The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have released ten principles for good AI practice in the medicines lifecycle. The guidelines provide broad direction for AI use in research, clinical trials, manufacturing, and safety monitoring.
The principles are relevant to pharmaceutical developers, marketing authorisation applicants, and holders, and will form the basis for future AI guidance in different jurisdictions. EU guideline development is already underway, building on EMA’s 2024 AI reflection paper.
European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said the initiative demonstrates renewed EU-US cooperation and commitment to global innovation while maintaining patient safety.
AI adoption in medicine has grown rapidly in recent years. New pharmaceutical legislation and proposals, such as the European Commission’s Biotech Act, highlight AI’s potential to accelerate the development of safe and effective medicine.
A principles-based approach is seen as essential to manage risks while promoting innovation.
The EMA-FDA collaboration builds on prior bilateral work and aligns with EMA’s strategy to leverage data, digitalisation, and AI. Ethics and safety remain central, with a focus on international cooperation to enable responsible innovation in healthcare globally.
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Young adults in the UK are increasingly turning to AI for help with managing their finances, as many struggle to save and maintain control over spending.
A survey of 5,000 adults aged 28 to 40 found that impulse purchases and weak self-discipline frequently undermine savings, while most feel they could improve their financial knowledge.
AI-powered financial tools are gaining traction, particularly among those aged 28 to 34. Nearly two-thirds of respondents would trust AI to advise on disposable income, and over half would allow it to manage bills or prevent overdrafts.
However, nearly a quarter prefer to start with limited use, seeking proof of value before full engagement.
Regional differences highlight the uneven financial landscape in the UK. Londoners save significantly more than the national average, while cities such as Newcastle and Cardiff lag far behind.
Experts suggest fintech solutions must balance behavioural support with practical assistance and consider regional disparities to be effective.
Fintechs should prioritise tools that deliver immediate value over purely aspirational AI features. Modular tools and age- or region-specific solutions are likely to engage users, especially older millennials with rising financial responsibilities.
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At General Wolfe School and other Winnipeg classrooms, students are using AI tools to help with tasks such as translating language and understanding complex terms, with teachers guiding them on how to verify AI-generated information against reliable sources.
Teachers are cautious but optimistic, developing a thinking framework that prioritises critical thinking and human judgement alongside AI use rather than rigid policies as the technology evolves.
Educators in the Winnipeg School Division are adapting teaching methods to incorporate AI while discouraging over-reliance, stressing that students should use AI as an aid rather than a substitute for learning.
This reflects broader discussions in education about how to balance innovation with foundational skills as AI becomes more commonplace in school environments.
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The tech giant, IBM, has announced IBM Sovereign Core, a new software offering designed to help organisations deploy and manage AI-ready environments under sovereign control.
The product addresses growing regulatory and governance requirements as enterprises and governments seek greater authority over data, infrastructure and AI operations.
Digital sovereignty, according to IBM, extends beyond where data is stored and includes who controls systems, how access is governed and under which jurisdiction AI workloads operate.
IBM Sovereign Core is positioned as a foundational software layer that embeds sovereignty into operations instead of applying controls after deployment.
Built on Red Hat’s open-source technologies, the software enables customer-operated control planes, in-jurisdiction identity management and continuous compliance reporting. AI workloads, including inference and model hosting, can be governed locally without exporting data to external providers.
IBM plans to offer the software across on-premises environments, in-region cloud infrastructure and through selected service providers.
A technology preview is expected to begin in February, with full general availability planned for mid-2026.
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SEC Chair Paul Atkins says US crypto market structure legislation is close to becoming law, with President Donald Trump expected to sign it soon. The move aims to end regulatory uncertainty and provide clear legal foundations for digital asset markets.
Atkins has openly backed Congress in defining the jurisdictional split between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, arguing that statutory clarity is essential for protecting investors and supporting institutional growth.
Supporters believe clear rules will replace enforcement-led interpretation and allow the sector to mature within established financial frameworks.
Progress is moving through Congress, with the Senate Banking Committee advancing the CLARITY Act while the Agriculture Committee continues negotiations. Despite disagreements and amendments, bipartisan support suggests the bill could reach the White House by the end of the first quarter.
