NFTs.

Despite its potential, investing in Ripple carries risks typical of crypto assets, including volatility, lack of regulation, and complexity. Investors are advised to research thoroughly and limit high-risk exposure to ensure a diversified portfolio.

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EU moves to extend child abuse detection rules

The European Commission has proposed extending the Interim Regulation that allows online service providers to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse instead of facing a legal gap once the current rules expire.

These measures would preserve existing safeguards while negotiations on permanent legislation continue.

The Interim Regulation enables providers of certain communication services to identify and remove child sexual abuse material under a temporary exemption from e-Privacy rules.

Without an extension beyond April 2026, voluntary detection would have to stop, making it easier for offenders to share illegal material and groom children online.

According to the Commission, proactive reporting by platforms has played a critical role for more than fifteen years in identifying abuse and supporting criminal investigations. Extending the interim framework until April 2028 is intended to maintain these protections until long-term EU rules are agreed.

The proposal now moves to the European Parliament and the Council, with the Commission urging swift agreement to ensure continued protection for children across the Union.

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