Google has announced a significant partnership with LA28, Team USA, and NBCUniversal ahead of the 2026 and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The collaboration aims to create a more interactive and personalised experience for fans, athletes, and the 70,000 volunteers helping deliver the LA28 Games.
The agreement will combine innovations across Google Search, Gemini, and Google Cloud. AI tools will assist Team USA with training analysis, while viewers will benefit from more innovative search functions during NBCUniversal’s coverage.
Gemini will also support athletes and organisers with enhanced data insights and communication tools.
Google Cloud will power what is set to be the most technologically advanced Games in history. It will optimise event logistics, analyse performance data, and provide real-time analytics to NBCUniversal.
Meanwhile, YouTube will host exclusive Olympic content, expanding NBCUniversal’s storytelling reach through short-form video.
The partnership underscores how AI and cloud technologies are shaping the future of global events. Fans attending or watching from home will enjoy more immersive, on-demand access to the athletes, competitions, and stories driving LA28.
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AI, omics, and systems biology enable targeted drugs for heart disease pathways once considered untreatable. A new study in Frontiers in Science highlights how these innovations could revolutionise treatment and save millions of lives.
Heart disease remains the leading global killer, partly because generic treatments like statins do not account for individual biological differences.
RNA-based drugs are emerging as an up-and-coming solution. Unlike conventional medicines that reach only limited protein targets, RNA therapies can influence almost any gene and may be developed more quickly.
Early trials show they can lower cholesterol more effectively than traditional approaches, with potential to address long-standing ‘undruggable’ pathways in cardiovascular disease.
Experts say realising these treatments requires global leadership and collaboration across academia, industry, and healthcare. Bold investment and open science are crucial to make precision medicine global and reduce heart disease, expected to cause 26 million deaths annually by 2030.
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The Swedish-Swiss electrical engineering corporation ABB has agreed to sell its Robotics division to Japan’s SoftBank Group for an enterprise value of $5.375 billion, abandoning plans for a spin-off.
However, the move marks one of the most significant robotics transactions in recent years, and reflects both firms’ ambition to drive the next era of AI-based automation.
A divestment that will allow ABB to focus on its core businesses in electrification and automation, while SoftBank expands its ‘Physical AI’ strategy.
ABB said the sale would create immediate shareholder value and that proceeds would be used according to its capital allocation principles.
The Robotics division, which employs around 7,000 people and generated $2.3 billion in 2024 revenues, will become part of SoftBank’s portfolio upon completion of the deal, expected by mid-to-late 2026. The transaction is projected to yield ABB a pre-tax book gain of about $2.4 billion.
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said the acquisition aligns with his vision to combine artificial superintelligence and robotics to ‘propel humanity forward’.
ABB’s CEO Morten Wierod said the partnership would unite ABB’s industrial expertise with SoftBank’s AI capabilities, strengthening its global leadership in advanced robotics.
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Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has directed the full implementation of AI across government agencies to meet President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s goal of reducing the shadow economy’s share in GDP to 15 percent in 2025.
At a government session, Bektenov said progress must go beyond reports and correspondence, calling for structural reforms in taxation, digitalisation, and business regulation. He urged ministries to pursue a ‘transparent economy’ through comprehensive AI and data integration initiatives.
The State Revenue Committee of Kazakhstan will lead the digital transformation, supported by a new Data Processing Centre established by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
Bektenov stressed that digitalisation projects such as cashless payments and the digital tenge have already proven effective in curbing unrecorded transactions and improving financial oversight.
AI will also be deployed in customs risk profiling and cargo inspection analysis to detect fraud and reduce corruption.
The Ministries of Finance, Justice, Trade, and National Economy were instructed to integrate databases under the Smart Data Finance system and to finalise an automated risk management system for company registration by 25 November.
Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin will oversee coordination.
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US electric utilities are set to spend nearly $208 billion on the power grid in 2025 and more than $1.1 trillion over the next five years, according to the Edison Electric Institute. The surge in investment reflects rising demand from data centres, artificial intelligence, and wider electrification across the economy.
EEI data shows that investor-owned utilities spent $765 billion on capital projects in the five years to 2024. The new spending represents a significant increase and is aimed at upgrading and expanding infrastructure to keep pace with the accelerating demand for electricity.
The growing investment comes as demand from energy-intensive technologies continues to rise. Data centres and AI workloads are driving sustained growth in US power consumption, placing unprecedented pressure on existing infrastructure and prompting utilities to scale up their spending plans.
David Weeks, supply chain industry practice lead at Moody’s, warned that the escalating energy crisis could become a limiting factor across multiple industries. He said grid constraints and permitting delays must be factored into corporate supply chain strategies to avoid future disruptions.
