Gallup reported that 16% of currently enrolled college students had changed their major or field of study due to AI’s potential impact. They claim that 14% have thought ‘a great deal’ and 33% ‘a fair amount’ about changing their major or field of study for the same reason.
Gallup said the findings are based on web surveys conducted from 2 to 31 October 2025 with 3,801 adults pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree. The article is part of Gallup’s work with Lumina Foundation on higher education.
According to Gallup, men were more likely than women to report having changed majors because of AI’s potential impact, at 21% compared with 12%. Associate degree students were also more likely than bachelor’s degree students to say they had changed their major or field of study, at 19% compared with 13%.
Gallup also found that concern about AI’s impact on majors was greater among students in technology and vocational fields than among those in business, humanities, and engineering. In a separate write-up published the same day, the organisation said AI use is already routine for many students, even where institutions discourage or prohibit it.
The research presents the findings as evidence that AI is affecting how some students think about academic choices and future work. It does not show a policy decision or institutional rule change, but it does add survey evidence to debates about AI, higher education, and future-of-work expectations.
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The US Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation have formalised a partnership to prepare the American workforce for the rapid expansion of AI.
The agreement supports the launch of the TechAccess: AI-Ready America initiative, designed to broaden access to AI education, tools, and training across industries.
Central to the programme is a proposed funding package of up to $224 million to support the creation of up to 56 state and territory coordination hubs. These hubs are expected to strengthen regional AI readiness and connect workforce systems with education and training providers.
The initiative brings together multiple federal partners, including the Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration, to coordinate national efforts. Existing workforce structures, including American Job Centers and apprenticeship programmes, will be integrated to support skills development and career transitions.
Alongside training efforts, the agreement includes joint research into how AI is reshaping labour markets, job requirements, and wider economic outcomes. The collaboration is positioned as a coordinated federal strategy to ensure workers and businesses can adapt to an AI-driven economy.
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Microsoft Corporation announced a $10 billion investment in Japan over four years to expand AI infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity partnerships with the government. The investment aligns with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s strategy for economic growth through advanced technologies.
The company will collaborate with Japanese firms SoftBank and Sakura Internet to develop domestically-based AI computing capacity, allowing Japanese businesses and government agencies to store sensitive data locally whilst accessing Microsoft Azure services.
Why does it matter?
Microsoft plans to train 1 million engineers and developers by 2030 as part of the initiative to build Japan’s digital workforce in AI and emerging technologies. The investment addresses Japan’s growing demand for cloud and AI services as part of the company’s Asia-wide expansion strategy.
The announcement, made on 3 April, reflects Microsoft’s commitment to supporting Japanese technological advancement whilst maintaining data security. Sakura Internet’s share price jumped 20 percent following the news, signalling strong market confidence in the partnership.
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The European Investment Bank and the Croatian National Bank have emphasised the strategic importance of AI in strengthening Croatia’s economic competitiveness. Discussions at a joint conference focused on accelerating AI adoption through coordinated investment, policy development and skills enhancement.
Despite strong investment activity among firms in Croatia, the uptake of advanced technologies remains limited. Only a small share of companies systematically use generative AI, with applications largely confined to internal processes, highlighting significant untapped potential for productivity gains.
Participants identified key structural barriers, including limited access to finance, shortages of skilled workers and regulatory uncertainty.
Addressing these challenges requires a combined approach that mobilises private capital, improves access to funding for smaller firms and supports the development of a more robust innovation ecosystem.
The EIB continues to play a central role in Europe’s digital transformation, with major funding initiatives aimed at scaling AI technologies and strengthening strategic infrastructure.
By aligning financial instruments with policy priorities, the initiative seeks to enhance long-term growth, resilience and integration into global value chains.
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The European Patent Office (EPO) is accelerating its transition towards a fully digital patent system, with plans to implement a paperless patent-granting process by 2027.
Discussions at the latest eSACEPO meeting highlighted steady progress and broad stakeholder support for modernising patent workflows.
Electronic filing and communication are set to become the default, with paper-based processes limited to exceptional cases. The shift aims to improve efficiency and accessibility, supported by legal adjustments and the gradual introduction of structured data formats to enhance processing accuracy.
Digital tools continue to evolve, with the MyEPO platform expanding its functionality through interface upgrades, self-service features and new capabilities such as colour drawing submissions.
The rollout of DOCX filing, alongside optional PDF backups, reflects a cautious approach designed to balance innovation with reliability.
