ByteDance plans a major jump in AI spending next year as global chip access remains uncertain. The firm is preparing heavier investment in processors and infrastructure to support demanding models across its apps and cloud platforms.
The company is budgeting nearly nine billion pounds for AI chips despite strict US export rules. A potential trial purchase of Nvidia H200 hardware could expand its computing capacity if wider access is approved for Chinese firms.
Rivals in the US continue to outspend ByteDance, with large tech groups pouring hundreds of billions into data centres. Chinese platforms face tighter limits and are developing models that run efficiently with fewer resources.
ByteDance’s consumer AI ecosystem keeps accelerating, led by its Doubao chatbot and growing cloud business. Private ownership gives the firm flexibility to invest aggressively while placing AI at the heart of its long-term strategy.
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Florida lawmakers are preparing a sweeping AI Bill of Rights as political debates intensify. Senator Tom Leek introduced a proposal to provide residents with clearer safeguards while regulating how firms utilise advanced systems across the state.
The plan outlines parental control over minors’ interactions with AI and requires disclosure when people engage with automated systems. It also sets boundaries on political advertising created with AI and restricts state contracts with suppliers linked to countries of concern.
Governor Ron DeSantis maintains Florida can advance its agenda despite federal attempts to curb state-level AI rules. He argues the state has the authority to defend consumers while managing the rising costs of new data centre developments.
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about young users forming harmful online bonds with AI companions, prompting calls for stronger protections. The legislation now forms part of a broader clash over online safety, privacy rights and fast-growing AI industries.
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Madrid has strengthened emergency response capabilities through a new collaboration between Orange and Ericsson, integrating a dedicated slice within Orange’s 5G Standalone network.
Advanced radio access and core technologies allow emergency teams to operate on prioritised connectivity during high network demand.
Police, fire and medical services benefit from guaranteed bandwidth and low-latency communications, ensuring uninterrupted coordination during incidents.
The infrastructure by Ericsson enables dynamic switching between public 5G and emergency spectrum, supporting rapid deployment when physical networks are compromised.
Resilience remains central to the design, with autonomous power systems and redundancy maintaining operations during outages. Live video transmission from firefighters’ helmets illustrates how real time data improves risk assessment and decision making on the ground.
By combining telecom innovation with public safety needs, the initiative reinforces Madrid’s role in the emergency communications leadership of the EU and demonstrates how 5G can support critical services at scale.
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Scientists have developed an AI model capable of simulating complex fusion plasma in seconds, a process that previously took hours or even days. The tool, named GyroSwin, offers a faster, more cost-effective approach to designing future fusion power plants.
Traditional five-dimensional plasma simulations, which account for spatial dimensions and particle velocities, require immense supercomputing power and long computation times.
GyroSwin uses AI to learn plasma dynamics, producing accurate simulations up to 1,000 times faster than conventional methods. Faster modelling will help optimise turbulence management, a key challenge in achieving practical fusion energy.
The AI tool preserves crucial physical information, such as fluctuation scales and sheared flows, ensuring simulations remain physically interpretable.
Researchers at UK Atomic Energy Authority, Johannes Kepler University, and Emmi AI believe GyroSwin could transform the design and operation of next-generation fusion plants, including the UK’s STEP project.
GyroSwin demonstrates how AI and supercomputing can accelerate the path towards clean, abundant fusion energy while reducing the cost and complexity of plasma modelling, paving the way for a new era of fusion innovation.
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Generative AI is increasingly being weaponised to harass women in public roles, according to a new report commissioned by UN Women. Journalists, activists, and human rights defenders face AI-assisted abuse that endangers personal safety and democratic freedoms.
The study surveyed 641 women from 119 countries and found that nearly one in four of those experiencing online violence reported AI-generated or amplified abuse.
Writers, communicators, and influencers reported the highest exposure, with human rights defenders and journalists also at significant risk. Rapidly developing AI tools, including deepfakes, facilitate the creation to harmful content that spreads quickly on social media.
Online attacks often escalate into offline harm, with 41% of women linking online abuse to physical harassment, stalking, or intimidation. Female journalists are particularly affected, with offline attacks more than doubling over five years.
Experts warn that such violence threatens freedom of expression and democratic processes, particularly in authoritarian contexts.
Researchers call for urgent legal frameworks, platform accountability, and technological safeguards to prevent AI-assisted attacks on women. They advocate for human rights-focused AI design and stronger support systems to protect women in public life.
