Telecommunications infrastructure

New YouTube AI features make Shorts faster and smarter

YouTube has unveiled a new suite of AI tools designed to enhance the creation of Shorts, with its headline innovation being Veo 3 Fast, a streamlined version of Google DeepMind’s video model.

A system that can generate 480p clips with sound almost instantly, marking the first time audio has been added to Veo-generated Shorts. It is already being rolled out in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with other regions to follow instead of a limited release.

The platform also introduced several advanced editing features, such as motion transfer from video to still images, text-based styling, object insertion and Speech to Song Remixing, which converts spoken dialogue into music through DeepMind’s Lyria 2 model.

Testing will begin in the US before global expansion.

Another innovation, Edit with AI, automatically assembles raw footage into a rough cut complete with transitions, music and interactive voiceovers. YouTube confirmed the tool is in trials and will launch in select markets within weeks instead of years.

All AI-generated Shorts will display labels and watermarks to maintain transparency, as YouTube pushes to expand creator adoption and boost Shorts’ growth as a rival to TikTok and Instagram Reels.

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Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund INA targets data centres and AI in healthcare

The Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, is sharpening its focus on digital infrastructure, healthcare and renewable energy as it seeks to attract foreign partners and strengthen national development.

The fund, created in 2021 with $5 billion in state capital, now manages assets worth around $10 billion and is expanding its scope beyond equity into hybrid capital and private credit.

Chief investment officer Christopher Ganis said data centres and supporting infrastructure, such as sub-sea cables, were key priorities as the government emphasises data independence and resilience.

INA has already teamed up with Singapore-based Granite Asia to invest over $1.2 billion in Indonesia’s technology and AI ecosystem, including a new data centre campus in Batam. Ganis added that AI would be applied first in healthcare instead of rushing into broader adoption.

Renewables also remain central to INA’s strategy, with its partnership alongside Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Clean Energy in Pertamina Geothermal Energy cited as a strong performer.

Ganis said Asia’s reliance on bank financing highlights the need for INA’s support in cross-border growth, since domestic banks cannot always facilitate overseas expansion.

Despite growing global ambitions, INA will prioritise projects directly linked to Indonesia. Ganis stressed that it must deliver benefits at home instead of directing capital into ventures without a clear link to the country’s future.

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Hong Kong to speed up tech hub plan with China

One of S.A.R. of China, Hong Kong, is preparing to accelerate its cross-border technology hub plans with mainland China as the city seeks new growth drivers to offset its fragile economy.

Chief Executive John Lee is set to deliver his annual policy address on Wednesday, with the Northern Metropolis project expected to take centre stage.

The initiative aims to transform a sparsely populated area into a base for advanced industries and innovation, while reducing reliance on finance and real estate.

According to state-owned media, the government will ease financing rules to attract companies in AI, renewable energy and medical technology.

An urgency that comes despite signs of recovery, as the economy of Hong Kong grew at its fastest pace in over a year last quarter. Yet home prices continue to fall, unemployment has risen, and public finances remain stretched.

The administration is unlikely to offer sweeping property incentives, such as tax cuts or looser rules for mainland buyers, given fiscal constraints. Instead, it may revive the long-dormant Tenants Purchase Scheme, first launched in 1998, which allows public housing tenants to buy their flats at reduced prices.

Analysts say that without bold reforms, the housing market will stay under pressure as oversupply and weak sentiment weigh on values.

Hong Kong’s $7.2 trillion stock market could benefit if new listings and inflows are encouraged, especially as developers look to stimulus and lower mortgage rates to support sales.

However, with the economy of China also slowing down, doubts remain over whether deeper integration and technology investments can provide a lasting boost.

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UK to benefit from Google’s £5 billion AI plan

Google has unveiled plans to invest £5 billion (around $6.8 billion) in the UK’s AI economy over the next two years.

An announcement comes just hours before US President Donald Trump’s official visit to the country, during which economic agreements worth more than $10 billion are expected.

The investment will include establishing a new AI data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, designed to meet growing demand for services like Google Cloud.

Alongside the facility, funds will be channelled into research and development, capital expenditure, engineering, and DeepMind’s work applying AI to science and healthcare. The project is expected to generate 8,250 annual jobs for British companies.

Google also revealed a partnership with Shell to support grid stability and contribute to the UK’s energy transition. The move highlights the economic and environmental stakes tied to AI expansion, as the UK positions itself as a hub for advanced digital technologies.

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Telecom industry outlines vision for secure 6G

Telecom experts say 6G must be secure by design as planning for the next generation of mobile networks accelerates.

Industry leaders warn that 6G will vastly expand the attack surface, with autonomous vehicles, drones, industrial robots and AR systems all reliant on ultra-low latency connections. AI will be embedded at every layer, creating opportunities for optimisation but also new risks such as model poisoning.

