The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has proposed new rules requiring major online platforms to establish independent oversight committees focused on personal data protection. The draft regulation, released Friday, 13 September 2025, is open for public comment until 12 October 2025.
Under the proposal, platforms with large user bases and complex operations must form committees of at least seven members, two-thirds of whom must be external experts without ties to the company. These experts must have at least three years of experience in data security and be well-versed in relevant laws and standards.
The committees will oversee sensitive data handling, cross-border transfers, security incidents, and regulatory compliance. They are also tasked with maintaining open communication channels with users about data concerns.
If a platform fails to act and offers unsatisfactory reasons, the issue can be escalated to provincial regulators in China.
The CAC says the move aims to enhance transparency and accountability by involving independent experts in monitoring and flagging high-risk data practices.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Google’s Gemini latest update has sparked a social media craze by allowing users to transform 2D photos into lifelike 3D figurines. The feature, part of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, has quickly become the standout trend from the update.
Instead of serving as a photo-editing tool, Gemini now helps users turn selfies, portraits, and pet photos into stylized statuettes. The images resemble collectable vinyl or resin figures, with smooth finishes and polished detailing.
The digital figurine trend blends personalisation with creativity, allowing users to reimagine themselves or loved ones as miniature display pieces. The playful results have been widely shared across platforms, driving renewed engagement with Google’s AI suite.
The figurine generator also complements Gemini’s other creative functions, such as image combination and style transformation, which allow users to experiment with entirely new aesthetics. Together, these tools extend Gemini’s appeal beyond simple photo correction.
While other platforms have offered 3D effects, Gemini’s version produces highly polished results in seconds, democratising what was once a niche 3D modelling skill. For many, it is the most accessible way to turn memories into digital art.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Ghana has launched the National Privacy Awareness Campaign, a year-long initiative to strengthen citizens’ privacy rights and build public trust in the country’s expanding digital ecosystem.
Unveiled by Deputy Minister Mohammed Adams Sukparu, the campaign emphasises that data protection is not just a legal requirement but essential to innovation, digital participation, and Ghana’s goal of becoming Africa’s AI hub.
The campaign will run from September 2025 to September 2026 across all 16 regions, using English and key local languages to promote widespread awareness.
The initiative includes the inauguration of the Ghana Association of Privacy Professionals (GAPP) and recognition of new Certified Data Protection Officers, many trained through the One Million Coders Programme.
Officials stressed that effective data governance requires government, private sector, civil society, and media collaboration. The Data Protection Commission reaffirmed its role in protecting privacy while noting ongoing challenges such as limited awareness and skills gaps.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A small Japanese political party has announced plans to install an AI system as its leader following its founder’s resignation.
The Path to Rebirth party was created in January by Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor who rose to prominence after placing second in the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election. He stepped down after the party failed to secure seats in this year’s upper house elections.
The AI would oversee internal decisions such as distributing resources, but would not dictate members’ political activities. Okumura, who won a contest to succeed Ishimaru, will act as the nominal leader while supporting the development of the AI.
Despite attracting media attention, the party has faced heavy electoral defeats, with all 42 of its candidates losing in the June Tokyo assembly election and all 10 of its upper house candidates defeated in July.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A new interdisciplinary study from Bielefeld University and other leading institutions explores why humans excel at adapting to new situations while AI systems often struggle. Researchers found humans generalise through abstraction and concepts, while AI relies on statistical or rule-based methods.
The study proposes a framework to align human and AI reasoning, defining generalisation, how it works, and how it can be assessed. Experts say differences in generalisation limit AI flexibility and stress the need for human-centred design in medicine, transport, and decision-making.
Researchers collaborated across more than 20 institutions, including Bielefeld, Bamberg, Amsterdam, and Oxford, under the SAIL project. The initiative aims to develop AI systems that are sustainable, transparent, and better able to support human values and decision-making.
Interdisciplinary insights may guide the responsible use of AI in human-AI teams, ensuring machines complement rather than disrupt human judgement.
The findings underline the importance of bridging cognitive science and AI research to foster more adaptable, trustworthy, and human-aligned AI systems capable of tackling complex, real-world challenges.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Kering has confirmed a data breach affecting several of its luxury brands, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Brioni, and Alexander McQueen, after unauthorised access to its Salesforce systems compromised millions of customer records.
Hacking group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility, alleging it exfiltrated 43.5 million records from Gucci and nearly 13 million from the other brands. The stolen data includes names, email addresses, dates of birth, sales histories, and home addresses.
