Online education

Most German researchers now use AI

Around 80 percent of researchers at Germany’s Max Planck and Fraunhofer societies report using AI in their work, according to a survey of more than 6,200 respondents published in Research Policy.

Nearly half said they were very familiar with AI tools, while another 44 percent had used AI a few times.

The study shows a rapid rise in AI use since 2023, when just 17 percent of researchers used generative AI weekly. Many respondents now employ AI for core and creative research tasks, with 37 percent citing its use in innovative work processes.

Demographic trends reveal that older researchers and women are less likely to use AI, although lower familiarity rather than scepticism drives these differences. Researchers view AI as transformative, acting increasingly as a co-creator or manager rather than merely an automation tool.

Measures such as training, supportive learning environments and legal guidance could further boost AI adoption. Despite the study being limited to Germany, the findings point to a profound transformation in research driven by AI technologies.

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DeepSeek launches AI model achieving gold-level maths scores

Chinese AI company DeepSeek has unveiled Math-V2, the first open-source AI model to achieve gold-level performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

The system, now available on GitHub and Hugging Face, allows developers to modify and deploy the model under a permissive license freely.

Math-V2 also excelled in the 2024 Chinese Mathematical Olympiad, demonstrating advanced reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. Unlike many AI systems, it features a self-verification process that enables it to check solutions even for problems without known answers.

The launch comes as US AI leaders, such as Google DeepMind and OpenAI, have achieved similar milestones with their proprietary models.

Open access to Math-V2 could democratise advanced mathematical tools, potentially accelerating scientific research and development globally.

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DeepSeek opens access to gold-level maths AI

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has released the first open AI model capable of achieving gold-medal results at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Math-V2 is now freely available on Hugging Face and GitHub, allowing developers to repurpose it and run it locally.

Gold-level performance at the IMO is remarkably rare, with only a small share of human participants reaching the top tier. DeepSeek aims to make such advanced mathematical capabilities accessible to researchers and developers who previously lacked access to comparable systems.

The company said its model achieved gold-level scores in both this year’s Olympiad and the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad. The results relied on strong theorem-proving skills and a new ‘self-verification’ method for reasoning without known solutions.

Observers said the open release could lower barriers to advanced maths AI, while US firms keep their Olympiad-level systems restricted. Supporters of open-source development welcomed the move as a significant step toward democratising advanced scientific tools.

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New digital strategy positions Uzbekistan as emerging AI hub

Uzbekistan has outlined an extensive plan to accelerate digital development by introducing new measures at major AI forums in Tashkent.

The leadership detailed a national effort to strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem, supported by a supercomputer cluster built with Nvidia and a National Transfer Office established in Silicon Valley.

AI-focused curricula will be introduced across regional Future Centres to broaden access to advanced training.

A strong emphasis has been placed on nurturing young talent. An annual interschool competition will identify promising AI startup ideas. At the same time, a presidential contest will select one hundred young participants each year for internships in leading technology companies in the US, the UAE and Europe.

November will be marked as ‘AI month for youth’, and the Silk Road AI Forum will become a recurring event.

A central part of the strategy is the ‘five million AI leaders’ project, which aims to train millions of students, along with teachers and public servants, by 2030. The programme will integrate AI education across schools, vocational institutions and universities instead of limiting it to specialist groups.

The government highlighted the country’s growing appeal for technology investment. Nearly two billion dollars have already been secured for AI and digital projects, IT service exports have risen sharply, and startup activity has expanded significantly.

Work has begun on a central green data centre, developed in collaboration with a Saudi partner, as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen its position in regional digital innovation.

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Brain’s reusable thinking blocks give humans a flexibility advantage over AI

Researchers have uncovered why the human brain remains far more adaptable than AI. A new Princeton study finds that the brain repurposes shared cognitive components to manage varied tasks, enabling quick adaptation to new challenges without relearning from scratch.

Experiments with rhesus macaques showed that the prefrontal cortex uses shared ‘cognitive blocks’ that combine and recombine based on the task, such as judging colour or shape. The monkeys completed related categorisation tasks, allowing scientists to observe how neural patterns were reused across activities.

The findings suggest that humans excel at flexible learning because the brain builds new behaviours from existing mental components. By activating only the necessary blocks and quieting others, the prefrontal cortex avoids overload and keeps learning efficient.

Researchers say the insight could help artificial intelligence move beyond its tendency to forget past skills when learning new ones. It may also support clinical advances for conditions where cognitive flexibility is impaired, including schizophrenia and certain brain injuries.

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EU faces new battles over digital rights

EU policy debates intensified after Denmark abandoned plans for mandatory mass scanning in the draft Child Sexual Abuse Regulation. Advocates welcomed the shift yet warned that new age checks and potential app bans still threaten privacy.

