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How Google uses AI to support teachers and inspire students

Google is redefining education with AI designed to enhance learning, rather than replace teachers. The company has unveiled new tools grounded in learning science to support both educators and students, aiming to make learning more effective, efficient and engaging.

Through its Gemini platform, users can follow guided learning paths that encourage discovery rather than passive answers.

YouTube and Search now include conversational features that allow students to ask questions as they learn, while NotebookLM can transform personal materials into quizzes or immersive study aids.

Instructors can also utilise Google Classroom’s free AI tools for lesson planning and administrative support, thereby freeing up time for direct student engagement.

Google emphasises that its goal is to preserve the human essence of education while using AI to expand understanding. The company also addresses challenges linked to AI in learning, such as cheating, fairness, accuracy and critical thinking.

It is exploring assessment models that cannot be easily replicated by AI, including debates, projects, and oral examinations.

The firm pledges to develop its tools responsibly by collaborating with educators, parents and policymakers. By combining the art of teaching with the science of AI-driven learning, Google seeks to make education more personal, equitable and inspiring for all.

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OpenAI outlines roadmap for AI safety, accountability and global cooperation

New recommendations have been published by OpenAI for managing rapid advances in AI, stressing the need for shared safety standards, public accountability, and resilience frameworks.

The company warned that while AI systems are increasingly capable of solving complex problems and accelerating discovery, they also pose significant risks that must be addressed collaboratively.

According to OpenAI, the next few years could bring systems capable of discoveries once thought centuries away.

The firm expects AI to transform health, materials science, drug development and education, while acknowledging that economic transitions may be disruptive and could require a rethinking of social contracts.

To ensure safe development, OpenAI proposed shared safety principles among frontier labs, new public oversight mechanisms proportional to AI capabilities, and the creation of a resilience ecosystem similar to cybersecurity.

It also called for regular reporting on AI’s societal impact to guide evidence-based policymaking.

OpenAI reiterated that the goal should be to empower individuals by making advanced AI broadly accessible, within limits defined by society, and to treat access to AI as a foundational public utility in the years ahead.

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LIBE backs new Europol Regulation despite data protection and discrimination warnings

The European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) voted to endorse a new Europol Regulation, part of the ‘Facilitators Package’, by 59–10 with four abstentions.

Rights groups and the European Data Protection Supervisor had urged MEPs to reject the proposal, arguing the law fuels discrimination and grants Europol and Frontex unprecedented surveillance capabilities with insufficient oversight.

If approved in plenary later this month, the reform would grant Europol broader powers to collect, process and share data, including biometrics such as facial recognition, and enable exchanges with non-EU states.

Campaigners note the proposal advanced without an impact assessment, contrary to the Commission’s Better Regulation guidance.

Civil society groups warn that the changes risk normalising surveillance in migration management. Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli said MEPs had ‘greenlighted the European Commission’s long-term plan to turn Europe into a digital police state’. At the same time, Equinox’s Sarah Chander called the vote proof the EU has ‘abandoned’ humane, evidence-based policy.

EDRi’s Chloé Berthélémy said the reform legitimises ‘unaccountable and opaque data practices’, creating a ‘data black hole’ that undermines rights and the rule of law. More than 120 organisations called on MEPs to reject the text, arguing it is ‘unlawful, unsafe, and unsubstantiated’.

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Snap brings Perplexity’s answer engine into Chat for nearly a billion users

Starting in early 2026, Perplexity’s AI will be integrated into Snapchat’s Chat, accessible to nearly 1 billion users. Snapchatters can ask questions and receive concise, cited answers in-app. Snap says the move reinforces its position as a trusted, mobile-first AI platform.

Under the deal, Perplexity will pay Snap $400 million in cash and equity over a one-year period, tied to the global rollout. Revenue contribution is expected to begin in 2026. Snap points to its 943 million MAUs and reaches over 75% of 13–34-year-olds in 25+ countries.

Perplexity frames the move as meeting curiosity where it occurs, within everyday conversations. Evan Spiegel says Snap aims to make AI more personal, social, and fun, woven into friendships and conversations. Both firms pitch the partnership as enhancing discovery and learning on Snapchat.

Perplexity joins, rather than replaces, Snapchat’s existing My AI. Messages sent to Perplexity will inform personalisation on Snapchat, similar to My AI’s current behaviour. Snap claims the approach is privacy-safe and designed to provide credible, real-time answers from verifiable sources.

Snap casts this as a first step toward a broader AI partner platform inside Snapchat. The companies plan creative, trusted ways for leading AI providers to reach Snap’s global community. The integration aims to enable seamless, in-chat exploration while keeping users within Snapchat’s product experience.

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Social media platforms ordered to enforce minimum age rules in Australia

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has formally notified major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, that they must comply with new minimum age restrictions from 10 December.

