Prominent personalities

AI helps Everbloom create sustainable cashmere alternatives

Everbloom has developed Braid.AI, an AI system that transforms waste fibres into high-quality textiles. The process can use poultry feathers, wool, and other keratin-rich materials to replicate fabrics like cashmere.

The system works with standard textile machinery, combining chopped waste with proprietary compounds to produce biodegradable fibres. Everbloom aims to reduce environmental impact while maintaining material quality comparable to traditional cashmere.

Co-founder Sim Gulati said the startup aims to make materials economically accessible. Products are designed to offer both environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness, avoiding a ‘sustainable premium’ for consumers.

The AI can fine-tune fibre properties for multiple fabrics beyond cashmere, including polyester alternatives. Everbloom collects waste from farms, mills, and other sources to create a sustainable supply chain.

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BioTechEU aims to close Europe’s biotech funding gap

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group have launched BioTechEU, a new initiative to mobilise €10 billion in investment for biotechnology and life sciences between 2026 and 2027.

The programme targets Europe’s biotech funding gap, seeking to strengthen global competitiveness by channelling public and private capital into health innovation, including gene therapies, mRNA treatments, personalised medicine and AI-enabled medical technologies.

BioTechEU will operate under the EIB Group’s TechEU framework and draw on instruments such as the InvestEU guarantee. The initiative aligns with broader EU efforts to retain strategic health innovation within Europe and reduce reliance on external markets.

European Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said under-investment continues to constrain biotech startups, adding that the European Commission sees BioTechEU as a way to help promising treatments scale and reach patients more efficiently across the EU.

EIB President Nadia Calviño said Europe has strong scientific talent and ideas, but deeper capital markets are needed. She described BioTechEU as a catalyst for enabling EU-based biotech companies to grow and compete globally.

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AI governance talks deepen as BRICS aligns national approaches

BRICS countries are working to harmonise their approaches to AI, though it remains too early to speak of a unified AI framework for the bloc, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Speaking as Russia’s BRICS sherpa, Ryabkov said discussions are focused on aligning national positions and shared principles rather than establishing binding standards, noting that no common BRICS AI rules have yet taken shape.

He highlighted the adoption of a standalone leaders’ declaration on global AI governance at the Rio de Janeiro summit, describing it as a milestone for the organisation and a first for the grouping.

BRICS members, including Russia, view cooperation on AI as a way to manage emerging risks, build capacity and help narrow the digital divide, particularly for developing countries.

Ryabkov added that the group supports a central coordinating role for the United Nations, with AI governance anchored in national legislation, respect for sovereignty, data protection and human rights.

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Language models impress but miss real-world understanding

Leading AI researcher Yann LeCun has argued that large language models only simulate understanding rather than genuinely comprehending the world. Their intelligence, he said, lacks grounding in physical reality and everyday common sense.

Despite being trained on vast amounts of online text, LLMs struggle with unfamiliar situations, according to LeCun. Real-world experience, he noted, provides richer learning than language alone ever could.

Drawing on decades in AI research, LeCun warned that enthusiasm around LLMs mirrors earlier hype cycles that promised human-level intelligence. Similar claims have repeatedly failed to deliver since the 1950s.

Instead of further scaling language models, LeCun urged greater investment in ‘world models’ that can reason about actions and consequences. He also cautioned that current funding patterns risk sidelining alternative approaches to AI.

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UK-EU cyber dialogue strengthens policy alignment

The third UK-EU Cyber Dialogue was held in Brussels on 9 and 10 December 2025, bringing together senior officials under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement to strengthen cooperation on cybersecurity and digital resilience.

The meeting was co-chaired by Andrew Whittaker from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Irfan Hemani from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, alongside EU representatives from the European External Action Service and the European Commission.

Officials from Europol and ENISA also participated, reinforcing operational and regulatory coordination rather than fragmented policy approaches.

Discussions covered cyber legislation, deterrence strategies, countering cybercrime, incident response and cyber capacity development, with an emphasis on maintaining strong security standards while reducing unnecessary compliance burdens on industry.

Both sides confirmed that the next UK-EU Cyber Dialogue will take place in London in 2026.

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AI content flood drives ‘slop’ to word of the year

Merriam-Webster has chosen ‘slop’ as its 2025 word of the year, reflecting the rise of low-quality digital content produced by AI. The term originally meant soft mud, but now describes absurd or fake online material.

