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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South Korea and NATO have pledged closer cooperation on cybersecurity following high-level talks in Seoul this week, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The discussions, led by Ambassador for International Cyber Affairs Lee Tae Woo and NATO Assistant Secretary General Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, focused on countering cyber threats and assessing risks in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.
Launched in 2023, the high-level cyber dialogue aims to deepen collaboration between South Korea and NATO in the cybersecurity domain.
The meeting followed talks between Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and NATO Military Committee chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone during the Seoul Defence Dialogue earlier this week.
Dragone said cooperation would expand across defence exchanges, information sharing, cyberspace, space, and AI as ties between Seoul and NATO strengthen.
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Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has unveiled the world’s first AI-generated minister, a virtual figure named Diella, who will oversee public tenders in an effort to eradicate corruption. The announcement was made as Rama presented his new cabinet following a decisive election victory in May.
Diella, meaning ‘Sun’ in Albanian, has already been active on the government’s e-Albania portal, where it has issued more than 36,000 digital documents and helped citizens access around 1,000 services.
Now, it will formally take on a cabinet role, marking what Rama described as a radical shift in governance where technology acts as a participant instead of a tool.
The AI will gradually take over responsibility for awarding government tenders, removing decisions from ministries and ensuring assessments are objective. Rama said the system would help Albania become ‘100 per cent corruption-free’ in procurement, a key area of concern in the country’s bid to join the EU by 2030.
Public tenders have long been linked to corruption scandals in Albania, a nation often cited as a hub for money laundering and organised crime. Supporters view Diella’s appointment as a bold step towards transparency, with local media calling it a major transformation in how state power is exercised.
Rama emphasised that the AI minister would have a special mandate to break down bureaucratic barriers and strengthen public trust in administration.
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Macrophages drive immune responses, including inflammation, tissue repair, and tumour growth. Identifying their polarisation states is key for diagnosis and immunotherapy, but current methods, such as RNA sequencing and flow cytometry, are expensive, slow, and unsuitable for real-time use.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful tool for decoding mechanobiological signatures of cells. Combined with AI, AFM data can be rapidly analysed, but macrophage phenotyping has been relatively underexplored using this approach.
Researchers led by Prof Li Yang at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology have now developed a label-free, non-invasive method combining AFM with deep learning. The system accurately profiles human macrophage mechanophenotypes and identifies polarisation states in real-time.
The AI model was trained on well-characterised macrophage subtypes and validated using flow cytometry. Results showed that pseudovirus stimulation mainly produced M1 macrophages, with smaller populations of M2 and mixed phenotypes, closely matching the model’s predictions.
The study, published in Small Methods, offers a promising diagnostic tool that could be extended beyond macrophages to other cell types. It could support new approaches in cancer, fibrosis, and infectious disease diagnostics based on mechanophenotypes.
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Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now reports that Apple plans to introduce its AI-powered web search tool in spring 2026. The move would position it against OpenAI and Perplexity, while renewing pressure on Google.
The speculation comes after news that Google may integrate its Gemini AI into Apple devices. During an antitrust trial in April, Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed plans to roll out updates later this year.
According to Gurman, Apple and Google finalised an agreement for Apple to test a Google-developed AI model to boost its voice assistant. The partnership reflects Apple’s mixed strategy of dependence and rivalry with Google.
With a strong record for accurate Apple forecasts, Gurman suggests the company hopes the move will narrow its competitive gap. Whether it can outpace Google, especially given Pixel’s strong AI features, remains an open question.
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The US tech giant Google will not be forced to divest Chrome or Android following the long-running US monopoly case.
Judge Mehta ruled that while Google holds a monopoly in traditional search, the rise of AI companies is creating new competitive pressures.
The judgement prevents Google from striking exclusive distribution deals but still allows it to pay partners for preloading and placement of its products. The court also ordered Google to loosen its control over search data, a move that could enable rivals to build their own AI-driven search tools.
Yet, concerns remain for e-commerce businesses.
Google Zero, the company’s AI-powered search summary, is cutting website traffic by keeping users within Google’s results.
