Sustainable development

SCO Tianjin Summit underscores economic cooperation and security dialogue

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin closed with leaders adopting the Tianjin Declaration, highlighting member states’ commitment to multilateralism, sovereignty, and shared security.

The discussions emphasised economic resilience, financial cooperation, and collective responses to security challenges.

Proposals included exploring joint financial mechanisms, such as common bonds and payment systems, to shield member economies from external disruptions.

Leaders also underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, with China pledging additional funding and infrastructure support across the bloc. Observers noted that these measures reflect growing interest in alternative global finance and economic governance approaches.

Security issues are prominently featured, with agreements to enhance counter-terrorism initiatives and expand existing structures such as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. Delegates also called for greater collaboration against cross-border crime, drug trafficking, and emerging security risks.

At the same time, they stressed the need for political solutions to ongoing regional conflicts, including those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan.

With its expanding membership and combined economic weight, the SCO continues to position itself as a platform for cooperation beyond traditional regional security concerns.

While challenges remain, including diverging interests among key members, the Tianjin summit indicated the bloc’s growing role in discussions on multipolar governance and collective stability.

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Key AI researchers depart Apple for rivals Meta and OpenAI

Apple is confronting a significant exodus of AI talent, with key researchers departing for rival firms instead of advancing projects in-house.

The company lost its lead robotics researcher, Jian Zhang, to Meta’s Robotics Studio, alongside several core Foundation Models team members responsible for the Apple Intelligence platform. The brain drain has triggered internal concerns about Apple’s strategic direction and declining staff morale.

Instead of relying entirely on its own systems, Apple is reportedly considering a shift towards using external AI models. The departures include experts like Ruoming Pang, who accepted a multi-year package from Meta reportedly worth $200 million.

Other AI researchers are set to join leading firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, highlighting a fierce industry-wide battle for specialised expertise.

At the centre of the talent war is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, offering lucrative packages worth up to $100 million to secure leading researchers for Meta’s ambitious AI and robotics initiatives.

The aggressive recruitment strategy is strengthening Meta’s capabilities while simultaneously weakening the internal development efforts of competitors like Apple.

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US government and New Mexico team up on quantum computing

A new partnership between the federal government and New Mexico’s state and local businesses aims to establish the state as a leader in quantum computing.

The initiative will see the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) working alongside local researchers and companies to develop and commercialise next-generation technology. A total of up to $120 million could be invested in the project over four years.

New Mexico’s selection for the project is due to its long history of innovation, its two national defence labs, and a high concentration of leading scientists in the field.

The goal is to harness the ‘brainpower’ of the state to build computers that can solve currently impossible problems, such as developing materials that resist corrosion or finding cures for diseases. One of the project’s aims is to test the technology and differentiate between genuine breakthroughs and mere hype.

Roadrunner Venture Studios will be assisting in developing new quantum computing businesses within the state. A successful venture would bring economic gains and jobs and position New Mexico to lead the nation in solving some of its most pressing challenges.

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Microsoft to supply AI tools to federal agencies in a cost-saving pact

The US General Services Administration (GSA) has agreed on a significant deal with Microsoft to provide federal agencies with discounted access to its AI and cloud tools suite.

Instead of managing separate contracts, the government-wide pact offers unified pricing on products including Microsoft 365, the Copilot AI assistant, and Azure cloud services, potentially saving agencies up to $3.1 billion in its first year.

The arrangement is designed to accelerate AI adoption and digital transformation across the federal government. It includes free access to the generative AI chatbot Microsoft 365 Copilot for up to 12 months, alongside discounts on cybersecurity tools and Dynamics 365.

Agencies can opt into any of the offers through September next year.

The deal leverages the federal government’s collective purchasing power to reduce costs and foster innovation.

It delivers on a White House AI action plan and follows similar arrangements the GSA announced last month with other tech giants, including Google, Amazon Web Services, and OpenAI.

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Oxford secures £118 million for AI-enhanced vaccine research programme

In partnership with the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford University has received a £118 million grant to launch CoI-AI, Correlates of Immunity-AI, a five-year vaccine research programme.

Led by Professors Sir Andrew Pollard and Daniela Ferreira, the initiative will combine human challenge trials with AI analysis to explore how the immune system responds to antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.

AI models developed at EIT will process vast human-derived datasets, including blood and tissue samples, to identify protective immune responses, profoundly accelerating vaccine discovery and design. CoI-AI pioneers a collaboration of biomedical science and advanced AI within a high-risk, precision-driven framework.

Orange funding will also support the creation of Oxford–EIT research infrastructure, including a new £1 billion campus opening in 2027, embedding AI-driven innovation into cutting-edge medical research.

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UK institutions embrace enterprise AI through global tech alliance

Microsoft, Accenture, and Avanade are deepening their 25-year partnership to bring AI into some of the UK’s most vital sectors, including healthcare and finance. NHS England is piloting AI-powered tools to streamline patient services and cut down on time-consuming administrative tasks, while Nationwide Building Society is deploying machine learning to improve customer services, speed up mortgage approvals, and enhance fraud detection.

The three companies have different responsibilities in tackling the challenges of enterprise AI. Microsoft provides the Azure cloud platform and pre-built AI models, Accenture contributes sector-specific expertise and governance frameworks, and Avanade integrates the technology into existing systems and workflows. That structure helps organisations move beyond experimental AI pilots and scale solutions reliably in highly regulated industries.

