Future of work

Deutsche Telekom joins Theta Network as enterprise validator

Deutsche Telekom has joined the Theta Network as a strategic enterprise validator, alongside Google, Samsung and Sony. The company becomes the first major telecom provider to take part in securing the decentralised blockchain platform.

The partnership involves staking THETA tokens and operating validator nodes that support Theta’s layer-1 infrastructure for AI, cloud and media applications. Deutsche Telekom’s unit, T-Systems MMS, will manage the validator operations.

Theta Labs said the collaboration enhances network resilience and underlines growing enterprise interest in decentralised computing. The project’s EdgeCloud system is designed to distribute AI workloads across global nodes more efficiently.

Deutsche Telekom noted that Theta’s decentralised model aligns with its vision of providing reliable, scalable cloud and edge services for future digital ecosystems.

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Growing scrutiny over AI errors in professional use

Judges and employers are confronting a surge in AI-generated mistakes, from fabricated legal citations to inaccurate workplace data. Courts in the United States have already recorded hundreds of flawed filings, raising concerns about unchecked reliance on generative systems.

Experts urge professionals to treat AI as an assistant rather than an authority. Tools can support research and report writing, yet unchecked outputs often contain subtle inaccuracies that could mislead users or damage reputations.

Data scientist Damien Charlotin has identified nearly 500 court documents containing false AI-generated information within months. Even established firms have faced judicial penalties after submitting briefs with non-existent case references, underlining growing professional risks.

Workplace advisers recommend verifying AI results, protecting confidential information, and obtaining consent when using digital notetakers. Training and prompt literacy are becoming essential skills as AI tools continue shaping daily operations across industries.

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Mustafa Suleyman warns against building seemingly conscious AI

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, argues that AI should be built for people, not to replace them. Growing belief in chatbot consciousness risks campaigns for AI rights and a needless struggle over personhood that distracts from human welfare.

Debates over true consciousness miss the urgent issue of convincing imitation. Seemingly conscious AI may speak fluently, recall interactions, claim experiences, and set goals that appear to exhibit agency. Capabilities are close, and the social effects will be real regardless of metaphysics.

People already form attachments to chatbots and seek meaning in conversations. Reports of dependency and talk of ‘AI psychosis‘ show persuasive systems can nudge vulnerable users. Extending moral status to uncertainty, Suleyman argues, would amplify delusions and dilute existing rights.

Norms and design principles are needed across the industry. Products should include engineered interruptions that break the illusion, clear statements of nonhuman status, and guardrails for responsible ‘personalities’. Microsoft AI is exploring approaches that promote offline connection and healthy use.

A positive vision keeps AI empowering without faking inner life. Companions should organise tasks, aid learning, and support collaboration while remaining transparently artificial. The focus remains on safeguarding humans, animals, and the natural world, not on granting rights to persuasive simulations.

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Comet browser update puts privacy in users’ hands

Perplexity has unveiled new privacy features for its AI-powered browser, Comet, designed to give users clearer control over their data. The updates include a new homepage widget called Privacy Snapshot, which allows people to review and adjust privacy settings in one place.

The widget provides a real-time view of how Comet protects users online and simplifies settings for ad blocking, tracker management and data access. Users can toggle permissions for the Comet Assistant directly from the homepage.

Comet’s updated AI Assistant settings now show precisely how data is used, including where it is stored locally or shared for processing. Sensitive information such as passwords and payment details remain securely stored on the user’s device.

Perplexity said the changes reinforce its ‘privacy by default’ approach, an important principle in EU data protection law, combining ad blocking, safe browsing and transparent data handling. The new features are available in the latest Comet update across desktop and mobile platforms.

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Microsoft AI chief rules out machine consciousness as purely biological phenomenon

Microsoft’s AI head, Mustafa Suleyman, has dismissed the idea that AI could ever become conscious, arguing that consciousness is a property exclusive to biological beings.

Speaking at the AfroTech Conference in Houston, Suleyman said researchers should stop exploring the notion of sentient AI, calling it ‘the wrong question’.

He explained that while AI can simulate experience, it cannot feel pain or possess subjective awareness.

Suleyman compared AI’s output to a narrative illusion rather than genuine consciousness, aligning with the philosophical theory of biological naturalism, which ties awareness to living brain processes.

Suleyman has become one of the industry’s most outspoken critics of conscious AI research. His book ‘The Coming Wave’ and his recent essay ‘We must build AI for people;’ not to be a person warn against anthropomorphising machines.

He also confirmed that Microsoft will not develop erotic chatbots, a direction that has been embraced by competitors such as OpenAI and xAI.

He stressed that Microsoft’s AI systems are designed to serve humans, not mimic them. The company’s Copilot assistant now includes a ‘real talk’ mode that challenges users’ assumptions instead of offering flattery.

Suleyman said responsible development must avoid ‘unbridled accelerationism’, adding that fear and scepticism are essential for navigating AI’s rapid evolution.

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Brain-inspired networks boost AI performance and cut energy use

Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed a new method to enhance AI by imitating how the human brain connects information. The approach, called Topographical Sparse Mapping, links each artificial neuron only to nearby or related ones, replicating the brain’s efficient organisation.

