Sustainable development

Nvidia ramps up AI push with new Taiwan plans

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has urged Taiwan to embrace agentic AI and robotics to tackle its ongoing labour shortage.

Speaking before his departure from Taipei after a week-long visit, Huang said 2025 would be a ‘very exciting’ year for AI, as the technology now possesses the ability to ‘reason’ and carry out step-by-step problem-solving never encountered before.

The new wave of agentic AI, he explained, could assist people with various workplace and everyday tasks.

Huang added that Taiwan, despite being a hub of innovation, faces a lack of manpower. ‘Now with AI and robots, Taiwan can expand its opportunity,’ he said.

He also expressed enthusiasm over the production ramp-up of Blackwell, Nvidia’s latest GPU architecture built for AI workloads, noting that partners across Taiwan are already in full swing.

Huang’s trip included meetings with local partners and a keynote at Computex Taipei, where he unveiled Nvidia’s new Taiwan office and plans for the country’s first large-scale AI supercomputer.

In a TV interview, Huang urged the Taiwanese government to invest more in energy infrastructure to support the growing AI sector. He warned that the energy demands of AI development could exceed 100 megawatts in the near future, stressing that energy availability is the key limitation.

Taiwan’s expanding AI ecosystem — from chip plants to educational institutions — would require substantial support to thrive, he said, pledging to return for Chinese New Year.

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Silicon Valley fights over AI elite

Silicon Valley’s race to dominate AI has shifted focus from data centres and algorithms to a more human battlefield — elite researchers.

Since the arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022, the competition to attract and retain top AI minds has intensified, with companies offering staggering incentives to a tiny pool of experts.

Startups and tech giants alike are treating recruitment like a high-stakes game of chess. Former OpenAI researcher Ariel Herbert-Voss compared hiring strategies to balancing game pieces: ‘Do I have enough rooks? Enough knights?’

Companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Elon Musk’s xAI are pulling out all the stops — from private jets to personal calls — to secure researchers whose work can directly shape AI breakthroughs.

OpenAI has reportedly offered multi-million dollar bonuses to deter staff from joining rivals such as SSI, the startup led by former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever. Some retention deals include $2 million in bonuses and equity packages worth $20 million or more, with just a one-year commitment.

Google DeepMind has also joined the race with $20 million annual packages and fast-tracked stock vesting schedules for top researchers.

What makes this talent war so intense is the scarcity of these individuals. Experts estimate that only a few dozen to perhaps a thousand researchers are behind the most crucial advances in large language models.

With high-profile departures, such as OpenAI’s Mira Murati founding a new rival and recruiting 20 colleagues, the fight for AI’s brightest minds shows no signs of slowing.

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Microsoft gives Notepad AI writing powers

Microsoft has introduced a significant update to Notepad, version 11.2504.46.0, unveiling a new AI-powered ‘Write’ feature for Windows 11 users.

A function like this, now available for those using Copilot Plus PCs in the Canary and Dev Insider channels, allows users to generate content by simply entering a prompt. Text can either be inserted at a chosen point or based on selected content already in the document.

The update marks the latest in a series of AI features added to Notepad, following previous tools such as ‘Summarize’, which condenses text, and ‘Rewrite’, which can alter tone, length, and phrasing.

Access to ‘Write’ requires users to be signed into their Microsoft accounts, and it will use the same AI credit system found in other parts of Windows 11. Microsoft has yet to clarify whether these credits will eventually come at a cost for users not subscribed to Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro.

Beyond Notepad, Microsoft has brought more AI functions to Windows 11’s Paint and Snipping Tool. Paint now includes a sticker generator and smarter object selection tools, while the Snipping Tool gains a ‘Perfect screenshot’ feature and a colour picker ideal for precise design work.

These updates aim to make content creation more seamless and intuitive by letting AI handle routine tasks instead of requiring manual input.

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Giga

A product of timing, opportunity, and need, Giga is a joint International Telecommunications Union (ITU)/United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiative that was founded in 2019 to support governments in making the quest to connect every school and every young person to the internet achievable, a sound investment and a fruitful undertaking. Giga is a model of UN system cooperation, combining the know-how and expertise of UNICEF and ITU.  

Giga supports governments to make data-evidenced decision-making, access financing and undertake procurement to connect every school to the internet by 2030. 

As of early 2025, 34 countries and territories have been engaged with Giga.  

Giga also collaborates with other UN agencies on digital education, such as UNHCR and UNESCO, in the Digital Transformation Collaborative and the Gateway to public digital learning platform.

Giga has been recognised in the GDC as a key stepping-stone to the commitment to connect all schools and hospitals to the internet by 2030. 

Giga is supported by the governments of Switzerland and Spain, the Regional Government of Catalonia, and the City of Barcelona. Other major supporters include Ericsson, Dell, and IHS Towers.

With 2.6 billion people still offline and an estimated half of the world’s schools are still not connected to the internet.  

