Online education

UN leaders chart inclusive digital future at WSIS+20

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, UN leaders gathered for a pivotal dialogue on shaping an inclusive digital transformation, marking two decades since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Speakers across the UN system emphasised that technology must serve people, not vice versa.

They highlighted that bridging the digital divide is critical to ensuring that innovations like AI uplift all of humanity, not just those in advanced economies. Without equitable access, the benefits of digital transformation risk reinforcing existing inequalities and leaving millions behind.

The discussion showcased how digital technologies already transform disaster response and climate resilience. The World Meteorological Organization and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction illustrated how AI powers early warning systems and real-time risk analysis, saving lives in vulnerable regions.

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN underscored the need to align technology with basic human needs, reminding the audience that ‘AI is not food,’ and calling for thoughtful, efficient deployment of digital tools to address global hunger and development.

Workforce transformation and leadership in the AI era also featured prominently. Leaders from the International Labour Organization and UNITAR stressed that while AI may replace some roles, it will augment many more, making digital literacy, ethical foresight, and collaborative governance essential skills. Examples from within the UN system itself, such as the digitisation of the Joint Staff Pension Fund through facial recognition and blockchain, demonstrated how innovation can enhance services without sacrificing inclusivity or ethics.

As the session closed, speakers collectively reaffirmed the importance of human rights, international cooperation, and shared digital governance. They stressed that the future of global development hinges on treating digital infrastructure and knowledge as public goods.

With the WSIS framework and Global Digital Compact as guideposts, UN leaders called for sustained, unified efforts to ensure that digital transformation uplifts every community and contributes meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

ChatGPT quietly tests new ‘Study Together’ feature for education

A few ChatGPT users have noticed a new option called ‘Study Together’ appearing among available tools, though OpenAI has yet to confirm any official rollout. The feature seems designed to make ChatGPT a more interactive educational companion than just delivering instant answers.

Rather than offering direct solutions, the tool prompts users to think for themselves by asking questions, potentially turning ChatGPT into a digital tutor.

Some speculate the mode might eventually allow multiple users to study together in real-time, mimicking a virtual study group environment.

With the chatbot already playing a significant role in classrooms — helping teachers plan lessons or assisting students with homework — the ‘Study Together’ feature might help guide users toward deeper learning instead of enabling shortcuts.

Critics have warned that AI tools like ChatGPT risk undermining education, so it could be a strategic shift to encourage more constructive academic use.

OpenAI has not confirmed when or if the feature will launch publicly, or whether it will be limited to ChatGPT Plus users. When asked, ChatGPT only replied that nothing had been officially announced.

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Humanitarian, peace, and media sectors join forces to tackle harmful information

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, a powerful session brought together humanitarian, peacebuilding, and media development actors to confront the growing threat of disinformation, more broadly reframed as ‘harmful information.’ Panellists emphasised that false or misleading content, whether deliberately spread or unintentionally harmful, can have dire consequences for already vulnerable populations, fueling violence, eroding trust, and distorting social narratives.

The session moderator, Caroline Vuillemin of Fondation Hirondelle, underscored the urgency of uniting these sectors to protect those most at risk.

Hans-Peter Wyss of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation presented the ‘triple nexus’ approach, advocating for coordinated interventions across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. He stressed the vital role of trust, institutional flexibility, and the full inclusion of independent media as strategic actors.

Philippe Stoll of the ICRC detailed an initiative that focuses on the tangible harms of information—physical, economic, psychological, and societal—rather than debating truth. That initiative, grounded in a ‘detect, assess, respond’ framework, works from local volunteer training up to global advocacy and research on emerging challenges like deepfakes.

Donatella Rostagno of Interpeace shared field experiences from the Great Lakes region, where youth-led efforts to counter misinformation have created new channels for dialogue in highly polarised societies. She highlighted the importance of inclusive platforms where communities can express their own visions of peace and hear others’.

Meanwhile, Tammam Aloudat of The New Humanitarian critiqued the often selective framing of disinformation, urging support for local journalism and transparency about political biases, including the harm caused by omission and silence.