Quantum threats are also on the horizon, with adversaries potentially able to decrypt sensitive data. Quantum-resistant cryptography is expected to be a cornerstone of 6G defences.

With standards due by 2029, experts stress cooperation among regulators, equipment vendors and operators. Security, they argue, must be as fundamental to 6G as speed and sustainability.

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Lumex chips bring advanced AI to mobile devices

Arm Holdings has unveiled Lumex, its next-generation chip designs built to bring advanced AI performance directly to mobile devices.

The new designs range from highly energy-efficient chips for wearables to high-performance versions capable of running large AI models on smartphones without cloud support.

Lumex forms part of Arm’s Compute Subsystems business, offering handset makers pre-integrated designs, while also strengthening Arm’s broader strategy to expand smartphone and data centre revenues.

The chips are tailored for 3-nanometre manufacturing processes provided by suppliers such as TSMC, whose technology is also used in Apple’s latest iPhone chips. Arm has indicated further investment in its own chip development to capitalise on demand.

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German state pushes digital sovereignty

The northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to replace Microsoft software in its public administration with open-source alternatives.

With around 30,000 civil servants, a workforce comparable to the European Commission, the region has already migrated most staff to new systems. It expects to cut its Office licences by more than two-thirds before the end of the month.

Instead of relying on Word, Outlook or SharePoint, staff are switching to LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Open Xchange and Nextcloud. A Linux pilot is also underway, testing the replacement of Windows itself.

The digital minister, Dirk Schrödter, admitted the schedule is tight but said that 24,000 employees are already using the new setup. By 2029, only a handful of Microsoft licences should remain, kept for compatibility with federal services.

A transition that has not been free of challenges. Some judges have called for a return to Outlook, citing outages, while larger providers such as SAP have proven difficult to adapt.

Still, Schrödter argued the investment is about sovereignty rather than cost-cutting, comparing Europe’s reliance on Big Tech to its dependence on Russian gas before 2022. He urged Brussels to prioritise open-source solutions in procurement rules to reduce dependence on foreign tech giants.

Although Schleswig-Holstein is a relatively small region, its programme has already influenced wider German and European initiatives.

Similar efforts, including Germany’s OpenDesk project, have gained traction in France, Italy and the Netherlands, with several governments now watching the experiment closely.

Schrödter said the state’s progress surprises many observers, but he believes it shows how public administrations can regain control of their digital infrastructure.

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Anthropic introduces memory feature to Claude AI for workplace productivity

The AI startup Anthropic has added a memory feature to its Claude AI, designed to automatically recall details from earlier conversations, such as project information and team preferences.

Initially, the upgrade is only available to Team and Enterprise subscribers, who can manage, edit, or delete the content that the system retains.

Anthropic presents the tool as a way to improve workplace efficiency instead of forcing users to repeat instructions. Enterprise administrators have additional controls, including entirely turning memory off.

Privacy safeguards are included, such as an ‘incognito mode’ for conversations that are not stored.

Analysts view the step as an effort to catch up with competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini, which already offer similar functions. Memory also links with Claude’s newer tools for creating spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs, allowing past information to be reused in future documents.

Anthropic plans a wider release after testing the feature with businesses. Experts suggest the approach could strengthen the company’s position in the AI market by offering both continuity and security, which appeal to enterprises handling sensitive data.

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Integratel Perú secures spectrum to boost 5G rollout

Integratel Perú has secured a 100 MHz spectrum block to accelerate the deployment of 5G, laying the foundation for faster connections, lower latency, and greater device capacity.

A move that is expected to boost Peru’s digital transformation and strengthen local industries’ competitiveness.

The company has already modernised 1,400 antennas as part of a wider network upgrade that will continue into 2027, preparing the ground for nationwide 5G rollout once fully authorised.

Under its Movistar Empresas brand, Integratel plans to enhance digital services, including personnel identification systems that use cameras to verify protective equipment in restricted areas. With 5G, such tools will deliver more explicit images and real-time alerts, reducing human oversight.

As part of its spectrum award commitments, Integratel will expand 4G coverage to 437 rural locations and extend connectivity along 545 kilometres of roads.

It will also deliver 5G to 92 public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and Pan American Games venues, ensuring wider access to advanced connectivity nationwide.

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NATO and Seoul expand cybersecurity dialogue and defence ties

South Korea and NATO have pledged closer cooperation on cybersecurity following high-level talks in Seoul this week, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The discussions, led by Ambassador for International Cyber Affairs Lee Tae Woo and NATO Assistant Secretary General Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, focused on countering cyber threats and assessing risks in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.

Launched in 2023, the high-level cyber dialogue aims to deepen collaboration between South Korea and NATO in the cybersecurity domain.

The meeting followed talks between Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and NATO Military Committee chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone during the Seoul Defence Dialogue earlier this week.

Dragone said cooperation would expand across defence exchanges, information sharing, cyberspace, space, and AI as ties between Seoul and NATO strengthen.

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