France and the UK advanced consultations on good practice guidelines for cyber intrusion firms, seeking more explicit rules for industry responsibility. Civil society groups also marked two years of the Digital Services Act by reflecting on enforcement experience and future challenges.

Campaigners highlighted rising concerns about tech-facilitated gender violence during the 16 Days initiative. The Centre for Democracy and Technology launched fresh resources stressing encryption protection, effective remedies and more decisive action against gendered misinformation.

CDT Europe also criticised the Commission’s digital omnibus package for weakening safeguards under laws, including the AI Act. The group urged firm enforcement of existing frameworks while exploring better redress options for AI-related harms in the EU legislation.

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Online platforms face new EU duties on child protection

The EU member states have endorsed a position for new rules to counter child sexual abuse online. The plan introduces duties for digital services to prevent the spread of abusive material. It also creates an EU Centre to coordinate enforcement and support national authorities.

Service providers must assess how their platforms could be misused and apply mitigation measures. These may include reporting tools, stronger privacy defaults for minors, and controls over shared content. National authorities will review these steps and can order additional action where needed.

A three-tier risk system will categorise services as high, medium, or low risk. High-risk platforms may be required to help develop protective technologies. Providers that fail to comply with obligations could face financial penalties under the regulation.

Victims will be able to request the removal or disabling of abusive material depicting them. The EU Centre will verify provider responses and maintain a database to manage reports. It will also share relevant information with Europol and law enforcement bodies.

The Council supports extending voluntary scanning for abusive content beyond its current expiry. Negotiations with the European Parliament will now begin on the final text. The Parliament adopted its position in 2023 and will help decide the Centre’s location.

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Australia strengthens parent support for new social media age rules

Yesterday, Australia entered a new phase of its online safety framework after the introduction of the Social Media Minimum Age policy.

eSafety has established a new Parent Advisory Group to support families as the country transitions to enhanced safeguards for young people. The group held its first meeting, with the Commissioner underlining the need for practical and accessible guidance for carers.

The initiative brings together twelve organisations representing a broad cross-section of communities in Australia, including First Nations families, culturally diverse groups, parents of children with disability and households in regional areas.

Their role is to help eSafety refine its approach, so parents can navigate social platforms with greater confidence, rather than feeling unsupported during rapid regulatory change.

A group that will advise on parent engagement, offer evidence-informed insights and test updated resources such as the redeveloped Online Safety Parent Guide.

Their advice will aim to ensure materials remain relevant, inclusive and able to reach priority communities that often miss out on official communications.

Members will serve voluntarily until June 2026 and will work with eSafety to improve distribution networks and strengthen the national conversation on digital literacy. Their collective expertise is expected to shape guidance that reflects real family experiences instead of abstract policy expectations.

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Ecuador and Latin America expand skills in ethical AI with UNESCO training

UNESCO is strengthening capacities in AI ethics and regulation across Ecuador and Latin America through two newly launched courses. The initiatives aim to enhance digital governance and ensure the ethical use of AI in the region.

The first course, ‘Regulation of Artificial Intelligence: A View from and towards Latin America,’ is taking place virtually from 19 to 28 November 2025.

Organised by UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector in coordination with UNESCO-Chile and CTS Lab at FLACSO Ecuador, the programme involves 30 senior officials from key institutions, including the Ombudsman’s Office and the Superintendency for Personal Data Protection.

Participants are trained on AI ethical principles, risks, and opportunities, guided by UNESCO’s 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.

The ‘Ethical Use of AI’ course starts next week for telecom and electoral officials. The 20-hour hybrid programme teaches officials to use UNESCO’s RAM to assess readiness and plan ethical AI strategies.

UNESCO aims to train 60 officials and strengthen AI ethics and regulatory frameworks in Ecuador and Chile. The programmes reflect a broader commitment to building inclusive, human-rights-oriented digital governance in Latin America.

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AI scribes help reduce physician paperwork and burnout

A new UCLA Health study finds that AI-powered scribe tools can reduce physicians’ documentation time and may improve work satisfaction. Conducted across 14 specialities and 72,000 patient visits, the trial tested Microsoft DAX and Nabla in real-world clinical settings.

Physicians using Nabla reduced the time spent writing each note by almost 10% compared with usual care, saving around 41 seconds per note. Both AI tools modestly improved burnout, cognitive workload, and work exhaustion, but physician oversight remains essential.

The trial highlighted several limitations, including occasional inaccuracies in AI-generated notes and a single instance of mild patient safety concern. Physicians found the tools easy to use and noted an improvement in patient engagement, with most patients being receptive.

The findings provide timely evidence as healthcare systems increasingly adopt AI scribes. Researchers emphasise that rigorous evaluation is necessary to ensure patient safety and effectiveness, and that further long-term studies across multiple institutions are recommended.

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