Canada has opened the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers’ Meeting in Montreal, bringing together ministers, industry leaders, and international delegates to address shared industrial and technological challenges.
The meeting is being led by Industry Minister Melanie Joly and AI and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon, with discussions centred on strengthening supply chains, accelerating innovation, and boosting industrial competitiveness across advanced economies.
Talks will focus on building resilient economies, expanding trusted digital infrastructure, and supporting growth while aligning industrial policy with economic security and national security priorities shared among G7 members.
The agenda builds on outcomes from the recent G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis, Canada, including commitments on quantum technologies, critical minerals cooperation, and a shared statement on AI and prosperity.
Canadian officials said closer coordination among trusted partners is essential amid global uncertainty and rapid technological change, positioning innovation-driven industry as a long-term foundation for economic growth, productivity, and shared prosperity.
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A broad plan to integrate generative AI across public administration and key sectors of the economy is being prepared by Russia.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin explained that the new framework seeks to extend modern AI tools across regions and major industries in order to strengthen national technological capacity.
The president has already underlined the need for fully domestic AI products as an essential element of national sovereignty. Moscow intends to rely on locally developed systems instead of foreign platforms, an approach aimed at securing long-term independence and resilience.
A proposal created by the government and the Presidential Administration has been submitted for approval to establish a central headquarters that will guide the entire deployment effort.
The new body will set objectives, track progress and coordinate work across ministries and agencies while supporting broader access to advanced capabilities.
Officials in Russia view the plan as a strategic investment intended to reinforce national competitiveness in a rapidly changing technological environment.
Greater use of generative systems is expected to improve administrative efficiency, support regional development and encourage innovation across multiple sectors.
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The AI talent studio behind synthetic actress Tilly Norwood is preparing to expand what it calls the ‘Tilly-verse’, moving into a new phase of AI-first entertainment built around multiple digital characters.
Xicoia, founded by Particle6 and Tilly creator Eline van der Velden, is recruiting for 9 roles spanning writing, production, growth, and AI development, including a junior comedy writer, a social media manager, and a senior ‘AI wizard-in-chief’.
The UK-based studio says the hires will support Tilly’s planned 2026 expansion into on-screen appearances and direct fan interaction, alongside the introduction of new AI characters designed to coexist within the same fictional universe.
Van der Velden argues the project creates jobs rather than replacing them, positioning the studio as a response to anxieties around AI in entertainment and rejecting claims that Tilly is meant to displace human performers.
Industry concerns persist, however, with actors’ representatives disputing whether synthetic creations can be considered performers at all and warning that protecting human artists’ names, images, and likenesses remains critical as AI adoption accelerates.
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Greece is confronting a rapid rise in cybercrime as AI strengthens the tools available to criminals, according to the head of the National Cyber Security Authority.
Michael Bletsas warned that Europe is already experiencing hybrid conflict, with Northeastern states facing severe incidents that reveal a digital frontline. Greece has not endured physical sabotage or damage to its infrastructure, yet cyberattacks remain a pressing concern.
Bletsas noted that most activity involves cybercrime instead of destructive action. He pointed to the expansion of cyberactivism and vandalism through denial-of-service attacks, which usually cause no lasting harm.
The broader problem stems from a surge in AI-driven intrusions and espionage, which offer new capabilities to malicious groups and create a more volatile environment.
Moreover, Bletsas said that the physical and digital worlds should be viewed as a single, interconnected sphere, with security designed around shared principles rather than being treated as separate domains.
SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son told South Korean President Lee Jae Myung that advanced AI could surpass humans by an extreme margin. He suggested future systems may be 10,000 times more capable than people. The remarks came during a meeting in Seoul focused on national AI ambitions.
Son compared the potential intelligence gap to the difference between humans and goldfish. He said AI might relate to humans as humans relate to pets. Lee acknowledged the vision but admitted feeling uneasy about the scale of the described change.
Son argued that superintelligent systems would not threaten humans physically, noting they lack biological needs. He framed coexistence as the likely outcome. His comments followed renewed political interest in positioning South Korea as an AI leader.
The debate turned to cultural capability when Lee asked whether AI might win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Son said such an achievement was plausible. He pointed to fast-moving advances that continue to challenge expectations about machine creativity.
Researchers say artificial superintelligence remains theoretical, but early steps toward AGI may emerge within a decade. Many expect systems to outperform humans across a wide set of tasks. Policy discussions in South Korea reflect growing urgency around AI governance.
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Gary Marcus argued at Axios’ AI+ Summit that large language models (LLMs) offer utility but fall short of the transformative claims made by their developers. He framed their fundamental role as groundwork for future artificial general intelligence. He suggested that meaningful capability shifts lie beyond today’s systems.
