Prominent personalities

First quantum-AI data centre launched in New York City

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and Digital Realty have launched the first quantum-AI data centre in New York City at the JFK10 facility, powered by Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The project combines superconducting quantum computers with AI supercomputing under one roof.

OQC’s GENESIS quantum computer is the first to be deployed in a New York data centre, designed to support hybrid workloads and enterprise adoption. Future GENESIS systems will ship with Nvidia accelerated computing and CUDA-Q integration as standard.

OQC CEO Gerald Mullally said the centre will drive the AI revolution securely and at scale, strengthening the UK–US technology alliance. Digital Realty CEO Andy Power called it a milestone for making quantum-AI accessible to enterprises and governments.

UK Science Minister Patrick Vallance highlighted the £212 billion economic potential of quantum by 2045, citing applications from drug discovery to clean energy. He said the launch puts British innovation at the heart of next-generation computing.

The centre, embedded in Digital Realty’s PlatformDIGITAL, will support applications in finance, security, and AI, including quantum machine learning and accelerated model training. OQC Chair Jack Boyer said it demonstrates UK–US collaboration in leading frontier technologies.

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AI search tools challenge Google’s dominance

AI tools are increasingly reshaping how people search online, with large language models like ChatGPT drawing millions away from traditional engines.

Montreal-based lawyer and consultant Anja-Sara Lahady says she now turns to ChatGPT instead of Google for everyday tasks such as meal ideas, interior decoration tips and drafting low-risk emails. She describes it as a second assistant rather than a replacement for legal reasoning.

ChatGPT’s weekly user base has surged to around 800 million, double the figure reported in 2025. Data shows that nearly 6% of desktop searches are already directed to language models, compared with barely half that rate a year ago.

Academics such as Professor Feng Li argue that users favour AI tools because they reduce cognitive effort by providing clear summaries instead of multiple links. However, he warns that verification remains essential due to factual errors.

Google insists its search activity continues to expand, supported by AI Overviews and AI Mode, which offer more conversational and tailored answers.

Yet, testimony in a US antitrust case revealed that Google searches on Apple devices via Safari declined for the first time in two decades, underlining the competitive pressure from AI.

The rise of language models is also forcing a shift in digital marketing. Agencies report that LLMs highlight trusted websites, press releases and established media rather than social media content.

This change may influence consumer habits, with evidence suggesting that referrals from AI systems often lead to higher-quality sales conversions. For many users, AI now represents a faster and more personal route to decisions on products, travel or professional tasks.

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Codex gets smarter with GPT-5, targets GitHub Copilot and rivals

OpenAI has optimised its new GPT-5 model for Codex, its agentic software development tool, boosting performance on both quick coding sessions and long, complex projects. CEO Sam Altman said Codex already accounts for 40% of platform traffic.

GPT-5 Codex can now build full projects, add features, run tests, refactor large codebases, and conduct detailed code reviews. It dynamically adjusts the time spent ‘thinking’ based on task complexity, allowing both interactive pair programming and extended autonomous work.

OpenAI stated that the model can run independently for over seven hours, completing refactorings, fixing test failures, and delivering finished code. Early tests indicate that it catches critical bugs more reliably, allowing developers to focus on the most important issues.

The upgraded Codex is available via terminal, IDE integrations, the web, and GitHub, and comes bundled with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise subscriptions. OpenAI launched Codex CLI in April and a research preview in May.

With GPT-5 Codex, OpenAI aims to capture market share from GitHub Copilot, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and startups such as Anysphere and Windsurf. The company claims the new version delivers faster, higher-quality results for developers at every stage of the software lifecycle.

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PDGrapher AI tool aims to speed up precision medicine development

Harvard Medical School researchers have developed an AI tool that could transform drug discovery by identifying multiple drivers of disease and suggesting treatments to restore cells to a healthy state.

The model, called PDGrapher, utilises graph neural networks to map the relationships between genes, proteins, and cellular pathways, thereby predicting the most effective targets for reversing disease. Unlike traditional approaches that focus on a single protein, it considers multiple factors at once.

Trained on datasets of diseased cells before and after treatment, PDGrapher correctly predicted known drug targets and identified new candidates supported by emerging research. The model ranked potential targets up to 35% higher and worked 25 times faster than comparable tools.

Researchers are now applying PDGrapher to complex diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and various cancers, where single-target therapies often fail. By identifying combinations of targets, the tool can help overcome drug resistance and expedite treatment design.

Senior author Marinka Zitnik said the ultimate goal is to create a cellular ‘roadmap’ to guide therapy development and enable personalised treatments for patients. After further validation, PDGrapher could become a cornerstone in precision medicine.

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EdChat AI app set for South Australian schools amid calls for careful use

South Australian public schools will soon gain access to EdChat, a ChatGPT-style app developed by Microsoft in partnership with the state government. Education Minister Blair Boyer said the tool will roll out next term across public high schools following a successful trial.

Safeguards have been built into EdChat to protect student data and alert moderators if students type concerning prompts, such as those related to self-harm or other sensitive topics. Boyer said student mental health was a priority during the design phase.

Teachers report that students use EdChat to clarify instructions, get maths solutions explained, and quiz themselves on exam topics. Adelaide Botanic High School principal Sarah Chambers described it as an ‘education equaliser’ that provides students with access to support throughout the day.

