Future of work

Best AI dictation tools for faster speech-to-text in 2026

AI dictation reached maturity during the years after many attempts of patchy performance and frustrating inaccuracies.

Advances in speech-to-text engines and large language models now allow modern dictation tools to recognise everyday speech more reliably while keeping enough context to format sentences automatically instead of producing raw transcripts that require heavy editing.

Several leading apps have emerged with different strengths. Wispr Flow focuses on flexibility with style options and custom vocabulary, while Willow blends automation with privacy by storing transcripts locally.

Monologue also prioritises privacy by allowing users to download the model and run transcription entirely on their own machines. Superwhisper caters for power users by supporting multiple downloadable models and transcription from audio or video files.

Other tools take different approaches. VoiceTypr offers an offline-first design with lifetime licensing, Aqua promotes speed and phrase-based shortcuts, Handy provides a simple free open source starting point, and Typeless gives one of the most generous free allowances while promising strong data protection.

Each reflects a wider trend where developers try to balance convenience, privacy, control and affordability.

Users now benefit from cleaner, more natural-sounding transcripts instead of the rigid audio typing tools of previous years. AI dictation has become faster, more accurate and far more usable for everyday note-taking, messaging and work tasks.

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Best AI chatbot for maths accuracy revealed in new benchmark

AI tools are increasingly used for simple everyday calculations, yet a new benchmark suggests accuracy remains unreliable.

The ORCA study tested five major chatbots across 500 real-world maths prompts and found that users still face roughly a 40 percent chance of receiving the wrong answer.

Gemini from Google recorded the highest score at 63 percent, with xAI’s Grok almost level at 62.8 percent. DeepSeek followed with 52 percent, while ChatGPT scored 49.4 percent, and Claude placed last at 45.2 percent.

Performance varied sharply across subjects, with maths and conversion tasks producing the best results, but physics questions dragged scores down to an average accuracy below 40 percent.

Researchers identified most errors as sloppy calculations or rounding mistakes, rather than deeper failures to understand the problem. Finance and economics questions highlighted the widest gaps between the models, while DeepSeek struggled most in biology and chemistry, with barely one correct answer in ten.

Users are advised to double-check results whenever accuracy is crucial. A calculator or a verified source is still advised instead of relying entirely on an AI chatbot for numerical certainty.

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Korean Air staff data exposed in supplier hack

Korean Air has disclosed a data breach affecting about 30,000 employees. Stolen records were taken from systems operated by a former subsidiary.

The breach occurred at catering supplier KC&D, sold off in 2020. Hackers, who had previously attacked the Washington Post accessed employee names and their bank account details, while customer data remained unaffected.

Investigators linked the incident to exploits in Oracle E-Business Suite. Cybercriminals abused zero day flaws during a wider global hacking campaign.

The attack against Korean Air has been claimed by the Cl0p ransomware group. Aviation firms worldwide have reported similar breaches connected to the same campaign.

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Hackers abuse new AI agent connections

Security researchers warn hackers are exploiting a new feature in Microsoft Copilot Studio. The issue affects recently launched Connected Agents functionality.

Connected Agents allows AI systems to interact and share tools across environments. Researchers say default settings can expose sensitive capabilities without clear monitoring.

Zenity Labs reported attackers linking rogue agents to trusted systems. Exploits included unauthorised email sending and data access.

Experts urge organisations to disable Connected Agents for critical workloads. Stronger authentication and restricted access are advised until safeguards improve.

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AI cheating drives ACCA to halt online exams

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has announced it will largely end remote examinations in the UK from March 2026, requiring students to sit tests in person unless exceptional circumstances apply.

The decision aims to address a surge in cheating, particularly facilitated by AI tools.

Remote testing was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow students to continue qualifying when in-person exams were impossible. The ACCA said online assessments have now become too difficult to monitor effectively, despite efforts to strengthen safeguards against misconduct.

Investigations show cheating has impacted major auditing firms, including the ‘big four’ and other top companies. High-profile cases, such as EY’s $100m (£74m) settlement in the US, highlight the risks posed by compromised professional examinations.

