Future of work

Samsung pilots AI coding tool Cline for internal developers

Samsung Electronics is testing a new open-source AI coding assistant called Cline, which is expected to be adopted by its Device eXperience (DX) division as early as next month, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Cline leverages Claude 3.7 Sonnet’s advanced agentic coding capabilities to autonomously handle complex software development tasks. The goal is to significantly boost developer productivity across Samsung’s mobile and home appliance units, which are both part of the DX division.

The move aligns with Samsung’s broader AI for All strategy. Last month, the company created a dedicated AI productivity innovation group within the DX division.

This follows the establishment of an AI centre within its chip business in December 2024, further underscoring the tech giant’s commitment to embedding AI across its operations.

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Google’s Pichai says AI will free coders to focus on creativity

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has said AI is not a threat to human jobs—particularly in engineering—but rather a tool to make work more creative and efficient.

In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, Pichai explained that AI is already powering productivity across Google, contributing to 30% of code generation and improving overall engineering velocity by around 10%.

Far from cutting staff, Pichai confirmed Google plans to hire more engineers in 2025, arguing that AI expands possibilities rather than reducing demand.

‘The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding too,’ he said. ‘It makes coding more fun and frees you up for creativity, problem-solving, and brainstorming.’

Rather than replacing jobs, Pichai sees AI as a companion—handling repetitive tasks and enabling engineers to focus on innovation. He believes this shift will also democratise software development, empowering more people to build and create with code.

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UK judges issue warning on unchecked AI use by lawyers

A senior UK judge has warned that lawyers may face prosecution if they continue citing fake legal cases generated by AI without verifying their accuracy.

High Court justice Victoria Sharp called the misuse of AI a threat to justice and public trust, after lawyers in two recent cases relied on false material created by generative tools.

In one £90 million lawsuit involving Qatar National Bank, a lawyer submitted 18 cases that did not exist. The client later admitted to supplying the false information, but Justice Sharp criticised the lawyer for depending on the client’s research instead of conducting proper legal checks.

In another case, five fabricated cases were used in a housing claim against the London Borough of Haringey. The barrister denied using AI but failed to provide a clear explanation.

Both incidents have been referred to professional regulators. Sharp warned that submitting false information could amount to contempt of court or, in severe cases, perverting the course of justice — an offence that can lead to life imprisonment.

While recognising AI as a useful legal tool, Sharp stressed the need for oversight and regulation. She said AI’s risks must be managed with professional discipline if public confidence in the legal system is to be preserved.

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UK teams with tech giants on AI training

The UK government is launching a nationwide AI skills initiative aimed at both workers and schoolchildren, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing partnerships with major tech companies including Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

The £187 million TechFirst programme will provide AI education to one million secondary students and train 7.5 million workers over the next five years.

Rather than keeping such tools limited to specialists, the government plans to make AI training accessible across classrooms and businesses. Companies involved will make learning materials freely available to boost digital skills and productivity, particularly in using chatbots and large language models.

Starmer said the scheme is designed to empower the next generation to shape AI’s future instead of being shaped by it. He called it the start of a new era of opportunity and growth, as the UK aims to strengthen its global leadership in AI.

The initiative arrives as the country’s AI sector, currently worth £72 billion, is projected to grow to more than £800 billion by 2035.

The government also signed two agreements with NVIDIA to support a nationwide AI talent pipeline, reinforcing efforts to expand both the workforce and innovation in the sector.

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Quantum light beats AI at its own game in surprise photonic experiment

A small-scale quantum device developed by researchers at the University of Vienna has outperformed advanced classical machine learning algorithms—including some used in today’s leading AI systems—using just two photons and a glass chip.

The experiment suggests that useful quantum advantage could arrive far sooner than previously thought, not in massive future machines but in today’s modest photonic setups.

The team’s six-mode processor doesn’t rely on raw speed to beat traditional systems. Instead, it harnesses a uniquely quantum property: the way identical particles interfere. This interference naturally computes mathematical structures known as permanents, which are computationally expensive for classical systems.

By embedding these quantum calculations into a pattern-recognition task, the researchers consistently achieved higher classification accuracy across multiple datasets.

Crucially, the device operates with extreme energy efficiency, offering a promising route to sustainable AI. Co-author Iris Agresti highlighted the growing energy costs of modern machine learning and pointed to photonic quantum systems as a potential solution.

These early results could pave the way for new applications in areas where training data is limited and classical methods fall short—redefining the future of AI and quantum computing alike.

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Odyssey presents immersive AI-powered streaming

Odyssey, a startup founded by self-driving veterans Oliver Cameron and Jeff Hawke, has unveiled an AI model that allows users to interact with streaming video in real time.

The technology generates video frames every 40 milliseconds, enabling users to move through scenes like a 3D video game instead of passively watching. A demo is currently available online, though it is still in its early stages.

The system relies on a new kind of ‘world model’ that predicts future visual states based on previous actions and environments. Odyssey claims its model can maintain spatial consistency, learn motion from video, and sustain coherent video output for five minutes or more.

