Intellectual property rights

Japan’s KDDI partners with Google for AI-driven news service

Japan’s telecom leader KDDI is set to partner with Google to introduce an AI-powered news search service in spring 2026. The platform will use Google’s Gemini model to deliver articles from authorised Japanese media sources while preventing copyright violations.

The service will cite original publishers and exclude independent web scraping, addressing growing global concerns about the unauthorised use of journalism by generative AI systems. Around six domestic media companies, including digital outlets, are expected to join the initiative.

KDDI aims to strengthen user trust by offering reliable news through a transparent and copyright-safe AI interface. Details of how the articles will appear to users are still under review, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The move follows lawsuits filed in Tokyo by major Japanese newspapers, including Nikkei and Yomiuri, against US startup Perplexity AI over alleged copyright infringement. Industry experts say KDDI’s collaboration could become a model for responsible AI integration in news services.

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

EU considers classifying ChatGPT as a search engine under the DSA. What are the implications?

The European Commission is pondering whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT should be designated as a ‘Very Large Online Search Engine’ (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a move that could reshape how generative AI tools are regulated across Europe.

OpenAI recently reported that ChatGPT’s search feature reached 120.4 million monthly users in the EU over the past six months, well above the 45 million threshold that triggers stricter obligations for major online platforms and search engines. The Commission confirmed it is reviewing the figures and assessing whether ChatGPT meets the criteria for designation.

The key question is whether ChatGPT’s live search function should be treated as an independent service or as part of the chatbot as a whole. Legal experts note that the DSA applies to intermediary services such as hosting platforms or search engines, categories that do not neatly encompass generative AI systems.

Implications for OpenAI

If designated, ChatGPT would be the first AI chatbot formally subject to DSA obligations, including systemic risk assessments, transparency reporting, and independent audits. OpenAI would need to evaluate how ChatGPT affects fundamental rights, democratic processes, and mental health, updating its systems and features based on identified risks.

‘As part of mitigation measures, OpenAI may need to adapt ChatGPT’s design, features, and functionality,’ said Laureline Lemoine of AWO. ‘Compliance could also slow the rollout of new tools in Europe if risk assessments aren’t planned in advance.’

The company could also face new data-sharing obligations under Article 40 of the DSA, allowing vetted researchers to request information about systemic risks and mitigation efforts, potentially extending to model data or training processes.

A test case for AI oversight

Legal scholars say the decision could set a precedent for generative AI regulation across the EU. ‘Classifying ChatGPT as a VLOSE will expand scrutiny beyond what’s currently covered under the AI Act,’ said Natali Helberger, professor of information law at the University of Amsterdam.

Experts warn the DSA would shift OpenAI from voluntary AI-safety frameworks and self-defined benchmarks to binding obligations, moving beyond narrow ‘bias tests’ to audited systemic-risk assessments, transparency and mitigation duties. ‘The DSA’s due diligence regime will be a tough reality check,’ said Mathias Vermeulen, public policy director at AWO.

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

A licensed AI music platform emerges from UMG and Udio

UMG and Udio have struck an industry-first deal to license AI music, settle litigation, and launch a 2026 platform that blends creation, streaming, and sharing in a licensed environment. Training uses authorised catalogues, with fingerprinting, filtering, and revenue sharing for artists and songwriters.

Udio’s current app stays online during the transition under a walled garden, with fingerprinting, filtering, and other controls added ahead of relaunch. Rights management sits at the core: licensed inputs, transparent outputs, and enforcement that aims to deter impersonation and unlicensed derivatives.

Leaders frame the pact as a template for a healthier AI music economy that aligns rightsholders, developers, and fans. Udio calls it a way to champion artists while expanding fan creativity, and UMG casts it as part of its broader AI partnerships across platforms.

Commercial focus extends beyond headline licensing to business model design, subscriptions, and collaboration tools for creators. Expect guardrails around style guidance, attribution, and monetisation, plus pathways for official stems and remix packs so fan edits can be cleared and paid.

