Telecommunications infrastructure

OpenAI introduces IndQA to test AI on Indian languages and culture

The US R&D company, OpenAI, has introduced IndQA, a new benchmark designed to test how well AI systems understand and reason across Indian languages and cultural contexts. The benchmark covers 2,278 questions in 12 languages and 10 cultural domains, from literature and food to law and spirituality.

Developed with input from 261 Indian experts, IndQA evaluates AI models through rubric-based grading that assesses accuracy, cultural understanding, and reasoning depth. Questions were created to challenge leading OpenAI models, including GPT-4o and GPT-5, ensuring space for future improvement.

India was chosen as the first region for the initiative, reflecting its linguistic diversity and its position as ChatGPT’s second-largest market.

OpenAI aims to expand the approach globally, using IndQA as a model for building culturally aware benchmarks that help measure real progress in multilingual AI performance.

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Salesforce’s Agentforce helps organisations deliver 24/7 support

Organisations across public and private sectors are using Salesforce’s Agentforce to engage people whenever and wherever they need support.

From local governments to hospitals and education platforms, AI systems are transforming how services are delivered and accessed.

In the city of Kyle, Texas, an Agentforce-driven 311 app enables residents to report issues such as potholes or water leaks. The city plans to make the system voice-enabled, reducing traditional call volumes while maintaining a steady flow of service requests and faster responses.

At Pearson, AI enables students to access their online learning platforms instantly, regardless of their time zone. The company stated that the technology fosters loyalty by providing immediate assistance, rather than requiring users to wait for human support.

Meanwhile, UChicago Medicine utilises AI to streamline patient interactions, from prescription refills to scheduling, while ambient listening tools enable doctors to focus entirely on patients rather than typing notes.

Salesforce said Agentforce empowers organisations to save resources while enhancing trust, accessibility, and service quality. By meeting people on their own terms, AI enables more responsive and human-centred interactions across various industries.

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Facebook update lets admins make private groups public safely

Meta has introduced a new Facebook update allowing group administrators to change their private groups to public while keeping members’ privacy protected. The company said the feature gives admins more flexibility to grow their communities without exposing existing private content.

All posts, comments, and reactions shared before the change will remain visible only to previous members, admins, and moderators. The member list will also stay private. Once converted, any new posts will be visible to everyone, including non-Facebook users, which helps discussions reach a broader audience.

Admins have three days to review and cancel the conversion before it becomes permanent. Members will be notified when a group changes its status, and a globe icon will appear when posting in public groups as a reminder of visibility settings.

Groups can be switched back to private at any time, restoring member-only access.

Meta said the feature supports community growth and deeper engagement while maintaining privacy safeguards. Group admins can also utilise anonymous or nickname-based participation options, providing users with greater control over their engagement in public discussions.

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Deutsche Telekom joins Theta Network as enterprise validator

Deutsche Telekom has joined the Theta Network as a strategic enterprise validator, alongside Google, Samsung and Sony. The company becomes the first major telecom provider to take part in securing the decentralised blockchain platform.

The partnership involves staking THETA tokens and operating validator nodes that support Theta’s layer-1 infrastructure for AI, cloud and media applications. Deutsche Telekom’s unit, T-Systems MMS, will manage the validator operations.

Theta Labs said the collaboration enhances network resilience and underlines growing enterprise interest in decentralised computing. The project’s EdgeCloud system is designed to distribute AI workloads across global nodes more efficiently.

Deutsche Telekom noted that Theta’s decentralised model aligns with its vision of providing reliable, scalable cloud and edge services for future digital ecosystems.

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Dubai telecom firm launches crypto mining-as-a-service platform

Dubai-based telecom operator du has launched a cryptocurrency mining service designed to promote digital finance adoption across the UAE. The initiative, named Cloud Miner, enables residents to mine cryptocurrency via subscription, eliminating the need for personal hardware or maintenance.

The service, operated by du Tech’s data centres, enables users to rent computational power and mine Bitcoin and other digital assets. Participants can bid online from November 3 to 9 for 24-month contracts that offer 250 terahashes per second.

Users will also gain access to a calculator to track monthly Bitcoin yields linked directly to their crypto wallets.

According to Jasim Al Awadi, du’s Chief ICT Officer, Cloud Miner represents the company’s first step in expanding into digital asset services. He added that as adoption grows, Du plans to explore adjacent sectors such as crypto exchanges and lending platforms.

The company also intends to increase the number of available contracts and hash rate in future phases.

The UAE continues to position itself as a leader in digital finance, introducing supportive regulations and encouraging blockchain innovation. Al Awadi emphasised that trusted, regulated entities like du play a key role in helping users confidently engage with the crypto ecosystem.