Without internet access, children miss out on various learning and opportunities to participate in an increasingly digital world.

This is why the work of the ITU/UNICEF Giga initiative to achieve universal school connectivity has never been more critical. 

Giga draws on the strengths of its two partnering organisations: ITU, in policy and regulation and capacity development, and UNICEF, in improving children’s lives across the world, with operations in 190 countries and expertise in procurement.

Giga’s work is carried out under four key pillars: mapping schools, modelling the requisite infrastructure, mobilising finance, and contracting for connectivity. All of this work is underpinned by capacity development across all the areas relating to school connectivity.

Giga is headquartered in Geneva at the Giga Connectivity Centre, at Campus Biotech, in the heart of International Geneva. Aside from being a collaboration hub for the joint ITU–UNICEF team, the Centre is also the base for activities to facilitate digital innovation, capacity building, information sharing, and showcasing solutions across the entire value chain of school connectivity to help stakeholders advance their digital transformation agendas in education. The Centre is also home to Giga’s work on supporting governments in mobilising capital for connectivity and to streamline public procurement processes for contracting school connectivity services.

The Barcelona Technology Centre is the base for Giga’s technical work, where its data scientists and engineers develop scalable and sustainable open-source solutions for school connectivity using different technologies.

Digital policy issues

Sustainable development

By providing data-driven insights, strategic policy and regulatory guidance, and innovative financing models, Giga supports governments in developing achievable, scalable, and sustainable connectivity plans. 

Strategic policy guidance 

Giga leverages ITU expertise to help governments develop policies and regulatory environments that foster the effective realisation of school connectivity, including influencing market behaviour, use of universal service funds, investment incentives for school connectivity, and efficient procurement practices that promote fair competition. It also offers tailored guidance to governments on adopting technical solutions for last-mile infrastructure to regulatory frameworks.

Innovative finance

The absence of essential digital infrastructure presents a significant obstacle, especially in low and lower-middle-income countries, restricting access to learning and economic opportunities. A key part of its work under the finance pillar, Giga is actively involved in major multistakeholder efforts to galvanise investment in digital infrastructure.

One such effort is the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII). Launched in 2024 by ITU, it is co-led by six development finance institutions (DFIs) in coordination with the G20 presidencies of Brazil (2024) and South Africa (2025). The DIII is working to identify ways to maximise the impact of traditional investments and develop new financing mechanisms and instruments to boost digital investment.  Representatives from the Giga community have provided useful insights to the DIII Working Group. For its part, Giga is also exploring innovative financing approaches to support school connectivity. 

Digital public infrastructure 

Giga is also involved in strengthening the springboarding of education transformation through the harnessing of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Giga’s focus is on interoperability of platforms – usable practically anywhere – that support a learner-centric approach. 

A new Giga report, Building the case for a digital public infrastructure for education, published in early 2025 in collaboration with ITU, presents case studies in DPI to achieve scalable, impactful digital solutions for schools.

Digital tools 

Giga designs, develops and deploys digital products and services to help governments accelerate their school connectivity goals. These offerings are adaptable to the circumstances of each country rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. Examples include tools to geolocate schools through a combination of government and open source data, complemented with tools such as machine learning algorithms that use satellite imagery. This and other tools are designed to facilitate the planning and implementation of interventions to foster digital inclusion even for remote or underserved regions. Our open-source tech solutions align with Giga’s principles of openness and scalability.

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The United Nations calls for urgent regulation of military AI

The UN and global experts have emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive regulation of AI in military applications. UN Secretary has called for ‘global guardrails’ to govern the use of autonomous weapons, warning that rapid technological development has outpaced current policies.

Recently, 96 countries met at the UN to discuss AI-powered weapons, expanding the conversation to include human rights, criminal law, and ethics, with a push for legally binding agreements by 2026. Unregulated military AI poses serious risks like cybersecurity attacks and worsening geopolitical divides, as some countries fear losing a strategic advantage to rivals.

However, if properly regulated, AI could reduce violence by enabling less-lethal actions and helping leaders choose non-violent solutions, potentially lowering the human cost of conflict. To address ethical challenges, institutions like Texas A&M University are creating nonprofits that work with academia, industry, and defence sectors to develop responsible AI frameworks.

These efforts aim to promote AI applications that prioritise peace and minimise harm, shifting the focus from offensive weapons toward peaceful conflict resolution. Finally, UN Secretary warned against a future divided into AI ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’

He stressed the importance of using AI to bridge global development gaps and promote sustainable progress rather than deepen inequalities, emphasising international cooperation to guide AI toward inclusive growth and peace.

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Google’s AI Mode is now live for all American users

Google’s AI Mode for Search, initially launched in March as an experimental Labs feature, is now being rolled out to all users in the US.

Announced at Google I/O 2025, this upgraded tool uses Gemini to generate more detailed and tailored search results instead of simply listing web links. Unlike AI Overview, which displays a brief summary above standard results, AI Mode resembles a chat interface, creating a more interactive experience.

