Future of work

The UK labour market feels a sharper impact from AI use

Companies are reporting net job losses linked to AI adoption, with research showing a sharper impact than in other major economies. A Morgan Stanley survey found that firms using the technology for at least a year cut more roles than they created, particularly across the UK labour market.

The study covered sectors including retail, real estate, transport, healthcare equipment and automotive manufacturing, showing an average productivity increase of 11.5% among UK businesses. Comparable firms in the United States reported similar efficiency gains but continued to expand employment overall.

Researchers pointed to higher operating costs and tax pressures as factors amplifying the employment impact in Britain. Unemployment has reached a four-year high, while increases in the minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions have tightened hiring across industries.

Public concern over AI-driven displacement is also rising, with more than a quarter of UK workers fearing their roles could disappear within five years, according to recruitment firm Randstad. Younger workers expressed the highest anxiety, while older generations showed greater confidence in adapting.

Political leaders warn that unmanaged AI-driven change could disrupt labour markets. London mayor Sadiq Khan said the technology may cut many white-collar jobs, calling for action to create replacement roles.

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EU classifies WhatsApp as Very Large Online Platform

WhatsApp has been formally designated a Very Large Online Platform under the EU Digital Services Act, triggering the bloc’s most stringent digital oversight regime.

The classification follows confirmation that the messaging service has exceeded 51 million monthly users in the EU, triggering enhanced regulatory scrutiny.

As a VLOP, WhatsApp must take active steps to limit the spread of disinformation and reduce risks linked to the manipulation of public debate. The platform is also expected to strengthen safeguards for users’ mental health, with particular attention placed on the protection of minors and younger audiences.

The European Commission will oversee compliance directly and may impose financial penalties of up to 6 percent of WhatsApp’s global annual turnover if violations are identified. The company has until mid-May to align its systems, policies and risk assessments with the DSA’s requirements.

WhatsApp joins a growing list of major platforms already subject to similar obligations, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X. The move reflects the Commission’s broader effort to apply the Digital Services Act across social media, messaging services and content platforms linked to systemic online risks.

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France proposes EU tools to map foreign tech dependence

France has unveiled a new push to reduce Europe’s dependence on US and Chinese technology suppliers, placing digital sovereignty back at the centre of the EU policy debates.

Speaking in Paris, France’s minister for AI and digital affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, presented initiatives to expose and address the structural reliance on non-EU technologies across public administrations and private companies.

Central to the strategy is the creation of a Digital Sovereignty Observatory, which will map foreign technology dependencies and assess organisational exposure to geopolitical and supply-chain risks.

The body, led by former Europe minister Clément Beaune, is intended to provide the evidence base needed for coordinated action rather than symbolic declarations of autonomy.

France is also advancing a Digital Resilience Index, expected to publish its first findings in early 2026. The index will measure reliance on foreign digital services and products, identifying vulnerabilities linked to cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

Industry data suggests Europe’s dependence on external tech providers costs the continent hundreds of billions of euros annually.

Paris is using the initiative to renew calls for a European preference in public-sector digital procurement and for a standard EU definition of European digital services.

Such proposals remain contentious among member states, yet France argues they are essential for restoring strategic control over critical digital infrastructure.

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Maia 200 AI inference accelerator unveiled by Microsoft

Microsoft has unveiled Maia 200, a next-generation AI inference accelerator built to boost performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness at scale. Built on TSMC’s 3-nanometre process, the chip boosts speed, efficiency, and memory throughput for advanced AI models.

The new accelerator will power Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure across Azure, Microsoft Foundry, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, including workloads for OpenAI’s latest GPT-5.2 models.

Internal teams will use Maia 200 for synthetic data generation and reinforcement learning, accelerating AI development. Maia 200 is being rolled out in Microsoft’s US Central data centre region, with further deployments planned across additional global locations.

A preview version of the Maia software development kit is also being released, offering developers access to PyTorch integration, optimised compilers, and low-level programming tools to fine-tune AI models across heterogeneous computing environments.

The system introduces a redesigned networking and memory architecture optimised for high-bandwidth data movement and large-scale inference clusters.

Microsoft says the platform delivers significant improvements in performance per dollar, scalability, and power efficiency, positioning Maia 200 as a cornerstone of its long-term AI infrastructure strategy.

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AI Overviews leans heavily on YouTube for health information

Google’s health-related search results increasingly draw on YouTube rather than hospitals, government agencies, or academic institutions, as new research reveals how AI Overviews select citation sources in automated results.

An analysis by SEO platform SE Ranking reviewed more than 50,000 German-language health queries and found AI Overviews appeared on over 82% of searches, making healthcare one of the most AI-influenced information categories on Google.

Across all cited sources, YouTube ranked first by a wide margin, accounting for more than 20,000 references and surpassing medical publishers, hospital websites, and public health authorities.

Academic journals and research institutions accounted for less than 1% of citations, while national and international government health bodies accounted for under 0.5%, highlighting a sharp imbalance in source authority.

Researchers warn that when platform-scale content outweighs evidence-based medical sources, the risk extends beyond misinformation to long-term erosion of trust in AI-powered search systems.

