Future of work

Policy gaps widen Europe’s 5G divide

Europe’s 5G deployment is moving at two speeds, with northern and southern countries leading and western and eastern ones falling behind. The disparity stems less from geography and more from policy gaps in spectrum allocation and subsidy execution.

While Europe saw an increase in 5G adoption overall, reaching 44.5% time spent on 5G, the deployment of 5G Standalone remains slow. Spain and the UK are notable exceptions, with proactive policy use and EU funding helping to close the rural-urban divide.

The analysis by Ookla suggests that effective regulation, not technology gaps, will determine how competitive Europe remains in 5G. As data traffic growth slows and operator revenues remain flat, strategic national policies will decide whether Europe keeps pace globally.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Eric Schmidt warns that AI growth is limited by electricity

Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has warned that electricity, rather than semiconductors, will limit the future growth of AI.

Speaking on the Moonshots podcast, Schmidt said the push towards artificial superintelligence—AI that exceeds human cognitive ability in almost all domains—will depend on securing sufficient power instead of just developing more advanced chips.

Schmidt noted the US alone may require an extra 92 gigawatts of electricity to support AI growth, equivalent to dozens of nuclear power stations.

Instead of waiting for new plants, companies such as Microsoft are seeking to retrofit closed facilities, including the Three Mile Island plant targeted for relaunch in 2028.

Schmidt highlighted growing environmental pressures, citing Microsoft’s 34% increase in water use within a year, a trend experts link directly to rising AI workloads.

Major AI developers like OpenAI’s Sam Altman also acknowledge energy as a key constraint. Altman has invested in nuclear fusion through Helion, while firms such as Microsoft and AMD are pressing US policymakers to fast-track energy permits.

Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, warn that unchecked AI expansion risks undermining climate goals instead of supporting them.

Schmidt believes superintelligence is inevitable and approaching rapidly, predicting specialised AI tools across all fields within five years. Rather than focusing solely on AI’s capabilities, he stressed the urgent need for planning energy infrastructure today to match tomorrow’s AI demands.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Amazon cuts hundreds of AWS jobs amid AI shift

Amazon has reportedly cut hundreds of jobs within its Amazon Web Services cloud computing division, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Instead of providing specific numbers, Amazon confirmed the decision, citing ongoing efforts to optimise resources while continuing to invest in customer-focused innovation.

These layoffs follow warnings by CEO Andy Jassy, who recently said the rising use of generative AI would reduce workforce needs across the company.

The cuts affect several AWS teams, including specialists who support customers in developing new products and selling services. Employees reported receiving termination emails on Thursday, with their system access deactivated soon after.

Rather than focusing solely on AWS, Amazon has also been reducing roles in other units, such as its books division, devices and services unit, and Wondery podcast platform.

Despite these workforce reductions, AWS sales rose 17% in the first quarter to $29.3 billion compared to a year earlier, with operating income increasing by 23% to $11.5 billion.

Amazon, alongside firms like Microsoft, Meta, and CrowdStrike, is increasingly relying on AI tools instead of human workers to automate tasks, write software code, and streamline operations as part of a broader trend affecting the tech industry.

Amazon’s latest cuts reflect efforts by Jassy to reduce bureaucracy and eliminate managerial layers, aiming to keep the company agile amid rapid AI adoption and changing business priorities.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Irish hospital turns to AI for appointment management

Beaumont Hospital in Dublin plans to deploy AI to predict patient no-shows and late cancellations, aiming to reduce wasted resources.

Instead of relying solely on reminders, the hospital will pilot AI software costing up to €110,000, using patient data to forecast missed appointments. Currently, no-shows account for 15.5% of its outpatient slots.

The system will integrate with Beaumont’s existing two-way text messaging service. Rather than sending uniform reminders, the AI model will tailor messages based on the likelihood of attendance while providing hospital staff with real-time insights to better manage clinic schedules.

The pilot is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, potentially expanding into a full €1.2 million contract.

The move forms part of Beaumont Hospital’s strategic plan through 2030 to reduce outpatient non-attendance. It follows the broader adoption of AI in Irish healthcare, including Mater Hospital’s recent launch of an AI and Digital Health centre designed to tackle clinical challenges using new technologies.

Instead of viewing AI as a future option, Irish hospitals now increasingly treat it as an immediate solution to operational inefficiencies, hoping it will transform healthcare delivery and improve patient service.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Library cuts across Massachusetts deepen digital divide

Massachusetts libraries face sweeping service reductions as federal funding cuts threaten critical educational and digital access programmes. Local and major libraries are bracing for the loss of key resources including summer reading initiatives, online research tools, and English language classes.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) said it has already lost access to 30 of 34 databases it once offered. Resources such as newspaper archives, literacy support for the blind and incarcerated, and citizenship classes have also been cancelled due to a $3.6 million shortfall.

Communities unable to replace federal grants with local funds will be disproportionately affected. With over 800 library applications for mobile internet hot spots now frozen, officials warn that students and jobseekers may lose vital lifelines to online learning, healthcare and employment.

The cuts are part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to shrink federal institutions, targeting what it deems anti-American programming. Legislators and library leaders say the result will widen the digital divide and undercut libraries’ role as essential pillars of equitable access

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Mistral’s chatbot Le Chat takes on ChatGPT with major upgrade

France-based AI startup Mistral has rolled out a major update to Le Chat, its AI chatbot, introducing new features aimed at challenging rivals like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. The update includes Deep Research, voice interaction, reasoning capabilities and a refreshed image editor.

