China’s cyberspace regulator has proposed new limits on AI ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ chatbots, tightening oversight of emotionally interactive artificial intelligence services.
Draft rules released on 27 December would require platforms to intervene when users express suicidal or self-harm tendencies, while strengthening protections for minors and restricting harmful content.
The regulator defines the services as AI systems that simulate human personality traits and emotional interaction. The proposals are open for public consultation until 25 January.
The draft bans chatbots from encouraging suicide, engaging in emotional manipulation, or producing obscene, violent, or gambling-related content. Minors would need guardian consent to access AI companionship.
Platforms would also be required to disclose clearly that users are interacting with AI rather than humans. Legal experts in China warn that enforcement may be challenging, particularly in identifying suicidal intent through language cues alone.
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IBM and the All England Lawn Tennis Club have renewed their long-standing technology partnership under a new multi-year agreement to expand digital fan engagement at Wimbledon.
The collaboration, which dates back 36 years, has supported milestones ranging from the launch of the Wimbledon website in 1995 to the introduction of AI-powered features across digital platforms in recent seasons.
Teams from both organisations work year-round to develop fan-facing tools, such as Live Likelihood to Win and Match Chat, that combine tournament data with IBM Watsonx capabilities. Engagement across Wimbledon’s app and website rose 16 per cent year on year in 2025.
The partnership has also received industry recognition, including the All England Club being named Sports Organisation of the Year at the 2025 Sports Technology Awards for its use of AI.
Both organisations said the renewed agreement will focus on delivering more personalised and immersive experiences, as research shows strong demand among tennis fans for AI-driven insights and real-time content.
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The United Arab Emirates has launched an AI-driven ecosystem to help climate-vulnerable agricultural regions adapt to increasingly volatile weather. The initiative reinforces the country’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for applied AI in climate resilience and food security.
Unveiled in Abu Dhabi, the programme builds on a US$200m partnership with the Gates Foundation announced during COP28. It reflects a shift from climate pledges toward deployable technology as droughts, floods and heat stress intensify pressure on agriculture, particularly in the Global South.
At the core is an integrated ecosystem linking scientific research, AI model development and digital advisory tools with large-scale deployment. Rather than isolated pilots, the programmes are designed to translate data into practical tools used directly by governments, NGOs and farmers.
Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a hub for agricultural AI through the CGIAR AI Hub and a new institute at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The ecosystem also includes AgriLLM, an open-source model trained on agricultural and climate data.
Delivery is supported by AIM for Scale, a joint UAE–Gates Foundation initiative expanding AI-powered weather forecasting in data-scarce regions. In India, AI-enabled monsoon forecasts reached an estimated 38 million farmers in 2025, with further deployments planned.
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Nvidia used CES in Las Vegas to signal its next push in AI hardware, with chief executive Jensen Huang unveiling a new AI chip designed to deliver more computing power with lower energy use. The chip, named Vera Rubin, is scheduled to ship in the second half of the year.
Huang said the Rubin platform would let companies train AI models with far fewer chips than earlier generations. The redesign is also intended to lower the cost and energy demands of running AI services.
The move comes as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, straining power supplies and intensifying competition. Rivals and major customers developing their own chips are putting pressure on Nvidia to improve efficiency.
Alongside chips, Nvidia highlighted its growing focus on autonomous vehicles. The company said new AI software would support self-driving development for carmakers and mobility firms, with vehicles using the chipmaker’s technology expected to ship later this year.
Huang said AI, robotics, and autonomy are central to the company’s long-term strategy, as the company seeks to expand beyond data centres. Rising competition and geopolitical scrutiny remain challenges, but Nvidia is betting that more efficient chips will keep it at the centre of the AI boom.
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AMD used CES 2026 to position AI as a default feature of personal and commercial computing. The company said AI is no longer limited to premium systems. Instead, it is being built directly into processors for consumer PCs, business laptops, compact desktops, and embedded platforms.
Executives described the shift as a new phase in AI adoption. CEO Lisa Su said usage has grown from early experimentation to more than one billion active users worldwide. Senior vice president Jack Huynh added that AI is redefining the PC by embedding intelligence, performance, and efficiency across devices.
The strategy centres on the Ryzen AI 400 Series and Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series processors. These chips integrate neural processing units delivering up to 60 TOPS of local AI compute. Built on Zen 5 architecture and XDNA 2 NPUs, they target Copilot+ PCs and enterprise deployments.
AMD also expanded its Ryzen AI Max+ portfolio for ultra-thin laptops, mini-PCs, and small workstations. The processors combine CPU, GPU, and NPU resources in a unified memory design. Desktop users saw the launch of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, while developers were offered the Ryzen AI Halo platform.
Beyond PCs, AMD introduced a new Ryzen AI Embedded processor lineup for edge deployments. The chips are aimed at vehicles, factories, and autonomous systems. AMD said single-chip designs will support real-time AI workloads in robotics, digital twins, smart cameras, and industrial automation.
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More players are now turning to AI tools to help manage their Fantasy Premier League squads. Several popular apps use AI to rate teams, predict player points, and suggest transfers, with developers reporting rapid growth in both free and paid users.
