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UK approves £7.5bn AI data centre campus at Elsham Tech Park

Plans for one of the UK’s largest AI data centre campuses have been approved in North Lincolnshire, denoting a significant investment in digital infrastructure.

The project, known as Elsham Tech Park, will be developed near Elsham Wolds Industrial Estate on the site of the former RAF Elsham Wolds airfield. The development is expected to deliver more than 1.5 million square metres of hyperscale data centre floorspace across 15 data halls, with an estimated construction cost of around £7.5 billion.

If fully developed, the campus could provide up to 1GW (1,000MW) of computing capacity, placing it among the largest proposed AI data centre facilities in the UK. The project is being led by Elsham Tech Park Ltd, a company created for the development and overseen by infrastructure developer Greystoke.

The proposed campus would cover approximately 176 hectares (435 acres) and include an on-site energy centre capable of generating up to 49.9MW of electricity. Plans also include battery storage facilities, substations, district heating infrastructure, and additional commercial space.

The masterplan incorporates a greenhouse complex that reuses excess heat from the data centre servers to support agricultural production. Developers say this approach could improve energy efficiency by enabling greenhouse cultivation using waste heat generated by computing infrastructure.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first phase of the campus scheduled to open in 2029. The development timeline covers roughly ten years.

During construction, the project could support between 2,600 and 3,600 full-time equivalent jobs annually across on-site and supply chain roles. Once operational, the facility is expected to create around 900 long-term skilled jobs.

North Lincolnshire Council said the project could attract up to £10 billion in investment and strengthen the region’s role in the country’s growing AI and cloud computing infrastructure sector.

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Over 85 companies join global crypto partner program

Mastercard has introduced the Crypto Partner Program, a global initiative connecting more than 85 crypto-native companies, payments providers, and financial institutions. The program aims to create a forum for collaboration that aligns innovation in digital assets with traditional payment systems.

Enterprise use cases such as cross-border remittances, payouts, and settlements are growing, underscoring the practical potential of on-chain payments. Participants will collaborate with Mastercard to design products that combine the speed and programmability of digital assets with existing card rails and global commerce.

The initiative builds on Mastercard’s long-standing approach to blockchain and digital assets, including Start Path and the Engage platform, which provide opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth.

The program focuses on turning technical innovation into scalable, compliant solutions that can operate across markets and everyday commerce.

Partners in the Crypto Partner Program include Binance, Circle, Crypto.com, Solana, Ripple, PayPal, and over 80 other industry leaders, demonstrating the growing ecosystem of companies working together to shape the future of digital payments.

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Netflix AI filmmaking push grows with InterPositive acquisition

A deal valued at up to $600 million will see Netflix acquire InterPositive, the AI filmmaking company founded by actor and director Ben Affleck, according to people familiar with the matter.

The transaction, paid in cash, is expected to become one of the largest acquisitions made by the streaming company. The final upfront amount is reportedly lower, with additional payments tied to performance targets. Netflix has not publicly disclosed the financial terms of the deal.

The acquisition is intended to accelerate the use of AI in film production. InterPositive has developed software tools that enable filmmakers to modify existing footage, including removing unwanted elements or adjusting scene backgrounds. Director David Fincher has already used the technology in work on an upcoming film starring Brad Pitt.

The deal reflects a broader trend among entertainment companies exploring AI technologies to streamline production and improve efficiency. Companies including Netflix and Amazon are experimenting with AI tools in film and television production, while Disney has established a partnership with OpenAI.

The growing use of AI in Hollywood has raised concerns among industry workers. Some fear the technology could reduce jobs or allow studios to use creative work to train AI systems without compensation.

Affleck has said the InterPositive technology is designed to support filmmakers rather than replace them. The system requires directors first to shoot original footage before the software can train on the material. The tools can then assist with editing tasks, but do not generate films independently.

Netflix has traditionally avoided large-scale acquisitions, focusing instead on developing its technology internally. Even so, the purchase of InterPositive signals a step toward strengthening the company’s AI capabilities in film production.

‘The filmmaking process, really, since its inception, has been one long technological progression,’ Affleck said in a video released by Netflix. ‘We’ve always been seeking to make it feel more realistic, more honest, and InterPositive, I hope, is another iteration or step in keeping with that long and storied history.’

Affleck founded InterPositive with backing from investment firm RedBird Capital Partners and began seeking investment in 2025 before the company attracted interest from Netflix.

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Spain expands digital oversight of online hate

Spain has launched a digital system designed to track hate speech and disinformation across social media platforms. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented the tool in Madrid as part of a wider effort to improve oversight of online platforms.

The platform known as HODIO will analyse public posts and measure the spread and reach of hateful content. Authorities in Spain say the project will publish regular reports examining how platforms respond to harmful material.

The monitoring initiative is managed by Spain’s Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia. Officials in Spain say the data will help citizens understand the scale of online hate and assess how social networks address abusive content.

The initiative forms part of a broader digital policy agenda in Spain that also includes measures to protect minors online. Policymakers in Spain have discussed proposals such as restrictions on social media use by children under 16.

