Interdisciplinary approaches

Publishers set to earn from Comet Plus, Perplexity’s new initiative

Perplexity has announced Comet Plus, a new service that will pay premium publishers to provide high-quality news content as an alternative to clickbait. The company has not disclosed its roster of partners or payment structure, though reports suggest a pool of $42.5 million.

Publishers have long criticised AI services for exploiting their work without compensation. Perplexity, backed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, said Comet Plus will create a fairer system and reward journalists for producing trusted content in the era of AI.

The platform introduces a revenue model based on three streams: human visits, search citations, and agent actions. Perplexity argues this approach better reflects how people consume information today, whether by browsing manually, seeking AI-generated answers, or using AI agents.

The company stated that the initiative aims to rebuild trust between readers and publishers, while ensuring that journalism thrives in a changing digital economy. The initial group of publishing partners will be revealed later.

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UNGA adopts terms of reference for AI Scientific Panel and Global Dialogue on AI governance

On 26 August 2025, following several months of negotiations in New York, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution (A/RES/79/325) outlining the terms of reference and modalities for the establishment and functioning of two new AI governance mechanisms: an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The creation of these mechanisms was formally agreed by UN member states in September 2024, as part of the Global Digital Compact. 

The 40-member Scientific Panel has the main task of ‘issuing evidence-based scientific assessments synthesising and analysing existing research related to the opportunities, risks and impacts of AI’, in the form of one annual ‘policy-relevant but non-prescriptive summary report’ to be presented to the Global Dialogue.

The Panel will also ‘provide updates on its work up to twice a year to hear views through an interactive dialogue of the plenary of the General Assembly with the Co-Chairs of the Panel’. The UN Secretary-General is expected to shortly launch an open call for nominations for Panel members; he will then recommend a list of 40 members to be appointed by the General Assembly. 

The Global Dialogue on AI Governance, to involve governments and all relevant stakeholders, will function as a platform ‘to discuss international cooperation, share best practices and lessons learned, and to facilitate open, transparent and inclusive discussions on AI governance with a view to enabling AI to contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and to closing the digital divides between and within countries’. It will be convened annually, for up to two days, in the margins of existing relevant UN conferences and meetings, alternating between Geneva and New York. Each meeting will consist of a multistakeholder plenary meeting with a high-level governmental segment, a presentation of the panel’s annual report, and thematic discussions. 

The Dialogue will be launched during a high-level multistakeholder informal meeting in the margins of the high-level week of UNGA’s 80th session (starting in September 2025). The Dialogue will then be held in the margins of the International Telecommunication Union AI  for Good Global Summit in Geneva, in 2026, and of the multistakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals in New York, in 2027.

The General Assembly also decided that ‘the Co-Chairs of the second Dialogue will hold intergovernmental consultations to agree on common understandings on priority areas for international AI governance, taking into account the summaries of the previous Dialogues and contributions from other stakeholders, as an input to the high-level review of the Global Digital Compact and to further discussions’.

The provision represents the most significant change compared to the previous version of the draft resolution (rev4), which was envisioning intergovernmental negotiations, led by the co-facilitators of the high-level review of the GDC, on a ‘declaration reflecting common understandings on priority areas for international AI governance’. An earlier draft (rev3) was talking about a UNGA resolution on AI governance, which proved to be a contentious point during the negotiations.

To enable the functioning of these mechanisms, the Secretary-General is requested to ‘facilitate, within existing resources and mandates, appropriate Secretariat support for the Panel and the Dialogue by leveraging UN system-wide capacities, including those of the Inter-Agency Working Group on AI’.

States and other stakeholders are encouraged to ‘support the effective functioning of the Panel and Dialogue, including by facilitating the participation of representatives and stakeholders of developing countries by offering travel support, through voluntary contributions that are made public’. 

The continuation of the terms of reference of the Panel and the Dialogue may be considered and decided upon by UNGA during the high-level review of the GDC, at UNGA 82. 

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The Digital Watch observatory has followed the negotiations on this resolution and published regular updates:

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AI model forecasts Bitcoin to fall below $100,000

Bitcoin has slipped below $110,000, and according to Finbold’s use of ChatGPT-5, a further drop could occur in the coming weeks. The model outlined technical resistance and seasonal factors pointing to September weakness.

