Future of work

Moscow targets crypto miners to protect AI infrastructure

Russia is preparing to ban cryptocurrency mining in data centres as it shifts national focus towards digitalisation and AI development. The draft law aims to prevent miners from accessing discounted power and infrastructure support reserved for AI-related operations.

Amendments to the bill, introduced at the request of President Vladimir Putin, will prohibit mining activity in facilities registered as official data centres. These centres will instead benefit from lower electricity rates and faster grid access to help scale computing power for big data and AI.

The legislation redefines data centres as communications infrastructure and places them under stricter classification and control. If passed, it could blow to companies like BitRiver, which operate large-scale mining hubs in regions like Irkutsk.

Putin defended the move by citing the strain on regional electricity grids and a need to use surplus energy wisely. While crypto mining was legalised in 2024, many Russian territories have imposed bans, raising questions about the industry’s long-term viability in the country.

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AI can reshape the insurance industry, but carries real-world risks

AI is creating new opportunities for the insurance sector, from faster claims processing to enhanced fraud detection.

According to Jeremy Stevens, head of EMEA business at Charles Taylor InsureTech, AI allows insurers to handle repetitive tasks in seconds instead of hours, offering efficiency gains and better customer service. Yet these opportunities come with risks, especially if AI is introduced without thorough oversight.

Poorly deployed AI systems can easily cause more harm than good. For instance, if an insurer uses AI to automate motor claims but trains the model on biassed or incomplete data, two outcomes are likely: the system may overpay specific claims while wrongly rejecting genuine ones.

The result would not simply be financial losses, but reputational damage, regulatory investigations and customer attrition. Instead of reducing costs, the company would find itself managing complaints and legal challenges.

To avoid such pitfalls, AI in insurance must be grounded in trust and rigorous testing. Systems should never operate as black boxes. Models must be explainable, auditable and stress-tested against real-world scenarios.

It is essential to involve human experts across claims, underwriting and fraud teams, ensuring AI decisions reflect technical accuracy and regulatory compliance.

For sensitive functions like fraud detection, blending AI insights with human oversight prevents mistakes that could unfairly affect policyholders.

While flawed AI poses dangers, ignoring AI entirely risks even greater setbacks. Insurers that fail to modernise may be outpaced by more agile competitors already using AI to deliver faster, cheaper and more personalised services.

Instead of rushing or delaying adoption, insurers should pursue carefully controlled pilot projects, working with partners who understand both AI systems and insurance regulation.

In Stevens’s view, AI should enhance professional expertise—not replace it—striking a balance between innovation and responsibility.

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Space operators face strict cybersecurity obligations under EU plan

The European Commission has unveiled a new draft law introducing cybersecurity requirements for space infrastructure, aiming to protect ground and orbital systems.

Operators must implement rigorous cyber risk management measures, including supply chain oversight, encryption, access control and incident response systems. A notable provision places direct accountability on company boards, which could be held personally liable for failures to comply.

The proposed law builds on existing EU regulations such as NIS 2 and DORA, with additional tailored obligations for the space domain. Non-EU firms will also fall within scope unless their home jurisdictions are recognised as offering equivalent regulatory protections.

Fines of up to 2% of global revenue are foreseen, with member states and the EU’s space agency EUSPA granted inspection and enforcement powers. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the legislative process and align existing cybersecurity frameworks with the Act’s provisions.

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Microsoft and Salesforce use AI to cut costs and reshape workforce

Microsoft is reporting substantial productivity improvements across its operations, thanks to the growing integration of AI tools in daily workflows.

Judson Althoff, the company’s chief commercial officer, stated during a recent presentation that AI contributed to savings of over $500 million in Microsoft’s call centres last year alone.

The technology has reportedly improved employee and customer satisfaction while supporting operations in sales, customer service, and software engineering. Microsoft is also now using AI to handle interactions with smaller clients, streamlining engagement without significantly expanding headcount.

The developments follow Microsoft’s decision to lay off over 9,000 employees last week, marking the third round of cuts in 2024 and bringing the total to around 15,000.

Although it remains unclear whether automation directly replaced job losses, CEO Satya Nadella has previously stated that AI now generates 20 to 30 percent of the code in Microsoft repositories.

Similar shifts occur at Salesforce, where CEO Marc Benioff has openly acknowledged AI’s growing role in company operations and resource planning.

