Ericsson has completed the world’s first pre-standard 6G over-the-air session in the United States, marking a milestone toward commercial 6G networks. The trial took place in Plano, Texas, using a pre-standard system built on an AI-native, cloud-based architecture.
The demonstration validated core 6G building blocks, including radio hardware, RAN Compute, software-defined air interfaces and cloud platforms. Ericsson said its software architecture is deployable across CPU and GPU hardware environments.
The trial used spectrum in the 7GHz range with 400 MHz carrier bandwidth and focused on uplink performance, energy efficiency and spectral utilisation. The system included Ericsson radios, baseband platforms and cloud-native software.
According to the company, the test demonstrated capabilities to support AI-driven applications, such as robotics, that require real-time control and high-quality video streaming. Future 6G networks are expected to deliver consistent low latency and enhanced uplink capacity for advanced AI services.
Ericsson said the milestone strengthens US participation in global standards development, including 3GPP and Open RAN. The company plans to expand trials across additional spectrum bands while building on its US research and manufacturing footprint.
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Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have expanded their collaboration to advance cloud-based, disaggregated, and AI-native RAN technologies. The strengthened Innovation Cooperation Program deepens joint work in Cloud RAN, open interfaces, and next-generation solutions.
The partnership builds on years of cooperation focused on open and flexible architectures. Both companies said the expanded effort aims to improve network efficiency, programmability, and long-term operational value for service providers.
Work on Open Fronthaul integration is being intensified following earlier multivendor deployments in Germany linking Nokia baseband units with O-RAN-compliant radios. Additional integrations covering Open Fronthaul and Cloud RAN are progressing within confidential development programmes.
The companies are also advancing O-RAN-aligned management capabilities through open O1 interfaces and deeper integration of configuration management. A vendor-independent Service Management and Orchestration platform remains central to Deutsche Telekom’s multivendor RAN strategy.
Nokia will act as Deutsche Telekom’s strategic co-creation partner for AI-native RAN development. Joint efforts will focus on AI-powered receivers, adaptive beamforming, predictive optimisation, and lab and field validation to support intelligent, autonomous mobile networks.
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Lawmakers in the European Parliament are pressing the European Commission for clarity after reports that Meta’s smart glasses recorded people in intimate moments without their knowledge.
Concerns intensified when Swedish outlets reported that Ray-Ban AI glasses captured and uploaded sensitive footage in violation of strict consent requirements under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The reports indicate that personal data from EU users was sent to Sama, a third-party contractor, in Kenya for human review. Annotators working there said they viewed images of individuals changing clothes and believed the recordings were taken without consent.
They added that Meta’s attempts to blur faces or apply other safeguards failed often enough to expose identifiable material instead of ensuring proper anonymisation.
EU privacy law requires clear information and consent before collecting and processing personal data, and additional safeguards when exporting data to countries without recognised adequacy status.
Kenya is still negotiating such recognition with the Commission, meaning contractual protections would be necessary.
The Irish Data Protection Commission, responsible for Meta’s GDPR oversight, has been contacted amid questions about whether Meta complied with EU requirements.
Lawmakers also want the Commission to examine whether proposed changes in the Digital Omnibus package could dilute privacy protections rather than strengthen them.
Critics argue the reforms might ease data-use rules for AI training at a moment when allegations about Meta’s smart glasses have intensified scrutiny of the EU’s broader digital policy agenda.
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Research suggests that being polite to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT does not reliably improve accuracy, despite widespread belief to the contrary. Experiments testing flattery, encouragement and even insults found inconsistent results across different large language models.
Experts in the US say many prominent engineering myths have faded as AI systems have improved. Minor wording changes, such as adding ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, are unlikely to influence mainstream generative AI tools consistently.
Computer scientists argue that users should treat AI as a tool rather than a person. Techniques that do work include asking for multiple options, providing concrete examples and requesting step-by-step clarification before generating a final response.
Researchers also warn that role playing can reduce accuracy when a question has one correct answer, potentially increasing hallucinations. For creative tasks, however, role play and iterative questioning can still be effective when used carefully.
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China’s DeepSeek is reportedly preparing to release its latest AI model, according to a Financial Times report. The planned debut of the company’s V4 large language model is seen as another test of China’s ability to compete with leading US AI firms.
Sources cited by the report said V4 will be a multimodal model capable of generating images, video, and text. DeepSeek has reportedly worked with Huawei and Cambricon to optimise the model for Chinese AI chips.
The release is expected ahead of the annual Two Sessions parliamentary meetings in China, which begin on 4 March. Analysts say the timing could reinforce DeepSeek’s positioning as a national AI champion.
The launch would be the company’s first major model release since its R1 reasoning system debuted in January last year. DeepSeek claimed R1 matched leading US models while using less computing power, a development some compared to a ‘Sputnik moment’ for American technology firms.
