Future of work Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

ChatGPT Edu launches at Clemson University for students and faculty

Clemson University has introduced ChatGPT Edu to its students, faculty, and staff, providing them free access to the secure, institutionally managed version of the AI platform.

The rollout is part of Clemson’s partnership with OpenAI. It forms part of the university’s broader AI Initiative, which aims to develop a human-centred approach to AI across education, research, and operations.

University officials said the ChatGPT Edu environment will expand access to generative AI tools while ensuring institutional data remains protected and is not used to train external AI systems.

Members of the Clemson community who want to use the platform must request access through a ChatGPT Edu account request form. Once approved, accounts are automatically created, and users can sign in through Clemson’s single sign-on system.

Even if students or staff members already have a ChatGPT account linked to their Clemson email, they will still need to request access to ChatGPT Edu. After approval, they can merge your current account or download your chat history before creating a new one.

The university said the launch reflects its view that access to emerging technologies should be paired with clear guidance and responsible use. Users are advised to review Clemson’s updated AI guidelines before using the system.

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CEOs track new metric in AI workforce shift

Executives across the US are increasingly using a metric known as labour cost margin to evaluate workforce needs in the AI era. Business leaders in the US say the measure reflects how companies balance human labour with expanding technology investments.

A KPMG survey of 100 US CEOs shows strong corporate commitment to AI spending. Nearly 80 percent of executives allocate at least five percent of capital budgets to AI projects.

The workforce impact remains uncertain despite growing investment. Many executives expect AI to change job composition rather than eliminate roles.

Companies are hiring new technology-focused roles, including AI strategists and workflow coordinators. Analysts say repetitive office tasks in the US may face the greatest risk from automation.

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EU draft regulation aims to create new legal framework for startups

A draft initiative from the European Commission seeks to introduce a new legal structure designed to simplify how companies operate across the EU.

The proposal, often referred to as the ‘EU Inc’ initiative, explores the creation of a so-called ’28th regime’ that would exist alongside national corporate frameworks used by member states.

A concept that aims to provide startups and technology firms with a single legal structure that applies across the EU.

Instead of navigating different national rules in each country, companies could operate under a unified regulatory model intended to reduce administrative barriers and encourage cross-border innovation.

According to the draft, the initiative may rely on an EU regulation rather than separate national legislation. Such an approach could enable faster implementation, as the EU regulations apply directly across all member states without requiring domestic transposition.

However, the legal basis of the proposal could raise institutional concerns. Using a regulation as the primary mechanism may constitute an unconventional shortcut in the EU lawmaking, potentially sparking debate among policymakers over the approach’s scope and legitimacy.

The initiative reflects broader efforts within the Union to simplify regulatory frameworks and strengthen the competitiveness of European startups. If adopted, the ‘EU Inc’ model could reshape how young companies expand across the single market.

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AI study links mammograms to heart disease risk

Researchers in the US have found that AI analysis of mammograms may help identify women at risk of heart disease. The study examined breast scans to measure calcium deposits in arteries, a sign linked to cardiovascular problems.

Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta analysed screening data from more than 120,000 women. Results showed women with higher levels of arterial calcium detected in mammograms faced significantly greater risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Researchers reported that even women under 50 years old showed increased cardiovascular risk when calcium deposits appeared on scans. Experts say the findings suggest routine breast screening could reveal hidden heart health risks.

Doctors in Atlanta say AI could allow mammograms to act as a dual screening tool for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Further research is planned before hospitals in the US widely adopt the method.

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Chinese tech hubs promote OpenClaw AI agent

Technology hubs in China are promoting the OpenClaw AI agent as part of new local industry initiatives. Officials in China say the open source tool can automate tasks such as email management and travel booking.

Cities including Shenzhen, Wuxi and Hefei are drafting policies to build an ecosystem around OpenClaw. Authorities in China are offering subsidies, computing resources and office support to encourage AI-driven one-person companies.

OpenClaw has grown rapidly since its release and has become one of the fastest-expanding projects on GitHub. Technology groups say the tool could allow individuals to operate businesses with far fewer employees.

Regulators have also warned about security and data protection risks linked to AI agents. Draft rules in China propose limits on access to sensitive data and stronger oversight of cross-border information flows.

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Promptfoo joins OpenAI to secure AI deployments

OpenAI is acquiring Promptfoo, a platform designed to help enterprises identify and remediate vulnerabilities in AI systems during development. Once finalised, Promptfoo’s technology will be integrated into OpenAI Frontier, OpenAI’s platform for building and managing AI coworkers.

Promptfoo, led by Ian Webster and Michael D’Angelo, provides tools trusted by over a quarter of Fortune 500 companies. Its open-source CLI and library support evaluation and red-teaming of large language model applications.