Greg Barlow, Merriam-Webster’s president, said the word captures how AI-generated content has fascinated, annoyed and sometimes alarmed people. Tools like AI video generators can produce deepfakes and manipulated clips in seconds.

The spike in searches for ‘slop’ shows growing public awareness of poor-quality content and a desire for authenticity. People want real, genuine material rather than AI-driven junk content.

AI-generated slop includes everything from absurd videos to fake news and junky digital books. Merriam-Webster selects its word of the year by analysing search trends and cultural relevance.

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Streaming platforms face pressure over AI-generated music

Musicians are raising the alarm over AI-generated tracks appearing on their profiles without consent, presenting fraudulent work as their own. British folk artist Emily Portman discovered an AI-generated album, Orca, on Spotify and Apple Music, which copied her folk style and lyrics.

Fans initially congratulated her on a release she had not made since 2022.

Australian musician Paul Bender reported a similar experience, with four ‘bizarrely bad’ AI tracks appearing under his band, The Sweet Enoughs. Both artists said that weak distributor security allows scammers to easily upload content, calling it ‘the easiest scam in the world.’

A petition launched by Bender garnered tens of thousands of signatures, urging platforms to strengthen their protections.

AI-generated music has become increasingly sophisticated, making it nearly impossible for listeners to distinguish from genuine tracks. While revenues from such fraudulent streams are low individually, bots and repeated listening can significantly increase payouts.

Industry representatives note that the primary motive is to collect royalties from unsuspecting users.

Despite the threat of impersonation, Portman is continuing her creative work, emphasising human collaboration and authentic artistry. Spotify and Apple Music have pledged to collaborate with distributors to enhance the detection and prevention of AI-generated fraud.

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US TikTok investors face uncertainty as sale delayed again

Investors keen to buy TikTok’s US operations say they are left waiting as the sale is delayed again. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, was required to sell or be blocked under a 2024 law.

US President Donald Trump seems set to extend the deadline for a fifth time. Billionaires, including Frank McCourt, Alexis Ohanian and Kevin O’Leary, are awaiting approval.

Investor McCourt confirmed his group has raised the necessary capital and is prepared to move forward once the sale is allowed. National security concerns remain the main reason for the ongoing delays.

Project Liberty, led by McCourt, plans to operate TikTok without Chinese technology, including the recommendation algorithm. The group has developed alternative systems to run the platform independently.

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Canada advances quantum computing with a strategic $92 million public investment

Canada has launched a major new quantum initiative aimed at strengthening domestic technological sovereignty and accelerating the development of industrial-scale quantum computing.

Announced in Toronto, Phase 1 of the Canadian Quantum Champions Program forms part of a wider $334.3 million investment under Budget 2025 to expand Canada’s quantum ecosystem.

The programme will provide up to $92 million in initial funding, with agreements signed with Anyon Systems, Nord Quantique, Photonic and Xanadu Quantum Technologies for up to $23 million each.

A funding that is designed to support the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of solving real-world problems, while anchoring advanced research, talent, and production in Canada, rather than allowing strategic capabilities to migrate abroad.

The initiative also supports Canada’s forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, reflecting the growing role of quantum technologies in cryptography, materials science and threat analysis.

Technical progress will be assessed through a new Benchmarking Quantum Platform led by the National Research Council of Canada, with further programme phases to be announced as development milestones are reached.

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OpenAI’s rise signals a shift in frontier tech investment

OpenAI overtook SpaceX as the world’s most valuable private company in October after a secondary share sale valued the AI firm at $500 billion. The deal put Sam Altman’s company about $100 billion ahead of Elon Musk’s space venture.

That lead may prove short-lived, as SpaceX is now planning its own secondary share sale that could value the company at around $800 billion. An internal letter seen by multiple outlets suggests Musk would reclaim the top spot within months.

The clash is the latest chapter in a rivalry that dates back to OpenAI’s founding in 2015, before Musk left the organisation in 2018 and later launched the startup xAI. Since then, lawsuits and public criticism have marked a sharp breakdown in relations.

Musk also confirmed on X that SpaceX is exploring a major initial public offering, while OpenAI’s recent restructuring allows it to pursue an IPO in the future. The valuation battle reflects soaring investor appetite for frontier technologies, as AI, space, robotics and defence startups attract unprecedented private funding.

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