As electrification spreads across the economy, grid reliability and capacity are becoming critical considerations for companies. The planned investment underscores the urgency of modernising the power grid to support economic growth while adapting to new technological demands.
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Researchers at MIT have developed a predictive model that could make fusion power plants more reliable and safe. The approach uses machine learning and physics-based simulations to predict plasma instabilities and prevent damage during tokamak shutdowns.
Experimental tokamaks use strong magnets to contain plasma hotter than the sun’s core. They often face challenges in safely ramping down plasma currents that circulate at extreme speeds and temperatures.
The model was trained and tested on data from the Swiss TCV tokamak. Combining neural networks with physics simulations, the team achieved accurate predictions using few plasma pulses, saving costs and overcoming limited experimental data.
The system can now generate practical ‘trajectories’ for controllers to adjust magnets and temperatures, helping to safely manage plasma during shutdowns.
The new model allows operators to carefully balance rampdowns, avoiding disruptions and ensuring safer, more efficient operation.
Work on the predictive model is part of wider collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems and supported by the EUROfusion Consortium and Swiss research institutions. Scientists see it as a crucial step toward making fusion a practical, reliable, and sustainable energy source.
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Google DeepMind has launched the Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model, a specialised version of Gemini 2.5 Pro designed to let AI agents interact directly with digital user interfaces.
Available in preview through the Gemini API, developers can build agents capable of performing web and mobile tasks such as form-filling, navigation and interaction within apps.
Unlike models limited to structured APIs, Gemini 2.5 Computer Use can reason visually about what it sees on screen, making it possible to complete tasks requiring clicks, scrolls and text input.
While maintaining low latency, it outperforms rivals on several benchmarks, including Browserbase’s Online-Mind2Web and WebVoyager.
The model’s safety design includes per-step risk checks, built-in safeguards against misuse and developer-controlled restrictions on high-risk actions such as payments or security changes.
Google has already integrated it into systems like Project Mariner, Firebase Testing Agent and AI Mode in Search, while early testers report faster, more reliable automation.
Gemini 2.5 Computer Use is now available in public preview via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, enabling developers to experiment with advanced interface-aware agents that can perform complex digital workflows securely and efficiently.
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Joining the broader trend, Denmark plans to ban children under 15 from using social media as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced during her address to parliament on Tuesday.
Describing platforms as having ‘stolen our children’s childhood’, she said the government must act to protect young people from the growing harms of digital dependency.
Frederiksen urged lawmakers to ‘tighten the law’ to ensure greater child safety online, adding that parents could still grant consent for children aged 13 and above to have social media accounts.
Although the proposal is not yet part of the government’s legislative agenda, it builds on a 2024 citizen initiative that called for banning platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The prime minister’s comments reflect Denmark’s broader push within the EU to require age verification systems for online platforms.
Her statement follows a broader debate across Europe over children’s digital well-being and the responsibilities of tech companies in verifying user age and safeguarding minors.
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Facebook enhances how users find and share Reels, focusing on personalisation and social interaction.
The platform’s new recommendation engine learns user interests faster, presenting more relevant and up-to-date content. Video viewing time in the US has risen over 20% year-on-year, reflecting the growing appeal of both short and long-form clips.
The update introduces new ‘friend bubbles’ showing which Reels or posts friends have liked, allowing users to start private chats instantly.
A feature that encourages more spontaneous conversation and discovery through shared interests. Facebook’s ‘Save’ option has also been simplified, letting users collect favourite posts and Reels in one place, while improving future recommendations.
AI now plays a larger role in content exploration, offering suggested searches on certain Reels to help users find related topics without leaving the player. By combining smarter algorithms with stronger social cues, Facebook aims to make video discovery more meaningful and community-driven.
Further personalisation tools are expected to follow as the platform continues refining its Reels experience.
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AI could help design buildings that are resilient to both climate extremes and infectious disease threats, according to new research. The study, conducted in collaboration with Charles Darwin University, examines the application of AI in smart buildings, with a focus on energy efficiency and management.
Buildings account for over two-thirds of global carbon emissions and energy consumption, but reducing consumption remains challenging and costly. The study highlights how AI can enhance ventilation and thermal comfort, overcoming the limitations of static HVAC systems that impact sustainability and health.
Researchers propose adaptive thermal control systems that respond in real-time to occupancy, outdoor conditions, and internal heat. Machine learning can optimise temperature and airflow to balance comfort, energy efficiency, and infection control.
A new framework enables designers and facility managers to simulate thermal scenarios and assess their impact on the risk of airborne transmission. It is modular and adaptable to different building types, offering a quantitative basis for future regulatory standards.
The study was conducted with lead author Mohammadreza Haghighat from the University of Tehran and CDU’s Ehsan Mohammadi Savadkoohi. Future work will integrate real-time sensor data to strengthen building resilience against future climate and health threats.
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