Sustainable development Archives | Page 48 of 302

US lawsuits target social media platforms for deliberate child engagement designs

A landmark trial has begun in Los Angeles, accusing Meta and Google’s YouTube of deliberately addicting children to their platforms.

The case is part of a wider series of lawsuits across the US seeking to hold social media companies accountable for harms to young users. TikTok and Snap settled before trial, leaving Meta and YouTube to face the allegations in court.

The first bellwether case involves a 19-year-old identified as ‘KGM’, whose claims could shape thousands of similar lawsuits. Plaintiffs allege that design features were intentionally created to maximise engagement among children, borrowing techniques from slot machines and the tobacco industry.

A trial that may see testimony from executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and could last six to eight weeks.

Social media companies deny the allegations, emphasising existing safeguards and arguing that teen mental health is influenced by numerous factors, such as academic pressure, socioeconomic challenges and substance use, instead of social media alone.

Meta and YouTube maintain that they prioritise user safety and privacy while providing tools for parental oversight.

Similar trials are unfolding across the country. New Mexico is investigating allegations of sexual exploitation facilitated by Meta platforms, while Oakland will hear cases representing school districts.

More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, with TikTok facing claims in over a dozen states. Outcomes could profoundly impact platform design, regulation and legal accountability for youth-focused digital services.

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AI governance takes focus at UN security dialogue

The UN will mark the fourth International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism on 12 February 2026 with a high-level dialogue focused on AI. The event will examine how emerging technologies are reshaping both prevention strategies and extremist threats.

Organised by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism in partnership with the Republic of Korea’s UN mission, the dialogue will take place at UN Headquarters in New York. Discussions will bring together policymakers, technology experts, civil society representatives, and youth stakeholders.

A central milestone will be the launch of the first UN Practice Guide on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism. The guide offers human rights-based advice on responsible AI use, addressing ethical, governance, and operational risks.

Officials warn that AI-generated content, deepfakes, and algorithmic amplification are accelerating extremist narratives online. Responsibly governed AI tools could enhance early detection, research, and community prevention efforts.

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EU telecom simplification at risk as Digital Networks Act adds extra admin

The ambitions of the EU to streamline telecom rules are facing fresh uncertainty after a Commission document indicated that the Digital Networks Act may create more administrative demands for national regulators instead of easing their workload.

The plan to simplify long-standing procedures risks becoming more complex as officials examine the impact on oversight bodies.

Concerns are growing among telecom authorities and BEREC, which may need to adjust to new reporting duties and heightened scrutiny. The additional requirements could limit regulators’ ability to respond quickly to national needs.

Policymakers hoped the new framework would reduce bureaucracy and modernise the sector. The emerging assessment now suggests that greater coordination at the EU level may introduce extra layers of compliance at a time when regulators seek clarity and flexibility.

The debate has intensified as governments push for faster network deployment and more predictable governance. The prospect of heavier administrative tasks could slow progress rather than deliver the streamlined system originally promised.

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Coal reserves could help Nigeria enter $650 billion AI economy

Nigeria has been advised to develop its coal reserves to benefit from the rapidly expanding global AI economy. A policy organisation said the country could capture part of the projected $650 billion AI investment by strengthening its energy supply capacity.

AI infrastructure requires vast and reliable electricity to power data centres and advanced computing systems. Technology companies worldwide are increasing energy investments as competition intensifies and demand for computing power continues to grow rapidly.

Nigeria holds nearly five billion metric tonnes of coal, offering a significant opportunity to support global energy needs. Experts warned that failure to develop these resources could result in major economic losses and missed industrial growth.

The organisation also proposed creating a national corporation to convert coal into high-value energy and industrial products. Analysts stressed that urgent government action is needed to secure Nigeria’s position in the emerging AI-driven economy.

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Discord expands teen-by-default protection worldwide

Discord is preparing a global transition to teen-appropriate settings that will apply to all users unless they confirm they are adults.

The phased rollout begins in early March and forms part of the company’s wider effort to offer protection tailored to younger audiences rather than relying on voluntary safety choices. Controls will cover communication settings, sensitive content and access to age-restricted communities.

The update is based on an expanded age assurance system designed to protect privacy while accurately identifying users’ age groups. People can use facial age estimation on their own device or select identity verification handled by approved partners.

Discord will also rely on an age-inference model that runs quietly in the background. Verification results remain private, and documents are deleted quickly, with users able to appeal group assignments through account settings.

Stricter defaults will apply across the platform. Sensitive media will stay blurred unless a user is confirmed as an adult, and access to age-gated servers or commands will require verification.

Message requests from unfamiliar contacts will be separated, friend-request alerts will be more prominent and only adults will be allowed to speak on community stages instead of sharing the feature with teens.

Discord is complementing the update by creating a Teen Council to offer advice on future safety tools and policies. The council will include up to a dozen young users and aims to embed real teen insight in product development.

The global rollout builds on earlier launches in the UK and Australia, adding to an existing safety ecosystem that includes Teen Safety Assist, Family Centre, and several moderation tools intended to support positive and secure online interactions.

