Future of work

Dubai emerges as a top tech hub in the Middle East

Dubai is emerging as a global hub for technology and innovation, driven by government-backed initiatives and a thriving ecosystem of Free Zones.

Their economic agenda aims to make it the fastest and most connected city worldwide, with emphasis on AI, fintech, blockchain, and other industries.

Free Zones such as Internet City and Silicon Oasis offer foreign firms 100% ownership, minimal bureaucracy, and world-class infrastructure.

Recent regulatory changes now allow these businesses to operate beyond Free Zones under certain conditions, giving firms greater flexibility and market access.

Initiatives like the Dubai Future Foundation, the Centre for AI, and Sandbox Dubai reinforce the city’s commitment to technological advancement.

With its collaborative tech clusters and growing venture capital support, Dubai is positioning itself as the Middle East’s leading destination for innovation.

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AI and farmers go head-to-head in China’s rice fields

China’s second AI rice farming competition is underway in Sichuan Province, where human farmers and AI-assisted teams are competing across 66.7 hectares of land. AI teams rely on a network of sensors and satellite data to guide real-time decision-making on planting and pest control

The initiative, running through September, tests whether machine learning can outperform traditional farming practices in yield, efficiency, and quality. Organisers emphasise that the competition is not a battle between humans and machines, but a step toward integrating AI into agriculture.

Last year’s challenge saw mixed results for AI, which outperformed two human teams but lagged behind experienced farmers. While its early-stage data analysis showed promise, gaps in adaptability and environmental perception limited its effectiveness.

Developers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have since improved the system’s algorithms, aiming to achieve over 80 percent alignment with farmers’ actions in this year’s edition.

As China seeks sustainable solutions for ageing farming populations and fragmented urban land, smart farming systems are emerging as vital tools to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance productivity.

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Swiss startup Aeon raises €8.2M to expand AI health platform

Swiss startup Aeon has raised €8.2 million in seed funding to advance its AI-powered preventive health platform aimed at tackling avoidable deaths.

The round was led by Concentric, with backing from several European venture firms and renowned investor Daniel Gutenberg.

Swiss Aeon combines full-body MRI scans, blood biomarker analysis, and genetic testing to detect over 500 conditions at early stages.

The platform boasts a 0 per cent false positive rate in clinical follow-ups, addressing a common issue in preventive medicine while winning the confidence of major insurers.

Its AI platform performs automated imaging analysis, cross-validation, and predictive modelling, offering patients personalised risk profiles and health plans.

With growing insurer partnerships nearly full reimbursement for its check-ups, Aeon is redefining access to care and personalised early detection.

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Kagame hails Algeria ties and AI education support

President Paul Kagame has praised Algeria’s support in educating Rwandan students in artificial intelligence and data science during his official visit to Algiers.

He highlighted the strength of bilateral ties and commended Algeria’s National School of AI, where five Rwandan students are currently enrolled.

The visit featured one-on-one discussions with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, focusing on intra-African trade, knowledge exchange, and lessons from national recovery.

Both leaders emphasised the importance of unity in uncertain times and expressed a shared vision for deepened cooperation.

Rwanda and Algeria signed 11 new agreements covering sectors such as AI, air transport, education, agriculture, and investment. Kagame confirmed plans to establish a Rwandan diplomatic mission in Algeria to boost economic engagement and foster stronger private sector collaboration.

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Nigeria launches AI Scaling Hub with Gates Foundation

In partnership with the Gates Foundation, Nigeria has launched the Nigeria Artificial Intelligence Scaling Hub, backed by a funding commitment of up to $7.5 million over three years.

Announced during a signing ceremony in Abuja, the initiative will focus on responsibly scaling AI solutions across healthcare, agriculture, and education.

The AI Scaling Hub aims to unite government agencies, tech firms, academia, and development partners to support the nationwide deployment of proven AI innovations.

Rather than developing isolated pilot projects, the hub intends to build a collaborative system that encourages mature AI tools to be applied widely.

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy stated that the move aligns with Nigeria’s draft National AI Strategy and broader technology agenda.

Minister Bosun Tijani said the hub would help turn local AI concepts into real-world results by offering innovators mentorship, resources, and support.

The Gates Foundation echoed the sentiment, with Nigeria Country Director Uche Amaonwu stressing the importance of ensuring AI benefits reach underserved communities.

The project also involves Lagos Business School and is expected to bolster Nigeria’s leadership in ethical AI adoption across Africa.

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Eminem sues Meta over copyright violations

Eminem has filed a major lawsuit against Meta, accusing the tech giant of knowingly enabling widespread copyright infringement across its platforms. The rapper’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, is seeking £80.6 million in damages, claiming 243 of his songs were used without authorisation.

The lawsuit argues that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, allowed tools such as Original Audio and Reels to encourage unauthorised reproduction and use of Eminem’s music.

The filing claims it occurred without proper licensing or attribution, significantly diminishing the value of his copyrights.

