A new study has revealed that managers who use AI to write emails are often viewed as less sincere by their staff. Acceptance improved for emails focused on factual information, where employees were more forgiving of AI involvement.
Researchers found employees were more critical of AI use by their supervisors than when using it themselves, even if the level of assistance was the same.
Only 40 percent of respondents rated managers as sincere when their emails involved high AI input, compared to 83 percent for lighter use.
Professionals did consider AI-assisted emails efficient and polished, but trust declined when messages were relationship-driven or motivational.
Researchers highlighted that managers’ heavier reliance on AI may undermine trust, care, and authenticity perceptions.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
India’s central bank has proposed a national framework to guide the ethical and responsible use of AI in the financial sector.
The committee, set up by the Reserve Bank of India in December 2024, has made 26 recommendations across six focus areas, including infrastructure, governance, and assurance.
It advised establishing a digital backbone to support homegrown AI models and forming a multi-stakeholder body to evaluate risks.
A dedicated fund to boost domestic AI development tailored for finance was also proposed, alongside audit guidelines and policy frameworks.
The committee recommended integrating AI into platforms such as UPI while preserving public trust and ensuring security.
Led by IIT Bombay’s Pushpak Bhattacharyya, the panel noted the need to balance innovation with risk mitigation in regulatory design.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Anthropic has outlined a multi-layered safety plan for Claude, aiming to keep it useful while preventing misuse. Its Safeguards team blends policy experts, engineers, and threat analysts to anticipate and counter risks.
The Usage Policy establishes clear guidelines for sensitive areas, including elections, finance, and child safety. Guided by the Unified Harm Framework, the team assesses potential physical, psychological, and societal harms, utilizing external experts for stress tests.
During the 2024 US elections, a TurboVote banner was added after detecting outdated voting info, ensuring users saw only accurate, non-partisan updates.
Safety is built into development, with guardrails to block illegal or malicious requests. Partnerships like ThroughLine help Claude handle sensitive topics, such as mental health, with care rather than avoidance or refusal.
Before launch, Claude undergoes safety, risk, and bias evaluations with government and industry partners. Once live, classifiers scan for violations in real time, while analysts track patterns of coordinated misuse.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google has announced a $9 billion investment in Oklahoma over the next two years to expand cloud and AI infrastructure.
The funds will support a new data centre campus in Stillwater and an expansion of the existing facility in Pryor, forming part of a broader $1 billion commitment to American education and competitiveness.
The announcement was made alongside Governor Kevin Stitt, Alphabet and Google executives, and community leaders.
Alongside the infrastructure projects, Google funds education and workforce initiatives with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University through the Google AI for Education Accelerator.
Students will gain no-cost access to Career Certificates and AI training courses, helping them acquire critical AI and job-ready skills instead of relying on standard curricula.
Additional funding will support ALLIANCE’s electrical training to expand Oklahoma’s electrical workforce by 135%, creating the talent needed to power AI-driven energy infrastructure.
Google described the investment as part of an ‘extraordinary time for American innovation’ and a step towards maintaining US leadership in AI.
The move also addresses national security concerns, ensuring the country has the infrastructure and expertise to compete with domestic rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as international competitors such as China’s DeepSeek.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A recent survey by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) finds that two in five people would consider a career in accountancy if AI could handle routine tasks. The research suggests automation may improve the profession’s appeal by shifting the focus from admin to strategic support.
Among current accountants, four in five agree that AI tools have made their roles easier by lightening administrative burdens, while 80% say it enables more problem-solving and advisory work. AI will enhance efficiency and accuracy, and allow finance professionals to concentrate on impactful tasks.
The survey reveals 42% of those who have worked in accounting say AI tools have been genuinely valuable; this rises to 55% for 25- to 34-year-olds. Most also support upskilling, with nearly 80% interested in developing AI and machine learning skills as part of workplace training.