AI is increasingly integrated into patent examination processes, supporting tasks such as search and documentation.
However, the EPO maintains a human-centric model, ensuring that decision-making authority remains with patent examiners while AI enhances productivity and consistency.
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Oracle has launched a new agentic AI application designed to connect engineering and procurement into a single workflow. The Design-to-Source Workspace for product lifecycle management aims to reduce delays, improve traceability, and minimise compliance risks across sourcing processes.
Traditional design-to-source models often operate sequentially, with engineering and procurement working in separate stages. Oracle’s approach replaces that structure with a continuous, coordinated loop, where AI evaluates cost, supply, and risk in real time as designs evolve.
The platform translates CAD data directly into sourcing actions, eliminating manual input and reducing errors. Automated workflows handle supplier identification, risk assessment, and request-for-quote execution, while maintaining compliance and auditability throughout the process.
Expected gains include up to 60% less manual work, significantly faster RFQ cycles, and a 20% to 30% reduction in overall sourcing timelines. Greater accuracy and improved decision-making allow teams to focus on higher-value tasks rather than repetitive coordination.
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A new study argues that cookie consent banners should be scrapped, claiming they fail to protect user privacy and instead create frustration. The research highlights how repeated pop-ups have become a defining feature of the modern internet.
The paper suggests that cookie banners, originally introduced under data protection laws, have led to ‘performative compliance’ rather than meaningful consent. Users often click through notices without understanding them, weakening the purpose of privacy regulation.
Researchers say the system may even normalise data tracking by encouraging habitual acceptance. Instead of improving transparency, the approach risks obscuring how personal data is collected and used across digital platforms.
The study calls for regulators to move beyond banner-based consent towards more effective privacy protections. It argues that current rules may hinder the development of better solutions by giving the impression that the problem has already been addressed.
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More than one million people have been helped to get online through a national digital inclusion plan led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The initiative targets groups including older people, jobseekers and rural communities.
The programme has delivered over 22,000 donated devices and funded more than 80 local projects with £11.9 million. Support includes improved connectivity, access to affordable services and training to build essential digital skills.
Efforts also focus on strengthening long-term capabilities, with the government taking control of the national digital skills framework. Updates will reflect changing needs, such as online safety and the growing role of AI in everyday life.
British officials say the plan is helping people find work, manage finances and access services more easily. Further expansion is expected as authorities work with industry and charities to reach more communities.
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The Fund for Digital Initiatives of the Eurasian Development Bank has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of AI and Digitalization. The agreement was signed during the Digital Qazaqstan forum held on 27 March in Shymkent.
The memorandum outlines a strategic partnership to introduce AI technologies and support digital projects. Areas of cooperation include identifying and implementing joint AI projects, exchanging expertise, and strengthening both sides’ capacities as centres of AI competence.
Also, the agreement is intended to deepen the partnership and support Kazakhstan’s strategic objectives for AI development. It also links the memorandum to wider efforts to expand cooperation between the bank’s digital initiatives fund and the ministry.
During the forum, Vice Chairman of the Management Board, Tigran Sargsyan, held a working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digitalization, Zhaslan Madiyev. The discussion covered prospects for broader cooperation, priority projects, and tools to support AI adoption in key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy.
Sargsyan described 2025 as a record year for the bank in Kazakhstan, with the most projects implemented in digital public administration, platform solutions, and AI deployment. Madiyev, in turn, proposed creating a registry of Kazakhstan’s open-source e-government component solutions for possible replication across EDB member states.
The announcement presents the memorandum as part of the Eurasian Development Bank’s broader support for digital transformation and AI development across its member states.
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Anthropic has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian government to strengthen AI safety research and align with Australia’s National AI Plan. The agreement was formalised during a meeting in Canberra between Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The partnership establishes collaboration with Australia’s AI Safety Institute, including the sharing of model capability insights, joint safety evaluations and coordinated research with academic institutions.
The agreement also covers the exchange of Anthropic’s Economic Index data to help track AI adoption and its impact across key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and financial services.
As part of its wider commitment, Anthropic is investing AUD$3 million in API credits for Australian research institutions, supporting projects in genomics, disease diagnosis and medical innovation.
Universities and institutes will apply Claude to areas such as rare disease analysis, precision medicine and scientific training for future developers.
Further initiatives include startup support programmes and exploration of infrastructure investments in Australia, including data centres and energy systems. The collaboration marks an expansion of Anthropic’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with a Sydney office planned in the near future.
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