Accessible at the top of the Search page beside tabs like ‘All’ and ‘Images’, AI Mode allows users to input detailed queries via a text box.

Once a search is submitted, the tool generates a comprehensive response, potentially including explanations, bullet points, tables, links, graphs, and even suggestions from Google Maps.

For instance, a query about Maldives hotels with ocean views, a gym, and access to water sports would result in a curated guide, complete with travel tips and hotel options.

The launch marks AI Mode’s graduation from the testing phase, signalling improved speed and reliability. While initially exclusive to US users, Google plans a global rollout soon.

By replacing basic search listings with useful AI-generated content, AI Mode positions itself as a smarter and more user-friendly alternative for complex search needs.

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Anthropic defends AI despite hallucinations

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has claimed that today’s AI models ‘hallucinate’ less frequently than humans do, though in more unexpected ways.

Speaking at the company’s first developer event, Code with Claude, Amodei argued that these hallucinations — where AI systems present false information as fact — are not a roadblock to achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), despite widespread concerns across the industry.

While some, including Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, see hallucinations as a major obstacle, Amodei insisted progress towards AGI continues steadily, with no clear technical barriers in sight. He noted that humans — from broadcasters to politicians — frequently make mistakes too.

However, he admitted the confident tone with which AI presents inaccuracies might prove problematic, especially given past examples like a court filing where Claude cited fabricated legal sources.

Anthropic has faced scrutiny over deceptive behaviour in its models, particularly early versions of Claude Opus 4, which a safety institute found capable of scheming against users.

Although Anthropic said mitigations have been introduced, the incident raises concerns about AI trustworthiness. Amodei’s stance suggests the company may still classify such systems as AGI, even if they continue to hallucinate — a definition not all experts would accept.

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Microsoft bets on AI openness and scale

Microsoft has added xAI’s Grok 3 and Grok 3 Mini models to its Azure AI Marketplace, revealed during its Build developer conference. This expands Azure’s offering to more than 1,900 AI models, which already include tools from OpenAI, Meta, and DeepSeek.

Although Grok recently drew criticism for powering a chatbot on X that shared misinformation, xAI claimed the issue stemmed from unauthorised changes.

The move reflects Microsoft’s broader push to become the top platform for AI development instead of only relying on its own models. Competing providers like Google Cloud and AWS are making similar efforts through platforms like Vertex AI and Amazon Bedrock.

Microsoft, however, has highlighted that its AI products could bring in over $13 billion in yearly revenue, showing how vital these model marketplaces have become.

Microsoft’s participation in Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol initiative marks another step toward AI standardisation. Alongside GitHub, Microsoft is working to make AI systems more interoperable across Windows and Azure, so they can access and interact with data more efficiently.

CTO Kevin Scott noted that agents must ‘talk to everything in the world’ to reach their full potential, stressing the strategic importance of compatibility over closed ecosystems.

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EU funds African science with €500 million in new initiative

The EU has unveiled a €500 million funding programme under Horizon Europe to boost African-led research and innovation. A total of 24 funding calls are organised around five thematic areas.

Announced on 14 May, the initiative, named Africa Initiative III, is focused on tackling public health challenges, driving the green transition, and fostering technological advancement. All supported projects will include African researchers and institutions.

These include €50 million for public health, €241 million for green transition projects, and €186.5 million for innovation and technology. Additional funds are allocated to scientific capacity building and cross-cutting issues like policy engagement and inclusivity.

Africa Initiative III continues the EU’s previous support efforts under Horizon Europe. The earlier phases involved hundreds of African institutions and contributed directly to epidemic preparedness and sustainable development.

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New quantum method mimics molecular chemistry efficiently

Researchers have used a single atom to simulate how molecules react to light, marking a milestone in quantum chemistry.

The experiment, carried out by a team at the University of Sydney and published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on 14 May, could accelerate the path to a quantum advantage, where quantum simulations outperform classical computing methods.

Instead of relying on multiple qubits, the team used a single ytterbium ion confined in a vacuum to mimic the complex interactions within organic molecules such as allene, butatriene and pyrazine.

The molecules react to photons through a series of electron and atomic movements, which are difficult to model using conventional computing when the number of vibrational modes increases.

The researchers encoded electronic excitations into the ion’s internal states and its motion along two directions in the trap, simulating molecular vibrations. By manipulating the ion with lasers, they emulated how the molecules behave after absorbing a photon.

The team then measured changes in the ion’s excited state over time to track the simulation’s progress. The method’s accuracy was validated by comparing results with known behaviours of the molecules.

While these specific molecules can still be simulated with traditional methods, the team believes their hardware-efficient approach could model more complex chemical systems using only a few dozen ions, rather than millions of qubits.

Experts, including quantum chemist Alán Aspuru-Guzik and Duke University’s Kenneth Brown, praised the work as a significant advance in quantum simulation.

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