Future of work Archives | Page 13 of 234 | Digital Watch Observatory

France pushes EU AI gigafactories to support European technology

In the EU, France is calling for planned European AI ‘gigafactories’ to focus on testing and scaling European technologies rather than primarily increasing demand for hardware from companies such as Nvidia.

The large computing facilities are intended to provide the infrastructure needed to train advanced AI systems. However, officials in France argue that the projects should strengthen Europe’s technological capabilities rather than reinforce reliance on foreign suppliers.

Several EU countries, including Poland, Austria and Lithuania, support using the infrastructure to improve Europe’s digital resilience.

The initiative forms part of the European Commission’s wider plans to expand computing capacity and support the development of a stronger European AI ecosystem.

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Major tech firms pledge to fight online fraud

Major technology and consumer-facing companies, including Google, Amazon, and OpenAI, have signed the ‘Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud’ to share threat intelligence and strengthen defences against online fraud.

The voluntary pact brings together 11 signatories: Amazon, Adobe, Google, Levi Strauss & Co., LinkedIn, Match Group, Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, Pinterest, and Target. It aims to improve coordination among companies and strengthen cooperation with governments, law enforcement, and NGOs.

The accord commits to sharing intelligence on criminal networks, using AI to detect fraud, and strengthening verification for financial transactions. Participating companies will also provide clearer reporting channels for users and encourage governments to prioritise scam prevention.

Executives emphasised that tackling scams requires collective effort. Meta’s Nathaniel Gleicher said the accord enables companies to share insights beyond individual cases, while Microsoft’s Steven Masada highlighted the need for faster collaboration to disrupt scams and track perpetrators globally.

The move comes as online scams grow in scale and sophistication, aided by AI-generated content and cross-platform operations. Consumers lost over $16 billion to online scams in 2024, prompting firms to boost safety features and push for stronger regulations and law enforcement.

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UK government and Microsoft support digital skills growth

Microsoft UK is the first industry partner in the UK government’s TechFirst program, offering 500 work placements and 5,000 volunteering hours over four years. The collaboration aims to develop AI and technology skills nationwide.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the partnership will expand digital capabilities in education and the workforce. Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman will serve as Social Mobility Champion, linking students and early-career talent with technology-sector opportunities.

TechFirst aims to reach one million secondary students and over 4,000 graduates and researchers, providing school programs, scholarships, doctoral support, and regional funding to connect businesses with local talent.

Microsoft’s commitment includes mentoring and placements to support students entering technology careers.

Scholarships include TechGrad for undergraduates and master’s students, and the Spärck AI Scholarship, supporting AI degrees at nine UK universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, and UCL.

Doctoral researchers benefit from the TechExpert initiative, while the Turing AI Fellowships attract top AI talent to UK institutions.

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OpenAI plans to integrate Sora video generation into ChatGPT

According to reports, OpenAI is preparing to integrate its AI video generator Sora directly into ChatGPT, a move that could expand the platform’s capabilities beyond text and image generation.

Sora currently operates as a standalone application and web service. Integrating the tool into ChatGPT could dramatically increase its visibility and usage, particularly given the chatbot’s massive global user base.

The company released an updated version of the model in 2025 that allows users to create, remix and even appear inside AI-generated videos. Bringing those features into ChatGPT would represent a major step toward making video generation a mainstream function within conversational AI systems.

Competition in the generative video market is intensifying. Companies, including Google, are developing similar technologies, with the company’s Gemini platform offering video creation powered by the Veo system. Other developers are also launching text-to-video models as the field rapidly expands.

Despite the potential growth, integrating video generation into ChatGPT may significantly increase operating costs. Running large AI systems requires vast computing resources and energy, and the chatbot already costs billions of dollars annually to operate.

Although OpenAI earns revenue from subscriptions, the majority of ChatGPT users currently use the free version. The company is therefore exploring additional monetisation strategies, including advertising and new premium services.

Integrating Sora into ChatGPT could therefore serve both strategic and financial goals, strengthening the platform’s position in the competitive generative AI market while expanding the types of content users can create.

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AI tools encourage exploration in creative tasks

AI is often associated with automation and job replacement, yet new research from Swansea University suggests a different role. Findings indicate that AI can serve as a creative collaborator, encouraging exploration and deeper engagement during design tasks.

Researchers from the university’s Computer Science Department ran an experiment with over 800 participants using an AI-supported system to design virtual cars.

Rather than optimising results, the system generated galleries with varied design ideas, including effective, unusual, and intentionally flawed concepts.

According to lead researcher Sean Walton, exposure to AI-generated suggestions increased participants’ involvement. Many users spent longer working on the task and produced stronger designs after interacting with the system’s diverse proposals.

The study in ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems argues that traditional methods for evaluating AI tools are too narrow. Researchers believe broader assessments are needed to measure how AI affects human thinking, emotions, and creative exploration.

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Tesla moves to enter the British household electricity market

A licence that would allow Tesla to supply electricity directly to households and businesses across Great Britain has been applied for.

The application was submitted to the national energy regulator Ofgem, which oversees energy suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Approval would enable the company to enter the retail electricity market as early as next year. The service is expected to operate under the brand ‘Tesla Electric’, extending the company’s strategy of combining electric vehicles, battery storage and energy supply into a single ecosystem.