During a recent analyst call, Robin Washington, Salesforce’s CFO and COO confirmed that hiring has slowed, and 500 customer service roles have been reassigned internally.

The adjustment is expected to result in cost savings of $50 million, as the company focuses on optimising operations through digital transformation. Benioff also disclosed that AI performs between 30 and 50 percent of work previously handled by staff, contributing to workforce realignment.

Companies across the tech sector are rapidly adopting AI to improve efficiency, even as the broader implications for employment and labour markets continue to emerge.

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Cyber defence effort returns to US ports post-pandemic

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has resumed its seaport cybersecurity exercise programme. Initially paused due to the pandemic and other delays, the initiative is now returning to ports such as Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington and potentially Tampa.

These proof-of-concept tabletop exercises are intended to help ports prepare for cyber threats by developing a flexible, replicable framework. Each port functions uniquely, yet common infrastructure and shared vulnerabilities make standardised preparation critical for effective crisis response.

CISA warns that threats targeting ports have grown more severe, with nation states exploiting AI-powered techniques. Some US ports, including Houston, have already fended off cyberattacks, and Chinese-made systems dominate critical logistics, raising national security concerns.

Private ownership of most port infrastructure demands strong public-private partnerships to maintain cybersecurity. CISA aims to offer a shared model that ports across the country can adapt to improve cooperation, resilience, and threat awareness.

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Meta offers $200 million to top AI talent as superintelligence race heats up

Meta has reportedly offered over $200 million in compensation to Ruoming Pang, a former senior AI engineer at Apple, as it escalates its bid to dominate the AI arms race.

The offer, which includes long-term stock incentives, far exceeded Apple’s willingness to match and is seen as one of Silicon Valley’s most aggressive poaching efforts.

The move is part of Meta’s broader campaign to build a world-class team under its new Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL), which is focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The division has already attracted prominent names, including ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, AI investor Daniel Gross, and Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang, who joined as Chief AI Officer through a $14.3 billion stake deal.

Most compensation offers in the MSL reportedly rival CEO packages at global banks, but they are heavily performance-based and tied to long-term equity vesting.

Meta’s mix of base salary, signing bonuses, and high-value stock options is designed to attract and retain elite AI talent amid a fierce talent war with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed Meta has dangled bonuses up to $100 million to lure staff away, though he insists many stayed for cultural reasons.

Still, Meta has already hired more than 10 researchers from OpenAI and poached talent from Google DeepMind, including principal researcher Jack Rae.

The AI rivalry could come to a head as Altman and Zuckerberg meet at the Sun Valley conference this week.

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AI that serves communities, not the other way round

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, a vivid discussion unfolded around how countries in the Global South can build AI capacity from the ground up, rooted in local realities rather than externally imposed models. Organised by Diplo, the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the UN in Geneva, Microsoft, and IT for Change, the session used the fictional agricultural nation of ‘Landia’ to spotlight the challenges and opportunities of community-centred AI development.

With weak infrastructure, unreliable electricity, and fragmented data ecosystems, Landia embodies the typical constraints many developing nations face as they navigate the AI revolution.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill presented a forthcoming UN report proposing a five-tiered framework to guide countries from basic AI literacy to full development capacity. He stressed the need for tailored, coordinated international support—backed by a potential global AI fund—to avoid the fragmented aid pitfalls seen in climate and health sectors.

WSIS

Microsoft’s Ashutosh Chadha echoed that AI readiness is not just a tech issue but fundamentally a policy challenge, highlighting the importance of data governance, education systems, and digital infrastructure as foundations for meaningful AI use.

Civil society voices, particularly from IT4Change’s Anita Gurumurthy and Nandini Chami, spoke about ‘regenerative AI’—AI that is indigenous, inclusive, and modular. They advocated for small-scale models that can run on local data and infrastructures, proposing creative use of community media archives and agroecological knowledge.

Speakers stressed that technology should adapt to community needs, not the reverse, and that AI must augment—not displace—traditional practices, especially in agriculture where livelihoods are at stake.

WSIS

Ultimately, the session crystallised around a core principle: AI must be developed with—not for—local communities. Participants called for training unemployed youth to support rural farmers with accessible AI tools, urged governments to invest in basic infrastructure alongside AI capacity, and warned against replicating inequalities through automation.

The session concluded with optimism and a commitment to continue this global-local dialogue beyond Geneva, ensuring AI’s future in the Global South is not only technologically viable, but socially just.

