Future of work Archives | Page 6 of 210 | Digital Watch Observatory

AI-driven physics speeds up industrial innovation

PhysicsX, a London-based startup founded by former F1 engineers and AI experts, is redefining engineering with its AI-driven physics platform.

Design and testing cycles are reduced from weeks or months to seconds. Engineers can now iterate rapidly and optimise systems across multiple industries, including aerospace, automotive, semiconductors, energy, and materials.

The technology enables teams to evaluate thousands of design variations simultaneously. Semiconductor firms speed up prototype development, electronics improve thermal performance, and mining boosts copper recovery for renewable energy and AI data centres.

PhysicsX achieves this using Large Physics Models and Large Geometry Models that base design evaluation on real-world physics rather than assumptions.

Predictive reasoning lets engineers simulate multiple parameter changes before acting. The approach shifts control from reactive adjustments to proactive optimisation, helping teams make faster, better-informed decisions.

PhysicsX also bridges disciplinary divides, enabling aerodynamics, structural, and thermal considerations to be optimised together rather than in isolation.

By combining speed, system-level insight, and predictive control, PhysicsX is shrinking the gap between cutting-edge research and practical industrial impact. The platform uses physics-based AI to improve efficiency, drive innovation, and support sustainable growth.

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AI drives faster modernisation of legacy COBOL systems

Critical to finance, airlines, and government, COBOL handles about 95% of US ATM transactions. Despite its ubiquity, the pool of developers able to read and maintain COBOL is shrinking as seasoned engineers retire and universities offer limited instruction.

Institutional knowledge is now embedded in decades-old code, and documentation often lags.

Modernising COBOL differs from typical software updates. It requires untangling intricate dependencies and reverse-engineering business logic that has evolved over decades.

Traditional modernisation efforts involved large teams of consultants over the years, resulting in high costs and lengthy timelines. AI tools are changing that paradigm by automating the most labour-intensive tasks.

AI-driven solutions like Claude Code map code dependencies, trace execution paths, document workflows, and identify risks. They provide teams with actionable insights for prioritisation, risk management, and refactoring, dramatically shortening modernisation timelines from years to months.

Human experts remain essential to reviewing AI recommendations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and making strategic decisions about which components to modernise first.

Implementation follows an incremental approach. AI translates COBOL logic into modern languages, creates integration scaffolding, and supports side-by-side operation with legacy components.

Continuous validation at each step reduces risk, allowing teams to build confidence as complex parts of the system are modernised. AI automation combined with expert oversight makes large-scale COBOL modernisation feasible.

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AI data centre surge pushes electricity demand in the UK to new heights

The UK faces rising pressure on its electricity system as about 140 new data centre projects could demand more power than the country’s current peak consumption, according to Ofgem.

The regulator said developers are seeking about 50 gigawatts of capacity, a level driven by rapid growth in AI and far beyond earlier forecasts.

Connection requests have surged since late 2024, placing strain on a grid already struggling to support vital renewable projects that are key to national climate targets.

Work needed to connect expanding data centre capacity could delay schemes considered essential for decarbonisation and economic growth, instead of supporting the transition at the required pace.

The growing electricity footprint of AI infrastructure also threatens the aim of creating a virtually carbon-free power system by 2030, particularly as high costs and slow grid integration continue to hinder progress.

A proposed data centre in Lincolnshire has already raised concerns by projecting emissions greater than those of several international airports combined.

Ofgem now warns that speculative grid applications are blocking more viable projects, including those tied to government AI growth zones.

The regulator is considering more stringent financial requirements and new fees for access to grid connections, arguing that developers may need to build their own routes to the network rather than rely entirely on existing infrastructure.

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AWS warns of AI powered cybercrime

Amazon Web Services has revealed that a Russian-speaking threat actor used commercial AI tools to compromise more than 600 FortiGate firewalls across 55 countries. AWS described the campaign as an AI-powered assembly line for cybercrime.

According to AWS, the attacker relied on exposed management ports and weak single-factor credentials rather than exploiting software vulnerabilities. The campaign targeted FortiGate devices globally and focused on harvesting credentials and configuration data.

AWS said the potentially Russian group appeared unsophisticated but achieved scale through AI-assisted mass scanning and automation. When encountering stronger defences, the attackers reportedly shifted to easier targets rather than persist.

The company advised organisations using FortiGate appliances to secure management interfaces, change default credentials and enforce complex passwords. Amazon said it was not compromised during the campaign.

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Wikipedia removes Archive.today links

Wikipedia editors have voted to remove all links to Archive.today, citing allegations that the web archive was involved in a distributed denial of service attack.

Editors said Archive.today, which also operates under domains such as archive.is and archive.ph, should not be linked because it allegedly used visitors’ browsers to target blogger Jani Patokallio. The site has also been accused of altering archived pages, raising concerns about reliability.