Claire Bennison of AAT stresses that AI is not here to replace accountants but to empower them. She argues that building an AI-savvy workforce is essential in meeting skills shortages and modernising the finance profession.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google has introduced a new ‘Preferred Sources’ feature that allows users to curate their search results by selecting favourite websites. Once added, stories from these sites will appear more prominently in the ‘Top Stories’ section and a dedicated ‘From your sources’ section on the search results page.
Now rolling out in India and the US, the feature aims to improve search quality by helping users avoid low-value content. There is no limit to the number of sources that can be chosen, and early testers typically added more than four.
While preferred outlets will appear more often, search results will still include content from other websites.
To set preferred sources, users can click the icon next to the ‘Top Stories’ section when searching for a trending topic, find the outlet they want, and reload results.
Google says the change may also benefit publishers, offering them more visibility when AI-driven search engines sharply reduce traffic to news websites.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Perplexity AI has made a surprise US$34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, which could align with antitrust measures under consideration in the US.
The San Francisco-based startup submitted the proposal in a letter of intent, claiming it would keep Chrome independent while prioritising openness and consumer protection.
The bid arrives as Google awaits a court ruling on potential remedies after being found to have maintained an illegal monopoly in online search.
US government lawyers have suggested Chrome’s divestment instead of allowing Google to strengthen its dominance through AI. Google has urged the court to reject such a move, warning that a sale could harm innovation and reduce quality.
Analysts at Baird Equity Research said Perplexity’s offer undervalues Chrome and may be intended to prompt rival bids or influence the judge’s decision. They added that Perplexity, which already operates its browser, could gain an advantage if Chrome became independent.
Google argues that most Chrome users are outside the US, meaning a forced sale would have global implications. The ruling is expected by the end of August, with the outcome likely to reshape the competitive landscape for browsers as AI increasingly shapes how users access the internet.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
According to Counterpoint Research, global shipments of smart glasses more than doubled in the first half of 2025, fuelled by soaring demand for AI-powered models.
The segment accounted for 78% of shipments, outpacing basic audio-enabled smart frames.
Meta led the market with over 73% share, primarily driven by the success of its Ray-Ban AI glasses. Rising competition came from Chinese firms, including Huawei, RayNeo, and Xiaomi, emerging as a surprise contender with its new AI glasses.
Analysts attribute the surge to growing consumer interest in AI-integrated wearable tech, with Meta and Xiaomi’s latest releases generating strong sales momentum.
Competition is expected to intensify as companies such as Alibaba and ByteDance enter the space in the second half of the year.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
New research shows that most workers are open to using AI tools at work, but resist the idea of being managed by them. Workers are far more positive about AI recommending skills or collaborating alongside them.
The Workday study found that while 82% of organisations are expanding AI agent use, only 30% of employees feel comfortable being overseen by such systems.
Nine in ten respondents believe AI can boost productivity, yet nearly half fear it could erode critical thinking and add to workloads. Trust in the technology grows with experience, with 95% of regular users expressing confidence compared with 36% of those new to AI.
Sensitive functions such as hiring, finance, and legal work remain areas where human oversight is preferred. Many see AI as a partner that complements judgement and empathy rather than replacing them entirely.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Santander is accelerating its AI-first transformation through a new partnership with OpenAI, aiming to embed intelligent technology into every part of the bank.
Over the past two months, ChatGPT Enterprise has been rolled out to nearly 15,000 employees across Europe and the Americas, with plans to double that number by year-end. The move forms part of a broader ambition to become an AI-native institution where all decisions and processes are data-driven.
The bank will plan a mandatory AI training programme for all staff from 2026, with a focus on responsible use, and expects to scale agentic AI to enable fully conversational banking.
Santander says its AI initiatives saved over €200 million last year. In Spain alone, speech analytics now handles 10 million calls annually, automatically updating CRM records and freeing more than 100,000 work hours. Developer productivity has risen by up to 30% on some tasks.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