According to the company’s latest blog post, the new Deep Research mode transforms Le Chat into a structured assistant that can clarify needs, search sources and deliver summarised findings. The tool enables users to receive comprehensive responses in a neatly formatted report.

In addition, Mistral unveiled Vocal mode, allowing users to speak to the chatbot as if they were talking to a person. The feature is powered by the firm’s voice input model, Voxtral, which handles voice recognition in real time.

The company also introduced Think mode, based on its Magistral reasoning model. Designed for multilingual and complex tasks, the feature provides thoughtful and clear responses, even when answering legal or professional queries in languages like Spanish or Japanese.

For users juggling multiple conversations or tasks, the new Projects tool groups related chats into separate spaces. Each project includes a dedicated Library for storing files and content, while also remembering individual tools and settings.

Users can upload documents directly into Projects and revisit past chats or references. Content from the Library can also be pulled into the active conversation, supporting a more seamless and personalised experience.

A revamped image editor rounds out the update, offering users the ability to tweak AI-generated visuals while maintaining consistency in character design and fine details. Mistral says the upgrade helps improve image customisation without compromising visual integrity.

All features are now available through Le Chat’s web platform at ‘chat.mistral.ai’ or via the company’s mobile apps on Android and iOS. The update reflects Mistral’s growing ambition to differentiate itself in the increasingly competitive AI assistant market.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Stay True To The Act campaign defends music rights

More than 30 European musicians have launched a united video campaign urging the European Commission to preserve the integrity of the EU AI Act.

The Stay True To The Act campaign calls on policymakers to enforce transparency and uphold copyright protections.

Artists, including Spanish singer-songwriter Álex Ubago and Poland’s Eurovision 2025 entrant Justyna Steczkowska, have voiced concern over the unauthorised use of their work to train AI models. They demand the right to be informed and the power to refuse such usage.

The EU AI Act, passed in 2024, includes provisions requiring developers to disclose the content used in AI training. However, as implementation plans develop, artists fear the law may be diluted, weakening protections for creators.

The campaign appeals for vigorous enforcement of the Act’s original principles: transparency, copyright control and fair innovation. Artists say AI and music can coexist in Europe only if ethical boundaries are upheld.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

LEO becomes Africa’s first AI chatbot to enable remittances

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has introduced cross-border payments via its AI chatbot, LEO, enabling instant transfers across African nations in local currencies.

However, this marks the first time an AI-powered chatbot has facilitated such transactions on the continent.

The feature relies on the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, developed by Afreximbank, which allows seamless fund transfers between African countries supported by their central banks. It eliminates the need for hard currencies and aims to reduce fees while supporting financial inclusion.

UBA said the service allows customers to send and receive money across borders within seconds through self-service channels, with zero charges for recipients.

The initiative also supports Africa’s wider economic ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.

The bank operates in 20 African countries and serves over 45 million customers worldwide. CEO Oliver Alawuba described the development as a bold step toward digital innovation and Pan-African integration.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

China now the top DDoS target, says Cloudflare

Cloudflare’s latest DDoS threat report reveals that business competitors initiate most known attacks. Of the customers who identified attackers, 63% blamed rivals, 21% pointed to state-linked actors, and 5% admitted self-inflicted disruptions caused by misconfigurations.

The Q2 report shows China as the most targeted country, followed by Brazil and Germany, while Ukraine, Singapore and Indonesia are listed among the top sources of DDoS traffic. Telecommunications, internet services and gaming are the industries most frequently targeted by attackers.

Cloudflare highlighted that the locations identified as sources often reflect the presence of botnets, proxies or VPNs, not the actual location of threat actors. Countries like the Netherlands appear high on the list due to favourable privacy laws and strong network infrastructure.

The company urged broader participation in its threat intelligence feed to help mitigate risks. Over 600 providers currently use Cloudflare’s data to remove abusive accounts and stop the spread of DDoS attacks across the internet.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Generative AI now powers 20% of new Steam games

Nearly 20 percent of video games released on Steam in 2025 include generative AI, according to a new report by Totally Human Media.

The report, based on data gathered from Steam, states that around 7,818 games currently disclose using generative AI. The figure represents roughly 7 percent of the platform’s entire catalogue. For games launched in 2025, nearly one in five incorporate AI tools or openly disclose doing so.

Compared to 2024, this marks a nearly 700 percent increase in generative AI adoption, reflecting a broader industry trend towards automation and machine-generated content.

Among the most prominent titles is My Summer Car, a vehicle simulation game with over 2.5 million copies sold. The developers disclosed that the game includes ‘some AI generated paintings found inside the main house’.

Valve, the company behind Steam, began requiring game developers to disclose AI use in January 2024. While the company did not comment on the findings, the policy has enabled public tracking of AI adoption across the platform.

Community reaction to the trend has been mixed. On Reddit, many users said they would automatically add AI-driven games to their ignore lists. One commenter wrote, ‘We need to tag them so they can be an ignored category.’ Others expressed disappointment in indie developers turning to generative tools over human artists.

Some users acknowledged the complexity of the issue. A typical comment noted that while AI usage in minor elements like UI assets might be acceptable, reliance on AI for core content raises questions about value and originality. One post read, ‘What am I paying for if it’s all AI? I agree with that sentiment.’

Steam’s Next Fest, which showcases upcoming releases, drew criticism from some players who said they lost interest in promising titles upon discovering their use of generative AI.

Despite user backlash, industry momentum continues to build. Many developers see AI as a means to streamline asset creation and reduce production costs, though concerns about quality, ethics, and employment remain central to the debate.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!