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Study questions reliability of AI medical guidance

AI chatbots are not yet capable of providing reliable health advice, according to new research published in the journal Nature Medicine. Findings show users gain no greater diagnostic accuracy from chatbots than from traditional internet searches.

Researchers tested nearly 1,300 UK participants using ten medical scenarios, ranging from minor symptoms to conditions requiring urgent care. Participants were assigned to use either OpenAI’s GPT-4o, Meta’s Llama 3, Command R+, or a standard search engine to assess symptoms and determine next steps.

Chatbot users identified their condition about one-third of the time, with only 45 percent selecting the correct medical response. Performance levels matched those relying solely on search engines, despite AI systems scoring highly on medical licensing benchmarks.

Experts attributed the gap to communication failures. Users often provided incomplete information or misinterpreted chatbot guidance.

Researchers and bioethicists warned that growing reliance on AI for medical queries could pose public health risks without professional oversight.

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New York weighs pause on data centre expansion

Lawmakers in New York have introduced a bill proposing a three year pause on permits for new data centres. Supporters say rapid expansion linked to AI infrastructure risks straining energy systems in New York.

Concerns in New York focus on rising electricity demand and higher household bills as tech companies scale AI operations. Critics across the US argue local communities bear the cost of supporting large scale computing facilities.

The New York proposal has drawn backing from environmental groups and politicians in the US who want time to set stricter rules. US senator Bernie Sanders has also called for a nationwide halt on new data centres.

Officials in New York say the pause would allow stronger policies on grid access and fair cost sharing. The debate reflects wider US tension between economic growth driven by AI and environmental limits.

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New AI breakthrough unlocks complex protein structures

AI is reshaping protein research, enabling scientists to decode complex molecular structures with greater speed and precision. Researchers at the National University of Singapore are using AI to accelerate biomedical discovery and disease research.

Protein function depends on three-dimensional structure, yet experimental mapping remains slow and resource-intensive. A team led by Zhang Yang developed D-I-TASSER, an AI tool that predicts 3D structures of complex multi-domain proteins.

The system combines AI with physics simulations, predicting protein segments before assembling a full structural model. Testing showed roughly 13 percent higher accuracy than existing leading methods, while enabling structural modelling across much of the human proteome.

Future development will expand the framework to RNA structures and protein-protein interactions, including antibody-antigen complexes, with the long-term goal of modelling dynamic protein folding processes inside living cells.

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Shadow AI becomes a new governance challenge for European organisations

Employees are adopting generative tools at work faster than organisations can approve or secure them, giving rise to what is increasingly described as ‘shadow AI‘. Unlike earlier forms of shadow IT, these tools can transform data, infer sensitive insights, and trigger automated actions beyond established controls.

For European organisations, the issue is no longer whether AI should be used, but how to regain visibility and control without undermining productivity, as shadow AI increasingly appears inside approved platforms, browser extensions, and developer tools, expanding risks beyond data leakage.

Security experts warn that blanket bans often push AI use further underground, reducing transparency and trust. Instead, guidance from EU cybersecurity bodies increasingly promotes responsible enablement through clear policies, staff awareness, and targeted technical controls.

Key mitigation measures include mapping AI use across approved and informal tools, defining safe prompt data, and offering sanctioned alternatives, with logging, least-privilege access, and approval steps becoming essential as AI acts across workflows.

With the EU AI Act introducing clearer accountability across the AI value chain, unmanaged shadow AI is also emerging as a compliance risk. As AI becomes embedded across enterprise software, organisations face growing pressure to make safe use the default rather than the exception.

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Super Bowl 2026 ads embrace the AI power

AI dominated the 2026 Super Bowl advertising landscape as brands relied on advanced models instead of traditional high-budget productions.

Many spots showcased AI as both the creative engine behind the visuals and the featured product, signalling a shift toward technology-centred storytelling during the most expensive broadcast event of the year.

Svedka pursued a provocative strategy by presenting a largely AI-generated commercial starring its robot pair, a choice that reignited arguments over whether generative tools could displace human creatives.

Anthropic went in a different direction by using humour to mock OpenAI’s plan to introduce advertisements to ChatGPT, a jab that led to a pointed response from Sam Altman and fuelled an online dispute.

Meta, Amazon and Google used their airtime to promote their latest consumer offerings, with Meta focusing on AI-assisted glasses for extreme activities and Amazon unveiling Alexa+, framed through a satirical performance by Chris Hemsworth about fears of malfunctioning assistants.

Google leaned toward practical design applications instead of spectacle, demonstrating its Nano Banana Pro system transforming bare rooms into personalised images.

Other companies emphasised service automation, from Ring’s AI tool for locating missing pets to Ramp, Rippling and Wix, which showcased platforms designed to ease administrative work and simplify creative tasks.

Hims & Hers adopted a more social approach by highlighting the unequal nature of healthcare access and promoting its AI-driven MedMatch feature.

The variety of tones across the adverts underscored how brands increasingly depend on AI to stand out, either through spectacle or through commentary on the technology’s expanding cultural power.

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