Eminem’s legal team contends that Meta profited from the infringement instead of ensuring his works were protected. If a settlement cannot be reached, the artist is demanding the maximum statutory damages — $150,000 per song — which would amount to over $109 million.

Meta has faced similar lawsuits before, including a high-profile case in 2022 brought by Epidemic Sound, which alleged the unauthorised use of thousands of its tracks. The latest claim adds to growing pressure on social media platforms to address copyright violations more effectively.

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Sam Altman says AI will soon solve complex business problems

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI is on the verge of helping humans make genuine discoveries and solve complex business problems.

Speaking at the Snowflake Summit 2025, Altman likened today’s AI agents to junior employees, saying they increasingly take on tasks and improve through iteration.

He predicted that by next year, AI agents could contribute to uncovering new knowledge and providing non-trivial business solutions.

His comments come amid a growing shift in the labour market, with firms like Shopify and Duolingo replacing human roles with AI systems to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Recent data shows a 19% drop in AI-performable tasks in online job postings over the last three years. Roles in IT and database administration have seen hiring reductions of over 30%, highlighting how AI is actively reshaping employment.

Altman also highlighted OpenAI’s latest tools, such as Codex and GPT-4.5, designed to handle increasingly sophisticated tasks like coding and software integration.

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Czech justice minister quits over bitcoin scandal

Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek has resigned after it emerged he received a €40 million bitcoin donation from a convicted drug dealer.

The funds, amounting to roughly 468 bitcoins, were sent by Tomáš Jiřikovský, previously imprisoned for operating an illicit drug marketplace and crypto theft.

Although courts did not confirm the crypto’s criminal origins, the transaction sparked widespread suspicion and investigations into potential money laundering and abuse of office.

Blažek denies any wrongdoing but stepped down to limit political fallout, a move welcomed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan described the donation as damaging to the Czech government’s credibility, and authorities have since frozen the funds.

Opposition parties have called for the government’s resignation ahead of an emergency parliamentary session on 5 June.

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AI to take over all Meta ads under new plan

Meta is preparing to transform digital advertising on its platforms, with reports indicating that by 2026, all adverts on Facebook and Instagram could be fully created and targeted using AI.

The company’s vision would see AI tools take over the entire process—from ad generation to audience selection—requiring advertisers to provide only a product image and budget.

Since introducing generative AI features for advertisers in May 2023, Meta has continued to expand its automation capabilities. Currently, AI plays a major role in targeting ads across Meta’s platforms.

Under the new system, Meta’s AI will go several steps further by generating text, visuals, and video, as well as optimising ad delivery for the most suitable audience.

The initiative is aligned with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader vision of AI-led automation, especially within advertising—Meta’s financial backbone, which accounted for over 97% of the company’s revenue last year.

Speaking at Meta’s annual shareholder meeting, Zuckerberg outlined a future where businesses simply define their marketing goal and budget, link a payment method, and allow Meta’s AI to handle the rest.

The company is also developing real-time personalisation tools. These will allow the same ad to appear differently depending on a user’s location or context—for example, showing a car in snowy terrain to one user, while another might see it in an urban setting.

Meta is also exploring integration with third-party AI models such as DALL·E and Midjourney to further enhance creative capabilities.

This move follows similar developments by rivals like Google, which recently launched its Veo video generation model. With AI continuing to reshape the advertising landscape, Meta is betting on full automation as the next frontier in digital marketing.

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Agentic Intelligence set to automate complex tasks with human oversight

Thomson Reuters has unveiled a new AI platform, Agentic Intelligence, designed to automate complex workflows for professionals in tax, legal, and compliance sectors.

The platform integrates directly with existing professional tools, enabling AI to plan, reason, and act on tasks while maintaining audit trails and data control to meet regulatory standards.

A key component of the launch is CoCounsel for Tax, a tool aimed at tax, audit, and accounting professionals. It consolidates firm-specific data, internal knowledge, and regulatory materials into a unified workspace.

Early adopters have reported significant productivity gains, with one accounting firm, BLISS 1041, cutting time spent on residency and filing code reviews from several days to under an hour.

Agentic Intelligence leverages over 20 billion proprietary and public documents and is supported by a network of 4,500 subject matter experts.

Built on partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Cloud, and AWS, the platform reflects Thomson Reuters’ strategic shift towards embedding AI across sectors traditionally dependent on manual expertise.

David Wong, chief product officer at Thomson Reuters, said the new platform represents more than a technological upgrade. ‘Agentic AI isn’t a marketing buzzword. It’s a new blueprint for how complex work gets done,’ he said.

‘These systems don’t just assist — they operate within professional workflows, break down tasks, act independently, and escalate where needed, all under human oversight.’

Following CoCounsel for Tax, the next product — Ready to Review — will focus on automating tax return preparation.

The platform is expected to expand into legal, compliance, and risk sectors throughout 2025, building on previous acquisitions such as Materia and Casetext, which have helped lay the foundation for Thomson Reuters’ AI-centric growth strategy.

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