The rule will require these services to prevent social media users under 16 from creating accounts.

eSafety determined that nine popular services currently meet the definition of age-restricted platforms since their main purpose is to enable online social interaction. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to block underage users may face enforcement measures, including fines of up to 49.5 million dollars.

The agency clarified that the list of age-restricted platforms will not remain static, as new services will be reviewed and reassessed over time. Others, such as Discord, Google Classroom, and WhatsApp, are excluded for now as they do not meet the same criteria.

Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the new framework aims to delay children’s exposure to social media and limit harmful design features such as infinite scroll and opaque algorithms.

She emphasised that age limits are only part of a broader effort to build safer, more age-appropriate online environments supported by education, prevention, and digital resilience.

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OpenAI introduces IndQA to test AI on Indian languages and culture

The US R&D company, OpenAI, has introduced IndQA, a new benchmark designed to test how well AI systems understand and reason across Indian languages and cultural contexts. The benchmark covers 2,278 questions in 12 languages and 10 cultural domains, from literature and food to law and spirituality.

Developed with input from 261 Indian experts, IndQA evaluates AI models through rubric-based grading that assesses accuracy, cultural understanding, and reasoning depth. Questions were created to challenge leading OpenAI models, including GPT-4o and GPT-5, ensuring space for future improvement.

India was chosen as the first region for the initiative, reflecting its linguistic diversity and its position as ChatGPT’s second-largest market.

OpenAI aims to expand the approach globally, using IndQA as a model for building culturally aware benchmarks that help measure real progress in multilingual AI performance.

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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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Google removes Gemma AI model following defamation claims

Google has removed its Gemma AI model from AI Studio after US Senator Marsha Blackburn accused it of producing false sexual misconduct claims about her. The senator said Gemma fabricated an incident allegedly from her 1987 campaign, citing nonexistent news links to support the claim.

Blackburn described the AI’s response as defamatory and demanded action from Google.

The controversy follows a similar case involving conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who claims Google’s AI tools made false accusations about him. Google acknowledged that AI’ hallucinations’ are a known issue but insisted it is working to mitigate such errors.

Blackburn argued these fabrications go beyond harmless mistakes and represent real defamation from a company-owned AI model.

Google stated that Gemma was never intended as a consumer-facing tool, noting that some non-developers misused it to ask factual questions. The company confirmed it would remove the model from AI Studio while keeping it accessible via API for developers.

The incident has reignited debates over AI bias and accountability. Blackburn highlighted what she sees as a consistent pattern of conservative figures being targeted by AI systems, amid wider political scrutiny over misinformation and AI regulation.

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Australian police create AI tool to decode predators’ slang

Australian police are developing an AI tool with Microsoft to decode slang and emojis used by online predators. The technology is designed to interpret coded messages in digital conversations to help investigators detect harmful intent more quickly.

Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said social media has become a breeding ground for exploitation, bullying, and radicalisation. The AI based prototype, she explained, could allow officers to identify threats earlier and rescue children before abuse occurs.

Barrett also warned about the rise of so-called ‘crimefluencers’, offenders using social media trends to lure young victims, many of whom are pre-teen or teenage girls. Australian authorities believe understanding modern online language is key to disrupting their methods.

The initiative follows Australia’s new under-16 social media ban, due to take effect in December. Regulators worldwide are monitoring the country’s approach as governments struggle to balance online safety with privacy and digital rights.

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Microsoft leaders envision AI as an invisible partner in work and play

AI, gaming and work were at the heart of the discussion during the Paley International Council Summit, where three Microsoft executives explored how technology is reshaping human experience and industry structures.

Mustafa Suleyman, Phil Spencer and Ryan Roslansky offered perspectives on the next phase of digital transformation, from personalised AI companions to the evolution of entertainment and the changing nature of work.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, described a future where AI becomes an invisible companion that quietly assists users. He explained that AI is moving beyond standalone apps to integrate directly into systems and browsers, performing tasks through natural language rather than manual navigation.

With features like Copilot on Windows and Edge, users can let AI automate everyday functions, creating a seamless experience where technology anticipates rather than responds.

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, underlined gaming’s cultural impact, noting that the industry now surpasses film, books and music combined. He emphasised that gaming’s interactive nature offers lessons for all media, where creativity, participation and community define success.

For Spencer, the future of entertainment lies in blending audience engagement with technology, allowing fans and creators to shape experiences together.

Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, discussed how AI is transforming skills and workforce dynamics. He highlighted that required job skills are changing faster than ever, with adaptability, AI literacy and human-centred leadership becoming essential.

Roslansky urged companies to focus on potential and continuous learning instead of static job descriptions, suggesting that the most successful organisations will be those that evolve with technology and cultivate resilience through education.

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