Key levels around $112,000 and $106,000 are under pressure, with the AI projecting a sharp decline toward $98,000 if support breaks. Historically, September has been one of Bitcoin’s worst-performing months, adding to the bearish outlook.

Despite the short-term caution, demand from ETFs and long-term holders may offer support between $95,000 and $98,000. Longer-term technicals remain intact, with the 200-day average sitting near $95,000.

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Travellers claim ChatGPT helps cut flight costs by hundreds of pounds

ChatGPT is increasingly used as a travel assistant, with some travellers claiming it can save hundreds of pounds on flights. Finance influencer Casper Opala shares cost-saving tips online and said the AI tool helped him secure a flight for £70 that initially cost more than £700.

Opala shared a series of prompts that allow ChatGPT to identify hidden routes, budget airlines not listed on major platforms, and potential savings through alternative airports or separate bookings. He also suggested using the tool to monitor prices for several days or compare one-way fares with return tickets.

While many money-saving tricks have existed for years, ChatGPT condenses the process, collecting results in seconds. Opala says this efficiency is a strong starting point for cheaper travel deals.

Experts, however, warn that ChatGPT is not connected to live flight booking systems. TravelBook’s Laura Pomer noted that the AI can sometimes present inaccurate or outdated fares, meaning users should always verify results before booking.

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Brave uncovers vulnerability in Perplexity’s Comet that risked sensitive user data

Perplexity’s AI-powered browser, Comet, was found to have a serious vulnerability that could have exposed sensitive user data through indirect prompt injection, according to researchers at Brave, a rival browser company.

The flaw stemmed from how Comet handled webpage-summarisation requests. By embedding hidden instructions on websites, attackers could trick the browser’s large language model into executing unintended actions, such as extracting personal emails or accessing saved passwords.

Brave researchers demonstrated how the exploit could bypass traditional protections, such as the same-origin policy, showing scenarios where attackers gained access to Gmail or banking data by manipulating Comet into following malicious cues.

Brave disclosed the vulnerability to Perplexity on 11 August, but stated that it remained unfixed when they published their findings on 20 August. Perplexity later confirmed to CNET that the flaw had been patched, and Brave was credited for working with them to resolve it.

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Jetson AGX Thor brings Blackwell-powered compute to robots and autonomous vehicles

Nvidia has introduced Jetson AGX Thor, its Blackwell-powered robotics platform that succeeds the 2022 Jetson Orin. Designed for autonomous driving, factory robots, and humanoid machines, it comes in multiple models, with a DRIVE OS kit for vehicles scheduled for release in September.

Thor delivers 7.5 times more AI compute, 3.1 times greater CPU performance, and double the memory of Orin. The flagship Thor T5000 offers up to 2,070 teraflops of AI compute, paired with 128 GB of memory, enabling the execution of generative AI models and robotics workloads at the edge.

The platform supports Nvidia’s Isaac, Metropolis, and Holoscan systems, and features multi-instance GPU capabilities that enable the simultaneous execution of multiple AI models. It is compatible with Hugging Face, PyTorch, and leading AI models from OpenAI, Google, and other sources.

Adoption has begun, with Boston Dynamics utilising Thor for Atlas and firms such as Volvo, Aurora, and Gatik deploying DRIVE AGX Thor in their vehicles. Nvidia stresses it supports robot-makers rather than building robots, with robotics still a small but growing part of its business.

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Trump threatens sanctions on EU over Digital Services Act

Only five days after the Joint Statement on a United States-European Union framework on an agreement on reciprocal, fair and balanced trade (‘Framework Agreement’), the Trump administration is weighing an unprecedented step against the EU over its new tech rules.

According to The Japan Times and Reuters, US officials are discussing sanctions on the EU or member state representatives responsible for implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping law that forces online platforms to police illegal content. Washington argues the regulation censors Americans and unfairly burdens US companies.

While governments often complain about foreign rules they deem restrictive, directly sanctioning allied officials would mark a sharp escalation. So far, discussions have centred on possible visa bans, though no decision has been made.

Last week, Internal State Department meetings focused on whom such measures might target. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered US diplomats in Europe to lobby against the DSA, urging allies to amend or repeal the law.