Fantasy football has long allowed fans to test their instincts by building virtual teams and competing against friends or strangers. In recent years, the game has developed a large ecosystem of content creators offering advice on transfers, tactics, and player performance.
Supporters of the tools say they make the game more engaging and accessible. Some players argue that AI advice is no different from following tips on podcasts or social media and see it as a way to support decision-making rather than replace skill.
Critics, however, say AI removes key elements of instinct, luck, and banter. Some fans describe AI-assisted play as unfair or against the spirit of fantasy football leagues, while others worry it leads to increasingly similar teams driven by the same data.
Despite the debate, surveys suggest a growing share of fantasy players plan to use AI this season. League organisers and game developers are experimenting with incentives to reward creative picks, as the role of AI in fantasy football continues to expand.
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Europe’s growing demand for cloud and AI services is driving a rapid expansion of data centres across the EU.
Policymakers now face the difficulty of supporting digital growth instead of undermining climate targets, yet reliable sustainability data remains scarce.
Operators are required to report on energy consumption, water usage, renewable sourcing and heat reuse, but only around one-third have submitted complete data so far.
Brussels plans to introduce a rating scheme from 2026 that grades data centres on environmental performance, potentially rewarding the most sustainable new facilities with faster approvals under the upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act.
Industry groups want the rules adjusted so operators using excess server heat to warm nearby homes are not penalised. Experts also argue that stronger auditing and stricter application of standards are essential so reported data becomes more transparent and credible.
Smaller data centres remain largely untracked even though they are often less efficient, while colocation facilities complicate oversight because customers manage their own servers. Idle machines also waste vast amounts of energy yet remain largely unmeasured.
Meanwhile, replacing old hardware may improve efficiency but comes with its own environmental cost.
Even if future centres run on cleaner power and reuse heat, the manufacturing footprint of the equipment inside them remains a major unanswered sustainability challenge.
Policymakers say better reporting is essential if the EU is to balance digital expansion with climate responsibility rather than allowing environmental blind spots to grow.
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AI is increasingly used for emotional support and companionship, raising questions about the values embedded in its responses, particularly for Christians seeking guidance. Research cited by Harvard Business Review shows therapy-related use now dominates generative AI.
As Christians turn to AI for advice on anxiety, relationships, and personal crises, concerns are growing about the quality and clarity of its responses. Critics warn that AI systems often rely on vague generalities and may lack the moral grounding expected by faith-based users.
A new benchmark released by technology firm Gloo assessed how leading AI models support human flourishing from a Christian perspective. The evaluation examined seven areas, including relationships, meaning, health, and faith, and found consistent weaknesses in how models addressed Christian belief.
The findings show many AI systems struggle with core Christian concepts such as forgiveness and grace. Responses often default to vague spirituality rather than engaging directly with Christian values.
The authors argue that as AI increasingly shapes worldviews, greater attention is needed to how systems serve Christians and other faith communities. They call for clearer benchmarks and training approaches that allow AI to engage respectfully with religious values without promoting any single belief system.
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Hangzhou-based biotech start-up MindRank has entered Phase 3 clinical trials for its weight loss drug, marking China’s first AI-assisted Category 1 new drug to reach this stage. The trial involves MDR-001, a small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist developed using AI-driven techniques.
MindRank said the weight loss drug was designed to regulate blood sugar and appetite by mimicking natural hormones. According to founder and chief executive Niu Zhangming, the company is targeting regulatory approval in the second half of 2028, with a potential market launch in 2029.
The company said the development process for the weight loss drug took about 4.5 years, significantly shorter than the typical 7 to 10 years required to reach Phase 3 trials. Niu attributed the acceleration to AI tools that reduced research timelines and cut overall R&D costs by more than 60 per cent.
China-based MindRank uses proprietary AI systems, including large language models (LLMs), to identify weight-loss drug targets and shortlist compounds. The approach has raised target research accuracy above 97 per cent and supports safety and efficacy assessments.
Despite these advances, Niu said human expertise remains essential for strategic decision-making and integrating workflows. He added that AI-assisted drug discovery still faces long validation cycles, meaning its impact on life sciences may be more gradual than in other sectors.
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Samsung will open its CES 2026 presence with a Sunday evening press conference focused on integrating AI across its product portfolio. The event will take place on 4 January at the Wynn in Las Vegas and will be livestreamed online.
Senior executives, including TM Roh, head of the Device eXperience division, and leaders from Samsung’s visual display and digital appliance businesses, are expected to outline the company’s AI strategy. Samsung says the presentation will emphasise AI as a core layer across products and services.
The company has already previewed several AI-enabled devices ahead of CES. The devices include a portable projector that adapts to its surroundings, expanded Google Photos integration on Samsung TVs, and new Micro RGB television displays.
The company is also highlighting AI-powered home appliances designed to anticipate user needs. Examples include refrigerators that track food supplies, generate shopping lists, and detect early signs of device malfunction.
New smartphones are not expected at the event, with the next Galaxy Unpacked launch reportedly scheduled for later in January or early February.
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