Research shows sharp declines in mobile click-through rates, leaving online retailers uncertain of their future visibility.
Experts warn that zero-click searches are becoming the norm. Businesses are being urged to optimise for Google’s AI overviews, enhance the value of product and review pages, track traffic impacts, and diversify their marketing channels.
While Google has avoided structural remedies, its dominance in search and AI appears far from over.
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Mental health experts in Iowa have warned that teenagers are increasingly turning to AI chatbots instead of seeking human connection, raising concerns about misinformation and harmful advice.
The issue comes into focus on National Suicide Prevention Day, shortly after a lawsuit against ChatGPT was filed over a teenager’s suicide.
Jessica Bartz, a therapy supervisor at Vera French Duck Creek, said young people are at a vulnerable stage of identity formation while family communication often breaks down.
She noted that some teens use chatbot tools like ChatGPT, Genius and Copilot to self-diagnose, which can reinforce inaccurate or damaging ideas.
‘Sometimes AI can validate the wrong things,’ Bartz said, stressing that algorithms only reflect the limited information users provide.
Without human guidance, young people risk misinterpreting results and worsening their struggles.
Experts recommend that parents and trusted adults engage directly with teenagers, offering empathy and open communication instead of leaving them dependent on technology.
Bartz emphasised that nothing can replace a caring person noticing warning signs and intervening to protect a child’s well-being.
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A group of 12 Democratic US senators unveiled a crypto regulation plan, highlighting the need for bipartisan oversight. The proposal comes in response to Republicans’ plan to advance a market structure bill this month.
The Democrats’ framework outlines seven key pillars, including protections against illicit finance and measures to close gaps in the spot market for digital assets not classified as securities. It also calls for fair and effective regulation, highlighting concerns over the SEC, CFTC, and Treasury Department leadership.
The framework criticised Trump for removing Democratic commissioners and noted his family’s financial ties to crypto projects. Senators urged limits on elected officials and family members profiting from digital assets and reinforced disclosure requirements.
With the House passing the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act regulating stablecoins, the Senate is expected to prioritise crypto market structure legislation. However, Democrats remain uncertain whether Republicans will adopt their recommendations, with a final bill unlikely before 2026.
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Abu Dhabi hosted a Weather Summit that explored how AI could transform forecasting and support operations, such as cloud seeding. Experts emphasised that AI enhances analysis but must complement, rather than replace, human judgement.
Discussions focused on Earth-system forecasting using satellite datasets, IoT devices, and geospatial systems. Quality, interoperability, and equitable access to weather services were highlighted as pressing priorities.
Speakers raised questions about public and private sector incentives’ reliability, transparency, and influence on AI. Collaboration across sectors was crucial to strengthening trust and global cooperation in meteorology.
WMO President Dr Abdulla Al Mandous said forecasting has evolved from traditional observation to supercomputing and AI. He argued that integrating models with AI could deliver more precise local forecasts for agriculture, aviation, and disaster management.
The summit brought together leaders from UN bodies, research institutions, and tech firms, including Google, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Attendees highlighted the need to bridge data gaps, particularly in developing regions, to confront rising climate challenges.
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The US tech giant has expanded the capability of its Gemini app by allowing users to upload audio files for AI analysis across Android, iOS, and the web. The upgrade enables transcription of interviews, voice memos and lecture recordings instead of relying solely on typed or spoken prompts.
Free-tier users can upload clips of up to ten minutes with five prompts daily, while paid subscribers have access to three hours of uploads across multiple files. According to Gemini vice president Josh Woodward, the feature is designed to make the platform more versatile and practical for everyday tasks.
Google has also enhanced its Search AI mode with five new languages, including Hindi, Japanese and Korean, extending its multilingual reach.
NotebookLM, the company’s research assistant powered by Gemini, can now generate structured reports such as quizzes, study guides and blog posts from uploaded content, available in more than 80 languages.
These improvements underline Google’s ambition to integrate AI more deeply into everyday applications instead of leaving the technology confined to experimental tools. They also highlight growing competition in the AI market, with Google using Gemini 2.5 to expand its services for global users.
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