The session concluded with calls for sustainable funding and multi-level coordination, recognising that responses must be tailored locally while engaging globally. Despite differing views, all panellists agreed on the need to shift from a narrow focus on disinformation to a broader and more nuanced understanding of information harm, grounded in cooperation, local agency, and collective responsibility.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

Preserving languages in a digital world: A call for inclusive action

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, UNESCO convened a powerful session on the critical need to protect multilingualism in the digital age. With over 8,000 languages spoken globally but fewer than 120 represented online, the panel warned of a growing digital divide that excludes billions and marginalises thousands of cultures.

Dr Tawfik Jelassi of UNESCO painted a vivid metaphor of the internet as a vast library where most languages have no books on the shelves, calling for urgent action to safeguard humanity’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Speakers underscored that bridging this divide goes beyond creating language tools—it requires systemic change rooted in policy, education, and community empowerment. Guilherme Canela of UNESCO highlighted ongoing initiatives like the 2003 Recommendation on Multilingualism and the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages, which has already inspired 15 national action plans.

Panellists like Valts Ernstreits and Sofiya Zahova emphasised community-led efforts, citing examples from Latvia, Iceland, and Sámi institutions that show how native speakers and local institutions must lead digital inclusion efforts.

Africa’s case brought the urgency into sharp focus. David Waweru noted that despite hosting a third of the world’s languages, less than 0.1% of websites feature African language content. Yet, promising efforts like the African Storybook project and AI language models show how local storytelling and education can thrive in digital spaces.

Elena Plexida of ICANN revealed that only 26% of email servers accept non-Latin addresses, a stark reminder of the structural barriers to full digital participation.

The session concluded with a strong call for multistakeholder collaboration. Governments, tech companies, indigenous communities, and civil society must work together to make multilingualism the default, not the exception, in digital spaces. As Jelassi put it, ensuring every language has a place online is not just a technical challenge but a matter of cultural survival and digital justice.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

Women researchers showcase accessibility breakthroughs at WSIS

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 in Geneva, the session titled ‘Media and Education for All: Bridging Female Academic Leaders and Society towards Impactful Results’ spotlighted how female academic experts are applying AI to make media and education more inclusive and accessible. Organised by the AXS-CAT network at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and moderated by Dr Anita Lamprecht from Diplo, the session showcased a range of innovative projects that translate university research into real-world impact.

One highlight was the ENACT project, presented by Professor Ana Matamala, which develops simplified news content to serve audiences such as migrants, people with intellectual disabilities, and language learners. While 13 European organisations already offer some easy-to-understand content, challenges remain in maintaining journalistic integrity while ensuring accessibility.

Meanwhile, Professor Pilar Orero unveiled three AI-driven projects: Mosaic, a searchable public broadcaster archive hub; Alfie, which tackles AI bias in media; and a climate change initiative focused on making scientific data more comprehensible to the public. Several education-centred projects also took the stage.

Dr Estella Oncins introduced the Inclusivity project, which uses virtual reality to engage neurodiverse students and promote inclusive teaching methods. Dr Mireia Farrus presented Scribal, a real-time AI-powered transcription and translation tool for university lectures, tailored to support Catalan language users and students with hearing impairments.

Additionally, Dr Mar Gutierrez Colon shared two accessibility tools: a gamified reading app for children in Kenya and an English language test adapted for students with special educational needs. During the Q&A, discussions turned to the challenges of teaching fast-evolving technologies like AI, especially given the scarcity of qualified educators.

The speakers emphasised that digital accessibility is not just a technical concern but a matter of educational justice, advocating for stronger collaboration between academia and industry to ensure inclusive learning opportunities for all.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

East Meets West: Reimagining education in the age of AI

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, the session ‘AI (and) education: Convergences between Chinese and European pedagogical practices’ brought together educators, students, and industry experts to examine how AI reshapes global education.

Led by Jovan Kurbalija of Diplo and Professor Hao Liu of Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), with industry insights from Deloitte’s Norman Sze, the discussion focused on the future of universities and the evolving role of professors amid rapid AI developments.

Drawing on philosophical traditions from Confucius to Plato, the session emphasised the need for a hybrid approach that preserves the human essence of learning while embracing technological transformation.

Professor Liu showcased BIT’s ‘intelligent education’ model, a human-centred system integrating time, space, knowledge, teachers, and students. Moving beyond rigid, exam-focused instruction, BIT promotes creativity and interdisciplinary learning, empowering students with flexible academic paths and digital tools.