The acquisition allows OpenAI to enhance both open-source initiatives and enterprise capabilities within Frontier.

Integration will introduce native security and evaluation features into Frontier. Enterprises will gain automated tools to detect risks such as prompt injections, jailbreaks, data leaks, tool misuse, and out-of-policy agent behaviour.

Security testing will be built into development workflows to catch issues early and support safe AI deployment.

Oversight and accountability features will also be strengthened. Integrated reporting and traceability will allow organisations to document testing, monitor changes over time, and meet governance, risk, and compliance requirements.

The acquisition is expected to expand OpenAI’s ability to deliver secure and reliable AI for enterprise applications.

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US government faces lawsuits over Anthropic AI move

Anthropic has launched two lawsuits against the US Department of Defence, disputing its recent designation of the AI firm as a ‘supply chain risk.’ The company claims the move is unlawful and infringes on its First Amendment rights.

The company argues that the government is punishing it for refusing to allow the military to use its AI for domestic surveillance or for fully autonomous weapons.

The lawsuits, filed in California and Washington, DC courts, follow the Pentagon’s unprecedented use of the supply chain risk tool against a US company. The designation requires other government contractors to sever ties with Anthropic, posing a serious threat to its business operations.

The company maintains it remains committed to supporting national security applications of its AI.

The Department of Defence has used anthropic’s AI model Claude in operations targeting Iran. The company says it has worked with the DoD on system adaptations and seeks to continue negotiations while protecting its business and partners.

The firm claims government actions cause harm, though CEO Dario Amodei said the designation’s impact is limited. Anthropic insists judicial review is a necessary step to defend its business and ensure the responsible deployment of its technology.

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Astronauts test AI-assisted health checks in orbit

AI is playing an increasingly important role in space medicine as astronauts aboard the International Space Station test new technologies designed to support autonomous health monitoring. The experiment combines augmented reality with an AI system that analyses ultrasound scans in orbit.

NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot carried out guided ultrasound examinations using the EchoFinder-2 biomedical device.

Augmented-reality instructions helped the astronauts position the scanner correctly while AI analysed the images and confirmed the identification of internal organs.

The developers of the system aim to reduce reliance on medical specialists on Earth. Future crews travelling farther into space may face communication delays, making real-time guidance from ground teams more difficult.

Reliable AI-supported diagnostics could therefore become a key tool for long-duration missions, enabling astronauts to perform complex medical checks independently during journeys to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

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Blockchain network Tron joins Agentic AI Foundation to advance AI infrastructure

Tron has joined the Linux Foundation’s Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) as a governing member to support the development of AI agent infrastructure. The network aims to enable collaboration and interoperability among systems that efficiently manage high-volume, low-value transactions.

Founder Justin Sun highlighted Tron’s speed, scalability, and low fees as key advantages for AI-agent use cases. He noted that as AI agents move to mainstream machine-to-machine commerce, transaction volumes could rise, increasing demand for robust blockchain networks.

The AAIF encourages open-source agentic AI development and establishes standards for governance, safety, and interoperability. Tron joins major members like Circle and JPMorgan while building tools and infrastructure to support AI, including the Bank of AI with AINFT.

Tron currently leads in blockchain revenue, with data showing strong performance over 24 hours, seven days, and 30 days. Sun confirmed that AI activity is contributing to this growth, reflecting the rapid adoption and scaling of agentic AI on the network.

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Qualcomm and NEURA Robotics partner to accelerate physical AI and cognitive robotics

NEURA Robotics and Qualcomm have formed a long-term strategic collaboration to advance physical AI and next-generation robotics platforms.

A partnership that aims to bring intelligent robots into real-world environments more rapidly by combining advanced AI processors with full-stack robotic systems.

The cooperation focuses on developing ‘Brain + Nervous System’ reference architectures that integrate high-level cognition, such as perception, reasoning and planning, with ultra-low-latency control systems.

Qualcomm’s robotics processors, including the Dragonwing IQ10 Series, will provide AI compute and connectivity, while NEURA contributes robotic hardware platforms and embodied AI software.

Both companies intend to support deployment across multiple robotic forms, including robotic arms, mobile robots, service machines and humanoid platforms.

NEURA’s cloud environment, Neuraverse, will serve as a shared platform for simulation, training and lifecycle management of robotic intelligence, allowing innovations developed by one robot to spread across entire fleets.

The collaboration also aims to establish a global developer ecosystem for robotics applications. Standardised runtime environments and deployment interfaces are expected to simplify how AI workloads move from development into production while maintaining reliability and safety.

Executives from both companies emphasised that robotics represents one of the most demanding AI environments, as decisions must be made instantly and locally.

By combining edge AI processing with cognitive robotic systems, the partnership aims to accelerate commercial deployment of humanoid and general-purpose robots capable of operating safely alongside humans across industries.

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