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Google.org backs AI-led science breakthroughs

The organisation Google.org has selected twelve recipients for its $20 million AI for Science fund, which aims to accelerate research in health, agriculture, biodiversity, and climate.

The initiative backs academic, nonprofit, and startup teams using AI to turn scientific insights into real-world solutions. In health and life sciences, projects target genetic decoding, neural mapping, disease prediction, and faster detection of drug resistance.

Research groups are applying advanced AI models to unlock hidden regions of the human genome, simulate disease pathways, and dramatically reduce detection times for life-threatening pathogens, shifting medicine towards earlier intervention and prevention.

Agriculture and food systems are another focus, using AI to breed resistant crops, improve nutrition, and cut livestock methane emissions. Projects seek to strengthen food security, boost sustainability, and support climate resilience.

Biodiversity and clean energy efforts target species mapping, conservation planning, fusion research, and large-scale carbon capture. Open science principles ensure datasets and tools remain accessible, scalable, and capable of driving wider breakthroughs.

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Indeed expands AI tools to reshape hiring

Indeed is expanding its use of AI to improve hiring efficiency, enhance candidate matching, and support recruiters, while keeping humans in control of final decisions.

The platform offers over 100 AI-powered features across job search, recruitment, and internal operations, supported by a long-term partnership with OpenAI.

Recent launches include Career Scout for job seekers and Talent Scout for employers, streamlining career guidance, sourcing, screening, and engagement.

Additional AI-powered tools introduced through Indeed Connect aim to improve candidate discovery and screening, helping companies move faster while broadening access to opportunities through skills-based matching.

AI adoption has accelerated internally, with over 80% of engineers using AI tools and two-thirds of staff saving up to 2 hours per week. Marketing, sales, and research teams are building custom AI agents to support creativity, personalised outreach, and strategic decision-making.

Responsible AI principles remain central to Indeed’s strategy, prioritising fairness, transparency, and human control in hiring. Early results show faster hiring, stronger candidate engagement, and improved outcomes in hard-to-fill roles, reinforcing confidence in AI-driven recruitment.

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UK banks block large share of crypto transfers, report finds

UK banks are blocking or delaying close to 40% of payments to cryptocurrency exchanges, sharply increasing customer friction and slowing market growth, according to a new industry report.

Around 80% of surveyed exchanges reported rising payment disruptions, while 70% described the banking environment as increasingly hostile, discouraging investment, hiring, and product launches in the UK.

The survey of major platforms, including Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini, reveals widespread and opaque restrictions across bank transfers and card payments. One exchange reported nearly £1 billion in declined transactions last year, citing unclear rejection reasons despite FCA registration.

Several high-street and digital banks maintain outright blocks, while others impose strict transaction caps. The UK Cryptoasset Business Council warned that blanket debanking practices could breach existing regulations, including those on payment services, consumer protection, and competition.

The council urged the FCA and government to enforce a risk-based approach, expand data sharing, and remove unnecessary barriers as the UK finalises its long-term crypto framework.

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Georgia moves to curb AI data centre expansion amid energy concerns

The state of Georgia is emerging as the focal point of a growing backlash against the rapid expansion of data centres powering the US’ AI boom.

Lawmakers in several states are now considering statewide bans, as concerns over energy consumption, water use and local disruption move to the centre of economic and environmental debate.

A bill introduced in Georgia would impose a moratorium on new data centre construction until March next year, giving state and municipal authorities time to establish more explicit regulatory rules.

The proposal arrives after Georgia’s utility regulator approved plans for an additional 10 gigawatts of electricity generation, primarily driven by data centre demand and expected to rely heavily on fossil fuels.

Local resistance has intensified as the Atlanta metropolitan area led the country in data centre construction last year, prompting multiple municipalities to impose their own temporary bans.

Critics argue that rapid development has pushed up electricity bills, strained water supplies and delivered fewer tax benefits than promised. At the same time, utility companies retain incentives to expand generation rather than improve grid efficiency.

The issue has taken on broader political significance as Georgia prepares for key elections that will affect utility oversight.

Supporters of the moratorium frame the pause as a chance for public scrutiny and democratic accountability, while backers of the industry warn that blanket restrictions risk undermining investment, jobs and long-term technological competitiveness.

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Monnett highlights EU digital sovereignty in social media

Monnett is a European-built social media platform designed to give people control over their online feeds. Users can choose exactly what they see, prioritise friends’ posts, and opt out of surveillance-style recommendation systems that dominate other networks.

Unlike mainstream platforms, Monnett places privacy first, with no profiling or sale of user data, and private chats protected without being mined for advertising. The platform also avoids “AI slop” or generative AI content shaping people’s feeds, emphasising human-centred interaction.

Created and built in Luxembourg at the heart of Europe, Monnett’s design reflects a growing push for digital sovereignty in the European Union, where citizens, regulators and developers want more control over how their digital spaces are governed and how personal data is treated.

Core features include full customisation of your algorithm, no shadowbans, strong privacy safeguards, and a focus on genuine social connection. Monnett aims to win users who prefer meaningful online interaction over addictive feeds and opaque data practices.

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