Unlike models trained solely on internet data, Odyssey captures real-world environments using a custom 360-degree, backpack-mounted camera to build higher-fidelity simulations.

Tech giants and AI startups are exploring world models to power next-generation simulations and interactive media. Yet creative professionals remain wary. A 2024 study commissioned by the Animation Guild predicted significant job disruptions across film and animation.

Game studios like Activision Blizzard have been scrutinised for using AI while cutting staff.

Odyssey, however, insists its goal is collaboration instead of replacement. The company is also developing software to let creators edit scenes using tools like Unreal Engine and Blender.

Backed by $27 million in funding and supported by Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, Odyssey aims to transform video content across entertainment, education, and advertising through on-demand interactivity.

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UK cracks down on rogue influencers

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken action against unauthorised financial influencers in a coordinated international crackdown, resulting in three arrests. Regulators across six countries, participated in the effort, targeting those offering unlicensed tips or falsely promoting products.

Hundreds of social media posts of websites are being taken down after being linked to misleading financial advice presented under the guise of luxury lifestyles. The FCA issued cease and desist letters and called several influencers in for questioning.

The FCA highlighted that many of these posts fail to explain risks and often encourage followers to pay for unverified trading algorithms. The campaign aims to protect people, especially young users, who increasingly use online sources for financial education.

Meta was questioned by the Treasury Committee over delays, prompting the firm to acknowledge a processing lapse in 2024. Separately, the UK FCA is reviewing a ban on crypto exchange-traded notes, signalling a shift toward regulated crypto investment for retail users.

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Bjorn Ulvaeus says AI is ‘an extension of your mind’

ABBA legend Bjorn Ulvaeus is working on a new musical with the help of AI, describing the technology as ‘an extension of your mind.’ Despite previously criticising AI companies’ unlicensed use of artists’ work, the 80-year-old Swedish songwriter believes AI can be a valuable creative partner.

At London’s inaugural SXSW, Ulvaeus explained how he uses AI tools to explore lyrical ideas and overcome writer’s block. ‘It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame,’ he said.

‘You can prompt a lyric and ask where to go from there. It usually comes out with garbage, but sometimes something in it gives you another idea.’

Ulvaeus was among over 10,000 creatives who signed an open letter warning of the risks AI poses to artists’ rights. Still, he maintains that when used with consent and care, AI can support — not replace — human creativity. ‘It must not exclude the human,’ he warned.

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AI in higher education: A mixed blessing for students and institutions

AI rapidly reshapes university life, offering students new tools to boost creativity, structure assignments, and develop ideas more efficiently. At institutions like Oxford Brookes University, students like 22-year-old Sunjaya Phillips have found that AI enhances confidence and productivity when used responsibly, with faculty guidance.

She describes AI as a ‘study buddy’ that transformed her academic experience, especially during creative blocks, where AI-generated prompts saved valuable time. However, the rise of AI in academia also raises important concerns.

A global student survey revealed that while many embrace AI in their studies, a majority fear its long-term implications on employment. Some admit to misusing the technology for dishonest purposes, highlighting the ethical challenges it presents.

Experts like Dr Charlie Simpson from Oxford Brookes caution that relying too heavily on AI to ‘do the thinking’ undermines educational goals and may devalue the learning process.

Despite these concerns, many educators and institutions remain optimistic about AI’s potential—if used wisely. Professor Keiichi Nakata from Henley Business School stresses that AI is not a replacement but a powerful aid, likening its expected workplace relevance to today’s basic IT skills.

He and others argue that responsible AI use could elevate the capabilities of future graduates and reshape degree expectations accordingly. While some students worry about job displacement, others, like Phillips, view AI as a support system rather than a threat.

The consensus among academics is clear: success in the age of AI will depend not on avoiding the technology, but on mastering it with discernment, ethics, and adaptability.

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ChatGPT adds meeting recording and cloud access

OpenAI has launched new features for ChatGPT that allow it to record meetings, transcribe conversations, and pull information directly from cloud platforms like Google Drive and SharePoint.

Instead of relying on typed input alone, users can now speak to ChatGPT, which records audio, creates editable summaries, and helps generate follow-up content such as emails or project outlines.

‘Record’ is currently available to Team users via the macOS app and will soon expand to Enterprise and Edu accounts.

The recording tool automatically deletes the audio after transcription and applies existing workspace data rules, ensuring recordings are not used for training.

Instead of leaving notes scattered across different platforms, users gain a structured and searchable history of conversations, voice notes, or brainstorming sessions, which ChatGPT can recall and apply during future interactions.

At the same time, OpenAI has introduced new connectors for business users that let ChatGPT access files from cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and others.

These connectors allow ChatGPT to search and summarise information from internal documents, rather than depending only on web search or user uploads. The update also includes beta support for Deep Research agents that can work with tools like GitHub and HubSpot.

OpenAI has embraced the Model Context Protocol, an open standard allowing organisations to build their own custom connectors for proprietary tools.

Rather than serving purely as a general-purpose chatbot, ChatGPT is evolving into a workplace assistant capable of tapping into and understanding a company’s complete knowledge base.

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