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Unexpected language emerges as best for AI prompting

A new joint study by the University of Maryland and Microsoft has found that Polish is the most effective language for prompting AI, outperforming 25 others, including English, French, and Chinese.

The researchers tested leading AI models, including OpenAI, Google Gemini, Qwen, Llama, and DeepSeek, by providing identical prompts in 26 languages. Polish achieved an average accuracy of 88 percent, securing first place. English, often seen as the natural choice for AI interaction, came only sixth.

According to the study, Polish proved to be the most precise in issuing commands to AI, despite the fact that far less Polish-language data exists for model training. The Polish Patent Office noted that while humans find the language difficult, AI systems appear to handle it with remarkable ease.

Other high-performing languages included French, Italian, and Spanish, with Chinese ranking among the lowest. The finding challenges the widespread assumption that English dominates AI communication and could reshape future research on multilingual model optimisation.

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Perplexity launches AI-powered patent search to make innovation intelligence accessible

The US software company, Perplexity, has unveiled Perplexity Patents, the first AI-powered patent research agent designed to democratise access to intellectual property intelligence. The new tool allows anyone to explore patents using natural language instead of complex keyword syntax.

Traditional patent research has long relied on rigid search systems that demand specialist knowledge and expensive software.

Perplexity Patents instead offers conversational interaction, enabling users to ask questions such as ‘Are there any patents on AI for language learning?’ or ‘Key quantum computing patents since 2024?’.

The system automatically identifies relevant patents, provides inline viewing, and maintains context across multiple questions.

Powered by Perplexity’s large-scale search infrastructure, the platform uses agentic reasoning to break down complex queries, perform multi-step searches, and return comprehensive results supported by extensive patent documentation.

Its semantic understanding also captures related concepts that traditional tools often miss, linking terms such as ‘fitness trackers’, ‘activity bands’, and ‘health monitoring wearables’.

Beyond patent databases, Perplexity Patents can also draw from academic papers, open-source code, and other publicly available data, revealing the entire landscape of technological innovation. The service launches today in beta, free for all users, with extra features for Pro and Max subscribers.

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Japan’s KDDI partners with Google for AI-driven news service

Japan’s telecom leader KDDI is set to partner with Google to introduce an AI-powered news search service in spring 2026. The platform will use Google’s Gemini model to deliver articles from authorised Japanese media sources while preventing copyright violations.

The service will cite original publishers and exclude independent web scraping, addressing growing global concerns about the unauthorised use of journalism by generative AI systems. Around six domestic media companies, including digital outlets, are expected to join the initiative.

KDDI aims to strengthen user trust by offering reliable news through a transparent and copyright-safe AI interface. Details of how the articles will appear to users are still under review, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The move follows lawsuits filed in Tokyo by major Japanese newspapers, including Nikkei and Yomiuri, against US startup Perplexity AI over alleged copyright infringement. Industry experts say KDDI’s collaboration could become a model for responsible AI integration in news services.

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Australian police create AI tool to decode predators’ slang

Australian police are developing an AI tool with Microsoft to decode slang and emojis used by online predators. The technology is designed to interpret coded messages in digital conversations to help investigators detect harmful intent more quickly.

Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said social media has become a breeding ground for exploitation, bullying, and radicalisation. The AI based prototype, she explained, could allow officers to identify threats earlier and rescue children before abuse occurs.

Barrett also warned about the rise of so-called ‘crimefluencers’, offenders using social media trends to lure young victims, many of whom are pre-teen or teenage girls. Australian authorities believe understanding modern online language is key to disrupting their methods.

The initiative follows Australia’s new under-16 social media ban, due to take effect in December. Regulators worldwide are monitoring the country’s approach as governments struggle to balance online safety with privacy and digital rights.

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CXMT launches LPDDR5X chips as China advances in semiconductor race

ChangXin Memory Technologies has begun mass production of LPDDR5X chips, marking a major milestone in China’s effort to strengthen its position in the global semiconductor market.

The Hefei-based manufacturer, preparing for a Shanghai stock listing, said its new DRAM generation will support faster data transfer and lower power use across mobile devices and AI systems.

The LPDDR5X range includes chips with speeds of up to 10,667 Mbps, positioning CXMT as a growing competitor to industry leaders such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.

Earlier LPDDR5 versions launched in 2023 had already helped the firm progress towards advanced 16-nanometre manufacturing, narrowing the technological gap with global rivals.

Industry data indicate a rising global demand for memory chips, driven by AI applications and high-bandwidth computing. Additionally, DRAM revenue increased 17.1 percent in the second quarter, reaching US$31.6 billion.

CXMT’s expansion comes as it targets a Shanghai IPO valued at around 300 billion yuan, highlighting both investor interest and the ambition of China to achieve greater chip self-sufficiency.

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