Marcus said alignment challenges stem from LLMs lacking robust world models and reliable constraints. He noted that models still hallucinate despite explicit instructions to avoid errors. He described current systems as an early rehearsal rather than a route to AGI.
Concerns raised included bias, misinformation, environmental impact and implications for education. Marcus also warned about the decline of online information quality as automated content spreads. He believes structural flaws make these issues persistent.
Industry momentum remains strong despite unresolved risks. Developers continue to push forward without clear explanations for model behaviour. Investment flows remain focused on the promise of AGI, despite timelines consistently shifting.
Strategic competition adds pressure, with the United States seeking to maintain an edge over China in advanced AI. Political signals reinforce the drive toward rapid development. Marcus argued that stronger frameworks are needed before systems scale further.
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The final AI Energy Council meeting of 2025 took place in London, led by AI Minister Kanishka Narayan alongside energy ministers Lord Vallance and Michael Shanks.
Regulators and industry representatives reviewed how the UK can expedite grid connections and support the necessary infrastructure for expanding AI activity nationwide.
Council members examined progress on government measures intended to accelerate connections for AI data centres. Plans include support for AI Growth Zones, with discounted electricity available for sites able to draw on excess capacity, which is expected to reduce pressure in the broader network.
Ministers underlined AI’s role in national economic ambitions, noting recent announcements of new AI Growth Zones in North East England and in North and South Wales.
They also discussed how forthcoming reforms are expected to help deliver AI-related infrastructure by easing access to grid capacity.
The meeting concluded with a focus on long-term energy needs for AI development. Participants explored ways to unlock additional capacity and considered innovative options for power generation, including self-build solutions.
The council will reconvene in early 2026 to continue work on sustainable approaches for future AI infrastructure.
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OpenAI and Thrive Holdings have launched apartnership to accelerate enterprise adoption of AI. The work focuses on applying AI to high-volume business functions such as accounting and IT services. Both companies say these areas offer immediate gains in speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency.
OpenAI will place its teams inside Thrive Holdings’ companies to improve core workflows. The partners want a model they can replicate across other sectors. They say embedding AI in real operations delivers better results than external tools.
Executives say AI is reshaping how organisations deliver value in competitive markets. OpenAI’s Brad Lightcap described the collaboration as an example of rapid, organisation-wide transformation. He said the approach could guide other businesses seeking practical pathways to use advanced AI tools.
Thrive Holdings views the initiative as part of a broader shift in how technology is adopted. Founder Joshua Kushner said industry experts are now driving change from within their sectors. He added that Thrive’s portfolio offers the data and domain knowledge needed to refine AI for specialised tasks.
Both partners expect the model to scale into additional business areas as uptake grows. They see long-term opportunities to adapt the framework to more enterprise functions. The ambition is to demonstrate how embedded AI can boost performance and sustain operational improvements.
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Apple says its AI leadership is shifting as John Giannandrea prepares to leave the company. Amar Subramanya, a veteran of Google and Microsoft, will take over AI research and development. The move comes after delays to promised Siri upgrades.
Subramanya will report to software chief Craig Federighi and lead work on foundation models, machine learning research, and AI safety. Apple says his arrival reflects the company’s push to accelerate progress in these areas. Giannandrea will remain an adviser until early next year.
Multiple reports say internal pressure had grown as deadlines for Apple Intelligence features slipped. Senior leaders held private discussions on the future direction of the organisation. The reshuffle followed concerns that Apple had fallen behind competitors in core AI capabilities.
Giannandrea had previously overseen both Siri and AI models before responsibilities were split. Vision Pro architect Mike Rockwell now leads the development of the voice assistant. Apple says Giannandrea played a key role in shaping the company’s early AI work.
Chief executive Tim Cook praised both executives and framed the transition as part of a broader strategy. Apple says it remains committed to delivering a more personalised Siri next year. The company is positioning the leadership change as a step toward faster progress.
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The Second Cairo Forum brought together experts to assess how AI, global shifts, and economic pressures are shaping MENA. Speakers said the region faces a critical moment as new technologies accelerate. The discussion asked whether MENA will help shape AI or simply adopt it.
Participants highlighted global divides, warning that data misuse and concentrated control remain major risks. They argued that middle-income countries can collaborate to build shared standards. Several speakers urged innovation-friendly regulation supported by clear safety rules.
Officials from Egypt outlined national efforts to embed AI across health, agriculture, and justice. They described progress through applied projects and new governance structures. Limited data access and talent retention were identified as continuing obstacles.
Industry voices stressed that trust, transparency, and skills must underpin the use of AI. They emphasised co-creation that fits regional languages and contexts. Training and governance frameworks were seen as essential for responsible deployment.
Closing remarks warned that rapid advances demand urgent decisions. Speakers said safety investment lags behind development, and global competition is intensifying. They agreed that today’s choices will shape the region’s AI future.
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