Governance will matter as usage scales, with audits of model inputs, takedown routes, and payout rules under scrutiny. Success will be judged on artist adoption, catalogue protection, and whether fans get safer ways to customise music without sacrificing rights.

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

Top institutes team up with Google DeepMind to spearhead AI-assisted mathematics

AI for Math Initiative pairs Google DeepMind with five elite institutes to apply advanced AI to open problems and proofs. Partners include Imperial, IAS, IHES, the Simons Institute at UC Berkeley, and TIFR. The goal is to accelerate discovery, tooling, and training.

Google support spans funding and access to Gemini Deep Think, AlphaEvolve for algorithm discovery, and AlphaProof for formal reasoning. Combined systems complement human intuition, scale exploration, and tighten feedback loops between theory and applied AI.

Recent benchmarks show rapid gains. Deep Think enabled Gemini to reach gold-medal IMO performance, perfectly solving five of six problems for 35 points. AlphaGeometry and AlphaProof earlier achieved silver-level competence on Olympiad-style tasks.

AlphaEvolve pushed the frontiers of analysis, geometry, combinatorics, and number theory, improving the best results on 1/5 of 50 open problems. Researchers also uncovered a 4×4 matrix-multiplication method that uses 48 multiplications, surpassing the 1969 record.

Partners will co-develop datasets, standards, and open tools, while studying limits where AI helps or hinders progress. Workstreams include formal verification, conjecture generation, and proof search, emphasising reproducibility, transparency, and responsible collaboration.

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

Nordic ministers fund AI language model network

Nordic ministers for culture have approved funding for a new network dedicated to language models for AI. The decision, taken at a meeting in Stockholm on 29 October, aims to ensure AI development reflects the region’s unique linguistic and cultural traits.

It is one of the first projects for the recently launched Nordic-Baltic centre for AI, New Nordics AI.

The network will bring together national stakeholders to address shared challenges in AI language models. The initiative aims to protect smaller languages and ensure AI tools reflect Nordic linguistic diversity through knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Finland’s Minister for Research and Culture, Mari-Leena Talvitie, said the project is a key step in safeguarding the future of regional languages in digital tools.

Ministers also discussed AI’s broader cultural impact, highlighting issues such as copyright and the need for regional oversight. The network will identify collaboration opportunities and guide future investments in culturally and linguistically anchored Nordic AI solutions.

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

Big Tech ramps up Brussels lobbying as EU considers easing digital rules

Tech firms now spend a record €151 million a year on lobbying at EU institutions, up from €113 million in 2023, according to transparency-register analysis by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl.

Spending is concentrated among US giants. The ten biggest tech companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm and Google, together outspend the top ten in pharma, finance and automotive. Meta leads with a budget above €10 million.

Estimates calculate there are 890 full-time lobbyists now working to influence tech policy in Brussels, up from 699 in 2023, with 437 holding European Parliament access badges. In the first half of 2025, companies declared 146 meetings with the Commission and 232 with MEPs, with artificial intelligence regulation and the industry code of practice frequently on the agenda.

As industry pushes back on the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act and the Commission explores the ‘simplification’ of EU rulebooks, lobbying transparency campaigners fear a rollback on the progress made to regulate the digital sector. On the contrary, companies argue that lobbying helps lawmakers grasp complex markets and assess impacts on innovation and competitiveness.

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

Labels press platforms to curb AI slop and protect artists

Luke Temple woke to messages about a new Here We Go Magic track he never made. An AI-generated song appeared on the band’s Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube pages, triggering fresh worries about impersonation as cheap tools flood platforms.

Platforms say defences are improving. Spotify confirmed the removal of the fake track and highlighted new safeguards against impersonation, plus a tool to flag mismatched releases pre-launch. Tidal said it removed the song and is upgrading AI detection. YouTube did not comment.

Industry teams describe a cat-and-mouse race. Bad actors exploit third-party distributors with light verification, slipping AI pastiches into official pages. Tools like Suno and Udio enable rapid cloning, encouraging volume spam that targets dormant and lesser-known acts.