Washington insists that the EU is curbing freedom of speech under the banner of combating hate speech and misinformation, while the EU maintains that the act is designed to protect citizens from illegal material such as child exploitation and extremist propaganda.

‘Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in the EU. It lies at the heart of the DSA,’ an EU Commission spokesperson said, rejecting US accusations as ‘completely unfounded.’

Trump has framed the dispute in broader terms, threatening tariffs and export restrictions on any country that imposes digital regulations he deems discriminatory. In recent months, he has repeatedly warned that measures like the DSA, or national digital taxes, are veiled attacks on US companies and conservative voices online. At the same time, the administration has not hesitated to sanction foreign officials in other contexts, including a Brazilian judge overseeing cases against Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro.

US leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, have accused European authorities of suppressing right-wing parties and restricting debate on issues such as immigration. In contrast, European officials argue that their rules are about fairness and safety and do not silence political viewpoints. At a transatlantic conference earlier this year, Vance stunned European counterparts by charging that the EU was undermining democracy, remarks that underscored the widening gap.

The question remains whether Washington will take the extraordinary step of sanctioning officials in Brussels or the EU capitals. Such action could further destabilise an already fragile trade relationship while putting the US squarely at odds with Europe over the future of digital governance.

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AI’s overuse of the em dash could be your biggest giveaway

AI-generated writing may be giving itself away, and the em dash is its most flamboyant tell. Long beloved by grammar nerds for its versatility, the em dash has become AI’s go-to flourish, but not everyone is impressed.

Pacing, pauses, and a suspicious number of em dashes are often a sign that a machine had its hand in the prose. Even simple requests for editing can leave users with sentences reworked into what feels like an AI-powered monologue.

Though tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can be powerful assistants, using them blindly can dull the human spark. Overuse of certain AI quirks, like rhetorical questions, generic phrases or overstyled punctuation, can make even an honest email feel like corporate poetry.

Writers are being advised to take the reins back. Draft the first version by hand, let the AI refine it, then strip out anything that feels artificial, especially the dashes. Keeping your natural voice intact may be the best way to make sure your readers are connecting with you, not just the machine behind the curtain.

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Gmail accounts targeted in phishing wave after Google data leak

Hackers linked to the ShinyHunters group have compromised Google’s Salesforce systems, leading to a data leak that puts Gmail and Google Cloud users at risk of phishing attacks.

Google confirmed that customer and company names were exposed, though no passwords were stolen. Attackers are now exploiting the breach with phishing schemes, including fake account resets and malware injection attempts through outdated access points.

With Gmail and Google Cloud serving around 2.5 billion users worldwide, both companies and individuals could be targeted. Early reports on Reddit describe callers posing as Google staff warning of supposed account breaches.

Google urges users to strengthen protections by running its Security Checkup, enabling Advanced Protection, and switching to passkeys instead of passwords. The company emphasised that its staff never initiates unsolicited password resets by phone or email.

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Musicians report surge in AI fakes appearing on Spotify and iTunes

Folk singer Emily Portman has become the latest artist targeted by fraudsters releasing AI-generated music in her name. Fans alerted her to a fake album called Orca appearing on Spotify and iTunes, which she said sounded uncannily like her style but was created without her consent.

Portman has filed copyright complaints, but says the platforms were slow to act, and she has yet to regain control of her Spotify profile. Other artists, including Josh Kaufman, Jeff Tweedy, Father John Misty, Sam Beam, Teddy Thompson, and Jakob Dylan, have faced similar cases in recent weeks.

Many of the fake releases appear to originate from the same source, using similar AI artwork and citing record labels with Indonesian names. The tracks are often credited to the same songwriter, Zyan Maliq Mahardika, whose name also appears on imitations of artists in other genres.

Industry analysts say streaming platforms and distributors are struggling to keep pace with AI-driven fraud. Tatiana Cirisano of Midia Research noted that fraudsters exploit passive listeners to generate streaming revenue, while services themselves are turning to AI and machine learning to detect impostors.

Observers warn the issue is likely to worsen before it improves, drawing comparisons to the early days of online piracy. Artists and rights holders may face further challenges as law enforcement attempts to catch up with the evolving abuse of AI.

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