Kering stated that the incident occurred in June 2025 and did not compromise bank or credit card details or national identifiers. The company has reported the breach to the relevant regulators and is notifying the affected customers.
Evidence shared by ShinyHunters suggests Balenciaga made an initial ransom payment of €500,000 before negotiations broke down. The group released sample data and chat logs to support its claims.
ShinyHunters has exploited Salesforce weaknesses in previous attacks targeting luxury, travel, and financial firms. Questions remain about the total number of affected customers and the potential exposure of other Kering brands.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The US tech giant, Google, has dismissed over 200 contractors working on its Gemini chatbot and AI Overviews tool. However, this sparks criticism from labour advocates and claims of retaliation against workers pushing for unionisation.
Many affected staff were highly trained ‘super raters’ who helped refine Google’s AI systems, yet were abruptly laid off.
The move highlights growing concerns over job insecurity in the AI sector, where companies depend heavily on outsourced and low-paid contract workers instead of permanent employees.
Workers allege they were penalised for raising issues about inadequate pay, poor working conditions, and the risks of training AI that could eventually replace them.
Google has attempted to distance itself from the controversy, arguing that subcontractor GlobalLogic handled the layoffs rather than the company itself.
Yet critics say that outsourcing allows the tech giant to expand its AI operations without accountability, while undermining collective bargaining efforts.
Labour experts warn that the cuts reflect a broader industry trend in which AI development rests on precarious work arrangements. With union-busting claims intensifying, the dismissals are now seen as part of a deeper struggle over workers’ rights in the digital economy.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Harvard Medical School researchers have developed an AI tool that could transform drug discovery by identifying multiple drivers of disease and suggesting treatments to restore cells to a healthy state.
The model, called PDGrapher, utilises graph neural networks to map the relationships between genes, proteins, and cellular pathways, thereby predicting the most effective targets for reversing disease. Unlike traditional approaches that focus on a single protein, it considers multiple factors at once.
Trained on datasets of diseased cells before and after treatment, PDGrapher correctly predicted known drug targets and identified new candidates supported by emerging research. The model ranked potential targets up to 35% higher and worked 25 times faster than comparable tools.
Researchers are now applying PDGrapher to complex diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and various cancers, where single-target therapies often fail. By identifying combinations of targets, the tool can help overcome drug resistance and expedite treatment design.
Senior author Marinka Zitnik said the ultimate goal is to create a cellular ‘roadmap’ to guide therapy development and enable personalised treatments for patients. After further validation, PDGrapher could become a cornerstone in precision medicine.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Australia’s Year 12 students are the first to complete their final school years with widespread access to AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Educators warn that while the technology can support study, it risks undermining the core skills of independent thinking and writing. In English, the only compulsory subject, critical thinking is now viewed as more essential than ever.
Trials in New South Wales and South Australia use AI programs designed to guide rather than provide answers, but teachers remain concerned about how to verify work and ensure students value their own voices.
Experts argue that exams, such as the VCE English paper in October, highlight the reality that AI cannot sit assessments. Students must still practise planning, drafting and reflecting on ideas, skills which remain central to academic success.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The United States and China have reached a tentative ‘framework’ deal on the future of TikTok’s American operations, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed during trade talks in Madrid. The agreement, which still requires the approval of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, is aimed at resolving a looming deadline that could see the video-sharing app banned in the US unless its Chinese owner ByteDance sells its American division.
US officials say the framework addresses national security concerns by paving the way for US ownership of TikTok’s operations, while China insists any final deal must not undermine its companies’ interests. The Biden administration has long argued that the app’s access to US user data poses significant risks, while ByteDance maintains its American arm operates independently and respects user privacy.
The law mandating a sale or ban, upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year, is due to take effect on 17 September. Although the framework marks progress, key details remain unresolved, particularly over whether TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and user data will be fully transferred, stored, and protected in the US.
Experts warn that unless strict safeguards are included, the deal may solve ownership issues without closing potential ‘backdoors’ for Beijing. Concerns also remain over how much influence China retains, with negotiators linking TikTok’s fate to wider tariff discussions between the two powers.
If fully implemented, the agreement could represent a breakthrough in both trade relations and tech governance. But with ByteDance among China’s most powerful AI firms, the stakes go far beyond social media, touching on questions of global competition, national security, and digital sovereignty.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