Jovan Kurbalija at WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025
Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo

Meanwhile, Norman Sze highlighted how AI has accelerated industry workflows and called for educational alignment with real-world demands. He argued for reorienting learning around critical thinking, ethical literacy, and collaboration—skills that AI cannot replicate and remain central to personal and professional growth.

A key theme was whether teachers and universities remain relevant in an AI-driven future. Students from around the world contributed compelling reflections: AI may offer efficiency, but it cannot replace the emotional intelligence, mentorship, and meaning-making that only human educators provide.

As one student said, ‘I don’t care about ChatGPT—it’s not human.’ The group reached a consensus: professors must shift from ‘sages on the stage’ to ‘guides on the side,’ coaching students through complexity rather than merely transmitting knowledge.

The session closed on an optimistic note, asserting that while AI is a powerful catalyst for change, the heart of education lies in human connection, dialogue, and the ability to ask the right questions. Participants agreed that a truly forward-looking educational model will emerge not from choosing between East and West or human and machine, but from integrating the best of all to build a more inclusive and insightful future of learning.

Track all key events from the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 on our dedicated page.

ChatGPT use among students raises concerns over critical thinking

A university lecturer in the United States says many students are increasingly relying on ChatGPT to write essays—even about the ethics of AI—raising concerns about critical thinking in higher education.

Dr Jocelyn Leitzinger from the University of Illinois noticed that nearly half of her 180 students used the tool inappropriately last semester. Some submissions even repeated generic names like ‘Sally’ in personal anecdotes, hinting at AI-generated content.

A recent preprint study by researchers at MIT appears to back those concerns. In a small experiment involving 54 adult learners, those who used ChatGPT produced essays with weaker content and less brain activity, as recorded by EEG headsets.

Researchers found that 80% of the AI-assisted group could not recall anything from their essay afterwards. In contrast, the ‘brain-only’ group—those who wrote without assistance—performed better in both comprehension and neural engagement.

Despite some media headlines suggesting that ChatGPT makes users lazy or less intelligent, the researchers stress the need for caution. They argue more rigorous studies are required to understand how AI affects learning and thinking.

Educators say the tool’s polished writing often lacks originality and depth. One student admitted using ChatGPT for ideas and lecture summaries but drew the line at letting it write his assignments.

Dr Leitzinger worries that relying too heavily on AI skips essential steps in learning. ‘Writing is thinking, thinking is writing,’ she said. ‘When we eliminate that process, what does that mean for thinking?’

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Gemini AI suite expands to help teachers plan and students learn

Google has unveiled a major expansion of its Gemini AI tools tailored for classroom use, launching over 30 features to support teachers and students. These updates include personalised AI-powered lesson planning, content generation, and interactive study guides.

Teachers can now create custom AI tutors, known as ‘Gems’, to assist students with specific academic needs using their own teaching materials. Google’s AI reading assistant is also gaining real-time support features through the Read Along tool in Classroom, enhancing literacy development for younger users.

Students and teachers will benefit from wider access to Google Vids, the company’s video creation app, enabling them to create instructional content and complete multimedia assignments.

Additional features aim to monitor student progress, manage AI permissions, improve data security, and streamline classroom content delivery using new Class tools.

By placing AI directly into the hands of educators, Google aims to offer more engaging and responsive learning, while keeping its tools aligned with classroom goals and policies. The rollout continues Google’s bid to take the lead in the evolving AI-driven edtech space.

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The cognitive cost of AI: Balancing assistance and awareness

The double-edged sword of AI assistance

The rapid integration of AI tools like ChatGPT into daily life has transformed how we write, think, and communicate. AI has become a ubiquitous companion, helping students with essays and professionals streamline emails.

However, a new study by MIT raises a crucial red flag: excessive reliance on AI may come at the cost of our own mental sharpness. Researchers discovered that frequent ChatGPT users showed significantly lower brain activity, particularly in areas tied to critical thinking and creativity.

The study introduces a concept dubbed ‘cognitive debt,’ a reminder that while AI offers convenience, it may undermine our cognitive resilience if not used responsibly.