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EU updates voluntary code for labelling AI-generated content

The European Commission has released a second draft of its voluntary Code of Practice on marking and labelling AI-generated content, designed to support compliance with transparency rules under the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Published on 5 March, the updated draft reflects feedback from hundreds of stakeholders, including industry groups, academic researchers, policymakers, and civil society organisations.

Revisions follow consultations held in early 2026 as part of the broader rollout of the EU’s AI regulatory framework.

The proposed code outlines technical approaches for identifying AI-generated material. A two-layered system using secure metadata and digital watermarking is recommended, with optional fingerprinting, logging, and verification to improve detection.

Guidelines also address how platforms and publishers should label deepfakes and AI-generated text related to matters of public interest. Public feedback is open until 30 March, with the final code expected in early June before transparency rules take effect on 2 August 2026.

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EU lawmakers call for stronger copyright safeguards in AI training

The European Parliament has adopted a report urging policymakers to establish a long-term framework protecting copyrighted works used in AI training.

These recommendations aim to ensure that creative industries retain transparency and fair treatment as generative AI technologies expand.

Among the central proposals is the creation of a European register managed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The database would list copyrighted works used to train AI systems and identify creators who have chosen to exclude their content from such use.

Lawmakers in the EU are also calling for greater transparency from AI developers, including disclosure of the websites from which training data has been collected. According to the report, failing to meet transparency requirements could raise questions about compliance with existing copyright rules.

The recommendations have received mixed reactions from industry stakeholders.

Organisations representing creators argue that stronger safeguards are necessary to ensure fair remuneration and legal clarity, while technology sector groups caution that additional requirements could create complexity for companies developing AI systems.

The report is not legally binding but signals the political direction of ongoing European discussions on copyright and AI governance.

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MIT scientists develop AI system to improve robot planning

Researchers at MIT have developed a hybrid AI framework designed to improve how robots plan and perform complex visual tasks. The approach combines generative AI with classical planning software, allowing machines to analyse images, simulate actions, and generate reliable plans to reach a goal.

The system relies on two specialised vision-language models. One model analyses an image, describes the environment, and simulates possible actions, while a second model converts those simulations into a formal programming language used for planning.

Generated files are then processed by established planning software to produce a step-by-step strategy.

Testing showed a significant improvement compared with existing techniques. The framework achieved an average success rate of about 70 percent, while many baseline methods reached roughly 30 percent.

Performance remained strong in unfamiliar scenarios, demonstrating the system’s ability to adapt to changing conditions.

The method could support applications such as robot navigation, autonomous driving, and multi-robot assembly systems. Continued development aims to handle more complex environments and reduce errors caused by AI model hallucinations.

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UNESCO and African network advance AI in justice

AI is increasingly shaping Africa’s courts, from translation tools to legal search engines. As AI becomes more integrated, judicial actors face new questions around transparency, accountability, and human rights.

Thirty-one members of the African Network of Judicial Trainers (ANJT) gathered in Maputo for a regional workshop on AI, Justice, and Human Rights.

Participants included judicial directors, Supreme Court justices and senior magistrates who shared strategies for responsibly integrating AI into courts. UNESCO highlighted the importance of keeping justice human-centred amid technological change.

Discussions examined the benefits of AI-assisted translation and data analysis, alongside risks such as bias, discrimination, and opacity.

UNESCO introduced practical resources, including the Guidelines for the Use of AI in Courts and Tribunals and AI Essentials for Judges, to help judicial professionals implement ethical practices.

Workshop participants committed to adapting these materials into national training curricula, aiming to multiply knowledge across African judicial systems. ANJT and UNESCO emphasised that AI adoption should enhance efficiency without compromising fairness or the rule of law.

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Dutch firms rank among EU leaders in sustainable ICT

Businesses in the Netherlands rank among the leading adopters of sustainable ICT practices in the EU, according to data from Statistics Netherlands and Eurostat. Around one quarter of companies use digital tools to reduce material consumption and improve resource efficiency.

The Netherlands ranked fourth in the EU for the use of technology to reduce waste and improve sustainability. Sectors including energy, water and waste management showed the strongest adoption of these ICT solutions.

Sustainable disposal of electronic equipment is also widespread among businesses in the Netherlands. About 9 in 10 companies recycle or return obsolete ICT equipment through approved e-waste collection systems.

Across the EU, more than three-quarters of businesses now dispose of outdated technology in environmentally responsible ways. Analysts say progress highlights growing corporate efforts to integrate the sustainability of e-waste into digital operations.

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Lawmakers urged to rethink rules on private messaging

Policymakers are being urged to rethink the regulation of private messaging platforms as disinformation campaigns increasingly spread through closed digital networks. Researchers say messaging apps now play a major role in political communication and crisis information flows.

Evidence from elections and conflicts highlights the challenge. During Brazil’s 2024 municipal elections, manipulated political content spread widely through WhatsApp groups, while authorities in Ukraine reported Telegram being used for both emergency communication and disinformation.

Experts argue that current laws often fail to address messaging platforms, such as Telegram, because regulation typically targets public social media spaces. Analysts say modern messaging services combine private chats with broadcast channels and other features that allow content to reach large audiences.

Policy specialists propose regulating specific platform features rather than entire services. Governments and technology companies are also encouraged to protect encryption while expanding transparency tools, media literacy programmes and user safeguards.

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