According to findings published in Neurocomputing, the structure reduces redundant connections and improves performance without compromising accuracy. Senior lecturer Dr Roman Bauer said intelligent systems can now be designed to consume less energy while maintaining power.

Training large models today often requires over a million kilowatt-hours of electricity, a trend he described as unsustainable.

An advanced version, Enhanced Topographical Sparse Mapping, introduces a biologically inspired pruning process that refines neural connections during training, similar to how the brain learns.

Researchers believe that the system could contribute to more realistic neuromorphic computers, which simulate brain functions to process data more efficiently.

The Surrey team said that such a discovery may advance generative AI systems and pave the way for sustainable large-scale model training. Their work highlights how lessons from biology can shape the next generation of energy-efficient computing.

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Q3 funding in Europe rebounds with growth rounds leading

Europe raised €13.7bn across just over 1,300 rounds in Q3, the strongest quarter since Q2 2024. September alone brought €8.7bn. July and August reflected the familiar summer slowdown.

Growth equity provided €7bn, or 51.6% of the total, with two consecutive quarters surpassing 150 growth rounds. Data centres, AI agents, and GenAI led the activity, with more AI startups scaling with larger cheques.

Early-stage totals were the lowest in 12 months, yet they were ahead of Q3 last year. Lovable’s $200 million Series A at a $1.8 billion valuation stood out. Seven new unicorns included Nscale, Fuse Energy, Framer, IQM, Nothing, and Tide.

ASML led the quarter’s largest deal, investing €1.3bn in Mistral AI’s €1.7bn Series C. France tallied €2.7 billion, heavily concentrated in Mistral, while the UK reached €4.49 billion. Germany followed with just over €1.5bn, ahead of the Netherlands and Switzerland.

AI-native funding surpassed all verticals for the first time on record, reaching €3.9 billion, with deeptech at €2.6 billion. Agentic AI logged 129 rounds, sharply higher year-over-year, while data centres edged out agents for capital. Defence and dual-use technology attracted €2.1 billion across 44 rounds.

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Perplexity launches AI-powered patent search to make innovation intelligence accessible

The US software company, Perplexity, has unveiled Perplexity Patents, the first AI-powered patent research agent designed to democratise access to intellectual property intelligence. The new tool allows anyone to explore patents using natural language instead of complex keyword syntax.

Traditional patent research has long relied on rigid search systems that demand specialist knowledge and expensive software.

Perplexity Patents instead offers conversational interaction, enabling users to ask questions such as ‘Are there any patents on AI for language learning?’ or ‘Key quantum computing patents since 2024?’.

The system automatically identifies relevant patents, provides inline viewing, and maintains context across multiple questions.

Powered by Perplexity’s large-scale search infrastructure, the platform uses agentic reasoning to break down complex queries, perform multi-step searches, and return comprehensive results supported by extensive patent documentation.

Its semantic understanding also captures related concepts that traditional tools often miss, linking terms such as ‘fitness trackers’, ‘activity bands’, and ‘health monitoring wearables’.

Beyond patent databases, Perplexity Patents can also draw from academic papers, open-source code, and other publicly available data, revealing the entire landscape of technological innovation. The service launches today in beta, free for all users, with extra features for Pro and Max subscribers.

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Nexperia chip exports may resume as China softens stance on ban

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced plans to exempt specific Nexperia orders from its export ban, aiming to stabilise the global semiconductor supply chain after the Netherlands seized control of the Chinese-owned Dutch chipmaker.

The ministry stated that exemptions would be granted when the criteria were met, encouraging affected firms to apply.

A move that follows a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Busan, where both sides reached a framework allowing Nexperia to resume shipments under eased restrictions.

Washington reportedly agreed to pause the 50 percent subsidiary rule, which restricts exports from companies half-owned by entities on its trade blocklist. Wingtech Technology, Nexperia’s Chinese parent, has been under these restrictions since December.

Beijing’s export ban, introduced after the Dutch takeover citing national security concerns, disrupted supplies from Nexperia’s Dongguan factory, which assembles about 70 percent of its products.

China condemned the Netherlands for intervening in corporate affairs, warning that such actions deepen global supply chain instability.

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Australian influencer family moves to UK over child social media ban

An Australian influencer family known as the Empire Family is relocating to the UK to avoid Australia’s new social media ban for under-16s, which begins in December. The law requires major platforms to take steps preventing underage users from creating or maintaining accounts.

The family, comprising mothers Beck and Bec Lea, their 17-year-old son Prezley and 14-year-old daughter Charlotte, said the move will allow Charlotte to continue creating online content. She has hundreds of thousands of followers across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with all accounts managed by her parents.

Beck said they support the government’s intent to protect young people from harm but are concerned about the uncertainty surrounding enforcement methods, such as ID checks or facial recognition. She said the family wanted stability while the system is clarified.

The Australia ban, described as a world first, will apply to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. Non-compliant firms could face fines of up to A$50 million, while observers say the rules raise new privacy and data protection concerns.

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