Archive.today had previously been blacklisted in 2013 before being reinstated in 2016. Wikipedia’s latest guidance calls for replacing Archive.today links with original sources or alternative archives such as the Wayback Machine.

The apparent owner of Archive.today denied wrongdoing in posts linked from the site and suggested the controversy had been exaggerated. Wikipedia editors nevertheless concluded that readers should not be directed to a service facing such allegations.

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OpenAI model revises proof claim

OpenAI has published its attempts to solve all 10 problems in the First Proof challenge, a research-level maths test designed to assess whether AI can produce checkable, domain-specific proofs. Leading experts created the issues and require extended reasoning rather than short answers.

The company said at least five of its proof attempts are likely correct following expert feedback, although one previously confident submission has now been judged incorrect. Several other attempts remain under review as specialists continue to assess the arguments.

According to OpenAI, the evaluation involved limited human supervision, with researchers sometimes prompting the model to refine or clarify reasoning. The process included exchanges between an internal model and ChatGPT for verification, formatting and style adjustments.

OpenAI described frontier research challenges, such as First Proof, as crucial for testing next-generation AI systems. The company said it plans to deepen its engagement with academics to develop more rigorous evaluation frameworks for research-grade reasoning.

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Stanford speech warns of AI tsunami

Senator Bernie Sanders has warned at Stanford University in California that the US is unprepared for the speed and scale of the AI revolution. Speaking in California alongside Congressman Ro Khanna, he called the moment one of the most dangerous in modern US history.

At Stanford University, Sanders urged a moratorium on the expansion of AI data centres to slow development while lawmakers catch up. He argued that the American public lacks a clear understanding of the economic and social impact ahead and that New York is already considering a pause.

Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in California, rejected a complete moratorium but called for steering AI growth through renewable energy and water efficiency standards. He outlined principles to prevent wealth from being concentrated among a small group of tech billionaires.

Sanders also raised concerns in California about job losses and emotional reliance on AI, citing projections of widespread automation. He called for a national debate in the US over whether AI will benefit the public or deepen inequality.

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Pension savers increasingly rely on AI for retirement planning

AI is becoming a preferred tool for those beginning their retirement planning. Data on searches and website traffic suggests AI is meeting early-stage needs for pension guidance.

Platforms offering general financial information, such as MoneyHelper, have seen traffic fall by 10% over the past six months. At the same time, AI-generated overviews of pension content are on the rise.

AI tools are mainly used to sense-check retirement decisions, model ‘what-if’ scenarios, simplify pension jargon, and assist with tax planning. Users view AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for regulated advice.

Despite the rise of AI, bespoke advisory services, such as Pension Wise, have remained relevant, providing personalised guidance that AI cannot fully replace. PensionBee highlights that AI is helpful for basic guidance, but services remain essential for more complex planning.

Experts warn that the retirement sector faces a challenge in maintaining trust and relevance as AI continues to improve. Savers increasingly rely on technology for guidance, signalling a shift in how pensions are researched and managed.

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Majority of college students use or must use AI in classwork, but institutions lag in AI education

Research from Honorlock indicates a substantial shift in how students engage with generative AI in higher education: more than 56% of surveyed US college–enrolled students report being required to use AI tools in coursework, and 63% use AI for at least some assignments.

The most common uses include grammar and editing support (59%) and text generation (57%), with students also using AI to brainstorm ideas and clarify concepts.

Despite widespread AI use, there remains a significant gap in formal AI education: only 31% of students are aware of AI-focused courses at their institutions, and fewer than 20% have taken them.

Students themselves often learn AI skills independently rather than through a structured curriculum, potentially leaving them unprepared for workplaces where AI fluency is expected.

The survey also highlights academic integrity risks: more than one-third of students admitted to using AI assistance on quizzes or exams, underlining the need for clear AI use policies, responsible-use training and ethical frameworks within higher education.

Researchers and advocates argue that colleges should integrate AI literacy, including ethics, governance, real-world applications and responsible use, into coursework to better equip graduates for AI-enabled careers.

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Deutsche Bank expands digital asset plans

The German banking giant has applied for a digital asset custody licence from BaFin, marking a significant step in its expansion into cryptocurrency services. The move positions Deutsche Bank to offer safekeeping solutions for clients seeking exposure to digital assets.

Plans form part of a broader strategy to build a dedicated digital assets division, according to David Lynne, a commercial banking executive. DWS Group’s initiatives highlight rising institutional interest in crypto partnerships in Germany.

Previous experimentation includes a tokenised investment platform developed in Singapore with Memento Blockchain, enabling access to digital asset funds through fiat on-ramps.

Activity mirrors wider domestic momentum, as Deutsche WertpapierService Bank has already launched crypto infrastructure linking traditional and digital accounts.

Regulatory clarity and growing client demand appear to be key drivers, with Deutsche Bank signalling a cautious yet deliberate approach to integrating cryptocurrencies into its mainstream banking services.

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