Looking ahead, Atkins has linked the bill to long-term US competitiveness, stating that clear and principled regulation will encourage innovation and attract capital. Coordination between the SEC, CFTC and the White House is expected to be central to implementation.
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TSMC reported a strong fourth-quarter performance, posting a 35 percent rise in profit to a record level, supported by sustained demand for advanced chips.
The company forecast robust growth for 2026, citing continued customer interest and tight capacity, while highlighting expectations for a significant increase in revenue in the first quarter of the year.
The Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer confirmed that capital spending reached US$40.9 billion in 2025, slightly above earlier guidance, and indicated further increases ahead, with investment potentially rising to as much as US$56 billion in 2026 and accelerating later in the decade.
Ongoing projects include additional manufacturing capacity in the US, expansion in Japan, and continued investment in Taiwan.
TSMC also signalled that more US facilities may be planned, following earlier commitments to large-scale investment in Arizona.
Developments come amid discussions between Taiwan and the US on trade and tariffs, as well as broader policy efforts in Washington to encourage domestic semiconductor production.
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Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that foams, long assumed to behave like static glass, remain in constant internal motion while preserving their outward form.
Computer simulations revealed that bubbles in wet foams continue shifting through many configurations instead of settling into fixed positions.
Researchers observed that this behaviour closely mirrors the mathematics behind deep learning, where AI systems repeatedly adjust internal parameters during training. Instead of converging on a single optimal state, both foams and AI models operate within broad solution spaces that allow flexibility and resilience.
The study challenges earlier theories that treated foam bubbles as particles trapped in low-energy states. A revised mathematical approach shows that continuous reorganisation offers stability at a larger scale, rather than undermining structural integrity.
The findings suggest that learning-like dynamics may represent a broader organising principle across materials science, biology and computation.
Researchers believe the insight could inform the design of adaptive materials and improve understanding of dynamic biological structures such. as cellular scaffolding.
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AI is no longer confined to chatbots and content tools. In the food and beverage sector, companies are utilising advanced AI systems to forecast consumer trends, expedite product development, and explore new ingredients for future products.
Mars, the multinational behind brands such as Dolmio, Pedigree, and Mars bars, is using AI to support its health and sustainability goals. Darren Logan, vice president of research at the Mars Advanced Research Institute, said the company is exploring plant compounds and alternative proteins.
Fermentation is also expanding Mars’ ingredient research by generating new chemical compounds through interactions between plants and microbes. Logan said combining plants with microbes increases chemical diversity, producing substances that would not otherwise exist.
The chocolate manufacturer partnered with UC Davis spin-out PIPA and its AI research platform LEAP to support this work. The system constructs knowledge graphs utilising scientific literature, databases, and the company’s proprietary data to establish connections between ingredients, microbes, and human health.
Logan said the platform helps reduce the time and cost of experimentation by guiding researchers towards more promising test options. Human oversight remains central to every AI-assisted decision.
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Gadget makers face rising costs as AI drives intense demand for memory chips. Supplies of DRAM and storage components have tightened across global markets.
Manufacturers have shifted production towards AI data centres, squeezing availability for consumer devices. Analysts warn the memory shortage could extend well into next year.
Higher prices are already affecting laptops, smartphones and connected devices. Some companies are redesigning products or limiting features to manage the costs of chip components.
Industry experts say engineers are writing leaner software to reduce memory use. The AI surge is marking the end of an era of cheap and abundant memory.
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The UK government has dropped plans for mandatory digital ID for workers. Ministers say existing right-to-work checks will be digitised instead.
Labour had argued compulsory digital ID would curb illegal working and fraud in the UK. Under the revised plan, checks will become fully online by 2029, without the need for a new standalone ID system.
The reversal follows a political backlash, collapsing public support and concern among Labour MPs. Keir Starmer faced criticism over unclear messaging and repeated recent policy U-turns.
Ministers say platforms like Gov.uk One Login remain central to reform. Regulators, including Ofcom, continue to oversee digital compliance and worker protections.
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