Separately, AI researcher Andrew Ng said the industry remains decades away from achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). He argued that systems capable of matching human intellectual breadth remain distant, despite steady advances in model performance.
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App Store charts have shifted sharply in the consumer AI market, with Anthropic’s Claude now surpassing ChatGPT in downloads. The change marks one of the most notable ranking reversals in recent months.
The spike in downloads appears tied to public reaction rather than new product features. App rankings often fluctuate, but this shift coincides with growing debate over how AI companies collaborate with governments.
Anthropic has positioned Claude around strict usage policies, including restrictions on domestic surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons. That stance has resonated with users concerned about the ethical deployment of AI technologies.
Claude’s ascent underscores a more competitive chatbot landscape in which transparency and public confidence are playing an increasingly important role. AI app rankings are becoming increasingly volatile as users are willing to switch platforms.
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AI-generated search summaries are reshaping online discovery and pushing Reddit to the forefront of global information flows.
The rise of Google’s AI Overview feature places curated AI summaries above traditional search results, encouraging users to rely on machine-generated syntheses instead of browsing lists of websites.
Reddit’s visibility surged after the platform agreed to data access partnerships with Google and OpenAI, enabling large language models to train on its vast archive of human conversations.
The platform’s user-generated discussions are increasingly prioritised because they provide commentary viewed as more neutral and less commercially influenced.
Research from Profound identifies Reddit as the most cited source across major AI platforms. Reddit’s rapid expansion reflects such a shift.
It has overtaken TikTok in the UK, according to Ofcom and now reports 116 million daily active users and more than one billion monthly users.
Communities built around niche interests, combined with voting systems and karma-driven credibility, create a structure that appeals to AI systems searching for grounded, human-authored content.
The platform’s design, centred on subreddits run by volunteer moderators, reinforces trust signals that large models can evaluate when generating AI Overview results.
As AI-powered search becomes the dominant interface for navigating the internet, Reddit’s role as a primary corpus for training and citation continues to expand, reshaping how people discover and verify information.
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used the opening day of his state visit to Singapore to set out plans for deeper cooperation in emerging technologies and renewable energy.
He framed the partnership as a chance to build a future-oriented agenda shaped by a shared reliance on human capital rather than natural resources.
The visit precedes a summit with Lawrence Wong, their second meeting in four months following the upgrade of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. Both governments want to broaden collaboration across AI, energy, the green transition and defence while maintaining strong trade and investment links.
Lee told Korean residents in Singapore that the strengthened partnership could guide relations for the next fifty years by opening new routes for collaboration across strategic sectors. He added that expanding cooperation would support wider regional stability and long-term technological development.
The programme also includes a meeting with Tharman Shanmugaratnam and attendance at AI Connect. This forum connects business leaders and entrepreneurs from both countries seeking opportunities in AI research and commercial innovation.
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Queen’s University Belfast and University College Dublin (UCD) have formalised a cross-border partnership focused on artificial intelligence research and talent development.
The collaboration will bring together researchers, faculty and students from both institutions to address shared challenges and opportunities in AI, including applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, data analytics and ethical AI governance.
The initiative aims to deepen academic cooperation, foster joint research projects, and expand interdisciplinary learning programmes that equip students with AI-relevant skills.
Leaders from both universities emphasised the importance of an all-island approach to strengthening AI expertise, enhancing competitiveness, and contributing to economic growth in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The partnership is expected to facilitate knowledge exchange, researcher mobility, and shared access to specialised facilities and funding opportunities.
Stakeholders also highlighted the broader societal context: as AI becomes integral to multiple sectors, coordinated academic and research ecosystems can help ensure that innovation aligns with ethical standards and public value.
By pooling resources and expertise across jurisdictions, the initiative positions both universities to play a more influential role in shaping AI policy, industry adoption and workforce development.
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Dell is accelerating development of AI PCs, positioning them as the next standard for personal computing rather than a niche category. Industry forecasts suggest AI-enabled devices could account for more than half of global PC sales by 2026.
Dedicated neural processing units allow AI tasks to run directly on devices, freeing central and graphics processors for demanding creative workflows. Dell says such hardware enables faster editing, improved generative tools and smoother multitasking for designers, editors and digital creators.
Louise Quennell, UK Senior Director at Dell Technologies, emphasised that AI should support creativity rather than replace it. Automating repetitive tasks aims to give professionals more time for experimentation, artistic decision-making and higher-value creative work.
AI assistants are increasingly capable of managing scheduling, summarising information and reducing routine digital administration. Dell believes reducing these ‘digital chores’ could significantly improve productivity, particularly for freelancers balancing creative production with business responsibilities.
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