MIT’s method: How the study was conducted

The MIT Media Lab study involved 54 participants split into three groups: one used ChatGPT, another used traditional search engines, and the third completed tasks unaided. Participants were assigned writing exercises over multiple sessions while their brain activity was tracked using electroencephalography (EEG).

That method allowed scientists to measure changes in alpha and beta waves, indicators of mental effort. The findings revealed a striking pattern: those who depended on ChatGPT demonstrated the lowest brain activity, especially in the frontal cortex, where high-level reasoning and creativity originate.

Diminished mental engagement and memory recall

One of the most alarming outcomes of the study was the cognitive disengagement observed in AI users. Not only did they show reduced brainwave activity, but they also struggled with short-term memory.

Many could not recall what they had written just minutes earlier because the AI had done most of the cognitive heavy lifting. This detachment from the creative process meant that users were no longer actively constructing ideas or arguments but passively accepting the machine-generated output.

The result? A diminished sense of authorship and ownership over one’s own work.

Homogenised output: The erosion of creativity

The study also noted a tendency for AI-generated content to appear more uniform and less original. While ChatGPT can produce grammatically sound and coherent text, it often lacks the personal flair, nuance, and originality that come from genuine human expression.

Essays written with AI assistance were found to be more homogenised, lacking distinct voice and perspective. This raises concerns, especially in academic and creative fields, where originality and critical thinking are fundamental.

The overuse of AI could subtly condition users to accept ‘good enough’ content, weakening their creative instincts over time.

The concept of cognitive debt

‘Cognitive debt’ refers to the mental atrophy that can result from outsourcing too much thinking to AI. Like financial debt, this form of cognitive laziness builds over time and eventually demands repayment, often in the form of diminished skills when the tool is no longer available.

Typing

Participants who became accustomed to using AI found it more challenging to write without it later on. The reliance suggests that continuous use without active mental engagement can erode our capacity to think deeply, form complex arguments, and solve problems independently.

A glimmer of hope: Responsible AI use

Despite these findings, the study offers hope. Participants who started tasks without AI and only later integrated it showed significantly better cognitive performance.

That implies that when AI is used as a complementary tool rather than a replacement, it can support learning and enhance productivity. By encouraging users to first engage with the problem and then use AI to refine or expand their ideas, we can strike a healthy balance between efficiency and mental effort.

Rather than abstinence, responsible usage is the key to retaining our cognitive edge.

Use it or lose it

The MIT study underscores a critical reality of our AI-driven era: while tools like ChatGPT can boost productivity, they must not become a substitute for thinking itself. Overreliance risks weakening the faculties defining human intelligence—creativity, reasoning, and memory.

The challenge in the future is to embrace AI mindfully, ensuring that we remain active participants in the cognitive process. If we treat AI as a partner rather than a crutch, we can unlock its full potential without sacrificing our own.

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Hacktivist attacks surge in Iran–Israel tensions

The Iran–Israel conflict has now expanded into cyberspace, with rival hacker groups launching waves of politically driven attacks.

Following Israel’s military operation against Iran, pro-Israeli hackers known as ‘Predatory Sparrow‘ struck Iran’s Sepah Bank, deleting data and causing significant service disruption.

A day later, the same group targeted Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto exchange, stealing and destroying over $90 million in assets.

Cyber attacks intensified in the days before and after Israeli strikes. According to NSFOCUS, cyberattacks on Iran peaked three days before the military operation, suggesting pre-attack reconnaissance.

In retaliation, pro-Iranian hackers escalated attacks on Israel on 16 June, focusing on government systems, aerospace, and education.

While attacks on Iran have been fewer, Israeli systems have faced over 1,300 attacks in 2025 alone, with 37% of all global hacktivist activity aimed at Israel since the conflict began.

However, analysts note these attacks have been high in volume but limited in impact. Their malware tactics involve evading antivirus software, deleting data, and turning off recovery systems.

NSFOCUS warns that geopolitical tensions are turning hacktivist groups into informal cyber proxies. Though not formally state-backed, these loosely organised actors align closely with national interests.

As traditional defences lag, cybersecurity experts argue that national infrastructure must adopt more strategic, coordinated defence measures instead of fragmented responses, especially during crises and conflicts.

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