Unlike consumer applications, enterprise AI must meet strict compliance requirements, especially concerning sensitive patient data or financial transactions. The partnership emphasises embedding AI directly into day-to-day operations rather than treating it as an add-on, reducing disruption for staff and ensuring systems work seamlessly once live.

With regulators tightening oversight, the alliance highlights responsible AI as a key focus. By prioritising transparency, security, and ethical use, Microsoft, Accenture, and Avanade are positioning their collaboration as a blueprint for how AI can be adopted across critical institutions without compromising trust or reliability.

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AI boom drives massive surge in data centre power demand

According to Goldman Sachs, the surge in AI is set to transform global energy markets, with data centres expected to consume 165% more electricity by 2030 compared to 2023. The bank reports that US spending on data centre construction has tripled in just three years, while occupancy rates at existing facilities remain close to record highs.

The demand is driven by hyperscale operators like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, which are rapidly expanding their infrastructure to meet the power-hungry needs of AI systems.

Global data centres use about 55 gigawatts of electricity, more than half of which supports cloud computing. Traditional workloads like email and storage still account for a third, while AI represents just 14%.

However, Goldman Sachs projects that by 2027, overall consumption could rise to 84 gigawatts, with AI’s share growing to over a quarter. That shift is straining grids and pushing operators toward new solutions as AI servers can consume ten times more electricity than traditional racks.

Meeting this demand will require massive investment. Goldman Sachs estimates that global grid upgrades could cost as much as US$720 billion by 2030, with US utilities alone needing an additional US$50 billion in new generation capacity for data centres.

While renewables like wind and solar are increasingly cost-competitive, their intermittent output means operators lean on hybrid models with backup gas and battery storage. At the same time, technology companies are reviving interest in nuclear power, with contracts for over 10 gigawatts of new capacity signed in the US last year.

The expansion is most evident in Europe and North America, with Nordic countries, Spain, and France attracting investment due to their renewable energy resources. At the same time, hubs like Germany, Britain, and Ireland rely on incentives and established ecosystems. Yet, uncertainty remains.

Advances like DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model reportedly as capable as US systems but more efficient, could temper power demand growth. For now, however, the trajectory is clear, AI is reshaping the data centre industry and the global energy landscape.

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Beijing seeks to curb excess AI investment while sustaining growth

China has pledged to rein in excessive competition in AI, signalling Beijing’s desire to avoid wasteful investment while keeping the technology central to its economic strategy.

The National Development and Reform Commission stated that provinces should develop AI in a coordinated manner, leveraging local strengths to prevent duplication and overlap. Officials in China emphasised the importance of orderly flows of talent, capital, and resources.

The move follows President Xi Jinping’s warnings about unchecked local investment. Authorities aim to prevent overcapacity problems, such as those seen in electric vehicles, which have fueled deflationary pressures in other industries.

While global investment in data centres has surged, Beijing is adopting a calibrated approach. The state also vowed stronger national planning and support for private firms, aiming to nurture new domestic leaders in AI.

At the same time, policymakers are pushing to attract private capital into traditional sectors, while considering more central spending on social projects to ease local government debt burdens and stimulate long-term consumption.

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Meta faces turmoil as AI hiring spree backfires

Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to assemble a dream team of AI researchers at Meta has instead created internal instability.

High-profile recruits poached from rival firms have begun leaving within weeks of joining, citing cultural clashes and frustration with the company’s working style. Their departures have disrupted projects and unsettled long-time executives.

Meta had hoped its aggressive hiring spree would help the company rival OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic in developing advanced AI systems.

Instead of strengthening the company’s position, the strategy has led to delays in projects and uncertainty about whether Meta can deliver on its promises of achieving superintelligence.

The new arrivals were given extensive autonomy, fuelling tensions with existing teams and creating leadership friction. Some staff viewed the hires as destabilising, while others expressed concern about the direction of the AI division.

The resulting turnover has left Meta struggling to maintain momentum in its most critical area of research.

As Meta faces mounting pressure to demonstrate progress in AI, the setbacks highlight the difficulty of retaining elite talent in a fiercely competitive field.

Zuckerberg’s recruitment drive, rather than propelling Meta ahead, risks slowing down the company’s ability to compete at the highest level of AI development.

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Stethoscope with AI identifies heart issues in seconds

A new stethoscope powered by AI could enable doctors to identify three serious heart conditions in just seconds, according to UK researchers.

The device replaces the traditional chest piece with a small sensor that records both electrical signals from the heart and the sound of blood flow, which are then analysed in the cloud by AI trained on large datasets.

The AI tool has shown strong results in trials across more than 200 GP practices, with patients tested using the stethoscope being more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure within 12 months compared with those assessed through usual care.

It was also 3.45 times more likely to detect atrial fibrillation and almost twice as likely to identify heart valve disease.

Researchers from Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said the technology could help doctors provide treatment at an earlier stage instead of waiting until patients present in hospital with advanced symptoms.

The findings, known as Tricorder, will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid.

The project, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is now preparing for further rollouts in Wales, south London and Sussex. Experts described the innovation as a significant step in updating a medical tool that has remained largely unchanged for over 200 years.

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