Tesla’s UK energy subsidiary, Tesla Energy Ventures, filed the application through its Manchester-based operation. Regulatory review may take several months, as Ofgem typically requires up to nine months to evaluate electricity supplier licences.

A future electricity offer could primarily target households that already use Tesla technologies, including home batteries and electric vehicle charging systems.

The company sells Powerwall storage batteries in the UK, which allow homeowners to store electricity generated by solar panels or purchased during off-peak hours.

Such systems also allow surplus energy stored in batteries to be sold back to the grid.

Similar services are already available in the US, where Tesla launched a residential electricity supply programme in Texas in 2022.

The expansion into the energy supply market comes amid pressure on Tesla’s automotive business in Europe. Sales of Tesla vehicles in the UK declined significantly during 2025, reducing the company’s share of the national car market.

Diversifying into energy services could therefore represent a broader strategic shift for the company led by Elon Musk. Integrating electricity supply with electric vehicles and home energy systems could allow Tesla to build a more comprehensive energy platform for consumers.

If approved, the initiative would position Tesla as both a technology manufacturer and a direct energy supplier in the British market.

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EU approves signature of global AI framework

The European Parliament has approved the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, the first international legally binding treaty on AI governance.

With 455 votes in favour, 101 against, and 74 abstentions, Parliament endorsed the EU’s signature to embed existing AI legislation in a global framework. The move reinforces the safe and rights-respecting deployment of AI across the EU and worldwide.

The convention sets standards for transparency, documentation, risk management, and oversight, applying to both public authorities and private actors acting on their behalf.

It establishes a global baseline for AI governance while allowing the EU to maintain higher protections under the AI Act, GDPR, and other EU legislation covering product safety, liability, and non-discrimination.

The EU co-rapporteurs highlighted that the agreement demonstrates the EU’s commitment to human-centric AI. By prioritising democracy, accountability, and fundamental rights, the framework aims to ensure AI strengthens open societies while supporting stable economic growth.

Negotiations on the convention began in 2022 with participation from the EU member states, international partners, civil society, academia, and industry. Current signatories include the EU, the UK, Ukraine, Canada, Israel, and the United States, with the convention open to additional global partners.

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Writer files lawsuit against Grammarly over AI feature using experts’ identities

A journalist has filed a class action lawsuit against Grammarly after the company introduced an AI feature that generated editorial feedback by imitating well-known writers and public figures without their permission.

The legal complaint was submitted by investigative journalist Julia Angwin, who argued that the tool unlawfully used the identities and reputations of authors and commentators.

The feature, known as ‘Expert Review’, produced automated critiques presented as if they came from figures such as Stephen King, Carl Sagan and technology journalist Kara Swisher.

Such a feature was available to subscribers paying an annual fee and was designed to simulate professional editorial guidance.

Critics quickly questioned both the quality of the generated feedback and the decision to associate the tool with real individuals who had not authorised the use of their names or expertise.

Technology writer Casey Newton tested the system by submitting one of his own articles and receiving automated feedback attributed to an AI version of Swisher. The response appeared generic, casting doubt on the value of linking such commentary to prominent personalities.

Following criticism from writers and researchers, the feature was disabled. Shishir Mehrotra, chief executive of Grammarly’s parent company Superhuman, issued a public apology while defending the broader concept behind the tool.

The lawsuit reflects growing tensions around AI systems that replicate creative styles or professional expertise.

As generative AI technologies expand across writing and publishing industries, questions surrounding consent, intellectual labour and identity rights are becoming increasingly prominent.

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AI forecasts heart failure progression up to a year in advance

Researchers from MIT, Mass General Brigham, and Harvard Medical School developed a deep-learning model that predicts the risk of decline among heart-failure patients within a year. Known as PULSE-HF, the model forecasts changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using ECG data.

PULSE-HF can process both 12-lead and single-lead ECGs, making it suitable for low-resource settings, including rural clinics without specialised cardiac staff. The model achieved AUROCs of 0.87–0.91 across three patient cohorts, showing high accuracy in identifying patients at risk of severe heart failure.

By predicting future LVEF decline, clinicians can prioritise follow-up care for high-risk patients while reducing hospital visits for those at lower risk. Researchers faced challenges with data cleaning and labelling, but the model remained robust with imperfect real-world inputs.

The team plans to conduct prospective trials in real patients to validate PULSE-HF in clinical practice further. Researchers stressed that AI forecasting of heart failure could greatly improve patient outcomes and healthcare resource allocation.

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EU lawmakers move forward on AI Act changes

Members of the European Parliament have reached a preliminary political agreement on amendments to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The compromise will be reviewed by parliamentary committees before a scheduled vote in Brussels.

Lawmakers in the EU agreed to extend compliance deadlines for some high risk AI systems. The changes aim to give companies and regulators more time to prepare technical standards and enforcement frameworks.

The proposed amendments also include a ban on AI systems that create non consensual explicit deepfakes. Officials in the EU say the measure aims to strengthen consumer protection and improve online safety for children.

Industry groups in the EU have raised concerns about compliance burdens linked to the revised rules. Policymakers in the EU continue negotiations as the legislation moves toward committee approval.

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