While many educators in Australia welcome the rollout, experts warn against overreliance on AI tools. Toby Walsh of UNSW said students must still learn how to write essays and think critically, while others noted that AI could actually encourage deeper questioning and analysis.

RMIT computing expert Michael Cowling said generative AI can strengthen critical thinking when used for brainstorming and refining ideas. He emphasised that students must learn to critically evaluate AI output and utilise the technology as a tool, rather than a substitute for learning.

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Industry leaders urge careful AI use in research projects

The 2026 Adwanted Media Research Awards will feature a new category for Best Use of AI in Research Projects, reflecting the growing importance of this technology in the industry.

Head judge Denise Turner of IPA said AI should be viewed as a tool to expedite workflows, not replace human insight, emphasising that researchers remain essential to interpreting results and posing the right questions.

Route CEO Euan Mackay said AI enables digital twins, synthetic data, and clean-room integrations, shifting researchers’ roles from survey design to auditing and ensuring data integrity in an AI-driven environment.

OMD’s Laura Rowe highlighted AI’s ability to rapidly process raw data, transcribe qualitative research, and extend insights across strategy and planning — provided ethical oversight remains in place.

ITV’s Neil Mortensen called this the start of a ‘gold rush’, urging the industry to use AI to automate tedious tasks while preserving rigorous methods and enabling more time for deep analysis.

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Rising data centre demand pushes utilities to invest

US electricity prices are rising as the energy demands of data centres surge, driven by the rapid growth of AI technologies. The average retail price per kilowatt-hour increased by 6.5% between May 2024 and May 2025, with some states experiencing significantly sharper increases.

Maine saw the sharpest rise in electricity prices at 36.3%, with Connecticut and Utah following closely behind. Utilities are passing on infrastructure costs, including new transmission lines, to consumers. In Northern Virginia, residents could face monthly bill increases of up to $37 by 2040.

Analysts warn that the shift to generative AI will lead to a 160% surge in energy use at data centres by 2030. Water use is also rising sharply, as Google reported its facilities consumed around 6 billion gallons in 2024 alone, amid intensifying global AI competition.

Tech giants are turning to alternative energy to keep pace. Google has announced plans to power data centres with small nuclear reactors through a partnership with Kairos Power, while Microsoft and Amazon are ramping up nuclear investments to secure long-term supply.

President Donald Trump has pledged more than $92 billion in AI and energy infrastructure investments, underlining Washington’s push to ensure the US remains competitive in the AI race despite mounting strain on the grid and water resources.

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German state pushes digital sovereignty

The northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to replace Microsoft software in its public administration with open-source alternatives.

With around 30,000 civil servants, a workforce comparable to the European Commission, the region has already migrated most staff to new systems. It expects to cut its Office licences by more than two-thirds before the end of the month.

Instead of relying on Word, Outlook or SharePoint, staff are switching to LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Open Xchange and Nextcloud. A Linux pilot is also underway, testing the replacement of Windows itself.

The digital minister, Dirk Schrödter, admitted the schedule is tight but said that 24,000 employees are already using the new setup. By 2029, only a handful of Microsoft licences should remain, kept for compatibility with federal services.

A transition that has not been free of challenges. Some judges have called for a return to Outlook, citing outages, while larger providers such as SAP have proven difficult to adapt.

Still, Schrödter argued the investment is about sovereignty rather than cost-cutting, comparing Europe’s reliance on Big Tech to its dependence on Russian gas before 2022. He urged Brussels to prioritise open-source solutions in procurement rules to reduce dependence on foreign tech giants.

Although Schleswig-Holstein is a relatively small region, its programme has already influenced wider German and European initiatives.

Similar efforts, including Germany’s OpenDesk project, have gained traction in France, Italy and the Netherlands, with several governments now watching the experiment closely.

Schrödter said the state’s progress surprises many observers, but he believes it shows how public administrations can regain control of their digital infrastructure.

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Scientist and DeepMind’s CEO Demis Hassabis says learning how to learn is key to the AI future

The Nobel laureate, Demis Hassabis, has argued that the most crucial ability for the next generation will be learning how to learn.

Speaking at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece, he said adaptability was vital as AI reshapes work and education.

The neuroscientist and former chess prodigy predicted that AGI machines with human-level versatility could emerge within a decade. He described it as a development that may create a future of radical abundance, although he warned of risks.

Hassabis urged a stronger focus on ‘meta-skills’ such as optimising approaches to new subjects, instead of relying solely on traditional disciplines.

Given the speed of technological change, he emphasised that people will need to update their knowledge continuously throughout their careers.

His remarks came during a discussion with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who warned that the unchecked growth of technology giants could fuel economic inequality and social unrest if citizens do not see clear benefits from AI adoption.

Hassabis’s work on protein folding won him the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

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Ukraine urges ethical use of AI in education

AI can help build individual learning paths for Ukraine’s 3.5 million students, but its use must remain ethical, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Yevhen Kudriavets has said.

Speaking to UNN, Kudriavets stressed that AI can analyse large volumes of information and help students acquire the knowledge they need more efficiently. He said AI could construct individual learning trajectories faster than teachers working manually.

He warned, however, that AI should not replace the educational process and that safeguards must be found to prevent misuse.

Kudriavets also said students in Ukraine should understand the reasons behind using AI, adding that it should be used to achieve knowledge rather than to obtain grades.

The deputy minister emphasised that technology itself is neutral, and how people choose to apply it determines whether it benefits education.

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