While other accounting bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, continue to allow some online exams, the ACCA has indicated that high-stakes assessments must now be conducted in person to maintain credibility and integrity.

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New AI brain model mirrors lab animal behaviour without using animal data

A new computational brain model, built entirely from biological principles, has learned a visual categorisation task with accuracy and variability matching that of lab animals. Remarkably, the model achieved these results without being trained on any animal data.

The biomimetic design integrates detailed synaptic rules with large-scale architecture across the cortex, striatum, brainstem, and acetylcholine-modulated systems.

As the model learned, it reproduced neural rhythms observed in real animals, including strengthened beta-band synchrony during correct decisions. The result demonstrates emergent realism in both behaviour and underlying neural activity.

The model also revealed a previously unnoticed set of ‘incongruent neurons’ that predicted errors. When researchers revisited animal data, they found the same signals had gone undetected, highlighting the platform’s potential to uncover hidden neural dynamics.

Beyond neuroscience research, the model offers a powerful tool for testing neurotherapeutic interventions in silico. Simulating disease-related circuits allows scientists to test treatments before costly clinical trials, potentially speeding up the development of next-generation neurotherapeutics.

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KT faces action in South Korea after a femtocell security breach impacts users

South Korea has blamed weak femtocell security at KT Corp for a major mobile payment breach that triggered thousands of unauthorised transactions.

Officials said the mobile operator used identical authentication certificates across femtocells and allowed them to stay valid for ten years, meaning any device that accessed the network once could do so repeatedly instead of being re-verified.

More than 22,000 users had identifiers exposed, and 368 people suffered unauthorised payments worth 243 million won.

Investigators also discovered that ninety-four KT servers were infected with over one hundred types of malware. Authorities concluded the company failed in its duty to deliver secure telecommunications services because its overall management of femtocell security was inadequate.

The government has now ordered KT to submit detailed prevention plans and will check compliance in June, while also urging operators to change authentication server addresses regularly and block illegal network access.

Officials said some hacking methods resembled a separate breach at SK Telecom, although there is no evidence that the same group carried out both attacks. KT said it accepts the findings and will soon set out compensation arrangements and further security upgrades instead of disputing the conclusions.

A separate case involving LG Uplus is being referred to police after investigators said affected servers were discarded, making a full technical review impossible.

The government warned that strong information security must become a survival priority as South Korea aims to position itself among the world’s leading AI nations.

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AI chatbots struggle with dialect fairness

Researchers are warning that AI chatbots may treat dialect speakers unfairly instead of engaging with them neutrally. Studies across English and German dialects found that large language models often attach negative stereotypes or misunderstand everyday expressions, leading to discriminatory replies.

A study in Germany tested ten language models using dialects such as Bavarian and Kölsch. The systems repeatedly described dialect speakers as uneducated or angry, and the bias became stronger when the dialect was explicitly identified.

Similar findings emerged elsewhere, including UK council services and AI shopping assistants that struggled with African American English.

Experts argue that such patterns risk amplifying social inequality as governments and businesses rely more heavily on AI. One Indian job applicant even saw a chatbot change his surname to reflect a higher caste, showing how linguistic bias can intersect with social hierarchy instead of challenging it.

Developers are now exploring customised AI models trained with local language data so systems can respond accurately without reinforcing stereotypes.

Researchers say bias can be tuned out of AI if handled responsibly, which could help protect dialect speakers rather than marginalise them.

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AI transforms Indian filmmaking

Filmmakers in India are rapidly adopting AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion to create visuals, clone voices, and streamline production processes for both independent and large-scale films.

Low-budget directors now produce nearly entire films independently, reducing costs and production time. Filmmakers use AI to visualise scenes, experiment creatively, and plan sound and effects efficiently.

AI cannot fully capture cultural nuance, emotional depth, or storytelling intuition, so human oversight remains essential. Intellectual property, labour protections, and ethical issues remain unresolved.

Hollywood has resisted AI, with strikes over rights and labour concerns. Indian filmmakers, however, carefully combine AI tools with human creativity to preserve artistic vision and cultural nuance.

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