Track key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

UN leaders chart inclusive digital future at WSIS+20

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, UN leaders gathered for a pivotal dialogue on shaping an inclusive digital transformation, marking two decades since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Speakers across the UN system emphasised that technology must serve people, not vice versa.

They highlighted that bridging the digital divide is critical to ensuring that innovations like AI uplift all of humanity, not just those in advanced economies. Without equitable access, the benefits of digital transformation risk reinforcing existing inequalities and leaving millions behind.

The discussion showcased how digital technologies already transform disaster response and climate resilience. The World Meteorological Organization and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction illustrated how AI powers early warning systems and real-time risk analysis, saving lives in vulnerable regions.

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN underscored the need to align technology with basic human needs, reminding the audience that ‘AI is not food,’ and calling for thoughtful, efficient deployment of digital tools to address global hunger and development.

Workforce transformation and leadership in the AI era also featured prominently. Leaders from the International Labour Organization and UNITAR stressed that while AI may replace some roles, it will augment many more, making digital literacy, ethical foresight, and collaborative governance essential skills. Examples from within the UN system itself, such as the digitisation of the Joint Staff Pension Fund through facial recognition and blockchain, demonstrated how innovation can enhance services without sacrificing inclusivity or ethics.

As the session closed, speakers collectively reaffirmed the importance of human rights, international cooperation, and shared digital governance. They stressed that the future of global development hinges on treating digital infrastructure and knowledge as public goods.

With the WSIS framework and Global Digital Compact as guideposts, UN leaders called for sustained, unified efforts to ensure that digital transformation uplifts every community and contributes meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

X CEO Yaccarino resigns as AI controversy and Musk’s influence grow

Linda Yaccarino has stepped down as CEO of X, ending a turbulent two-year tenure marked by Musk’s controversial leadership and ongoing transformation of the social media company.

Her resignation came just one day after a backlash over offensive posts by Grok, the AI chatbot created by Musk’s xAI, which had been recently integrated into the platform.

Yaccarino, who was previously a top advertising executive at NBCUniversal, was brought on in 2023 to help stabilise the company following Musk’s $44bn acquisition.

In her farewell post, she cited efforts to improve user safety and rebuild advertiser trust, but did not provide a clear reason for her departure.

Analysts suggest growing tensions with Musk’s management style, particularly around AI moderation, may have prompted the move.

Her exit adds to the mounting challenges facing Musk’s empire.

Tesla is suffering from slumping sales and executive departures, while X remains under pressure from heavy debts and legal battles with advertisers.

Yaccarino had spearheaded ambitious initiatives, including payment partnerships with Visa and plans for an X-branded credit or debit card.

Despite these developments, X continues to face scrutiny for its rightward political shift and reliance on controversial AI tools.

Whether the company can fulfil Musk’s vision of becoming an ‘everything app’ without Yaccarino remains to be seen.

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Nvidia nears $4 trillion milestone as AI boom continues

Nvidia has made financial history by nearly reaching a $4 trillion market valuation, a milestone highlighting investor confidence in AI as a powerful economic force.

Shares briefly peaked at $164.42 before closing slightly lower at $162.88, just under the record threshold. The rise underscores Nvidia’s position as the leading supplier of AI chips amid soaring demand from major tech firms.

Led by CEO Jensen Huang, the company now holds a market value larger than the economies of Britain, France, or India.

Nvidia’s growth has helped lift the Nasdaq to new highs, aided in part by improved market sentiment following Donald Trump’s softened stance on tariffs.

However, trade barriers with China continue to pose risks, including export restrictions that cost Nvidia $4.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

Despite those challenges, Nvidia secured a major AI infrastructure deal in Saudi Arabia during Trump’s visit in May. Innovations such as the next-generation Blackwell GPUs and ‘real-time digital twins’ have helped maintain investor confidence.

The company’s stock has risen over 21% in 2025, far outpacing the Nasdaq’s 6.7% gain. Nvidia chips are also being used by the US administration as leverage in global tech diplomacy.

While competition from Chinese AI firms like DeepSeek briefly knocked $600 billion off Nvidia’s valuation, Huang views rivalry as essential to progress. With the growing demand for complex reasoning models and AI agents, Nvidia remains at the forefront.

Still, the fast pace of AI adoption raises concerns about job displacement, with firms like Ford and JPMorgan already reporting workforce impacts.

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