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Investment in data centres worldwide reached a record $61bn in 2025, according to a new report from S&P Global. The surge is being driven by growing demand for AI workloads, with construction and expansion showing little sign of slowing.
Analysts describe the market as a ‘global construction frenzy’ as companies race to meet rising hardware and energy requirements.
The report highlights that investors, unable to buy existing facilities, are increasingly turning to new builds. The sector, with 500 data centres in the UK and 4,000 in the US, is projected to expand faster over the next five years than the previous five.
The AI boom is pushing energy- and computer-intensive workloads to new extremes.
Concerns are emerging about potential overspending in the AI sector. Analysts note that companies like OpenAI, Oracle, and Nvidia are investing heavily despite uncertain returns.
OpenAI is expected to spend $143bn from 2024 to 2029, prompting concerns over profitability while still holding potential for major innovations. The rapid expansion of data centres also carries significant energy implications.
The International Energy Agency forecasts data centre electricity demand could more than double by 2030, matching Japan’s current total consumption and underscoring the scale needed for AI growth.
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OpenAI has confirmed that Voice interactions will stop working in the ChatGPT macOS app as of 15 January 2026, affecting users who rely on spoken conversations instead of typing.
The company states that the change is part of a broader effort to streamline voice experiences across its platforms.
Currently, the Mac app allows hands-free, real-time conversations with ChatGPT. After the deadline, voice functionality will remain accessible through chatgpt.com, as well as on iOS, Android, and the Windows app. OpenAI stresses that no other macOS features will be removed.
According to OpenAI, recent updates have already brought Voice mode closer to standard chat interactions on mobile and the web, allowing users to review earlier messages and engage with visual content while speaking.
The company has suggested that the existing macOS Voice feature may not support its next-generation approach.
Mac users will be able to continue using Voice mode until mid-January 2026. After this date, voice-based interactions will require switching to other supported platforms until a potential macOS update is introduced.
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The Council of the European Union has agreed on its negotiating position on legislation enabling a digital euro while reinforcing the legal status of euro cash.
An initiative that aims to strengthen the resilience of the EU payments system and support strategic autonomy by ensuring public money remains central in a rapidly digitising economy.
Under the proposal, the digital euro would complement cash, rather than replace it, offering a public payment option backed by the European Central Bank. It would function both online and offline, allow payments with a high degree of privacy, and operate in conjunction with private cards and applications.
Limits on holdings would apply to reduce risks to financial stability, with core services provided free to consumers.
The Council position also clarifies compensation rules for payment service providers and requires fair access to mobile device hardware and software. Interchange and merchant fees would be capped during a transitional period, with future pricing linked to actual operational costs.
At the same time, the Council has moved to strengthen the role of cash by safeguarding acceptance across the € area and guaranteeing access for citizens.
Member states would be required to monitor cash availability and prepare contingency measures for situations where electronic payments are disrupted.
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Russia has reported a sharp decline in cyber fraud following the introduction of new regulatory measures in 2025. Officials say legislative action targeting telephone and online scams has begun to deliver measurable results.
State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Digital Development Ivan Lebedev told the State Duma that crimes covered by the first package of reforms, known as ‘Cyberbez 1.0’, have fallen by 40%, according to confirmed statistics.
Earlier this year, Lebedev said Russia records roughly 677,000 cases of phone and online fraud annually, with incidents rising by more than 35% since 2022, highlighting the scale of the challenge faced by authorities.
In April, President Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing a range of countermeasures, including a state information system to combat fraud, limits on unsolicited marketing calls, stricter SIM card issuance rules, and new compliance obligations for banks.
Further steps are now under discussion. Officials say a second package is being prepared, while a third set of initiatives was announced in December as Russia continues to strengthen its digital security framework.
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Amazon is reportedly considering a $10 billion investment in OpenAI, highlighting its growing focus on the generative AI market. The investment follows OpenAI’s October restructuring, giving it more flexibility to raise funds and form new tech partnerships.
OpenAI has recently secured major infrastructure agreements, including a $38 billion cloud computing deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Deals with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom boost OpenAI’s access to computing power for its AI development.
Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic and continues developing AI hardware through AWS’s Inferentia and Trainium chips. The move into OpenAI reflects Amazon’s strategy to expand its influence across the AI sector.
OpenAI’s prior $13 billion Microsoft exclusivity has ended, enabling it to pursue new partnerships. The combination of fresh funding, cloud capacity, and hardware support positions OpenAI for continued growth in the AI industry.
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