Per-track revenue losses are tiny, reputational damage is not. Artists warn that identity theft and fan confusion erode trust, especially when fakes sit beside legitimate catalogues or mimic deceased performers. Labels caution that volume is outpacing takedowns across major services.

Proposed fixes include stricter distributor onboarding, verified artist controls, watermark detection, and clear AI labels for listeners. Rights holders want faster escalation and penalties for repeat offenders. Musicians monitor profiles and report issues, yet argue platforms must shoulder the heavier lift.

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

Adobe Firefly expands with new AI tools for audio and video creation

Adobe has unveiled major updates to its Firefly creative AI studio, introducing advanced audio, video, and imaging tools at the Adobe MAX 2025 conference.

These new features include Generate Soundtrack for licensed music creation, Generate Speech for lifelike multilingual voiceovers, and a timeline-based video editor that integrates seamlessly with Firefly’s existing creative tools.

The company also launched the Firefly Image Model 5, which can produce photorealistic 4MP images with prompt-based editing. Firefly now includes partner models from Google, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Topaz Labs, and others, bringing the industry’s top AI capabilities into one unified workspace.

Adobe also announced Firefly Custom Models, allowing users to train AI models to match their personal creative style.

In a preview of future developments, Adobe showcased Project Moonlight, a conversational AI assistant that connects across creative apps and social channels to help creators move from concept to content in minutes.

A system that can offer tailored suggestions and automate parts of the creative process while keeping creators in complete control.

Adobe emphasised that Firefly is designed to enhance human creativity rather than replace it, offering responsible AI tools that respect intellectual property rights.

With such a release, the company continues integrating generative AI across its ecosystem to simplify production and empower creators at every stage of their workflow.

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

OpenAI and Microsoft sign new $135 billion agreement to deepen AI partnership

Microsoft and OpenAI have signed a new agreement that marks the next phase of their long-standing partnership, deepening ties first formed in 2019.

The updated deal builds on years of collaboration in advancing responsible AI, positioning both organisations for long-term success while introducing new structural and operational changes.

Under the new arrangement, Microsoft supports OpenAI’s transition into a public benefit corporation (PBC) and recapitalisation. The technology giant now holds an investment valued at around $135 billion, representing about 27 percent of OpenAI Group PBC on an as-converted diluted basis.

Despite OpenAI’s recent funding rounds, Microsoft previously held a 32.5 percent stake in the for-profit entity.

The partnership maintains Microsoft’s exclusive rights to OpenAI’s frontier models and Azure API until artificial general intelligence (AGI) is achieved, but also introduces several new terms. Once AGI is declared, an independent panel will verify it.

Microsoft’s intellectual property rights are extended through 2032, including models developed after AGI with safety conditions. OpenAI may now co-develop certain products with third parties, while retaining the option to serve non-API products on any cloud provider.

OpenAI will purchase an additional $250 billion worth of Azure services, although Microsoft will no longer hold first-refusal rights for compute supply. The new framework allows both organisations to innovate independently, with Microsoft permitted to pursue AGI independently or with other partners.

The updated agreement reflects a more flexible collaboration that balances independence, growth, and shared innovation.

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

A generative AI model helps athletes avoid injuries and recover faster

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a generative AI model designed to prevent sports injuries and assist rehabilitation.

The system, named BIGE (Biomechanics-informed GenAI for Exercise Science), integrates data on human motion with biomechanical constraints such as muscle force limits to create realistic training guidance.

BIGE can generate video demonstrations of optimal movements that athletes can imitate to enhance performance or avoid injury. It can also produce adaptive motions suited for athletes recovering from injuries, offering a personalised approach to rehabilitation.

The model merges generative AI with accurate modelling, overcoming limitations of previous systems that produced anatomically unrealistic results or required heavy computational resources.

To train BIGE, researchers used motion-capture data of athletes performing squats, converting them into 3D skeletal models with precise force calculations. The project’s next phase will expand to other types of movements and individualised training models.

Beyond sports, researchers suggest the tool could predict fall risks among the elderly. Professor Andrew McCulloch described the technology as ‘the future of exercise science’, while co-author Professor Rose Yu said its methods could be widely applied across healthcare and fitness.

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